High-Secured Image LSB Steganography Using AVL-Tree with Random RGB Channel Substitution

Random pixel selection is one of the image steganography methods that has achieved significant success in enhancing the robustness of hidden data.This property makes it difficult for steganalysts’powerful data extraction tools to detect the hidden data and ensures high-quality stego image generation.However,using a seed key to generate non-repeated sequential numbers takes a long time because it requires specific mathematical equations.In addition,these numbers may cluster in certain ranges.The hidden data in these clustered pixels will reduce the image quality,which steganalysis tools can detect.Therefore,this paper proposes a data structure that safeguards the steganographic model data and maintains the quality of the stego image.This paper employs the AdelsonVelsky and Landis(AVL)tree data structure algorithm to implement the randomization pixel selection technique for data concealment.The AVL tree algorithm provides several advantages for image steganography.Firstly,it ensures balanced tree structures,which leads to efficient data retrieval and insertion operations.Secondly,the self-balancing nature of AVL trees minimizes clustering by maintaining an even distribution of pixels,thereby preserving the stego image quality.The data structure employs the pixel indicator technique for Red,Green,and Blue(RGB)channel extraction.The green channel serves as the foundation for building a balanced binary tree.First,the sender identifies the colored cover image and secret data.The sender will use the two least significant bits(2-LSB)of RGB channels to conceal the data’s size and associated information.The next step is to create a balanced binary tree based on the green channel.Utilizing the channel pixel indicator on the LSB of the green channel,we can conceal bits in the 2-LSB of the red or blue channel.The first four levels of the data structure tree will mask the data size,while subsequent levels will conceal the remaining digits of secret data.After embedding the bits in the binary tree level by level,the model restores the AVL tree to create the stego image.Ultimately,the receiver receives this stego image through the public channel,enabling secret data recovery without stego or crypto keys.This method ensures that the stego image appears unsuspicious to potential attackers.Without an extraction algorithm,a third party cannot extract the original secret information from an intercepted stego image.Experimental results showed high levels of imperceptibility and security.

Big data can help prepare nurses and improve patient outcomes by improving quality,safety,and outcomes

Objectives:Big data has revolutionized nursing and health care and raised concerns.This research aims to help nurses understand big data sets to provide better patient care.Methods:This study used big data in nursing to improve patient care.Big data in nursing has sparked a global revolution and raised concerns,but few studies have focused on helping nurses understand big data to provide the best patient care.This systematic review was conducted based on PRISMA guidelines.PubMed,MEDLINE,CINAHL,Google Scholar,and ResearchGate were used for 2010-2020 studies.Results:The most common use of big data in nursing was investigated in eight papers between 2015 and 2018.All research showed improvements in patient outcomes and healthcare delivery when big data was used in the medical-surgical,emergency department,critical care unit,community,systems biology,and leadership applications.Big data is not taught to nurses.Conclusions:Big data applications in nursing and health care improve early intervention and decision-making.Big data provides a comprehensive view of a patient’s status and social determinants of health,allowing treatment using all metaparadigms and avoiding a singular focus.Big data can help prepare nurses and improve patient outcomes by improving quality,safety,and outcomes.

Hydro-Geochemistry and Application of Water Quality Index (WQI) for Ground Water Quality Assessment, Wadi Al-Samen—Hebron—West Bank

Located south of the West Bank, Wadi Al-Samen is considered one of the most important sources of groundwater recharge for the eastern aquifer in Hebron. It is polluted by sewage originating from domestic and industrial consumption in the Hebron area. Water quality assessment is an important criterion for achieving sustainable development. To evaluate water quality, twenty samples were collected from groundwater sources for two seasons and were analyzed for Physical properties (Total dissolved solids (TDS), Electrical conductivity (EC), potential hydrogen (pH), Temperature (T)), Four major cations (Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+ and K+), and the Major anions (HCO-3, Cl-, and SO2-4);geochemical methods such as Piper scheme were used for the sample result analysis. To characterize wastewater components, six samples were collected from the Wadi discharge for two seasons and were analyzed (potential hydrogen (pH), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5), and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The results of nitrate levels showed that 20% of the ground water samples exceeded the standard limit of the World Health Organization (WHO). The quality of drinking water was assessed using the Water Quality Index (WQI), which suggests that 10% of samples are classified from poor to very poor. The abundance of cations from highest to lowest was found to be: Ca;Mg;Na, and for the anions it is HCO3;Cl;SO4. The dominant hydrochemical facies of 35% of collected aquifer samples reveal that Ca-Mg-Na-Cl-HCO3 are in the domain. Evaluation of irrigation suitability was performed using parameters of Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), electric conductivity (EC), and Salinity. The results in both rounds for EC showed that all water sources are suitable for irrigation according to Todd’s classification. SAR was not suitable in three water resources samples. Wilcox analysis for the two seasons revealed that 85% of samples are not appropriate for irrigation uses.

