53,392 research outputs found
Effects of intervention with the SAFE strategy on trachoma across Ethiopia.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The impact of the SAFE strategy (surgery, antibiotics, face washing, environmental hygiene), recommended to eliminate blinding trachoma, is not well explored. We determined the operational effectiveness of the whole SAFE intervention package. METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional trachoma surveys were conducted in four program areas across Ethiopia before and after 3 years of intervention with the SAFE strategy. A total of 8358 children 1-9 years, 4684 people above 14 and 3572 households were assessed in the follow-up evaluations using methodologies recommended by the WHO. Effects were measured by comparing follow-up proportions with baseline estimates of four key indicators. RESULTS: Coverage was 36% for trichiasis surgery, 59% for antibiotic and 57% for health-promotion services. Prevalence of trachoma trichiasis (TT) decreased from 4.6% (95% CI: 3.6% to 5.8%) down to 2.9% (CI: 2.1% to 3.9%). Prevalence of trachoma inflammation-follicular (TF) dropped from 36.7% (33.9% to 39.6%) to 18.4% (CI: 15.4% to 21.8%). The proportion of unclean faces and households not using latrines fell from 72.8% (68.9% to 76.4%) and 74.5% (69.9% to 78.7%) down to 47.0% (CI: 43% to 51%) and 51.7% (47.2% to 56.2%), respectively. All the reductions related with antibiotic (TF), face washing (clean face) and environmental (latrine) components were statistically significant except for Surgery (TT). CONCLUSIONS: Considerable decline in the magnitude of trachoma and its risk factors was observed in areas where the SAFE strategy was implemented. The coverage of services should be maintained or improved in order to eliminate blinding trachoma by the year 2020
Influence of Electrode Material and Process Parameters on Surface Quality and MRR in EDM of AISI H13 using ANN
Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a non conventional machining process where electrically conductive materials are machined by using precisely controlled spark that occurs between an electrode and a work piece in the presence of a dielectric fluid. It has been a demanding research area to model and optimize the EDM process in the present scenario. In the present p aper Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model has been proposed for the prediction of Material Removal Rate (MRR), Surface Roughness (SR) and Tool Wear Rate (TWR) in Electrical Discharge Machining (ED M) of AISI H13 Steel. For this purpose Neural Network Toolbox (nntool) with Matlab 7.1 has been used. The neural network based on process model has been generated to establish relationship between input process conditions ( Gap Voltage, Peak Current, Pulse On Time, Pulse Off Time and Electrode M aterial ) an d process responses (MRR, SR and TWR ). The ANN model has been trained and tested using the d ata generated from a series of experiments on EDM machine. The trained neural network system has been used to predict MRR , SR and TWR for different input conditions. The ANN model has been found efficient to predict EDM process response s for selected process conditions
CO J = 2 - 1 Emission from Evolved Stars in the Galactic Bulge
We observe a sample of 8 evolved stars in the Galactic Bulge in the CO J = 2
- 1 line using the Submillimeter Array (SMA) with angular resolution of 1 - 4
arcseconds. These stars have been detected previously at infrared wavelengths,
and several of them have OH maser emission. We detect CO J = 2 - 1 emission
from three of the sources in the sample: OH 359.943 +0.260, [SLO2003] A12, and
[SLO2003] A51. We do not detect the remaining 5 stars in the sample because of
heavy contamination from the galactic foreground CO emission. Combining CO data
with observations at infrared wavelengths constraining dust mass loss from
these stars, we determine the gas-to-dust ratios of the Galactic Bulge stars
for which CO emission is detected. For OH 359.943 +0.260, we determine a gas
mass-loss rate of 7.9 (+/- 2.2) x 10^-5 M_Sun/year and a gas-to-dust ratio of
310 (+/- 89). For [SLO2003] A12, we find a gas mass-loss rate of 5.4 (+/- 2.8)
x 10^-5 M_Sun/year and a gas-to-dust ratio of 220 (+/- 110). For [SLO2003] A51,
we find a gas mass-loss rate of 3.4 (+/- 3.0) x 10^-5 M_Sun/year and a
gas-to-dust ratio of 160 (+/- 140), reflecting the low quality of our tentative
detection of the CO J = 2 - 1 emission from A51. We find the CO J = 2 - 1
detections of OH/IR stars in the Galactic Bulge require lower average CO J = 2
- 1 backgrounds.Comment: 40 pages, 16 figures, appeared in the 1 March 2013 issue of the
Astrophysical Journa
Techniques for the Synthesis of Reversible Toffoli Networks
This paper presents novel techniques for the synthesis of reversible networks
of Toffoli gates, as well as improvements to previous methods. Gate count and
technology oriented cost metrics are used. Our synthesis techniques are
independent of the cost metrics. Two new iterative synthesis procedure
employing Reed-Muller spectra are introduced and shown to complement earlier
synthesis approaches. The template simplification suggested in earlier work is
enhanced through introduction of a faster and more efficient template
application algorithm, updated (shorter) classification of the templates, and
presentation of the new templates of sizes 7 and 9. A novel ``resynthesis''
approach is introduced wherein a sequence of gates is chosen from a network,
and the reversible specification it realizes is resynthesized as an independent
problem in hopes of reducing the network cost. Empirical results are presented
to show that the methods are effective both in terms of the realization of all
3x3 reversible functions and larger reversible benchmark specifications.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure
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