A Return on Investment Model for Air Force Technology Transfer

Air Force policy states the fundamental reason for participating in technology transfer is to maximize the return on investment (ROI) on research and development (R&D) funds. Public law dictates that federal agencies, including the Air Force, are to spend no less than 0.5% of their overall R&D budget in the pursuit of technology transfer. However, there is currently no ROI model available to the decision maker in the evaluation of alternative transfer opportunities. This research effort develops a model that measures the ROI of individual cooperative research and development agreements (CIWAs) on the basis of the objective and subjective benefits amassed. The model results assist the decision maker by providing a relative ranking of each transfer opportunity in comparison to one another. A sensitivity analysis method and results are included which identity definite regions of alternate optimal choices depending on the weight given to objective and subjective benefits. Consequently, the decision maker is provided with a flexible model for use in maximizing ROI, the Air Force\u27s goal for technology transfer

New medics show promise in the northern wheatbelt

For more than 20 years Cyprus barrel medic has been the mainstay of pastures grown on the medium to heavy red clay loamss of Western Australia\u27slow rainfall wheatbelt. However, since the early1980s its resistance to aphids has declined followed by reduced productivitymand persistence. Fortunately, a six year research program at Tenibdewa, near Mullewa, is on target to prove the superiority of Parabinga barrel medic and a mixture of Serena and Santiago burr medics. These varieties, which had not been widley tested in the region, generally out-perform Cyprus in all aspects because of their higher tolerance of aphids

Exploitation and Detection of a Malicious Mobile Application

Mobile devices are increasingly being embraced by both organizations and individuals in today’s society. Specifically, Android devices have been the prominent mobile device OS for several years. This continued amalgamation creates an environment that is an attractive attack target. The heightened integration of these devices prompts an investigation into the viability of maintaining non-compromised devices. Hence, this research presents a preliminary investigation into the effectiveness of current commercial anti-virus, static code analysis and dynamic code analysis engines in detecting unknown repackaged malware piggybacking on popular applications with excessive permissions. The contribution of this paper is two-fold. First, it provides an initial assessment of the effectiveness of anti-virus and analysis tools in detecting malicious applications and behavior in Android devices. Secondly, it provides process for inserting code injection attacks to stimulate a zero-day repackaged malware that can be used in future research efforts

Evaluating foreign-source dependencies in the U.S. Army's M1 Abrams tank

The purpose of this thesis is to inform the acquisition community of the growing concerns related to foreign-source dependencies for parts and components of the United States Army's M1 Tank. The overall extent of foreign-source use in the production and support of the Ml tank are unknown, due to the lack of data. The M1 program management office has little awareness of the extent of foreign-source use in the weapon systems, particularly beyond the prime contractor and their immediate subcontractors. Failing to gain accurate and timely data concerning foreign-source dependencies at the sub-tier levels of production and support of the weapon systems, may present risks to the program. Failing to manage foreign-source dependencies can cause production stoppages in an emergency. Although there are directives and instructions to program managers indicating their responsibilities to monitor foreign-source dependencies within their weapon systems, there is little guidance and resources provided to conduct this task. The foreign-dependency issue was examined from the point of view of the Government, economists, and industry. Interviews of the PM, the prime contractor, and sub-tier producers were conducted. Proposed evaluation methodologies, foreign-dependency, and solutions were reviewed.http://archive.org/details/evaluatingforeig1094531465NANAU.S. Army (USA) autho

Saffron (Crocus sativus) extract has anticancer activity through inhibition of migration and invasion potential of breast cancer cells

Introduction: Saffron is a spice which has been used throughout history for various therapeutic properties. Recently, it has also been documented to have significant anticancer effect on primary tumors. However, limited studies are found studying its effect on metastatic potential of cancers. The goal of our study was to explore the effect of saffron on migration and metastatic potential of breast cancer cells. Methods: MDA468 breast carcinoma cells were treated with varying concentrations of Saffron and examined using Q-phase holographic time-lapse microscopy to measure the movement of cells over time. The anticancer activity of Saffron was confirmed using cell viability assays. Invasion and metastatic potential was studied using boyden-chamber and scratch wound assays. Finally, tumorigenicity of the cell line was examined through colony formation assays in the presence and absence of Saffron. Results: Q-phase microscopy revealed reduction in projections and significantly reduced movements in cells after Saffron treatment. The inhibition of migration, cell mobility and invasion by Saffron was confirmed in scratch wound and boyden chamber assays (p Conclusions: Our results found saffron to be effective in decreasing breast cancer carcinoma cells MDA468’s viability, migration, and tumorigenicity. Future studies will examine its mechanism of action and will focus on delineating the pathways involved in its anticancer effects