A mounted specimen of a mustelid animal deposited in the Kurdistan Museum of Natural History, Salahaddin University, Erbil proved to be Mustela erminea (Linnaeus, 1758) and represents a new record for the mammalian fauna of Iraq. Its measurements and some biological noted are provided. Also, two passerine birds; the Red-headed bunting, Emberiza bruniceps Brandt, 1841(Family, Emberizidae) and the Variable wheatear, Oenanthe picata (Blyth, 1847) (Family, Muscicapidae) were recorded for the first time in Iraq. Furthermore, the tree frog Hyla savignyi Audouin, 1829 was found in two locations north east of Iraq with spotted dorsum and having interesting behavior in having the capabil

Localization is an essential demand in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). It relies on several types of measurements. This paper focuses on positioning in 3-D space using time-of-arrival- (TOA-) based distance measurements between the target node and a number of anchor nodes. Central localization is assumed and either RF, acoustic or UWB signals are used for distance measurements. This problem is treated by using iterative gradient descent (GD), and an iterative GD-based algorithm for localization of moving sensors in a WSN has been proposed. To localize a node in 3-D space, at least four anchors are needed. In this work, however, five anchors are used to get better accuracy. In GD localization of a moving sensor, the algo

To assess cultural competence among nursing students from nine countries to provide an international perspective on cultural competence.

The art of preventing the detection of hidden information messages is the way that steganography work. Several algorithms have been proposed for steganographic techniques. A major portion of these algorithms is specified for image steganography because the image has a high level of redundancy. This paper proposed an image steganography technique using a dynamic threshold produced by the discrete cosine coefficient. After dividing the green and blue channel of the cover image into 1*3-pixel blocks, check if any bits of green channel block less or equal to threshold then start to store the secret bits in blue channel block, and to increase the security not all bits in the chosen block used to store the secret bits. Firstly, store in the cente

<span lang="EN-US">The use of bio-signals analysis in human-robot interaction is rapidly increasing. There is an urgent demand for it in various applications, including health care, rehabilitation, research, technology, and manufacturing. Despite several state-of-the-art bio-signals analyses in human-robot interaction (HRI) research, it is unclear which one is the best. In this paper, the following topics will be discussed: robotic systems should be given priority in the rehabilitation and aid of amputees and disabled people; second, domains of feature extraction approaches now in use, which are divided into three main sections (time, frequency, and time-frequency). The various domains will be discussed, then a discussion of e

Pattern matching algorithms are usually used as detecting process in intrusion detection system. The efficiency of these algorithms is affected by the performance of the intrusion detection system which reflects the requirement of a new investigation in this field. Four matching algorithms and a combined of two algorithms, for intrusion detection system based on new DNA encoding, are applied for evaluation of their achievements. These algorithms are Brute-force algorithm, Boyer-Moore algorithm, Horspool algorithm, Knuth-Morris-Pratt algorithm, and the combined of Boyer-Moore algorithm and Knuth–Morris– Pratt algorithm. The performance of the proposed approach is calculated based on the executed time, where these algorithms are applied o

Soils that cause effective damages to engineer structures (such as pavement and foundation) are called problematic or difficult soils (include collapsible soil, expansive soil, etc.). These damages occur due to poor or unfavorited engineering properties, such as low shear strength, high compressibility, high volume changes, etc. In the case of expansive soil, the problem of the shrink-swell phenomenon, when the soil reacts with water, is more pronounced. To overcome such problems, soils can be treated or stabilized with many stabilization ways (mechanical, chemical, etc.). Such ways can amend the unfavorited soil properties. In this review, the pozzolanic materials have been selected to be presented and discussed as chem

        End Stage Renal Disease is a well-known global public health problem. Maintenance hemodialysis is considered a life-saving treatment for patients with such disease. This treatment method that requires patients to be adherent to hemodialysis attendance, dietary and fluid recommendations as well as adherence to prescribed medications to ensure success. The aim of the current study was to assess adherence, perception, and counseling among hemodialysis patients to different modalities of treatment (fluid restriction, dietary recommendations, medications, and hemodialysis schedules). A cross-sectional study carried out on hemodialysis patients who attended to the dialysis centers at al- Karama teachi

Piled raft is commonly used as foundation for high rise buildings. The design concept of piled raft foundation is to minimize the number of piles, and to utilize the entire bearing capacity. High axial stresses are therefore, concentrated at the region of connection between the piles and raft. Recently, an alternative technique is proposed to disconnect the piles from the raft in a so called unconnected piled raft (UCPR) foundation, in which a compacted soil layer (cushion) beneath the raft, is usually introduced.  The piles of the new system are considered as reinforcement members for the subsoil rather than as structural members. In the current study, the behavior of unconnected piled rafts systems has been studie