Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Optimistic Fair Exchange Of Ring Signatures, Lie Qu, Guilin Wang, Yi Mu

Dr Guilin Wang

An optimistic fair exchange (OFE) protocol is an effective tool helping two parties exchange their digital items in an equitable way with assistance of a trusted third party, called arbitrator, who is only required if needed. In previous studies, fair exchange is usually carried out between individual parties. When fair exchange is carried our between two members from distinct groups, anonymity of the signer in a group could be necessary for achieving better privacy. In this paper, we consider optimistic fair exchange of ring signatures (OFERS), i.e. two members from two different groups can exchange their ring signatures in a …

On The Invisibility Of Designated Confirmer Signatures, Fubiao Xia, Guilin Wang, Rui Xue

Dr Guilin Wang

As an important cryptographic primitive, designated con- rmer signatures are introduced to control the public veria- bility of signatures. That is, only the signer or a semi-trusted party, called designated conrmer, can interactively assist a verier to check the validity of a designated conrmer sig- nature. The central security property of a designated con- rmer signature scheme is called invisibility, which requires that even an adaptive adversary cannot determine the valid- ity of an alleged signature without direct cooperation from either the signer or the designated conrmer. However, in the literature researchers have proposed two other related properties, called impersonation …

Secure And Practical Key Distribution For Rfid-Enabled Supply Chains, Tieyan Li, Yingjiu Li, Guilin Wang

Dr Guilin Wang

In this paper, we present a fine-grained view of an RFIDenabled supply chain and tackle the secure key distribution problem on a peer-to-peer base, In our model, we focus on any pair of consecutive parties along a supply chain, who agreed on a transaction and based on which, certain RFID-tagged goods are to be transferred by a third party from one party to the other as in common supply chain practice. Under a strong adversary model, we identify and define the security requirements with those parties during the delivery process. To meet the security goal, we first propose a resilient …

A Pairing-Free Id-Based One-Pass Authenticated Key Establishment Protocol For Wireless Sensor Networks, Rehana Yasmin, Eike Ritter, Guilin Wang

Dr Guilin Wang

Due to resource constraints and unique features of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), designing a key establishment protocol is much harder for WSNs than for traditional wired and wireless counterparts. In this paper, we propose a new efficient and secure ID-based one-pass authenticated key establishment protocol between an outside user and a sensor node. The proposed protocol does not require sensor nodes to compute any expensive pairing function. Moreover, it imposes very light computational and communication overheads and also provides scalability. We analyze security and efficiency of the proposed protocol by comparing firstly the session key establishment protocols for WSNs and …

Positive Semidefinite Metric Learning Using Boosting-Like Algorithms, Chunhua Shen, Junae Kim, Lei Wang, Anton Hengel

Dr Lei Wang

The success of many machine learning and pattern recognition methods relies heavily upon the identification of an appropriate distance metric on the input data. It is often beneficial to learn such a metric from the input training data, instead of using a default one such as the Euclidean distance. In this work, we propose a boosting-based technique, termed BOOSTMETRIC, for learning a quadratic Mahalanobis distance metric. Learning a valid Mahalanobis distance metric requires enforcing the constraint that the matrix parameter to the metric remains positive semidefinite. Semidefinite programming is often used to enforce this constraint, but does not scale well …

Inter-Domain Routing Validator Based Spoofing Defence System, Lei Wang, Tianbing Xia, Jennifer Seberry

Dr Lei Wang

IP spoofing remains a problem today in the Internet. In this paper, a new system called Inter-Domain Routing Validator Based Spoofing Defence System (SDS) for filtering spoofed IP packets is proposed . SDS uses efficient symmetric key message authentication code (UMAC) as its tag to verify that a source IP address is valid. Different ASes border routers obtain a shared key via the Inter-Domain Routing Validator (IRV) servers which will manage the secret keys and exchange keys among different ASes via security communication channel. SDS is efficient, secure and easy to cooperate with other defence mechanisms.

Incorporation Of Radius-Info Can Be Simple With Simplemkl, Xinwang Liu, Lei Wang, Jianping Yin, Lingqiao Liu

Dr Lei Wang

Recent research has shown the benefit of incorporating the radius of the Minimal Enclosing Ball (MEB) of training data into Multiple Kernel Learning (MKL). However, straightforwardly incorporating this radius leads to complex learning structure and considerably increased computation. Moreover, the notorious sensitivity of this radius to outliers can adversely affect MKL. In this paper, instead of directly incorporating the radius of MEB, we incorporate its close relative, the trace of data scattering matrix, to avoid the above problems. By analyzing the characteristics of the resulting optimization, we show that the benefit of incorporating the radius of MEB can be fully …

Handling Significant Scale Difference For Object Retrieval In A Supermarket, Yuhang Zhang, Lei Wang, Richard Hartley, Hongdong Li

Dr Lei Wang

No abstract provided.

