A novel speech bandwidth extension method based on audio watermark is presented in this paper. The time-domain and frequency-domain envelope parameters are extracted from the high-frequency components of speech signal, and then these parameters are embedded in the corresponding narrowband speech bit stream by the modified least significant bit watermark method which uses perception property. At...

Household food security remains a challenge in South Africa. The national government instituted the Integrated Food Security Strategy (IFSS) programme which identifies household agricultural production as an important element of improving household-level food security. Agricultural extension is well positioned to help achieve this aim, but its current contribution is unknown. This study identif...

Some digital business models may be so innovative that they overwhelm existing regulatory mechanisms, both legislation and historical jurisprudence, and require extension to or modification of antitrust law. Regulatory policies that were developed in response to 19th or 20th century antitrust concerns dealt principally with economies of scale leading to monopoly power, and may not be well suite...

We evaluated the association between radiographically assessed extension and density of root canal fillings and postoperative apical radiolucencies (ARs) by using data from 288 participants in the Veterans Affairs Dental Longitudinal Study. Study subjects were not Veterans Affairs patients; all received their medical and dental care in the private sector. Generalized estimating equations were u...

This paper examines the structures of information transfer to the agricultural (production) and agro-alimentary (transformation and commercialization of the products) sector within Spain. A historical perspective is provided to better illustrate the reality and complexity of Spain with regard to the systems of agrarian extension, agricultural research, resources provided by Spain’s central admi...

What factors are relevant in determining why agents remain employed in Extension? This article discusses the implications of maintenance and motivation factors on Extension agent turnover. It describes motivator and maintenance factors affecting job satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and their influence on agent turnover. Professional associations offer agents the motivation factors discussed in...

Landowner education is the foundation of a broad suite of public investments designed to encourage sustainable forest management. Extension Forestry programs are the primary providers of landowner education in the United States. We report the results of a census of the 50 state-level Extension Forestry Program Leaders on status, trends, and innovations in their programs. These programs employ 2...

In 1995, Kuwakado, Koyama and Tsuruoka presented a new RSA-type scheme based on singular cubic curves y2 ≡ x3+bx2 (mod N) where N = pq is an RSA modulus. Then, in 2002, Elkamchouchi, Elshenawy and Shaban introduced an extension of the RSA scheme to the field of Gaussian integers using a modulus N = PQ where P and Q are Gaussian primes such that p = |P| and q = |Q| are ordinary primes. Later, in...

This paper introduces a new central trapdoor for multivariate quadratic (MQ) public-key cryptosystems that allows for encryption, in contrast to time-tested MQ primitives such as Unbalanced Oil and Vinegar or Hidden Field Equations which only allow for signatures. Our construction is a mixed-field scheme that exploits the commutativity of the extension field to dramatically reduce the complexit...