The LAIR at East Texas A&M
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Fake Base Station Detection and Link Routing Defense
No full textFake base stations comprise a critical security issue in mobile networking. A fake base station exploits vulnerabilities in the broadcast message announcing a base station’s presence, which is called SIB1 in 4G LTE and 5G NR, to get user equipment to connect to the fake base station. Once connected, the fake base station can deprive the user of connectivity and access to the Internet/cloud. We discovered that a fake base station can disable the victim user equipment’s connectivity for an indefinite period of time, which we validated using our threat prototype against current 4G/5G practices. We designed and built a defense scheme which detects and blacklists a fake base station and then, informed by the detection, avoids it through link routing for connectivity availability. For detection and blacklisting, our scheme uses the real-time information of both the time duration and the number of request transmissions, the features of which are directly impacted by the fake base station’s threat and which have not been studied in previous research. Upon detection, our scheme takes an active measure called link routing, which is a novel concept in mobile/4G/5G networking, where the user equipment routes the connectivity request to another base station. To defend against a Sybil-capable fake base station, we use a history–reputation-based link routing scheme for routing and base station selection. We implemented both the base station and the user on software-defined radios using open-source 5G software (srsRAN v23.10 and Open5GS v2.6.6) for validation. We varied the base station implementation to simulate legitimate vs. faulty but legitimate vs. fake and malicious base stations, where a faulty base station notifies the user of the connectivity disruption and releases the session, while a fake base station continues to hold the session. We empirically analyzed the detection and identification thresholds, which vary with the fake base station’s power and the channel condition. By strategically selecting the threshold parameters, our scheme provides zero errors, including zero false positives, to avoid blacklisting a temporarily faulty base station that cannot provide connectivity at the time. Furthermore, our link routing scheme enables the base station to switch in order to restore the connectivity availability and limit the threat impact. We also discuss future directions to facilitate and encourage R&D in securing telecommunications and base station security
Performance of GFRP-Confined Rubberized Engineered Cementitious Composite Columns
No full textIn coastal regions, the deterioration of structures and bridges due to environmental conditions and corrosion is a significant concern. To combat these issues, the use of corrosion-resistant materials like fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) materials, engineered cementitious composites (ECCs), and rubberized ECCs (RECC) shows promise as normal concrete (NC) alternatives by providing increased ductility and energy absorption properties. The effectiveness of confining concrete columns using GFRP tubes with ECC/RECC was assessed in this research by evaluating their performance through compression and push-out tests. The study explored key parameters such as GFRP tube thickness and the presence of shear connectors along the tube height, as well as examining various types of concrete. Additionally, a comprehensive parametric investigation utilizing finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted to analyze how different factors influence the behavior of confined concrete columns. These factors included the effect of GFRP tube thickness and diameter on the overall behavior of different types of confined concretes. The results demonstrate that GFRP tubes significantly enhance column capacity, while the presence of ECC/RECC exhibits even greater improvements in capacity, stiffness, and toughness compared to NC. This approach shows promise in reinforcing coastal infrastructure and addressing corrosion-related concerns effectively
Finite Element Modeling and Analysis of RC Shear Walls with Cutting-Out Openings
No full textIn recent decades, reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls have been one of the best structural solutions to resist lateral load in high-rise buildings. Shear wall openings are essential for preparations and architectural requirements, which weaken the wall, reducing bearing capacity, energy absorption, and stiffness while also causing stress concentrations. This paper presents a comprehensive finite element (FE) investigation of the behavior and performance of RC shear walls with openings and subjected to lateral loads. The study aims to evaluate the influence of various parameters, such as opening location, size, wall aspect ratio, axial load, and concrete strength, which affect the performance of shear walls. FE models were developed to simulate the seismic response of RC shear walls under the combined effect of constant axial and lateral loads. The obtained results from the FE model showed a successful validation using the experimental data available in the literature. The FE analysis results demonstrate that the inclusion of lower openings leads to a 25% decrease in the bearing capacity of the wall when compared to the upper openings. Moreover, it was observed that augmenting the sizes of the openings and the aspect ratios of the wall resulted in declines in the strength, stiffness, and energy absorption capacity of the wall while simultaneously enhancing the ductility and displacement of the RC shear walls