A Novel Video-Based Smoke Detection Method Using Image Separation, Hongda Tian, Wanqing Li, Lei Wang, Philip Ogunbona

Dr Lei Wang

In the state-of-the-art video-based smoke detection methods, the representation of smoke mainly depends on the visual information in the current image frame. In the case of light smoke, the original background can be still seen and may deteriorate the characterization of smoke. The core idea of this paper is to demonstrate the superiority of using smoke component for smoke detection. In order to obtain smoke component, a blended image model is constructed, which basically is a linear combination of background and smoke components. Smoke opacity which represents a weighting of the smoke component is also defined. Based on this model, …

Identifying Anatomical Shape Difference By Regularized Discriminative Direction, Luping Zhou, Richard Hartley, Lei Wang, Paulette Lieby, Nick Barnes

Dr Lei Wang

Identifying the shape difference between two groups of anatomical objects is important for medical image analysis and computer-aided diagnosis. A method called ldquodiscriminative directionrdquo in the literature has been proposed to solve this problem. In that method, the shape difference between groups is identified by deforming a shape along the discriminative direction. This paper conducts a thorough study about inferring this discriminative direction in an efficient and accurate way. First, finding the discriminative direction is reformulated as a preimage problem in kernel-based learning. This provides a complementary but conceptually simpler solution than the previous method. More importantly, we find that …

Positive Semidefinite Metric Learning With Boosting, Chunhua Shen, Junae Kim, Lei Wang, Anton Hengel

Dr Lei Wang

No abstract provided.

Computational Study Of Vibrational Qubits In Anharmonic Linear Ion Traps, Lei Wang

Dr Lei Wang

A string of cold ions confined in a linear trap represents a man-made quantum object with a broad range of applications in atomic and molecular spectroscopy, such as high-precision measurement of atomic properties. An efficient isolation from the environment guarantees excellent coherent properties of such systems and makes them suitable for practical realization of the quantum information processing. The pioneering theoretical [Cirac and Zoller] and experimental [Wineland and Monroe] work in 1990s resulted in the explosive expansion of this field during the last decade. In this dissertation an alternative new method for controlling the quantized motional/vibrational states of ions in …

What Has My Classifier Learned? Visualizing The Classification Rules Of Bag-Of-Feature Model By Support Region Detection, Lingqiao Liu, Lei Wang

Dr Lei Wang

In the past decade, the bag-of-feature model has established itself as the state-of-the-art method in various visual classification tasks. Despite its simplicity and high performance, it normally works as a black box and the classification rule is not transparent to users. However, to better understand the classification process, it is favorable to look into the black box to see how an image is recognized. To fill this gap, we developed a tool called Restricted Support Region Set (RSRS) Detection which can be utilized to visualize the image regions that are critical to the classification decision. More specifically, we define the …

A Centre-Stable Manifold For The Energy-Critical Wave Equation In R^3 In The Symmetric Setting, Marius Beceanu

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Scholarship

Consider the focusing semilinear wave equation in R^3 with energy-critical nonlinearity \partial_t^2 \psi - \Delta \psi - \psi^5 = 0, \psi(0) = \psi_0, \partial_t \psi(0) = \psi_1. This equation admits stationary solutions of the form \phi(x, a) := (3a)^{1/4} (1+a|x|^2)^{-1/2}, called solitons, which solve the elliptic equation -\Delta \phi - \phi^5 = 0. Restricting ourselves to the space of symmetric solutions \psi for which \psi(x) = \psi(-x), we find a local centre-stable manifold, in a neighborhood of \phi(x, 1), for this wave equation in the weighted Sobolev space ^{-1} \dot H^1 \times< x>^{-1} L^2. Solutions with initial data on the …

Consumers And Sustainability At Walmart: A Student's Perspective, Kealy Carter, Satish Jayachandran

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

To further encourage students to analyze initial goals in comparison with outcomes over time, we have developed a consumer-oriented case—“Consumers and Sustainability at Walmart: A Student’s Perspective”—that moves beyond the perspective of internal Walmart participants to explores issues of sustainability from the point of view of a typical Walmart shopper. In this case, we examine the experience of a fictional student shopper who goes to Walmart and wants to buy sustainable products, which helps raise questions for students about what Walmart’s actions mean to them as consumers, citizens as well as business professionals. The case also asks students to evaluate …

Generalized Estimating Equations, Second Edition.Pdf, James W. Hardin, Joseph M.. Hilbe

