Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of a Tailored Methodology and Forensic Toolkit for Industrial Control Systems Incident Response

Abstract : This thesis presents a methodology for incident response to identify anomalies and malicious adversary persistence within the networks responsible for the reliable operation of modern society s critical infrastructure. The chapters provide relevant background on the historical development and function of industrial control systems (ICS) and their unique security issues. The study of public technical data from intrusions into control systems produces a set of known adversary tactics for incorporation into the methodology. This work further documents the development of a repeatable technique to collect digital forensic artifacts from production control systems that is compatible with the strict operational constraints of these critical networks. The technique is then applied with a proof-of-concept hostand network-based toolkit for incident response that is tested against real-world data. The goal of the methodology and the supplementary toolkit is to elicit valuable, previously-unavailable findings with which to assess the scope of malicious intrusions into critical ICS networks.
State of the Art in Service-oriented Architecture

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a growing concept for distributed software systems that opens new avenues for complex business processes spanning enterprise borders that require integration. This is accomplished by the utilization of the numerous technologies that comprise SOA. Although many standards for such an implementation have been established in recent years, SOA remains steeped in controversies over the methods that realize its complete architectural model. In this book, the author Hendrik Mueller provides a state-of-the-art analysis of existing as well as emerging standards and technologies relevant to SOA. Furthermore, he closely examines business processes and their relationship to these technologies. He elucidates the different approaches to SOA implementation and illustrates them by the example of a prototype. This book addresses readers from both academia as well as the industry as an insight into the fundamentals of SOA, its evolution, and its recent avatar.
Improving office users' workplace perceptions using plants

This paper explores the importance of user perceptions within an organisational context, and more specifically, aims to identify and demonstrate the benefits of plants in offices in contributing to employee wellbeing by influencing their perceptions of a working office. Via comprehensive literature reviews, the importance of user perceptions is determined as well as the importance of indoor plants in office environments in improving employee wellbeing through psychological benefits. It is argued that user perceptions can be analysed through their input and functionalities in the workplace and their consequent application of workplace productivity. In this study, a perception survey was completed, which demonstrated that occupants of planted offices feel more comfortable, more productive, healthier and more creative and feel less pressure than occupants of non-planted offices. The paper provides an insight into how plants can be incorporated within facilities management strategies to improve employee health and wellbeing and improve perceived productivity.
An Association Study of Candidate Gene Variants in Chinese Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip with or without Palate Subjects

Background: Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without palate is a common birth defect of complex etiology involving the interaction of genetic factors and environmental exposures. Previous reports identified several candidate genes and risk variants of the disease, and their functions were verified by model animal studies. Methods: In order to depict the composition of the orofacial cleft susceptibility loci in Chinese population, we genotyped ten common SNPs of six genes (VAX1, MAFB, PAX7, ABCA4, NTN1 and NOG) in 249 nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without palate individuals, 62 nonsyndromic cleft palate only individuals and 480 controls. Results: Three loci: VAX1 rs7078160, MAFB rs11696257 and NTN1 rs4791774 showed significant relevance with NSCL/P. Carrying both VAX1 rs7078160 and NTN1 rs4791774 further increased the risk, compared with carrying only one of them. Conclusions: This result supported that SNPs of genes VAX1, MAFB and NTN1 are associated with NSCL/P in Chinese subjects.
IT Data Mining Tool Uses in Aerospace

Data mining has a broad spectrum of uses throughout the realms of aerospace and information technology. Each of these areas has useful methods for processing, distributing, and storing its corresponding data. This paper focuses on ways to leverage the data mining tools and resources used in NASA's information technology area to meet the similar data mining needs of aviation and aerospace domains. This paper details the searching, alerting, reporting, and application functionalities of the Splunk system, used by NASA's Security Operations Center (SOC), and their potential shared solutions to address aircraft and spacecraft flight and ground systems data mining requirements. This paper also touches on capacity and security requirements when addressing sizeable amounts of data across a large data infrastructure.
The Effect of Working on Campus on First Year Retention Rates and First Year Grade Point Averages of Fall 1992 Direct From High School Freshmen at Wright State University

