Evaluating Windows Vista user account security

In the current Windows version (Vista), as in all previous versions, creating a user account without setting a password is possible. For a personal PC this might be without too much risk, although it is not recommended, even by Microsoft itself. However, for business computers it is necessary to restrict access to the computers, starting with defining a different password for every user account. For the earlier versions of Windows, a lot of resources can be found giving advice how to construct passwords of user accounts. In some extent they contain remarks concerning the suitability of their solution for Windows Vista. But all these resources are not very precise about what kind of passwords the user must use. To assess the protection of passwords, it is very useful to know how effective the widely available applications for cracking passwords. This research analyzes, in which way an attacker is able to obtain the password of a Windows Vista PC. During this research the physical access to the PC is needed. This research shows that password consists of 8 characters with small letter characters and numbers can easily be cracked if it has know usual combinations. Whereas a Dictionary Attack will probably not find unusual combinations. Adding captel letter characters will make the process harder as there are several more combinations, so it will take longer time but is still feasible. Taking into account special characters it will probably take too long time and even most Dictionary Attacks will fail. For rainbow tables the size of the table has to be considered. If it is not too big, even these small passwords cannot be cracked. For longer passwords probably the simplest ones, small letter characters and numbers, can be cracked only. In this case brute force takes too long time in most cases and a dictionary will contain only a few words this long and even the rainbow tables become too large for normal use. They can only be successful if enough limitations are known and the overall size of the table can be limited

Synthesis and Thermal Characterization of Copolymers Containing Amino Acids

Thee copolymers of amino acid were synthesized in two steps. First, the amino acids react with resorcinol to formation of azo monomers step. They led in a second condensation polymerization step to copolymeric materials. The structures of the copolymers were characterized by means of FT-IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The thermal properties were investigated by TGA and DTG. Keywords: copolymers, amino acid, thermal properties, azo compoun

Knowledge, attitude and practice of long acting reversible hormonal contraception (LARHC) among women in urban upper Egypt

Background: The current study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of long acting reversible hormonal contraception (LARHC) among women in urban upper Egypt.Methods: A cross sectional study which included 902 married women, in the reproductive age, attending the outpatient clinics (Gynecology and family planning) of: 1-Assiut University Maternity Hospital, 2- Sohag University Hospital, and 3-Gehina General Hospital (MOH hospital) with current or previous use of any method of LARHC methods. A Questionnaire file was designed to assay knowledge attitude and practice of clients towards contraceptive methods. All data collected from clients reviewed separately to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of women towards contraceptive methods.Results: The most popular contraceptive method is COCs followed by IUD then DMPA. 99% of studied sample heard with good description about different types of LARHC. 54.9% of studied sample most popular/famous LARHC DMPA, most sources of information on LARHC were, Hospital, Relative/friends and health workers. 94.24% of the studied sample were in favor to use of LARHC, 94.2% of them agree to take a space between births, about 55.4% of them were health child and 61% comfortable lifestyle benefit from birth spacing, 33% of studied sample were maternal health, 68% of them were think/prefer to use implants, 64.5% of them didn’t pregnant while breastfeeding. 11% of sample women never used any contraception before and most reasons for not using contraception are fear of side effects, desire for more children, irregular sexual relationship, and husband opposition. Only 16.6 % of studied sample used LARHC before and most of them used DMPA, however 3 women who used DMPA get pregnant while using it.Conclusions: There is a good level of knowledge between upper Egypt women about LARHC methods

HYPOLIPIDEMIC AND ANTI-FATTY LIVER EFFECTS EXERTED BY STANDARDIZED PUNICA GRANATUM L. PEEL EXTRACT IN HEPG2 CELL-LINE AND HIGH-FAT DIET-INDUCED MICE

Objective: Pomegranate, (Punica granatum L., Lythraceae) peel has concentrated amounts of lipid-lowering elements that demonstrated, in various hoary and recent studies, their effects against obesity and hyperlipidemia, which involves elevated rates of lipid and lipoprotein levels in blood and increases risks of cardiovascular diseases.We aim to study expression modulation of genes involved in lipid metabolism by the impact of standardized pomegranate peel extract (PPE) in a comprehensive research on human liver cells and experimental mice.Methods: Using reverse-transcription real-time PCR, an in vitro study harnessing HepG2 cell line was conducted to determine the hyperlipidemia-related gene expression profiles and cytotoxic effects upon treatment with PPE. In another complementary in vivo study, male C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or an HFD supplemented with PPE for 14 d to define the expression of lipid metabolism related genes that control obesity. Fatty liver proportions were also estimated after treatment.Results: Higher mRNA expression of LDL receptor (LDL-R) and down-regulation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBF-2), (SRBEP-1c), Fatty acid synthase (FAS) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) upon PPE treatment in HepG2 cell line were significantly recorded. In vivo study indicated significant weight reduction of body and liver, besides amelioration of fatty liver state detected by histological analysis. Moreover, the reverse-transcription real-time PCR assay demonstrated suppression (FAS) expression and up regulation of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) in mice isolated liver and white adipose tissues.Conclusion: Our study manages to affirm the hypolipidemic and anti-fatty liver influence of Punica granatum L. peel extract, reflected by molecular evaluation above and beyond other physiological assays.Keywords: Pomegranate, Peel extract, Hyperlipidemia, LDLR, SREBP, FAS, HMGCR, HS

Prevalence of overactive bladder symptoms and urinary incontinence in a tertiary care hospital in Egypt

