An Efficient hardware implementation of the tate pairing in characteristic three

DL systems with bilinear structure recently became an important base for cryptographic protocols such as identity-based encryption (IBE). Since the main computational task is the evaluation of the bilinear pairings over elliptic curves, known to be prohibitively expensive, efficient implementations are required to render them applicable in real life scenarios. We present an efficient accelerator for computing the Tate Pairing in characteristic 3, using the Modified Duursma-Lee algorithm. Our accelerator shows that it is possible to improve the area-time product by 12 times on FPGA, compared to estimated values from one of the best known hardware architecture [6] implemented on the same type of FPGA. Also the computation time is improved upto 16 times compared to software applications reported in [17]. In addition, we present the result of an ASIC implementation of the algorithm, which is the first hitherto

Melkersson-rosenthal syndrome associated with hemifacial spasm

Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome, with findings of repeating facial paralysis, orofacial edema, and fissured tongue, is rarely seen clinically.  We present the case of a 49-year-old female patient diagnosed with Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome, with the association of hemifacial spasm. The case diagnosed as Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome by the symptoms of the recurrent episodes of facial paralysis, labial edema, and lingual fissure, accompanied by hemifacial spasm is the first to be reported in the literature

The south-eastern Anatolia project (GAP) in Turkey and Middle East in terms of economic, strategic and politic

The South-eastern Anatolia Region has political, economic, commercial and strategically importance as well as religious due to the fact that it has been used as settlement, and hosted for divine religions. This region is on the historical Silk Road, and Turkey part of the Mesopotamia, which means to the land between two rivers in Latin, composed of fertile soil and located in a geographical place where the energy resources roads crosses. There have been significant delays in the realization of the South-eastern Anatolia Project (GAP) due to the some external factors. In this study, we discuss political, economic, and strategically importance of the GAP project. In Turkey, background of the GAP is based on the Keban Dam Project in 1930s. GAP was firstly planned as irrigation and hydroelectric power plant (HEPP) projects on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. This project was transformed to multipurpose regional development program after 1980s. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers represent over 28% of the nation’s water supply by rivers, and the economically irrigable areas in the region make up 20% of those for the entry country. Turkey has a total gross hydropower potential of 433 billion kWh/year, but only 125 billion kWh/year of the total hydroelectric potential of Turkey can be economically used. By the construction of new hydropower plants, 36% of the economically usable potential of the country would be tapped. The GAP region has a 22% share of the country’s total hydroelectric potential, with plans for 22 dams and 19 hydroelectric power plants, installed capacity with 7500 MW. Once completed, 27 billion kWh of electricity will be generated annually. GAP also constitutes 21% irrigation potential of Turkey together with the irrigation area having approximately two millions hectare

Development of hydropower energy in two adjacent basins (northeast of turkey)

The main objective in doing the present study is to investigate the sustainable development ofhydropower plants in two adjacent basins being located in northeast of Turkey, which are the Coruhriver basin being the least problem river of Turkey in respect to international cooperation as comparedwith Turkey's other trans-boundary waters and the Eastern Black Sea Basin (EBSB) having greatadvantages from the view point of small hydropower potential or hydropower potential without storage among 25 hydrological basins in Turkey. The contribution of the hydropower energy potentialin these basins to reconstruction of Turkey electricity structure is investigated and a comparison inbetween is carried out. Finally, it is found that the EBSB will be corresponded from 8.3% and 10.3%of nowadays total electricity energy production and net electricity consumption of Turkey, while Coruh river basin will provide 7.40% and 9.19% of total electric generation and electricity consumption of Turkey, respectively, after all hydropower projects within these basins are commissioned. In other words, one-fifth of Turkey's electricity consumption will be met from northeast of Turkey. For this reason, development studies and investments in the hydropower sector should be encouraged and supported and projects within these basins should be put into operation assoon as possible

The efficacy of alpha-lipoic acid and/or gabapentin on the oxidant-antioxidant system in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy

Background: Diabetic peripheral sensorimotor polyneuropathy is the most common complication seen in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Oxidant system plays a crucial role in its physiopathology. We investigated the changes in the serum levels of total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), paraoxonase-1 (PON1) and oxidative stress index (OSI) to evaluate the antioxidant efficacy of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and/or gabapentin in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN).Methods: Sixty-three type 2 DM patients with diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) were enrolled in the study. Patients with DPN were divided into four groups in terms of their treatment: Group 1 consisted of treatment-naive patients; patients treated with ALA, gabapentin or combination of ALA and gabapentin comprised groups 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The patients received the medications for at least six weeks.  Serum levels of TAS, TOS, PON1 and OSI were analyzed.Results: No significant difference was observed between the groups according to the oxidative stress parameters studied.Conclusions: The use of ALA and/or gabapentin in patients with DPN did not significantly affect the oxidative stress parameters, including TAS, TOS, PON1, and OSI

A case of cerebral amyloid angiopathy associated with cerebral venous thrombosis

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy is a clinical picture which is commonly seen in elderly and progressing with the deposition of amyloid in the cerebral arteries without systemic amyloidosis. We report the first case in the literature, a 71 year-old patient having an association of cerebral vein thrombosis and cerebral amyloid angiopathy presenting with recurrent cerebral hemorrhages. The cause-and-result relationship of this association of cerebral vein thrombosis and cerebral amyloid angiopathy should be investigated

Plasma levels of vitamin B12, epidermal growth factor and tumor necrosis factor alpha in patients with alzheimer dementia

Background: It was previously reported that vitamin B12 (Vit B12) has the regulatory effects on epidermal growth factor (EGF) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). The role of Vit B12, EGF and TNF-α in the pathogenesis of alzheimer dementia has not been elucidated yet. In this study the plasma Vit B12, EGF and TNF-α level were examined in individuals, between 65-99 years old with and without alzheimer dementia (AD).  Methods: The study group comprised 47 patients with AD and 38 cases without dementia. EGF and TNF-α were analyzed by ELISA, and Vit B12 was analyzed by chemiluminescence method.Results: Vit B12 and EGF levels were significantly lower (p<0.0001), whereas TNF-α levels were significantly higher (p<0.0001) in the AD group in comparison to those without AD.  Conclusions: Our results suggest that Vit B12, EGF and TNF-α may have a role in the pathophysiology of AD.

Effects of business excellence drivers on firm performance in manufacturing industry

Improvement of firm performance has been an effective tool for firms to increase their competitiveness. Acceleration of technological developments, difficulty of customer satisfaction and very intense global competition have resulted in a hostile environment necessitating a dynamic change process. This process is indeed difficult to manage and Business Excellence has become one of the critical instruments for managers to secure survival. Defining Business Excellence, discovering its determinants, analyzing the status and characteristics of Business Excellence in Turkish manufacturing industry and measuring its effects on firm performance constitute the major objectives of this thesis. After an extensive literature review, technology and innovation tendency, human resources, process management and continuous improvement (CI), manufacturing structure and operations, planning, manufacturing strategy, customer focus, supplier relations and leadership are identified as Business Excellence determinants. The questionnaire is prepared by considering Business Excellence determinants and the questionnaires employed in previous studies. Our final sample size has reached 140 manufacturing firms. In the following step, employing the data gathered, analyses about relationship between Business Excellence determinants and general firm performance and financial indicators are performed. Factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, T-tests and structural equation modeling are selected as the appropriate methods for the analysis. Commercial software packages MS Excel, SPSS v13 and AMOS v4 are used