Stability and Removal of Commonly Used Drugs in Environmental Water and Wastewater

Introduction:Pharmaceuticals are regarded as emerging contaminants in the environment.In recent years,their destiny and removal have piqued people’s interest.Methods:Examine how well conventional wastewater treatment facilities and cutting-edge technologies(ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis)can remove specific pharmaceutical compounds from water,with a focus on the compounds'environmental status,their origin,deterioration,metabolites,and the capacities of these facilities.Results and discussion:the ability and efficacy of sophisticated treatment technologies such as membrane separation,adsorption,and AOPs(Advanced Oxidation Processes)in eliminating chosen commonly used drugs from water are explored.Batch adsorption experiments were integrated with appropriate adsorption isotherms and appropriate kinetic models to predict the final extent of pollutant removal by this method.Continuous filtration mode was also investigated.Combining filtration(using AC(Activated Carbon)and micelle-clay granule complexes)with AOPs improves the economy of treating wastewater,which contains recalcitrant PhACs(Pharmaceutical Compounds).

Groundwater Assessment for the NW of Auja Tamaseeh Basin in Tulkarem Area, West Bank

The study aims to assess groundwater in Auja—Tamaseeh basin in Tulkarem area—West Bank. A steady state calibration flow model as well as solute transport model were built using the visual Modflow software. A stress period of 10 years (2005 - 2015) was assigned to study its tendency to contamination. The model results show that there is a pollution risk due to the human activities in the area. The groundwater situation will be harmful if there is no action done by the water-decision makers to preserve the aquifers from deterioration and contamination.

Spring Water Qualitative Assessment in Mountainous Areas, Case Study: Soreq Catchment/Ramallah/West Bank

The hydrochemical characteristics of spring waters in the Soreq-Catchment were determined to identify pollutants in the springs. The ion concentrations were within the allowable WHO limits except two springs located within the center of the populated areas. The water of most of the springs is contaminated with fecal coliform and total coliform. The concentration of nitrate shows moderate values below the WHO limits. The springs in the study area show higher concentrations of heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Mn, As, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Al, Fe, and V) exceeding the permissible standards set by WHO (2007). Most springs in the study area are of water type (Ca-Mg-HCO3-). Piper’s classification ranges from normal earth alkaline water with prevailing bicarbonate and chloride in both seasons. Comparing the quality of spring water with standards for different uses proved that some springs are unsuitable for human drinking purposes.

THEORETICAL AND NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE BLOW UP IN A NONLINEAR VISCOELASTIC PROBLEM WITH VARIABLE-EXPONENT AND ARBITRARY POSITIVE ENERGY

In this paper,we consider the following nonlinear viscoelastic wave equation with variable exponents:utt-△u+∫_(0)^(t)g(t-τ)△u(x,τ)dτ+μut=|u|^(p(x)-2)-u,whereμis a nonnegative constant and the exponent of nonlinearity p(·)and g are given functions.Under arbitrary positive initial energy and specific conditions on the relaxation function g,we prove a finite-time blow-up result.We also give some numerical applications to illustrate our theoretical results.

Feasibility of Protection Zones for Water Resources in Arid Areas: Case Study;Duyuk Nueimah Shosa Springs, Jericho, Palestine

Urbanization and different human-economic activities put increasing pressure on the ground water quality, which is considered as the main drinking water resources in Palestine. Protecting the spring water resources in Palestine is one major issue for the continuity of the availability of the water resources. An economic feasibility study was conducted for the Nuewimah-Shosha-Dyuk spring system in order to assess the economical factor for the induced methodology of the protection zones. The spring system has multiple users from different sectors (i.e., domestic, agriculture, commercial and public use) and multi-year cost benefit analysis technique used to show the feasibility of water protection zones on the long run. The study shows that even in arid areas in Palestine, small quantities are derived from springs-implementation of water protection zones is still feasible;the results of this study emphasize on importance and feasibility of water resources protection zones.

