A Phone Learning Model for Enhancing Productivity of Visually Impaired Civil Servants

Phone-based learning in civil service is the use of voice technologies to deliver learning and capacity building training services to government employees. The Internet revolution and advancement in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) have given rise to online and remote staff training for the purpose of enhancing workers productivity. The need for civil servants in Nigeria to develop capacity that will enhance knowledge is a key requirement to having competitive advantage in the work place. Existing online learning platforms (such as web-based learning, mobile learning, etc) did not consider the plight of the visually impaired. These platforms provide graphical interfaces that require sight to access. The visually impaired civil servants require auditory access to functionalities that exist in learning management system on the Internet. Thus a gap exist between the able-bodied and visually impaired civil servants on accessibility to e-learning platform. The objective of this paper is to provide a personalized telephone learning model and a prototype application that will enhance the productivity of the visually impaired workers in Government establishments in Nigeria. The model was designed using Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagram. The prototype application was implemented and evaluated. With the proposed model and application, the visually and mobility impaired worker are able to participate in routine staff training and consequently enhances their productivity just like their able-bodied counterparts. The prototype application also serves as an alternative training platform for the able-bodied workers. Future research direction for this study will include biometric authentication of learners accessing the applicatio

Learning masculinities in a Japanese high school rugby club

This paper draws on research conducted on a Tokyo high school rugby club to explore diversity in the masculinities formed through membership in the club. Based on the premise that particular forms of masculinity are expressed and learnt through ways of playing (game style) and the attendant regimes of training, it examines the expression and learning of masculinities at three analytic levels. It identifies a hegemonic, culture-specific form of masculinity operating in Japanese high school rugby, a class-influenced variation of it at the institutional level of the school and, by further tightening its analytic focus, further variation at an individual level. In doing so this paper highlights the ways in which diversity in the masculinities constructed through contact sports can be obfuscated by a reductionist view of there being only one, universal hegemonic patterns of masculinity

Incidence of Ovine Progressive Pneumonia in the North Dakota State University Sheep Flocks, Determined by Agar-gel Immunodiffusion

In 1968, the causative agent of OPP, ovine progressive pneumonia virus (PPV) or Lunger's Disease was first isolated in the United States. A serological test, agar-gel imuno-diffusion (AGID) was applied for the detection of precipitating antibodies aginst PPV in sheep sera (colostrum-whey) against PPV is indicative of infection. But, antibodies are evidently play no part in fighting infection. By the time taht antibodies are produced, the virus is residing intracellularly and is unattainable to antibodies. The article gives a description of the symptoms and effects of the disease. The objective of this study was to characterize the extent of OPP in a naturally infected sheep flock by AGID, to determine whether differences in age or breed of the sheep influences the susceptibility to OPP and to attempt to establish an OPP-free from an infected source flock. The incidence of ovine progressive pneumonia by breed and age in a naturally infected flock was determined. An ovine progressive pneumonia free flock was established five years prior

Atmospheric neutrons

Contributions to fast neutron measurements in the atmosphere are outlined. The results of a calculation to determine the production, distribution and final disappearance of atmospheric neutrons over the entire spectrum are presented. An attempt is made to answer questions that relate to processes such as neutron escape from the atmosphere and C-14 production. In addition, since variations of secondary neutrons can be related to variations in the primary radiation, comment on the modulation of both radiation components is made

Density-potential mappings in quantum dynamics

In a recent letter [Europhys. Lett. 95, 13001 (2011)] the question of whether the density of a time-dependent quantum system determines its external potential was reformulated as a fixed point problem. This idea was used to generalize the existence and uniqueness theorems underlying time-dependent density functional theory. In this work we extend this proof to allow for more general norms and provide a numerical implementation of the fixed-point iteration scheme. We focus on the one-dimensional case as it allows for a more in-depth analysis using singular Sturm-Liouville theory and at the same time provides an easy visualization of the numerical applications in space and time. We give an explicit relation between the boundary conditions on the density and the convergence properties of the fixed-point procedure via the spectral properties of the associated Sturm-Liouville operator. We show precisely under which conditions discrete and continuous spectra arise and give explicit examples. These conditions are then used to show that in the most physically relevant cases the fixed point procedure converges. This is further demonstrated with an example.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, 3 table

Coordination of Geological and Engineering Research in Support of Gulf Coast Co-Production Program

More than 150 gas fields were reviewed, and 25 fields were selected using modified specific selection criteria as outlined by Gregory and others (1983). Further evaluation of these fields is necessary to obtain a new ranking for Gregory's class A, B, and C divisions. A list of the 25 most favorable fields was sent to Eaton Operating Co., who were to approach likely companies to initiate joint ventures in co-production. Four reservoirs containing dispersed gas were examined for their co-production potential. Reservoirs in Port Acres and Ellis fields produce from the Hackberry Member of the Oligocene Frio Formation, and two reservoirs in Esther field produce from the lower Miocene Planulina Zone. Log-pattern and lithofacies maps, together with stratigraphic position, suggest that the reservoirs are in ancient submarine-fan deposits. Dip-elongate, channel-fill sands are characteristic; reservoir sands pinch out along strike. Growth faults, common in the submarine slope setting, form updip and downdip boundaries, producing combination traps. In Ellis field, co-production accounts for 300 Mcf (8.5 x 106 m3) of gas per day. Port Acres field contains the largest remaining reserves, but other technical and economic factors limit co-production there. Recent drilling has extended primary production and delayed co-production in Esther field. The Gas Research Institute requested that further work on the selection and evaluation of potential co-production gas fields be terminated because funds were required for the Port Arthur project.Bureau of Economic Geolog