FRAMEWORK FOR ANONYMIZED COVERT COMMUNICATIONS: A BLOCKCHAIN-BASED PROOF-OF-CONCEPT

In this dissertation, we present an information hiding approach incorporating anonymity that builds on existing classical steganographic models. Current security definitions are not sufficient to analyze the proposed information hiding approach as steganography offers data privacy by hiding the existence of data, a property that is distinct from confidentiality (data existence is known but access is restricted) and authenticity (data existence is known but manipulation is restricted). Combinations of the latter two properties are common in analyses, such as Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data (AEAD), yet there is a lack of research on combinations with steganography. This dissertation also introduces the security definition of Authenticated Stegotext with Associated Data (ASAD), which captures steganographic properties even when there is contextual information provided alongside the hidden data. We develop a hierarchical framework of ASAD variants, corresponding to different channel demands. We present a real-world steganographic embedding scheme, Authenticated SteGotex with Associated tRansaction Data (ASGARD), that leverages a blockchain-based application as a medium for sending hidden data. We analyze ASGARD in our framework and show that it meets Level-4 ASAD security. Finally, we implement ASGARD on the Ethereum platform as a proof-of-concept and analyze some of the ways an adversary might detect our embedding activity by analyzing historical Ethereum data.Lieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Potentiometric study of Complex Formation between Thiovanol & Th(IV), Zr(IV) & UO2(VI)

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Analisis Association Rules Algoritma Apriori Penjualan Kaos Travelling

Perusahaan atau USAha industri adalah unit USAha yang melakukan kegiatan ekonomi, bertujuan menghasilkan barang atau jasa, terletak pada suatu bangunan atau lokasi tertentu, dan mempunyai catatan administrasi tersendiri mengenai produksi dan struktur biaya serta ada seorang atau lebih yang bertanggung jawab atas USAha tersebut. Salah satu golongan industri yang mempunyai peran penting dalam perekonomian Provinsi DIY adalah industri tekstil dan pakaian jadi. Pasang surut industri ini di tingkat nasional juga berdampak di tingkat daerah. Selain itu, industri ini juga menghadapi persaingan yang ketat mengingat sudah banyak yang menjalankan bisnis seperti ini dimasyarakat ditambah dengan banyaknya produk tekstil dan pakaian jadi impor yang masuk di pasaran Indonesia. Keadaan ini juga di alami oleh salah satu Perusahaan konveksi yang ada di DI. Yogyakarta yakni adalah Distro Indonesia. Untuk membantu meningkatkan penjualan di Distro Indonesia tersebut, diperlukan solusi untuk mendapatkan gambaran mengenai hubungan antar produk yang sering dibeli oleh customer. Metode analisis yang dapat digunakan untuk mengetahui pola hubungan suatu produk salah satunya adalah Association Rules Algoritma Apriori. Hasil yang diperoleh terdapat sebelas aturan asosiasi yang terbentuk, dengan batasan nilai minimum support yaitu sebesar 0,01 dan batasan nilai minimum confidence yaitu sebesar 0,4. Sedangkan dengan batasan nilai minimum confidence 0,4 serta minimum support 0.02, diperoleh aturan asosiasi yang terkuat yakni jika seorang pembeli membeli barang dengan kode Hiking Rules maka pembeli tersebut juga membeli barang dengan kode My Trip My Adventure

Comparative Studies on Effect of Cationic and Anionic Finishing Agents on Surface Property of Finished Leather

