Development and experimental testing and comparison of topology-control algorithms in sensor networks

This work is an experimental evaluation of topology-control protocols real in wireless sensor networks. Topology control is considered to be a fundamental technique to reduce energy consumption and radio interference. But, to the best of our knowledge, it has only been tested using simulators and there are no evaluations of topology-control protocols in real environments. With this work we intend to fill this gap.Postprint (published version

Cure Violence: A Public Health Model to Reduce Gun Violence

Scholars and practitioners alike in recent years have suggested that real and lasting progress in the fight against gun violence requires changing the social norms and attitudes that perpetuate violence and the use of guns. The Cure Violence model is a public health approach to gun violence reduction that seeks to change individual and community attitudes and norms about gun violence. It considers gun violence to be analogous to a communicable disease that passes from person to person when left untreated. Cure Violence operates independently of, while hopefully not undermining, law enforcement. In this article, we describe the theoretical basis for the program, review existing program evaluations, identify several challenges facing evaluators, and offer directions for future research

Memory Mangement in the PoSSo Solver

AbstractA uniform general purpose garbage collector may not always provide optimal performance. Sometimes an algorithm exhibits a predictable pattern of memory usage that could be exploited, delaying as much as possible the intervention of the collector. This requires a collector whose strategy can be customized to the need of an algorithm. We present a dynamic memory management framework which allows such customization, while preserving the convenience of automatic collection in the normal case. The Customizable Memory Management (CMM) organizes memory in multiple heaps, each one encapsulating a particular storage discipline. The default heap for collectable objects uses the technique of mostly copying garbage collection, providing good performance and memory compaction. Customization of the collector is achieved through object orientation by specialising the collector methods for each heap class. We describe how the CMM has been exploited in the implementation of the Buchberger algorithm, by using a special heap for temporary objects created during polynomial reduction. The solution drastically reduces the overall cost of memory allocation in the algorithm

The Doubtful Hero: An Artist\u27s Journey

THE DOUBTFUL HERO: AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY By Heather N. Falks, MFA A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theatre at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015 Director: Noreen Barnes Graduate Studies Director, Department of Theatre This thesis documents my role as director of Time Tells, an ensemble based, multi-media, devised theatre piece. I address my specific responsibilities when leading an ensemble to create new work and produce it for the public. I identify the problems the ensemble faced and account how I mediated when dealing with conflict. Additionally, I include important professional influences such as, director and author, Anne Bogart and her nine Viewpoints; and the work of director and activist, Augusto Boal and the Theatre of the Oppressed. I explain how exercises from Viewpoints and Theatre of the Oppressed aided my approach to team building and helped the ensemble establish a common language for communication. A shared vocabulary and sense of community allowed the ensemble to freely explore character and relationships, which led to formation of the Time Tells story

Trusted data path protecting shared data in virtualized distributed systems

When sharing data across multiple sites, service applications should not be trusted automatically. Services that are suspected of faulty, erroneous, or malicious behaviors, or that run on systems that may be compromised, should not be able to gain access to protected data or entrusted with the same data access rights as others. This thesis proposes a context flow model that controls the information flow in a distributed system. Each service application along with its surrounding context in a distributed system is treated as a controllable principal. This thesis defines a trust-based access control model that controls the information exchange between these principals. An online monitoring framework is used to evaluate the trustworthiness of the service applications and the underlining systems. An external communication interception runtime framework enforces trust-based access control transparently for the entire system.Ph.D.Committee Chair: Karsten Schwan; Committee Member: Douglas M. Blough; Committee Member: Greg Eisenhauer; Committee Member: Mustaque Ahamad; Committee Member: Wenke Le