Steganography-based secret and reliable communications: Improving steganographic capacity and imperceptibility

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Unlike encryption, steganography hides the very existence of secret information rather than hiding its meaning only. Image based steganography is the most common system used since digital images are widely used over the Internet and Web. However, the capacity is mostly limited and restricted by the size of cover images. In addition, there is a tradeoff between both steganographic capacity and stego image quality. Therefore, increasing steganographic capacity and enhancing stego image quality are still challenges, and this is exactly our research main aim. Related to this, we also investigate hiding secret information in communication protocols, namely Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) message, rather than in conventional digital files. To get a high steganographic capacity, two novel steganography methods were proposed. The first method was based on using 16x16 non-overlapping blocks and quantisation table for Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) compression instead of 8x8. Then, the quality of JPEG stego images was enhanced by using optimised quantisation tables instead of the default tables. The second method, the hybrid method, was based on using optimised quantisation tables and two hiding techniques: JSteg along with our first proposed method. To increase the steganographic capacity, the impact of hiding data within image chrominance was investigated and explained. Since peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) is extensively used as a quality measure of stego images, the reliability of PSNR for stego images was also evaluated in the work described in this thesis. Finally, to eliminate any detectable traces that traditional steganography may leave in stego files, a novel and undetectable steganography method based on SOAP messages was proposed. All methods proposed have been empirically validated as to indicate their utility and value. The results revealed that our methods and suggestions improved the main aspects of image steganography. Nevertheless, PSNR was found not to be a reliable quality evaluation measure to be used with stego image. On the other hand, information hiding in SOAP messages represented a distinctive way for undetectable and secret communication.The Ministry of Higher Education in Syria and the University of Alepp

Comparison of EEG Pattern Recognition of Motor Imagery for Finger Movement Classification

The detection of a hand movement beforehand can be a beneficent tool to control a prosthetic hand for upper extremity rehabilitation. To be able to achieve smooth control, the intention detection is acquired from the human body, especially from brain signal or electroencephalogram (EEG) signal. However, many constraints hamper the development of this brain-computer interface (BCI, especially for finger movement detection). Most of the researchers have focused on the detection of the left and right-hand movement. This article presents the comparison of various pattern recognition method for recognizing five individual finger movements, i.e., the thumb, index, middle, ring, and pinky finger movements. The EEG pattern recognition utilized common spatial pattern (CSP) for feature extraction. As for the classifier, four classifiers, i.e., random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighborhood (kNN), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were tested and compared to each other. The experimental results indicated that the EEG pattern recognition with RF achieved the best accuracy of about 54%. Other published publication reported that the classification of the individual finger movement is still challenging and need more efforts to make the best performance

Arabic Text Categorization Using Support vector machine, Naïve Bayes and Neural Network

Text classification is a very important area ininformation retrieval. Text classificationtechniques used to classify documents into a setof predefined categories. There are severaltechniques and methods used to classify data andin fact there are many researches talks aboutEnglish text classification. Unfortunately, fewresearches talks about Arabic text classification.This paper talks about three well-knowntechniques used to classify data. These threewell-known techniques are applied on Arabicdata set. A comparative study is made betweenthese three techniques. Also this study used fixednumber of documents for all categories ofdocuments in training and testing phase. Theresult shows that the Support Vector machinegives the best results

Residential satisfaction: concept, theories and empirical studies

Residential satisfaction, defined as the feeling of contentment when one has or achieves what one needs or desires in a house, is an important indicator and planners, architects, developers and policy makers use it in a number of ways. There are three theories – housing needs theory, housing deficit theory and psychological construct theory, and most empirical studies have used these theories or a combination of these theories in their research design. A number of variables representing housing and neighbourhood characteristics, individuals‘ socio-demographic attributes as well as their perceptions of housing and neighbourhood conditions have been analysed in most empirical studies what stand to indicate that further studies are required until a general theory of residential satisfaction/ dissatisfaction emerges. Also, a host of variables belonging to housing and its environment including the sociodemographic attributes of residents exert significant influences on the level of residential satisfaction/ dissatisfaction which is however, culture and value specific indicating that further studies on residential satisfaction/ dissatisfaction can be undertaken on case specific context to guide public policies on housing

Limited Invasive Techniques in Management of Sander's Type II, III Calcaneal Fractures