Content: The present work attempts to analyze the surface and physical properties of leathers finished with cationic and anionic finishing chemicals. The contact angles of liquid drops resting on the leather surface have been used to evaluate surface energy, acidity, basicity components of the surface energy, polarity and work of adhesion. Contact angle values have been measured for chrome tanned and conventionally retanned crust and finished leather made by varying pigment and binder combinations. The wettability of finished leather has been correlated with the contact angle values: the higher the contact angle value the lesser is the wetting observed. Complete wetting can be obtained when the contact angle value is zero i.e. the drop of liquid spreads spontaneously on the surface and partial wetting is obtained when the contact angle value is in between 0and 900. Acrylic binders with different film forming properties, protein, polyurethane and butadiene binders have been combined to prepare different finish formulations.The results have been correlated with wet and dry rub fastness, finish adhesion, vamp flexing value, water vapour permeability and water proofness. It has been observed that when the surface of leather is coated with acrylic binder the contact angle value due to polar solvents(water) , non polar solvents(hexadecane) and moderately polar (DMSO) and methyl iodide show that as the thickness of coating increases, the contact angle value decreases for the base coat and sharply increases when top coat is applied. Top coats have the ability to increase the contact angle and they improve the performance properties of leather such as water resistance, fastness, finish adhesion etc. Cationic and anionic finishing formulations have been compared to study their effect in modifying the surface of finished leather based on contact angle values, wet and dry fastness to circular rubbing and water resistance. It has been observed that leathers finished using anionic finishing technique shows better wet rub fastness and water resistance effect compared to cationic finishing technique. Take-Away: The effect of number of top coats on water contact angle value were determined ,and the experiment showed that the value were decreased gradually at the beginning of the coat because the top coats are water based so during the coating process the hydrophobic nature of the surface of chrome tanned leather have decreased. The experimental result from contact angle value showed that coating with pigments and binders have increased the contact angle value compared to the control crust. It has been observed that leathers finished using anionic finishing technique shows better wet rub fastness and water resistance effect compared to cationic finishing technique

Differential Scanning calorimetric studies on the interaction of N-acylethanolamines with cholesterol

Earlier studies have suggested the formation of a 1 : 1 (mol/mol) complex between N-myristoylethanolamine (NMEA) and cholesterol in aqueous dispersion. In this study, this interaction has been investigated further by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) on dry mixtures of NMEA, N-palmitoylethanolamine (NPEA) and N-stearoylethanolamine (NSEA) with cholesterol. The results obtained indicate that addition of cholesterol to NMEA leads to a new phase transition at 86.5°C, besides the solid-liquid phase transition of NMEA at 95°C. The intensity of the peak corresponding to the new transition increases with cholesterol content up to 50 mol%, but decreases thereafter, whereas the intensity of the peak corresponding to the melting of NMEA decreases with increasing cholesterol content, with concomitant and gradual shift to lower temperatures and vanishes at 50 mol% cholesterol. These results are consistent with the formation of a 1:1 molar complex between NMEA and cholesterol proposed earlier and indicate that these two amphiphiles are associated in the solid state as well. DSC studies on hydrated mixtures of NPEA and NSEA with cholesterol yielded results that parallel those obtained with the NMEA/cholesterol system, indicating that these two long-chain NAEs also form 1:1 (mol/mol) complexes with cholesterol

System dynamics approach to understand the role of information technology in the evolution of next generation integrated product development systems

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-97).For the automotive industry, to be competitive in the market place has to devise many strategies. Some of the prominent strategies include and are not limited to, reduction of development costs by moving in-house work to its suppliers, reduction of PD cycle time by mimicking some of the industry's successful PD processes. Some companies are also devising some complex strategies like Zero-Prototype development using computer aided prototyping and testing, currently prevalent in the aerospace and naval industries, and more recently making a move into the Lean PD systems and processes to avoid waste and increase efficiency. However, to introduce such lean PD systems, with reduced PD cycle time, into a complex organization with many internally developed IT systems, processes and tools is a huge challenge. The organization needs to adapt to these lean environments not just structurally but also culturally. To design a lean PD organization (system) the decision makers have to foresee and understand how the system of systems may react to the change before they are implemented and/or executed. In the past couple of decades IT systems have been a primary enabler for PD work flow processes.(cont.) However, IT systems are so engraved in some PD organizations that they have turned into an engineering process mechanism. Also, some of the IT systems have served more than their life expectancy and in some cases cannot be decommissioned because these systems are so tightly coupled with the business processes. An understanding of the internal system dynamics of these deeply engraved IT systems in the PD life cycle will help the automotive industry executives (decision makers) and IT systems architects to make the right decision when designing and deploying the new PD systems or processes. This study provides an overview of how IT tools have evolved in the automotive industry. Extensive research was conducted to understand the different system dynamics tools used in industry - specifically in automotive product development and the software development areas. The study concludes with an explanation of how system dynamics tools can be used as a program planning and management tool.by Sashi K. Somavarapu.S.M

Striding towards self sustainability using Aluminium from Tanzanian kaolin for combination Tanning system

