Securing Internet Protocol (IP) Storage: A Case Study

Storage networking technology has enjoyed strong growth in recent years, but security concerns and threats facing networked data have grown equally fast. Today, there are many potential threats that are targeted at storage networks, including data modification, destruction and theft, DoS attacks, malware, hardware theft and unauthorized access, among others. In order for a Storage Area Network (SAN) to be secure, each of these threats must be individually addressed. In this paper, we present a comparative study by implementing different security methods in IP Storage network.Comment: 10 Pages, IJNGN Journa

Characterization of field evolved resistance to transgenic Cry1Fa maize in Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith)

Transgenic Bt crops expressing Cry and Vip toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been increasingly planted to manage insect pest damage on agricultural crops. The high adoption of Bt-based insecticidal technologies suggests an increase selection pressure for the evolution of resistance in insect populations. So far, nine insect species have developed field evolved resistance to Bt crops, yet the mechanisms involved in field evolved resistance are unknown. In the present study, the resistance mechanism in field evolved resistance to maize producing Cry1Fa in Spodoptera frugiperda collected in fields from Puerto Rico was characterized. High levels of resistance to Cry1Fa have been observed in S. frugiperda with recessive and autosomal mode inheritance. Binding experiments showed the reduced binding of Cry1Fa toxin to brush border membranes of resistant (456) larvae compared to susceptible (Benzon) larvae. The same binding reduction was observed for Cry1A toxins, but not for Cry1Ca toxin. This reduced binding signifies the modification of a common Cry1Fa-Cry1A toxin binding site. Comparison of receptor protein levels revealed reduced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in resistant compared to susceptible larvae. This reduced expression of ALP phenotype was linked to Cry1Fa resistance in S. frugiperda. In cross-resistance studies using bioassays, reduced susceptibility to Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac toxins was detected and no differences in susceptibility to purified Cry1Bb, Cry1Ca, and Cry1Da toxins or Xentari WG and Dipel ES pesticidal formulations compared to susceptible larvae was detected. The cross-resistance patterns observed in these bioassays are in agreement with data from competition experiments indicating an altered binding site for Cry1A and Cry1Fa toxins in 456 larvae. The only difference detected in fitness cost studies was a significant increase in the larval developmental time in resistant insects, which could result in emergence asynchrony between susceptible and resistant moths. The lack of fitness costs was also supported by stable resistance after 12 generations of rearing in the absence of a selective (transgenic maize) agent. This work is the first study on field level resistance to a Bt crop. Results from this study will help to understand resistance mechanisms responsible for field-level resistance and formulate improved resistance management practices

Non-Aligned Movement Countries as Drivers of Change in International Organizations

Die Länder der Bewegung der Blockfreien Staaten waren bedeutende Akteure im Wandel der zeitgenössischen internationalen Beziehungen. Indem sie den Vereinten Nationen beitraten, vergrößerten sie deren Legitimität wie auch die anderer internationaler Organisationen. Durch individuelle und kollektive Initiativen bewirkten sie eine Reorientierung der politischen Leitlinien der UNO, die den eigenen Hoffnungen und Interessen mehr Raum gaben. Ihr wachsendes Gewicht, allein durch die zunehmende zahlenmäßige Stärke, setzte die USA und ihre westeuropäischen Verbündeten unter massiven Druck. Die Etablierung von Mechanismen wie die United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, aber auch neue Agenden für die Generalversammlung der UNO und etliche ihrer Spezialorganisationen sowie einige Initiativen der Weltbank in den 960er Jahren verdeutlichen den Einfluss der Bemühungen der Entwicklungsländer. Ihre maßgebliche Rolle kommt schließlich in der Begründung von Programmen zur wirtschaftlichen Stärkung von „Dritte Welt“-Ländern sowie in den UN-Friedensmissionen zum Ausdruck

Multilayer nanoparticle arrays for broad spectrum absorption enhancement in thin film solar cells

In this paper, we present a theoretical study on the absorption efficiency enhancement of a thin film amorphous Silicon (a-Si) photovoltaic cell over a broad spectrum of wavelengths using multiple nanoparticle arrays. The light absorption efficiency is enhanced in the lower wavelengths by a nanoparticle array on the surface and in the higher wavelengths by another nanoparticle array embedded in the active region. The efficiency at intermediate wavelengths is enhanced by the simultaneous resonance from both nanoparticle layers. We optimize this design by tuning the radius of particles in both arrays, the period of the array and the distance between the two arrays. The optimization results in a total quantum efficiency of 62.35% for a 300nm thick a-Si substrate.Comment: - Article Published in Optics Express on 7 Apr 2014. Link: http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-22-103-A80

