Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Software Framework For The Design, Testing And Deployment Of Control Systems For Autonomous Robotics, Duane Stanley Bolick Jr.

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Simulation and control of robotic agents are common enough tasks among computer science and engineering researchers that there exists a large variety of software applications, toolkits, and programming frameworks designed to facilitate such research. The intent of this project is to provide an autonomous robotics simulation and control framework with sufficiently useful tools and reference implementations so as to be immediately useful to basic users, as well as easily understood and extended by software developers and robotics researchers.

As such, this document describes the implementation of a general networking toolkit, an autonomous robotics extension framework, and an autonomous robotics simulator …

Linking Plume Spreading To Hierarchical Stratal Architecture, Ramya Ramanathan

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A new form of the Lagrangian-based model for macrodispersion of inert (non-reactive) solutes is presented. The model is based on a hierarchical expression of the spatial covariance of log-permeability representing a hierarchy of stratal unit types with a corresponding hierarchy of permeability subpopulations. The covariance expression representing the hierarchy of unit types is a linear sum of terms corresponding to the probability of transitioning across stratal unit types of different scales, and these terms are directly related to quantifiable geometric attributes of the hierarchical stratal architecture. The new macrodispersion model is also a linear sum of terms, with different integral …

Using Morphometrics, Phylogenetic Systematics And Parsimony Analysis To Gain Insight Into The Evolutionary Affinities Of The Calymenidae Trilobita, Alex J. Chestnut

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The most common trilobite in the Silurian carbonates of Ohio - especially the Springfield Dolomite - is a species that has been assigned to at least five genera over the past 100 years. This trilobite has been variously referred to as Calymene celebra, Apocalymene celebra, Flexicalymene celebra, Gravicalymene celebra, and Sthenarocalymene celebra. Reexamination of the species "Calymene" celebra through parsimony and morphometric analysis was conducted to properly place this calymenid species within the correct genus. What compounds the confusion is that the characters used to seperate the genera within the family Calymenidae, and therefore create the basis for the argument …

Improving Remote Homology Detection Using A Sequence Property Approach, Gina Marie Cooper

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Understanding the structure and function of proteins is a key part of understanding biological systems. Although proteins are complex biological macromolecules, they are made up of only 20 basic building blocks known as amino acids. The makeup of a protein can be described as a sequence of amino acids. One of the most important tools in modern bioinformatics is the ability to search for biological sequences (such as protein sequences) that are similar to a given query sequence. There are many tools for doing this (Altschul et al., 1990, Hobohm and Sander, 1995, Thomson et al., 1994, Karplus and Barrett, …

Sub-Mm Wave Imaging And Waveguiding Techniques For Non-Destructive Materials Evaluation, Izaak Vincent Kemp

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Sub-mm wave technology (also known as Terahertz/THz) is a rapidly developing field of electro-optics which has great potential in a variety of applications. Generally defined as the band of the electro-magnetic spectrum with frequencies spanning from 300 GHz to 30 THz, sub-mm waves are non-ionizing and are capable of passing through a wide range of dielectric substances making them well suited for imaging purposes such as non-destructive materials evaluation (NDE). Because of their high sensitivity to metals and ability to penetrate surface obscurants such as paint, oil, and epoxy sub-mm waves are capable of imaging corrosion damage on metallic surfaces …

Design And Performance Analysis Of A Secure Proces-Sor Scan-Sp With Crypto-Biometric Capabilities, Raghudeep Kannavara

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Secure computing is gaining importance in recent times as computing capability is increasingly becoming distributed and information is everywhere. Prevention of piracy and digital rights management has become very important. Information security is mandatory rather than an additional feature. Numerous software techniques have been proposed to provide certain level of copyright and intellectual property protection. Techniques like obfuscation attempt to transform the code into a form that is harder to reverse engineer. Tamper-proofing causes a program to malfunction when it detects that it has been modified. Software watermarking embeds copyright notice in the software code to allow the owners of …

Semantic And Role-Based Access Control For Data Grid Systems, Vineela Muppavarapu

