The Refugee Problem: An International Legal Tangle

Change is constant and computing paradigm is no exception. It has witnessed major shifts right from centralized client server systems to widely distributed systems. This time the locus of change in the computing paradigm is moving towards virtualization, paving way to cloud computing. Cloud computing aims at providing computing services to its users as an utility. It allows its authenticated users to access a wide range of highly scalable computing capabilities and services via the internet on a pay-per-usage basis. Organisations not only view these benefits as cost-saving strategies, but also aim at improving the competitive advantages using cloud computing. Hence, this has given rise to a new horizon in IT/IS outsourcing. With a collaboration of cloud computing and outsourcing emerged a new concept called cloudsourcing. Cloudsourcing can be termed as the next generation outsourcing and the next phase of cloud computing promising benefits from both the areas. Cloudsourcing is outsourcing traditional business via the cloud infrastructure. Though there is pompous popularity surrounding this new technology, there is much hesitation in adopting it due to the inherent security issues. This paper discusses in detail the security issues and possible solution to the same. As this is a new concept, not much work is identified to be done in providing a set of guidelines to adopt cloudsourcing that are very specific to information security. This work intends to fill this aperture by building a set of well-defined information security guidelines, which can be termed as a novel. For this purpose, design science research method proposed by Hevner et al is used so as to accomplish this goal. Initially, a literature study is done after which an exploratory study comprising of interviews is done to gather qualitative data. The results of the exploratory interview is tested for correctness and evaluated based on an evaluation study comprising a survey based questionnaire. The analysis of the evaluation study results provides the final results. In such an attempt, the identified countermeasures to risks are classified into three groups namely, organisational, technical and regulatory and compliance guidelines. Hence the end results constituting the set of information security guidelines are classified into the above mentioned groups. This work is assumed to contribute to our understanding of information security in cloudsourcing and in supporting IT decision makers, IT project managers and security executives of organisations for a smooth and secure transition towards cloudsourcing their business

Cold cathode gauge experiment (ALSEP)

Cold cathode ionization gages were left on the lunar surface as part of ALSEP (Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package) on Apollo missions 12, 14, and 15. An instrument prepared for Apollo 13 did not reach the surface because of the abort of that mission. The gages that reached the lunar surface measured the amounts of gas present in the vicinity of the ALSEP sites. The observed daytime gas concentrations were initially about two orders of magnitude greater than the nighttime observations; this was due to contamination of the landing area by the Apollo operations and equipment, and the daytime measurements showed a decrease with time characterized by a time constant of a few months

Radiation Induced Fermion Resonance

The Dirac equation is solved for two novel terms which describe the interaction energy between the half integral spin of a fermion and the classical, circularly polarized, electromagnetic field. A simple experiment is suggested to test the new terms and the existence of radiation induced fermion resonance.Comment: latex, 4 pages, no figure

Condensation Transition in Polydisperse Hard Rods

We study a mass transport model, where spherical particles diffusing on a ring can stochastically exchange volume $v$, with the constraint of a fixed total volume $V=\sum_{i=1}^N v_i$, $N$ being the total number of particles. The particles, referred to as $p$-spheres, have a linear size that behaves as $v_i^{1/p}$ and our model thus represents a gas of polydisperse hard rods with variable diameters $v_i^{1/p}$. We show that our model admits a factorized steady state distribution which provides the size distribution that minimizes the free energy of a polydisperse hard rod system, under the constraints of fixed $N$ and $V$. Complementary approaches (explicit construction of the steady state distribution on the one hand ; density functional theory on the other hand) completely and consistently specify the behaviour of the system. A real space condensation transition is shown to take place for $p>1$: beyond a critical density a macroscopic aggregate is formed and coexists with a critical fluid phase. Our work establishes the bridge between stochastic mass transport approaches and the optimal polydispersity of hard sphere fluids studied in previous articles

Construction of ATS Cloud Console Final Report

ATS cloud console for rapid analysis of cloud image sequence

Analysis of ERTS imagery using special electronic viewing/measuring equipment

An electronic satellite image analysis console (ESIAC) is being employed to process imagery for use by USGS investigators in several different disciplines studying dynamic hydrologic conditions. The ESIAC provides facilities for storing registered image sequences in a magnetic video disc memory for subsequent recall, enhancement, and animated display in monochrome or color. Quantitative measurements of distances, areas, and brightness profiles can be extracted digitally under operator supervision. Initial results are presented for the display and measurement of snowfield extent, glacier development, sediment plumes from estuary discharge, playa inventory, phreatophyte and other vegetative changes

Johnson-Kendall-Roberts theory applied to living cells

Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) theory is an accurate model for strong adhesion energies of soft slightly deformable material. Little is known about the validity of this theory on complex systems such as living cells. We have addressed this problem using a depletion controlled cell adhesion and measured the force necessary to separate the cells with a micropipette technique. We show that the cytoskeleton can provide the cells with a 3D structure that is sufficiently elastic and has a sufficiently low deformability for JKR theory to be valid. When the cytoskeleton is disrupted, JKR theory is no longer applicable

Carbonate Formation in Non-Aqueous Environments by Solid-Gas Carbonation of Silicates

We have produced synthetic analogues of cosmic silicates using the Sol Gel method, producing amorphous silicates of composition Mg(x)Ca(1-x)SiO3. Using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction on Beamline I11 at the Diamond Light Source, together with a newly-commissioned gas cell, real-time powder diffraction scans have been taken of a range of silicates exposed to CO2 under non-ambient conditions. The SXPD is complemented by other techniques including Raman and Infrared Spectroscopy and SEM imaging.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Contribution to the Proceedings of the First European Conference on Laboratory Astrophysics (ECLA

Study of time-lapse processing for dynamic hydrologic conditions

The usefulness of dynamic display techniques in exploiting the repetitive nature of ERTS imagery was investigated. A specially designed Electronic Satellite Image Analysis Console (ESIAC) was developed and employed to process data for seven ERTS principal investigators studying dynamic hydrological conditions for diverse applications. These applications include measurement of snowfield extent and sediment plumes from estuary discharge, Playa Lake inventory, and monitoring of phreatophyte and other vegetation changes. The ESIAC provides facilities for storing registered image sequences in a magnetic video disc memory for subsequent recall, enhancement, and animated display in monochrome or color. The most unique feature of the system is the capability to time lapse the imagery and analytic displays of the imagery. Data products included quantitative measurements of distances and areas, binary thematic maps based on monospectral or multispectral decisions, radiance profiles, and movie loops. Applications of animation for uses other than creating time-lapse sequences are identified. Input to the ESIAC can be either digital or via photographic transparencies