ALU for mbedTLS Diffie-Hellman Parameters Generator on FPGA Embedded Processor System

Safe prime is a unique subset of the general prime number where both p and (p-1)/2 are primes. Commonly used Public Key encryption scheme Diffie-Hellman key exchange algorithm utilizes ultra large safe primes as the private key. In practice, crypto software libraries implement a specific Diffie-Hellman parameters generator that searches for safe primes with Rabin-Miller probabilistic primality test algorithm. Without any proven theory to predict their occurrences among natural numbers, generator programs generally start at a randomly seeded odd positive integer of a predetermined size; and perform primality tests in iterations over incrementing candidates until success. The staggeringly low density of safe primes causes a prohibitive amount of computing resources to be dedicated in the generation process. As the result, power conscious mobile and embedded devices can no longer compute the standard 2048-bit safe primes without causing prolonged disruption to the overall system performance. Based on the hot path analysis of the generator program, a parallelized and pipelined ALU is proposed and implemented on the FPGA embedded processor system. Utilizing merely 3% of LUT (584/17600) and 20% of DSP (16/80) available from the Xilinx Zynq 7010 All Programmable SoC, the suggested design is theoretically capable of offsetting more than 90% of CPU utilizations needed for the entire safe prime generation process. Such results demonstrate the deficiency of today's general purpose CPU in handling certain complex and resource intensive computations. Such scenarios greatly incentivize the integration of programmable hardware with fixed design CPU. Additional research is suggested to focus in the area of automating the processes of locating the specific CPU intensive task, translating such task onto programmable hardware, and providing software accessible interface to enable fast development and deployment of the hot function based programmable hardware design. From there, programmable hardware assisted computing platforms can be further enhanced to dynamically program hardware modules based on real-time utilizations to achieve even greater overall system performance. A new system design paradigm can potentially be introduced as the result

Integrating Process Inquiry And The Case Method In The Study Of IS Failure

This paper examines the integration of process inquiry and the case method in the study of IS failure. Having acknowledged the prevalence of IS failure and the need for continued inquiry in this domain the two predominant methods of enquiry, failure factor studies and IS failure case studies, are described along with the utility of both methods. The paper then examines the nature of case study research and notes its utility for the study of IS failure in real life settings. The nature of process inquiry is then examined and its applicability for the study of IS failure as a process is noted. The paper then describes how process inquiry is integrated with the case method as a six stage approach for conducting a case inquiry incorporating narrative, mechanisms, and other process-based data analysis methods

Evaluation of an Ag85B Immunosensor with Potential for Electrochemical Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Diagnostics

Tuberculosis remains a major global health concern, especially in the developing world, and monitoring/early detection of the disease relies on low cost technologies that provide rapid and accurate results. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the responsible bacterial pathogen and it is currently estimated by the World Health Organisation (WHO), that one quarter of the world’s population, mainly in the developing world, is infected with TB. The overall aim of this work was to advance a screening electrochemical sensor for label free detection of Ag85B, a member of the Antigen 85 complex - major secretary protein of M. Tuberculosisand biomarker for disease. An indirect ELISA Ag85B assay was optimised with capture antibody and antigen levels determined via a checkerboard titration (0.625μg.ml-1 and 2.5 μg.ml-1 respectively). Following assay development, crosslinking of the bioreceptor Anti-Ag85B onto electrochemically deposited gold nanoparticle (AuNP) modified carbon electrodes was achieved and Ag85B binding successfully evaluated electrochemically via cyclic voltammetry. Following each modification step, ΔEp of a redox probe was monitored and overall results show that GCE/AuNP/anti-Ag85B electrochemical transducers are a viable method for Ag85B detection, capable of measuring antigen levels \u3c 2.5 μg.mL-1

Poster Design: Guidelines and tips

Developing Your Professional Portfolio: Publishing Your Practice and Researc

Experimental Investigation of Jet Impingement Heat Transfer Using Thermochromic Liquid Crystals

Jet impingement cooling of a hypersonic airfoil leading edge is experimentally investigated using thermochromic liquid crystals (TLCS) to measure surface temperature. The experiment uses computer data acquisition with digital imaging of the TLCs to determine heat transfer coefficients during a transient experiment. The data reduction relies on analysis of a coupled transient conduction - convection heat transfer problem that characterizes the experiment. The recovery temperature of the jet is accounted for by running two experiments with different heating rates, thereby generating a second equation that is used to solve for the recovery temperature. The resulting solution requires a complicated numerical iteration that is handled by a computer. Because the computational data reduction method is complex, special attention is paid to error assessment. The error analysis considers random and systematic errors generated by the instrumentation along with errors generated by the approximate nature of the numerical methods. Results of the error analysis show that the experimentally determined heat transfer coefficients are accurate to within 15%. The error analysis also shows that the recovery temperature data may be in error by more than 50%. The results show that the recovery temperature data is only reliable when the recovery temperature of the jet is greater than 5 C, i.e. the jet velocity is in excess of 100 m/s. Parameters that were investigated include nozzle width, distance from the nozzle exit to the airfoil surface, and jet velocity. Heat transfer data is presented in graphical and tabular forms. An engineering analysis of hypersonic airfoil leading edge cooling is performed using the results from these experiments. Several suggestions for the improvement of the experimental technique are discussed

