Hardware Virtualization Applied to Rootkit Defense

This research effort examines the idea of applying virtualization hardware to enhance operating system security against rootkits. Rootkits are sets of tools used to hide code and/or functionality from the user and operating system. Rootkits can accomplish this feat through using access to one part of an operating system to change another part that resides at the same privilege level. Hardware assisted virtualization (HAV) provides an opportunity to defeat this tactic through the introduction of a new operating mode. Created to aid operating system virtualization, HAV provides hardware support for managing and saving multiple states of the processor. This hardware support overcomes a problem in pure software virtualization, which is the need to modify guest software to run at a less privileged level. Using HAV, guest software can operate at the pre-HAV most privileged level. This thesis provides a plan to protect data structures targeted by rootkits through unconventional use of HAV technology to secure system resources such as memory. This method of protection will provide true real-time security through OS attack prevention, rather than reaction

The level and duration of RSV-specific maternal IgG in infants in Kilifi Kenya

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of lower respiratory tract infection in infants. The rate of decay of RSV-specific maternal antibodies (RSV-matAb), the factors affecting cord blood levels, and the relationship between these levels and protection from infection are poorly defined. Methods A birth cohort (n = 635) in rural Kenya, was studied intensively to monitor infections and describe age-related serological characteristics. RSV specific IgG antibody (Ab) in serum was measured by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in cord blood, consecutive samples taken 3 monthly, and in paired acute and convalescent samples. A linear regression model was used to calculate the rate of RSV-matAb decline. The effect of risk factors on cord blood titres was investigated. Results The half-life of matAb in the Kenyan cohort was calculated to be 79 days (95% confidence limits (CL): 76–81 days). Ninety seven percent of infants were born with RSV-matAb. Infants who subsequently experienced an infection in early life had significantly lower cord titres of anti-RSV Ab in comparison to infants who did not have any incident infection in the first 6 months (P = 0.011). RSV infections were shown to have no effect on the rate of decay of RSV-matAb. Conclusion Maternal-specific RSV Ab decline rapidly following birth. However, we provide evidence of protection against severe disease by RSV-matAb during the first 6–7 months. This suggests that boosting maternal-specific Ab by RSV vaccination may be a useful strategy to consider

Coral Reef Fisheries Literature Review and Database Research Report, Final Technical Report

First, coral reef fisheries literature references were obtained and organised into a computer database and a user manual produced. Second, a comprehensive review article summarising and interpreting the disparate literature was written and distributed along with the database. The database and accompanying review should assist research and management of coral reef fisheries in developing countries. In the original project memorandum, it was stated that initial emphasis would be placed on fin-fish fisheries. This emphasis has been maintained throughout the projec

A new regional climate model for POLAR-CORDEX : evaluation of a 30-year hindcast with COSMO-CLM2 over Antarctica

Continent-wide climate information over the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) is important to obtain accurate information of present climate and reduce uncertainties of the ice sheet mass balance response and resulting global sea level rise to future climate change. In this study, the COSMO-CLM2 Regional Climate Model is applied over the AIS and adapted for the specific meteorological and climatological conditions of the region. A 30-year hindcast was performed and evaluated against observational records consisting of long-term ground-based meteorological observations, automatic weather stations, radiosoundings, satellite records, stake measurements and ice cores. Reasonable agreement regarding the surface and upper-air climate is achieved by the COSMO-CLM2 model, comparable to the performance of other state-of-the-art climate models over the AIS. Meteorological variability of the surface climate is adequately simulated, and biases in the radiation and surface mass balance are small. The presented model therefore contributes as a new member to the COordinated Regional Downscaling EXperiment project over the AIS (POLAR-CORDEX) and the CORDEX-CORE initiative

The development and validation of an age-structured model for the evaluation of disease control strategies for intestinal helminths

Epidemiological modelling can be a useful tool for the evaluation of parasite control strategies. An age-structured epidemiological model of intestinal helminth dynamics is developed. This model includes the explicit representation of changing worm distributions between hosts as a result of treatment, and estimates the morbidity due to heavy infections. The model is used to evaluate the effectiveness of different programmes of age-targeted community chemotherapy in reducing the amount of morbidity due to helminth infection. The magnitude of age-related heterogeneities is found to be very important in determining the results of age-targeted treatment programmes. The model was verified using field data from control programmes for Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura, and was found to provide accurate predictions of prevalence and mean intensities of infection during and following different control regime

