Accurate Four-Step Hybrid Block Method for Solving Higher-Order Initial Value Problems

يركز هذا البحث على التعامل مع طريقة عددية ذاتية البدء والتي يمكن استخدامها لايجاد التكامل بشكل مباشر لمسائل القيم الابتدائية للمعادلات التفاضلية الاعتيادية ذات الرتب العالية. هذه الطريقة مشتقة من تقريب متسلسلة القوى مع المعادلات الناتجة التي تم تقديرها في الشبكة المحددة ونقاط خارج الشبكة.تم تطبيق الطريقة باستخدام طريقة االبلوك  كمكامل عددي لمسألة القيمة الأبتدائية ذات الرتب الأعلى. تم التحقق من الخصائص الأساسية لطريقة البلوك والتحقق من أدائها ثم تنفيذها ببعض االتجارب الاختبارية للتحقق من دقة الطريقة وتقاربها.This paper focuses on developing a self-starting numerical approach that can be used for direct integration of higher-order initial value problems of Ordinary Differential Equations. The method is derived from power series approximation with the resulting equations discretized at the selected grid and off-grid points. The method is applied in a block-by-block approach as a numerical integrator of higher-order initial value problems. The basic properties of the block method are investigated to authenticate its performance and then implemented with some tested experiments to validate the accuracy and convergence of the method

Social Construction of Manhood in Nigeria: Implications for Male Responsibility in Reproductive Health

This paper examines social construction of masculinity and manhood and gender socialisation among the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, with the aid of a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. The sample included male and female, young and old respondents, representing the Yoruba of the Southwest, the Igbo of the Southeast and the Hausa of the North. The study found that, in general, manhood is usually strongly associated with the social position in the family and the physical capability to satisfy the sexual needs of the female partner(s) and to produce children. Decision-making authority, including decision on reproduction, is largely vested in the man. Gender socialising for developing boys into men, including their sexual behaviour, is largely affected by instruction from the mother and the example of the father, while role enactment is closely monitored by the society. Even though significant socio-cultural differences between ethnic groups were found in gender socialising and the resultant roles, male dominance is pervasive and affects reproductive behaviour and health status of both males and females. Change in gender roles, including sexual relationships, will require enlightenment on the need for greater male responsibility in their relationship with females

Orthogonal-Based Second Order Hybrid Initial Value Problem Solver

This work focuses on development of an initial value problem solver by employing a new class of orthogonal polynomial, the basis function. We present the recursive formula of the class of polynomials constructed and adopt collocation technique to develop the method. The method was analyzed for its basic properties and findings show that the method is accurate and convergent.AMS Subject Classification: 65L05, 65L06 Keywords: Orthogonal polynomials, Algorithm, Block method, Collocation, Interpolation, Zero-Stable

Genome-Scale Evolution and Phylodynamics of Equine H3N8 Influenza A Virus▿†

Equine influenza viruses (EIVs) of the H3N8 and H7N7 subtypes are the causative agents of an important disease of horses. While EIV H7N7 apparently is extinct, H3N8 viruses have circulated for more than 50 years. Like human influenza viruses, EIV H3N8 caused a transcontinental pandemic followed by further outbreaks and epidemics, even in populations with high vaccination coverage. Recently, EIV H3N8 jumped the species barrier to infect dogs. Despite its importance as an agent of infectious disease, the mechanisms that underpin the evolutionary and epidemiological dynamics of EIV are poorly understood, particularly at a genomic scale. To determine the evolutionary history and phylodynamics of EIV H3N8, we conducted an extensive analysis of 82 complete viral genomes sampled during a 45-year span. We show that both intra- and intersubtype reassortment have played a major role in the evolution of EIV, and we suggest that intrasubtype reassortment resulted in enhanced virulence while heterosubtypic reassortment contributed to the extinction of EIV H7N7. We also show that EIV evolves at a slower rate than other influenza viruses, even though it seems to be subject to similar immune selection pressures. However, a relatively high rate of amino acid replacement is observed in the polymerase acidic (PA) segment, with some evidence for adaptive evolution. Most notably, an analysis of viral population dynamics provided evidence for a major population bottleneck of EIV H3N8 during the 1980s, which we suggest resulted from changes in herd immunity due to an increase in vaccination coverage