Analytical models for risk-based intrusion response

Risk analysis has been used to manage the security of systems for several decades. However, its use has been limited to offline risk computation and manual response. In contrast, we use risk computation to drive changes in an operating system’s security configuration. This allows risk management to occur in real time and reduces the window of exposure to attack. We posit that it is possible to protect a system by reducing its functionality temporarily when it is under siege. Our goal is to minimize the tension between security and usability by trading them dynamically. Instead of statically configuring a system, we aim to monitor the risk level, using it to drive the tradeoff between security and utility. The advantage of this approach is that it provides users with the maximum possible functionality for any predefined level of risk tolerance.     

Effects of Nd3+ and high-valence Nb5+ co-doping on the structural,dielectric and magnetic properties of BiFeO3 multiferroics

Bi_0.90Nd_0.10Fe_1?xNb_xO₃ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) multiferroics have been studied to reveal the effect of Nb doping on the physical properties of the neodymium modified BiFeO₃. These samples have been synthesized via conventional solid state reaction method. The structural characterization was performed by XRD technique and Rietveld refinement. Rietveld refinement results confirmed that all samples crystallized in rhombohedral symmetry. In the vicinity of anti-ferromagnetic Neel-temperature (T_N), an anomaly was observed in dielectric constant (?′) and loss tangent (tan δ) which indicates the existence of magnetoelectric coupling. It is observed that with Nb doping dielectric constant was reduced and Neel temperature shifted towards higher temperature. The impedance (Nyquist plots) and modulus spectroscopy revealed that materials possess non-Debye type of relaxation. The doping of donor ion is able to suppress the existence of oxygen vacancies which results in increase in resistivity. The B-site doping by higher valence ion suppresses the existing modulated spin structure by structural distortion, results in released net magnetization. The room temperature remanent magnetization increased with Nb doping and all powder samples possess weak ferromagnetism. The possible reasons for the notable magnetic and dielectric performance of prepared samples were discussed.     

Exploring macro- and microlevel connectivity of the urea phase in slabstock flexible polyurethane foam formulations using lithium chloride as a probe

Urea phase connectivity has been probed by systematically varying the hard segment content, and lithium chloride content, in a series of plaques based on slabstock flexible polyurethane foams. The plaque formulations are identical to those of slabstock polyurethane foams with the exception that a surfactant is not utilized. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is used to demonstrate that all materials investigated are microphase separated with similar interdomain spacings, irrespective of hard segment content (21-37 wt%) or LiCl content. Several complimentary characterization techniques are employed to reveal that urea phase connectivity is present at different length scales. Macrolevel connectivity, or connectivity of the large-scale urea rich aggregates typically observed in flexible slabstock polyurethane foams, is probed using SAXS, TEM, and atomic force microscopy. These techniques collectively show that the urea aggregation increases as the hard segment content is increased. Incorporation of LiCl is shown to systematically reduce the urea aggregation behavior, thus leading to a loss in the macroconnectivity of the urea phase. Wide angle X-ray scattering is used to probe the regularity in segmental packing, or the microlevel connectivity between the hard segments, which is observed to decrease systematically on addition of LiCl. The loss in microlevel connectivity is suggested to increase chain slippage, and leads to increased rates of stress-relaxation for the samples containing LiCl. Materials containing LiCl also display relatively short rubbery plateaus as compared to their counterparts which do not contain the additive. Modulus values, as obtained at ambient conditions by stress-strain analyses, are found to be a stronger function of LiCl content when the hard segment content is higher.     

Effect of annealing atmosphere on leakage and dielectric characteristics of multiferroic gallium ferrite

Mutliferroic and magnetoelectric gallium ferrite (GaFeO₃) is plagued by substantial electrical leakage in polycrystalline form. Here, we report on understanding the conduction mechanism in gallium ferrite ceramic samples vis‐à‐vis processing conditions. The results show that oxygen annealed samples exhibit minimum electrical leakage as compared to air or nitrogen annealed samples suggesting the role of oxy3gen vacancies on electrical conduction. Detailed time and temperature‐dependent impedance spectroscopy analysis of the samples showed higher activation energy of conduction in oxygen annealed samples than in air or nitrogen annealed samples. The lower activation energies of 0.3‐0.4 eV in nitrogen/air annealed samples were attributed to higher oxygen vacancy concentration while oxygen annealed samples with low oxygen vacancy concentration exhibited higher activation energy of ~0.50 eV (high frequency, i.e., grain) and 0.98 eV (low frequency, i.e., grain boundary), latter due to superior level of oxygenation at the grain boundaries. Further, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the oxygen vacancies are compensated by the valence fluctuation between Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ ions whose extent is higher in air/nitrogen annealed samples than in oxygen annealed samples. The conduction mechanisms that could be active are most likely to be double ionization of oxygen vacancies and hopping from Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ states, latter especially in oxygen deficient samples.     

