Abstract: Minor law breaking seems more and more to be a part
of adolescence behavior. An important risk factor which seems to
influence delinquency appears to be the socio-economic one.
According to Romanian statistics, during the first six months of 2012,
1,378 minors have committed various crimes, the most common
being theft, sexual offenses and violent assaults. Drug-related
offenses did not reach the gravity of those from high income
countries of the European Union, but have a continuous upward
during the last years.
The aim of our research was to examine whether delinquency in
adolescence is correlated to mental disorders or socio-economic and
familial factors. Forensic psychiatric expertise was performed to 79
adolescents who committed offenses between 01 January 2012 and
31 December 2012. Teenagers, with ages between 12 and 17, were
examined by day hospitalization in the University Clinic of
Psychiatry Craiova.
Abstract: In the globalization process, when the struggle for minds and values of the people is taking place, the impact of the virtual space can cause unexpected effects and consequences in the process of adjustment of young people in this world. Their special significance is defined by unconscious influence on the underlying process of meaning and therefore the values preached by them are much more effective and affect both the personal characteristics and the peculiarities of adjustment process. Related to this the challenge is to identify factors influencing the reflection characteristics of virtual subjects and measures their impact on the personal characteristics of the students.
Abstract: Despite the recent surge of research in control of
worm propagation, currently, there is no effective defense system
against such cyber attacks. We first design a distributed detection
architecture called Detection via Distributed Blackholes (DDBH).
Our novel detection mechanism could be implemented via virtual
honeypots or honeynets. Simulation results show that a worm can be
detected with virtual honeypots on only 3% of the nodes. Moreover,
the worm is detected when less than 1.5% of the nodes are infected.
We then develop two control strategies: (1) optimal dynamic trafficblocking,
for which we determine the condition that guarantees
minimum number of removed nodes when the worm is contained and
(2) predictive dynamic traffic-blocking–a realistic deployment of
the optimal strategy on scale-free graphs. The predictive dynamic
traffic-blocking, coupled with the DDBH, ensures that more than
40% of the network is unaffected by the propagation at the time
when the worm is contained.
Abstract: Electrospinning is a broadly used technology to obtain
polymeric nanofibers ranging from several micrometers down to
several hundred nanometers for a wide range of applications. It offers
unique capabilities to produce nanofibers with controllable porous
structure. With smaller pores and higher surface area than regular
fibers, electrospun fibers have been successfully applied in various
fields, such as, nanocatalysis, tissue engineering scaffolds, protective
clothing, filtration, biomedical, pharmaceutical, optical electronics,
healthcare, biotechnology, defense and security, and environmental
engineering. In this study, polyurethane nanofibers were obtained
under different electrospinning parameters. Fiber morphology and
diameter distribution were investigated in order to understand them
as a function of process parameters.
Abstract: The importance of happiness understanding research is caused by cardinal changes experiences in system of people values in the post-Soviet countries territory. «The time of changes», which characterized with destruction of old values and not creativeness of new, stimulating experiences by the person of existential vacuum. The given research is actual not only in connection with sense formation, but also in connection with necessity creatively to adapt in integrative space. According to numerous works [1,2,3], we define happiness as the peak experience connected with satisfaction correlated system of needs, dependent on style of subject's coping behavior.
Abstract: This work represents the first review paper to explore the relationship between perfectionistic personality and borderline personality organization. The developmental origins, identity diffusion, interpersonal difficulties, and defense mechanisms that are common to both borderline personality and the interpersonal components of perfectionism are explored, and existing research on perfectionism and borderline personality is reviewed. The importance of the link between perfectionism and borderline features is discussed in terms of its contribution to the conceptual understanding of personality pathology as well as to applied clinical practices.
Abstract: Intrusion Detection Systems are increasingly a key
part of systems defense. Various approaches to Intrusion Detection
are currently being used, but they are relatively ineffective. Artificial
Intelligence plays a driving role in security services. This paper
proposes a dynamic model Intelligent Intrusion Detection System,
based on specific AI approach for intrusion detection. The
techniques that are being investigated includes neural networks and
fuzzy logic with network profiling, that uses simple data mining
techniques to process the network data. The proposed system is a
hybrid system that combines anomaly, misuse and host based
detection. Simple Fuzzy rules allow us to construct if-then rules that
reflect common ways of describing security attacks. For host based
intrusion detection we use neural-networks along with self
organizing maps. Suspicious intrusions can be traced back to its
original source path and any traffic from that particular source will
be redirected back to them in future. Both network traffic and system
audit data are used as inputs for both.
Abstract: Underpricing is one anomaly in initial public offerings
(IPO) literature that has been widely observed across different stock
markets with different trends emerging over different time periods.
This study seeks to determine how IPOs on the JSE performed on the
first day, first week and first month over the period of 1996-2011.
