Non-commutative multi-dimensional cosmology

A non-commutative multi-dimensional cosmological model is introduced and used to address the issues of compactification and stabilization of extra dimensions and the cosmological constant problem. We show that in such a scenario these problems find natural solutions in a universe described by an increasing time parameter.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, to appear in JHE

The Automation of the Extraction of Evidence masked by Steganographic Techniques in WAV and MP3 Audio Files

Antiforensics techniques and particularly steganography and cryptography have become increasingly pressing issues that affect the current digital forensics practice, both techniques are widely researched and developed as considered in the heart of the modern digital era but remain double edged swords standing between the privacy conscious and the criminally malicious, dependent on the severity of the methods deployed. This paper advances the automation of hidden evidence extraction in the context of audio files enabling the correlation between unprocessed evidence artefacts and extreme Steganographic and Cryptographic techniques using the Least Significant Bits extraction method (LSB). The research generates an in-depth review of current digital forensic toolkit and systems and formally address their capabilities in handling steganography-related cases, we opted for experimental research methodology in the form of quantitative analysis of the efficiency of detecting and extraction of hidden artefacts in WAV and MP3 audio files by comparing standard industry software. This work establishes an environment for the practical implementation and testing of the proposed approach and the new toolkit for extracting evidence hidden by Cryptographic and Steganographic techniques during forensics investigations. The proposed multi-approach automation demonstrated a huge positive impact in terms of efficiency and accuracy and notably on large audio files (MP3 and WAV) which the forensics analysis is time-consuming and requires significant computational resources and memory. However, the proposed automation may occasionally produce false positives (detecting steganography where none exists) or false negatives (failing to detect steganography that is present) but overall achieve a balance between detecting hidden data accurately along with minimising the false alarms.Comment: Wires Forensics Sciences Under Revie

Complex Feeding Tracks of the Sessile Herbivorous Insect Ophiomyia maura as a Function of the Defense against Insect Parasitoids

Because insect herbivores generally suffer from high mortality due to their natural enemies, reducing the risk of being located by natural enemies is of critical importance for them, forcing them to develop a variety of defensive measures. Larvae of leaf-mining insects lead a sedentary life inside a leaf and make conspicuous feeding tracks called mines, exposing themselves to the potential risk of parasitism. We investigated the defense strategy of the linear leafminer Ophiomyia maura Meigen (Diptera: Agromyzidae), by focusing on its mining patterns. We examined whether the leafminer could reduce the risk of being parasitized (1) by making cross structures in the inner area of a leaf to deter parasitoids from tracking the mines due to complex pathways, and (2) by mining along the edge of a leaf to hinder visually searching parasitoids from finding mined leaves due to effective background matching of the mined leaves among intact leaves. We quantified fractal dimension as mine complexity and area of mine in the inner area of the leaf as interior mine density for each sample mine, and analyzed whether these mine traits affected the susceptibility of O. maura to parasitism. Our results have shown that an increase in mine complexity with the development of occupying larvae decreases the probability of being parasitized, while interior mine density has no influence on parasitism. These results suggest that the larval development increases the host defense ability through increasing mine complexity. Thus the feeding pattern of these sessile insects has a defensive function by reducing the risk of parasitism

Matching host reactions to parasitoid wasp vibrations.

The sensory ecology of predator detection by prey has been little studied for any arthropod prey predator system, in contrast to the sensory ecology of prey finding by predators. The aim of this study was to quantify the foraging signals produced by the parasitoid Sympiesis sericeicornis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and the sensory ecology of enemy detection and the avoidance behaviour of the leaf-mining host, Phyllonorycter spp. (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae). We used synthetic vibrations approximating the signals generated by ovipositor insertions to stimulate the host in its mine. Tothe authors' knowledge, this is the first manipulative study to describe a match in the frequency range between a parasitoid foraging stimulus and a host behavioural response. We discuss our findings in relation to other predator-prey systems for which a coevolution between prey sensitivity and predator signal has been described

The Influence of Random Defect Density on the Thermal Stability of Kaolinites

The thermal stability of kaolinite and the microstructure of its thermal products strongly depend on random defects (R2) rather than crystalline defects (HI). Kaolinite with lower random defect density is more stable than that with higher defect density during dehydroxylation and the derived metakaolinite can be directly transformed into orthorhombic mullite (3/2-mullite). However, for kaolinite with higher random defect density, there is a cubic phase occurring in the transformation from metakaolinite to primary mullite. Primary mullite will be transformed into orthorhombic mullite as temperature increases. AlV is universally present in the metakaolinite and the relative amounts of AlVI, AlV and AlIV vary with the random defect density of the parent kaolinite

Prevalence of Eimeria species, detected by ITS1-PCR, in broiler poultry farms located in seven provinces of northeastern Algeria.