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A Grid is an integration infrastructure for sharing and coordinated use of diverseresources in dynamic, distributed virtual organizations (VOs). A Data Grid is an architecture for the access, exchange, and sharing of data in the Grid environment. Distributed data resources can be diverse in their formats, schema, quality, access mechanisms, ownership, access policies, and capabilities. In recent years, several organizations have started utilizing Grid technologies to deploy data-intensive and/or computation-intensive applications. As more and more organizations are sharing data resources and participating in Data Grids, the complexity and heterogeneity of the systems is increasing constantly, but their management techniques are …

Conducting Polymer Matrix Poly(2,2'-Bithiophene) Mercuric Metal Ion Incorporation, Rachel Michele Kingdom

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The synthesis of poly(2,2'bithiophene) was carried out utilizing the Epsilon 2000 cyclic voltammeter. In order to incorporate the mercuric ion into the polymer matrix, the polymer was grown on an Iridium Oxide conductive glass, immersed into a solution of 0.005M HgSO4 for 15 minutes. The mercuric ion became covalently bonded to the sulfur from the polymer. The comparison of the bare platinum electrode in a solution of 0.005M pyrocatechol to the modified poly(2,2'-bithiophene) polymer was ran at a scan rate of 100mVs-1. This gave a direct comparison of oxidation/reduction peak potentials. As seen, the modified poly(2,2'-bithiophene) polymer with the mercuric …

Tailoring The Degree Of Branching In Hyperbranched Poly (Arylene Ether Sulfone)S And Poly(Arylene Ether Ketone)S Prepared Via An A2 + Bb'b" Approach, Shravanthi Raghavapuram

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The synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched poly(arylene ether)s with tailored degrees of branching has been explored via an A₂+B₃ approach. The reactivity of the individual electrophilic sites towards nucleophilic aromatic substitution, NAS, of the BB'B" monomers 4, 3', 5'-trifluorophenyl sulfone, 1 and 4, 3', 5'-trifluoro benzophenone, 2 were studied. The concentration, temperature and solvent conditions had an effect on the degree of branching, DB, in 1 and 2 and were probed via ¹³C and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy as well as a series of model reactions employing p-cresol 16, which acts as the nucleophile. Soluble, …

Knowledge And Skill Requirements For Entry-Level Information Technology Workers: Do Employers In The It Industry View These Differently Than Employers In Other Industries?, Cheryl L. Aasheim, Susan R. Williams

Department of Information Technology Faculty Publications

In order to determine how to prepare graduates in IT-related degree programs for entry-level jobs, employers in various industries were surveyed to determine whether there are differences in skills and knowledge requirements across industries. The results of the survey are reported and analyzed. Based on the findings of the survey, advising and curriculum recommendations are made.

Authentic Discovery Projects In Statistics, Dianna J. Spence, Robb Sinn

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

We report the activities and findings of a 3-year project, ―Authentic, Career-Specific, Discovery Learning Projects in Introductory Statistics,‖ funded by the National Science Foundation. The project scope includes: 1) development of teaching materials for using discovery learning projects to teach statistics; 2) training secondary teachers to use the materials developed; 3) evaluation of student outcomes, in both content knowledge and attitudes toward statistics; and 4) extending and refining teacher training. With input from an interdisciplinary team of instructors, materials were developed to assist the teacher in facilitating collaborative discovery projects using linear regression techniques and comparison techniques with appropriate t-tests. …

Graduate Accounting Students' Perception Of It Forensics: A Multi-Dimensional Analysis, Grover S. Kearns

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Forensics and information technology (IT) have become increasingly important to accountants and auditors. Undergraduate accounting students are introduced to general IT topics but discussion of forensic knowledge is limited. A few schools have introduced an undergraduate major in forensic accounting. Some graduate schools offer accounting students an emphasis in forensic or fraud accounting that includes instruction in forensics and information technology. When students do not view the IT topics as being equally important to their careers as traditional accounting topics, these attitudes may reduce the quality of the course. In an effort to assess student attitudes, a survey of 46 …

