Tobacco use among population sub-groups: A gender analysis

Women comprise 20% of world’s billion smokers. Especially troubling is raising prevalence of tobacco use among girls. In fact, it is expected that 20% of women in developing/developed countries will be smokers by 2025. This study analytically compares knowledge, attitudes, and practices of tobacco use, by gender, among 4 sub-populations in Alexandria, Egypt. Methods: A cross sectional approach was used for 4 subgroups (high school students, university students, shopping malls/clubs’ attendees, employees of health-related facilities), 1000 each (total sample size = 4000). A modified version of WHO questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: Smoking prevalence was generally higher among males (29%-44%) compared to females (2% - 9%) in the studied groups. Cafeterias were preferable smoking places for both genders, especially among high school/university students. Most smokers in the 4 subgroups reported that most or all their friends were smokers. Mean knowledge scores were found to be higher among male employees/high school students, compared to females in the same sub-groups. Mean attitude scores towards smoking were higher among females (i.e. against smoking) in the 4 sub-samples. Conclusion & Recommendations: Tobacco use among males is generally higher among males, but females seem to be catching up. Social gatherings seem to attract many youngsters, of both genders, to smoke in public, especially waterpipe (which is a growing epidemic of tobacco use in our communities). Mass community- and gender-based health awareness campaigns are needed, using different channels, including school-based health education interventions, at the earliest age possible.

Sensors Grouping Model for Wireless Sensor Network

The grouping of sensors is a calculation method for partitioning the wireless sensor network into groups, each group consisting of a collection of sensors. A sensor can be an element of multiple groups. In the present paper, we will show a model to divide the wireless sensor network sensors into groups. These groups could communicate and work together in a cooperative way in order to save the time of routing and energy of WSN. In addition, we will present a way to show how to organize the sensors in groups and provide a combinatorial analysis of some issues related to the performance of the network.

A Generalization of Cuccia＇s Theorem

For a finite group G, let S（G） be the set of minimal subgroups of odd order,which are complemented in G. It is proved that if every minimal subgroup X of odd orderof G which does not belong to S（G）, CG（X） is either subnormal or abnormal in G. Then Gsolvable.

Analysis of the Effect of Subgroup Size on the X-Bar Control Chart Using Forensic Science Laboratory Sample Influx Data

This paper analyzes the effect of subgroup size on the x-bar chart characteristics using sample influx (SIF) into forensic science laboratory (FSL). The characteristics studied include changes in out-or-control points (OCP), upper control limit UCLx, and zonal demarcations. Multi-rules were used to identify the number of out-of-control-points, Nocp as violations using five control chart rules applied separately. A sensitivity analysis on the Nocp was applied for subgroup size, k, and number of sigma above the mean value to determine the upper control limit, UCLx. A computer code was implemented using a FORTRAN code to create x-bar control-charts and capture OCP and other control-chart characteristics with increasing k from 2 to 25. For each value of k, a complete series of average values, Q(p), of specific length, Nsg, was created from which statistical analysis was conducted and compared to the original SIF data, S(t). The variation of number of out-of-control points or violations, Nocp, for different control-charts rules with increasing k was determined to follow a decaying exponential function, Nocp = Ae–α, for which, the goodness of fit was established, and the R2 value approached unity for Rule #4 and #5 only. The goodness of fit was established to be the new criteria for rational subgroup-size range, for Rules #5 and #4 only, which involve a count of 6 consecutive points decreasing and 8 consecutive points above the selected control limit (σ/3 above the grand mean), respectively. Using this criterion, the rational subgroup range was established to be 4 ≤ k ≤ 20 for the two x-bar control chart rules.

Morphological Diversity and Nomenclature of Swertia chirayita (Gentianaceae)—Recovery of Endangered Medicinal Plant Population in North Eastern Himalaya

Swertia chirayita is a highly endangered and very well known medicinal plant enlisted in the IUCN list of endangered plants in the world. The plant is currently having a very low population in eastern Himalayan region due to its very low germinability in its own natural habitat. The plant population was found to have a range of diversity in morphological observations and some of the morphovariants were found to be very low among the variant populations which created a concern due to its diminishing range of genetic base in this region. A basic group of 5 morphovariants and 24 sub variants were identified and separately maintained. It is a pluriannual plant and reproductive or flowering stage was observed after completion of two years of vegetative stage from the time of seed germination. A range of morphovariant diversity was observed in the populations of Neora Valley and Lava region of eastern Himalaya in our investigation. Diversity was critically observed in some of the parameters of different morphovariants in the population. Conservation practices were generally done by not making groups or sub groups of this endangered plant while we proposed the way of conservation by making groups for proper conservation of this vulnerable plant.

