Paper Session V: Forensic Software Tools for Cell Phone Subscriber Identity Modules

Cell phones and other handheld devices incorporating cell phone capabilities (e.g., smart phones) are ubiquitous. Besides placing calls, cell phones allow users to perform other tasks such as text messaging and phonebook entry management. When cell phones and cellular devices are involved in a crime or other incident, forensic specialists require tools that allow the proper retrieval and speedy examination of data present on the device. For devices conforming to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standards, certain data such as dialed numbers, text messages, and phonebook entries are maintained on a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). This paper gives a snapshot of the state of the art of forensic software tools for SIMs. Keywords: Cell Phone, Forensic Tool, Subscriber Identity Modul

Forensic Tools for Mobile Phone Subscriber Identity Modules

Mobile phones and other handheld devices incorporating cellular capabilities, such as Personal Digital Assistants, are ubiquitous. Besides placing calls, these devices allow users to perform other useful tasks, including text messaging and phonebook entry management. When cell phones and cellular devices are involved in a crime or other incident, forensic specialists require tools that allow the proper retrieval and speedy examination of data present on the device. For devices conforming to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standards, certain data such as dialed numbers, text messages, and phonebook entries are maintained on a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). This paper gives a snapshot of the state of the art of forensic software tools for SIMs and an explanation of the types of digital evidence they can recover

Smart card authentication for mobile devices

While mobile handheld devices provide productivity benefits, they also pose new risks. User authentication is the best safeguard against the risk of unauthorized use and access to a device’s contents. This paper describes two novel types of smart card with unconventional form factors, designed to take advantage of common interfaces built into many current handheld devices

Branding and packaging design: key insights on marketing milk to low-income markets in South Africa

The low-income market is a viable and highly untapped market. There is increasing interest in the poor as a market in South Africa. Yet, little is known about their shopping behaviour in retail settings. The purpose of the study on which this article reports, was to gain an understanding of the effect of pricing, brand and packaging on choice preferences of pasteurised milk by consumers sharing a living standard measure (LSM) classification of one to four. This research utilised a mixed method methodology design approach. Opinions of 103 respondents, exposed to an in-store simulation, were obtained to gain a better understanding of consumer behaviour towards brand and packaging design and how these elements affected purchasing decisions. Results revealed that price sensitivity plays a prerequisite role in the consumer purchase decision and that, while most respondents were willing to pay a price premium for brand and packaging design elements, limited income is a clear inhibitor. Brand awareness and trust also play an important role in quality perceptions, followed by image (created through visual stimuli) in choice preferences. The challenge for marketers is to find a balance between price and brand to suit consumer expectations and aspirations

Uncovering regulatory pathways that affect hematopoietic stem cell function using 'genetical genomics'

We combined large-scale mRNA expression analysis and gene mapping to identify genes and loci that control hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function. We measured mRNA expression levels in purified HSCs isolated from a panel of densely genotyped recombinant inbred mouse strains. We mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with variation in expression of thousands of transcripts. By comparing the physical transcript position with the location of the controlling QTL, we identified polymorphic cis-acting stem cell genes. We also identified multiple trans-acting control loci that modify expression of large numbers of genes. These groups of coregulated transcripts identify pathways that specify variation in stem cells. We illustrate this concept with the identification of candidate genes involved with HSC turnover. We compared expression QTLs in HSCs and brain from the same mice and identified both shared and tissue-specific QTLs. Our data are accessible through WebQTL, a web-based interface that allows custom genetic linkage analysis and identification of coregulated transcripts.