In-Space technology experiments program. A high efficiency thermal interface (using condensation heat transfer) between a 2-phase fluid loop and heatpipe radiator: Experiment definition phase

Space Station elements and advanced military spacecraft will require rejection of tens of kilowatts of waste heat. Large space radiators and two-phase heat transport loops will be required. To minimize radiator size and weight, it is critical to minimize the temperature drop between the heat source and sink. Under an Air Force contract, a unique, high-performance heat exchanger is developed for coupling the radiator to the transport loop. Since fluid flow through the heat exchanger is driven by capillary forces which are easily dominated by gravity forces in ground testing, it is necessary to perform microgravity thermal testing to verify the design. This contract consists of an experiment definition phase leading to a preliminary design and cost estimate for a shuttle-based flight experiment of this heat exchanger design. This program will utilize modified hardware from a ground test program for the heat exchanger

BEYOND THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL CONSTRUCT OF FAILURE: THE CURIOUS CASE OF ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS FAILURE RATES (19)

In the studies on Enterprise Systems (ES), different failure rates ranging from 50 to 90 percent are often reported. Despite these reported failure rates, ES market witnesses continuous growth. This paper presents a review of ES failure rates and critically analyses the numbers reported within their original context as well as in the context of various definitions of failure. We find that the reported high failure rates are historical, lack a consistent definition and lack an adequate understanding of ES outcomes. We find that ES outcomes are often complex, time-dependent, multi-dimensional and constructionist in nature. Based on this analysis, implications for ES research are discussed

Health Monitoring Survey of Bell 412EP Transmissions

Health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) use vibration-based Condition Indicators (CI) to assess the health of helicopter powertrain components. A fault is detected when a CI exceeds its threshold value. The effectiveness of fault detection can be judged on the basis of assessing the condition of actual components from fleet aircraft. The Bell 412 HUMS-equipped helicopter is chosen for such an evaluation. A sample of 20 aircraft included 12 aircraft with confirmed transmission and gearbox faults (detected by CIs) and eight aircraft with no known faults. The associated CI data is classified into "healthy" and "faulted" populations based on actual condition and these populations are compared against their CI thresholds to quantify the probability of false alarm and the probability of missed detection. Receiver Operator Characteristic analysis is used to optimize thresholds. Based on the results of the analysis, shortcomings in the classification method are identified for slow-moving CI trends. Recommendations for improving classification using time-dependent receiver-operator characteristic methods are put forth. Finally, lessons learned regarding OEM-operator communication are presented

Strutural Damage Induced by Pyritic Shale

The Evangelical Hospital located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania has experienced distress in the form of cracked floor slabs and displaced structural steel due to swelling of the underlying fill material and natural bedrock formation. The bedrock consisted of black, pyritic, calcareous shale from the Marcellus Formation of the Hamilton Group (Devonian Age). The fill materials beneath the cracked concrete floor slabs consisted of the weathered shale fragments from this formation. Although mitigating the structural distress has been attempted, the building continued to experience problems relating to the swelling of the underlying bedrock materials. The expansion of the shale could be attributed to the oxidation of the pyrite, which produced sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid, in turn, reacted with the calcium carbonate (calcite) in the shale partings producing the mineral gypsum. Since gypsum has approximately twice the molar volume of calcite, the result is an expansion or swelling of the shale. Various laboratory tests were conducted on the shale in an attempt to simulate the swelling processes. The failures and successes of the laboratory testing have given new directions for additional research to further educate Geotechnical Engineers unfamiliar with the expansive nature of pyritic shale

Sludge Digestion By Anaerobic Fluidized Beds. II: Kinetic Model

A model has been developed to describe the gas production and soluble-COD variations from the digestion of waste-activated sludge in the anaerobic fluidized-bed reactor. It indicates that a substantial rate increase can be attained by prehydrolysis of the biological sludge, external to the reactor. The model indicates that the rate-limiting step is in the sludge hydrolysis. The model is developed from an assumption of first-order kinetics in a set of series and parallel, irreversible reactions. That is, the formation of soluble substrate is first order with respect to the particulate biomass present, and that the production of methane is first order with respect to the soluble substrate present. The amount of particulate biomass can be approximated by the sludge-suspended solids and that the amount of soluble substrate can be approximated by the soluble COD present in the reactor. The model correlates well with the laboratory data observed in the study. © ASCE