Spectroscopic Characterization of the Interaction between Dopamine and Human Serum Albumin

The interactions of HSA with DA have received great attention nowadays due to its significant effect in the biomedical field and overall health. The main aim of this work is to examine the interaction between DA and HSA at physiological conditions. Upon addition of DA to HSA, the fluorescence emission was quenched with quenching constant Kq = 1.32 × 109 L⋅mol−1⋅s−1 and the binding constant of DA with HSA is found to be K = 4.4 × 102 mainly indicating dynamic quenching. The HSA conformation was altered upon binding of DA to HSA with an increase in α-helix and a decrease in β-sheets suggesting unfolding of HSA secondary structure due to weak intermolecular interaction with HSA. In view of the evidence presented, it is important to understand the details of the interactions of HSA with DA which will be crucial in the design of new DA-inspired drugs and help revealing vital details to better understand the HSA’s role as a transporter for many drugs.

Post-2015 Development Priorities for the Arab World

The paper addresses the failure of renewing the same millennium development goals （MDGs） format in measuring achievement in a region like the Middle East and North Africa （MENA） region which is drastically being transformed. A new approach focusing on ＂human security＂ principles based on freedom, dignity, justice, equality, solidarity, tolerance, and respect articulated in the millennium declaration is needed. Achieving this requires a more integrated, inclusive, and comprehensive development framework that is able to analyze and understand the context with its progress and setbacks. The paper realizes that measuring MDGs achievement does not only need a comprehensive integrated approach, but also a defmition of risks and challenges that the region faces. Issues like poverty, inequality, unemployment of graduates, personal and collective insecurity due to conflict, migration, and brain drain, food insecurity, and gender inequality are all issues that need to be redefined when analyzing the region to suit the context. The paper concludes that in order to understand the context, re-definition of concepts like poverty reduction, participation, and empowerment is needed to make concepts more relevant to the context. Lastly, the paper reflects the new call from youth for a new development model that is not based on market economy, ends political economy of the rentier states, and emphasizes a productive oriented economy that is able to generate employment and decent work. It also emphasizes democratic governance as an only path for a sustainable participatory development that can realize ambitions and aspirations of the majority of population.

Hand Hygiene Knowledge, Practices and Attitudes among Nurses and Physicians

Background: Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to control health care related infection. Nurses and physicians are the main health care workers contacting with patients, representing the vector in the chain of infection. Thus, assessing their knowledge, practice and attitudes regarding hand hygiene is very important to decrease the incidence of health care related infection and to improve quality of care. Aims: The aim is to assess the knowledge, practice and attitude of Palestinian physicians and nurses regarding hand hygiene in hospitals. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional, quantitative design. Nurses and doctors who worked in the major governmental and private hospitals in the West Bank (Palestine) were targeted. Data was collected using Hand Hygiene Questionnaire. Results: 200 nurses and physicians participated in this study. The results showed that the participants had a moderate knowledge regarding the hand hygiene (m = 6, SD = 1.7). They had a better attitude score than practice with a mean of 82.5 ± 8.8. There was a significant difference between male and female only in practice score (p = 0.015). Older participants had better attitudes, and private hospitals had significantly higher scores for compliance, importance of hand hygiene and practice than governmental hospitals (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of the current study showed that there was a further need to focus on the practices of hand hygiene by continuous education for both Palestinian nurses and physicians.

Seasonal and Spatial Variation in the Monitoring Parameters of Zomar Stream, Palestine during 2010

Levels of pollutants at Zomar stream, the only recreational area for the inhabitants of the northern part of the West Bank, Palestine, were recently determined, and have shown to be relatively high. Three bathing sites along the Zomar stream area were monitored for one year （fortnightly）. Wastewater samples were subjected to microbiological analysis （fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas, Enterococcus and Klebsiella）, physico-chemical analyses （water temperature, pH, electroconductivity and DO （dissolved oxygen））, biochemical oxygen demand, total Kjeldahl nitrogen and ammonia. The study results demonstrated seasonal and locational variations in all parameters studied. The highest levels of pollution were detected during summer, especially before a rainfall or after a discharge from onsite cesspits. Locations associated with sewage discharge were found to have the highest fecal indicator levels.

