Income in advanced age: findings from LiLACS NZ

Presents key findings about the sources of income for Māori (aged 80 to 90 years) and non-Māori (aged 85 years) and their attitudes towards their money situation. Introduction This report describes the prevalence of different sources of income, the main sources of income, and how those in advanced age felt about their money situation, by ethnic group and socioeconomic deprivation. The report also outlines the entitlement cards people in advanced age had by sex, ethnic group and socioeconomic deprivation

Convergence of Distance Education and Conventional Learning: Innovations and Developments at the Open University of Tanzania

Abstract: The Open University of Tanzania (OUT) undertakes instructional delivery using various blended learning media including print, ICTs, electronic platforms, enhanced face to face, special seminars and contact programmes. Initially, it was envisioned that the University will use a low resource teaching package, consisting of offline media. Admittedly, the blending of offline and online learning enhances significantly pedagogical effectiveness of the instructional methodology. Thus, in pursuing its Vision and fulfilling its Mission, a conventional learning institution like the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) subscribes to application of ICTs in the enhancement of academic delivery and management. Meanwhile, the Vision and Mission of both UDSM and OUT bear striking similarities, implying a convergence of distance and conventional learning. Employing desktop and descriptive research methods, the study explores innovations and developments at the OUT in the last two decades, with a view to demonstrating the salient trends of the phenomenon of the convergence, within the context of the three dimensions underlying the process of mainstreaming of distance education. They include the achievement of parity of esteem between conventional and distance education; the convergence of the means of instructional delivery, student groups, and types of institutions and the incorporation of distance education's constituent elements, particularly its philosophy of outreach, into the mainstream education system. The findings of the study show that concerted efforts have been made by both the OUT and UDSM to integrate online media in their instructional methodologies in the last two decades. In the specific case of the OUT, as a result of such innovations, print has been dislodged as the lead medium in distance education delivery. However, in spite of the convergence in instructional delivery, achievement of parity of esteem between conventional and distance education and the integration of distance education's constituent elements into the main education system are still out of sight. The study stresses that while indiscriminate adoption and employment of online learning will eventually undermine the vision and mission of distance education as well as conventional education institutions, careful selection and systematic application of the same will yield better results to both institutions.Key Words: Blended Learning, Open and Distance Learning, Mainstreaming Distance Education, Lead Mediu

Identifying disabilities in children by means of a brief 'observation of function' for use in developing countries

This study was an offshoot of a collaborative survey called the 'Rapid Epidemiological Assessment of Childhood Disabilities' (REA) undertaken in three developing countries, Bangladesh, Jamaica and Pakistan, aiming to develop a screening procedure for two-to-nine year old children for disabilities of movement, hearing, vision, speech, cognition and epilepsy. To facilitate physicians doing comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessments of large numbers of children within the community, this study aimed to verify whether a brief procedure of observing children perform a simple set of tasks, called the 'Observation of Function' (OF), could identify disability validly and reliably (first part of the study). Subsequently, the OF was used by community workers (CWs) doing field work, to verify whether they too could use it validly and reliably (second part of the study). The analysis of the first part was done on 1626 children from five sites in Bangladesh, who had either been screened positive by the REA study or assessed as controls. Over half of the total number of disabilities were identified by the procedure, including most serious problems. It did best for motor disabilities; hearing and vision were the least identified, especially isolated problems. Significantly more younger children were identified. The yield of the OF was best when combined with the mother's history. The CWs did not do as well with the procedure. Poor sensitivity in case identification was seen as an absence of 'internalized standards' of child development. However, some problems were identified consistently, as evidenced by the high reliability scores, suggesting future potential for improving the capacity of the CWs for using the OF. Thus this study suggests that the OF can be a valuable neuroepidemiological tool to be used by physicians during field work. It may also aid them in busy clinical settings to focus on function-specific evaluation. The value of involving CWs in the screening as well as the evaluatory (OF) stage of identifying childhood disabilities in developing countries holds practical significance, and ways of improving their further training is discussed

Strength improvement of lime-treated clay with sodium chloride

Lime stabilisation of organic clay has often been studied in the past. However, there is some evidence in the literature that the presence of high concentrations of organic matter in clay soil can lessen the chemical reaction between lime and clay minerals and can have detrimental effects on the engineering properties of soil. Hence, in this paper, the stress–strain behaviour and strength properties of organic soil treated with lime and sodium chloride (NaCl) are analysed. A soil mixture, prepared with 5% lime content and 1·5% humic acid, was stabilised with varying quantities of sodium chloride (0·5, 2·0 and 5·0%). Consolidated undrained and drained triaxial tests were carried out on specimens at curing periods of 7 and 28 d with applied confining pressures of 50 and 100 kPa. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis were used to observe the microstructural changes resulting from cementation materials. It was found that the introduction of sodium chloride improved considerably the strength properties of the lime-treated organic clay. The microstructural analysis also confirmed the presence of calcium silicate hydrate in a salt-treated organic clay, which was the main contributing factor to the enhanced engineering properties of the clay

