Hair histology as a tool for forensic identification of some domestic animal species

Animal hair examination at a criminal scene may provide valuable information in forensic investigations. However, local reference databases for animal hair identification are rare. In the present study, we provide differential histological analysis of hair of some domestic animals in Upper Egypt. For this purpose, guard hair of large ruminants (buffalo, camel and cow), small ruminants (sheep and goat), equine (horse and donkey) and canine (dog and cat) were collected and comparative analysis was performed by light microscopy. Based on the hair cuticle scale pattern, type and diameter of the medulla, and the pigmentation, characteristic differential features of each animal species were identified. The cuticle scale pattern was imbricate in all tested animals except in donkey, in which coronal scales were identified. The cuticle scale margin type, shape and the distance in between were characteristic for each animal species. The hair medulla was continuous in most of the tested animal species with the exception of sheep, in which fragmental medulla was detected. The diameter of the hair medulla and the margins differ according to the animal species. Hair shaft pigmentation were not detected in all tested animals with the exception of camel and buffalo, in which granules and streak-like pigmentation were detected. In conclusion, the present study provides a first-step towards preparation of a complete local reference database for animal hair identification that can be used in forensic investigations.Comment: 8 pages, 3 Figure

Change in identity of Saudis' built environments: the case of Jeddah

Identity is an essential human demand for life. It is with the identity that human beings introduce a sense of meaning into existence. It can be demonstrated through many different human expressions. The built environment, however, is the main medium discussed in this research. Nevertheless the research traces the identity and the impact of its change in both physical and non -physical environments. This is to understand the expression of identity in Jeddah, as a case study that represents the Saudi community and that has been exposed to drastic changes since the 1950s which stretched the gap between the traditional and the modern. The main objective is to construct a means to evaluate the built environment according to how it conveys, interprets, expresses, enhances or confuses Saudi identity.The research follows a quantitative -qualitative approach in investigating the relationship between the identity and the built environment. This is conducted through a theoretical enquiry which addresses a definition of identity and its elements, natural environment, underlying factors and built environment, and an empirical investigation through the case study (Jeddah) which will include a documents review to trace the change and a questionnaire that aims at investigating Saudis' perception of their environment as a medium of presentation for their identity.The study therefore, probes the concept of identity in general, aiming to develop a theoretical understanding towards considering it in architectural and planning practices. On the other hand the research concentrates on Jeddah, to provide feedback for architectural design and planning that accommodates a Saudi identity

ESG practices and the cost of debt: evidence from EU countries

Using legitimacy and institutional theories, this study investigates whether lending institutions reward firms in 15 EU countries for their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and disclosure in terms of lowering their cost of debt capital. Our study distinguishes between ESG performance that is used to indicate an effective commitment to ESG strategies, and ESG disclosure that represents an effort to construct an image of commitment designed to positively influence stakeholders’ perceptions. Supporting a version of legitimacy theory, we find that lending institutions value both ESG performance and disclosure and integrate ESG information in their credit decisions – in that firms with stronger ESG performance have a lower cost of debt, and ESG disclosure has an equal impact on the cost of debt as ESG performance. Although these findings suggest that the market (in context) can engender more desirable social outcomes by rewarding ESG practices, it fails to distinguish between ESG performance and disclosure (which may be contrasted as the more substantive and the more symbolic). Moreover, our results also reflect upon the importance of the role that civil society and the state play in addressing and exploring the limitations of free-market regimes. Specifically, we provide evidence that the impact of ESG performance and disclosure on the cost of debt is more dominant in the stakeholder-oriented countries (where the community is more prevalent). Our main findings are robust to a battery of sensitivity tests, including an alternative measure of the cost of debt, model specifications, and different approaches to address endogeneity. We acknowledge limitations in our research method but point nevertheless to its value in supporting a critical perspective and make suggestions for future research

IFRS 8 and the cost of capital in Europe

This study examines segment reporting information usefulness after the adoption of IFRS 8 in 18 European Union countries. Specifically, 1) we introduce a new comprehensive measure of segment reporting quality that reflects four different dimensions of segment information, 2) we investigate the impact of segment reporting quality on the cost of equity and debt capital after the adoption of IFRS 8, and 3) we investigate the moderating role of the country-level enforcement system on the association between segment reporting quality and the cost of equity and debt capital after the adoption of IFRS 8. Using a self-constructed segment reporting quality measure and a sample of 884 firm-year observations over the period of 2007 to 2011, we provide evidence that investors and lending institutions find no change in the usefulness of segment reporting after the adoption of IFRS 8. Our study is original in using a comprehensive measure of segment reporting quality. Furthermore, our study is the first to examine the relationship between segment reporting quality and the cost of debt capital after the adoption of IFRS 8 and the moderating role of the country-level enforcement system. Our findings provide useful insights to regulator and accounting standard-setting bodies about segment reporting

Physico-chemical behaviors of shale/fluid/solute interaction in geo-environmental and geo-engineering applications.

