Digital Commons Network^™

A Method For Estimating Fractal Dimension Of Tree Crowns From Digital Images, Dongsheng Zhang, Ashok Samal, James R. Brandle

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

A new method for estimating fractal dimension of tree crowns from digital images is presented. Three species of trees, Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata Sieb & Zucc), Hicks yew (Taxus × media), and eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.), were studied. Fractal dimensions of Japanese yew and Hicks yew range from 2.26 to 2.70. Fractal dimension of eastern white pine range from 2.14 to 2.43. The difference in fractal dimension between Japanese yew and eastern white pine was statistically significant at 0.05 significance level as was the difference in fractal dimension between Hicks yew and eastern white …

Network Architectures For Live Peer-To-Peer Media Streaming, Jagannath Ghoshal, Lisong Xu, Byrav Ramamurthy, Miao Wang

School of Computing: Technical Reports

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) media streaming networks, motivated by the huge success of P2P file downloading networks, have recently attracted a lot of research interest. However, it is challenging to design P2P media streaming networks because of the stringent time constraints on the delivered media streams, which require more efficient and resilient overlay architectures. In this paper, we focus on live P2P media streaming networks, a promising application flourishing in the Internet and which requires the distribution of live (not stored) multimedia content to subscribers. We review the architectures for live P2P media streaming networks, and consider both overlay topologies and their …

Experimenting With Software Testbeds For Evaluating New Technologies, Mikael Lindvall, Ioana Rus, Paolo Donzelli, Atif Memon, Marvin Zelkowitz, Aysu Betin-Can, Tevfik Bultan, Chris Ackermann, Bettina Anders, Sima Asgari, Victor Basili, Lorin Hochstein, Jörg Fellmann, Forrest Shull, Roseanne Tvedt, Daniel Pech, Daniel Hirschbach

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

The evolution of a new technology depends upon a good theoretical basis for developing the technology, as well as upon its experimental validation. In order to provide for this experimentation, we have investigated the creation of a software testbed and the feasibility of using the same testbed for experimenting with a broad set of technologies. The testbed is a set of programs, data, and supporting documentation that allows researchers to test their new technology on a standard software platform. An important component of this testbed is the Unified Model of Dependability (UMD), which was used to elicit dependability requirements for …

Computer Simulation And Modeling Of Physical And Biological Processes Using Partial Differential Equations, Wensheng Shen

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Scientific research in areas of physics, chemistry, and biology traditionally depends purely on experimental and theoretical methods. Recently numerical simulation is emerging as the third way of science discovery beyond the experimental and theoretical approaches. This work describes some general procedures in numerical computation, and presents several applications of numerical modeling in bioheat transfer and biomechanics, jet diffusion flame, and bio-molecular interactions of proteins in blood circulation.

A three-dimensional (3D) multilayer model based on the skin physical structure is developed to investigate the transient thermal response of human skin subject to external heating. The temperature distribution of the skin is …

Businessfinder: Harnessing Presence To Enable Live Yellow Pages For Small, Medium And Micro Mobile Businesses, D. Chakraborty, K. Dasgupta, S. Mittal, Archan Misra, C. Oberle, A. Gupta, E. Newmark

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Applications leveraging network presence in next-generation cellular networks have so far focused on subscription queries, where "presence" information is extracted from specific devices and sent to entities who have subscribed to such presence information. In this article we present BusinessFinder, a service that leverages the underlying cellular presence substrate to provide efficient, on-demand, context-aware matching of customer requests to nomadic micro businesses as well as small and medium businesses having a mobile workforce. Presence, in the context of BusinessFinder, is not simply limited to phone location and device status, but also encompasses dynamic attributes of vendors (both "mobile" and "static"), …

Searching And Tagging: Two Sides Of The Same Coin?, Qiaozhu Mei, Jing Jiang, Hang Su, Chengxiang Zhai

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper presents the duality hypothesis of search and tagging, two important behaviors of web users. The hypothesis states that if a user views a document D in the search results for query Q, the user would tend to assign document $D$ a tag identical to or similar to Q; similarly, if a user tags a document D with a tag T, the user would tend to view document D if it is in the search results obtained using T as a query. We formalize this hypothesis with a unified probabilistic model for search and tagging, and show that empirical …

In-Between Theory And Practice: Dialogues In Design Research, Arianna Bassoli, Johanna Brewer, Karen Martin

Computer Science: Faculty Publications

Why Wait? and Betwixt are two of the workshops we have recently run on the theme of in-between-ness. The approach of social computing, where researchers work to understand how the socio-cultural aspects of human life relate to the design of new technologies, was the starting point for our investigation. By observing actual instances of in-between-ness in context we explored how design activities can be used as an opportunity to discuss and take positions on a specific theme, and as a space for narrowing the gap in design research between theoretical and practical thinking.

