Table of Contents - Volume 1 Number 2

Electronic Management Systems (EMS) today play an important role in organizations as they simplify managerial tasks, improve resource utilization and improve efficiency. King Abdul-Aziz University is a leader in the use of technology among Saudi universities. Its focus, like several other universities, has been on building centralized EMSs which tie different departments across campus using a centralized network. The systems, however, do not aim to automate managerial tasks within the colleges themselves. As the amount of managerial work within colleges is huge and redundant, this research aimed to evaluate the effect of automating college’s internal affairs on performance. An EMS (EAASy) was built for the Academic Affairs department of the Women’s College of Computing & Information Technology and was used as a test-bed to evaluate the effectiveness of an EMS within the College. Both manual & electronic systems were used for an entire semester for comparisons. Quantitative and qualitative measurements were used. Statistically significant differences between the two systems were found. This paper includes an overview of the research methodology used in this project. It also includes results, implications, and recommendations established by the researcher.

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Mobile learning (M-Learning) is the point where mobile computing and e-learning intersect to produce an anytime, anywhere learning experiences. Advances in mobile technologies have enhanced M-learning tools at just the right moment to meet the need for more cost- effective just in time information. Electronic Learning offer methods, which decrease the limitations of traditional education but M-learning offers more. This paper discusses the existing devices and technologies appropriate to realize Mobile learning, and its benefits in improving the spread of information among Nigerian farmers through SMS technology.

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This paper presents an architecture for model-based verification and testing using a profile of the Unified Modeling Language (UML). Class, object, and state diagrams are used to define essential models: descriptions that are relatively complete. Object and state diagrams are used to introduce test directives. Models written in this profile may be compiled into a tool language: the Intermediate Format (IF). Descriptions written in IF can be animated, verified, and used to generate tests. As well as defining the profile for UML, the paper explains the basis of the compilation into IF, and reports upon the problems encountered.

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Who would have thought that in only a decade we would be able to read minds, or at least translate thoughts into actions without having to say a word? Advances in Neurotechnology have made great strides since the field’s original arrival in the scientific community. The development of a small microchip that when implanted in the brain would enable patients, such as those with ALS, to communicate effectively is the goal. Neurotechnology is making significant advancements in the field of medicine. It is the science of altering signals from the Central Nervous System to obtain a desired or effect. The studies conducted on monkeys have shown that it is possible for an animal to use a very small electrode array device located in the brain to control the movement of a prosthetic limb or other biomedical device. At the University of Pittsburgh, an experiment is conducted to show that a monkey could control a prosthetic device in order to feed itself. In addition to testing the animals, there have been studies involving human subjects in which a computer was used to operate a mechanical arm by harnessing signals from the brain and pressure from the skin. Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems Inc. created a cyberkinetic system known as the BrainGate Neural Interface System, is able to transform thoughts into actions by monitoring neural signals from the motor cortex. The first patient to receive an implantation of a multi-electrode recording array into his brain for the purpose of monitoring his brain activity was twenty-five year old Matthew Nagle.The dream of BrainGate program is to develop a fast, reliable and unobtrusive connection between the brain of a severely disabled person and a personal computer.

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Phishing is a type of attack in which the attackers lure the users to submit their personal information like passwords, credit card details etc. Passwords and security are a perennial problem we all face when using the Internets. There are various solutions, but none of them are perfect. Even the strongest encryption technologies available for common use could be broken given enough computer power or just simple luck on the part of a hacker. But, that doesn’t stop computer scientists from trying to come up with new ways to make us electronically safe. So, an authentication protocol namely, Delayed Password Disclosure is designed. The protocol’s goal is aimed at reducing the effectiveness of phishing/spoofing attacks that are becoming increasingly problematic for Internet users. It does provide a user with the tools necessary to recognize an ongoing phishing attack, and prevent the disclosure of his/her entire password, providing graceful security degradation.

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Genetic Algorithms (GA’s) are adaptive heuristic search algorithm premised on the evolutionary ideas of natural selection and genetic. The basic concept of GA’s is designed to simulate processes in natural system necessary for evolution, specifically those that follow the principles As such they represent an intelligent exploitation of a random search within a defined search space to solve a problem. Genetic Algorithms has been widely studied, experimented and applied in many fields in engineering worlds. Not only does GA’s provide alternative methods to solving problem, it consistently outperforms other traditional methods in most of the problems link. Many of the real world problems involved finding optimal parameters, which might prove difficult for traditional methods but ideal for GA’s. However, because of its outstanding performance in optimization, GA’s has been wrongly regarded as a function optimizer. In fact, there are many ways to view genetic algorithms.GA’s as problem solvers GA’s as challenging technical puzzle GA’s as basis for competent machine learning GA’s as computational model of innovation and creativity GA’s as computational model of other innovating systems GA’s as guiding philosophy However, due to various constraints, we would only be looking at GA’s as problem solvers and competent machine learning here. We would also examine how GA’s is applied to completely different fields. Many scientists have tried to create living programs. These programs do not merely simulate life but try to exhibit the behaviors and characteristics of real organisms in an attempt to exist as a form of life.

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Medium Access Control (MAC) Protocol are designed to improve energy efficiency inorder to prolong lifetime of node in Wireless Sensor Networks, where they exploit listen/sleep cycles to conserve energy. These cycles of nodes influence the network performances such as energy efficiency, packet latency and throughput in these networks. The issue of performance enhancement of wireless networks in terms of overhead messages per node and energy consumption is an important challenge. In this paper we present different MAC protocols and propose a new Delay Adjust MAC protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks and summarize how this protocol provide energy-efficiency and throughput, over well known MAC protocols.

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Exploits, vulnerabilities, and buffer-overflow techniques have been used by malicious hackers and virus writers for a long time. However, until recently, these techniques were not commonplace in computer viruses. The CodeRed worm was a major shock to the antivirus industry since it was the first worm that spread not as a file, but solely in memory by utilizing a buffer overflow in Microsoft IIS. Many antivirus companies were unable to provide protection against CodeRed, while other companies with a wider focus on security were able to provide solutions to the relief of end users. Usually new techniques are picked up and used by copycat virus writers. Thus, many other similarly successful worms followed CodeRed, such as Nimda and Badtrans. In this paper, the authors will not only cover such techniques as buffer overflows and input validation exploits, but also how computer viruses are using them to their advantage. Finally, the authors will discuss tools, techniques and methods to prevent these blended threats.

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Mechanical alloying through high energy ball milling was used to produce Ni-Fe alloy powders starting from elemental Ni and Fe powders of average particle size 80 and 25 μm respectively. High Energy Planetary ball milling at room temperature was performed for various time durations ranging between 2 to 100 hours. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Particle Size Analyzer were used for characterization of powders. Comparing the three alloys when the percentage of nickel increases the rate of reduction of grain and particle size decreases. During mechanical alloying while the grain size changes the particle size almost remain constant or the particle size changes the grain size almost remain constant. This may be due to the energy consumption either changes in grain size or particle size during mechanical alloying.

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