Corrupted MP4 carving using MP4-karver

The usage of digital video is rapidly increasing recently. The analog CCTV systems are replaced by digital systems. Moreover, digital cameras and smartphones are increasingly popular and becoming affordable. The criminals use these digital devices; particularly smartphones to record crimes such as child pornography and other violent activities. Many at times, these videos are altered or deleted by the criminals in order to avoid persecution by the law enforcement. In digital forensic, carvings of deleted, damaged video files have an important role in searching for evidence. Therefore, many existing tools and techniques such as Scalpel’s, PhotoRec, Bi-Fragment Gap Carving (BGC), Smart Carving and Frame Based Carving attempt to carve the videos files, but some of the carved videos files are usually corrupted or damaged and not playable. However, there is still room for improvement in repair corrupted MP4 videos to make it playable. In this research, MP4-Karver tool is proposed to carve and repair the corrupted MP4 videos. MP4-Karver is developed by using visual studio platform in C# programming language. The proposed MP4-Karver tool focuses on carving, repair corrupted MP4 videos and getting a higher successful rate of playable MP4 video file format. The experimental result shows that the proposed MP4-Karver tool increases the restoration carving and repairing of MP4 corrupted videos with average of 97% improvement as compared to PhotoRec and Scalpel. The MP4-Karver tool is a good alternative for MP4 videos restoration and repairing damaged videos as compared to other tools and techniques

Issue 11: Scaling Canada’s Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) Model for Proactive Refugee Resettlement

In this issue of Policy Points we provide a vision for scaling up Canada’s Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) model for refugee resettlement abroad. Global refugee resettlement is an issue that needs a coordinated and collaborative approach that includes communities as partners. Canada presents a proactive and responsive solution to this problem. First introduced in Ontario in 2008, LIPs are a community-based collaborative model for newcomer resettlement and integration that has proven successful in many local communities across Canada. Most importantly, LIPs played an important role in the resettlement of Syrian refugees in several communities across Canada in 2015-2016. The recommendation in this brief aims to offer details to scale up LIPs, a Canadian model of local community involvement in refugee resettlement for the international community

Safety of medicines with respect to drug counterfeiting in developing countries

Background: This thesis presents a study of the safety of medicines with respect to drug counterfeiting in developing countries (East Africa and the Middle East). Counterfeit medicines are also present in industrialised countries, but not on the same scale as in developing countries. The aim of the study was to establish the responsiveness of health care professionals at the practice level concerning the counterfeiting of medicinal products in developing countries focusing on six countries in the East African region and seven countries located in the Middle East. Method: The method of data acquisition used was by survey questionnaires issued in 13 developing countries (6 in East Africa and 7 in the Middle East). The questionnaires were delivered to the respondents either personally or by e-mail and the questionnaire, responses were returned by the same means. Respondents returned their questionnaire forms direct to the author either on the same day or later by e-mail. The data were analysed with regard to the specific questions. Results: The study findings suggested that the poorer the country, the higher the degree of counterfeiting. All the respondents (n: 2180) agreed that there was a fake or counterfeit medicine problem in their own country (71% of respondents in Africa and 63% of respondents in the Middle East considered this a major problem). Both branded and generic drugs were counterfeited and the extent of the problem and several other factors concerning counterfeited drugs differed significantly between industrialised and developing countries. The difference depended on drug regulation control and enforcement and also on the quality and the prices in the legal supply chain. In most industrialised countries like the USA, Japan or the members of the EU, the level v of drug counterfeiting is <1% of the total medicines market value. An exception is the former Soviet Union where up to 20% of the market is occupied by counterfeit drugs. In contrast, within regions of Africa, Asia and parts of Latin America, between 10-30% of the available medicines are fakes (WHO 2006) Conclusions: The study showed that healthcare workers were aware of the prevalence of counterfeit medicines and quite a number of them had encountered them in their supply role. There is an indication that the respondents tried to assure themselves of the quality of the drugs they purchased by using several methods. However, no rigorous effort was taken to confirm as well as report suspected counterfeit drugs to regulatory authorities. In the industrialised world, medicines regulatory authorities have developed strict standards and controls to ensure the safety and effectiveness of drugs. However, as this study has found, in less developed countries a lack of human and financial resources within the health sector as a whole restricted the activity of regulatory agencies, resulting in a sub-optimally regulated environment in which substandard drug production persisted without detection

