Environmental and cultural reflections in Kanuri hunters' songs

Our dichotomy of ‘nature’ and ‘culture’ is expressed in the Kanuri language with the terms al@ga for ‘creation’ and ‘creature’ which embraces trees, mammals, birds, insects, humans, in short the whole of the natural environment, and ada for ‘custom, habit, way of behaviour, family tradition’ for culture as a whole. There is no genre of oral literature, which would describe al@ga as such, but aspects of it can always be expressed in proverbs, riddles, toponymic praise phrases and songs, of which those performed by the hunters figure most prominently in reflecting upon al@ga. Yet, in these songs (and partly in other genres) ideas about al@ga are not purely descriptive in naturalists’ terms. They are much rather expressions, which centrally combine notions of the social and natural environment

Featherweight VeriFast

VeriFast is a leading research prototype tool for the sound modular verification of safety and correctness properties of single-threaded and multithreaded C and Java programs. It has been used as a vehicle for exploration and validation of novel program verification techniques and for industrial case studies; it has served well at a number of program verification competitions; and it has been used for teaching by multiple teachers independent of the authors. However, until now, while VeriFast's operation has been described informally in a number of publications, and specific verification techniques have been formalized, a clear and precise exposition of how VeriFast works has not yet appeared. In this article we present for the first time a formal definition and soundness proof of a core subset of the VeriFast program verification approach. The exposition aims to be both accessible and rigorous: the text is based on lecture notes for a graduate course on program verification, and it is backed by an executable machine-readable definition and machine-checked soundness proof in Coq

Coherent Collisions between Bose-Einstein Condensates

We study the non-degenerate parametric amplifier for matter waves, implemented by colliding two Bose-Einstein condensates. The coherence of the amplified waves is shown by observing high contrast interference with a reference wave and by reversing the amplification process. Since our experiments also place limits on all known sources of decoherence, we infer that relative number squeezing is most likely present between the amplified modes. Finally, we suggest that reversal of the amplification process may be used to detect relative number squeezing without requiring single-particle detection.Comment: 4.2 pages, 4 figures, please take postscript version for best quality of picture

Diagnosis and management of chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the leg:An evidence-based approach

Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome (CECS) is a condition causing leg pain during exercise. It affects both civilians and military personnel, impacting their quality of life and military readiness. CECS arises from increased pressure within muscle compartments during exercise, with unclear causes. It commonly affects runners, football players, and military members. This thesis aims to enhance evidence-based medicine for CECS in both civilian and military contexts. The study identifies differences in diagnosis and treatment between these populations. The diagnosis and treatment of CECS lack standardized protocols. A Delphi study involving experts established five key criteria for CECS diagnosis. Alternative diagnostic tests like MRI, NIRS, and SPECT show promise but require further research. Invasive Intracompartmental Pressure (ICP) measurements, while commonly used, lack standardized protocols. The study suggests a single-leg ICP measurement can be sufficient for military patients with specific cutoff values.Treatment strategies for CECS vary. Surgical intervention generally yields higher satisfaction and return to activity rates compared to conservative methods. However, in military populations, surgical treatment can lead to more complications. Conservative treatments, especially for military patients, are recommended first. Recurrent cases may require fasciotomy or fasciectomy.In conclusion, CECS diagnosis and management lack standardized guidelines. Civilian and military populations exhibit significant differences in symptoms and treatment outcomes. ICP measurements should be used judiciously, with consideration for patient population and specific cutoff values. The choice between conservative and surgical treatment depends on patient characteristics. Further research is needed to refine diagnostic methods and treatment protocols for CECS.<br/

On the growth of ammonium nitrate(III) crystals

The growth rate of NH4NO3 phase III crystals is measured and interpreted using two models. The first is a standard crystal growth model based on a spiral growth mechanism, the second outlines the concept of kinetical roughening. As the crystal becomes rough a critical supersaturation can be determined and from this the step free energy. The step free energy versus temperature turns out to be well represented by a Kosterlitz¿Thouless type model. Further a phenomenological treatment of some peculiar growth observations is given