Mortimer, Lee. M.S., Social and Applied Economics, Wright State University, 1994. The Effect of Working On Campus on First Year Retention Rates and First Year Grade Point Averages of Fall 1992 Direct From High School Freshmen at Wright State University. The nation's colleges and universities are aware of the growing dropout problem. Research to date has focused on the importance of social integration of students as well as the type of students who initially enroll as two major components of student success. This study attempted to analyze models that combined both academic preparation and social integration (in this case student employment on campus), to study Fall Quarter 1992 direct from high school full time degree freshmen. The results were very consistent with the relevant literature in that first year retention as well as first year grade point averages were linked to high school grade point averages and campus employment. Student retention also has an impact on the financial health of an institution. Information on the financial aspects of employing students on campus, decreasing attrition by 10%, as well as a disturbing trend of off campus employment are presented.
Development of a capacitive bioimpedance measurement system

Bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS) is a well-established and non-invasive method to determine and monitor body composition. Commercially available bioelectrical impedance systems use coated hydrogel-aluminium electrodes, where the hydrogel acts as an adhesive and as an electrolytic medium. The gel/adhesive is physiologically inert over short periods. However, when used over longer periods, hydrogel-aluminium electrodes present limitations, which capacitive electrodes may overcome. First measurements using capacitive electrodes have shown that commercial devices are not designed to work with these kind of electrodes. The presented high impedance, specially at low frequencies (e.g. 5kHz), presents a challenge for the current injection and therefore for the design of the current source. Within this project, a bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) system to perform measurements using capacitive electrodes has been developed. The system has been tested in the critical frequency range, namely in the lower frequency range (5 kHz - 43 kHz). Measurements have been performed using dummy electrical models, which simulate di erent values of skin and electrode impedance. The results obtained show the better performance of the device in comparison to a commercial device (Xitron Hydra 4200, Xitron Technologies) for that frequency range. An important item in this thesis has been the design of a multi-frequency current source able to perform measurements using capacitive electrodes.
Arquitetura de IPS para redes IoT sobrepostas em SDN

A programabilidade resultante da abordagem Software Deﬁned Networking (SDN) facilita a integração das funcionalidades de ﬁrewalls, sistemas de prevenção de intrusão (IPS) e switches, permitindo a rápida reconﬁguração da rede em caso de detecção de anomalias. Neste artigo, a arquitetura proposta visa estruturar uma medida de segurança distribuída que integra ﬁrewall, IPS, switches e uma entidade controladora para suportar instâncias de Internet das Coisas (IoT), permitindo a identiﬁcação de comportamento anômalo de dispositivos IoT pelo IPS, levando então a SDN a bloquear os ataques o mais próximo possível das fontes, reduzindo o volume de tráfego malicioso e isolando o dispositivo infectado do resto da rede.
Enhancing Privacy and Security in the Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Cyberphysical systems introduce computing and communication devices within different sectors of society generating large quantities of data. Information extracted from these data gives better understanding of these sectors and the systems within them. There are many ways in which the information extracted from these data can be harnessed. For example, monitoring these devices is important in order to keep account of their correct functionality, especially in critical infrastructures, and the aforementioned data can be used to construct and enhance such monitoring systems. Processing these data is not always easy, first due to their complexity and also due to the sensitive personal information that might be inferred from them. The processing must be done with care in order to preserve the privacy of the users whose behavior generates the data in question. Different methods and technologies have been proposed in order to preserve the privacy of these per- sonal data and they are tailored to the same data that they are protecting. Because of this, it is important to study the influence of the characteristics of these data on the effectiveness of the privacy preserving solutions employed. The work in this thesis focuses on the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in the smart electrical grid and it has two goals. The first one is to study the characteristics of the AMI data and the thesis investigates the effect of these characteristics on a number of privacy enhancing technologies which are proposed for AMI data. The second one is to work towards an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) for the AMI, and the thesis presents an important IDS module which processes encrypted traffic and is able to infer the different commands run between AMI devices, without decrypting the traffic or accessing the sensitive data.
Two-Way Street Networks: More Efficient than Previously Thought?