Environmental and Socio- Economic Impact of Wastewater in Wadi- Qana Drainage Basin- Salfeet- Palestine

This study discussed the social- economic and environmental impacts of wastewater on Qana drainage basin. This study has been accomplished through carrying out biological and physio-chemical characterization for water samples from various springs in Qana valley in order to specify the quality of the springs' water. Moreover, the socio-economic effects of wastewater on the population in the study area were discussed. The study was relied mainly on using the analytical field methodology to analyse the samples of the springs water. It also used the applied quantitative methodology to check the results of the questionnaire that was distributed between the farmers in Qana valley. The study has found that the flowing wastewater from the Israeli settlements that lie in the study area is regarded as the main source in polluting the underground water in the basin. The results also revealed that 84% of the population of the Palestinian villages that lie in Qana basin use open septic tanks in getting rid of their wastewater then draining it in the nearby valleys which in turn increased the percentage of pollution. Moreover, results also pointed that 82% of Qana valley population has left their homes in Qana valley to the nearby villages because of the spread of bad smells in the valley. The results also revealed that 45.5% of Qana valley farmers have stopped planting their agricultural lands because of wastewater which in turn lowers the percentage of agricultural production. The analyses showed that all the springs in the study area are biologically polluted by the bacteria which is regarded as an indicator wastewater pollution. The chemical analyses also revealed that all elements lie within the allowed limits according to the World Health Organization except iron which exceeded the allowed limits in Al-Fawwar and Al-Maasser springs which indicates the pollution of these springs.

Towards Smart, Sustainable, Accessible and Inclusive City for Persons with Disability by Taking into Account Checklists Tools

The main characteristics of potential smart cities in the future, smart citizens, smart energy, smart buildings, smart mobility, smart technology, smart healthcare, smart infrastructure, smart governance and education, and finally smart security are the aspects of smart cities. In the smart city, smart accessible infrastructure creates an inclusive environment for people with disabilities, in which they can integrate into the community and enjoy their civil, cultural, political, social and economic rights and entitlements. The aim of this study is to integrate disabled people into society so that they can actively participate in society and lead to a normal life. An integrated approach is needed to ensure that people with disabilities are not left alone. A combination of mainstreaming and targeted action is required for all interventions. People with disabilities have the same basic needs as everyone else: health protection and treatment, basic services, housing and income. Targeted intervention measures need to complement disability mainstreaming by addressing specific needs identified by general responses, including such interventions need not add materially to the overall cost, especially if the requirements of the maximum number of users are considered in the initial planning. This paper recommends how we can use an appropriate design checklist as a guide for our initial architectural concept and smart city planning to facilities reasonably accessible for people with disabilities in private and public buildings, making our cities smarter and more inclusive and helping to improve the quality of life for all people, especially people with disabilities.

Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts Assessment of Using Different Rainwater Harvesting Techniques in Sarida Catchment, West Bank, Palestine

A statistically representative questionnaire targeted people using rainwater harvesting(RWH)techniques in rural communities of Sarida catchment,West Bank,Palestine was distributed and analyzed.The main objective of this study is to assess the social,economic,and environmental impacts of adopting RWH techniques(e.g.cisterns,concrete and clay ponds,Wadi ponds,earth dams,and stone terraces)in different uses to increase water availability.The results showed a simple sharing of the female component among beneficiaries,while concrete ponds and cisterns were the most used techniques.Actually,social impacts were noticeable by sharing the same RWH structure and reflected to responsibility skills and role exchange increases.On the other hand,RWH techniques showed a significant economic impact for end users represented by enhancing domestic,agricultural,and recreational activities leading to good profit increase.In addition to food security as output,the most important environmental impact was water wasting prevention,which in turn could be linked to sustainable water management and considered as universal challenge for future generations.