Joseph M Hilbe

Generalized Estimating Equations, Second edition, updates the best-selling previous edition, which has been the standard text on the subject since it was published a decade ago. Combining theory and application, the text provides readers with a comprehensive discussion of GEE and related models. Numerous examples are employed throughout the text, along with the software code used to create, run, and evaluate the models being examined. Stata is used as the primary software for running and displaying modeling output; associated R code is also given to allow R users to replicate Stata examples. Specific examples of SAS usage are provided in …

Lake Padden Monitoring Project 2012 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen, Laura Junge

Lake Padden

The Lake Padden monitoring project was initiated in 2011 by the citizens group, People for Lake Padden (P4LP), to provide an intensive water quality study of Lake Padden. Water samples were collected between June and December 2011 by AndrewMajeske, a student intern working with the Institute forWatershed Studies (IWS) and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA). The results from this project were summarized by Majeske et al. (2012). The water quality monitoring was funded for a second year by P4LP, which provided funding for IWS student intern Laura Junge. Additional funding was provided by the City of Bellingham to identify …

Ferroelectric Instability Under Screened Coulomb Interactions, Yong Wang, Xiaohui Liu, John D. Burton, Sitaram S. Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

We explore the effect of charge carrier doping on ferroelectricity using density functional calculations and phenomenological modeling. By considering a prototypical ferroelectric material, BaTiO₃, we demonstrate that ferroelectric displacements are sustained up to the critical concentration of 0.11 electron per unit cell volume. This result is consistent with experimental observations and reveals that the ferroelectric phase and conductivity can coexist. Our investigations show that the ferroelectric instability requires only a short-range portion of the Coulomb force with an interaction range of the order of the lattice constant. These results provide a new insight into the origin of ferroelectricity …

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Peter Redmond And The Search For Sustainable Seafood, David G. Hyatt

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

In “Peter Redmond and the Search for Sustainable Seafood,” students examine the responses of Peter Redmond, Vice President and Divisional Merchandise Manager of Deli and Seafood, to organizational pressures to make seafood more sustainable at Walmart.

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Andy Ruben And The Design Of Organizational Structures And Systems (B), David G. Hyatt, Andrew Spicer

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

The case “Andy Ruben and the Design of Strategic Goals and Processes” flows from the previous discussion, by moving from the development of an ambitious vision to the challenges of adopting strategic policies and processes to reach those aspirations in practice. This case puts students into the role of Andy Ruben, Walmart’s first Vice-President for Sustainability , asking them to make concrete decisions about what should be done, in what order, and by what process if they were to implement an ambitious corporate sustainability strategy. In the case, Ruben confronts specific choices about how to define the responsibilities of the …

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Defining Sustainable Products (A), David G. Hyatt, Andrew Spicer

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

In “Defining Sustainable Products (A),” we examine Walmart’s search for a systemic solution to define a sustainable product precisely. In this case, Matt Kistler, who succeeded Andy Ruben as the company sustainability leader in 2007, knows that the company is lagging behind on its espoused goal of selling sustainable products. The case asks students step into Kistler’s shoes as he leads Walmart’s sustainability office through a systematic review of the different models and frameworks available for measuring the sustainability of products presently in use. Eventually, the students face a decision about what Walmart should do to make systemic progress with …

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Andy Ruben And The Design Of Organizaional Structures And Systems (A), Andrew Spicer, Laura Lambdin

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

The case “Andy Ruben and the Design of Strategic Goals and Processes” flows from the previous discussion, by moving from the development of an ambitious vision to the challenges of adopting strategic policies and processes to reach those aspirations in practice. This case puts students into the role of Andy Ruben, Walmart’s first Vice-President for Sustainability , asking them to make concrete decisions about what should be done, in what order, and by what process if they were to implement an ambitious corporate sustainability strategy. In the case, Ruben confronts specific choices about how to define the responsibilities of the …

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Lee Scott's Founding Vision, Andrew Spicer, Laura Lambdin

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

The first case—“Lee Scott’s Founding Vision”—takes the perspective from the apex of the organization as Walmart’s CEO, Lee Scott, develops and articulates his vision of what Walmart hopes to achieve by pursuing an aggressive sustainability strategy. This case explores the pressures that led Scott to announce the company’s ambitious sustainability goals: achieving zero waste, 100% renewable energy, and selling sustainable products. It also explores the choices made when defining and communicating the scope of the strategy, particularly through an in-depth analysis of his announcement of Walmart’s new goals in his October 2005, “Twenty-First Century Leadership” speech.

