Graphical Password: Usable Graphical Password Prototype

Recently, graphical passwords have become a viable alternative to the conventional passwords due to their security and USAbility features. However, there are very limited researches in classifying, analyzing and development of the graphical password techniques. In this paper, we will propose a new USAble graphical password prototype of the recognition base graphical password. In this design we will focus on the USAbility features of the system to give new USAble graphical password system. Graphical passwords schemes are an alternative authentication method of the conventional password scheme in which users click on images to authenticate themselves rather than type the conventional passwords as letters or numbers or mixed. This research aims to design and come out with a new USAble graphical password prototype with the major important USAbility features. In this paper we will focus on implementation of the USAbility features on the new graphical password prototype design. This USAbility set includes the easy of use, memorize, creation, learning and satisfaction. Moreover, this work proposes to build a new system of graphical password system that provides promising USAbility features

Comparison of Calcofluor White M2R fluorescence and modified Gram chromotrope Kinyoun staining methods for the detection of microsporidial spores from stool samples

Routine diagnosis of intestinal microsporidiosis in clinical diagnostic laboratories relies mostly on detection of microsporidial spores via special staining and microscopic techniques. This paper describes the comparative evaluation of Calcofluor White M2R method, with modified Gram-chromotrope Kinyoun method as the reference standard. One hundred and six stool samples were examined for the presence of microsporidial spores. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the Calcofluor White M2R method compared to the reference technique were 95.2%, 4.3%, 78.2% and 20.0%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 78.2% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 20.0%. Despite low specificity of the CFW method due to its ability to stain chitinous wall of microorganisms, the presence of distinct deep-blue horizontal or equitorial stripes in microsporidial spores in modified Gram-chromotrope Kinyoun would likely reduce the false positive results obtained in the Calcofluor White M2R. Hence, the simultaneous use of these two methods would give better performance and accuracy for the detection of microsporidial spores in patients with intestinal microsporidiosis

Pengaruh Air Tidak Berhasil (NRW) ke Atas Kemapanan Bekalan Air di Selangor, Malaysia

Selangor merupakan negeri yang paling maju dan salah satu negeri terkaya di Malaysia serta menjadi penyumbang terbesar kepada keluaran dalam negeri negara kasar (KDNK). Keadaan ini mempengaruhi peningkatan permintaan air. Bagi menjamin bekalan yang berterusan, situasi kondusif dari sudut cuaca, infrastruktur dan pengurusan yang cekap amat diperlukan. Air Tidak Berhasil (Non-Revenue Water – NRW) yang kekal melebihi 30% pada tahun 2012 dan fenomena pemanasan global merupakan antara cabaran besar dalam pembekalan air secara mapan di Selangor. Jumlah hujan dan aliran air permukaan di Selangor juga dijangka akan mengalami penyusutan kesan daripada fenomena kemarau. Penyusutan ini bakal memberi kesan yang negatif terhadap perkembangan kemakmuran sosial dan ekonomi Selangor. Kajian ini menganalisis pengaruh NRW ke atas kemapanan bekalan air di Selangor bagi memenuhi permintaan yang semakin meningkat setiap tahun terutama di musim panas atau kemarau

Detection of BCR-ABL T315i mutation in imatinib resistant chronic myeloid leukemia patients

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients who have BCR-ABL T315I mutation, usually present in the advance phase of the disease with overall survival (OS) shorter than those without the mutation. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of T315I mutation amongst imatinib mesylate (IM) resistant CML patients and to compare the OS between T315I-mutated and non-T315I-mutated patients. Sixty consecutive CML patients who were treated with IM for at least 18 months and their treatment responses, were recorded. The mutation analysis was done using allele-specific oligonucleotide reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay followed by direct sequencing technique. Forty-two patients (70%) were found to have IM-resistance. Five out of 42 patients had detectable T315I mutation. Median OS of IM-resistant T315I-mutated patients was 96 months (95% CI:54-138) compared to 84 months (95% CI:48-120) in non T315I-mutated patients, although this was found to be statistically insignificant (p = 0.43). The present study showed a higher prevalence of T315I mutation as compared to a few local studies. Median OS of T315I-mutated patients were observed to be longer than non-T315-mutated patients. Further studies encompassing larger cohort of patients are required to confirm this finding

Performance and emissions of diesel engine fuelled with water-in-diesel emulsion

Power generation using combustion engine cause severe air pollution. Research for a high efficient engine with less harmful emission is highly demanded. Water-in-Diesel (W/D) emulsion has a potential to reduce fuel consumption and harmful exhaust emission, especially nitrogen oxides (NOX) and particulate matter (PM). Experimental study was conducted by operating single cylinder MR MARK MC-D6500E diesel generator at different loading conditions while using two types of W/D emulsion containing different water contents (10 and 20 vol.%) with 1 (one) vol.% of surfactant (span 80) as additive to stabilize the fuel. The effect of water on fuel consumption, exhaust temperature and emission has been studied and the results have been compared to conventional diesel fuel. The result showed NOx and PM were reduced up to 51% and 14% respectively by using W/D emulsion. Fuel consumption also was up to 10% improved by using W/D emulsion

Differential Metabolite Profiles during Fruit Development in High-Yielding Oil Palm Mesocarp

