Endoscopic correction of vesicoureteric reflux in children

Vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) is a common cause of recurrent urinary tract infections in children. Mild reflux (grade I-II) is usually managed conservatively with antibiotics but severe degree of reflux (grades III, IV, V) requires surgical intervention. We present our initial experience with endoscopic correction of vesicoureteric reflux by sub-ureteric teflon injection (STING) in ten patients. Results are available for 15 ureters with a success rate of 86.6%. There was no change in the grade of VUR in two ureters. There were no complications. Endoscopic correction of vesico-ureteric reflux by sub-ureteric teflon injection is effective and simple with no pain to the child. It averts the need for open operations

The late-time development of the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability

Measurements have been made of the growth by the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability of nominally single-scale perturbations on an air/sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) interface in a large shock tube. An approximately sinusoidal shape is given to the interface by a wire mesh which supports a polymeric membrane separating the air from the SF6. A single shock wave incident on the interface induces motion by the baroclinic mechanism of vorticity generation. The visual thickness delta of the interface is measured from schlieren photographs obtained singly in each run and in high-speed motion pictures. Data are presented for delta at times considerably larger than previously reported, and they are tested for self-similarity including independence of initial conditions. Four different initial amplitude/wavelength combinations at one incident shock strength are used to determine the scaling of the data. It is found that the growth rate decreases rapidly with time, ddelta/dt[proportional]t–p (i.e., delta[proportional]t1–p), where 0.67<~p<~0.74 and that a small dependence on the initial wavelength lambda0 persists to large time. The larger value of the power law exponent agrees with the result of the late-time-decay similarity law of Huang and Leonard [Phys. Fluids 6, 3765–3775 (1994)]. The influence of the wire mesh and membrane on the mixing process is assessed

The effect of using authentic materials on the spoken use of English verb tenses for English as a foreign language among Arab secondary school students in Malaysia

Many Arab learners in Malaysia, who are learning English as a foreign language (EFL), are struggling to use English language proficiently in conversations. The methodology used by the teachers is largely traditional in nature and they still use grammar translation method. This method failed to produce proficient Arabic learners in English, especially in speaking. Although some studies have been conducted on the use of authentic materials in teaching English to EFL learners, there is lack of research on the effects of using authentic materials among Arab EFL learners. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effect of using authentic materials on the spoken use of English verb tenses among Arab international secondary school students in Malaysia. The study also examined the ways native Arab speakers learn EFL, and the perceptions of Arab students and EFL teachers on the use of authentic materials. The present study adopted a quasi-experimental design in which the control group which consisted of 25 students was taught using the conventional method while the experimental group of 35 students was taught English using authentic materials. The four types of authentic materials that were used are films, videos, newspapers and photos during 18 hours of experimental teaching. A speaking pre-test, a post-test and structured interviews were conducted with both groups. The data were analysed quantitatively using two non-parametric tests, which are the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test for checking whether the data samples were matched and the Mann-Whitney test for comparing any significant difference of the means of the post-test of both groups. Findings revealed that the majority of the Arab EFL learners, who learnt English at the international secondary school, learnt English through memorization. The teachers believed that authentic materials could help the students practice English in real life and the students were motivated in learning English. The findings showed that the experimental group performed better than the control group in using tenses in the post-test. It is concluded that the authentic materials could provide stimulating, and enriching learning experience among Arab EFL learners. The study contributed to the use of authentic materials particularly for grammar teaching in an EFL context. The EFL teachers would be able to facilitate EFL learners by improving their pedagogy in terms of creating more interesting, stimulating, interactive and engaging language learning activities

Labour admission test: a screening test for foetal distress in labour

Background: Labour is a very short period in the life of a foetus but poses the maximum threat. Improvements in medical technology have made it possible to monitor fetal well-being during labour. The introduction of labour admission test has proven to be of benefit in identifying patients at risk for developing distress and implementing timely intervention.Methods: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the same. This was a prospective study done on 500 patients above 37 weeks of gestation in cephalic presentation. EFM was done using oxford sonicaid 8002 CTG machine and Gem premier 3000 (model no 5700) arterial blood gas analyzer machine was used for determining the pH of fetal blood.Results: Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 15.0 statistical analysis software. p value <0.001 was considered highly significant. Results revealed that a total of 105 (80.77%) babies had fetal distress in category II and III out of 135, whereas only 30 (8.11%) were distressed in category I out of 370. Test had a sensitivity of 77.7% and specificity of 93.15% with a positive predictive value of 80.7% and a negative predictive value of 91.89%.Conclusions: It has become evident that combined use of CTG with cord blood pH is more accurate way of predicting and diagnosing birth asphyxia

