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Most operating systems provide protection and isolation to user processes, but not to critical system components such as device drivers or other systems code. Consequently, failures in these components often lead to system failures. VirtuOS is an operating system that exploits a new method of decomposition to protect against such failures. VirtuOS exploits virtualization to isolate and protect vertical slices of existing OS kernels in separate service domains. Each service domain represents a partition of an existing kernel, which implements a subset of that kernel's functionality. Service domains directly service system calls from user processes. VirtuOS exploits an exceptionless model, avoiding the cost of a system call trap in many cases. We illustrate how to apply exceptionless system calls across virtualized domains. To demonstrate the viability of VirtuOS's approach, we implemented a prototype based on the Linux kernel and Xen hypervisor. We created and evaluated a network and a storage service domain. Our prototype retains compatibility with existing applications, can survive the failure of individual service domains while outperforming alternative approaches such as isolated driver domains and even exceeding the performance of native Linux for some multithreaded workloads. The evaluation of VirtuOS revealed costs due to decomposition, memory management, and communication, which necessitated a fine-grained analysis to understand their impact on the system's performance. The interaction of virtual machines with multiple underlying software and hardware layers in virtualized environment makes this task difficult. Moreover, performance analysis tools commonly used in native environments were not available in virtualized environments. Our work addresses this problem to enable an in-depth performance analysis of VirtuOS. Our Perfctr-Xen framework provides capabilities for per-thread analysis with both accumulative event counts and interrupt-driven event sampling. Perfctr-Xen is a flexible and generic tool, supports different modes of virtualization, and can be used for many applications outside of VirtuOS. / Ph. D.

Ransomware is an ever-growing issue that has been affecting individuals and corporations since its inception, leading to losses of the order of billions each year. This research builds upon the existing body of research pertaining to ransomware detection for Windows-based platforms through behavioral analysis using sandboxing techniques and classification using machine learning (ML), considering the various predefined function calls, known as API (Application Programming Interface) calls, made by ransomware and benign samples as classifying features. The primary aim of this research is to study the effect of the frequency of API calls made by ransomware samples spanning across a large number of ransomware families exhibiting varied behavior, and benign samples on the classification accuracy of various ML algorithms. Conducting an experiment based on this, a quantitative analysis of the ML classification algorithms was performed, for the frequency of API calls based input and binary input based on the existence of an API call, resulting in the conclusion that considering the frequency of API calls marginally improves the ransomware recall rate. The secondary research question posed by this research aims to justify the ML classification of ransomware by conducting behavioral analysis of ransomware and goodware in the context of the API calls that had a major effect on the classification of ransomware. This research was able to provide meaningful insights into the runtime behavior of ransomware and goodware, and how such behavior including API calls and their frequencies were in line with the MLbased classification of ransomware. / Master of Science / Ransomware is an ever-growing issue that has been affecting individuals and corporations since its inception, leading to losses of the order of billions each year. It infects a user machine, encrypts user files or locks the user out of their machine, or both, demanding ransom in exchange for decrypting or unlocking user data. Analyzing ransomware either statically or behaviorally is a prerequisite for building detection and countering mechanisms. Behavioral analysis of ransomware is the basis for this research, wherein ransomware is analyzed by executing it on a safe sandboxed environment such as a virtual machine to avoid infecting a real-user machine, and its runtime characteristics are extracted for analysis. Among these characteristics, the various predefined function calls, known as API (Application Programming Interface) calls, made to the system by ransomware will serve as the basis for the classification of ransomware and benign software. After analyzing ransomware samples across various families, and benign samples in a sandboxed environment, and considering API calls as features, the curated dataset was fed to a set of ML algorithms that have the capability to extract useful information from the dataset to take classification decisions without human intervention. The research will consider the importance of the frequency of API calls on the classification accuracy and also state the most important APIs for classification along with their potential use in the context of ransomware and goodware to justify ML classification. Zero-Day detection, which refers to testing the accuracy of trained ML models on unknown ransomware samples and families was also performed.

The following study is part of a larger study examining techniques that might be of use in the release program of the Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata), including marking, capturing, and radio-tracking. The portion of the study reported here documents the vocal behavior of A. vittata during the reproductive season and examines the possibility of using vocalizations to identify individuals, determine the sex of individuals and determine the location of an individual's breeding territory. Objectives of this study included: 1) cataloguing and categorizing the vocal repertoire of A. vittata, 2) determining whether the vocal repertoire was sex-specific and region-specific and 3) determining if an individual's vocal repertoire could be used to identify it. The vocal repertoire was characterized using a hierarchical method and 147 calls were described. The repertoire was found contain a high percentage (76 %) of graded calls. Evolutionary strategies that may explain the complexity of such a repertoire are discussed. The vocal repertoire was found to be both sex- and region-specific. Characteristics analyzed included time and frequency parameters of sonagrams. Three methods were used to determine the feasibility of vocal recognition of individuals. These methods included: bird-call pairing, sonagraphic analysis, and linear predictive coding. Sonagraphic analyses in combination with linear predictive coding techniques show the most promise as tools in voice recognition of the parrot, however, further research will be necessary to determine how reliable voice recognition may be as a method for identifying individuals in the field. / Master of Science

No / Ambulance service demand is increasing in the United Kingdom. A common speculative view makes a link between this rise in demand, deprivation, and certain medical conditions. This study explored factors infl uencing English ambulance service demand in two areas of differing socioeconomic status. Adopting a causal comparative design, the study compared the numbers of life-threatening calls that Yorkshire Ambulance Service receives and serves in two geographical areas within the Hull and East Riding area. The area of lower socioeconomic status generated signifi cantly more life-threatening calls than the area of higher socioeconomic status; these calls often supported younger patients (mean age 59 years versus 71 years) for breathing diffi culties (29% versus 14.5%) more commonly. Tackling inequality will require a whole-systems approach, effective leadership, and recognition of the benefi ts of understanding difference. A key relationship will entail engaging with seldom heard communities.

