Secured e-payment system based on automated authentication data and iterated salted hash algorithm

Electronic payment has been considered as one of the most significant and convenient applications of modern electronic services e-University compared to traditional methods that impose time-consuming, human resources, and inefficiency. Different automatic identification technologies have been widely used, such as radio frequency identification (RFID). Extensive research and several applications are focusing on taking the maximum advantage of RFID technology. Data and information security had considered a crucial role when information concerning e-commerce, e-banking, or e-payments, especially due to it required real data to establish accessed illegally. Hence, data originality and security fall a very significant and critical issue in data communication services in recent years. Applications such as e-banking or e-commerce regularly contain sensitive and personal information that should be managed and controlled by authorized persons. Thus, keeping a secure password is important to prevent unauthorized users from illegal access. The password hashing is one of the safety methods and means of preventing attacks. In this article, focuses on proposing an RFID based electronic payment and also provide multi-level security privileges for an academic domain by using RFID technology besides the programmable logic circuit as well the system used VB.Net C# environment also desktop and web-based application for system working purposes. The proposed system aims to manage student payments in a secure manner and provides the capabilities of getting a bus ticket, copying books, buying food, paying registration fees, and other services. The results have shown the system is secured by using the confirmation code in addition to password encryption

A Dimension-Adaptive Multi-Index Monte Carlo Method Applied to a Model of a Heat Exchanger

We present an adaptive version of the Multi-Index Monte Carlo method, introduced by Haji-Ali, Nobile and Tempone (2016), for simulating PDEs with coefficients that are random fields. A classical technique for sampling from these random fields is the Karhunen-Lo\`eve expansion. Our adaptive algorithm is based on the adaptive algorithm used in sparse grid cubature as introduced by Gerstner and Griebel (2003), and automatically chooses the number of terms needed in this expansion, as well as the required spatial discretizations of the PDE model. We apply the method to a simplified model of a heat exchanger with random insulator material, where the stochastic characteristics are modeled as a lognormal random field, and we show consistent computational savings

Percolation transition in quantum Ising and rotor models with sub-Ohmic dissipation

We investigate the influence of sub-Ohmic dissipation on randomly diluted quantum Ising and rotor models. The dissipation causes the quantum dynamics of sufficiently large percolation clusters to freeze completely. As a result, the zero-temperature quantum phase transition across the lattice percolation threshold separates an unusual super-paramagnetic cluster phase from an inhomogeneous ferromagnetic phase. We determine the low-temperature thermodynamic behavior in both phases which is dominated by large frozen and slowly fluctuating percolation clusters. We relate our results to the smeared transition scenario for disordered quantum phase transitions, and we compare the cases of sub-Ohmic, Ohmic, and super-Ohmic dissipation.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Utilization Pattern of Vancomycin in a University Teaching Hospital in Oman: Comparison with International Guidelines

Purpose: To assess the prescribing and utilization pattern of vancomycin in Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) in Oman.Methods: A retrospective study that included in-patients at SQUH who had used vancomycin from January 1 2009 to December 31 2009 was conducted to determine the utilization patterns of the drug vis a vis to the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) guidelines and the North American Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Consensus (NATDMC) recommendations. Information regarding patient characteristics and vancomycin therapy were obtained from patients’ medical records.Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics.Results: Out of 478 prescriptions for 365 patients, 79.1 % were considered inappropriate, based on HICPAC guidelines. This was mainly due to the continuous use of vancomycin following negative microbiological cultures for â-lactam-resistant Gram-positive microorganisms. Vancomycin wasprescribed mostly for treatment of sepsis (27.1 %), followed by prophylaxis against various clinical conditions (20.8 %). Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) practices at SQUH did not comply with NATDMC recommendations on the use of trough concentration in the specified range as a guide for monitoring of therapy.Conclusion: Irrational use of vancomycin was recorded in this study. The need for a restrictive policy and a revision of the current TDM in the setting are recommended..Keywords: Vancomycin, Drug utilization, Therapeutic drug monitoring, Infectio

Comparison of Single and Group Jet Grouting Columns Capacity Based on Field Load Test and Theoretical Methods