Observation-Oriented Causal Discovery for Cultivation Abandonment of Rice Terraces: Focusing on an Effect of Cultural Endemism on Decision-Making in Toraja, Indonesia

Previous discussion about the factors of the expanding trend of abandoned cultivation had focused only on universal factors and lacked evaluation of the regionality of the phenomenon. This paper demonstrated the Toraja’s regional characteristics and the influence of cultural endemism on decision-making about abandoning cultivation by an observation-oriented approach. Based on a causal framework constructed by field observation and geospatial data generation, an adjustment for overt covariates using the multivariate logistic regression model to draw the causal effect from hidden covariates was examined in two rice terraces with different water systems, i.e. irrigated field and rain-fed field. The result of sub-group analysis revealed that decisions about abandoning cultivation in Toraja were greatly associated with disadvantageous factors for intensive farming, i.e. “number of adjacent fields” and “soil erosion” rather than advantageous factors, i.e. “area of field” and “distance to roads”. Moreover, the result of interaction analysis which controlled the effect of topography revealed the powerful effect of particular decision factors only in rain-fed rice terrace: the “distance to roads” factor’s fairly negative contribution on abandoning cultivation (Odds ratio = 9.94E - 01, P value = 2.03E - 11), as well as the “number of adjacent field” factor’s positive contribution on abandoning cultivation (Odds ratio = 1.13E+00, P value = 3.65E - 04). Given the evidence from the explanation of these results by customary laws and land inheritance system for each site, therefore, it could be concluded that the screening and detection of cultural endemism’s influence was achieved using the algorithm this paper proposes.

福建漳平(永福)方言的一种比较句——一次难忘的方言语法调查经历

笔者从1978年开始系统调查福建漳平(永福)方言,一直到1992年出版《漳平方言研究》,前后断断续续历经14个年头。漳平永福是闽西南的一个高山乡镇,所说方言属于闽南话,但受到客家话的强烈影响。当地人与厦门一带的人交往,需要有一段适应时间,才能顺利通话。

On Nearly SS-Embedded Subgroups of Finite Groups

Abstract Let H be a subgroup of a finite group G. H is nearly SS-embedded in G if there exists an S-quasinormal subgroup K of G, such that HK is S-quasinormal in G and H∩ K≤HseG, where HseG is the subgroup of H, generated by all those subgroups of H which are S-quasinormally embedded in G. In this paper, the authors investigate the influence of nearly SS-embedded subgroups on the structure of finite groups.

Hydrogen Bond Cooperative Effect in Single Cage Water Clusters

In this paper,DFT method was used to study the relative stability of hydrogen bonding networks of numerous 512,51262 and 435663 water cluster isomers.Herein we introduced an optimized six-digit definition to characterize diverse sub-grouped hydrogen bonds to consider the cooperative effect of the nearest and nextnearest neighbor water molecules.There are totally 74 kinds of sub-grouped hydrogen bonds in cage hydrate clusters,and these energies can be obtained by iterative calculations.This improvement effectively explains some regularity contained in hydrogen bonding cooperative effect.In general,donor or acceptor fragment sharing identical value of three independent digits usually performs poor cooperative effect,indicating that the existence of those same-digital-array fragments is the necessary condition to judge poor cooperative effect.Vice versa,the existence of different-digital-array is also the necessary condition to judge strong cooperative effect.

The group theory for solving electromagnetic scattering problems with geometric symmetric structure

It is a very important issue to reduce computer storage and calculation time for matrix in solving scattering field by making use of geometric and physical symmetric features of a scattering body. A general definition for the symmetric and anti-symmetric structure is given by applying the group theory in mathematics and a general method for treating the electromagnetic scattering problems with symmetry is proposed. An example for applying the theory mentioned above is also given.

On Local Nilpotency of the Normal Subgroups of a Group

A group G is said to have property μ whenever N is a non-locally nitpotent normal subgroup of G, there is a finite non-nilpotent G-quotient of N. FC-groups and groups with property v satisfy property μ, where a group G is said to have property v if every non-nilpotent normal subgroup of G has a finite non-nilpotent G-quotient. HP（G） is the Hirsch-Plotkin radical of G, and φf （G） is the intersection of all the maximal subgroups of finite index in G （here φf（G） = G if no such maximal subgroups exist）. It is shown that a group G has property μ if and only if HP（G/φf（G）） = HP（G）/φf（G） and that the class of groups with property v is a proper subclass of that of groups with property it. Also, the structure of the normal subgroups of a group： nilpotency with the minimal condition, is investigated.