Neighborhood Locations and Amenities

Final project (Fall 2014). School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, University of Maryland, College Park.This report presents exploratory research that examines the relationship between neighborhood boundaries and amenity location/accessibility in The City of Frederick. A series of maps were produced that depict neighborhoods based on distance to amenities. Surveys were conducted to better understand which amenities draw locally and which draw regionally. Research shows that accessibility is higher the closer to downtown you live. Additionally, residents prefer to use grocery stores close to their local neighborhood, but travel to Baker Park regardless of where they live. This research provides a framework for addressing the amenity accessibility of neighborhoods and discusses potential further research using this framework and how it could benefit the City of Frederick.The City of Frederic

Designing pair of nonlinear components of a block cipher over quaternion integers

In the field of cryptography, block ciphers are widely used to provide confidentiality and integrity of data. One of the key components of a block cipher is its nonlinear substitution function. In this paper, we propose a new design methodology for the nonlinear substitution function of a block cipher, based on the use of Quaternion integers (QI). Quaternions are an extension of complex numbers that allow for more complex arithmetic operations, which can enhance the security of the cipher. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed design by implementing it in a block cipher and conducting extensive security analysis. Quaternion integers give pair of substitution boxes (S-boxes) after fixing parameters but other structures give only one S-box after fixing parameters. Our results show that the proposed design provides superior security compared to existing designs, two making on a promising approach for future cryptographic applications

Modeling the Position Information Inaccuracy in MANET Position-Based Routing Protocols

Abstract: This study aims to model the position information inaccuracy in position-based MANET routing protocol. The modeling aids on understanding the position information inaccuracy and assists the researchers to find suitable techniques and mechanisms to overcome the observed problems and improve the performance of the position-based routing protocols. Position-based routing protocols have become more popular in Mobile Ad hoc network (MANET) due to their advantages in using geographical position information of the nodes to route the data packets to the destination. Each node periodically sends its geographical position information to its neighbours using beacon packets. Nodes which receive the geographical position information of their neighbours store this information in their neighbours list. The data packet routing in position-based routing protocols uses neighbours' position information, which is stored in the node's neighbours list,and the destination's position information stored in the routing data packet header field to route the data packet from source to destination. Most of the current work in position-based routing protocols assumes that the position information in the node's neighbours list is accurate, while in reality, only a rough estimate of this position information is available for the nodes. Position information inaccuracy has a severe impact on degrading the performance of the position-based routing protocols in terms of average end-to-end delay, non-optimal route, false local maximum, and the routing loop

Smart city-ranking of major Australian cities to achieve a smarter future

© 2020 by the authors. A Smart City is a solution to the problems caused by increasing urbanization. Australia has demonstrated a strong determination for the development of Smart Cities. However, the country has experienced uneven growth in its urban development. The purpose of this study is to compare and identify the smartness of major Australian cities to the level of development in multi-dimensions. Eventually, the research introduces the openings to make cities smarter by identifying the focused priority areas. To ensure comprehensive coverage of all aspects of the smart city's performance, 90 indicators were selected to represent 26 factors and six components. The results of the assessment endorse the impacts of recent government actions taken in different urban areas towards building smarter cities. The research has pointed out the areas of deficiencies for underperforming major cities in Australia. Following the results, appropriate recommendations for Australian cities are provided to improve the city's smartness

Retrograde bullet migration from inferior vena cava into right common iliac vein following gunshot: a case report

Abstract Bullet embolization cases are rare and even rarer are its retrograde migration in the veins. We report the case of a 14 year old male with a gunshot wound to the left side of his chest. CT scan revealed bilateral haemothorax and foreign body in the right common iliac vein. The patient was immediately taken to the operating theatre and median sternotomy performed. Bullet entry tear was found in the inferior vena cava however, the bullet was found lodged in the right common iliac vein and slipped down against the flow of blood. The bullet was left in situ and after the necessary repair the chest was closed and the patient shifted to the CICU and discharged after 4 days in stable condition. Patient was followed after 1 week and reassured and advised for one year follow-up

Trends of occupational fatal and nonfatal injuries in electrical and mechanical specialty contracting sectors : necessity for a learning investigation system

The specialty electrical and mechanical contracting sectors provide crucial services and perform functions that are vital to the products delivered by the construction industry. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the causes of fatal and nonfatal injuries in these specialty construction sectors over time as well as their effects on the level of safety performance in the industry. Accordingly, the most prevalent causes of fatal and nonfatal incidents in the mechanical and electrical sectors are investigated and presented as a longitudinal study from 2005 to 2015. The trends in occupational injuries in these sectors over this period of time are also compared with the trends reported in previous studies. The results from this study show that the direct causes of fatal and nonfatal injuries in the electrical and mechanical sectors differ from those found in the construction industry in general. In addition, the electrical and mechanical construction industry trends identified in this study are similar to previously reported trends. The similarities between the current findings and those of previous studies highlight real shortcomings in the safety management approaches within the construction industry. Based on the findings of this study, a learning investigation system has been recommended to improve safety performance among electrical and mechanical specialty contractors

A nationwide virtual research education program for medical students in Pakistan: Methodological framework, feasibility testing, and outcomes

Introduction: Equipping young medical trainees with fundamental research skills can be a promising strategy to address the need for professionals who can understand and responsibly communicate evolving scientific evidence during a pandemic. Despite an ardent interest to partake in research, most educational institutions in Pakistan and other low-middle income countries have not yet adopted a comprehensive strategy for research skills education. The authors aimed to design and assess the feasibility of implementing the first nation-wide virtual research workshop for medical students in Pakistan. Methods: The course Beginners Guide to Research, designed as a nation-wide virtual research workshop series, was conducted for medical students across Pakistan in June 2020. Four interactive live workshops took place online on alternate days from June 22nd, 2020, to June 27th, 2020, each lasting 1-2 h. Outcomes included: (i) reach, (ii) efficacy as indexed by pre-post change in score pertaining to knowledge and application of research and (iii) self-rated perceptions about understanding of research on a Likert scale. Results: 3,862 participants enrolled from 41 cities and 123 institutions. Enrolled participants belonged to the following provinces: Sindh (n = 1,852, 48.0%), Punjab (n = 1,767, 45.8%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (n = 109, 2.8%), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (n = 84, 2.2%) Balochistan (n = 42, 1.1%). We also saw a few registrations from international students (n = 8, 0.2%). Mean (SD) age of enrolled medical students was 21.1 (2.1) years, 2,453 (63.5%) participants were female and 2,394 (62.0%) were from private-sector medical colleges. Two thousand ninety-three participants participants filled out all four pre-test and post-test forms. The total median knowledge score improved from 39.7 to 60.3% with the highest improvements in concepts of research bioethics and literature search (p \u3c 0.001) with greater change for females compared to males (+20.6 vs. +16.2%, p \u3c 0.001) and private institutions compared to public ones (+16.2 vs. +22.1%, p \u3c 0.001). Conclusion: The overwhelming enrollment and significant improvement in learning outcomes (\u3e50% of baseline) indicate feasibility of a medical student-led research course during a pandemic, highlighting its role in catering to the research needs in the LMICs