Engineering Commons^™

Avoiding Sanctions At The E-Discovery Meet-And-Confer In Common Law Countries, Milton Luoma, Vicki Luoma

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The rules of civil procedure in common law countries have been amended to better deal with the requirements of electronic discovery. One of the key changes in case management is the scheduling of a meet-and-confer session where the parties to litigation must meet early in the case before any discovery procedures have begun to exchange information regarding the nature, location, formats, and pertinent facts regarding custody and control of a party’s electronically stored information (ESI). Failure to abide by the rules and participate in good faith at the meet-and-confer session can have dire consequences for the parties and lawyers involved. …

Malware Forensics: Discovery Of The Intent Of Deception, Murray Brand, Craig Valli, Andrew Woodward

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Malicious software (malware) has a wide variety of analysis avoidance techniques that it can employ to hinder forensic analysis. Although legitimate software can incorporate the same analysis avoidance techniques to provide a measure of protection against reverse engineering and to protect intellectual property, malware invariably makes much greater use of such techniques to make detailed analysis labour intensive and very time consuming. Analysis avoidance techniques are so heavily used by malware that the detection of the use of analysis avoidance techniques could be a very good indicator of the presence of malicious intent. However, there is a tendency for analysis …

Digital Records Forensics: A New Science And Academic Program For Forensic Readiness, Luciana Duranti, Barbara Endicott-Popovsky

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This paper introduces the Digital Records Forensics project, a research endeavour located at the University of British Columbia in Canada and aimed at the development of a new science resulting from the integration of digital forensics with diplomatics, archival science, information science and the law of evidence, and of an interdisciplinary graduate degree program, called Digital Records Forensics Studies, directed to professionals working for law enforcement agencies, legal firms, courts, and all kind of institutions and business that require their services. The program anticipates the need for organizations to become “forensically ready,” defined by John Tan as “maximizing the ability …

Solid State Drives: The Beginning Of The End For Current Practice In Digital Forensic Recovery?, Graeme B. Bell, Richard Boddington

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Digital evidence is increasingly relied upon in computer forensic examinations and legal proceedings in the modern courtroom. The primary storage technology used for digital information has remained constant over the last two decades, in the form of the magnetic disc. Consequently, investigative, forensic, and judicial procedures are well-established for magnetic disc storage devices (Carrier, 2005). However, a paradigm shift has taken place in technology storage and complex, transistor-based devices for primary storage are now increasingly common. Most people are aware of the transition from portable magnetic floppy discs to portable USB transistor flash devices, yet the transition from magnetic hard …

Book Review: Digital Forensic Evidence Examination (2nd Ed.), Gary C. Kessler

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

On the day that I sat down to start to write this review, the following e-mail came across on one of my lists: Person A and Person B write back and forth and create an email thread. Person A then forwards the email to Person C, but changes some wording in the email exchange between A & B. What is the easiest way (and is it even possible) to find out when that earlier email message was altered before sent to Person C? Before you try to answer these questions, read Fred Cohen's Digital Forensic Evidence Examination. His book won't …

Identifying A Computer Forensics Expert: A Study To Measure The Characteristics Of Forensic Computer Examiners, Gregory H. Carlton, Reginald Worthley

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The usage of digital evidence from electronic devices has been rapidly expanding within litigation, and along with this increased usage, the reliance upon forensic computer examiners to acquire, analyze, and report upon this evidence is also rapidly growing. This growing demand for forensic computer examiners raises questions concerning the selection of individuals qualified to perform this work. While courts have mechanisms for qualifying witnesses that provide testimony based on scientific data, such as digital data, the qualifying criteria covers a wide variety of characteristics including, education, experience, training, professional certifications, or other special skills. In this study, we compare task …

Table Of Contents

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

No abstract provided.

Individualized Cognitive Modeling For Close-Loop Task Mitigation, Guangfan Zhang, Roger Xu, Wei Wang, Jiang Li, Tom Schnell, Mike Keller, Thomas E. Pinelli (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

An accurate real-time operator functional state assessment makes it possible to perform task management, minimize risks, and improve mission performance. In this paper, we discuss the development of an individualized operator functional state assessment model that identifies states likely leading to operational errors. To address large individual variations, we use two different approaches to build a model for each individual using its data as well as data from subjects with similar responses. If a subject's response is similar to that of the individual of interest in a specific functional state, all the training data from this subject will be used …

Prostate Cancer Region Prediction Using Maldi Mass Spectra, Ayyappa Vadlamudi, Shao-Hui Chuang, Xiaoyan Sun, Lisa Cazares, Julius Nyalwidhe, Dean Troyer, O. John Semmes, Jiang Li, Frederic D. Mckenzie

