Path Integral Solution of Linear Second Order Partial Differential Equations I. The General Construction

A path integral is presented that solves a general class of linear second order partial differential equations with Dirichlet/Neumann boundary conditions. Elementary kernels are constructed for both Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. The general solution can be specialized to solve elliptic, parabolic, and hyperbolic partial differential equations with boundary conditions. This extends the well-known path integral solution of the Schr\"{o}dinger/diffusion equation in unbounded space. The construction is based on a framework for functional integration introduced by Cartier/DeWitt-Morette.Comment: 40 page

Quantum particle displacement by a moving localized potential trap

We describe the dynamics of a bound state of an attractive $\delta$-well under displacement of the potential. Exact analytical results are presented for the suddenly moved potential. Since this is a quantum system, only a fraction of the initially confined wavefunction remains confined to the moving potential. However, it is shown that besides the probability to remain confined to the moving barrier and the probability to remain in the initial position, there is also a certain probability for the particle to move at double speed. A quasi-classical interpretation for this effect is suggested. The temporal and spectral dynamics of each one of the scenarios is investigated.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

slq(2)sl_q(2) Realizations for Kepler and Oscillator Potentials and q-Canonical Transformations

The realizations of the Lie algebra corresponding to the dynamical symmetry group SO(2,1) of the Kepler and oscillator potentials are q-deformed. The q-canonical transformation connecting two realizations is given and a general definition for q-canonical transformation is deduced. q-Schr\"{o}dinger equation for a Kepler like potential is obtained from the q-oscillator Schr\"{o}dinger equation. Energy spectrum and the ground state wave function are calculated.Comment: 12 pages, Latex twice, (Comparison with the other approaches and some refs. added. The version which will appear in J. Phys. A

Use of Remote Sensing Data to Detect Environmental Degradation in the Oil Rich Region of Southern Nigeria between 2003 and 2015

The oil spill management system aims to achieve a knowledge- based system which can choose the most suitable method of response in shorter time by analyzing the various sensitivity factors of coastal environment, affecting parameters on oil spill movement, environmental concerns in oil spill response, and consequent monitoring and clean-up measurements. The major advantage of this integration is the ability to extract oil spill parameters such as location, linear size and spill areas. Spatial and temporal information, i.e. oil spill distribution at the sea, its frequency and evolution in time allow the scientists to establish the major cause and source of oil spills, and then outline the risk areas. This study has demonstrated the application of GIS and remote sensing as a decision support tool for oil spill management. Its objectives are to perform image classification and accuracy assessment, to perform post classification change detection for oil spill detection and to perform trend of change analysis for oil spill growth trend. Methodology involves planning stage, data requirements, data acquisition, data processing and results presentation. The results indicated that the annual growth rate of water bodies is decreasing at -0.16% from 2003 to 2015, settlements decreased at a rate of -1.16% from 2003 to 2015 while Mangrove and vegetation decreased significantly at the rate of -2.82% and -1.92% respectively from 2003 to 2015, this is by far the most significant decrease in the study area, as oil spill degrades farmland and plantations there by rendering it useless for economical purposes, the results also indicated that degraded environment increased at a rate of 3.39% from 2003 to 2015. It was further recommended amongst others that further studies should be on oil spill management in Gokana L.G.A as this will provide additional information on how to manage the effects of oil spill in Gokana L.G.A

Opportunities to encourage mail order pharmacy delivery service use for diabetes prescriptions: a qualitative study.

