Optimal security hardening on attack tree models of networks: a cost-benefit analysis

Researchers have previously looked into the problem of determining whether a given set of security hardening measures can effectively make a networked system secure. However, system administrators are often faced with a more challenging problem since they have to work within a fixed budget which may be less than the minimum cost of system hardening. An attacker, on the other hand, explores alternative attack scenarios to inflict the maximum damage possible when the security controls are in place, very often rendering the optimality of the controls invalid. In this work, we develop a systematic approach to perform a cost-benefit analysis on the problem of optimal security hardening under such conditions. Using evolutionary paradigms such as multi-objective optimization and competitive co-evolution, we model the attacker-defender interaction as an “arms race”, and explore how security controls can be placed in a network to induce a maximum return on investment.     

Facile Fabrication of PbS Nanocrystal:C60 Fullerite Broadband Photodetectors with High Detectivity

Hybrid PbS nanocrystal/C₆₀ fullerite photodetectors are fabricated using a simple one‐step drop casting procedure onto pre‐patterned interdigitated electrodes. The devices exhibit a broad spectral response from the near UV through to the near infrared yielding a detectivity, D*, of above 10¹⁰ Jones from 400 nm to ≈1050 nm. The ability to further extend the spectral response to wavelengths ≈1350 nm in the near infrared via tuning of the PbS nanocrystal diameter is also demonstrated. The dynamic responses of the devices are presented, exhibiting a fast photocurrent rise time (<40 ns) followed by a long bi‐exponential decay with characteristic lifetimes of τ₁ = 5.3 μs ± 0.1 μs and τ₂ = 37.8 μs ± 0.7 μs. These devices, which have a detectivity approaching that of commercial detectors, a broader spectral response, and a fast rise time, offer an attractive low‐cost solution for large‐area broadband photodetectors.     

Optimization of preparation conditions on the dielectric properties of polyaniline

The dielectric response in the microwave field of polyaniline prepared at different temperatures and using different inorganic and organic dopants was studied. Chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline was done at low temperature (0–5°C), at room temperature, and at high (60°C) temperature using different inorganic dopants like HCl, HNO₃, H₂SO₄, HClO₄, etc. Polyaniline was also prepared with different organic dopants like camphor sulfonic acid, Toluene sulfonic acid, and Naphthalene sulfonic acid. All polymers formed were characterized using IR, TGA, DSC, and SEM, etc. The dielectric responses of all polymers are studied using cavity perturbation technique in the microwave field. The studies indicates that the polyaniline prepared with perchloric acid at room temperature shows higher conductivity and absorption coefficient compared with all other samples. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Temperature-dependent short-channel parameters of FinFETs

The remarkable development and continual proliferation of research in the nanotechnology field have led to improvement in the efficiency of elementary devices. To improve their performance, the parameters of such devices can be scaled down while optimizing their characteristics. However, this simultaneously results in degraded switching characteristics and the appearance of short-channel effects. Multigate-based fin-shaped field-effect transistors (FinFETs) represent a new option to address all these problems. However, thermal failure of FinFET devices under nominal operating conditions is an important issue in the design and implementation of high-speed semiconductor devices. It is also seen that bulk FinFETs exhibit better thermal performance compared with silicon-on-insulator FinFETs. In the work presented herein, various FinFET characteristics including the subthreshold swing, drain-induced barrier lowering, threshold voltage, and drain current were investigated as functions of temperature. The (effective) channel length is larger than the physical gate length (in off-state) due to the undoped underlap regions. This paper also discusses the effects of drain, source, and gate overlap.     

Differentiation of prostate cancer cells using flexible fluorescent polymers

Using water-soluble, fluorescent, flexible polymers, we have devised a novel methodology for identification and differentiation of prostate cancer cells. Using a stepwise linear discriminant analysis, we demonstrate that the differential modulations of the polymer emission intensities in the presence of conditioned cell culture media can be used to distinguish between prostate cancer subtypes and between cancerous and noncancer cells. The differences in the compositions of the conditioned cell culture media are likely contributing to different fluorescence spectral patterns of the polymers. This in vitro approach may provide a novel platform for the development of an alternative prostate cancer diagnostic and subtyping technique.     

