Active flutter control for flexible vehicles, volume 1

An active flutter control methodology based on linear quadratic gaussian theory and its application to the control of a super critical wing is presented. Results of control surface and sensor position optimization are discussed. Both frequency response matching and residualization used to obtain practical flutter controllers are examined. The development of algorithms and computer programs for flutter modeling and active control design procedures is reported

Speciation and fate of copper in sewage treatment works with and without tertiary treatment: The effect of return flows

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2013 Taylor & Francis.The removal of metals from wastewaters is becoming an important issue, with new environmental quality standards putting increased regulatory pressure on operators of sewage treatment works. The use of additional processes (tertiary treatment) following two-stage biological treatment is frequently seen as a way of improving effluent quality for nutrients and suspended solids, and this study investigates the impact of how back washes from these tertiary processes may impact the removal of copper during primary sedimentation. Seven sites were studied, three conventional two-stage biological treatment, and four with tertiary processes. It was apparent that fluxes of copper in traditional return flows made a significant contribution to the load to the primary treatment tanks, and that<1% of this was in the dissolved phase. Where tertiary processes were used, back wash liquors were also returned to the primary tanks. These return flows had an impact on copper removal in the primary tanks, probably due to their aerobic nature. Returning such aerobic back wash flows to the main process stream after primary treatment may therefore be worth consideration. The opportunity to treat consolidated liquor and sludge flows in side-stream processes to remove toxic elements, as they are relatively concentrated, low volume flow streams, should also be evaluated

Transitional experiences of post-16 sports education: Jack's story

This paper explores the layered transitional experiences of a semi-professional athlete named Jack (a pseudonym) between the fields of professional sport and further and higher education. Our analysis is framed by the quadripartite framework of structuration and focuses on Jack's 'in-situ' practices at his college and university in order to illustrate how these can operate to reproduce, transform, and challenge the habitual discourses and rituals that circulate within these institutions by generating forms of corporeal empowerment for young athletes who have valued conjunctural knowledge. The findings highlight the fragility of the transition process and raise questions regarding how the experiences of young people are shaped by the relationships between employment and post-16 education. Jack's experiences have implications for both policy and practice within further education and higher education. © 2012 © 2012 Taylor & Francis

An Automated System for Detecting and Preventing Phishing Attempts on Steam Accounts

In recent years Steam has become a giant in the gaming industry. The Valve-owned digital distribution platform held an estimated 75% of market share in 2013, and continues to grow. However, with such a large user base comes the ever-increasing threat of security breaches in both the Steam database and individual Steam user accounts. While Steam does make use of a mobile authentication app, users are still susceptible to malware and/or phishing attempts that can cause users to lose access to their accounts through manipulation or gaining access to recovery email accounts. This project aims to investigate how the authentication process can be improved or if a solution can be created to help prevent the worst-case scenario when users become victims of phishing attacks

Rethinking 'resistance' to big IT: A sociological study of why and when healthcare staff do not use nationally mandated information and communication technologies

contractual_start_date: 09-2011 editorial_review_begun: 06-2013 accepted_for_publication: 04-2014contractual_start_date: 09-2011 editorial_review_begun: 06-2013 accepted_for_publication: 04-2014contractual_start_date: 09-2011 editorial_review_begun: 06-2013 accepted_for_publication: 04-2014National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programm

Against the tide: the role of bacterial adhesion in host colonization

Evolving under the constant exposure to an abundance of diverse microbial life, the human body has developed many ways of defining the boundaries between self and non-self. Many physical and immunological barriers to microbial invasion exist, and yet bacteria have found a multitude of ways to overcome these, initiate interactions with and colonize the human host. Adhesion to host cells and tissues is a key feature allowing bacteria to persist in an environment under constant flux and to initiate transient or permanent symbioses with the host. This review discusses reasons why adhesion is such a seemingly indispensable requirement for bacteria–host interactions, and whether bacteria can bypass the need to adhere and still persist. It further outlines open questions about the role of adhesion in bacterial colonization and persistence within the host