Background: A thorough understanding of the clinical and radiographic anatomy of the calcaneus and its articulations is crucial when attempting less invasive procedures for intraarticular calcaneus fractures.Objective: The aim of this work is to evaluate the functional outcome and to assess the anatomical restoration of the calcaneus with radiographic measurements after percutaneous fixation of Sanders type II and type III calcaneal fractures by K-wires and cannulated screws. Patients and methods: This was a prospective study that is conducted on 23 patients whom were classified as Sanders type II, III Calcaneal fractures. This study was done at Alexandria Police Hospital and Zagazig University Hospital. These patients were followed up for at least 6 months postoperatively. All patients in the study were evaluated including history taking and clinical examination. All patients had preoperative lab investigations and were evaluated radiologically with X-ray calcaneus and CT scan, and were followed up at outpatient clinic twice in the first week then once a week for the next two months.Results: The final results at the end of this study were satisfactory in 91.3% of patients and unsatisfactory in 8.7% of patients. About (81.3%) of the excellent results were obtained in Sanders type II fractures, while 18.7 % of the excellent results were obtained in Sanders type III fractures. Conclusion: Less invasive surgical techniques for treating displaced intraarticular calcaneus fractures have been undertaken in an attempt to reduce complications and improve recovery when surgery is indicated. These emerging techniques may be beneficial in patients with soft-tissue compromise, multiple comorbidities, and displaced intraarticular fractures with minimal comminution

The use of accounting information systems in analytical procedures for the audit process, from the point of view of internal and external audit in the public sector (a case study of public universities)

This study sought to measure and assesses the use of accounting information systems in analytical procedures for the audit process, from the point of view internal and external audit in the public sector (a case study of public universities) and their role in promoting evidence in the audit results and its availability in Jordanian public universities, as well as to determine the extent of the use of analytical procedures in the audit process, from the point of view of both the internal in observation and auditing services workers at Jordanian universities and external auditors for these universities and how consensus the study sample answers in answering the study questions. Researchers have developed a study tool (questionnaire) based on the conceptual framework and previous studies, (100) questionnaire were distributed on a sample of the population of the study which is consisted of the internal observation units services workers in Jordanian public universities and external auditors for these universities. Using appropriate statistical analysis tools for the study data (arithmetic means, standard deviations and One way ANOVA). It was concluded that there are no significant statically differences between the views of the internal observation services staff in public universities and external auditors for these universities on the importance of using analytical procedures in auditing ? There are no significant differences between the views of the two sample study for these universities to the auditors use of analytical procedures in audits, and the study showed that the use of analytical review methods was moderate by internal and external auditors, while the advanced analytical review methods are used less ? Because they need the skills of statistical analysis, the study also revealed that there are obstacles limiting the use of analytical procedures in the field of work, and most of these obstacles are the absence of clear criteria for analytical procedures issued by the INTOSAI Organization and the organizers of the audit profession, lack of skills in the field of analytical measure. Although the constraints that limit the application of analytical procedures did not have any statistically significant and material impact on increasing the efficiency of the audit performance. In the light of the analysis results the researchers presented a set of recommendations that they consider them necessary to improve and strengthen the evidence in the audit results and availability in Jordanian public universities, as well as to determine the extent of the use of analytical procedures in the audit process, and reduce the risk of control to gain an understanding of the business and its environment. Key Words: Accounting Information Systems, Internal auditing, External auditing

The use of accounting information systems in analytical procedures for the audit process, from the point of view of internal and external audit in the public sector (a case study of public universities)

This study sought to measure and assesses the use of accounting information systems in analytical procedures for the audit process, from the point of view internal and external audit in the public sector (a case study of public universities) and their role in promoting evidence in the audit results and its availability in Jordanian public universities, as well as to determine the extent of the use of analytical procedures in the audit process, from the point of view of both the internal in observation and auditing services workers at Jordanian universities and external auditors for these universities and how consensus the study sample answers in answering the study questions. Researchers have developed a study tool (questionnaire) based on the conceptual framework and previous studies, (100) questionnaire were distributed on a sample of the population of the study which is consisted of the internal observation units services workers in Jordanian public universities and external auditors for these universities. Using appropriate statistical analysis tools for the study data (arithmetic means, standard deviations and One way ANOVA). It was concluded that there are no significant statically differences between the views of the internal observation services staff in public universities and external auditors for these universities on the importance of using analytical procedures in auditing ? There are no significant differences between the views of the two sample study for these universities to the auditors use of analytical procedures in audits, and the study showed that the use of analytical review methods was moderate by internal and external auditors, while the advanced analytical review methods are used less ? Because they need the skills of statistical analysis, the study also revealed that there are obstacles limiting the use of analytical procedures in the field of work, and most of these obstacles are the absence of clear criteria for analytical procedures issued by the INTOSAI Organization and the organizers of the audit profession, lack of skills in the field of analytical measure. Although the constraints that limit the application of analytical procedures did not have any statistically significant and material impact on increasing the efficiency of the audit performance. In the light of the analysis results the researchers presented a set of recommendations that they consider them necessary to improve and strengthen the evidence in the audit results and availability in Jordanian public universities, as well as to determine the extent of the use of analytical procedures in the audit process, and reduce the risk of control to gain an understanding of the business and its environment. Key Words: Accounting Information Systems, Internal auditing, External auditing