The Red Cross and the Geneva Conventions – 60 Years On

2009 marked the 60th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, but the issues in the Conventions remain as relevant today given today's humanitarian challenges. The basic notion of the Conventions focuses on the life and dignity of the individual. There is also ongoing relevance in contemporary conflicts in regulating international armed conflicts and the conditions of detention. The article then discusses the current challenges relating to the Conventions, including the protection of health workers and the conduct of hostilities. The authors conclude that international entities alone cannot ensure respect for the Conventions, calling for broad and ongoing vigilance and commitment of national governments, armed forces, and armed groups.&nbsp

A methodology for biomedical ontology reuse

The abundance of biomedical ontologies is beneficial to the development of biomedical related systems. However, existing biomedical ontologies such as the National Cancer Institute Thesaurus (NCIT), Foundational Model of Anatomy (FMA) and Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) are often too large to be implemented in a particular system and cause unnecessary high usage of memory and slow down the system’s processing time. Developing a new ontology from scratch just for the use of a particular system is deemed as inefficient since it requires additional time and causes redundancy. Thus, a potentially better method is by reusing existing ontologies. However, currently there are no specific methods or tools for reusing ontologies. This paper aims to provide readers with a step by step method in reusing ontologies together with the tools that can be used to ease the process

Membangun Konstruksi Keilmuan Ekonomi Islam

Theories of Islamic economics have formed part and parcel of the global study on economy. Practically on the other hand, Islamic economics have shown its competing ability andreceived in turn a cheerful welcome from the business community as well as from the masses at the global stage. This paper is an attempt to make a contribution in the field of what we may call the scientific construction of Islamic economics. The paper proposes that this science consists of two aspects, namely value and knowledge. With regards to the latter, on which this paper will pay its major attention, the role of methodology is crucial. This paper will therefore touch on this issue and the role of methodology in inventing knowledge and in the analysis of economic datum. Here by methodology we mean particularly fiqh. We contend that fiqh is in itself methodology. It is rich with methodological tools such as the concept of maqashid al-syariah (the purpose of divine law) which may be used not only to analyze economic datum but also to provide a schemata in resolving some economic problems. By speaking of fiqh as a science of economics we hope to pave the way for the possible invention of the science of economics based on fiqh and its philosophy

PERANCANGAN DAN REALISASI POWER DIVIDER SEBAGAI PEMBAGI DAYA PADA ANTENA PEMANCAR TV KAMPUS IT TELKOM PADA FREKUENSI 534MHz-542MHz

