Vector wind profile gust model

The development of a vector wind gust model that is suitable for orbital flight test operations and trade studies was studied. Verification of the hypothesis that gust component variables are gamma distributed, gust modulus is approximately Weibull distributed, and zonal and meridional gust components are bivariate gamma distributed is emphasized. A method of testing for bivariate gamma distributed variables, and two distributions for gust modulus are described. The results of extensive hypothesis testing of one of the distributions are presented, and the validity of the gamma distribution for representation of gust component variables is established

Isolation of Cellulolytic Microfungi Involved in Wood-Waste Decomposition: Prospects for Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Cellulosic Wastes

Wood-wastes from dump-sites at Okobaba Saw-mills on the western part of the Lagos lagoon were examined for cellulolytic microorganisms. Cellulolytic microfungi were isolated from the wastes using minimal salt agar medium containing 0.2% (w/v) crystalline cellulose, sugarcane pulp, corn cob or saw-dust as sole carbon/energy source. The colonies of cellulolytic microfungi which appeared on the plates increased in size and number as the incubation period (days) increased. Among the fungal isolates were two pathogenic Aspergilli (A flavus and A fumigatus), three different black Aspergilli (herein designated as A.niger I, A.niger II and A.niger III), Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium species and Penicillium species. Cell-free filtrates of 7 – day cultures of A.flavus, A.niger I, A.niger II, B. cinerea and P.species grown on the minimal salt broth supplemented with crystalline cellulose as sole carbon/energy source showed very significant CM–cellulase activity. P. species gave a very high value that was over 4 times the value for the closest organism, A.niger II. There is a good propect for cellulase production using the virgin strain of P. species isolated from the wood-wastes

Women's experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period in the Gambia: A qualitative study

Objective: In sub-Saharan African countries, there are unique cultural factors and adverse physical conditions that contribute to women's experiences of pregnancy and birth. The objective of this study was to qualitatively explore women's experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, the postnatal period, and maternal psychological distress in The Gambia. Design and methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 55 women who had given birth within the previous year. Results: Thematic analysis identified five themes: (1) transition to adulthood, (2) physical difficulties, (3) value of children in relation to others, (4) children as a strain, and (5) going through it alone. The results suggest that having a child is a defining point in women's lives associated with happiness and joy. However, women also described situations which could lead to unhappiness and distress in the perinatal period. A child conceived out of wedlock or a baby girl can be sources of distress because of negative cultural perceptions. The strain of having a child, particularly the additional financial burden, and minimal support from men were also a concern for women. Finally, women recognized the danger associated with delivery and expressed recurrent worries of complications during childbirth which could result in the death of them or the baby. Conclusions: Further research is needed to identify women vulnerable to psychological distress so that health services and target interventions can be developed accordingly

The aptness of tangible user interfaces for explaining abstract computer network principles

The technological deployment of Tangible User Interfaces (TUI) with their intrinsic ability to interlink the physical and digital domains, have steadily gained interest within the educational sector. As a concrete example of Reality Based Interaction, such digital manipulatives have been successfully implemented in the past years to introduce scientific and engineering concepts at earlier stages throughout the educational cycle. With difference to literature, this research investigates the suitability and effectiveness of implementing a TUI system to enhance the learning experience in a higher education environment. The proposal targets the understanding of advanced computer networking principles by the deployment of an interactive table-top system. Beyond the mere simulation and modelling of networking topologies, the design presents students the ability to directly interact with and visualise the protocol execution, hence augmenting their ability to understand the abstract nature of such algorithms. Following deployment of the proposed innovate prototype within the delivery of a university undergraduate programme, the quantitative effectiveness of this novel methodology will be assessed from both a teaching and learning perspective on its ability to convey the abstract notions of computer network principles

Explaining multi-threaded task scheduling using tangible user interfaces in higher educational contexts

Endorsing the advantages of computer-based interaction within the educational domain, this study analysis the potential for tangible interactive technology to mitigate the challenges faced by higher educational institutes in explaining abstracted technical concepts. Implemented within a novel within the educational domain, this paper evaluates the efficacy of adopting a tangible user interface (TUI) to aid in the conceptual understanding of multi-threaded task scheduling and programming by undergraduate IT students. Making use of physical object representations, a description is provided for the distinctive development of a collaborative system that allows students to interact with and visualize the scheduling of multiple software threads onto a computer processes. The paper quantitatively studies the usefulness of the proposed TUI system with respect to traditional lectures by deploying the system within a university computing degree. Evaluation analysis of the obtained results highlight a significant improvement in the students' abilities to grasp the abstract and complex notions of multi-threading, thus validating the potential of the proposed study