14 research outputs found
Nutritional knowledge assessment of syrian university students
No full textNutrition knowledge is one of the factors that affect nutritional status and nutritional habits of individuals, families, and societies. Nutrition knowledge is an important tool in assessing the nutritional status of an individual, group or community. Researchers have been trying to design and develop reliable and valid questionnaires that distinguish and measure nutrition knowledge and its impact on dietary behavior and diet-health awareness. Many studies have shown that nutrition knowledge can affect someone to follow dietary recommendations. The aim of this study was to assess the nutrition knowledge of Syrian university students and to find out if there was any relationship between anthropometric measurements, socioeconomic status, type of university and nutrition knowledge of the students. Nutritional knowledge was assessed using valid nutrition knowledge questionnaire, which covered six main sections. The questionnaire was designed for this study and was adapted from Parameter and Wardle. The number of students participated in the study was 998 students and were selected from four universities) in Syria. They were asked to complete the nutrition knowledge questionnaire under supervision of trained nutritionist. Anthropometric measurements were taken for all participants by trained professional. The results were statistically analyzed and P 30 had the highest points in TNK. Females had higher TNK score as compared with males. Furthermore, students enrolled in the private university and in health-related programs showed typically better TNK scores than those enrolled in public universities and in nonhealth-related programs. The highest TNK score based on BMI was found among students with BMI >30. The results support the likely value of including nutrition knowledge as a target for health education campaigns aimed at promoting healthy eating
Photoperiod regulates the daily profiles of Tryptophan Hydroxylase-2 gene expression the raphe nuclei of rats
No full textTryptophan hydroxylase-2 mRNA (TPH, the rate limiting enzyme in 5-HT synthesis) expression levels display circadian variations in the median and dorsal raphe nuclei. This circadian pattern is under the control of the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the master clock. Photoperiodic cue is encoded by the SCN which convey the seasonal message to target sites. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of photoperiodic changes on the serotonergic neurones of the raphe nuclei. We have assessed the daily expression of TPH2 mRNA in both median and dorsal raphe nuclei of rats housed either under long photoperiod (18 h light/6 h dark cycle, LP18:6) or short photoperiod (SP6:18). Our results demonstrate that under LP18:6, TPH2 mRNA levels display a progressive decrease during the dark period and a maximal expression is reported at the beginning of the light period. The expression pattern of TPH2 mRNA under SP6:18 remains unchanged during the dark period and increases significantly before the day/night transition. This latter expression pattern is in line with the daily profiles of TPH2 mRNA reported previously under standard lighting regimen (12 h light/12 h dark cycle). The present results suggest that TPH2 mRNA expression pattern within DR and MR is affected by photoperiod which might in turn affect TPH content and 5HT release within the circadian structures, but also in all the serotonergic projection areas of the brain
Minimum distance of error correcting codes versus encoding complexity, symmetry, and pseudorandomness
No full textThesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 207-214).This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.We study the minimum distance of binary error correcting codes from the following perspectives: * The problem of deriving bounds on the minimum distance of a code given constraints on the computational complexity of its encoder. * The minimum distance of linear codes that are symmetric in the sense of being invariant under the action of a group on the bits of the codewords. * The derandomization capabilities of probability measures on the Hamming cube based on binary linear codes with good distance properties, and their variations. Highlights of our results include: * A general theorem that asserts that if the encoder uses linear time and sub-linear memory in the general binary branching program model, then the minimum distance of the code cannot grow linearly with the block length when the rate is nonvanishing. * New upper bounds on the minimum distance of various types of Turbo-like codes. * The first ensemble of asymptotically good Turbo like codes. We prove that depth-three serially concatenated Turbo codes can be asymptotically good. * The first ensemble of asymptotically good codes that are ideals in the group algebra of a group. We argue that, for infinitely many block lengths, a random ideal in the group algebra of the dihedral group is an asymptotically good rate half code with a high probability. * An explicit rate-half code whose codewords are in one-to-one correspondence with special hyperelliptic curves over a finite field of prime order where the number of zeros of a codeword corresponds to the number of rational points.(cont.) * A sharp O(k-1/2) upper bound on the probability that a random binary string generated according to a k-wise independent probability measure has any given weight. * An assertion saying that any sufficiently log-wise independent probability measure looks random to all polynomially small read-once DNF formulas. * An elaborate study of the problem of derandomizability of AC₀ by any sufficiently polylog-wise independent probability measure. * An elaborate study of the problem of approximability of high-degree parity functions on binary linear codes by low-degree polynomials with coefficients in fields of odd characteristics.by Louay M.J. Bazzi.Ph.D