BackgroundMedication non-adherence is a major contributor to poor outcomes in diabetes. Previous research has shown an association between use of mail order pharmacy delivery and better medication adherence, but little is known about the barriers and facilitators to mail order pharmacy use in diabetes patients. This qualitative study examined factors related to mail order pharmacy use versus traditional "brick and mortar" pharmacies to refill prescriptions.MethodsWe conducted four 90-min focus groups in 2016 among 28 diabetes patients in the Hawaii and Northern California regions of Kaiser Permanente, a large integrated health care delivery system. We queried participants on their preferred mode for refilling prescriptions and perceived barriers and facilitators of mail order pharmacy use. One researcher independently coded each focus group transcript, with two of these transcripts double-coded by a second researcher to promote reliability. We employed thematic analysis guided by the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior (COM-B) framework using NVivo 11 software.ResultsA total of 28 diabetes patients participated. Participants' average age was 64.1 years; 57% were female; and racial/ethnic backgrounds included Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (36%), Black/African-American (21%) Hispanic/Latino (7%), and non-Hispanic White (36%). Analysis uncovered 26 themes related to the decision to use mail order pharmacy, with each theme representing a barrier or facilitator mapped to the COM-B framework. Most themes (20/26) fell into the COM-B category of 'Opportunity.' Opportunity barriers to mail order pharmacy use included unpredictability of medication delivery date, concerns about mail security, and difficulty coordinating refill orders for multiple prescriptions. In contrast, facilitators included greater access and convenience (e.g., no need to wait in line or arrange transportation) compared to traditional pharmacies. Motivational facilitators to mail order pharmacy use included receiving a pharmacy benefit plan incentive of a free one-month supply of prescriptions.ConclusionsThis study found that while patients with diabetes may benefit from mail order pharmacy use, they perceive numerous barriers to using the service. These findings will inform the design of interventions and quality improvement initiatives to increase mail order pharmacy use, which in turn may improve medication adherence and outcomes in diabetes patients, across health care systems

Introduction

It didn\u27t seem so wrong. It seemed as though I worked my whole life to get where I am, and at the same time, when it was presented to me, it was like this was the time I could start to get back some of the fruits of my labor. 1 —Paul Palmer, former star college football running back, regarding cash payments of more than $5,000 he received while a college senior from sports agent Norby Walters. This epigraph has remained in our text through multiple editions. Its continued relevance is underscored by the irony that, in a recent court ruling, a judge pegged the minimum dollar figure for college athletes to received from licensing revenues at$5,000. This book, meanwhile, focuses on the evolving sports agent industry, the issues affecting it, and how to improve and regulate it. Key issues and problems associated with sports agents are visible at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Whatever the concerns that lie at the center of the sports agent storm, it is a business that captures the attention of many

Salivary Secretion and Composition in Malaria: A Case-control Study

Summary: No previous studies have documented changes in salivary secretion in patients with malaria. This study aimed to compare salivary secretion and composition in malaria positive and malaria negative individuals. Ninety participants composed of 40 malaria parasite positive and 50 malaria parasite negative individuals (age and gender matched) were included. Malaria diagnosis was achieved by microscopic examination of Giemsa stained thick and thin film of blood smears. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess presence or absence of oral symptoms in the malaria parasite positive individuals. Whole saliva samples were collected and analyzed for flow rate, pH, total protein and concentrations of electrolytes (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Cl-, PO42- and HCO32-). Data were analysed using Independent-Samples t-test and Spearman’s correlation test. The salivary flow rate was significantly reduced in malaria parasite positive individuals (P = 0.001). Oral symptoms were present in 82.5% of the malaria parasite positive individuals. There was no significant difference in the salivary pH, total protein and electrolyte ion concentrations between the two groups. Also, Spearman’s correlation test showed no significant relationship between the presence of oral symptom and the salivary parameters. Salivary flow rates are reduced in the individuals with malaria. However, presence of oral symptoms in these individuals may not be attributed to the reduced salivary flow rate. Further studies are needed to validate our findings and elucidate mechanisms involved.Keywords: Saliva, Malaria, Salivary flow rate, Salivary electrolytes, Salivary pH, Salivary total protein

Diagnosing Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium Status of Natural Grassland in the Presence of Legumes

In most temperate areas, sustainable management of grassland ecosystems has to deal with evaluation and management of N, P and K resources. For this purpose, appropriate diagnostic systems are needed in order to manage fertilisation accordingly. The nutrient index method based on nutrient concentrations in plant tissues relative to the degree of growth has been developed; it relies on critical curves which serve for diagnostic: for N, the critical curve gives the optimum N concentration for different levels of biomass accumulation in swards, for P and K optimum concentrations are a linear function of sward N concentration (Duru & Thélier-Huché, 1997). However limitations in the use of P nutrient index (PNI) were reported when the herbage contained a large proportion of white clover (Jouany et al., 2004). Our objectives were to verify whether similar behaviour were observed with other legumes and for K and N nutrition indices (KNI, NNI) as well