Continuous Fraud Detection In Enterprise Systems Through Audit Trail Analysis, Peter J. Best, Pall Rikhardsson, Mark Toleman

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Enterprise systems, real time recording and real time reporting pose new and significant challenges to the accounting and auditing professions. This includes developing methods and tools for continuous assurance and fraud detection. In this paper we propose a methodology for continuous fraud detection that exploits security audit logs, changes in master records and accounting audit trails in enterprise systems. The steps in this process are: (1) threat monitoringsurveillance of security audit logs for ‘red flags’, (2) automated extraction and analysis of data from audit trails, and (3) using forensic investigation techniques to determine whether a fraud has actually occurred. We …

Defining A Forensic Audit, G. S. Smith, D. L. Crumbley

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Disclosures about new financial frauds and scandals are continually appearing in the press. As a consequence, the accounting profession's traditional methods of monitoring corporate financial activities are under intense scrutiny. At the same time, there is recognition that principles-based GAAP from the International Accounting Standards Board will become the recognized standard in the U.S. The authors argue that these two factors will change the practices used to fight corporate malfeasance as investigators adapt the techniques of accounting into a forensic audit engagement model.

Table Of Contents

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

No abstract provided.

Visualisation Of Honeypot Data Using Graphviz And Afterglow, Craig Valli

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This research in progress paper explores the use of Graphviz and Afterglow for the analysis of data emanating from a honeypot system. Honeypot systems gather a wide range of data that is often difficult to readily search for patterns and trends using conventional log file analysis techniques. The data from the honeypots has been statically extracted and processed through Afterglow scripts to produce inputs suitable for use by the DOT graph based tools contained within Graphviz. This paper explores some of the benefits and drawbacks of currently using this type of approach.

Correlating Orphaned Windows Registry Data Structures, Damir Kahvedžić, Tahar Kechadi

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Recently, it has been shown that deleted entries of the Microsoft Windows registry (keys) may still reside in the system files once the entries have been deleted from the active database. Investigating the complete keys in context may be extremely important from both a Forensic Investigation point of view and a legal point of view where a lack of context can bring doubt to an argument. In this paper we formalise the registry behaviour and show how a retrieved value may not maintain a relation to the part of the registry it belonged to and hence lose that context. We …

The Impact Of Hard Disk Firmware Steganography On Computer Forensics, Iain Sutherland, Gareth Davies, Nick Pringle, Andrew Blyth

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The hard disk drive is probably the predominant form of storage media and is a primary data source in a forensic investigation. The majority of available software tools and literature relating to the investigation of the structure and content contained within a hard disk drive concerns the extraction and analysis of evidence from the various file systems which can reside in the user accessible area of the disk. It is known that there are other areas of the hard disk drive which could be used to conceal information, such as the Host Protected Area and the Device Configuration Overlay. There …

Table Of Contents

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

No abstract provided.

Insecurity By Obscurity: A Review Of Soho Router Literature From A Network Security Perspective, Patryk Szewczyk, Craig Valli

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Because of prevalent threats to SoHo based ADSL Routers, many more devices are compromised. Whilst an end-user may be at fault for not applying the appropriate security mechanisms to counter these threats, vendors should equally share the blame. This paper reveals that the lack of security related content and poor overall design could impact on end-users’ interpretation and willingness to implement security controls on their ADSL router. It argues that whilst the number of threats circulating the Internet is increasing, vendors are not improving their product literature.

Electronic Forms-Based Computing For Evidentiary Analysis, Andy Luse, Brian Mennecke, Anthony M. Townsend

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The paperwork associated with evidentiary collection and analysis is a highly repetitive and time-consuming process which often involves duplication of work and can frequently result in documentary errors. Electronic entry of evidencerelated information can facilitate greater accuracy and less time spent on data entry. This manuscript describes a general framework for the implementation of an electronic tablet-based system for evidentiary processing. This framework is then utilized in the design and implementation of an electronic tablet-based evidentiary input prototype system developed for use by forensic laboratories which serves as a verification of the proposed framework. The manuscript concludes with a discussion …

To License Or Not To License Revisited: An Examination Of State Statutes Regarding Private Investigators And Digital Examiners, Thomas Lonardo, Doug White, Alan Rea

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

In this update to the previous year's study, the authors examine statutes that regulate, license, and enforce investigative functions in each US state. After identification and review of Private Investigator licensing requirements, the authors find that very few state statutes explicitly differentiate between Private Investigators and Digital Examiners. After contacting all state agencies the authors present a distinct grouping organizing state approaches to professional Digital Examiner licensing. The authors conclude that states must differentiate between Private Investigator and Digital Examiner licensing requirements and oversight.