Impact of \u3ci\u3eAureobasidium\u3c/i\u3e Species Strain Improvement on the Production of the Polysaccharide Pullulan
No full textThis review explores the production of the fungal polysaccharide pullulan by mutants and natural isolates of Aureobasidium species using strain improvement. Pullulan is a neutral polysaccharide gum whose structure is a maltotriose-containing glucan. This polysaccharide gum has applications in the fields of food, pharmaceuticals, biomedical and wastewater treatment. The strain improvement of Aureobasidium species has focused on the pullulan production process, including the isolation of strains exhibiting reduced pigmentation, polysaccharide overproduction, the production of pullulan with variable molecular weight, and increased osmotolerant strains promoting pullulan production at high carbon source concentrations and pullulan production on hemicellulosic substrates. The majority of studies have emphasized the isolation of reduced pigmentation and pullulan hyperproducer strains since the goal of large-scale commercial pullulan production is to synthesize non-pigmented polysaccharides. A promising area of strain improvement is the isolation of strains that synthesize authentic pullulan from hemicellulosic substrates. If strain improvement in this area is successful, the goal of commercially producing pullulan at a competitive cost will eventually be achieved
Perceptions of Rural Career and Technical Education Teachers’ Professional Development Needs in Regard to Special Education
No full textThis descriptive quantitative study aimed to identify specific professional development needs of Career and Technical Education teachers regarding special education. With the passage of House Bill 5, Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses and programs have experienced an increase in students. As the number of special education students in CTE classes expanded, CTE teachers also had to expand their professional development training. Data used in this study was collected through an online survey completed by rural Career and Technical Education teachers serviced by one specific Educational Service Center (ESC). Participants who were asked to contribute to this study were chosen based on their employment in rural districts. Therefore, the list of districts serviced by the ESC was sorted to include only rural districts. The result of this study could help ignite conversations about the professional development needs of Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers. As a result, stakeholders will have insight and the opportunity to provide relevant training for CTE teachers
Informing Administrative Responses to Teacher Attrition in Middle to Late Career Professionals: A Qualitative Study
No full textProfessional occupations take time and dedication. Careers are chosen, but some are callings. Teaching requires a calling to survive the many levels of expectations and rigor needed to reach the youth of today. Education is a constant juggling act of professional responsibility and personal balance. The lines of professional and personal lives often cross when teaching school age children. This study seeks to explore the decision to leave the teaching profession by middle to late career public school teachers. The perceptions are sought to inform administrative responses on policies or work environments that lead to attrition from the workforce in the public-school setting. In addition to salary, another factor affecting teacher retention is working conditions. A view of working conditions as a contributing factor to attrition is grounded in organizational theory that suggests that teachers leave not because of their characteristics or their students’ characteristics, but because of school-level factors (Geiger & Pivovarova 2018)
21st Century Educators\u27 Perceptions, Preparation, and Instructional Practices to Meet the Needs of Emergent Bilingual Students in Rural Schools in Texas
No full textThis explanatory-sequential mix-methods study explored Northeast Texas rural educators’ perceptions of language and emergent bilingual (EB) students, and educators’ preparation and practices used in the classroom to meet this ever-growing and diverse multicultural group. Educators’ ideologies and practices in the United States, especially in Texas, had been harsh and discriminatory according to the history of bilingual education (Bekerman, 2005; Flores & García, 2017; Rodríguez, 2017; San Miguel, Jr., 1987). Decades have passed and changes have been made to benefit emergent bilingual students (O. García & Kleifgen, 2010). Forty-six educators from three different rural districts in Northeast Texas completed the Modified Language Attitude of Teachers Scale (MLATS) survey electronically and seven educators further participated in personal interviews and a focus group to