The evaluation of axial capacity of jet grouted soil cement columns in soft soil is a complicated issue because it depends according to the number of factors such as, soil type, influence mixture between soil and grouting materials, nozzle jet energy, jet grouting and water flow rate, rotation and lifting speed. These parameters related to the type of jet grouting methods (single, double and triple system). Most methods of design the bearing capacity of the jet-grouting column based on experience. Therefore, some designer calculates the bearing capacity of the jet grouting column based on jet grout section capacity. In this paper, different theoretical methods have been used to estimate of the jet grouting soil-cement capacity, such as Poulos and Davis, 1980 methods and then their comparison with the pile load test calculations based on the quick pile load test as presented in ASTM-D1143-07.  Therefore, the study describes a prototype test single and group jet grout soil-cement models of arrangement (1*1, 1*2 and 2*2) for total length to diameter ratios (L/D) is 13.33 and clear spacing three times of diameter has been constructed in soft clayey soils in the right bank of the Euphrates River, at Al- Nasiriyah city. As a result, the theoretical method for estimation the bearing capacity gives unfaithful values for the single and group jet grout column compared to the load- settlement calculations obtained from field pile load test data. On the other hand, the Hansen’s 90% and Butler and Hoy’s given closer results to each other and may be considered faithful interpretation methods to compute the bearing capacity of single and group jet grouting columns

Leaf Nitrogen Determination using Handheld Meters

The maximisation of plant nitrogen-use-efficiency (NUE) has direct impact on increasing crop production, due to the increase of agronomic value of the fertiliser. Moreover, optimising the use of nitrogen will reduce the adverse effect on the environment that can be caused by nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide production. Accordingly, nitrogen (N) management in agriculture has been the focus of many researchers. Improvement of NUE can be achieved through measurement of the foliar N content of crops during growth. There are two classes of methods to diagnose foliar N status: destructive and non-destructive. Destructive methods are expensive and time-consuming as they require tissue sample collection and laboratory analysis. Non-destructive methods are rapid and less expensive, but usually less accurate. Improved accuracy is the goal of many researchers and various methods have been proposed that vary in complexity and optimality. This paper highlights non-destructive handheld methods to estimate foliar N status of plants

Energetic Investigation and Economic Feasibility for a University Campus in Romania towards Becoming an Energy Supplier

This research investigates and evaluates the University Politehnica of Bucharest (UPB) possibilities to become an energy self-supplying by building up its own power plant and becoming an energy distributor. The campus has already been connected to the national natural gas supplying pipe and the local district heating and electrical network.A set of criteria was used to evaluate the feasibility of this project. Technical, financial, and environmental considerations were taken into account to determine the most suitable solution. The feasibility study assumed three proposals of an energy supply system considered for the university buildings / campus. Gas-fired heating plant, gas-fired Internal Combustion Engine cogeneration plant and gas fired Internal Combustion Engine for cogeneration with an Organic Rankine Cycle ORC.The details of each proposal were discussed to obtain the optimum solution. Elaborate. It was found from a financial and environmental perspective that the most feasible project is gas-fired Internal Combustion Engine cogeneration, considering profit revenue from selling / exporting power to the domestic electricity grid. And the Net Present Value was around one million euros for 15 years life

Integrated analysis of lncRNA and mRNA expression in rainbow trout families showing variation in muscle growth and fillet quality traits

Muscle yield and quality traits are important for the aquaculture industry and consumers. Genetic selection for these traits is difficult because they are polygenic and result from multifactorial interactions. To study the genetic architecture of these traits, phenotypic characterization of whole body weight (WBW), muscle yield, fat content, shear force and whiteness were measured in ~500 fish representing 98 families from a growth-selected line. RNA-Seq was used to sequence the muscle transcriptome of different families exhibiting divergent phenotypes for each trait. We have identified 240 and 1,280 differentially expressed (DE) protein-coding genes and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), respectively, in fish families exhibiting contrasting phenotypes. Expression of many DE lncRNAs (n = 229) was positively correlated with overlapping, neighboring or distantly located protein-coding genes (n = 1,030), resulting in 3,392 interactions. Three DE antisense lncRNAs were co-expressed with sense genes known to impact muscle quality traits. Forty-four DE lncRNAs had potential sponge functions to miRNAs that affect muscle quality traits. This study (1) defines muscle quality associated protein-coding and noncoding genes and (2) provides insight into non-coding RNAs involvement in regulating growth and fillet quality traits in rainbow trout