Association between generation gap in interest, familiarity and application of information and communication technology

Given the introduction of information and communication technology and its rapid progress in every society, its use and application is different between various social institutions in that it demonstrates the difference between previous and present generation. Hence, the research was conducted in the school year 2012-2013 with the aim of applying information technology among female high school students and their mothers in Gorgan Province. The research method is a descriptive-analytical method; using a cluster sampling, of 34 female schools 8 schools were randomly chosen and 260 students were included in the study out of 1625 students. Using collected questionnaires and information obtained from independent t-test the results indicated that there was a significant difference between the mean of familiarity, interest and mothers' and their children's use of information technology. © Medwell Journals, 2016

MANAGEMENT’S PERCEPTION OF STOCK DIVIDEND DISTRIBUTION IN AN EMERGING CAPITAL MARKET: THE CASE OF KUWAIT

The purpose of this study is to investigate perceptions of top managers of Kuwaiti companies regarding factors the affect their companies’ decision to distribute stock dividend ( SD ). A questionnaire listing 32 reasons that could explain companies’ decisions to declare SDs was distributed to a sample of 120 randomly selected top managers from 100 Kuwaiti companies and 73 responses were received (representing a 61% response rate ). Participants were classified according to: ( 1 )business sector ( investment, real estate, banking, service, and industrial ) and ( 2 ) size of SDs ( small ( less than 25% ) and large ( 25% or more )). Nonparametric statistical tests were employed to analyze the data.Stock Dividends, Importance Ratings, Trading Liquidity, Institutional Investors

Low-level laser therapy versus local steroid injection in patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome: a single blind randomized comparative trial

The objective of this study was to compare corticosteroid injection with low-level laser therapy for the short-term treatment of mild or moderate idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome. Single blind randomized clinical trial was conducted from May 2010 to October 2010 in outpatient clinic and research center at a university hospital. Thirty-eight patients (female to male ratio was 5.3 to 1) with a new episode of carpal tunnel syndrome of mild or moderate severity participated in this study. Corticosteroid injection and low level laser therapy were used as the interventions. Primary outcome measure was the severity of the disease. Based on the electrophysiological findings, we proposed three grades: mild, moderate and severe. Visual analogue scores were used to measure subjective severity of pain. We measured median distal motor and sensory latencies. All participants were followed for two months. Analyses showed favorable outcomes in both groups in terms of visual analogue scores and median distal motor and sensory latencies (p<0.001 for all comparisons). Electrophysiologic studies did not imply any significant difference in the severity (Chi-squared test p = 0.28), and change in the grade of the disease between the two groups. Also there was no significant difference between the groups in mean visual analogue scores (Mann-Whitney test p = 0.45), median motor distal latency (Mann- Whitney test p = 0.08), and sensory distal latency (Mann-Whitney test p = 0.70), 8 weeks after the treatments. Both corticosteroid and laser are advantageous in the short-term treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome and provide satisfactory pain relief, electrophysiological improvement, and are well tolerated by patients.Keywords: Carpal tunnel syndrome; Low level laser; Corticosteroid; Median nerve; Electrophysiologic studies; Peripheral compression neuropathy; Randomized clinical trial; Hydrocortison

Detection of herpes simplex infection in viral conjunctivitis using polymerase chain reaction- a pilot study

A study was performed to detect the viral conjunctivitis in HUSM caused by HSV using a PCR method. Seventy patients with viral conjunctivitis were examined; with clinical features identified and conjunctival scrapping taken from superior and inferior fornices of affected eye for PCR analysis. PCR was performed with primers obtained from a commercially available primer kit for HSV. The prevalence of viral conjunctivitis in HUSM caused by HSV infection, using PCR method, was 17.I % (95 % CI = 8.1, 26.0) which was higher than other reported studies. This is mainly due to the method used which is a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic test. Majority of HSV conjunctivitis patients presented with moderate follicular conjunctivitis with frequent corneal involvement which was similar to features of adenoviral conjunctivitis caused by Group D subgenera. The possible differentiating feature of adenoviral conjunctivitis was the unilaterality

Study on the Use of Micro-Perforated Panel to Improve Acoustic Performance in Mosque

Most activities in mosque such as Friday prayer and the sermon by an Imam require clarity of speech. Unfortunately, this ‘speech intelligibility’ performance is often poor due toinitial design of a mosque. This paper presents assessment of the indoor acoustics of a mosque. Acoustical properties such as reverberation time, clarity and early decay time are obtained from simulation data using CATT indoor acoustic software. The studystarted with anempty mosque with no acoustic treatment. Acoustic ‘green’ absorbers using micro-perforated panel (MPP) are then introduced to improve the acoustic performance. The application of MPP is still rare for mosque and is expected to replace the typical porous absorber. The effect of the panel size, location and frequency range of sound absorption are simulated and the results are discussed

