Endemic Vesical Stones in Sudanese Children Seen at Gezira National Center for Pediatric Surgery

Objectives: To determine the pattern, demographic features, clinical features, the common types of vesical stones and diagnostic tools accuracy of endemic vesical stone in children. Materials and Methods: In this study the records of 73 patients with endemic vesical stones were reviewed at Gezira National Center For Pediatric Surgery (GNCPS). The data were analyzed for age, sex, locality, clinical features the diagnostic tools, the treatment offered and outcomes. Results:  A total of 73 patients were included in this study, males were 64  (87.7%), < 5 years were  54 cases ( 74%), the majority from rural areas of low socio-economic status.  Conclusion: Endemic vesical stones in children is common in males below  5 years  and low socio-economic status, with UTI like symptoms and penile itching

Semantic-based decision support for remote care of dementia patients

This paper investigates the challenges in developing a semantic-based Dementia Care Decision Support System based on the non-intrusive monitoring of the patient's behaviour. Semantic-based approaches are well suited for modelling context-aware scenarios similar to Dementia care systems, where the patient's dynamic behaviour observations (occupants movement, equipment use) need to be analysed against the semantic knowledge about the patient's condition (illness history, medical advice, known symptoms) in an integrated knowledgebase. However, our research findings establish that the ability of semantic technologies to reason upon the complex interrelated events emanating from the behaviour monitoring sensors to infer knowledge assisting medical advice represents a major challenge. We attempt to address this problem by introducing a new approach that relies on propositional calculus modelling to segregate complex events that are amenable for semantic reasoning from events that require pre-processing outside the semantic engine before they can be reasoned upon. The event pre-processing activity also controls the timing of triggering the reasoning process in order to further improve the efficiency of the inference process. Using regression analysis, we evaluate the response-time as the number of monitored patients increases and conclude that the incurred overhead on the response time of the prototype decision support systems remains tolerable

Geometric Quantization on the Super-Disc

In this article we discuss the geometric quantization on a certain type of infinite dimensional super-disc. Such systems are quite natural when we analyze coupled bosons and fermions. The large-N limit of a system like that corresponds to a certain super-homogeneous space. First, we define an example of a super-homogeneous manifold: a super-disc. We show that it has a natural symplectic form, it can be used to introduce classical dynamics once a Hamiltonian is chosen. Existence of moment maps provide a Poisson realization of the underlying symmetry super-group. These are the natural operators to quantize via methods of geometric quantization, and we show that this can be done.Comment: 17 pages, Latex file. Subject: Mathematical physics, geometric quantizatio

Participatory plant breeding: a way to arrive at better-adapted onion varieties

The search for varieties that are better adapted to organic farming is a current topic in the organic sector. Breeding programmes specific for organic agriculture should solve this problem. Collaborating with organic farmers in such programmes, particularly in the selection process, can potentially result in varieties better adapted to their needs. Here, we assume that organic farmers' perceptive of plant health is broader than that of conventional breeders. Two organic onion farmers and one conventional onion breeder were monitored in their selection activities in 2004 and 2005 in order to verify whether and in which way this broader view on plant health contributes to improvement of organic varieties. They made selections by positive mass selection in three segregating populations under organic conditions. The monitoring showed that the organic farmers selected in the field for earliness and downy mildew and after storage for bulb characteristics. The conventional breeder selected only after storage. Farmers and breeder applied identical selection directions for bulb traits as a round shape, better hardness and skin firmness. This resulted in smaller bulbs in the breeders’ populations, while the bulbs in the farmer populations were bigger than in the original population. In 2006 and 2007 the new onion populations will be compared with each other and the original populations to determine the selection response

Semi-Parametric of Sample Selection Model Using Fuzzy Concepts

The sample selection model has been studied in the context of semi-parametric methods. With the deficiencies of the parametric model, such as inconsistent estimators, semi-parametric estimation methods provide better alternatives. This article focuses on the context of fuzzy concepts as a hybrid to the semiparametric sample selection model. The better approach when confronted with uncertainty and ambiguity is to use the tools provided by the theory of fuzzy sets, which are appropriate for modeling vague concepts. A fuzzy membership function for solving uncertainty data of a semi-parametric sample selection model is introduced as a solution to the problem

Analysis of surface integrity and formation of material side flow in dry and wet machining of aluminum alloy

