Forensic applications of atomic force microscopy

The first project undertaken was to develop a currently non-existent forensic technique -- data recovery from damaged SIM cards. SIM cards hold data valuable to a forensic investigator within non-volatile EEPROM/flash memory arrays. This data has been proven to be able to withstand temperatures up to 500°C, surviving such scenarios as house fires or criminal evidence disposal. A successful forensically-sound sample extraction, mounting and backside processing methodology was developed to expose the underside of a microcontroller circuit's floating gate transistor tunnel oxide, allowing probing via AFM-based electrical scanning probe techniques. Scanning Kelvin probe microscopy has thus far proved capable of detecting the presence of stored charge within the floating gates beneath the thin tunnel oxide layer, to the point of generating statistical distributions reflecting the threshold voltage states of the transistors. The second project covered the novel forensic application of AFM as a complimentary technique to SEM examination of quartz grain surface textures. The analysis and interpretation of soil/sediment samples can provide indications of their provenance, and enable exclusionary comparisons to be made between samples pertinent to a forensic investigation. Multiple grains from four distinct sample sets were examined with the AFM, and various statistical figures of merit were derived. Canonical discriminant analysis was used to assess the discriminatory abilities of these statistical variables to better characterise the use of AFM results for grain classification. The final functions correctly classified 65.3% of original grouped cases, with the first 3 discriminant functions used in the analysis (Wilks' Lambda=0.336, p=0.000<0.01). This degree of discrimination shows a great deal of promise for the AFM as a quantitative corroborative technique to traditional SEM grain surface examination

Capacitor Technologies, Applications and Reliability

Various aspects of capacitor technologies and applications are discussed. Major emphasis is placed on: the causes of failures; accelerated testing; screening tests; destructive physical analysis; applications techniques; and improvements in capacitor capabilities

New Trends in 3D Printing

A quarter century period of the 3D printing technology development affords ground for speaking about new realities or the formation of a new technological system of digital manufacture and partnership. The up-to-date 3D printing is at the top of its own overrated expectations. So the development of scalable, high-speed methods of the material 3D printing aimed to increase the productivity and operating volume of the 3D printing machines requires new original decisions. It is necessary to study the 3D printing applicability for manufacturing of the materials with multilevel hierarchical functionality on nano-, micro- and meso-scales that can find applications for medical, aerospace and/or automotive industries. Some of the above-mentioned problems and new trends are considered in this book

Research & Technology Report Goddard Space Flight Center

The main theme of this edition of the annual Research and Technology Report is Mission Operations and Data Systems. Shifting from centralized to distributed mission operations, and from human interactive operations to highly automated operations is reported. The following aspects are addressed: Mission planning and operations; TDRSS, Positioning Systems, and orbit determination; hardware and software associated with Ground System and Networks; data processing and analysis; and World Wide Web. Flight projects are described along with the achievements in space sciences and earth sciences. Spacecraft subsystems, cryogenic developments, and new tools and capabilities are also discussed

Research and Technology Report. Goddard Space Flight Center

This issue of Goddard Space Flight Center's annual report highlights the importance of mission operations and data systems covering mission planning and operations; TDRSS, positioning systems, and orbit determination; ground system and networks, hardware and software; data processing and analysis; and World Wide Web use. The report also includes flight projects, space sciences, Earth system science, and engineering and materials

Molecular phylogeny of horseshoe crab using mitochondrial Cox1 gene as a benchmark sequence

An effort to assess the utility of 650 bp Cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (DNA barcode) gene in delineating the members horseshoe crabs (Family: xiphosura) with closely related sister taxa was made. A total of 33 sequences were extracted from National Center for Biotechnological Information (NCBI) which include horseshoe crabs, beetles, common crabs and scorpion sequences. Constructed phylogram showed beetles are closely related with horseshoe crabs than common crabs. Scorpion spp were distantly related to xiphosurans. Phylogram and observed genetic distance (GD) date were also revealed that Limulus polyphemus was closely related with Tachypleus tridentatus than with T.gigas. Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda was distantly related with L.polyphemus. The observed mean Genetic Distance (GD) value was higher in 3rd codon position in all the selected group of organisms. Among the horseshoe crabs high GC content was observed in L.polyphemus (38.32%) and lowest was observed in T.tridentatus (32.35%). We conclude that COI sequencing (barcoding) could be used in identifying and delineating evolutionary relatedness with closely related specie

Crab and cockle shells as heterogeneous catalysts in the production of biodiesel

In the present study, the waste crab and cockle shells were utilized as source of calcium oxide to transesterify palm olein into methyl esters (biodiesel). Characterization results revealed that the main component of the shells are calcium carbonate which transformed into calcium oxide upon activated above 700 °C for 2 h. Parametric studies have been investigated and optimal conditions were found to be catalyst amount, 5 wt.% and methanol/oil mass ratio, 0.5:1. The waste catalysts perform equally well as laboratory CaO, thus creating another low-cost catalyst source for producing biodiesel. Reusability results confirmed that the prepared catalyst is able to be reemployed up to five times. Statistical analysis has been performed using a Central Composite Design to evaluate the contribution and performance of the parameters on biodiesel purity

Artech 2008: proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Digital Arts

ARTECH 2008 is the fourth international conference held in Portugal and Galicia on the topic of Digital Arts. It aims to promote contacts between Iberian and International contributors concerned with the conception, production and dissemination of Digital and Electronic Art. ARTECH brings the scientific, technological and artistic community together, promoting the interest in the digital culture and its intersection with art and technology as an important research field, a common space for discussion, an exchange of experiences, a forum for emerging digital artists and a way of understanding and appreciating new forms of cultural expression. Hosted by the Portuguese Catholic University’s School of Arts (UCP-EA) at the City of Porto, ARTCH 2008 falls in alignment with the main commitment of the Research Center for Science and Technology of the Arts (CITAR) to promote knowledge in the field of the Arts trough research and development within UCP-AE and together with the local and international community. The main areas proposed for the conference were related with sound, image, video, music, multimedia and other new media related topics, in the context of emerging practice of artistic creation. Although non exclusive, the main topics of the conference are usually: Art and Science; Audio-Visual and Multimedia Design; Creativity Theory; Electronic Music; Generative and Algorithmic Art; Interactive Systems for Artistic Applications; Media Art history; Mobile Multimedia; Net Art and Digital Culture; New Experiences with New Media and New Applications; Tangible and Gesture Interfaces; Technology in Art Education; Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. The contribution from the international community was extremely gratifying, resulting in the submission of 79 original works (Long Papers, Short Papers and installation proposals) from 22 Countries. Our Scientific Committee reviewed these submissions thoroughly resulting in a 73% acceptance ratio of a diverse and promising body of work presented in this book of proceedings. This compilation of articles provides an overview of the state of the art as well as a glimpse of new tendencies in the field of Digital Arts, with special emphasis in the topics: Sound and Music Computing; Technology Mediated Dance; Collaborative Art Performance; Digital Narratives; Media Art and Creativity Theory; Interactive Art; Audiovisual and Multimedia Design.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reliability Abstracts and Technical Reviews January-December 1969

No abstract availabl