The bear circadian clock doesn’t ‘sleep’ during winter dormancy

Most biological functions are synchronized to the environmental light:dark cycle via a circadian timekeeping system. Bears exhibit shallow torpor combined with metabolic suppression during winter dormancy. We sought to confirm that free-running circadian rhythms of body temperature (Tb) and activity were expressed in torpid grizzly (brown) bears and that they were functionally responsive to environmental light. We also measured activity and ambient light exposures in denning wild bears to determine if rhythms were evident and what the photic conditions of their natural dens were. Lastly, we used cultured skin fibroblasts obtained from captive torpid bears to assess molecular clock operation in peripheral tissues. Circadian parameters were estimated using robust wavelet transforms and maximum entropy spectral analyses

Patients with adult-acquired buried penis and their surgical management: a single-center study

Adult-acquired buried penis (AABP) is a condition in which the suprapubic fat (the escutcheon) conceals the penis. The etiologies of AABP include obesity, pelvic lymphedema, lichen sclerosis, and scar contraction following a circumcision. If untreated, AABP can lead to hygiene-related infections, urinary and sexual disorders, and psychological issues, such as depression, diminished self-esteem, and poor quality of life. When weight reduction fails to resolve this condition, surgical correction can successfully manage the patient’s AABP. The goal of surgical repair is to extract the telescoped penis from the escutcheon. In our experience, this has been successful with a urologist/plastic surgeon team. Cases of surgical repair for AABP performed at a single medical center from 2012 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Fourteen patients, whose age ranged from 40 to 74 years old, were identified, and their characteristics as well as the surgical techniques performed on them were reviewed. All patients were obese, their body mass index ranging from 32.1 to 62.4; eight patients were severely obese. Five patients had a history of adult circumcision, 5 had a prior diagnosis of lichen sclerosis, and 3 had genital lymphedema. The initial procedures were routine but with some variation. The surgical techniques included performing a panniculectomy and/or an escutcheonectomy, degloving the penis, removing nonfunctional fibrotic tissue, incising the suspensory ligament, and using a meshed split-thickness skin graft (STSG) for penile coverage. The most common complication was wound dehiscence. Two patients with complications required a return to the operating room; one patient returned for closure of an infected wound and the other for penile reconstruction and the placement of a new STSG for lymphedema. All patients eventually recovered, with no further complications reported

Physical activity to improve cognition in older adults: can physical activity programs enriched with cognitive challenges enhance the effects? A systematic review and meta-analysis

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Demonstration of a Submillimeter-Wave HEMT Oscillator Module at 330 GHz

In this work, radial transitions have been successfully mated with a HEMT-based MMIC (high-electron-mobility-transistor-based monolithic microwave integrated circuit) oscillator circuit. The chip has been assembled into a WR2.2 waveguide module for the basic implementation with radial E-plane probe transitions to convert the waveguide mode to the MMIC coplanar waveguide mode. The E-plane transitions have been directly integrated onto the InP substrate to couple the submillimeter-wave energy directly to the waveguides, thus avoiding wire-bonds in the RF path. The oscillator demonstrates a measured 1.7 percent DC-RF efficiency at the module level. The oscillator chip uses 35-nm-gate-length HEMT devices, which enable the high frequency of oscillation, creating the first demonstration of a packaged waveguide oscillator that operates over 300 GHz and is based on InP HEMT technology. The oscillator chip is extremely compact, with dimensions of only 1.085 x 320 sq mm for a total die size of 0.35 sq mm. This fully integrated, waveguide oscillator module, with an output power of 0.27 mW at 330 GHz, can provide low-mass, low DC-power-consumption alternatives to existing local oscillator schemes, which require high DC power consumption and large mass. This oscillator module can be easily integrated with mixers, multipliers, and amplifiers for building high-frequency transmit and receive systems at submillimeter wave frequencies. Because it requires only a DC bias to enable submillimeter wave output power, it is a simple and reliable technique for generating power at these frequencies. Future work will be directed to further improving the applicability of HEMT transistors to submillimeter wave and terahertz applications. Commercial applications include submillimeter-wave imaging systems for hidden weapons detection, airport security, homeland security, and portable low-mass, low-power imaging system

338-GHz Semiconductor Amplifier Module

Research findings were reported from an investigation of new gallium nitride (GaN) monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifiers (PAs) targeting the highest output power and the highest efficiency for class-A operation in W-band (75-110 GHz). W-band PAs are a major component of many frequency multiplied submillimeter-wave LO signal sources. For spectrometer arrays, substantial W-band power is required due to the passive lossy frequency multipliers