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

For the early detection of prostate cancer, the analysis of the Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum is currently the most popular approach. However, previous studies show that 15% of men have prostate cancer even their PSA concentrations are low. MALDI Mass Spectrometry (MS) proves to be a better technology to discover molecular tools for early cancer detection. The molecular tools or peptides are termed as biomarkers. Using MALDI MS data from prostate tissue samples, prostate cancer biomarkers can be identified by searching for molecular or molecular combination that can differentiate cancer tissue regions from normal ones. Cancer tissue regions are …

Implementing Tablet Pcs In A Distance Learning Environment, Glenda Scales, Sharon Caraballo, James Groves, Rosalyn Hobson, Linda Vahala, Catherine Amelink

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) The Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program (CGEP) is a collaborative distance education program developed by leading Universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is over 25 years old and its main goal is to deliver graduate engineering courses to qualified professionals located across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Traditionally, the courses delivered to students in this program are done through interactive video conferencing (IVC) technology and most students are required to drive to a physical location. However, an increasing number of working professionals are beginning to want more flexibility with the timing and locations of these classes. With these changes …

Rf And Structural Characterization Of Srf Thin Films, A.M. Valente-Feliciano, H.L. Phillips, C.E. Reece, J. Spradlin, X. Zhao, D. Gu, H. Baumgart, D. Beringer, R.A. Lukaszew, B. Xiao, K. Seo

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In the past years, energetic vacuum deposition methods have been developed in different laboratories to improve Nb/Cu technology for superconducting cavities. JLab is pursuing energetic condensation deposition via Electron Cyclotron Resonance. As part of this study, the influence of the deposition energy on the material and RF properties of the Nb thin film is investigated. The film surface and structure analyses are conducted with various techniques like X-ray diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Auger Electron Spectroscopy and RHEED. The microwave properties of the films are characterized on 50 mm disk samples with a 7.5 GHz surface impedance characterization system. This paper …

Finite Element Analysis Of Ring-Shaped Emission Profile In Plasma Bullet, Yukinori Sakiyama, David B. Graves, Julien Jarrige, Mounir Laroussi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Using a one-way coupled model of neutral gas flow and plasma dynamics we report a mechanism to explain the ring-shaped emission pattern that has been observed experimentally in plasma bullets at atmospheric pressure. We solve a fluid model with the local field approximation in one-dimensional cylindrical coordinates, corresponding to a cross-section of a plasma bullet. Pulselike uniform electric field is assumed to be applied perpendicular to the simulation domain. Time and spatially resolved spectroscopic measurements support the simulation results.

Destruction Of Α -Synuclein Based Amyloid Fibrils By A Low Temperature Plasma Jet, Erdinc Karakas, Agatha Munyanyi, Lesley Greene, Mounir Laroussi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Amyloid fibrils are ordered beta-sheet aggregates that are associated with a number of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson. At present, there is no cure for these progressive and debilitating diseases. Here we report initial studies that indicate that low temperature atmospheric pressure plasma can break amyloid fibrils into smaller units in vitro. The plasma was generated by the plasma pencil, a device capable of emitting a long, low temperature plasma plume/jet. This avenue of research may facilitate the development of a plasma-based medical treatment.

Experimental Studies On The Plasma Bullet Propagation And Its Inhibition, Erdinc Karakas, Mounir Laroussi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Plasma bullets generated by atmospheric pressure low temperature plasma jets have recently been an active research topic due to their unique properties and their enhanced plasma chemistry. In this paper, experimental insights into the plasma bullet lifetime and its velocity are reported. Data obtained from intensified charge-coupled device camera and time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy (OES) elucidated the existence of a weakly ionized channel between the plasma bullet and its source (such as the plasma pencil). Factors responsible for the inhibition of the propagation of the bullet, such as low helium mole fraction, the magnitude of the applied voltage, and the …

The Surface Characteristics And Reactivity Of Residual Carbon In Coal Gasification Slag, Xianglong Zhao, Cai Zeng, Yanyan Mao, Wenhua Li, Yun Peng, Tao Wang, Boris Eiteneer, Vladimir Zamansky, Thomas H. Fletcher

Faculty Publications

In a slagging entrained-flow coal gasifier, a large portion of the inorganic matter will form liquid slag that may have strong physical and chemical interactions with char. Understanding the char-slag interaction is important for improving the modeling and design of gasifiers. This paper reports the characteristics of residual carbon in both coarse and fine slag from a typical entrained-flow coal water slurry gasifier. The surface characteristics of slag and residual carbon in slag were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The reactivity of the residual carbon in slag was compared through thermal gravimetric analysis. It was …