Somalia: A Case Study in Nation Building

Among Muslim nations, few have achieved an international standard of good governance. Somalia, completely dismembered by European colonial power, and now reduced to nearly total anarchy by the generation of post-independence rule, is desperately in need of help. After a thorough analysis of recent aid efforts, it is concluded that only the Somalis can rescue themselves. An in depth interview was conducted on a select group of Somali and Malaysian intellectuals and diplomats. A first-hand observation was organized into a chronology of events during the post-independence years, and then this data was analysed in detail. The thesis findings involve a two-fold failure. Almost unaccountably, President Siyad Bare's post-independence rule quickly degenerated from an Islamic ideology expressed in "scientific socialist" political form, into a totally anarchy involving the worst forms of corruption, nepotism and tribalism. This is The first failure in domestic nation building process. The second failure is the failure of the international community to render aid to the suffering and starving Somali people in any effective way. The panels of informants have elucidated many factors contributing to both the domestic and international failures. From their comments and commentaries, it become clear that individual initiative and the African based solution would is the only hope to resolve the problem of nation building in Somalia. Free market initiatives from the people themselves, as well as self-help social and educational programs; have already begun to appear out of the chaos. Given time, patience, and non-intrusive support from others, the Somalian have the potential to make these programmes successfully for nation building

Management, Foraging Behavior, Diet Composition and Forage Quality of Free-Ranging But Herded Camels in Ceeldheer District, Central Somalia

In Somalia, camel (Camelus dromedarius) survivability and milk production has been higher than for other domestic livestock and contributes substantially to the subsistence of Somali pastoralists. The objective of this research was to study management, foraging behavior and nutrition of camels in their natural habitat to determine how production continues under seasonal nutritional stress. Management systems of Ceeldheer pastoralists are based on available natural pasture and water. The natural rotation grazing system maintained an ecological equilibrium in the District. Pastoralists manipulate their herds to suit existing environmental conditions, family needs and labor availability for herding. In herd management, control of breeding males and preferential treatment to increase the female component of the herd are geared to secure continuous milk supply for the family. Camels were watered only in the dry seasons. They foraged continuously throughout the day the first few days after watering, but foraged mostly in the morning and evening as watering days approached. The quantity of water camels consumed in summer and winter dry seasons were similar. In winter, milking camels foraged more, travelled shorter distance and rested less than dry ones. In fall, 1986, and spring, 1987, lactating camels spent less time foraging than non-milking animals. Foraging time was the same for both groups in summer 1986, 1987 and fall, 1987. Camels spent more time chewing bones in summer of 1986 in Xarar foraging area than other seasons. Low or high relative humidity together with hot temperature apparently reduced foraging time, increased rumination and idling times in winter and spring seasons. As forage availability declined, camels ingested a broader array of dietary items in the dry seasons and consumed large amounts of herbaceous plants. The diets of milking and dry camels were similar. Lactating camels consumed more green forage than dry camels in the dry seasons. Shrubs and trees comprised major components of the diets (80.9%). Physical structures of plant species did not prevent feeding on the plants. Camel diets were rich in crude protein (cp), calcium (Ca), potassiuim and sodium. Phosphorus (P) was deficient. Ca:P ratios were extremely low. Neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent lignin were high. CP intake seemed adequate year round assuming camel protein requirements are similar to other livestock requirements. Digestible energy was deficient in dry seasons. Low energy intake, inadequate phosphorous availability and water deprivation were probably responsible for the weight loss of camels as the dry season progressed

NATURAL COMPOUNDS FROM DJIBOUTIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS AS INHIBITORS OF COVID-19 BY IN SILICO INVESTIGATIONS

