Coupled Oscillators for Orientation Dynamics

In this thesis we study a system of coupled phase oscillators that models animals group decision making for direction of travel. Each oscillator is an individual and its phase represents the orientation of the individual. We study the scenario where some individuals have preferred directions. Since the model has a gradient structure we can exclude oscillatory solutions. We also show that in stable equilibria individuals with the same preferred direction and preference strength must have identical orientation if the coupling between oscillators is harmonic. An arbitrarily small perturbation of harmonic coupling may lead to a split of groups with identical preferences. We produce bifurcation diagrams for the case where the population consists of three groups: two groups with conflicting preferred directions and one group without preference. We locate symmetry breaking points branches of equilibria and observe different bistability regions for three different values of the coupling coefficients: weak, moderate and strong

How to create an interface between UrQMD and Geant4 toolkit

An interface between the UrQMD-1.3cr model (version 1.3 for cosmic air showers) and the Geant4 transport toolkit has been developed. Compared to the current Geant4 (hybrid) hadronic models, this provides the ability to simulate at the microscopic level hadron, nucleus, and anti-nucleus interactions with matter from 0 to 1 TeV with a single transport code. This document provides installation requirements and instructions, as well as class and member function descriptions of the software.Comment: 52 pages, 1 figure, Geant4-UrQMD_interfac

A new method of teaching drama: The pragmatic approach

AbstractPragmatics is defined in Jack Richards, et al., Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics (London, Longman, 1985) as follows: The study of the use of language in communication, particularly the relationship between sentences and the contexts and situations in which they are used. Pragmatics includes the study of:(a)how the interpretation and use of utterances depends on knowledge of the real world(b)how speakers use and understand speech acts(c)how the structure of sentences is influenced by the relationship between the speaker and the hearer.Accordingly, this paper aims at applying a pragmatic analysis to dramatic texts to find out whether it is possible for teachers to teach, and students to learn, dramatic texts more effectively by using pragmatic approaches. The pragmatic model used in this study is Leech's Cooperative Principle (CP), together with its maxims and submaxims (Principles of Pragmatics, 1983). This model is applied to Oscar Wilde's play Lady Windermere's Fan (1980) to understand how language is used and understood in communication. The model proves to be a satisfactory mechanism for a pragmatic analysis of dramatic texts. It proves that there is a relation between the linguistic structures of utterances and their intended meanings. It is also responsible for indirectness of utterances

A successful control of the invasive Indian house crows (Corvus splendes) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Felemban, H.M

Transforming the caries risk assessment from the individual level to the tooth and surface level

OBJECTIVE: Caries risk assessment tools operate on the subject level. The aim of the study is to create new caries risk assessment models that functions on the tooth and surface level to assess the risk of caries of single teeth and surfaces. METHODS: Secondary data from the Dental Longitudinal Study was used to evaluate caries symmetry. Teeth were grouped into posterior and anterior teeth. Surfaces were grouped into fissured, proximal, and facial and lingual surfaces. The prediction of future caries on a tooth or a surface by the current caries on a bilateral or adjacent tooth or surface was evaluated. Additional general and oral caries risk factors on teeth and surfaces were adopted from the American Dental Association caries risk assessment tool. Caries on bilateral and/or adjacent teeth or surfaces were augmented with significant oral clinical caries predictor to build the caries risk assessment tools for teeth and surfaces. The models were validated by calculating sensitivities and specificities. RESULTS: 495 subjects with baseline and three year follow up data were included in the study. Caries prevalence and incidence was symmetrical (right and left) on the population level. On the individual level, caries incidence was symmetrical (right and left) and also tends to affect adjacent teeth or surfaces. Baseline caries on bilateral and adjacent teeth and surfaces was predictive of caries at follow up in all groups of teeth and surfaces except posterior teeth. Local oral caries risk factors like visible plaque, interproximal restorations, and xerostomia significantly predicted caries on single teeth and surfaces. Tools of caries risk assessment for anterior teeth and the three groups of surfaces were built. The sensitivities of these tools ranged between 67.33% to 85.51 %, specificities ranged between 38.40 % to 66.11%, and the overall accuracies ranged between 41.95% to 66.27%. CONCLUSION: Dental caries is a symmetrical disease affecting the right and left sides of the mouth equally. Past caries experience is significant in predicting future caries. New models were built to assess caries risk for anterior teeth, fissured surfaces, proximal surfaces, and facial and lingual surfaces with acceptable accuracy.2018-09-28T00:00:00