Experimental Measurements During Combustion Of Moist Individual Foliage Samples, Brent M. Pickett, Carl Isackson, Rebecca Wunder, Thomas H. Fletcher, Bret Buitler, David R. Weise

Faculty Publications

Individual samples of high moisture fuels from the western and southern United States and humidified aspen excelsior were burned over a flat-flame burner at 987◦ ±12 C and 10±0.5 mol% O2. Time-dependent mass and temperature profiles of these samples were obtained and analysed. It was observed that significant amounts of moisture remained in the individual samples after ignition occurred. Temperature histories showed a plateau at 200◦–300 C at the leaf perimeter rather than at 100 C, with a plateau of 140 C for the leaf interior. Implications are that classical combustion models should be altered to reflect the behaviour of …

A Sub-Grid, Mixture–Fraction-Based Thermodynamic Equilibrium Model For Gas Phase Combustion In Firetec: Development And Results, Michael M. Clark, Thomas H. Fletcher, Rodman R. Linn

Faculty Publications

The chemical processes of gas phase combustion in wildland fires are complex and occur at length-scales that are not resolved in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of landscape-scale wildland fire. A new approach for modelling fire chemistry in HIGRAD/FIRETEC (a landscape-scale CFD wildfire model) applies a mixture–fraction model relying on thermodynamic chemical equilibrium to predict combustion flame temperatures and product species compositions. The mixture–fraction approach is common in combustor modelling applications. However, since individual flame sheets are not resolved in HIGRAD/FIRETEC, application of the mixture–fraction approach requires the development of a sub-grid model, which is based on the two assumptions …

The Effect Of Abductor Muscle And Anterior-Posterior Hip Contact Load Simulation On The In-Vitro Primary Stability Of A Cementless Hip Stem, Youngbae Park, Carolyne Albert, Yong-San Yoon, Göran Fernlund, Hanspeter Frei, Thomas R. Oxland

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

In-vitro mechanical tests are commonly performed to assess pre-clinically the effect of implant design on the stability of hip endoprostheses. There is no standard protocol for these tests, and the forces applied vary between studies. This study examines the effect of the abductor force with and without application of the anterior-posterior hip contact force in the in-vitro assessment of cementless hip implant stability.

Methods

Cementless stems (VerSys Fiber Metal) were implanted in twelve composite femurs which were divided into two groups: group 1 (N = 6) was loaded with the hip contact force only, whereas group 2 (N = …

Quantitative Comparison And Modeling Of Urban Storm Water Mass Loadings In The City Of Lincoln, Nebraska, Patrick R. Hartman

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The main goal of this study is to monitor, and then compare results related to the water quality and mass loadings of several constituents at two sites in Lincoln, Nebraska. Differences in water quality were assessed using matched-pair t-tests. Mass loadings were examined using cumulative mass plots, and a predictive model for total suspended solids (TSS) was developed at both sites using real-time data obtained from a USGS data probe. Statistical comparison tests were conducted on the collected water quality data to detect differences based on sample type (auto vs. grab) and sample location (Taylor Park vs. Colonial Hills) for …

Application Planning, Jochen Albrecht, Clare Davies

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Demoulding Force Prediction Applied To Periodic Mould Surface Profiles, Kevin Delaney, Giuliano Bissacco, David Kennedy

Conference Papers

Demoulding components without damage to either the components or tool is critical to successful replication processes. Accurate demoulding force prediction prior to tool fabrication helps designers optimize replication tools to minimize the demoulding force and resultant stress on replicated parts. Various models have been proposed to predict demoulding forces. One such model, the stair-step model, was developed by Colton et al for stereolithographic moulding tools. This paper investigates applying the model to other periodic surfaces with validation using published experimental data. In addition validity of the model for application to micro mould surfaces produced by micro milling is discussed.

A Study Of Friction Testing Methods Applicable To Demoulding Force Prediction For Micro Replicated Parts, Kevin Delaney, David Kennedy, G. Bissacco

Conference Papers

For replication processes to be deemed successful it must be possible to remove the replicated parts from the tool after processing. With decreasing part and feature size the challenge of demoulding replicated parts increases since the resulting parts and replication tooling used are more delicate and can be easily damaged. Predictive demoulding force models can be used to optimise the part, tool and process parameters to maximise the likelihood of success. Developing accurate models for this process requires knowledge of the dominant interfacial contributions to friction and knowledge of the size scale at which the dominant contributions operate together with …

Pvd And Cvd Coatings For The Metal Forming Industry, Simon Montgomery, David Kennedy, Noel O'Dowd

Conference Papers

Metal forming applications are, by their very nature, taxing on the tools and machines used to achieve a finished component. Material degradation and wear is of critical importance in any such operation as a failing in the tool or machine has the potential to cause health hazards and/or significant monetary losses. The wear of material is due to the contact of two opposing surfaces and their subsequent motion relative to each other. It can take many forms some examples of which are: a two or three body abrasive type, a rolling fatigue type or an adhesion type.