Pollution Aspects Interconnections to Socio-economical impact of Natuf Springs-Palestine

This study aims at determining the types of pollutants and their sources for the springs in the Natuf catchment/Palestine in addition to evaluating the socio-economic environmental impact on water utilization from residential people.Twelve spring water samples were collected for hydrochemical qualitative analyses of major and trace elements as well as microbiological analyses in the summer of 2017.Plotted spring water samples on the Piper Diagram indicated the water type of Mg-Ca-HCO3-and eleven samples could be classified as fresh water.Fifty questionnaires were distributed to the farmers and land owners in order to study the impact of socio-economic and environmental conditions for the spring water utilization.The study shows that 90%of local people are using the springs for agricultural purposes.The spring water chemical analysis indicates that they are free from industrial pollutants in regards that 84%of them are located away from the dumping sites.The study shows that respondents are not interested in rain water harvesting during winter season,because 44%of them have their own cisterns.The existence of the water network as well as the absence of the related authority role's contributes to the reduction of people’s dependence on spring water.The results will be used for the qualitative aspects potentiality of the appropriated rainwater harvesting techniques to be installed in the area.It is recommended to establish a qualitative monitoring network in Natuf watershed as well as for the springs of the other catchments in the west Bank.

Adoption of, the Palestine Green Building Design Approach, with the Help of Checklist Tools

Nowadays our world is faced with various environmental problems. These environmental problems are caused by the increasing pollution in the world, increasing production and consumption of material goods. These problems have serious consequences for human health and also have a major impact on natural ecosystems. This paper discussed sustainable green building in terms of key principles for sustainable building, strategies and guidelines for sustainable green building, and steps for an integrated approach to green design. The study also looked at the status of green building and sustainability, as well as green building materials in Palestine. The study suggested a checklist to help assess the condition of buildings in Palestine and the extent to which they respond to the principles of sustainable green buildings, thus, contributing to help new and existing buildings to adopt a sustainable green building approach, in order to achieve the goals of sustainable green construction in terms of saving energy and resources and reducing waste, therefore, participating in preserving the environment and improving the quality of life.

Design of an Optical Water Pollution Sensor Using a Single-Layer Guided-Mode Resonance Filter

The optical characteristics of a simple, planar, single layer, dielectric Mg-based guided mode resonance filter （GMRF） were investigated by means of rigorous-coupled wave analysis （RCWA）. This filter has great potential for real-life applications, especially as bio- and environmental sensors. The structure of the proposed sensor is compact, and all of its layers can be grown in a single process. In this paper, we present results on the design of a water pollution sensor in the violet region of the visible spectrum. The spectral and angular sensitivities of the sensor for both the transverse electric （TE） and transverse magnetic （TM） polarization modes were estimated and compared for various regions in the violet spectrum. A spectral response characterized with a narrow bandwidth and low reflection side bands was realized by carrying out extensive parameter search and optimization. Optimal spectral and angular sensitivities were found for the sensor with a grating thickness of 100nm in the TM polarized mode where we found them to be 100nm and 40 degrees, per index refraction unit, respectively.

Generalized Oppositional Moth Flame Optimization with Crossover Strategy:An Approach for Medical Diagnosis

In the original Moth-Flame Optimization(MFO),the search behavior of the moth depends on the corresponding flame and the interaction between the moth and its corresponding flame,so it will get stuck in the local optimum easily when facing the multi-dimensional and high-dimensional optimization problems.Therefore,in this work,a generalized oppositional MFO with crossover strategy,named GCMFO,is presented to overcome the mentioned defects.In the proposed GCMFO,GOBL is employed to increase the population diversity and expand the search range in the initialization and iteration jump phase based on the jump rate;crisscross search(CC)is adopted to promote the exploitation and/or exploration ability of MFO.The proposed algorithm’s performance is estimated by organizing a series of experiments;firstly,the CEC2017 benchmark set is adopted to evaluate the performance of GCMFO in tackling high-dimensional and multimodal problems.Secondly,GCMFO is applied to handle multilevel thresholding image segmentation problems.At last,GCMFO is integrated into kernel extreme learning machine classifier to deal with three medical diagnosis cases,including the appendicitis diagnosis,overweight statuses diagnosis,and thyroid cancer diagnosis.Experimental results and discussions show that the proposed approach outperforms the original MFO and other state-of-the-art algorithms on both convergence speed and accuracy.It also indicates that the presented GCMFO has a promising potential for application.