Online Child Sexual Abuse: The French Response, Mohamed Chawki

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Online child sexual abuse is an increasingly visible problem in society today. The introduction, growth and utilization of information and telecommunication technologies (ICTs) have been accompanied by an increase in illegal activities. With respect to cyberspace the Internet is an attractive environment to sex offenders. In addition to giving them greater access to minors, extending their reach from a limited geographical area to victims all around the world, it allows criminals to alter or conceal their identities. Sexual predators, stalkers, child pornographers and child traffickers can use various concealment techniques to make it more difficult for investigators to identify them …

A Synopsis Of Proposed Data Protection Legislation In Sa, Francis S. Cronjé

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Privacy International1 made the following statement regarding South Africa’s financial sector in its 2005 world survey: “South Africa has a well-developed financial system and banking infrastructure. Despite the sophistication of the financial sector, the privacy of financial information is weakly regulated by a code of conduct for banks issued by the Banking Council.” This extract highlights some of the problems South Africa are experiencing with its current status on privacy as viewed from an International perspective. In recent years the International society has stepped up its efforts in creating a global village wherein the individual could be assured of having …

Telecommunications Liberalisation In Africa: Proposed Regulatory Model For The Sadc Region, Z. N. Jobodwana

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The liberalisation of the telecommunication industry in Africa, and the further development of the region’s physical infrastructure was accompanied by the further development of Africa’s information, communication and technology infrastructure. Competition within the industry stimulated heavy economic investment in other sectors of the economy. The outcome of liberalisation also included the establishment of community-based structures that continue to enable communities to manage their own development and gain access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in an unprecedented manner. The telecommunication infrastructure further stimulated the fast development of other related services, for example, ecommerce and mobile commerce (m-commerce), e-government, internet banking, …

Table Of Contents

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

No abstract provided.

Modeling Peer Influence And Peer Selection As Processes, Bob Edward Vasquez

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Behavioral scientists are aware of the strong and persistent correlation between peer and individual behavior. Evidence suggests selection and socialization effects explain the correlation, but the processes, or the details of the ways in which these effects operate in an empirical model, remain relatively unexamined.

Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopic Study Of Gas-Phase Photolysis Of Unsaturated Dicarbonyls And Aromatic Aldehydes, And Surface Photolysis Of Acetaldehyde, Bin Xiang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Photochemical smog is a phenomenon associated with pollution in urban atmospheres arising from the photochemical oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of nitrogen oxides. The oxidation process can lead to ozone and secondary air pollutants including particle formation which reduce visibility. The term "photochemical smog" is used to describe this pollutant mixture. The further degradation of secondary air pollutants could also have an impact on the atmospheric oxidation capacity. However, the atmospheric degradation mechanisms of the secondary pollutants are still not fully understood. In this dissertation, cavity ring-down spectroscopy combined with laser photolysis and Fourier transform infrared …

Iowa Academy Of Science 121st Annual Meeting [2009]: Advance Program, Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contains information about the schedule and presentations for the 2009 annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science.

Iowa Academy Of Science: The New Bulletin, V05n4, Winter 2009, Iowa Academy Of Science

New Bulletin

Inside This Issue:

--Message from the Executive Director

--President's Message: Each One, Reach One

--122nd Annual Meeting

--Images from the 2009 ISTS Fall Conference

--Excellence in Science Teaching Awards (ESTA)

--Distinguished Science Awards

--IJAS Silent Auction

--Announcements, Events & Deadlines

--IAS Corporate Memberships