A Handle On What's Going On: Combining Tangible Interfaces And Ambient Displays For Collaborative Groups, Johanna Brewer, Amanda Williams, Paul Dourish

Computer Science: Faculty Publications

While tangible interfaces open up new possibilities for in- put and interaction, they are also interesting because of the ways in which they occupy the physical world just as we do. We have been working at the intersection of three research areas – tangible interfaces, ambient displays, and collaboration awareness. Our system, Nimio, uses engaging physical objects as both input devices (capturing aspects of individual activity) and output devices (expressing aspects of group activity). We present our design and experiences, focusing in particular on the tension between legibility and ambiguity and its relevance in collaborative settings.

National Culture And Its Effects On Knowledge Communication In Online Virtual Communities, Keng Siau, Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah, Min Ling

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Online virtual communities provide a powerful means of knowledge sharing. Despite the prevalence of online virtual communities, there is a paucity of research to investigate the effect of national culture differences on knowledge sharing in online virtual communities. Are there differences between online virtual communities from different national cultures? This research studies the differences in knowledge-sharing activities between US-based and China-based online virtual communities. Hofstede's dimensions of national culture serve as the theoretical foundation for this research.

Mining Multiple Visual Appearances Of Semantics For Image Annotation, Hung-Khoon Tan, Chong-Wah Ngo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper investigates the problem of learning the visual semantics of keyword categories for automatic image annotation. Supervised learning algorithms which learn only a single concept point of a category are limited in their effectiveness for image annotation. We propose to use data mining techniques to mine multiple concepts, where each concept may consist of one or more visual parts, to capture the diverse visual appearances of a single keyword category. For training, we use the Apriori principle to efficiently mine a set of frequent blobsets to capture the semantics of a rich and diverse visual category. Each concept is …

An Exploratory Study Of The Videoblogger's Community, John Warmbrodt

Masters Theses

"Videoblogs (vlogs) have emerged as a new form of virtual community. The goal of this study was to explore and understand the videoblogger community by studying the community's structure and the motivations of vloggers"--Abstract, page iii.

Toward Improving Performance Measurement In Public Sector Organizations, Matthew Thomas Kutz

Masters Theses

"The objective of this research is to investigate various means of improving the performance measurement methods for public sector organizations. A case study is conducted using data from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). As a government organization, MoDOT must publish measurements of its performance for the general public and for the legislators who provide funding. Currently, MoDOT produces a quarterly publication, called the Tracker, for performance measurement reporting. This research hypothesizes that the Tracker is not an effective performance measurement system and stakeholders of MoDOT would benefit from a more concise and pointed report of MoDOT performance. A software …

Screencrayons: Using Screen Captures For Annotation And Research, Trent Alan Taufer

Theses and Dissertations

In a world full of digital information we should be able to easily collect, organize, annotate, and leverage information from many different sources. This should be easy to do and not interrupt our normal workflow. A system to support information collection and organization should be user-friendly and as unobtrusive as possible, while still allowing for flexible and intelligent annotation. It should also be able to leverage the inherent information content of a collection of annotated information. We present a system that will demonstrate how these ideas can come together to make information collection easier and more productive. The system facilitates …

Analysis Of Near-Infrared Phase Effects On Biometric Iris Data, Brady Roos Stevenson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to ascertain potential iris scan data variations from near infrared waves derived from fluorescent illumination. Prior studies of iris data variances from infrared wave interference of halogen, incandescent, and sunlight with iris cameras suggest that similar changes may exist under near infrared wavelengths from fluorescent light. The concern is that the fluorescent energy emission may interfere with the near infrared detection of an iris camera. An iris camera is used to measure human eye characteristics known as biometrics. If such infrared emission is statistically significant, then it can alter the validity of the iris …

Information Security Management And Virtual Collaboration: A Western Australian Perspective, Rosanna Fanciulli

Australian Information Security Management Conference

This paper presents an ongoing case study into stakeholder perceptions regarding information security management systems in emergent organisations operating in Western Australia. It takes a socio-political perspective on the problem of how to manage simultaneously virtual collaboration and information security management. A literature review introduces the context and history of the research. In light of this, it is proposed that social and political issues need to be researched and addressed before many of the existing technological strategies for information security will succeed. The research project is then outlined and the design and preliminary results presented. The results point to a …