ABSTRAKSI: Pada bulan Oktober 2010 TV kampus IT Telkom telah resmi di launching. TV Kampus tersebut dimodulasikan pada kanal 29 UHF pada range frekuensi 534 MHz-542 MHz. Untuk sementara waktu TV kampus IT Telkom hanya di broadcast di komplek kampus saja menggunakan media kabel koaksial.Dalam proyek akhir ini dibuat suatu power divider yang akan digunakan dalam sistem antena pemancar TV pada jaringan TV kampus IT Telkom untuk membagi catuan daya pada antena pemancarnya. Pembagi daya itu sendiri berupa Power Divider 1 to 3, menggunakan metode rigid koaksial transformator seperempat panjang gelombang. Sebelumnya diketahui antena yang digunakan sebagai pemancar yaitu antenna sektoral yang terdiri dari tiga buah antena yang memiliki pola radiasi unidireksional. Spesifikasi yang harus dipenuhi adalah : frekuensi kerja 534 MHz-542 MHz dengan VSWR maksimum 1.5:1, return loss kurang dari sama dengan -20 dB, dan insertion loss kurang dari sama dengan 1.0 dB. Saluran transmisi power divider ini terbuat dari kuningan (inner) dan udara sebagai dielektriknya (outer).Power divider ini dirancang dan direalisasikan dengan cara menghitung dimensi power divider secara teori dan kemudian menggunakan software Ansoft HFSS 11 sebagai alat simulasi sebelum melakukan pabrikasi. Parameter yang diukur pada pengujian power divider ini adalah return loss dan insertion loss. Hasil yang didapatkan dari pengukuran pada frekuensi kerjanya 534 MHz-542 MHz, yaitu return loss sebesar -21,171 dB sehingga VSWR yang didapatkan 1,191, dengan insertion loss maksimum 0,17 dB. Dari hasil pengukuran bisa disimpulkan bahwa power divider itu bisa bekerja dengan baik pada frekuensi kerjanya.Kata Kunci : power divider, antena pemancar TV, rigidABSTRACT: Campus TV IT Telkom has been officially launched in October 2010. It is modulated on the channel of 29 UHF at the frequency range of 534 MHz-542 MHz. Recently, Campus TV IT Telkom was broadcasted only on campus area by using coaxial cable media.In this final project, a Power Divider will be used in a TV transmitter antenna system on the campus TV network of IT Telkom to divide the power portion of the transmitter antenna. The power divider it self is a Power Divider 1 to 3 by using rigid coaxial quarter wavelength transformer method. Previously known, antenna that is used as a transmitter antenna is sectoral antenna which is comprising three antenna having unidirectional radiation pattern. The specifications that must be filled are: frequency of 534 MHz-542 MHz with maximum VSWR is 1.5:1, return loss is less than equal to -20 dB, and insertion loss is less than equal to 1.0 dB. Power divider transmission line is made of brass (inner) and air as the dielectric (outer).The Power Divider is designed and realized by calculating the power divider dimensions theoretically and then using Ansoft HFSS 11 software as a simulation tool prior to fabrication. Parameters measured on the Power Divider test is the return loss and the insertion loss. Results obtained from measurements at the frequency of 534 MHz-542 MHz is return loss of -21,171 dB so that the VSWR could be 1.191, with maximum insertion loss 0,17 dB. From the measurement results can be concluded that the power divider is able to work well on its frequency.Keyword: power divider, TV transmitter antenna, rigi

Distingsi Studi Hadis di PTKIN UIN Raden Fatah Palembang

Along with the change in nomenclature regarding the Naming of Islamic Religious Colleges, Faculties, Departments at Islamic Universities in the Decree of the Minister of Religion Number 36 of 2009, then the Decree of the Minister of Religion was strengthened by the Decree of the Director General of Islamic Education Number 3389 of 2013 where the scientific study of Hadith made into two study programs, namely the Science of the Koran and Tafsir (IAT / IQT) and the Science of Hadith (ILHA). In further developments, the study of hadith at the State Islamic Religious College (PTKIN) Indonesia has a pattern, variety and characteristics according to their respective peculiarities. The various types and forms of courses offered in hadith studies indicate a continuous dynamic. After conducting a study and discussion of the distinction of hadith studies in the Hadith Science Study Program curriculum of Raden Fatah State Islamic University Palembang and its relevance to the Distinction of Higher Education at Raden Fatah State Islamic University Palembang, the authors conclude that there is a relationship and connection between the distinction of UIN Raden Fatah Palembang and the study. hadith contained in the Hadith Science Study Program curriculum, namely the Malay Islamic Civilization Distingsi. This relevance is evidenced by at least four courses contained in the Hadith Science Study Program curriculum that support the Higher Education Distinction of Raden Fatah State Islamic University, Palembang. The four courses are; 1) Malay Islamic Studies, 2) Tahfiz Hadith Arbain Imam al-Tarmasi, 3) Study of the Archipelago Hadith and 4) Living Hadith. Judging from the hadith study map, there are three domains of hadith study, namely ulumul hadith (theoretical), hadith (understanding) and the study of hadith characters / books. The four subjects mentioned above describe the scope of all hadith studies connected to the distinction of the Raden Fatah State Islamic University of Palembang, namely Malay Islamic Civilization. In another part, some of the researches of Hadith Science Study Program lecturers also strengthen the existence of the distinction of Malay Islamic Civilization contained in the works of Hadith Science Study Program lecturers

Pattern of serum transaminases in enteric fever patients attending Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki

Enteric fever has been associated with adverse multiple-organs perturbation with the liver proposed to be most remarkably affected. In this study, the influence of enteric fever on transaminases [aspartatetransaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT)] was studied using a total of 116 subjects comprising of 55 enteric fever patients (age=27.19 ± 8.05 years) and 61 (age=26.3 ± 7.44 years) apparently healthy controlindividuals. The enzyme activities were measured spectrophotometrically by Reitman-Frankel Methodology. The result showed that the level of aspartate transaminases in the typhoid patients was 41.56 ± 18.67 U/l, and significantly higher (