Underpricing trends are documented for both hot and cold market
periods in terms of four main sectors (cyclical, defensive, growth
stock and interest rate sensitive stocks). Using a sample of 360 listed
companies on the JSE, the empirical findings established that IPOs
on the JSE are significantly underpriced with an average market
adjusted first day return of 62.9%. It is also established that hot
market IPOs on the JSE are more underpriced than the cold market
IPOs. Also observed is the fact that as the offer price per share
increases above the median price for any given period, the level of
underpricing decreases substantially. While significant differences
exist in the level of underpricing of IPOs in the four different sectors
in the hot and cold market periods, interest rates sensitive stocks
showed a different trend from the other sectors and thus require
further investigation to uncover this pattern.
Abstract: This study explored the correlates of forgiving
historical racial offenses and the relationship between daily
experiences of racism and forgiving historical racial offenses. 147
African Americans participated to the study. Results indicated that
guilt attribution, distrust, need of reparations, religion, and perception
of apology relate to forgiving past racial offenses. In addition the
more individuals experience racism related events, the less likely
they forgive the past mistreatments of African Americans.
Abstract: This study extends research on the relationship
between marketing strategy and market segmentation by
investigating on market segments in the cement industry.
Competitive strength and rivals distance from the factory were used
as business environment. A three segment (positive, neutral or
indifferent and zero zones) were identified as strategic segments. For
each segment a marketing strategy (aggressive, defensive and
decline) were developed. This study employed data from cement
industry to fulfill two objectives, the first is to give a framework to
the segmentation of cement industry and the second is developing
marketing strategy with varying competitive strength. Fifty six
questionnaires containing close-and open-ended questions were
collected and analyzed. Results supported the theory that segments
tend to be more aggressive than defensive when competitive strength
increases. It is concluded that high strength segments follow total
market coverage, concentric diversification and frontal attack to their
competitors. With decreased competitive strength, Business tends to
follow multi-market strategy, product modification/improvement and
flank attack to direct competitors for this kind of segments. Segments
with weak competitive strength followed focus strategy and decline
strategy.
Abstract: Network-Centric Air Defense Missile Systems
(NCADMS) represents the superior development of the air defense
missile systems and has been regarded as one of the major research
issues in military domain at present. Due to lack of knowledge and
experience on NCADMS, modeling and simulation becomes an effective
approach to perform operational analysis, compared with
those equation based ones. However, the complex dynamic interactions
among entities and flexible architectures of NCADMS put forward
new requirements and challenges to the simulation framework
and models. ABS (Agent-Based Simulations) explicitly addresses
modeling behaviors of heterogeneous individuals. Agents have capability
to sense and understand things, make decisions, and act on the
environment. They can also cooperate with others dynamically to
perform the tasks assigned to them. ABS proves an effective approach
to explore the new operational characteristics emerging in
NCADMS. In this paper, based on the analysis of network-centric
architecture and new cooperative engagement strategies for
NCADMS, an agent-based simulation framework by expanding the
simulation framework in the so-called System Effectiveness Analysis
Simulation (SEAS) was designed. The simulation framework specifies
components, relationships and interactions between them, the
structure and behavior rules of an agent in NCADMS. Based on scenario
simulations, information and decision superiority and operational
advantages in NCADMS were analyzed; meanwhile some
suggestions were provided for its future development.
Abstract: Nanotechnology is the science of creating, using and
manipulating objects which have at least one dimension in range of
0.1 to 100 nanometers. In other words, nanotechnology is
reconstructing a substance using its individual atoms and arranging
them in a way that is desirable for our purpose.
The main reason that nanotechnology has been attracting
attentions is the unique properties that objects show when they are
formed at nano-scale. These differing characteristics that nano-scale
materials show compared to their nature-existing form is both useful
in creating high quality products and dangerous when being in
contact with body or spread in environment.
In order to control and lower the risk of such nano-scale particles,
the main following three topics should be considered:
1) First of all, these materials would cause long term diseases that
may show their effects on body years after being penetrated in human
organs and since this science has become recently developed in
industrial scale not enough information is available about their
hazards on body.
2) The second is that these particles can easily spread out in
environment and remain in air, soil or water for very long time,
besides their high ability to penetrate body skin and causing new
kinds of diseases.
3) The third one is that to protect body and environment against
the danger of these particles, the protective barriers must be finer than
these small objects and such defenses are hard to accomplish.
This paper will review, discuss and assess the risks that human and
environment face as this new science develops at a high rate.
Abstract: Cyber attacks pose a serious threat to all states. Therefore, states constantly seek for various methods to encounter those threats. In addition, recent changes in the nature of cyber attacks and their more complicated methods have created a new concept: active cyber defense (ACD). This article tries to answer firstly why ACD is important to NATO and find out the viewpoint of NATO towards ACD. Secondly, infrastructure protection is essential to cyber defense. Critical infrastructure protection with ACD means is even more important. It is assumed that by implementing active cyber defense, NATO may not only be able to repel the attacks but also be deterrent. Hence, the use of ACD has a direct positive effect in all international organizations’ future including NATO.
Abstract: Biochemical investigations were carried out to assess
the effect of different exposure regimes of Kazakhstan crude oil
(KCO) on hepatic antioxidant defense system in albino rats.
