COMMON CAUSES OF CHILD MORTALITY IN ATBARA TEACHING HOSPITAL, SUDAN

Background :  Providing data about the common causes of child death is essential to the development of national and local health policies for prevention and control of disease. Objective :  To determine the common causes of child mortality in Atbara Teaching Hospital, Sudan. Methods : In this retrospective study the records of children 0-15 years of age who died at Atbara Teaching Hospital within a 5 year period (Jan 2005 – Dec 2009) were reviewed for demographic data as well as the cause of death. Results : From a total of 14765 admissions to the pediatric ward in the five year period the total death was 344 (2.3%). Males were 215 (62.5%) and females 129 (37.5%). The under five were the majority ( 92.2%). Neonates constituted 25.8% of the total, older infants 42.9% and more than one year to five years 23.5%. The commonest causes of death were respiratory tract infections (18.2%) followed by malnutrition (16.6%), blood infections (15.4%), gastroenteritis and dehydration (15.4%), malaria (5.9%), scorpion sting (5.9%), heart failure (4.3%), meningitis (3.4%) and anemia (2.5%). At the bottom of the list were: tuberculosis (0.6%) and tetanus (0.3%). Conclusion : Causes of child mortality in Atbara are similar to those reported from other developing countries. Children under-five years of age are at the greatest risk of death from preventable and treatable diseases

Belia dan program kesukarelawan di Malaysia: satu kajian empirikal

Penghayatan belia terhadap program sukarelawan perlu diberikan perhatian kerana aktiviti sukarelawan yang dilaksanakan tanpa penghayatan pastinya tidak memberikan faedah kepada pesertanya. Objektif kajian ini adalah menentukan tahap penghayatan belia berdasarkan enam konstruk penghayatan iaitu tahap kefahaman, perasaan, kepercayaan, amalan, sikap dan motivasi. Kajian dilakukan seluruh negeri di Semenanjung Malaysia yang melibatkan 500 sampel dalam kalangan belia berumur antara 15 hingga 30 dan berbilang kaum. Analisis crosstabulation dilakukan ke atas data daripada borang kaji selidik yang diambil dalam kalangan responden secara convenience (mudah). Hasil kajian menunjukkan tahap penghayatan belia terhadap semangat kesukarelawanan adalah memuaskan kecuali konstruk tahap perasaan dan motivasi. Bagi konstruk perasaan misalnya, kajian menunjukkan semangat kesukarelawanan yang masih rapuh kerana golongan belia tidak sanggup atau seronok melakukan aktiviti sukarelawan di kawasan berpenyakit, kotor dan kekurangan kemudahan awam. Situasi sebegini sememang akan wujud apabila negara berdepan dengan kejadian bencana dan ini menggambarkan tahap penghayatan golongan belia terhadap semangat sukarelawan masih kurang memuaskan. Oleh itu, kajian ini mencadangkan agar program motivasi berkaitan penghayatan belia terhadap semangat sukarelawan sedia ada perlu diteruskan

Belia dan pembudayaan semangat sukarelawan di Malaysia: suatu pemerhatian konseptual

Semangat dan aktiviti kesukarelawanan merupakan satu tuntutan dalam kerangka perpaduan nasional bagi sesebuah negara dalam mendepani cabaran mendatang yang semakin mencabar. Matlamat penulisan ini adalah untuk membincangkan secara terperinci secara konseptual mengenai elemen utama yang mendokong penghayatan belia terhadap semangat sukarelawan. Ini kerana semangat kesukarelawanan perlu didorong oleh nilai-nilai budaya, ideologi, prinsip dan tradisi sesuatu bangsa. Sekiranya semangat sukarelawan ini dapat direalisasikan sebagai amalan atau budaya pastinya memberi impak besar dalam kehidupan bermasyarakat. Malah, semangat kesukarelawanan juga memberi implikasi penting terhadap pembinaan negara bangsa yang kuat, maju dan berdaya saing. Tetapi sebaliknya, wujud kebimbangan sekiranya program atau aktiviti kesukarelawanan yang dilaksanakan gagal dihayati sepenuhnya oleh golongan belia yang menjadi pencorak kepada sesebuah tamadun negara pada masa hadapan. Sebaliknya menjadikan program berkaitan hanya sebagai saluran berseronok atau mengurangkan kebosanan semata-mata dan untuk mengisi masa lapang mereka tanpa mendapat apa-apa manfaat. Ini kerana semangat kesukarelawan yang wujud dalam diri seseorang individu adalah sesuatu yang tidak boleh dipaksa dan menuntut pergorbanan yang tinggi daripada segi masa, tenaga dan kewangan. Oleh itu, belia yang bersedia melakukan program berkaitan sukarelawan secara baik adalah dalam kalangan belia yang benar-benar dapat menghayati semangat sukarelawan itu sendiri

Belia dan program kesukarelawan di Malaysia: Satu kajian empirikal (youth and volunteerism in Malaysia: An empirical study)

Youth appreciation of volunteerism needs to be given attention if only because voluntary activities carried out without genuine appreciation of the volunteerism spirit does not really benefit the participants. This study evaluated the level of Malaysian youth appreciation of the spirit of volunteerism with respect to six appreciation constructs, namely, understanding, emotion, belief, practices, attitudes and motivation The study was conducted throughout the states in Peninsular Malaysia involving 500 randomly sampled youth aged between 15 and 30 and comprising all ethnic groups. Results of the statistical analysis showed that the level of Malaysian youth appreciation of the spirit of volunteerism was satisfactory except for the two parameters of emotion and motivation.In the case of emotion the study indicated the youth relative reluctance when volunteer programmes were located in areas suffering from diseases, unhygienic conditions and lacking in public amenities as in disaster areas.Yet, it was in such a situation that the keen spirit of volunteerism was most needed.This thus points to the imperative of improving the motivational side of youth volunteerism programmes in the country

Power loss estimation due to difference transformer tap changer position at interface

No Abstract

Spouted-Bed Gasification of Flame Retardant Textiles as a Potential Non-Conventional Biomass

Renewable energy from thermal valorization plays a key part in today's energy from natural cellulosic textiles that are resourceful biomass and safe from toxicity at high temperature treatments. The situation is opposite, when technical textiles are treated with synthetic chemical finishes adding functionality as anti-bacterial, water repellent or flame retardant, etc. Incineration of flame retardant textile results in possible unfavorable gases, toxic fumes and contaminated ash. Other thermal valorization techniques like gasification would assist in avoiding the formation of additional toxic hazards. Herein, gasification of flame retardant textile is carried out the likelihood to get quality gas composition. For comparative analysis, flame retardant textiles, after their flame retardant ability being revoked, are also gasified. The output gas components suggested that gasification can be a useful thermal valorization approach for flame retardant textiles and relevantly improved gas composition was seen in textiles with their flame retardant substrate/species being removed

A Novel Adaptive Algorithm Addresses Potential Problems of Blind Algorithm

A hybrid algorithm called constant modulus least mean square (CMLMS) algorithm is proposed in order to address the potential problems existing with constant modulus algorithm (CMA) about its convergence. It is a two-stage adaptive filtering algorithm and based on least mean square (LMS) algorithm followed by CMA. A hybrid algorithm is theoretically developed and the same is verified through MatLab Software. Theoretical model is verified through simulation and its performance is evaluated in smart antenna in presence of a cochannel interfering signal and additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) of zero mean. This is also tested in Rayleigh fading channel using digital modulation technique for Bit Error Rate (BER). Finally, a few computer simulations are presented in order to substantiate the theoretical findings with respect to proposed model. Corresponding results obtained with the use of only CMA and LMS algorithms are also presented for further comparison