10.1371/journal.pone.0061344PLoS ONE84

Charged Higgs boson contribution to νˉe−e\bar{\nu}_e-e scattering from low to ultrahigh energy in Higgs triplet model

We study the $\bar{\nu}_e-e$ scattering from low to ultrahigh energy in the framework of Higgs Triplet Model (HTM). We add the contribution of charged Higgs boson exchange to the total cross section of the scattering. We obtain the upper bound $h_{ee}/M_{H^\pm}\lesssim2.8\times10^{-3}GeV^{-1}$ in this process from low energy experiment. We show that by using the upper bound obtained, the charged Higgs contribution can give enhancements to the total cross section with respect to the SM prediction up to 5.16% at $E\leq10^{14}$ eV and maximum at $s\approx M_{H^\pm}^2$ and would help to determine the feasibility experiments to discriminate between SM and HTM at current available facilities.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Amphotericin B resistance in Leishmania mexicana: Alterations to sterol metabolism and oxidative stress response

Amphotericin B is increasingly used in treatment of leishmaniasis. Here, fourteen independent lines of Leishmania mexicana and one L. infantum line were selected for resistance to either amphotericin B or the related polyene antimicrobial, nystatin. Sterol profiling revealed that, in each resistant line, the predominant wild-type sterol, ergosta-5,7,24-trienol, was replaced by other sterol intermediates. Broadly, two different profiles emerged among the resistant lines. Whole genome sequencing then showed that these distinct profiles were due either to mutations in the sterol methyl transferase (C24SMT) gene locus or the sterol C5 desaturase (C5DS) gene. In three lines an additional deletion of the miltefosine transporter gene was found. Differences in sensitivity to amphotericin B were apparent, depending on whether cells were grown in HOMEM, supplemented with foetal bovine serum, or a serum free defined medium (DM). Metabolomic analysis after exposure to AmB showed that a large increase in glucose flux via the pentose phosphate pathway preceded cell death in cells sustained in HOMEM but not DM, indicating the oxidative stress was more significantly induced under HOMEM conditions. Several of the lines were tested for their ability to infect macrophages and replicate as amastigote forms, alongside their ability to establish infections in mice. While several AmB resistant lines showed reduced virulence, at least two lines displayed heightened virulence in mice whilst retaining their resistance phenotype, emphasising the risks of resistance emerging to this critical drug

Performance, emissions and carbon deposit characteristics of diesel engine operating on emulsion fuel

Little is known about the effects of using emulsion fuel for extended operation hours. Emulsion fuels comprise of water, low grade diesel fuel (D2) and surfactant in the ratio of 10:89:1 v/v% (E10) and 20:79:1 v/v% (E20). The characteristics of carbon deposits from an engine after a run of 200 h were examined. The carbon deposit analysis performed were macroscopic/microscopic photographs, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), metal element analysis (MEA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Increasing water in emulsion fuel decreased particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NO x ) altogether. TGA results observed that carbon deposit of E10 engine differed from E20 and D2 engines in terms of its characteristics, which includes darker colour of carbon deposit and the higher volatile content, while the MEA results observed that the elemental metal concentration in the carbon deposit was reduced with increasing water content. The intensity of the spectrum from C–H group for the carbon deposit E10 engine was higher compared to carbon deposit D2 and E20 engine respectively due to a complete combustion. Therefore, it was observed that 10% or less water content delivered better fuel consumption, emissions, and carbon deposit

Phylogeography of the Sunda pangolin, Manis javanica: Implications for taxonomy, conservation management and wildlife forensics

The Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) is the most widely distributed Asian pangolin species, occurring across much of Southeast Asia and in southern China. It is classified as Critically Endangered and is one of the most trafficked mammals in the world, which not only negatively impacts wild Sunda pangolin populations but also poses a potential disease risk to other species, including humans and livestock. Here, we aimed to investigate the species' phylogeography across its distribution to improve our understanding of the species' evolutionary history, elucidate any taxonomic uncertainties and enhance the species' conservation genetic management and potential wildlife forensics applications. We sequenced mtDNA genomes from 23 wild Sunda pangolins of known provenance originating from Malaysia to fill sampling gaps in previous studies, particularly in Borneo. To conduct phylogenetic and population genetic analyses of Sunda pangolins across their range, we integrated these newly generated mitochondrial genomes with previously generated mtDNA and nuclear DNA data sets (RAD‐seq SNP data). We identified an evolutionarily distinct mtDNA lineage in north Borneo, estimated to be ~1.6 million years divergent from lineages in west/south Borneo and the mainland, comparable to the divergence time from the Palawan pangolin. There appeared to be mitonuclear discordance, with no apparent genetic structure across Borneo based on analysis of nuclear SNPs. These findings are consistent with the ‘out of Borneo hypothesis’, whereby Sunda pangolins diversified in Borneo before subsequently migrating throughout Sundaland, and/or a secondary contact scenario between mainland and Borneo. We have elucidated possible taxonomic issues in the Sunda/Palawan pangolin complex and highlight the critical need for additional georeferenced samples to accurately apportion its range‐wide genetic variation into appropriate taxonomic and conservation units. Additionally, these data have improved forensic identification testing involving these species and permit the implementation of geographic provenance testing in some scenarios