The Reality Of Risks From Consented Use Of Usb Devices, Marwan Al-Zarouni

Australian Information Security Management Conference

Physical security is considered an integral part of information systems security. The idea that small devices pose a security threat for enterprises is well established. On the other hand, consented and supervised access to USB ports via USB flash drives is sometimes allowed. This paper will highlight the risk associated with this kind of access by devices such as IPods and USB flash drives. It will show a proof of concept USB device that runs automatically once connected to a personal computer and copies files and folders from the victim's computer to its storage and executes potentially harmful code on …

Individuals’ Perceptions Of Wireless Security In The Home Environment, Patryk Szewczyk

Australian Information Security Management Conference

Research in 802.11 wireless networking has in the past focused predominantly on corporate wireless network use, or identifying the flaws in wireless security. This study was aimed to determine the individuals’ perceptions of wireless security in the home environment. 163 volunteers completed a survey on their perceptions, knowledge, experiences and attitudes towards wireless networking. The results of the survey indicated that there is little difference in knowledge between those who had worked in the IT industry, and those who did not. The sources of information used to configure wireless networks are not improving the knowledge respondents had on wireless security. …

Secure Transmission Of Shared Electronic Health Records: A Review, Rachel J. Mahncke, Patricia A. Williams

Australian Information Security Management Conference

Paperbased health records together with electronic Patient Management Systems remain the norm for hospitals and primary care practices to manage patient health information in Australia. Although the benefits of recording patient health information into an electronic format known as an electronic health record (EHR) are well documented, the use of these systems has not yet been fully realised. The next advancement for EHRs is the ability to share health records for the primary purpose of improved patient care. This may for example enable a primary care physician, with the patient’s consent, to electronically share pertinent health information with a specialist, …

Telemedicine And The Digital Door Doctor, Darren Webb, Patricia A. Williams

Australian Information Security Management Conference

Telemedicine is changing the way medicine can be practiced, and how medical knowledge is communicated, learnt and researched in today’s technologically oriented society. The adoption of internet based communication has significantly expanded the patients’ ability to access a multitude of world class medical information. Research has shown that patients would welcome the ability to consult a doctor using the same computing tools they use to communicate with family, friends and work colleagues. This paper discusses the use of telemedicine today and how it could be used to access medical services from home. Further, it investigates the incentives and barriers to …

Does Your Wireless Lan Have Criminal Intent?, Michael Crowley, Andrew Woodward

Australian Information Security Management Conference

All of the literature relating to wireless network security has focused on the flaws, newer alternatives and suggestions for securing the network. There is much speculation and anecdotal statements in relation to what can happen if a breach occurs, but this is mostly from a computer security perspective, and mostly expressed in terms of potential for financial loss. This paper examines the potential legal ramifications of failing to properly secure a wireless network. Several scenarios are examined within based on usage of wireless on the various category of attack. Legal opinion, backed up with case law, is provided for each …

Cyber Crime And Biometric Authentication – The Problem Of Privacy Versus Protection Of Business Assets, Michael G. Crowley

Australian Information Security Management Conference

Cyber crime is now a well recognised international problem that is a major issue for anyone who runs, manages, owns, uses or accesses computer systems linked to the worldwide web. Computer systems are business assets. Personal biometric information is also an asset. Studies have shown that privacy concerns represent a key hurdle to the successful introduction of biometric authentication. In addition, terrorist activity and the resultant legislation have added an additional risk factor businesses need to take into account if they propose using biometric authentication technology. This paper explores the use of biometric authentication to protect business and individual assets. …

Uncontrollable Privacy - The Right That Every Attacker Desires, Giannakis Antoniou, Stefanos Gritzalis

Australian Information Security Management Conference

The request of the Internet users enjoying privacy during their e-activities enforces the Internet society to develop techniques which offer privacy to the Internet users, known as Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs). Among the Internet users, there are attackers who desire more than anything else to enjoy privacy during their malicious actions, and a PET is what they were looking for. Thus, although a PET should offer privacy to the internet users, proper techniques should also be employed in order to help the victims during the investigation procedure and unveil the identification of the attackers. The paper summarizes the current design …

Social Engineering And Its Impact Via The Internet, Matthew J. Warren, Shona Leitch

Australian Information Security Management Conference

Historically social engineering attacks were limited upon a single organisation or single individual at a time. The impact of the Internet and growth of E-Business has allowed social engineering techniques to be applied at a global level. The paper will discuss how new social engineering techniques are being applied and puts forward a conceptual model to allow an understanding of how social engineering attacks are planned and implemented against E-Business activities.