Marketing, Direct Marketing, Tele-Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Tele-sales, Developing countries, Customer attitude/behavior, Call center, Outbound calls, Proactive telemarketing, Sales promotion ,Survey, Telemarketing center , Telemarketing sales , Telephone marketers , Cold calls.

In this study I examine foul calls by NBA referees alongside the difference in aggressiveness of twelve NBA basketball teams as they compete for the Championship Title. I aim to identify referee biases that increase the likelihood of the NBA Finals ending in a later game due to league revenue incentives. My data consists of 91 individual NBA Finals games played between the 2001 and 2016 NBA Finals. After controlling for changes in play as well as the difference in aggressiveness, I find that NBA referee’s foul calls are more dependent on a call on the opposing team in situations with a larger series score spread. Additionally, I identify a consistent officiating bias towards the home team. My results imply an effort by the NBA to increase the probability of the series ending in a later game, possibly motivated by increased revenues for the league and all parties involved.

This dissertation is a conversation analytic examination of recurrent practices of interaction in medicalemergency calls. The study expands the analytical focus in past research on emergency calls betweenemergency call operators and callers to pre-hospital emergency care interaction on the phone betweennurses, physicians and callers. The investigation is based on ethnographic fieldwork in a Swedish emergencycontrol centre. The data used for the study consists primarily of audio recordings of medical emergency calls.Fundamental procedures in medical emergency calls examined in the dissertation are: (1) questioning; (2)emotion management; (3) risk management and (4) instruction giving. Emergency call-takers ask questions toelicit descriptions by callers of what is happening and to manage symptoms of patients to help keep them safeuntil ambulance crews arrive. In the questioning practice about acutely ill or injured patients call-takers usemainly yes-no questions and clarify problems by questioning callers making a distinction between defined andundefined problems. The analysis reveals four core types of emotion management practices: (1) call-takerskeep themselves calm when managing callers’ social displays of emotions; (2) promising ambulanceassistance; (3) providing problem solving presentations including emergency response measures to concernsof callers, and (4) emphasising the positive to create hope for callers. Call-takers use seven key procedures tomanage risk in medical emergency calls: (1) risk listening through active listening after actual and possiblerisks; (2) risk questioning; (3) risk identification; (4) risk monitoring; (5) risk assessment; (6) making decisionsabout elicited risk and (7) risk reduction. Instruction giving using directives and recommendations isaccomplished by call-takers in four main ways: (1) acute flow maintaining instruction giving when callers areprocedurally out of line; (2) measure oriented instructions for patient care and emergency responsemanagement; (3) organisational response instructions and (4) summarising instruction giving. Callers routinelyacknowledge risk identifications and follow instructions delivered by call-takers to examine statuses and lifesigns of patients such as breathing, movement and pulse, and perform basic first aid and emergency responsemeasures.The findings generated from this study will be useful in emergency call-taker training in carrying out interactiveprocedures in medical emergency calls and add to the larger research programmes on on-telephoneinteraction between professionals and citizen callers. This is an essential book for pre-hospital emergency careproviders and institutional interaction researchers and students. / <p>At the Faculty of Social Sciences in the subject of Sociology</p>

‘First line healthcare’ is offered via telephone in many Western countries. The overall aim of this thesis is to describe Telephone Nursing (TN) from three viewpoints: telenurses, parents calling for their children, and operation managers. Four empirical studies were conducted. Telenurses described their work in five different ways: ‘Assess, refer and give advice to the caller’, ‘Support the caller’, ‘Strengthen the caller’, ‘Teach the caller’ and ‘Facilitate the caller’s learning’, which all constitute a TN ‘work map’. Authentic paediatric calls between parents and telenurses revealed that 73% of callers were mothers and children were aged between 5 days and 14.5 years. The top three contact reasons were ear and skin problems, and fever, with a median call length of 4.4 minutes. More than half of the calls resulted in referrals and 48% received self-care advice. The likelihood of fathers being given referrals as a result of their call was almost twice as high as that for mothers, while mothers were almost twice as likely to receive self-care advice as fathers. Parents described their degree of worry and trust that influenced their decisions whether to contact SHD or not. Their calls were carefully prepared, and the parent calling often depended on family routine. Parents reported to follow recommendations. Most relied upon their own intuition if further worried, but some indicated they would never seek healthcare unless it was recommended. Operation managers described four main goals of TN work: ‘create feelings of trust’, ‘achieve patient safety’, ‘assess, refer and give advice’, and ‘teach the caller’. Equitable healthcare was regarded as important, whereas health promotion was not considered as part of the goals. Conclusion: The studied TN viewpoints present concordance and discrepancies. Paediatric health calls appear mostly to be a woman-to-woman activity. Telenurses’ increased gender competence might increase TN safety. For that matter, telenurses’ collaboration with parents and making parents aware of holding the ultimate responsibility for their child’s condition is important. Goals of TN work and their relationship with healthcare obligations such as equitable healthcare and health promotion need further clarification. The viewpoints described in this thesis may contribute to the development of TN.