Contaminants were delivered under two different dosing regimes,
with all treatments receiving the same total contaminant load by the
end of the exposure period. Rats in regime A injected with KCO
once at a dose of 6 ml/kg bw while in regime B injected multiply at a
dose of 1.5 ml/kg bw on day 1, 3, 5 and 8. Antioxidant biomarkers
were measured in hepatic tissue after 1, 3, 5 and 8 days. Significant
induction was observed in serum aminotransferases (ALT, AST)
(p
Abstract: This paper contributes to the field of Environmental
Awareness Training (EAT) evaluation in terms of military activities.
Environmental management of military activities is a growing concern
for defence forces worldwide and the importance of EAT is becoming
widely recognized. As one of Australia-s largest landowners, the
Australian Defence Force (ADF) is extremely mindful of its duty as a
joint environmental manager. It has an integrated Environmental
Management System (EMS) to assist environmental management and
EAT is an essential part of the ADF EMS model. This paper examines
how EAT was conducted during the exercise Talisman Saber in 2009
(TS09) and evaluates its effectiveness, using Shoalwater Bay Training
Area (SWBTA), one of the most significant military training areas and
a significant protected area in Australia, as a case study. A
questionnaire survey conducted showed, overall, that EAT was
effective from the perspective of a sample of participants.
Recommendations are made for the ADF to refine EAT for future
exercises.
Abstract: The security of computer networks plays a strategic
role in modern computer systems. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
act as the 'second line of defense' placed inside a protected
network, looking for known or potential threats in network traffic
and/or audit data recorded by hosts. We developed an Intrusion
Detection System using LAMSTAR neural network to learn patterns
of normal and intrusive activities, to classify observed system
activities and compared the performance of LAMSTAR IDS with
other classification techniques using 5 classes of KDDCup99 data.
LAMSAR IDS gives better performance at the cost of high
Computational complexity, Training time and Testing time, when
compared to other classification techniques (Binary Tree classifier,
RBF classifier, Gaussian Mixture classifier). we further reduced the
Computational Complexity of LAMSTAR IDS by reducing the
dimension of the data using principal component analysis which in
turn reduces the training and testing time with almost the same
performance.
Abstract: The functional response of an infective is the relationship
between an infected individual-s infection rate and the abundance
of the number of susceptibles that one can potentially be infected.
In this paper, we consider defensive attitudes for HIV prevention
(primary prevention) while at the same time emphasizing on offensive
attitudes that reduce infection for those infected (secondary prevention).
We look at how defenses can protect an uninfected individual
in the case where high risk groups such as commercial sex workers
and those who deliberately go out to look for partners. We propose
an infection cycle that begins with a search, then an encounter,
a proposal and contact. The infection cycle illustrates the various
steps an infected individual goes through to successfully infect a
susceptible. For heterogeneous transmission of HIV, there will be no
infection unless there is contact. The ability to avoid an encounter,
detection, proposal and contact constitute defense.
Abstract: The use of bioindicators plants (lichens, bryophytes
and Sphagnum....) in monitoring pollution by heavy metals has been
the subject of several works. However, few studies have addressed
the impact of specific type-s pollutants (fertilizers, pesticides.) on
these organisms.
We propose in this work to make the highlighting effect of NPKs
(NPK: nitrogen-phosphate-potassium-sulfate (NP2O5K2O) (15,15,15),
at concentrations of 10, 20, 30 , 40 and 50mM/L) on the activity of
detoxification enzymes (GSH/GST, CAT, APX and MDA) of plant
bioindicators (mosses and lichens) after treatment for 3 and 7 days.
This study shows the important role of the defense system in the
accumulation and tolerance to chemical pollutants through the
activation of enzymatic (GST (glutathione-S-transferase, APX
(ascorbat peroxidase), CAT (catalase)) and nonenzymatic biomarkers
(GSH (glutathione), MDA (malondialdehyde)) against oxidative
stress generated by the NPKs.
Abstract: This paper evaluates performances of an adaptive noise
cancelling (ANC) based target detection algorithm on a set of real test
data supported by the Defense Evaluation Research Agency (DERA
UK) for multi-target wideband active sonar echolocation system. The
hybrid algorithm proposed is a combination of an adaptive ANC
neuro-fuzzy scheme in the first instance and followed by an iterative
optimum target motion estimation (TME) scheme. The neuro-fuzzy
scheme is based on the adaptive noise cancelling concept with the
core processor of ANFIS (adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system) to
provide an effective fine tuned signal. The resultant output is then
sent as an input to the optimum TME scheme composed of twogauge
trimmed-mean (TM) levelization, discrete wavelet denoising
(WDeN), and optimal continuous wavelet transform (CWT) for
further denosing and targets identification. Its aim is to recover the
contact signals in an effective and efficient manner and then determine
the Doppler motion (radial range, velocity and acceleration) at very
low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Quantitative results have shown that
the hybrid algorithm have excellent performance in predicting targets-
Doppler motion within various target strength with the maximum
false detection of 1.5%.