Coccidiosis is an important global chickens' disease which can cause serious economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. Little is known about the extent of infection or diversity, of the causative agent Eimeria spp., in Algeria. A priority, therefore, is to determine the prevalence and species composition to inform strategies on treatments and control measures. Samples were collected from 187 broiler farms, located in 7 Northeastern Algerian provinces (Jijel, Constantine, Skikda, Mila, Setif, Batna, Bordj bou-Arreridj), and Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 PCR (ITS1-PCR) was used to determine the prevalence and composition of Eimeria species in chickens. The survey revealed the presence of all seven species of Eimeria at different prevalences (E. maxima (69%), E. acervulina (68.4%), E. necatrix (11.2%), E. tenella (8%), E. praecox (4.3%), E. mitis (2.1%), E. brunetti (2.1%). Multiple infections, with up to 4 different Eimeria species present on a single farm, were the most frequent situation in our samples (51.9% mixed infections versus 47.6% single infections). All farms revealed infected samples, and we conclude that this parasite is a significant problem in these provinces

Investigation into the potential of using UV-treated sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella as a local solution to immunization of chickens against caecal coccidiosis

In this study, we aim to evaluate the immune response of chickens to UV-treated sporulated oocysts as a means of protection against caecal coccidiosis caused by field strains of Eimeria tenella. Two groups of chicks were immunized using prepared UV-treated oocysts of E. tenella and challenged at day 20 post hatching. The first group was immunized only once at day 1 post hatching, the second group was immunized twice (day 1 and day 8 post hatching). Two non-immunized control groups were used: the first group was challenged with E. tenella, while the second group remained uninfected. The effectiveness of immunization on production and animal health was evaluated by the following criteria: body weight, feed conversion ratio, blood in faeces, mortality, lesion scores and oocyst output. The two immunized groups showed a significantly better performance in body weight, weight gain and lesion scores than the non-immunized group. However, all three groups performed significantly worse than the unchallenged group. The mortality of the non-immunized infected group was high (70%) while mortality in both immunized and unchallenged groups of chickens was significantly lower (range 2.2 to 4.4%) than the infected group (p < 0.05). The production of oocysts in faeces, post-infection, was significantly higher in the non-immunized group compared to the immunized group (p < 0.05) and both were significantly higher than the uninfected group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, immunization by prepared UV-irradiated oocysts is effective in stimulating at least a partial protective immunity in immunized chickens against caecal coccidiosis

Detection of methanogens in peri-appendicular abscesses: Report of four cases

International audienc

The effects of haptic-virtual reality game therapy on brain-motor coordination for children with hemiplegia: A pilot study

Children with hemiplegia have movements' difficulties especially in their upper limbs, these difficulties occur due to the loss of the communication between the brain and the affected side of the body. In this study, visual, audio, and tactile stimulation were provided to the patients to reactivate the communication between their brains and their affected upper limbs. Haptic stimulation control strategy was developed by using haptic devices, which are less expensive comparing with other alternative devices of therapy like robots, and virtual reality (VR) scenarios for haptic-VR therapy in order to ensure that visual, audio, and tactile feedback will be provided to the brain to transmit its instruction to the body. A 3 degree of freedom (DOF) haptic device was used to apply this control strategy. The developed strategy provides free paths in VR scenes and force feedback in other directions, in other words "resist-when-needed" model. A functional assessment method was used to evaluate the performance of the targeted upper limb. The method has been used with two children with hemiplegia. Results illustrate a notice enhancement of normal joint recruitment, which results in that the developed haptic control along with VR helps to encourage the affected side of the brain to give the needed instruction to the affected upper limb