Objective: The new coronavirus type SARS-Cov 2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which appeared in autumn 2019 in China, became a global pandemic in a few months. In this work, we looked for the potential anti SARS-Cov 2 of the compounds isolated from three Djiboutian medicinal plants, namely Acacia seyal, Cymbopogon commutatus, and Indigofera caerulea. Methods: We carried out a molecular docking with nine biomolecules, β-Sitosterol, Quercetin, Catechin, Lupeol, Rutin, Kaempferol, Gallic acid, Piperitone and Limonene on three target sites which are SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mp), SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) and human furin protease. These targets are chosen because of their role in the process of penetration of the virus into human cells and its multiplication. Moreover, the predictions of pharmacokinetic parameters as well as toxicological properties have been determined using an online bioinformatics tool named SwissADME and AdmetSAR respectively. Results: The phenolic compounds have a very good affinity on these three target sites with binding energies of up to-9.098 kcal/mol for rutin on SARS-CoV-2 Mp, much better than the two reference drugs hydroxychloroquine (-5.816 kcal/mol) and remdesivir (-7.194 kcal/mol). Except for β-Sitosterol, the tested biomolecules have weak toxicity. Conclusion: These natural compounds can be used against covid 19 pending In vitro and In vivo evaluations

Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part XVII.Revision of \u3cem\u3eNeobuthus\u3c/em\u3e, with description of seven new species from Ethiopia, Kenya and Somaliland (Buthidae)

New information about the taxonomy and distribution of the genus Neobuthus Hirst, 1911 is presented, based on material recently collected mainly from Somaliland, but also Djibouti and Kenya. Emended diagnoses are proposed for N. berberensis Hirst, 1911 and N. ferrugineus (Kraepelin, 1898) sensu stricto. New species described are: N. amoudensis sp. n. from Ethiopia and Somaliland; N. erigavoensis sp. n., N. factorio sp. n., N. gubanensis sp. n., N. maidensis sp. n., and N. montanus sp. n. from Somaliland; and N. kloppersi sp. n. from Kenya. This doubles the number of species in Neobuthus, unearthing a rich diversification of this genus of diminutive buthids in the Horn of Africa. Included is a key and distribution map. In N. gubanensis sp. n., we report a second known case of anomalous pectine development with tarsal-like structures that implicate homeotic mutation, providing further evidence of pectine-leg homology in scorpions

Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part XV. Review of the genus \u3cem\u3eGint\u3c/em\u3e Kovařík et al., 2013, with description of three new species from Somaliland (Scorpiones, Buthidae)

We describe herein three new species of Buthidae: Gint amoudensis sp. n., G. gubanensis sp. n., and G. maidensis sp. n. from Somaliland. Additional information is provided on the taxonomy and distribution of other species of the genus Gint, fully complemented with color photos of live and preserved specimens, as well as of their habitat. The hemispermatophores of most Gint species are illustrated and described for the first time. In addition to the analyses of external morphology and hemispermatophores, we also describe the karyotype of four Gint species. The number of chromosomes is different for every one of the analysed species (G. dabakalo 2n=23, G. gaitako 2n=30, G. amoudensis sp. n. 2n=35–36, and G. maidensis sp. n. 2n=34)

Implementation of Parallel K-Means Algorithm to Estimate Adhesion Failure in Warm Mix Asphalt

Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) and Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) are prepared at lower temperatures, making it more susceptible to moisture damage, which eventually leads to stripping due to the adhesion failure. Moreover, the assessment of the adhesion failure depends on the expertise of the investigator’s subjective visual assessment skills. Nowadays, image processing has gained popularity to address the inaccuracy of visual assessment. To attain high accuracy from image processing algorithms, the loss of pixels plays an essential role. In high-quality image samples, processing takes more execution time due to the greater resolution of the image. Therefore, the execution time of the image processing algorithm is also an essential aspect of quality. This manuscript proposes a parallel k means for image processing (PKIP) algorithm using multiprocessing and distributed computing to assess the adhesion failure in WMA and HMA samples subjected to three different moisture sensitivity tests (dry, one, and three freeze-thaw cycles) and fractured by indirect tensile test. For the proposed experiment, the number of clusters was chosen as ten (k = 10) based on k value and cost of k means function was computed to analyse the adhesion failure. The results showed that the PKIP algorithm decreases the execution time up to 30% to 46% if compared with the sequential k means algorithm when implemented using multiprocessing and distributed computing. In terms of results concerning adhesion failure, the WMA specimens subjected to a higher degree of moisture effect showed relatively lower adhesion failure compared to the Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) samples when subjected to different levels of moisture sensitivity