Nanocomposite Hydrogel Materials for Defective Cartilage Repair and Its Mechanical Tribological Behavior—A Review

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a regressive ailment that affects a large population of patients. The most common symptoms of OA in humans are cartilage abnormalities. Hydrogels are excellent candidates for cartilage regeneration and are widely accepted as implants. In the past few decades, numerous types of hydrogels have been synthesized to repair cartilage defects. This study highlights recent advances in hydrogel development for the treatment of cartilage defects. In addition, the detailed progression of tailored nanocomposite hydrogels is summarized, and emphasis has been placed on the mechanical properties, especially the tribological behavior of the developed nanocomposite hydrogels.     

A multi-level steganography mechanism using quantum chaos encryption

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Recent advances in processing capabilities of hardware devices and 5&nbsp;g spectrum availability has not only made the life of users heaven but has also...     

Real time stochastic scheduling in broadcast systems with decentralized data storage

Data broadcasting is an efficient method to disseminate information to a large group of requesters with common interests. Performing such broadcasts typically involve the determination of a broadcast schedule intended to maximize the quality of service provided by the broadcast system. Earlier studies have proposed solutions to this problem in the form of heuristics and local search techniques designed to achieve minimal deadline misses or maximal utility. An often ignored factor in these studies is the possibility of the data items being not available locally, but rather have to be fetched from data servers distributed over a network, thereby inducing a certain level of stochasticity in the actual time required to serve a data item. This stochasticity is introduced on behalf of the data servers which themselves undergo a dynamic management of serving data requests. In this paper we revisit the problem of real time data broadcasting under such a scenario. We investigate the efficiency of heuristics that embed the stochastic nature of the problem in their design and compare their performance with those proposed for non-stochastic broadcast scheduling. Further, we extend our analysis to understand the various factors in the problem structure that influence these heuristics, and are often exploited by a better performing one.     

Modeling the recrystallization process using inverse cellular automata and genetic algorithms: Studies using differential evolution

An inverse modeling approach was taken up in this work to model the process of recrystallization using cellular automata (CA). Using this method after formulating a CA model of recrystallization, differential evaluation (DE), a real-coded variant of genetic algorithms, was used to search for the value of nucleation rate, providing an acceptable matching between the theoretical and experimentally observed values of fraction-recrystallized (X). Initially, the inverse modeling was attempted with a simple CA strategy, in which each of the CA cells had an equal probability of becoming nucleated. DE searched for the value of the nucleation rate yielding the best results for single-crystal iron at 550 °C. A good match could not be simultaneously achieved this way for the early stages of recrystallization as well as for the later stages. To overcome this difficulty, the CA grid was divided into two zones, having lower and higher probabilities of nucleation. This resulted in good correspondence between the predicted and experimental values of X for the entire duration of recrystallization. The introduction of a distribution in the probability of nucleation made the model even closer to the actual process, in which the probability of nucleation is often nonuniform due to nonuniformity in dislocation density as well as the presence of grain/interface boundaries.     

A study of the unsteady aerodynamics of a wing at high angles of attack using decambering to model separated flow

An Unsteady Vortex Lattice Method is developed and validated. It is coupled with a decambering methodology to account for viscous effects on the aerodynamic coefficients. Two additional methodologies to select a unique solution when multiple solutions arise have been proposed. The transient nature of the aerodynamic loads of a suddenly moving wing at different angles of attack is examined. Sudden jumps are observed in the \(C_L(t)\) at post-stall angles of attack. The jumps are followed by the presence of asymmetric solutions, which then decline with time and a change in the solution state. Higher angles of attack see an increasing number of jumps.