This paper presents the surface integrity of aluminum alloy under dry and wet conditions. Bars of aluminum alloy with consistent size have been machined at different cutting speeds and feed rates at very short cutting time. The comparison between dry and wet cutting have been assessed based on the surface integrity, determined by the surface roughness value and observation of surface profiles. The result shows that machining in dry condition produces better surface finish where the coolants did not give a big impact on the surface roughness especially at the higher cutting speed. Further observation at the surface profile of dry cutting shows that more formation of material side flow appeared on the machined surface that could decreased the surface roughness value. Surface generated under bot dry and wet conditions appeared with well-defined and free from other damage such as cracking or tearing

Numerical simulation of concentration over-voltage in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell under low-hydrogen conditions

This article elucidates the effect of low hydrogen concentration fuel gas on polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) performance, with particular emphasis on the transport of chemical species in the anode separator channel and the electrochemical reactions. A numerical simulation model for PEFCs was developed; the model combined a computational fluid dynamics model for mass transfer in the anode separator and the gas diffusion layer(GDL)as well as a PEFC electrochemical reaction model takinginto account the activation, concentration, and resistance over-voltages. The emphasis in this study is placed on obtaining a basic understanding of how three-dimensional flow and low-hydrogen fuel transport phenomena in the anode separator channelimpactthe electrochemical processes occurring in PEFCs. Comparison of the numerical simulation results with experimental data indicates that the performance degradation in PEFCs is negligible for hydrogen concentrations over 30%, whereas it becomes significant for concentrations below 10%. Furthermore, the numerical simulationresults showthat controlling the fuel supply flow rate stimulates hydrogen transport inthe GDL and the catalyst layer, which consequently enhances PEFC performance under low-hydrogen conditions

THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL EVOLUTION OF ION-SCALE CURRENT SHEETS: TEARING AND DRIFT-KINK INSTABILITIES IN THE PRESENCE OF PROTON TEMPERATURE ANISOTROPY

We present the first three-dimensional hybrid simulations of the evolution of ion-scale current sheets, with an investigation of the role of temperature anisotropy and associated kinetic instabilities on the growth of the tearing instability and particle heating. We confirm the ability of the ion cyclotron and firehose instabilities to enhance or suppress reconnection, respectively. The simulations demonstrate the emergence of persistent three-dimensional structures, including patchy reconnection sites and the fast growth of a narrow-band drift-kink instability, which suppresses reconnection for thin current sheets with weak guide fields. Potential observational signatures of the three-dimensional evolution of solar wind current sheets are also discussed. We conclude that kinetic instabilities, arising from non-Maxwellian ion populations, are significant to the evolution of three-dimensional current sheets, and two-dimensional studies of heating rates by reconnection may therefore over-estimate the ability of thin, ion-scale current sheets to heat the solar wind by reconnection

An implicit Keller Box numerical scheme for the solution of fractional subdiffusion equations

In this work, we present a new implicit numerical scheme for fractional subdiffusion equations. In this approach we use the Keller Box method [1] to spatially discretise the fractional subdiffusion equation and we use a modified L1 scheme (ML1), similar to the L1 scheme originally developed by Oldham and Spanier [2], to approximate the fractional derivative. The stability of the proposed method was investigated by using Von-Neumann stability analysis. We have proved the method is unconditionally stable when $0<{\lambda}_q <\min(\frac{1}{\mu_0},2^\gamma)$ and $0<\gamma \le 1$, and demonstrated the method is also stable numerically in the case $\frac{1}{\mu_0}<{\lambda}_q \le 2^\gamma$ and $\log_3{2} \le \gamma \le 1$. The accuracy and convergence of the scheme was also investigated and found to be of order $O(\Delta t^{1+\gamma})$ in time and $O(\Delta x^2)$ in space. To confirm the accuracy and stability of the proposed method we provide three examples with one including a linear reaction term

Responses of Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) to soil and foliar applications of Haza (Haplophyllum tuberculatum).

This study aimed to investigate the responses of Periwinkle plants to soil and foliar applications of Haza plant in two separate tests under the conditions of the nursery at Shambat, Khartoum North, Sudan. The foliar treatments were for boiled water extracts of hand crushed Haza shoots in concentrations: 0.0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 g/l, while the soil dressing test was for powder of dry shoots of Haza applied in doses of: 0.0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 g per plant. The Periwinkle transplants were planted in 18 inch plastic pots containing River Nile sedimentary soil. The study was arranged in complete randomized design and each treatment was replicated 7 times. Data were collected 4 months after applications. The results showed substantial increments in vegetative and reproductive growth parameters coupled with high alkaloids content from soil dressing with 10 g/plant Haza treatment or the foliar application of the 10 g/l Haza extract. These findings elucidated the bio-stimulating potential of Haza applications for enhanced vegetative and reproductive growth beside alkaloids content of Periwinkle. This stimulating potential may be of value for trials on organic production of other horticultural crops