Calm before the storm: the challenges of cloud computing in digital forensics

Cloud computing is a rapidly evolving information technology (IT) phenomenon. Rather than procure, deploy and manage a physical IT infrastructure to host their software applications, organizations are increasingly deploying their infrastructure into remote, virtualized environments, often hosted and managed by third parties. This development has significant implications for digital forensic investigators, equipment vendors, law enforcement, as well as corporate compliance and audit departments (among others). Much of digital forensic practice assumes careful control and management of IT assets (particularly data storage) during the conduct of an investigation. This paper summarises the key aspects of cloud computing and analyses how established digital forensic procedures will be invalidated in this new environment. Several new research challenges addressing this changing context are also identified and discussed

Study of the mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) gene in the primate Presbytis cristata

The mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) is a member of the HMG-box protein family, necessary for both transcription and maintenance of mitochondrial DNA. The gene is structured in seven exons and six introns and it is estimated to span about 10 kb in mouse, human and rat. In addition to the full length mRNA of Tfam, a shorter mRNA isoform lacking exon 5 has been found to be widely distributed in human and rat tissues. Here we present the isolation and characterization of Tfam gene in the primate Presbytis cristata which belongs to the Cercopithecidae family. We have determined the complete CDS sequence, the size of all the six introns, the complete sequences of the three shorter ones (I, III, VI) and the partial sequences of the long introns (II, IV, V). The comparison with other available Tfam sequences from mammals has revealed a high degree of conservation (above 90%) both in CDS and introns. By in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments we have mapped Tfam gene on chromosome 12 which, according to other cytogenetics studies, is the homologous region of chromosome 10, where human Tfam has been mapped. Moreover we have searched for the presence of alternatively spliced isoforms through several approaches, such as RT-PCR and differential hybridization. In Presbytis cristata we have not detected the presence of any spliced isoforms lacking exons; however we have identified one isoform in which part of the intron I is retained in the mRNA. The inclusion of this portion of intron I would originate an early stop codon if translated

STUDY OF THE MITOCHONDRIAL TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR A (TFAM) GENE IN THE PRIMATE PRESBYTIS CRISTATA

The mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) is a member of the HMG-box protein family, necessary for both transcription and maintenance of mitochondrial DNA. The gene is structured in seven exons and six introns and it is estimated to span about 10 kb in mouse, human and rat. In addition to the full length mRNA of Tfam, a shorter mRNA isoform lacking exon 5 has been found to be widely distributed in human and rat tissues. Here we present the isolation and characterization of Tfam gene in the primate Presbytis cristata which belongs to the Cercopithecidae family. We have determined the complete CDS sequence, the size of all the six introns, the complete sequences of the three shorter ones (I, III, VI) and the partial sequences of the long introns (II, IV, V). The comparison with other available Tfam sequences from mammals has revealed a high degree of conservation (above 90%) both in CDS and introns. By in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments we have mapped Tfam gene on chromosome 12 which, according to other cytogenetics studies, is the homologous region of chromosome 10, where human Tfam has been mapped. Moreover we have searched for the presence of alternatively spliced isoforms through several approaches, such as RT-PCR and differential hybridization. In Presbytis cristata we have not detected the presence of any spliced isoforms lacking exons; however we have identified one isoform in which part of the intron I is retained in the mRNA. The inclusion of this portion of intron I would originate an early stop codon if translated

A Secure Software Engineering Design Framework for Educational Purpose

Ensuring software security is a critical task for a deliverable software system in today\u27s world, and its proper implementation guarantees the quality and security of the information ingested, stored, and processed by the system. It is imperative to introduce computer science and computer engineering students (CS/CE) with the secure software design practices early in their curriculum. This approach will help them understand fundamentals of secure programming, vulnerabilities in software systems, and secure software development before joining the industry workforce. In this paper, we propose an educational framework that integrates software security concepts in a software engineering design course. We envision that the framework will engage CS/CE students applying security principles and practices in different phases of the software development life cycle (SDLC) process. Our work focuses on review of common security requirements, policies, and mechanisms related to specific use cases as well as how those requirements are defined during the software design

Longitudinal associations of physical fitness and affect with depression, anxiety and life satisfaction in adult women with fibromyalgia

Purpose: This study analysed the longitudinal associations of physical fitness and affect with depression, anxiety and life satisfaction at 2- and 5-year follow-up. Methods: In 312 adult women with fibromyalgia, physical fitness was measured by performance-based tests and affect, depression, anxiety and life satisfaction were self-reported using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Beck Depression Inventory-second edition (BDI-II), State Trait Anxiety Inventory-I (STAI) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), respectively. We conducted sequential linear regression analyses adjusted for baseline levels of depression, anxiety, life satisfaction, age, body fat percentage and education. Results: At the 2-year follow-up, all the associations under study were significant. At the 5-year follow-up, a number of associations remained significant. First, lowering negative affect was independently associated with lower depression, anxiety and higher life satisfaction (β’s from 0.14 to 0.31). Second, favourable changes in positive affect were independently associated with lower anxiety (β = 0.21) and higher life satisfaction (β = 0.28). Third, enhancing physical fitness was related to higher life satisfaction (β = 0.16). Conclusion: Reductions in negative affect were associated with more favourable depression, anxiety and life satisfaction at the 2- and 5-year follow-up. Improvements in positive affect were associated with more favourable anxiety and life satisfaction and enhancements in physical fitness were associated with higher life satisfaction. If corroborated in clinical–experimental research, these findings may guide the development of interventions that are tailored to the levels of physical fitness, affect and the outcome of interest (i.e. depression, anxiety or life satisfaction) in women with fibromyalgia