Studies in object-oriented programming backbone implementations

This work is a combination of conceptual and hands on based study aimed at laying a foundation for practical Object-Oriented software construction. First it presents a conceptual study of a number of backbone concepts of modern Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) languages. Secondly, it attempts to demonstrate real-life implementations of these concepts using Python Programming Language. This work touches on practical issues on Class and Object Creation, especially on the syntax and creation, and demystifies the subject matter using a simple table of rules. The OOP concept of Inheritance was studied, with focus on the three major types of inheritance. The self-argument, and constructors were studied, with focus on the three constructors - default, parameterized, and non-parameterized constructors. A brief discussion, and pictorial illustration was also made on the disparity between normal mathematical functions and OOP method calls. Further areas of studies are the concept of overriding between the parent and child class, as well as the OOP puzzle commonly known as Diamond Problem, including code segment and diagrammatic illustration of Python-based solutions. There are a number of other back-bone concepts in OOP not covered in this study, such as Encapsulation, Abstraction, Meta-Programming, among others, which will form areas of focus in future studies. Effort was made to enhance the overall presentation through practical illustrations using source codes, annotated diagrams, and discussions. It is hoped that this work will be very useful to researchers and other practitioners in Object Oriented implementations.

Attention Span of Children With Mild Intellectual Disability: Does Music Therapy and Pictorial Illustration Play Any Significant Role?

This study investigated the effects of music therapy and pictorial illustration on the attention span of children with mild intellectual difficulties. A pre-test, post-test and control group quasi-experimental research design was used with a sample of children diagnosed with mild intellectual disability from three special schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. Fifty children were randomly selected and assigned to one of three groups: music therapy, pictorial illustration, or control (N = 50, male = 25, female = 25, mean age = 11.6 years). Twenty-four sessions of music therapy and pictorial illustration classes were held with the experimental group only. The Moss Attention Rating Scale was used before and after the intervention to collect data on participants’ attention span. Analysis of Covariance indicated that there was a significant statistical difference between pre-test and post-test results of the two groups. The estimated marginal means of post-attention span by treatment indicated that pictorial illustration had the highest post-attention span score, followed by music therapy, while post-attention span score for the control group was the least. Based on the findings, it is recommended that teachers, caregivers, and parents of children with mild intellectual disability adopt pictorial illustration and music therapy as teaching strategies to enhance their attention span.

The “Last Word” in Pictures: Enhanced Visual Interpretation of Revelation in Luther’s High German Bible (1534)

For the last twenty-five years of his life, Martin Luther and his associates were active in Bible translation, publishing first the New Testament, from 1522 onwards, and by 1534—at roughly the mid-point of these endeavours—the whole Bible in German. Across this entire period, until his death, Luther continuously offered reader-viewers of the final New Testament book, Revelation, not only verbal commentary—in a preface (1522), or replacement preface with accompanying marginal notes (1530)—but visual exegesis, in the form of successive series of woodcut engravings designed to illustrate the text. A set of images commissioned for Luther’s 1534 German Bible was the crowning achievement of this visual interpretation: the 1534 Bible even extended pictorial illustration and adornment to the Gospels and Epistles, as well as Old Testament texts. From the perspective of art history, to regard these acclaimed illustrations as “the last word in pictures” represents no novelty, for the 1534 Luther Bible has long been counted among “the finest things that the art of printing produced in the Reformation period” (Schramm 1923, 22–23; my translation). However, to make the same assertion about the Revelation illustrations specifically, from an explicitly exegetical standpoint—and in English—is new and requires substantiation through supporting evidence. I will provide this through close analysis and evaluation of the interpretative moves that the 1534 images make, in conjunction with Luther’s translation and comment, over and against the visual exegesis of their predecessors created, from 1522 onwards, for Luther’s German New Testament.

Examining the Usefulness of Medical Bilingual Dictionaries for Translation Purposes

This paper aims at examining the effectiveness of four medical bilingual English-Arabic dictionaries for translational purposes. This is done by investigating the provided information used in the presentation of a number of medical words in the examined dictionaries. The results reveal an inconsistency in the presentation of the selected words in the dictionaries; which might be correlated to the lack of provision policies given by the compilers of the dictionaries. Moreover, an inadequacy in the provision of semantic, pragmatic, and encyclopedic information was noticed which would be inadequate for translational purposes. However, it was found that the Unified Medical dictionary covered more types of information like the provision of encyclopedic illustrations and pictorial illustration.

Arterial Tortuosity Syndrome: An Approach through Imaging Perspective

This pictorial illustration demonstrates various aspects of arterial tortuosity syndrome (ATS) obtained predominantly from a multiple detector computed tomography (MDCT) examination of a patient. In addition, a comprehensive review of typical multi-modality imaging observations in patients with ATS is presented along with a description of a few imaging signs. Non-invasively obtained, conclusive information is required in patients with ATS in view of the fragile vascular structures involved. An amazing wealth of information can be obtained by reviewing the volumetric data sets of MDCT examination. In the context of incomplete clinical information or remote reading of radiographic examination with inadequate clinical details, ability to “image data mine” the hidden, unexplored information may be vastly useful. The role of MDCT as a single modality of evaluation in ATS is highlighted.