2D InP photonic crystal fabrication process development
No full textWe have developed a reliable process to fabricate high quality 2D air-hole and dielectric column InP photonic crystals with a high aspect ratio on a STS production tool using ICP N2+Cl2 plasma. The photonic crystals have a triangular lattice with lattice constant of 400 nm and air-hole and dielectric column radius of 120 nm. Large efforts have been devoted on developing a proper mask. We obtained a perfect, clean and vertical profiled SiNX mask. The next main effort is InP pattern transfer in Cl2+N2 plasma. Etching selectivity, smooth sidewall and etch profile are directly related to plasma process condition, besides the quality of SiNX mask. We have optimized the N2+Cl2 plasma condition to obtain high aspect ratio, vertical profile and smooth sidewall InP structures. Cylindrical holes (2 micron depth) and rodlike pillars (2.4 micron height) are uniformly fabricated. An aspect ratio of 18 for 100nm trench lines has been obtained. AFM measurement evidences that etched surfaces are smooth. The root mean square roughness of pillar and hole is 0.7 nm and 0.8 nm, respectively. The optical transmission characterization of ridge waveguides has been carried out. Transmission spectrum of 1 micron wide waveguide has been obtained.Kavli Institute of NanoscienceApplied Science
LP Decoding Excess over Symmetric Channels
No full textWe consider the problem of Linear Programming (LP) decoding of binary linear codes. The LP excess lemma was introduced by the first author, B. Ghazi, and R. Urbanke (IEEE Trans. Inf. Th., 2014) as a technique to trade crossover probability for 'LP excess' over the Binary Symmetric Channel. We generalize the LP excess lemma to discrete, binary-input, Memoryless, Symmetric and LLR-Bounded (MSB) channels. As an application, we extend a result by the first author and H. Audah (IEEE Trans. Inf. Th., 2015) on the impact of redundant checks on LP decoding to discrete MSB channels. © 2015 IEEE
The Arab Avant-Garde: Musical Innovation in the Middle East
No full textIn the early nineteenth century, the term “avant-garde” began to capture greater semantic territory. Once purely a military phrase used to distinguish crack troops, it then assumed a high-ranking position within cultural expression, marking out art work that forged ahead and broke new ground. What can it mean to conjoin this French phrase with the word “Arab”? French forces, along with other imperial intruders, are no strangers to Arab terrain. The colonisation of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Greater Syria followed in the wake of the brief Napoleonic “mission” to Egypt between 1798 and 1801. It was during this military foray that some of modern Europe’s most expansive data on Egyptian music was collected, information that comprised two whole volumes of Guillaume André Villoteau’s Description de l’Egypte. The Napoleonic campaign gathered not only military, but also cultural intelligence, if the two can be so easily separated
Improving technical vocational education and training in the Kurdistan region--Iraq /
No full text"Sponsored by the Kurdistan Regional Government.""RAND Education."Includes bibliographical references (pages 75-80)."RR-277-KRG"--Page 4 of cover.Online resource; title from PDF title page (Rand, viewed October 20, 2014).Introduction -- The KRI's current TVET system -- Labor and skill needs in the KRI economy -- International TVET policies and practices -- Recommended roadmap for improving TVET.JSTO
Bioprospecting Novel Bioactive Molecules from the Seaweeds in Oman
No full textSeaweeds or marine macro-algae form the base for the marine ecosystems and considered as direct or indirect source of food for people across the world. Today, algae have made their way to almost all the areas of human life like food, feed, fuel, medicines etc. Marine algae provide exceptional diverse storage of bioactive compounds such as antimicrobial elements. 5 different varieties of seaweeds were collected from Salalah and they were: Ulva fasciata, Asparagopsis taxiform, Rhizoids of Jolyna laminarioide, Jolyna laminarioides and Laminaria brasiliensis. The biochemical composition of these seaweeds were determined by using several analytical techniques such as gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and spectrophotometric methods. The phenolic content, antioxidant of TPC, DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl) and FRAP analysis were measured. The results have shown a higher antioxidant activity in Brown (Rhizoids of Jolyna laminarioides) comparing with the other varieties. The antimicrobial activity of Ulva fasciataon on E. coli (G-) and Rhizoids of Jolyna laminarioides) on S. aureus (G+) was higher comparing with the control sample and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study points out the possibility of seaweeds to be used in making different products that can be employed in biotechnological, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications even though more investigations are required for separating, purifying and characterizing the varieties of seaweeds in Oman