Optimal Step Size Technique for Frequency Domain and Partition Block Adaptive Filters for PEM based Acoustic Feedback Cancellation

The adaptive filtering approach has been commonly used to perform acoustic feedback cancellation (AFC) in digital hearing-aids due to its reliable performance and feasibility. Because the loudspeaker and microphone are close together in hearing aids, the corresponding signals are highly correlated, resulting in biased estimation if adaptive filters are used. This problem can be addressed with the help of the decorrelation prefilter by incorporating the Prediction Error Method (PEM) technique into AFC. Frequency-Domain Adaptive Filters (FDAF) are preferable over the time-domain implementation to achieve better performance in terms of convergence and computational complexity. In addition, Partition-Block Frequency-Domain Adaptive Filters (PBFDAF) offers low processing delay. However, because of their fixed step-size, there is a trade-off between initial convergence and steady-state misalignment in the widely used frequency-domain algorithms. While Variable Step-Size (VSS) algorithms can help with this issue, VSS techniques for frequency-domain algorithms have not been extensively studied in the context of PEM-AFC. Hence, in this paper, we presented an Optimal Step-Size (OSS) technique for both the FDAF-PEM_AFC and PBFDAF-PEM_AFC algorithms to simultaneously accomplish fast convergence and minimal steady-state error. A Feedback Path Change Detector (FPCD) was also incorporated into the proposed algorithms to address the problem of convergence in non-stationary feedback paths. The results of simulations show that the proposed algorithms are clearly superior, and they are encouraging

Subdifferentiability and polyhedrality of the norm

In this paper we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the norm on an infinite dimensional Banach space to be sub differentiable, for various classes of Bananch spaces.Comment: 8 page

Frechet differentiability and quasi-polyhedrality in spaces of operators

Let $X, Y$ be infinite dimensional, Banach spaces. Let $\mathcal{L}(X, Y)$ be the space of bounded operators . Motivated by the fact that smoothness of norm in the higher duals of even order of a Banach space can lead to Frechet differentiability, we exhibit classes of Banach spaces $X, Y$ where very smooth points (i.e., smooth points that remain smooth in the bidual) in the space of compact operators $\mathcal{K}(X, Y)$ are Frechet smooth in $\mathcal{L}(X, Y)$ and hence in $\mathcal{K}(X, Y)$.Comment: 11 page

Order preserving quotient lifting properties

In this paper we formulate order preserving quotient lifting property and the compact lifting property. In the case of affine continuous functions on a Choquet simplex, we show the compact quotient lifting property for the space of affine continuous functions and those vanishing on a metrizable face.Comment: 12 page

Orthogonality for biadjoints of operators

In this paper we study Birkhoff-James Orthogonality for biadjoints of operators. We partly solve the problem, if an operator is orthogonal to the space of operators valued in a subspace, when the is the norm of biadjoint is attained at a point where the value is orthogonal to the subspace?Comment: 8 page

Prediction of non-centrosymmetric packing for 1,3-disubstituted nitro aromatics. Crystal and molecular structure of 3-hydroxy-6-(3'-nitro)-phenylazopyridine

The crystal and molecular structure of 3-hydroxy-6-(3'-nitro)-phenylazopyridine is reported. The crystals are non-centrosymmetric, Pna21, Z = 4, a = 16.522(3), b = 8.402(2), c = 7.945(1) Å, and the structure refined to an R-value of 0.046 on 1086 non-zero reflections. The molecule exists as the hydroxyazo tautomer and is intermolecularly O-H … N hydrogen bonded in the crystal. The title compound is one of several 1,3-disubstituted benzenes which adopt non-centrosymmetric packing, a necessary prerequisite for nonlinear second harmonic generation. Analysis of nearly 600 nitroaromatic crystal structures retrieved from the Cambridge Structural Database shows that 1,3-disubstitution significantly increases the probability of non-centrosymmetric space group adoption when compared to 1,2 or 1,4-disubstitution. Similar though less pronounced trends are observed for trisubstituted and higher derivatives