Empowerment, respect, physical work environment, and safety performance: the mediation role of perceived management commitment to safety

Safety performance has become a vital issue for healthcare organizations, particularly in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) to ensure enhanced health and safety outcomes, not just for the patients, but also for the staff nurses, as they are considered as an integral part to achieve high quality of care. However, a dearth of research was noted in this domain. As a consequence, to maximize empirical data on antecedent factors to safety performance, this study intends to investigate the relationships between psychological empowerment, respect to the employees’ rights and needs, physical work environment, and safety performance among ICU nurses. The study also intends to determine whether the perceived management commitment to safety has a mediating role in these relationships. This study adopted the social cognitive theory and organizational support theory as the underpinning theories to develop its research model. Cross-sectional study by using survey was conducted, and 551 questionnaires were distributed to the ICU nurses in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with a response rate of 52%. This study used the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to establish the validity and reliability of the measurement model and to test the study hypotheses. The results supported the theoretical model; they revealed that psychological empowerment and perceived respect had significant relationships with safety performance, while the nurses’ satisfaction with their physical work environment had a significant effect on safety performance through perceived management commitment to safety. In addition, the mediating effect of perceived management commitment to safety was also empirically justified. A model for improving the safety performance was proposed. The practical implications indicated that safety management commitment plays a significant importance in safety outcomes. For future research, further mediators are recommended. Finally, the study is useful and important to policy makers, academicians and practitioners to further improve and develop safety performance at healthcare organizations

Removal of heavy metals from textile wastewater using sugarcane bagasse activated carbon

Excessive release of textile wastewater with heavy metals into environment has posed a great problem to the natural water system. The efficiency of the adsorption process to remove heavy metals depend on the adsorbent. The commercial activated carbon is one of the most efficient adsorbent, but the limitation lies in the high cost. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the efficiency of sugarcane bagasse activated carbon modified by phosphoric acid as adsorbent for the removal of zinc (Zn) and Ferum (Fe) from the textile wastewater. The adsorption process was conducted using batch method as a function for pH (2-7), contact time (30 min to 24 h) and adsorbent dosage (0.6 to 6g). The final concentrations of the metal ions were determined by ICP-MS. The results revealed that the adsorption efficiency increased with the contact time, the optimum time was recorded after 2 h. The removal percentage of Zn and Fe associated with the adsorbent dosage due to the greater surface area with optimum value of 4.0 g. The increasing of pH from 2 to 6 correlated with high adsorption efficiency, with the optimum condition at pH 5. The maximum percentage removal of Fe, Zn was 80%. These findings indicated that the SBAC is an attractive alternative adsorbent material for the metal ions removal in textile wastewater

IRRITANT CONTACT DERMATITIS ON HANDS AND DIAGNOSIS OF IT: A REVIEW

Hand hygiene (HH) is the single most important procedure that can be followed by healthcare workers (HCWs) to reduce the risk of spreading healthcare-associated infections. The irritating contact dermatitis (ICD) that occurs due to the rehashed presentation of HH products and technique is one reason often referred to for resistance. HH is the most vital method that can be followed by HCWs to reduce the possibility of spreading of infection in human being, followed by50% of HCWs. Limited researches are published related to different features of irritant contact disorders among HCWs. This study concentrates manly on the clinical application of irritant contact dermatitis on hands and its diagnosis based on an extensive research review process. It can be concluded from this review that by proper adherence and compliance to necessary HH techniques lead to skin damage and higher pathogen load. Therefore, it is important that HCWs should appreciate this concept and are given methods or tactics of expertise to avoid skin irritation and damage. Inability to provide proper policies, practices and guidelines to these workers may lead to adherence in case of an ICD appearance