Visualization Of Polymer Processing At The Continuum Level, Jeremy Hicks

All Theses

Computer animation, coupled with scientific experimentation and modeling, allows scientists to produce detailed visualizations that potentially enable more comprehensive perception of physical phenomena and ultimately, new discoveries. With the use of Maya, an animation and modeling program that incorporates the natural laws of physics to control the behavior of virtual objects in computer animation, data from the modeling of physical processes such as polymer fibers and films can be explored in the visual realm. Currently, few attempts have been made at the continuum level to represent polymer properties via computer animation using advanced graphics. As a result, scientists may be …

Design An Object-Oriented Home Inspection Application For A Portable Device, Dion M. Collier

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Recent advancements in the personal digital assistant (PDA) Windows application programming methodology made it easier to develop PDA applications. The release of the Microsoft® Visual Studio 2005 .NET incorporated handheld programming support while the Microsoft® Mobile® 5.0 operating system dramatically improved the PDA's operation and hardware configuration. This paper researches and analyzes object-oriented languages, relational database and dynamic report generation technologies for the PDA as they apply to the development of a professional home inspection application. The focus of this paper is on the implementation of the most advanced PDA technologies for a high-end database PDA application design.

Mems Mobile Gis: A Spatially Enabled Fish Habitat Management System, Andrea Rizzini, Keith Gardiner, Michela Bertolotto, James Carswell

Conference papers

Spatially enabled computing can provide assistance to both web-based and mobile users by exploiting positional information and associated contextual knowledge. The Mobile Environmental Management System (MEMS) is a proof of concept prototype that has been developed in order to simplify administrative duties of biologists at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Canada. MEMS aims to deliver contextaware functionality aided by visualization, analysis and manipulation of spatial and attribute datasets. The resulting application delivers a set of functions and services that aids the DFO’s biologists in making everyday management decisions

Regression Cubes With Lossless Compression And Aggregation, Yixin Chen, Guozhu Dong, Jiawei Han, Jian Pei, Benjamin W. Wah, Jianyong Wang

Kno.e.sis Publications

As OLAP engines are widely used to support multidimensional data analysis, it is desirable to support in data cubes advanced statistical measures, such as regression and filtering, in addition to the traditional simple measures such as count and average. Such new measures will allow users to model, smooth, and predict the trends and patterns of data. Existing algorithms for simple distributive and algebraic measures are inadequate for efficient computation of statistical measures in a multidimensional space. In this paper, we propose a fundamentally new class of measures, compressible measures, in order to support efficient computation of the statistical models. For …

Network Infrastructure Essentials Course Development, Michael A. Case

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Voice and data cabling enable people around the world to communicate by phone, fax, and computer. Cabling is the basis for virtually every network. Today's voice and data cabling is engineered to balance high performance with cost efficiency. The quality of the service provided by the cabling is directly related to the quality of the installation. Properly installed cabling can provide years of service for networks, in most cases outlasting every device connected to the network. Experience has taught us that too many people don't realize the importance of cable infrastructure. At Alfred State College, in the Computer Engineering Technology …

Retaining Information Technology Employees In Higher Education, Mary Holmes

Dissertations

The retention of qualified Information Technology (IT) employees is at an all time low within higher education institutions. IT personnel are essential for higher education institutions to effectively integrate technology into their educational programs. These IT employees contribute to their institution's teaching/learning mission, while simultaneously supporting complex and highly visible administrative operations. Yet, all previous research regarding IT employee retention issues had only been conducted within corporate settings.

To examine factors related to IT employees' retention within public higher education, an internet-based study was sent to IT employees in all four-year public universities throughout Michigan. The survey included questions within …

Societal Aspects Of Phishing, James W. Ragucci, Stefan Robila

Department of Computer Science Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The damage caused by phishing does not only apply to monetary property alone. The fragile bonds of trust that organizations build with their constituents are shattered in the process. As people loss faith in the reliability of electronic communication methods, companies loss their customer base. In the case disasters, people can spend billions in preparation, to analyze weaknesses and improve recovery time, only to have thrust shattered by phishing attacks. This in turn causes a significant loss in money, resources and time. In this study we review the main characteristics of phishing attacks and their impact to society. Based on …