Two-Way Street Networks: More Efficient than Previously Thought? V I K A S H V. G A Y A H O N E - WAY S T R E E T S I N D O W N T O W N A R E A S A R E R E C E I V I N G A critical look. City ofﬁcials and urban planners have started a movement to convert downtown street networks from their traditional one-way operation to two-way operation. This effort seems to be largely successful—many cities (e.g., Denver, CO; Dallas and Lubbock, TX; Tampa, FL; Des Moines, IA; Salina, KS; Kansas City, MO; Sacramento, CA) have either recently made or are in the process of making such conversions. These conversions are intended to improve vehicular access and reduce driver confusion. Many additional factors go into this decision, but the general premise is clear: travelers and residents prefer two-way streets for a variety of economic and livability reasons, while trafﬁc engineers and transportation planners believe that one-way streets serve trafﬁc more efﬁciently. Our study uses an idealized trafﬁc network model to directly com- pare the efﬁciency of one-way and two-way street networks. It ﬁnds that two-way streets may serve trafﬁc more efﬁciently, especially when trips within the network are short. Vikash V. Gayah received his PhD in transportation engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and was the most recent recipient of the University of California Transportation Center's Student of the Year award. He is now Assistant Professor at Pennsylvania State University (gayah@engr.psu.edu). A C C E S S
Private Security in Ethiopia: Key Challenges and the Ways Forward

This study sought to explore private security in Ethiopia focusing on the challenges that hindered it to provide effective security service to its clients. To this end, the study employed a qualitative research method. Data were generated from both primary and secondary sources using in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, observation, and document review. Primary data were purposively gathered from lawmakers, security service providers, law enforcement organs, and private security service users. They are identified as the major actors that have a direct relevance to the subject under investigation. Secondary data were consulted from pertinent legislations and other materials. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The study found that the major challenges as regards private security are lack of comprehensive legal and policy frameworks, absence of institutional arrangements, lack of standardized training and education. Given these, the researcher, among other things, suggested strong normative frameworks, institutional arrangements, standardized training along with periodic evaluations.
First-principles investigations on structural stability, elastic and electronic properties of Co7M6 (M= W, Mo, Nb) µ phases

ABSTRACT The structural, elastic and electronic properties of Co7M6 (M = W, Mo, Nb) μ phases were investigated by first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT). The calculated cohesive energy indicates that Co7M6 (M = W, Mo, Nb) μ phases are thermodynamically stable. Besides, Co7W6 owns a higher structural stability than that of Co7Mo6 and Co7Nb6. The obtained elastic constant demonstrates that Co7M6 (M = W, Mo, Nb) are mechanically stable. With Voigt-Reuss-Hill (VRH) approximation, the elastic bulk modulus (B), shear modulus (G), Young's modulus (E) and Poisson's ratio (ν) were derived. The ductility and plasticity as well as the elastic anisotropy of the three phases were discussed in details. Finally, the density of states and charge density difference were also analysed to reveal the underlying mechanism of structural stability and the elastic properties.
A study on problems of bumiputera contractor in construction industry

Nowadays, the number of Bumiputera contractors in construction industry Malaysia is increasingly. Based on the data obtained from Pusat Khidmat Kontraktor, the number of Bumiputera contractors exists was more than thirty nine thousand due to the many factors. Hence, this study is addressing the issue. The objectives of this study are to identify the economic growth of construction industry and the factors leading to the increasing number of Bumiputera contractors and also the problems that they encountered in this industry. Apart from literature review on the issues, several questionnaires have been sent out to the Pahang based on Bumiputera contractors of Class A-C. The analysis shows that the increasing numbers of Bumiputera contractor is closely link to the development of the construction industry. The New Economy Policy has also increased the Bumiputera participation in the contracting field. The study shows that the main problems faced by Bumiputera contractors are finance, material, employee and also plants and machineries. Nevertheless, all the problem stated are still under control.
Photovoltaic generation effects on distribution feeders

As the electric utility industry looks to diversify and expand its energy mix, more and more attention is being focused on alternate energy sources such as roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) generation systems. The principal objective of this research project is to determine if present designs for distributed photovoltaic generation equipment will operate without detrimental effect on either the utility system or the customer owned equipment. Grid-connected roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) systems have been installed by the New England Electric System Companies on 30 houses in Gardner, Massachusetts. All 30 PV houses are in one neighborhood on the very end of one phase of a 13.8 kV feeder. To further illustrate use of the analysis techniques, they were applied to the same 13.8 kV feeder as it might be configured in the year 2018, 30 years hence, with a total of 500 PV installations averaging 6 kW each for a total installed PV generation of 3000 kW. The results not only illustrate use of the analysis techniques in a general sense but also provide realistic examples of the pitfalls that a distribution planner should look out for when designing a feeder with an expected high penetration of customer owned generation. 1 ref. , 79more » figs., 23 tabs. « less
Assessment of Bacterial Contamination of Air at the Museum of King John III’s Palace at Wilanow (Warsaw, Poland): Selection of an Optimal Growth Medium for Analyzing Airborne Bacteria Diversity

