Denial of Service in Voice Over IP Networks

In this paper we investigate denial of service (DoS) vulnerabilities in Voice over IP (VoIP) systems, focusing on the ITU-T H.323 family of protocols. We provide a simple characterisation of DoS attacks that allows us to readily identify DoS issues in H.323 protocols. We also discuss network layer DoS vulnerabilities that affect VoIP systems. A number of improvements and further research directions are proposed

Denial-of-Service Resistance in Key Establishment

Denial of Service (DoS) attacks are an increasing problem for network connected systems. Key establishment protocols are applications that are particularly vulnerable to DoS attack as they are typically required to perform computationally expensive cryptographic operations in order to authenticate the protocol initiator and to generate the cryptographic keying material that will subsequently be used to secure the communications between initiator and responder. The goal of DoS resistance in key establishment protocols is to ensure that attackers cannot prevent a legitimate initiator and responder deriving cryptographic keys without expending resources beyond a responder-determined threshold. In this work we review the strategies and techniques used to improve resistance to DoS attacks. Three key establishment protocols implementing DoS resistance techniques are critically reviewed and the impact of misapplication of the techniques on DoS resistance is discussed. Recommendations on effectively applying resistance techniques to key establishment protocols are made

Removal of the Invasive Brazilian Pepper Plant

The Brazilian Pepper plant, Schinus terebinthifolius, is an invasive species located across the state of Florida. The team’s goal was to physically remove and exterminate this unwanted plant from Spruce Creek Park. The procedure for physically removing this species required identification, step by step removal, and disposal of the extracted plant. This plant can grow as a multi-trunk shrub or tree up to 40 feet in height with arching and crossing branches. The removal process consists of cutting down the plant with a bow saw and trimming them enough to fit into a garbage bag and disposing of them into a waste management bin. Our group has successfully put in 12 hours of removal up to date and have cleared about a quarter of an acre located in Spruce Creek Park near 29°05\u2750.8 N 80°58\u2724.4 W. By removing an invasive species from this area, it allows for greater biodiversity by allowing more native plants to grow and receive the nutrients they need

Combining community-based research and local knowledge to confront asthma and subsistence-fishing hazards in Greenpoint/Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York.

Activists in the environmental justice movement are challenging expert-driven scientific research by taking the research process into their own hands and speaking for themselves by defining, analyzing, and prescribing solutions for the environmental health hazards confronting communities of the poor and people of color. I highlight the work of El Puente and The Watchperson Project--two community-based organizations in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, that have engaged in community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address asthma and risks from subsistence-fish diets. The CBPR process aims to engage community members as equal partners alongside scientists in problem definition, information collection, and data analysis--all geared toward locally relevant action for social change. In the first case I highlight how El Puente has organized residents to conduct a series of asthma health surveys and tapped into local knowledge of the Latino population to understand potential asthma triggers and to devise culturally relevant health interventions. In a second case I follow The Watchperson Project and their work surveying subsistence anglers and note how the community-gathered information contributed key data inputs for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Cumulative Exposure Project in the neighborhood. In each case I review the processes each organization used to conduct CBPR, some of their findings, and the local knowledge they gathered, all of which were crucial for understanding and addressing local environmental health issues. I conclude with some observations about the benefits and limits of CBPR for helping scientists and communities pursue environmental justice

Dalton State College APEX Calculus

This text for Analytic Geometry and Calculus I, II, and III is a Dalton State College remix of APEX Calculus 3.0. The text was created through a Round Six ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Topics covered in this text include: Limits Derivatives Integration Antidifferentiation Sequences Vectors Files can also be downloaded on the Dalton State College GitHub: https://github.com/DaltonStateCollege/calculus-text/blob/master/Calculus.pdf Accessible files with optical character recognition (OCR) and auto-tagging provided by the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation.https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/mathematics-textbooks/1016/thumbnail.jp

Analytic Geometry and Calculus I, II, & III (Dalton)

This Grants Collection for Analytic Geometry and Calculus I, II, & III was created under a Round Six ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process. Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials: Linked Syllabus Initial Proposal Final Reporthttps://oer.galileo.usg.edu/mathematics-collections/1024/thumbnail.jp

The Deliberative School Approach to Human Rights

Over the past few decades, certain currents in higher education have been engaged in a paradigm shift that highlights the importance of civic engagement and experimental learning as means to a comprehensive, holistic education in the service of social change. In this article, we argue that community-based research, as a component of service-learning, constitutes a vehicle through which we can address the topic of human rights—in much the same way as W. E. B. DuBois recognized both universal human rights for all people and case-specific human rights for particular individuals (Elias 2009). To this end, we offer a brief discussion of the basic schools of human rights thought, present two examples, and discuss the potential for community-based research and the Deliberative School in addressing human rights issues within the broad context of social justice. Finally, we examine ways not only to educate and empower university students and local residents, but also how to use community- based research as a catalyst for meaningful advancement of human rights

Dendritic and axonal targeting patterns of a genetically-specified class of retinal ganglion cells that participate in image-forming circuits.

BackgroundThere are numerous functional types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), each participating in circuits that encode a specific aspect of the visual scene. This functional specificity is derived from distinct RGC morphologies and selective synapse formation with other retinal cell types; yet, how these properties are established during development remains unclear. Islet2 (Isl2) is a LIM-homeodomain transcription factor expressed in the developing retina, including approximately 40% of all RGCs, and has previously been implicated in the subtype specification of spinal motor neurons. Based on this, we hypothesized that Isl2+ RGCs represent a related subset that share a common function.ResultsWe morphologically and molecularly characterized Isl2+ RGCs using a transgenic mouse line that expresses GFP in the cell bodies, dendrites and axons of Isl2+ cells (Isl2-GFP). Isl2-GFP RGCs have distinct morphologies and dendritic stratification patterns within the inner plexiform layer and project to selective visual nuclei. Targeted filling of individual cells reveals that the majority of Isl2-GFP RGCs have dendrites that are monostratified in layer S3 of the IPL, suggesting they are not ON-OFF direction-selective ganglion cells. Molecular analysis shows that most alpha-RGCs, indicated by expression of SMI-32, are also Isl2-GFP RGCs. Isl2-GFP RGCs project to most retino-recipient nuclei during early development, but specifically innervate the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and superior colliculus (SC) at eye opening. Finally, we show that the segregation of Isl2+ and Isl2- RGC axons in the SC leads to the segregation of functional RGC types.ConclusionsTaken together, these data suggest that Isl2+ RGCs comprise a distinct class and support a role for Isl2 as an important component of a transcription factor code specifying functional visual circuits. Furthermore, this study describes a novel genetically-labeled mouse line that will be a valuable resource in future investigations of the molecular mechanisms of visual circuit formation