Background: The current study aims to estimate the prevalence of Overactive bladder (OAB) and urinary incontinence (UI) among women attending Assiut Woman's Health Hospital. Additionally, to explore the impact of UI and OAB on The Quality of Life (QOL) of women.Methods: A population-based survey included participants aged 18 years and older selected from Assiut Woman's Health Hospital and received The Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Questionnaire (BFLUTSQ). OAB was defined in to two versions using the international continence society (ICS) definition of 2002 as either urgency sometimes or more alone (OAB1) or urgency sometimes or more with frequency more than eight times per day and /or nocturia once or more per night (OAB2). Incontinence and other LUTS were positive if answer scores ≥2 to BFLUTSQ question for incontinence and other LUTS.Results: The total prevalence of OAB was 39.0% (351 women). The prevalence of OAB dry and OAB wet was 26% (234 women) and 13% (117 women), respectively, which suggested that 66.7% suffer from OAB dry and 33.3% suffer from OAB wet. The prevalence of dry OAB is significantly higher than wet OAB. The overall prevalence of UI was 22.2% (201 women). The prevalence of stress UI, urge UI and mixed UI was 5.7%, 5.1% and 11.4%, respectively.Conclusions: OAB symptoms and UI are highly prevalent. Furthermore, both of them have severe effects on daily and sexual life as well as being related to psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression

Spatial and seasonal variability of Chlorophyll-a and associated oceanographic events in Sabah water

This study investigated the spatial and temporal distributions of Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in Sabah coastal water using satellite data, and identified the associated oceanographic events which caused large scale water enrichment in the surface layer. Results showed that surface Chl-a experienced seasonality in Sabah waters. At the northwest coast, very obvious increase in the Chl-a was observed from January to March, attributed to wind-driven coastal upwelling during the northeast monsoon (NEM). The southeast coast depicted high Chl-a at Labuan offshore water, related to the reversing direction of Baram River plume towards Sabah during NEM. Labuan bay water had higher Chl-a during the southwest monsoon (SWM) due to the effect of discharged materials from the Padas River during the rainy season at Labuan. On the other side, a slight increase in surface Chl-a was illustrated along the entire northeast coast during NEM, with higher concentrations at the southern part compared to the northern region. The high Chl-a at the southern part (southern Sandakan) was owing to alongshore water transport from the northern region driven by NEM winds and effect of discharged materials from the Kinabatangan River during the rainy season at Sandakan. Water characteristic at the southeast coast was highly influenced by surface water transport from the Sulu and Sulawesi seas and prevailed surface currents. Both inshore and offshore waters off Semporna had peak Chl-a in December, related to Sulu Sea water transport towards Semporna and occurrence of cyclonic eddy at the offshore water during early NEM. Tawau water showed very high Chl-a throughout the year due to the effect of coastal discharge. The discharged material near Tawau was transported to a wider area offshore during SWM. That in turn caused another peak Chl-a at Semporna inshore water in August during SWM

THE GENETIC DIVERSITY OF MAIZE INBRED LINES GROWN IN IRAQ USING SIMPLE SEQUENCE RECURRENT (SSR) MARKERS

This study was conducted to determine the genetic variability among maize inbred lines grown in Iraq by using Simple Sequence Recurrent (SSR) markers. For estimating the genetic relationships, 10 SSR primers were used with 10 maize inbred lines. Two hundred and sixteen alleles (bands) with a range of 13 to 41 were identified for the SSR loci. Polymorphism information content (PIC) of the 10 SSR loci ranged from 0.60% to 100%. Primers ‘umc1566’, ‘umc1542’, and ‘umc2189’ showed the maximum PIC value; by contrast, ‘umc2225’showed the lowest PIC value. The 10 maize inbreds were clustered based on the matrix of genetic similarity using the UPGMA algorithm. Cluster analysis placed the inbreds lines in three clusters based on SSR data. The studied inbreds lines divided to groups and subgroups with cluster analysis that revealed agreement with their geographical origin. The results indicated that SSR marker has a high degree of polymorphism that allows efficient identification of maize genotypes, and this could be used in determining their heterotic groups

Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Activity of N1-Methyl-2-(1H-1,2,3-Benzotriazol-1-y1)-3-Oxobutan- ethioamide Complexes with Some Divalent Metal (II) Ions

A new series of Zn2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Co2+ complexes of N1-methyl-2-(1H-1,2,3-benzotriazol-1-yl)-3-oxobutanethioamide (MBOBT), HL, has been synthesized and characterized by different spectral and magnetic measurements and elemental analysis. IR spectral data indicates that (MBOBT) exists only in the thione form in the solid state while 13C NMR spectrum indicates its existence in thione and thiole tautomeric forms. The IR spectra of all complexes indicate that (MBOBT) acts as a monobasic bidentate ligand coordinating to the metal(II) ions via the keto-oxygen and thiolato-sulphur atoms. The electronic spectral studies showed that (MBOBT) bonded to all metal ions through sulphur and nitrogen atoms based on the positions and intensity of their charge transfer bands. Furthermore, the spectra reflect four coordinate tetrahedral zinc(II), tetragonally distorted copper(II), square planar nickel(II), and cobalt(II) complexes. Thermal decomposition study of the complexes was monitored by TG and DTG analyses under N2 atmosphere. The decomposition course and steps were analyzed and the activation parameters of the nonisothermal decomposition are determined. The isolated metal chelates have been screened for their antimicrobial activities and the findings have been reported and discussed in relation to their structures