A systematic series of ‘model’ PTMO based segmented polyurethanes reinvestigated using atomic force microscopy

Approximately 30 years after their preparation, the nanoscale morphology of a series of ‘model’ segmented polyurethane elastomers has been further elucidated using the technique of tapping mode AFM. The materials investigated are based on 1,4-butanediol extended piperazine based hard segments and employ poly(tetramethylene oxide) soft segments. The chemistry of these polyurethanes was specifically controlled in a manner which yielded monodisperse hard segments precisely containing either one, two, three, or four repeating units. Phase images obtained via AFM, for the first time, enable visual representation of the microphase separated morphology of these materials. AFM images also confirmed the presence of a spherulitic morphology, as shown several years ago using SALS and SEM. In addition, applying AFM to films of freshly prepared solution cast samples, the observed lath-like hard domains are suggested to preferentially orient with their long axis along the radial direction of the spherulites, while the respective crystalline hard segments comprising the hard domains are, in turn, preferentially oriented perpendicular to the spherulitic radius. The hard domain connectivity was found to increase with increasing percentage hard segment content of the polymers.     

Effect of clay orientation on the tensile modulus of polypropylene-nanoclay composites

We present an experimental investigation of the effect of clay orientation, as produced by melt extrusion, on the tensile modulus of compatibilized and uncompatibilized syndiotactic polypropylene nanoclay composites. The orientation of the clay tactoids in extruded tape samples was quantified using 2D X-ray diffraction data. It was found that in the case of the tapes made from compatibilized nanocomposites the orientation of the clay tactoids increased with extrusion shear rate, while in the case of tapes extruded from uncompatibilized hybrids the clay orientation was independent of the shear rate. Tensile modulus of the extruded tapes along the flow direction was measured and was found to correlate well with the average orientation of the clay tactoids. In the case of the compatibilized hybrids the modulus increased with the extrusion shear rate until a saturation value, whereas for the uncompatibilized hybrids the modulus was nearly independent of the shear rate. Semi-quantitative predictions of the effect of clay orientation on the tensile modulus of the compatibilized tape samples were obtained using a micromechanical model.     

Synthesis,Characterization, Solution Behavior,and Density Functional Theory Analysis of Some Pyridinium‐Based Ionic Liquids

Some picolinium ionic liquids (IL) [α/γ‐PicC _n][Br/NO₃] (n = 3, 5, 7) were synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR data. The surface tension and density of all the IL were determined. The aggregation behavior of these IL in aqueous medium and in dichloromethane was assessed from the variation of electrical conductivity in these media. The critical aggregation concentrations of these IL in aqueous medium were found to decrease significantly by the addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The structural features and the conformation of these IL were further investigated by using density functional theory calculations. The bromide ion was found to be inclined asymmetrically to one side of the pyridinium nucleus, while the nitrogen of the nitrate group lies close to the nitronium ion of the pyridinium nucleus.     

Purification of recombinant human interferon gamma from fermentation broth using reverse micellar extraction: A process optimization study

In the present investigation, we have shown a single step purification of IFN-γ from the fermentation broth of recombinant Kluyveromyces lactis (K. lactis) strain, using cationic surfactant based reverse micellar extraction (RME) system. The forward and back extraction processes were optimized in order to improve the overall extraction process. 78%, 93% and 98% forward extraction efficiencies (FEE) were obtained after the process by using aqueous phase pH 12, 150 mM CTAB and 0.2 M NaCl respectively. Afterwards, back extraction efficiency (BEE) was maximized by the optimization of stripping phase pH, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and potassium chloride (KCl) concentration by employing Taguchi’s method of orthogonal array. Stripping phase pH 7, 15% IPA & 0.8 M KCl were found to be the best possible parameters producing 83% BEE. The usage of IPA has proven to reduce the effect of micellar-micellar based interaction, which was reflected as an improvement in BEE. This study demonstrates that the reverse micellar system is a highly promising and efficient tool for the direct extraction of recombinant proteins from fermentation broth. Moreover, this system holds a high potential to be an integral part of the downstream process used in biopharmaceutical industry.