Analytical models of a fault-tolerant multiple module microprocessor system

Imperial Users onl

Examining the socio-economic determinants of adoption of the 'Government Gateway' initiative in the UK

This paper empirically examines the impact of socio-economic determinants upon the adoption of a recent UK e-government initiative, the 'Government Gateway'. The data on five socio-economic characteristics was collected employing a postal survey. The findings of this research suggest that the three variables of age, gender and occupation significantly differentiated the adopters from the non-adopters of the Government Gateway, whilst education and income were found to be non-significant. The implications of the findings are discussed in the context of promoting the adoption of emerging Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and reducing the digital divide against less privileged parts of the population

Stress among medical students of Gorgan (South East of Caspian Sea), Iran

Objective: This study aims to estimate the prevalence of psychological stress and association between the levels of stress and study variables among Gorgan medical students. Materials and methods: All three year medical students (129 basic sciences students) in Gorgan Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University of medical Sciences, were asked to complete the Kessler 10 questionnaire. Results: The findings showed mild, moderate and severe stress among 26.22%, 20.50% and 14.75% study subjects. 39.35% of medical students had no stress. There was statistically significant association between year of study and stress levels (p= 0.040). Conclusion: The results indicate that there is a decrease in the psychological health of first year medical students. Provided that stress management courses are organised by medical schools, when the students arrive, they will cope up with the stress in coming years. These courses may reduce the negative effects of stress on medical students. By providing such courses and reducing stress level, medical students may improve their medical education

Effect of heat treatment on optical properties of crosslinkable Azo Chromophore doped in poly amic acid

In this work, we have studied the optical properties of a crosslinkable poly amic acid containing Disperse Red 1. The thin films were cured at 130, 160 and 195 °C. The structural and optical properties of the doped films were investigated by using UV-VIS spectra, and Prism Coupling techniques. The composite crosslinks during poling rendering it totally insoluble. A r33 of 1.5 pm/v was obtained after poling

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in renal transplant and hemodialysis patients

Transplanted and hemodialysis patients are frequently affected by parasitic diseases such as cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidium is a parasite causing self-limited diarrhea and enteritis in healthy individuals. The presence of Cryptosporidium infection was studied in three groups including 87 renal transplant patients, 103 hemodialysis patients, and 60 healthy individuals as the control group. Two stool specimens were obtained from each case. The specimens were concentrated by the formalin-ether method and two smears were prepared from each. The smears were stained by modified acid-fast method and were observed under a light microscope. Ten (11.5) renal transplant and 4 (3.88) hemodialysis patients were positive for Cryptosporidium infection. No positive results were obtained in the control group. The results showed a statistically significant difference between renal transplant and control groups (P=0.02), but the difference between hemodialysis and control groups was not significant (P=0.2). The results also showed that the rate of Cryptosporidium infection in renal transplant patients was much higher than hemodialysis patients. The susceptibility of renal transplant patients to Cryptosporidium infection is much more than other studied groups and this could be due to immunosuppressive therapy in these patients

Prevalence of chronic kidney disease and its associated risk factors: The first report from Iran using both microalbuminuria and urine sediment

Background: The incidence of major risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the world is on the rise, and it is expected that this incidence and prevalence, particularly in developing countries, will continue to increase. Using data on urinary sediment and microalbuminuria, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of CKD in northeast Iran. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, the prevalence of CKD in a sample of 1557 regionally representative people, aged � 18 years, was analyzed. CKD was determined based on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and microalbuminuria. Life style data, urine and blood samples were collected. Urine samples without any proteinuria in the initial dipstick test were checked for qualitative microalbuminuria. If the latter was positive, quantitative microalbuminuria was evaluated. Results: 1557 subjects with a mean age of 56.76 ± 12.04 years were enrolled in this study. Based on the modifcation of diet in renal disease (MDRD) equation, 137 subjects (8.89%) were categorized as CKD stages III-V. Based on urine abnormalities, the prevalence of combined CKD stages I and II was 10.63%, and based on macro- and microalbuminuria it was 14.53%. The prevalence of CKD was significantly associated with sex, age, marital status, education, diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), ischemic heart disease (IHD), waist to hip ratio, myocardial infarction (MI), and cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Conclusion: CKD and its main risk factors are common and represent a definite health threat in this region of Iran. Using and standardizing less expensive screening tests in low resource countries could be a good alternative that may improve the outcome through early detection of CKD

Visualising COVID-19 Research

The world has seen in 2020 an unprecedented global outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, a new strain of coronavirus, causing the COVID-19 pandemic, and radically changing our lives and work conditions. Many scientists are working tirelessly to find a treatment and a possible vaccine. Furthermore, governments, scientific institutions and companies are acting quickly to make resources available, including funds and the opening of large-volume data repositories, to accelerate innovation and discovery aimed at solving this pandemic. In this paper, we develop a novel automated theme-based visualisation method, combining advanced data modelling of large corpora, information mapping and trend analysis, to provide a top-down and bottom-up browsing and search interface for quick discovery of topics and research resources. We apply this method on two recently released publications datasets (Dimensions' COVID-19 dataset and the Allen Institute for AI's CORD-19). The results reveal intriguing information including increased efforts in topics such as social distancing; cross-domain initiatives (e.g. mental health and education); evolving research in medical topics; and the unfolding trajectory of the virus in different territories through publications. The results also demonstrate the need to quickly and automatically enable search and browsing of large corpora. We believe our methodology will improve future large volume visualisation and discovery systems but also hope our visualisation interfaces will currently aid scientists, researchers, and the general public to tackle the numerous issues in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.Comment: 11 pages. 10 figures. Preprint paper made available here prior to submission. Update: special characters correcte

Unconventional Reservoir Characterization and Formation Evaluation: A Case Study of a Tight Sandstone Reservoir in West Africa

Unconventional reservoirs, including gas shales and tight gas sands, have gained prominence in the energy sector due to technological advancements and escalating energy demands. The oil industry is eagerly refining techniques to decipher these reservoirs, aiming to reduce data collection costs and uncertainties in reserve estimations. Characteristically, tight reservoirs exhibit low matrix porosity and ultra-low permeability, necessitating artificial stimulation for enhanced production. The efficacy of the stimulation hinges on the organic material distribution, the rock’s mechanical attributes, and the prevailing stress field. Comprehensive petrophysical analysis, integrating standard and specialized logs, core analyses, and dynamic data, is pivotal for a nuanced understanding of these reservoirs. This ensures a reduction in prediction uncertainties, with parameters like shale volume, porosity, and permeability being vital. This article delves into an intricate petrophysical evaluation of the Nene field, a West African unconventional reservoir. It underscores the geological intricacies of the field, the pivotal role of data acquisition, and introduces avant-garde methodologies for depth matching, rock typing, and the estimation of permeability. This research highlights the significance of unconventional reservoir exploration in today’s energy milieu, offering a granular understanding of the Nene field’s geological challenges and proffering a blueprint for analogous future endeavours in unconventional reservoirs