This dissertation examines the rich and complex physical-mechanical behaviors exhibited by shales when exposed to differing solutions over time, temperature, chemical, and stress conditions. Using several unique experimental designs and numerical modeling, this study advances the level of understanding of time dependent shale behavior arising from changes in clay mineral structure and crystalline phase.The flux of water and ions over time due to semi-permeable membrane properties of shale and very fine-grained material has been numerically modeled. The purposes of this model are to predict the flux of fluid and ions through natural geological fine-grained and clay-rich materials over time and to predict the effect of this flux on long-term shale membrane behaviors. The required input parameters for the model, including water activity of both interfacial chemical fluid and the pore-fluid of the membrane, membrane properties (reflection coefficient, porosity, hydraulic conductivity, mineral compressibility, diffusion processes), and temperature and pressure conditions, were determined by laboratory work on Pierre Shale using High-Temperature High-Pressure (HTHP) Shale Apparatus. Results of this model reveal that, due to the flux of solute through the semi-permeable membrane, the shale's pore fluid activity will reduce through time, leading to a reduction in the ideality of the membrane. Given enough time (depending on the activity of the chemical used and the membrane thickness and permeability), the chemical and hydraulic difference across the membrane will disappear, leading to a diminishing of the osmotic fluid flux. This model can help in correlating and representing the semi-permeable membrane behavior of fine-grained and clay-rocks, and enhance understanding of the relevant processes. The implications for geo-environmental exploitation of the membrane properties of shales are discussed in light of these results. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Artificial dewatering of shales is a method to eliminate shale related problems such as wellbore stability, swelling, and soil instability that produces landslides. In this dissertation, the semi-permeable membrane behavior of shale, permitting osmotic flux of fluid to the partial exclusion of ions, has been studied as a means to dewater shales exposed to chemical solutions with ion activities less than that of the in situ shale pore fluid

Honeyword Generation Using a Proposed Discrete Salp Swarm Algorithm

إن كلمات العسل (Honeywords) هي كلمات مرور مزيفة مرافقة لكلمة المرور الحقيقية والتي تدعى كلمة السكر. يعد نظام كلمات مرور العسل نظامًا فعالاً لاكتشاف اختراق كلمات المرور مصمم لاكتشاف اختراق كلمة المرور بسهولة من أجل تحسين أمان كلمات المرور المشفرة. لكل مستخدم ، سيكون لملف كلمة المرور الخاص بنظام الكلمات العسلية كلمة مرور واحدة حقيقية مشفرة مصحوبة بالعديد من كلمات المرور المزيفة المشفرة. إذا قام شخص دخيل بسرقة ملف كلمات المرور من النظام ونجح في اختراق كلمات المرور محاولا تسجيل الدخول إلى حسابات المستخدمين ، فسيكتشف نظام كلمات المرور هذه المحاولة من خلال مدقق العسل. (Honeychecker) مدقق العسل هو خادمًا إضافيًا يميز كلمة المرور الحقيقية عن كلمات المرور المزيفة ويطلق إنذارًا إذا قام شخص دخيل بتسجيل الدخول باستخدام كلمة مرور العسل. تم اقتراح العديد من طرق توليد كلمات العسل خلال البحوث السابقة، مع وجود قيود على عمليات إنشاء كلمات العسل الخاصة بهم ، ونجاح محدود في توفير جميع ميزات كلمات العسل المطلوبة ، والتعرض للعديد من مشكلات كلمات العسل. سيقدم هذا العمل طريقة جديدة لتوليد كلمات العسل تستخدم خوارزمية سرب عنب البحر المتقطعة. خوارزمية سرب عنب البحر هي خوارزمية تحسين مستوحاة من الأحياء تحاكي سلوك سرب عنب البحر في بيئتها الطبيعية. تم استخدام  خوارزمية سرب عنب البحر لحل مجموعة متنوعة من مشاكل التحسين. ستعمل طريقة توليد الكلمات العسلية المقترحة على تحسين عملية توليد كلمات العسل وتحسين ميزات كلمات العسل والتغلب على عيوب التقنيات السابقة. ستوضح هذه الدراسة العديد من الاستراتيجيات السابقة لتوليد الكلمات العسلية، ووصف الطريقة المقترحة، وفحص النتائج التجريبية، ومقارنة طريقة إنتاج كلمات العسل الجديدة بالطرق السابقة.Honeywords are fake passwords that serve as an accompaniment to the real password, which is called a “sugarword.” The honeyword system is an effective password cracking detection system designed to easily detect password cracking in order to improve the security of hashed passwords. For every user, the password file of the honeyword system will have one real hashed password accompanied by numerous fake hashed passwords. If an intruder steals the password file from the system and successfully cracks the passwords while attempting to log in to users’ accounts, the honeyword system will detect this attempt through the honeychecker. A honeychecker is an auxiliary server that distinguishes the real password from the fake passwords and triggers an alarm if intruder signs in using a honeyword. Many honeyword generation approaches have been proposed by previous research, all with limitations to their honeyword generation processes, limited success in providing all required honeyword features, and susceptibility to many honeyword issues. This work will present a novel honeyword generation method that uses a proposed discrete salp swarm algorithm. The salp swarm algorithm (SSA) is a bio-inspired metaheuristic optimization algorithm that imitates the swarming behavior of salps in their natural environment. SSA has been used to solve a variety of optimization problems. The presented honeyword generation method will improve the generation process, improve honeyword features, and overcome the issues of previous techniques. This study will demonstrate numerous previous honeyword generating strategies, describe the proposed methodology, examine the experimental results, and compare the new honeyword production method to those proposed in previous research