Aerial-terrestrial communications: terrestrial cooperation and energy-efficient transmissions to aerial-base stations

Hybrid aerial-terrestrial communication networks based on low-altitude platforms are expected to meet optimally the urgent communication needs of emergency relief and recovery operations for tackling large-scale natural disasters. The energy-efficient operation of such networks is important given that the entire network infrastructure, including the battery-operated ground terminals, exhibits requirements to operate under power-constrained situations. In this paper, we discuss the design and evaluation of an adaptive cooperative scheme intended to extend the survivability of the battery-operated aerial-terrestrial communication links. We propose and evaluate a real-time adaptive cooperative transmission strategy for dynamic selection between direct and cooperative links based on the channel conditions for improved energy efficiency. We show that the cooperation between mobile terrestrial terminals on the ground could improve energy efficiency in the uplink, depending on the temporal behavior of the terrestrial and aerial uplink channels. The corresponding delay in having cooperative (relay-based) communications with relay selection is also addressed. The simulation analysis corroborates that the adaptive transmission technique improves overall energy efficiency of the network whilst maintaining low latency, enabling real-time applications

An Alternative Proposal of Justice: Muslim Women Activists and Socio-Legal Realities in India

In India, with the change of political leadership at the center, the sanctity of religion- based Muslim family law has been contested. This has led to the development of a new socio-political discourse which is influenced and shaped by the basic feminist ideals of equal rights for women. In this discourse, Muslim women are portrayed as necessarily suffering from unjust family laws and needing immediate cover and protection from the secular state. In the light of the judicial reform which makes the practice of instant divorce through ‘triple talaq’ among Muslims a punishable offence, this article discusses that for Muslim women the domain of law is liminal and they choose between multiple legal forums to increase their access to justice. It explores how Muslim women approach different alternative forums, and in what ways Muslim women activists are creating an opportunity for the distressed women to resolve their marital disputes more efficiently. Such an examination provides important insights into how Muslim women’s rights activists undertake their pursuit of justice within a complex, legally pluralistic landscape in the area of Muslim family law in India

Long-Term Water Quality Monitoring at an Industrial Site on the Northern Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

The present study focuses on seawater samples collected monthly, for 12 years (June 1998 to December 2010), within the framework of the sustainable monitoring program in front of the Industrial Complex (IC) Aqaba Jordan. In situ measurements of temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen have been recorded, for three different depths, at six different stations. Also, samples have been collected and analyzed for inorganic nutrients, fluoride and sulfate. The data collected, when compared with the offshore waters, showed the dominance of natural Aqaba seawater conditions for most variables throughout the year. Phosphate concentrations were slightly higher in some sampling events. This, however, did not exert any considerable effect on the environmental quality of the seawater, mainly because anthropogenic phosphate reaching the sea does with the help of the wind in very limited amounts and insoluble form. Also, phosphate is not the primary productivity limiting nutrient in the waters of theGulf of Aqaba

Gamma power in rural Pakistani children: links to executive function and verbal ability

Children in low- and middle-income countries are at high risk of cognitive deficits due to environmental deprivation that compromises brain development. Despite the high prevalence of unrealized cognitive potential, very little is known about neural correlates of cognition in this population. We assessed resting EEG power and cognitive ability in 105 highly disadvantaged 48-month-old children in rural Pakistan. An increase in EEG power in gamma frequency bands (21–30 Hz and 31–45 Hz) was associated with better executive function. For girls, EEG gamma power also related to higher verbal IQ. This study identifies EEG gamma power as a neural marker of cognitive function in disadvantaged children in low- and middle-income countries. Elevated gamma power may be a particularly important protective factor for girls, who may experience greater deprivation due to gender inequality.This research was supported by Grand Challenges Canada Saving Brains Initiative Grant 0061-03. The preparation of this article also was supported by a Scholar's Award from the William T. Grant Foundation to Jelena Obradovic. (0061-03 - Grand Challenges Canada Saving Brains Initiative; William T. Grant Foundation)Published versio