Spectroscopic measurements of Mira variable stars as a function of phase probe the stellar atmospheres and underlying pulsation mechanisms. For example, measuring variations in TiO, VO, and ZrO with phase can be used to help determine whether these molecular species are produced in an extended region above the layers where Balmer line emission occurs or below this shocked region. Using the same methods, the Balmer line increment, where the strongest Balmer line at phase zero is Hδ and not Hα, can be measured and explanations tested, along with another peculiarity, the absence of the H∈ line in the spectra of Mira variables when the other Balmer lines are strong. We present new spectra covering the spectral range from 6200 to 9000 Å of 20 Mira variables. A relationship between variations in the Ca II IR triplet and Hα as a function of phase support the hypothesis that H∈'s observational characteristics result from an interaction of H∈ photons with the Ca II H line. New periods and epochs of variability are also presented for each star.

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres, Orientation histoire de l'art et archéologie / Vol. 1 "Texte I" :1-207 ;Vol. 2 "Texte II" :208-395 ;Vol. 3 "Planches" :pl. 1-68. / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres, Orientation histoire de l'art et archéologie / Vol. 1 :texte (TH-050044) ;Vol. 2 :Planches, Plans et Cartes (TH-000144) ;Vol. 3 :Relevé géographique (TH-050043) / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Phisophy in the Faculty of Arts, in the Department of African Languages at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2009. / Like many other nations, around the globe, Zulus are well known for their story telling techniques that is evident in their folktales, praises, riddles, songs and many other art forms of yesteryears. Emanating from such artistry of narrating, the Zulus have also joined forces with the other artists of the modem world in producing narratives of high quality and standard in the light of contemporary prose narratives. Ngcongwane, (1987:36) alludes to this art form as follows: Narrating is an old human activity. All of us do it - just as much as all ofus who are not crippled can walk. Such a statement by Ngcongwane confirms that even Africans are able to narrate stories, be it from a traditional or modem perspective. Sibiya, (2002:1) seems to be concurring with what is said by Ngcongwane when he states that: ... Zulus are renowned for their storytelling abilities that date back to time immemorial. 'Time immemorial' here seems to be confirming exactly what Ngcongwane refers to as 'an old human activity'. This art ofnarration is not only a thing ofthe past, but has been in existence since the ancient era to the present day. The significance of its existence is evidenced in the development and the involvement of the short stories and drama In this chapter we will illustrate the extent of development that has taken place with African writers, specifically the Zulu, being represented by Msimang in his three novels, 'Akuyiwe Emhlahlweni' (1973), 'Buzani KuMkabayi' (1982), and 'Walivuma Icala' (1996).

The following dissertation uses fictional crime dramas to determine whether there are gendered patterns in the use of techniques of neutralization between and among male and female offenders. It utilizes a mixed method approach to answer three separate research questions: (1) how techniques of neutralization are used in fictional crime dramas, (2) whether such portrayals vary between and among male and female offenders, and (3) how elements of doing gender play a role in the gendered nature of males and female offenders’ techniques of neutralization. The sample included 124 episodes from four different fictional crime dramas and 383 individual offenses were used in the data. The quantitative data found that while both genders utilize the techniques in similar proportions, there are specific differences in their applicability. One salient difference was that men tended to commit offenses without using a technique of neutralization to excuse their offense more often than were women. The qualitative data showed several themes in how men and women utilized these techniques as well. Women were not depicted speaking the technique used for their offense as often as were men. Further, they were more likely to have someone else offer a technique on their behalf. When women did use a technique of neutralization they were likely to use more than one whereas, this was not found with men. There were also specific variations that occurred within each technique that played off of how the gender of the offenders was portrayed in the shows.

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A novel radiation imaging technology for in vivo molecular imaging in small mammals is described. The goal of this project is to develop a new type of imaging detector system suitable for real-time in vivo probe imaging studies in small animals. This technology takes advantage of the gamma-ray and x-ray emission properties of the radioisotope iodine 125 (125I) which is employed as the label for molecular probes. The radioisotope 125I is a gamma-ray emitting radioisotope that can be commercially obtained already attached to biomedically interesting molecules to be used as tracers for biomedical and molecular biology research.;The isotope 125I decays via electron capture consequently emitting a 35 keV gamma-ray followed by the near coincident emission of several 27--32 keV Kalpha and Kbeta shell x-rays. Because of these phenomena, a coincidence condition can be set to detect 125I thus enabling the reduction of any background radiation that could contaminate the image. The detector system is based on an array of CsI(Na) crystal scintillators coupled to a 125 mm diameter position sensitive photomultiplier tube. An additional standard 125 mm diameter photomultiplier tube coupled to a NaI(Tl) scintillator acts as the coincident detector. to achieve high resolution images the detector system utilizes a custom-built copper laminate high resolution collimator. The 125I detector system can achieve a spatial resolution of less than 2 mm FWHM for an object at a distance of 1.5 cm from the collimator. The measured total detector sensitivity while using the copper collimator was 68 cpm/muCi.;Results of in vivo mouse imaging studies of the biodistribution of iodine, melatonin, and a neurotransmitter analog (RTI-55) are presented. Many studies in molecular biology deal with following the expression and regulation of a gene at different stages of an organism's development or under different physiological conditions. This detector system makes it possible for laboratories without access to standard nuclear medicine radiopharmaceuticals to perform in vivo imaging research on small a mammals using a whole range of 125I labeled markers that are obtainable from commercial sources.

<p dir="ltr">Advancements in machine learning are narrowing the gap in visual capabilities between machines and healthcare professionals, resulting in a transformation of the way we understand and address health challenges. Despite these advances, underlying limitations persist in addressing real-world problems, particularly in the precise capture of biological and physiological information. This is primarily because traditional trichromatic cameras fall short of representing reflectance spectra due to their limited spectral information. To overcome these limitations, hyperspectral imaging has emerged as a powerful tool for biomedical applications. By collecting a wealth of information at different wavelengths, hyperspectral imaging provides a comprehensive view of electromagnetic spectra, allowing non-invasive clinical analysis for accurate diagnostics. Snapshot hyperspectral imaging, in particular, is a competitive alternative to traditional cameras as it can capture a hyperspectral image in a single shot without the need for scanning individual wavelengths. Here, we introduce a computational snapshot hyperspectral imaging method, achieved through the integration of a machine learning approach with a streamlined optical system. We design an explainable machine learning algorithm by incorporating optical and biological knowledge into the algorithm. Therefore, the algorithm can reconstruct hyperspectral images with high spectralspatial resolution comparable to those of scientific spectrometers, despite the use of sparse information captured from the optical system. To demonstrate its versatility in biomedical applications, we extract hemodynamic parameters of peripheral microcirculation from embryonic model systems, tissue phantom samples, and human conjunctivas. Furthermore, we validate high accuracy of the results using conventional hyperspectral imaging and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. This learning-powered imaging method, characterized by high resolution and simplified hardware requirements, has the potential to offer solutions for various biomedical challenges by surpassing the constraints of conventional cameras and hyperspectral imaging.</p>

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