An analysis on the re-emergence of SQL Slammer worm using network telescope data

The SQL Slammer worm is a self propagated computer virus that caused a denial of service on some Internet hosts and dramatically slowed down general Internet traffic. An observation of network traffic captured in the Rhodes University’s network telescopes shows that traf-fic observed in it shows an escalation in the number of packets cap-tured by the telescopes between January 2014 and December 2016 when the expected traffic was meant to take a constant decline in UDP packets from port 1434. Using data captured over a period of 84 months, the analysis done in this study identified top ten /24 source IP addresses that Slammer worm repeatedly used for this attack together with their geolocation. It also shows the trend of UDP 1434 packets re-ceived by the two network telescopes from January 2009 to December 2015. In line with epidemic model, the paper has shown how this traffic fits in as SQL Slammer worm attack. Consistent number of packets ob-served in the two telescopes between 2014 and 2016 shows qualities of the Slammer worm attack. Basic time series and decomposition of additive time series graphs have been used to show trend and ob-served UDP packets over the time frame of study

Feasibility Study: Computing Confidence Interval (CI) for IBR Data Using Bootstrapping Technique

Statistical bootstrapping has been used in different fields over the years since it was introduced as a technique that one can use to simulate data. In this study, parametric and nonparametric bootstrapping techniques were used to create samples of different compositions from the baseline data. The bootstrap distribution of a point estimator of a population parameter has been used in the past to produce a bootstrapped confidence interval (CI) for the parameter’s true value, if the parameter is written as a function of the population’s distribution. Population parameters are estimated with many point estimators. The study used mean as the population parameter of interest from which bootstrap samples were created. This research was more interested in the CI side of bootstrapping and it is this aspect that this paper focused on. This is the case because the study wanted to offer a certain degree of assurance and reliability of IBR data to users who may not have access to a larger ’lens’ of a network telescope to allow them to monitor security threats in their network. The primary interest in the dataset were source and destination IP (DSTIP) addresses, thus the study selected different size pools of DSTIP addresses to simulate bootstrap samples

Transitions into and through higher education : the lived experiences of students who identify as LGBTQ+

This study explores the lived experiences of students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or queer (LGBTQ+) during their transitions into, and through, higher education. Existing literature presents tragic narratives of students with LGBTQ+ identities which position them as victims. This study conceptualizes transitions as complex, multiple, and multi-dimensional rather than linear. The objectives of the study were to explore: the lived experiences of students who identify as LGBTQ+ in higher education; the role that sexuality and/or gender identity play in their lives over the course of their studies and LGBTQ+ students' experiences of transitions into, and through, higher education. The study is longitudinal in design and draws on the experiences of five participants over the duration of a 3-years undergraduate course in a university in the UK. Methods used include semi-structured interviews, audio diaries and visual methods to explore participants' experiences of transitions. Data were coded and analyzed thematically. This study uniquely found that the participants experienced Multiple and Multi-dimensional Transitions during their time at university and that these transitions were largely positive in contrast to the mainly tragic narratives that are dominant within the previous literature. In addition, this is the first study to have explored the experiences of LGBTQ+ students using a longitudinal study design. As far as we are aware, no existing studies apply Multiple and Multi-dimensional Transitions Theory (MMT) to students in higher education who identify as LGBTQ+

User testing digital, multimedia information to inform children, adolescents and their parents about healthcare trials

Digital, multimedia information resources (MMIs) containing text, video, animation and pictures are a promising alternative to written participant information materials designed to inform children, adolescents and parents about healthcare trials, but little research has tested whether they are fit for purpose. This study employed a consecutive groups design and user testing questionnaire to assess whether participants were able to find and understand key information in multimedia resources. Two rounds of testing were completed. In each round, seven children aged 7–11 tested the MMI with a parent; six adolescents aged 12–17 and seven parents tested the MMI independently. After round 1, the resources were revised based on participant scores, behaviour and feedback. Round 1 identified problems with 2/10 information items (length of trial and use of insulin pump); only 3/20 participants could locate all information items without difficulty. After revisions, 14/20 participants scored a clear round. Information comprehension was high: 96% understood in round 1 and 99% in round 2. Participant feedback on the multimedia resources was positive, although presentation preferences varied. User testing was employed successfully with children, adolescents and parents to identify issues with, and improve, multimedia resources developed to inform potential healthcare trial participants