Raman Spectroscopy of Mott insulator states in optical lattices

We propose and analyse a Raman spectroscopy technique for probing the properties of quantum degenerate bosons in the ground band of an optical lattice. Our formalism describes excitations to higher vibrational bands and is valid for deep lattices where a tight-binding approach can be applied to the describe the initial state of the system. In sufficiently deep lattices, localized states in higher vibrational bands play an important role in the system response, and shifts in resonant frequency of excitation are sensitive to the number of particles per site. We present numerical results of this formalism applied to the case of a uniform lattice deep in the Mott insulator regime.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

A procedure for generating quantitative 3-D camera views of tokamak divertors

A procedure is described for precision modeling of the views for imaging diagnostics monitoring tokamak internal components, particularly high heat flux divertor components. These models are required to enable predictions of resolution and viewing angle for the available viewing locations. Because of the oblique views expected for slot divertors, fully 3-D perspective imaging is required. A suite of matched 3-D CAD, graphics and animation applications are used to provide a fast and flexible technique for reproducing these views. An analytic calculation of the resolution and viewing incidence angle is developed to validate the results of the modeling procedures. The calculation is applicable to any viewed surface describable with a coordinate array. The Tokamak Physics Experiment (TPX) diagnostics for infrared viewing are used as an example to demonstrate the implementation of the tools. For the TPX experiment the available locations are severely constrained by access limitations at the end resulting images are marginal in both resolution and viewing incidence angle. Full coverage of the divertor is possible if an array of cameras is installed at 45 degree toroidal intervals. Two poloidal locations are required in order to view both the upper and lower divertors. The procedures described here provide a complete design tool for in-vessel viewing, both for camera location and for identification of viewed surfaces. Additionally these same tools can be used for the interpretation of the actual images obtained by the actual diagnostic

AC-induced superfluidity

We argue that a system of ultracold bosonic atoms in a tilted optical lattice can become superfluid in response to resonant AC forcing. Among others, this allows one to prepare a Bose-Einstein condensate in a state associated with a negative effective mass. Our reasoning is backed by both exact numerical simulations for systems consisting of few particles, and by a theoretical approach based on Floquet-Fock states.Comment: Accepted for publication in Europhysics letters, 6 pages, 4 figures, Changes in v2: reference 7 replaced by a more recent on

Paleosalinity History of Middle Holocene Lagoonal and Lacustrine Deposits in the Enriquillo Valley, Dominican Republic Based on Pore Morphometrics and Isotope Geochemistry of Ostracoda

The southwestern region of the Dominican Republic (Enriquillo Valley) contains exceptionally well-preserved, relict marine and saline lake deposits of mid-Holocne age. Abundant euryhaline ostracodes found in this deposit include Cyprideis salebrosa, C. mexicana, C. similis, and C. edentata. Morphometric and geochemical analyses performed on Cyprideis spp. provide high δ18O and δ13C values that are coincident with relative abundances of irregularly shaped pores that permeate the ostracode carapace. We recognize three stratigraphic intervals with distinct ostracode pore shape and stable isotope trends: (I) a 4.5-5.0m interval that contains ostracodes with highly irregular shaped pores (multiradiate) and high amplitude variability in δ18O and δ13C values; (II) a 5.0-5.6m interval comprised of ostracodes with circular pores and an overall trend towards low δ18O and δ13C values; and (III) a 5.6-6.5m interval containing ostracodes with an upward increasing abundance of circular pore shapes coincident with decreasing δ18O and δ13C values. When the Enriquillo lagoon was first separated from the Caribbean Sea approximately 4.3 ka, an arid and evaporative climate led to hypersaline water in a restricted lagoon environment. By the middle to late-Holocene, increased precipitation in the valley resulted in a coastal lake system that became progressively oligohaline. Moderate to small amplitude variability in the salinity proxy data (δ18O) suggest short-term oscillations in the precipitation-evaporation budgets at that time. At least two marine incursions likely contributed to the ob- served variability in ostracode δ18O and δ13C values. Evidence for abrupt changes in base level indicate that climatic factors or also tectonic activity may have contributed to the observed paleoenvironmental trends recorded in these deposits