Content: Sustainability is a key factor which control future leather manufacture. Developing several new technologies is one of the primary agenda for sustainability. However, developing countries are facing several challenges which not only limited to best practice technologies but also finding self sustainability in maximizing the available resources. In the present study, an attempt has been made to explore the potential resource of aluminium from kaolin of Pugu hills, Tanzania for combination tanning. Though, extraction of aluminium from several resources are available, there is limited literature pertaining to Tanzania resources. Moreover, the extracted aluminium is basified and studied for its tanning efficiency. Diffraction and vibrational spectroscopic studies were carried out to assess the confirmation of extracted aluminium. Combination tanning has been carried out with vegetable tannins and dialdehyde starch tanning chemicals, which are from natural resources. Leathers tanned with aluminum and wattle resulted with a shrinkage temperature of 118ºC as compared to Al-Dialdehyde starch leathers showed around 90-100ºC. Physical strength characteristics such as tensile, tear and grain crack strength met the standard norms. Grain surface of leathers are found to be smooth which has been confirmed through microscopic studies. The study provides a new insight on accomplishing self sustainability through available resources and manufacture of eco-friendly system. Take-Away: 1. Tanzania is endowed with massive kaolin rich in aluminium, which is potential for application in leather industry for sustainable development of leather industry 2. The combination tanning system using aluminium from Tanzania kaolin with wattle tannins or Dialdehyde starch imparts leather with both physical and organoleptic properties that meet the stipulated norms 3. This new tanning system provides new insight on ecofriendly tanning system for the sustainability of leather industry

Functional outcome in displaced proximal humeral fractures in adults treated by proximal humeral locking plates

Background: The management of proximal humerus fractures (PHF) is a challenging task to any surgeon. Study was conducted to evaluate the clinical and functional outcome of the proximal humeral internal locking system in fixation of displaced proximal humeral fractures.Methods: Study was conducted in the Department of Orthopedics, GSL Medical College. Informed written consent was taken from the study participants. All skeletally mature patients aged >18 years, presenting with displaced PHF according to Neer two, three and four part fracture were included in the study. Either deltopectoral or deltoid splitting approach was used for surgery, post-operative rehabilitation was started on day one.Results: Twenty-five patients with PHF were enrolled in the study; five-holed proximal humerus locking plate (PHLP) was used for 18 patients, eight-holed PHLP for 05 and three-holed, ten-holed PHLP for 01 for one each. The Constant-Murley score was significantly improved (p=0.000) over each successive follow-up period with the average improvement of around 19 scores between 1st and 2nd follow-up and around 15 score improvement between 2nd and 3rd follow-up.Conclusions: The proximal humeral locking plate is an adequate device for the fixation of displaced two-part, three-part and four-part PHF. Patient can regain good shoulder function, resume normal activities much earlier

Classification of Human Postural and Gestural Movements Using Center of Pressure Parameters Derived From Force Platforms

Title from PDF of title page, viewed on January 20, 2011.Thesis advisor: Reza Derakhshani.Vita.Includes bibliographic references (pages 42-46).Thesis (M.S.)--School of Computing and Engineering. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2010.The human body, while standing, can be imagined as a complex feedback system that produces continuous sway patterns. Subtle body movements that can be caused by sensory cues such as visual or auditory, affective, cognitive, pathological or many other factors besides intended movements can be easily captured in the sway patterns derived from ground reaction forces and the body's center of pressure (COP). The purpose of this research is to classify human body movements, even the subtle movements, using a carefully selected feature set. For the first time, we propose a method to classify postural and gestural movements using data from force platforms collected from participants performing 11 choreographed movements. Twenty-three different displacement and frequency based features were initially extracted from COP time series, and ranking and wrapper methods were used for classification-guided feature extraction. Linear classifiers such as Fisher's Linear Discriminant analysis classifier and nonlinear classifiers such as nearest neighbor classifiers, support vector machines (SVM), and neural networks were explored and successfully applied to the aforementioned movement classification. The average classification rates on test sets ranged from approximately 79% to 92%. All the methods proposed in this experiment performed well by themselves over at least one movement type, but none could outperform the others for all movement types and therefore a set of movement-specific features and classifiers is proposed.Abstract -- List of Illustrations -- List of Tables -- Acknowledgments -- Background -- Introduction -- Methods -- Results -- Discussion -- Conclusion -- Future Work -- Referees -- Vita