Much research has …

Demoulding Force Prediction For Micro Polymer Replication: A Review Of Relevant Literature, Kevin Delaney, G. Bissacco ., David Kennedy

Conference Papers

Demoulding components without damage to either the components or tool is critical to successful replication processes. During tooling development designers strive to optimize replication tools to minimize demoulding force and resultant stress on replicated parts. A critical element of this process is an accurate demoulding force prediction model. Various models have been proposed to predict demoulding forces, each showing limitations in its applicability. This paper reviews existing demoulding force models and parameters affecting demoulding force for micro polymer replication.

A Scalable Method For Solving High-Dimensional Continuous Pomdps Using Local Approximation, Tom Erez, William D. Smart

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Partially-Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs) are typically solved by finding an approximate global solution to a corresponding belief-MDP. In this paper, we offer a new planning algorithm for POMDPs with continuous state, action and observation spaces. Since such domains have an inherent notion of locality, we can find an approximate solution using local optimization methods. We parameterize the belief distribution as a Gaussian mixture, and use the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to approximate the belief update. Since the EKF is a first-order filter, we can marginalize over the observations analytically. By using feedback control and state estimation during policy execution, …

Periodic Resource Reallocation In Two-Echelon Repairable Item Inventory Systems, Hoong Chuin Lau, Jie Pan, Huawei Song

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Given an existing stock allocation in an inventory system, it is often necessary to perform reallocation over multiple time points to address inventory imbalance and maximize availability. In this paper, we focus on the situation where there are two opportunities to perform reallocation within a replenishment cycle. We derive a mathematical model to determine when and how to perform reallocation. Furthermore, we consider the extension of this model to the situation allowing an arbitrary number of reallocations. Experimental results show that the two-reallocation approach achieves better performance compared with the single-reallocation approach found in the literature. We also illustrate how …

An Investigation Of Multiple Integration Techniques For Information Systems: A Model For Integrating Data Warehousing, Erp, And Soa In Practice, Jessie Burns

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed issues associated with implementing multiple data integrators. The process included implementing the same data integrator multiple times or implementing multiple different data integrators. It was shown that single data integrators implementations were failing at high rates. Environments were complicated because there were more acquisitions and mergers now than in the past, companies were required to be competitive while implementations were taking place, and possibly had short implementation time frames.

The main goal of this study was to develop an agile, sturdy, and rigorous model that addressed the needs of companies that found themselves in situations where they …

A New Multi-Tier Adaptive Military Manet Security Protocol Using Hybrid Cryptography And Signcryption, Atti̇la A. Yavuz, Fati̇h Alagöz, Emi̇n Anarim

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Mobile Ad-hoc NETworks (MANETs) are expected to play an important role in tactical military networks by providing infrastructureless communication. However, maintaining secure and instant information sharing is a difficult task especially for highly dynamic military MANETs. To address this requirement, we propose a new multi-tier adaptive military MANET security protocol using hybrid cryptography and signcryption. In our protocol, we bring novelties to secure military MANET communication for three main points: Cryptographic methods used in MANETs, hybrid key management protocols and structural organization of the military MANETs. As a new approach, we use hybrid cryptography mechanisms and Elliptic Curve Pintsov-Vanstone Signature …

Determination Of Autoregressive Model Orders For Seizure Detection, Serap Aydin

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In the present study, a step-wise least square estimation algorithm (SLSA), implemented in a Matlab package called as ARfit, has been newly applied to clinical data for estimation of the accurate Auto-Regressive (AR) model orders of both normal and ictal EEG series where the power spectral density (PSD) estimations are provided by the Burg Method. The ARfit module is found to be usefull in comparison to a large variety of traditional methods such as Forward Prediction Error (FPE), Akaike's Information Criteria (AIC), Minimum Description Lenght (MDL), and Criterion of Autoregressive Transfer function (CAT) for EEG discrimination. According to tests, the …

Improved Analytical Modulation Transfer Function For Image Intensified Charge Coupled Devices*, Nebi̇ Gül, Murat Efe

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

The basic problem of simulation and modeling of Image Intensified Charge Coupled Device (ICCD) is the difference between the analytical Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) formulation used in the model and the experimentally obtained MTF. An investigation into the MTF of ICCD sub-components reveal that the MTF of the Image Intensifier Tube (IIT) is the main factor in this deviation. In this study, a regulation factor for the MTF of 3^{rd} generation IITs has been developed. A commonly used MTF formulation for IITs has been modified to include a regulation factor which has helped produce more precise MTF values for the …