Walmart's Sustainability Journey: Defining Sustainable Products (B), David G. Hyatt, Andrew Spicer

Wal-Mart Sustainability Case Project

In “Defining Sustainable Products (A),” we examine Walmart’s search for a systemic solution to define a sustainable product precisely. In this case, Matt Kistler, who succeeded Andy Ruben as the company sustainability leader in 2007, knows that the company is lagging behind on its espoused goal of selling sustainable products. The case asks students step into Kistler’s shoes as he leads Walmart’s sustainability office through a systematic review of the different models and frameworks available for measuring the sustainability of products presently in use. Eventually, the students face a decision about what Walmart should do to make systemic progress with …

Impact Of Post-Synthesis Modification Of Nanoporous Organic Frameworks On Selective Carbon Dioxide Capture, Timur İslamoğlu

Theses and Dissertations

Porous organic polymers containing nitrogen-rich building units are among the most promising materials for selective CO2 capture and separation applications that impact the environment and the quality of methane and hydrogen fuels. The work described herein describes post-synthesis modification of Nanoporous Organic Frameworks (NPOFs) and its impact on gas storage and selective CO2 capture. The synthesis of NPOF-4 was accomplished via a catalysed cyclotrimerization reaction of 1,3,5,7-tetrakis(4-acetylphenyl)adamantane in Ethanol/Xylenes mixture using SiCl4 as a catalyst. NPOF-4 is microporous and has high surface area (SABET = 1249 m2 g-1). Post-synthesis modification of NPOF-4 by nitration afforded (NPOF-4-NO2) and subsequent reduction resulted …

Simultaneous Radar And Video Meteors, Robert J. Weryk

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The goal of this thesis is to better understand the physical and chemical properties of meteoroids by using simultaneous radar and video observations of meteors. The Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar (CMOR) and several Gen-III image-intensified CCD cameras were used to measure common meteors and validate metric errors determined through Monte Carlo modelling and to relate radar electron line density (q) to video photon radiant power (I). By adopting an ionisation coefficient from Jones (1997) and using recorded measurements of q/I, a corresponding estimate of the fraction of meteoroid kinetic energy loss converted into light (luminous efficiency) was found.

It was …

A New Algorithm For De Novo Genome Assembly, Md. Bahlul Haider

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The enormous amount of short reads produced by next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques such as Roche/454, Illumina/Solexa and SOLiD sequencing opened the possibility of de novo genome assembly. Some of the de novo genome assemblers (e.g., Edena, SGA) use an overlap graph approach to assemble a genome, while others (e.g., ABySS and SOAPdenovo) use a de Bruijn graph approach. Currently, the approaches based on the de Bruijn graph are the most successful, yet their performance is far from being able to assemble entire genomic sequences. We developed a new overlap graph based genome assembler called Paired-End Genome ASsembly Using Short-sequences …

Cloud Computing For Environment-Friendly Data Centers, Michael Pawlish, Aparna Varde, Stefan Robila

Department of Computer Science Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the carbon footprint and utilization rates in a data center. The long-term goal of this work is to give data center administrators an enhanced perspective of data center operations to allow for more energy efficient operation, to lower the carbon footprint, and to promote green data centers. Previous literature shows that low utilization rates in data centers are due to the forecasting of demand to meet spikes in data center use. This management policy has led to many servers running idle the majority of the time which is a waste of resources. …

Topographic Influences On Trends And Cycles In Nutrient Export From Forested Catchments On The Precambrian Shield, Samson G. Mengistu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation explored topographic controls on spatial and temporal patterns in water yield and nutrient (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus) export from forested headwater catchments in the Turkey Lakes Watershed in central Ontario, where other factors contributing to differences in water yield and nutrient export, including climate, geology, forest, and soils, are relatively constant. Topographic characteristics, including (a) hydrological flushing potential (expansion of water table into nitrate-N producing areas); (b) hydrological storage potential (area of wetlands, which can alternatively allow water and nutrients to bypass wetlands when storage capacity is filled with water or to trap them when not filled); and …

Bf2obn∙Oet2: A Novel Lewis Acid And Its Use In A Regio- And Stereo-Selective Opening Of Trisubstituted Epoxides And Its Application Towards Amphidinolide C, Nicholas A. Morra, Brian Pagenkopf

Chemistry Publications

The generation of a new Lewis acid (BF2OBn·OEt2) has been reported, and its usefulness has been demonstrated in the regio- and stereoselective ring-opening of trisubstituted epoxides. This Lewis acid is one in a series of new Lewis acids generated from BF3·OEt2 that display varying levels of Lewis acidity. When paired with a modified Shi epoxidation protocol, highly functionalized propionate units, such as those found in a wide variety of natural products, can be accessed. In conjunction with a Mukaiyama oxidative cyclization employing our second generation catalyst Co(nmp)2, this procedure ultimately culminated in the shortest and highest yielding route towards the …