investigate in depth the responses of the MLTAS electronic survey. Overall, rural educators demonstrated positive attitudes towards emergent bilingual students which corroborates teachers’ willingness to do well and try to serve culturally diverse students (Bonner et al., 2018); however, the findings indicate Texas rural educators have the ideology that EB students are slowed down by their parents’ lack of English language skills as well as English language acquisition having greater importance over academic content. Although Texas rural educators recognize they are in dear need of professional development to meet emergent bilingual needs, they also acknowledge they prefer to have professional development in their respective disciplines as a first choice. The findings also indicated that Texas rural educators use practices and strategies intended for English speaking monolingual students thinking those will work well on emergent bilingual students; rural educators admitted they need training in this area to effectively instruct this wonderful diverse group
Drone Detection and Tracking Using YOLO on Raspberry Pi
No full textThe increasing popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) has led to a growing demand for effective drone detection and tracking systems. This research proposes a novel approach to address this need by developing an efficient and accurate drone detection and tracking system using the YOLO (You Only Look Once) object detection algorithm on the Raspberry Pi 4 platform (Raspberry Pi Foundation, n.d.). The primary aim of this study is to train a custom YOLO model specifically designed for drone detection. To achieve this, a diverse dataset of drone images will be collected and annotated with bounding box labels to facilitate model training. The YOLO model will be fine-tuned and optimized to ensure high accuracy in detecting drones. To enable real-time drone detection and tracking capabilities, the YOLO model will be further optimized for deployment on the Raspberry Pi 4, taking into account its limited computational resources and processing capabilities. The integration of the YOLO model with the Raspberry Pi 4 will be tested using live video feeds from a camera mounted on the Raspberry Pi 4, allowing for real-time monitoring and tracking of drones. The proposed research is expected to yield significant contributions to the field of drone technology and its applications in various domains, including surveillance, security, and autonomous navigation. By successfully implementing this drone detection and tracking system, the study aims to enhance the capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles to autonomously track and detect other drones accurately
Sleuthing Through the Waves: Detecting Woman-Crafted Women Sleuths Through the Three Waves of Feminism
No full textThis study thoroughly evaluates the characteristics of woman detectives written by woman authors during the first through third waves of feminism. The study examines notable and noteworthy woman authors and detectives from the United States and the United Kingdom during each wave by adopting a textual interpretation approach. The study delves into each woman author\u27s sociohistorical contexts and detective life. Amelia Butterworth, created by Anna Katherine Green and Loveday Brooke, created by C.L. Pirkis, were both written during the first waves of feminism in the United States and the United Kingdom. Amanda Cross wrote Kate Fansler, and P.D. James wrote Cordelia Gray during the frantic second wave, when their characters looked both backward toward the respectability and traditions of the first wave and forward in terms of what they could accomplish. Janet Evanovich and Denise Mina tackle third-wave woman detectives Stephanie Plum and Maureen O’Donnell, who both still need to prove that women can do the work of men just as well as, if not better than, men. Less traditional and more socially conscious woman detectives who demonstrate a need to advocate for other women while proving themselves worthy of the detective title mark the second wave of feminism. Kate Fansler does this in Death in a Tenured Position, and Cordelia Gray does this in An Unsuitable Job for a Woman. The third wave of feminism brought Stephanie Plum in the United States and Maureen O’Donnell in the United Kingdom. Both are strong and independent women, both of whom are amateurs. Ultimately, this study contributes to our understanding of how the waves of feminism influenced the depictions of woman detectives and offers insights into the evolution of the character of the woman detective
Qualitative Content Analysis of Latinx Picture Books About Immigration from 2021 to Present
No full textThis research engaged a qualitative content analysis of current Latinx picture books about immigration. The study aimed to identify a thoroughly analyzed text set of 16 picture books from 2021 to present that support classroom teachers and students as they engage in discourse around Latinx immigration. Texts were selected from 8 sources. The data analysis demonstrated the authenticity of the texts through a thoroughly designed a priori coding framework, examining text features, themes, images, and symbolic messages. All 16 texts were found to be more culturally authentic