Characterisation of Structure-Borne Sound Source Using Reception Plate Method

A laboratory-based experiment procedure of reception platemethod for structure-borne sound source characterisation is reported in this paper. he method uses the assumption that the input power from the source installed on the plate is equal to the power dissipated by the plate. In this experiment, rectangular plates having high and low mobility relative to that of the source were used as the reception plates and a small electric fan motor was acting as the structure-borne source. he data representing the source characteristics, namely, the free velocity and the sourcemobility, were obtained and compared with those fromdirectmeasurement. Assumptions and constraints employing this method are discussed

Ruthenium-106 brachytherapy for thick uveal melanoma: Reappraisal of apex and base dose radiation and dose rate

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of ruthenium-106 (106Ru) brachytherapy in terms of radiation parameters in patients with thick uveal melanomas. Material and methods: Medical records of 51 patients with thick (thickness � 7 mm and < 11 mm) uveal melanoma treated with 106Ru brachytherapy during a ten-year period were reviewed. Radiation parameters, tumor regression, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and treatment-related complications were assessed. Results: Fifty one eyes of 51 consecutive patients including 25 men and 26 women with a mean age of 50.5 ± 15.2 years were enrolled. Patients were followed for 36.1 ± 26.5 months (mean ± SD). Mean radiation dose to tumor apex and to sclera were 71 (± 19.2) Gy and 1269 (± 168.2) Gy. Radiation dose rates to tumor apex and to sclera were 0.37 (± 0.14) Gy/h and 6.44 (± 1.50) Gy/h. Globe preservation was achieved in 82.4. Preoperative mean tumor thickness of 8.1 (± 0.9) mm decreased to 4.5 (± 1.6) mm, 3.4 (± 1.4) mm, and 3.0 (± 1.46) mm at 12, 24, and 48 months after brachytherapy (p = 0.03). Four eyes that did not show regression after 6 months of brachytherapy were enucleated. Secondary enucleation was performed in 5 eyes because of tumor recurrence or neovascular glaucoma. Tumor recurrence was evident in 6 (11.8) patients. Mean Log MAR (magnification requirement) visual acuity declined from 0.75 (± 0.63) to 0.94 (± 0.5) (p = 0.04). Best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or worse was recorded in 37 of the patients at the time of diagnosis and 61.7 of the patients at last exam (p = 0.04). Non-proliferative and proliferative radiation-induced retinopathy was observed in 20 and 7 eyes. Conclusions: Thick uveal melanomas are amenable to 106Ru brachytherapy with less than recommended apex radiation dose and dose rates. © 2016, Termedia Publishing House Ltd. All rights reserved

Biomass from Paddy Waste Fibers as Sustainable Acoustic Material

Utilization of biomass for green products is still progressing in the efort to provide alternative clean technology.his paper presents the utilization of natural waste ibers frompaddy as acousticmaterial. Samples of sound absorbingmaterial frompaddy waste ibers were fabricated.he efect of the iber density, that is, the iber weight and the sample thickness, and also the air gap on the sound absorption coeicient is investigated through experiment. he paddy ibers are found to have good acoustic performance with normal incidence absorption coeicient greater than 0.5 from 1 kHz and can reach the average value of 0.8 above 2.5 kHz. his result is comparable against that of the commercial synthetic glass wool. Attachment of a single layer of polyester fabric is shown to further increase the absorption coeicient

Are we prepared for emerging and re-emerging diseases? Experience and lessons from epidemics occurred in Tanzania during the last five decades

This paper reviews preparedness for containing and controlling emerging and re-emerging diseases drawing lessons from disease events that occurred in animal and human populations in the last five decades (1961-2011). A comprehensive analysis based on retrieval and analysis of grey and published literature as well as reported cases was carried out to document type and trend of occurrence of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in different parts of Tanzania. Overall, the majority of diseases reported in the country were viral in nature followed by bacterial diseases. The trend for the occurrence shows a number of new emerging diseases as well as re-occurrence of old diseases in both animal (domestic and wild) and human populations. In humans, the major disease epidemics reported in the last five decades include cholera, influenza A H1N1, plague and rubella. In animals, the major epidemic diseases reported were Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia, Peste des petits ruminants and Giraffe Ear and Skin Diseases. Some epidemics have been reported in both human and animal populations including Rift Valley fever and anthrax.  The emergence of the ‘fit-for purpose’ approaches and technologies such as the discipline of One Health, use of participatory epidemiology and disease surveillance and mobile technologies offers opportunity for optimal use of limited resources to improve early detection, diagnosis and response to disease events and consequently reduced impact of such diseases in animal and human populations