There is no standardized protocol for the assessment of microbial air contamination in museums and other cultural heritage sites. Therefore, most museums conduct such assessments based on their own guidelines or good practices. Usually, microbial air contamination is assessed using only classical microbiology methods with the application of a single growth medium. Therefore, this medium should be carefully selected to limit any selective cultivation bias. Metabarcoding, i.e., a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based method, combined with classical microbiological culturing was used to assess the effectiveness of various media applications in microbiological screening at the Museum of King John III’s Palace at Wilanow (Warsaw, Poland). The obtained results indicated that when using a classical microbiology approach to assess the microbial air contamination at the museum, the selection of a proper growth medium was critical. It was shown that the use of rich media (commonly applied by museum conservators) introduced significant bias by severely underreporting putative human pathogens and the bacterial species involved in biodeterioration. Therefore, we recommend the use of other media, such as Frazier or Reasoner’s 2A (R2A) medium, as they could yield more diverse communities and recovered the highest number of genera containing human pathogens, which may be suitable for public health assessments.
The Revolutionary Development of Self-Driving Vehicles and Implications for the Transportation Engineering Profession

In this article, the authors discuss the evolution of self-driving cars and examine current technology developments as well as potential safety, mobility, and productivity benefits of these vehicles. The basic aspects of autonomous vehicle technology, as put forth by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), are outlined. The authors also describe some of the challenges that accommodating self-driving vehicles may pose for those who plan and design transportation facilities, and they suggest actions the industry can take to address the anticipated challenges.
Language and Statecraft: an Old Tool for New Goals?

This paper investigates how language as a tool of statecraft has changed over time and whether it remains relevant and legitimate in the current globalised context. Viewing the issue from an interdisciplinary perspective, it considers the role language policies have played at different stages in history, from enabling European nation-states to forcibly to carve out a new identity around a unified language, to fulfilling the imperialist mission of ‘educating’ colonised populations in an attempt to generate lasting economic and cultural benefits for colonial powers. Language policies survived the decolonization process and took new soft power forms in an attempt to address current day challenges. The authors argue, based on the analysis of expert interviews and data sources (both primary and secondary), that while the discourse and means of implementing language policies have changed under new conditions – particularly the rejection of force in language promotion, the domination of English, the protection of minority dialects, and the technological changes linked to globalization – the belief in the power of language to shape allegiances remains, on the political level, unchanged.
Time Interaction With Two Spatial Dimensions: From Left/Right to Near/Far

In this study, we explored the time and space relationship according to two different spatial codings, namely, the left/right extension and the reachability of stimulus along a near/far dimension. Four experiments were carried out in which healthy participants performed the time and spatial bisection tasks in near/far space, before and after short or long tool-use training. Stimuli were prebisected horizontal lines of different temporal durations in which the midpoint was manipulated according to the Muller-Lyer illusion. The perceptual illusory effects emerged in spatial but not temporal judgments. We revealed that temporal and spatial representations dynamically change according to the action potentialities of an individual: temporal duration was perceived as shorter and the perceived line’s midpoint was shifted to the left in far than in near space. Crucially, this dissociation disappeared following a long but not short tool-use training. Finally, we observed age-related differences in spatial attention which may be crucial in building the memory temporal standard to categorize durations.
Mobile Robot Path Planner for Environment Exploration

The Mobile robots are increasingly being used to perform tasks in unknown environments. The potential of robots to undertake such tasks lies in their ability to intelligently and efficiently search in an environment. An algorithm has been developed for robots which explore the environment to measure the physical properties (dust in this paper). While the robot is moving, it measures the amount of dust and registers the value in the corresponding grid cell. The robot moves from local maximum to local minimum, then to another local maximum, and repeats. To reach the local maximum or minimum, simple gradient following is used. Robust estimation of the gradient using perturbation/correlation, which is very effective when analytical solution is not available, is described. By introducing the probability of each grid cell, and considering the probability distribution, the robot doesn't have to visit all the grid cells in the environment still providing fast and efficient sensing. The extended algorithm to coordinate multiple robots is presented with simulation results.