Thesis (doctoral) - Universität, Hamburg, 2004. / Bibliographie p. 365-374. Index.

In this thesis, we prove the existence of large frequency periodic solutions for the nonlinear wave equations utt − uxx − v(x)u = u3 + [fnof]([Omega]t, x) (1) with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Here, [Omega] represents the frequency of the solution. The method we use to find the periodic solutions u([Omega]) for large [Omega] originates in the work of Craig and Wayne [10] where they constructed solutions for free vibrations, i.e., for [fnof] = 0. Here we construct smooth solutions for forced vibrations ([fnof] [not equal to] 0). Given an x-dependent analytic potential v(x) previous works on (1) either assume a smallness condition on [fnof] or yields a weak solution. The study of equations like (1) goes back at least to Rabinowitz in the sixties [25]. The main difficulty in finding periodic solutions of an equation like (1), is the appearance of small denominators in the linearized operator stemming from the left hand side. To overcome this difficulty, we used a Nash-Moser scheme introduced by Craig and Wayne in [10]. / text

Server-side Web applications are constantly exposed to new threats as new technologies emerge. For instance, forced browsing attacks exploit incomplete access-control enforcement to perform security-sensitive operations (such as database writes without proper permission) by invoking unintended program entry points. SQL command injection attacks (SQLCIA) have evolved into NoSQL command injection attacks targeting the increasingly popular NoSQL databases. They may expose internal data, bypass authentication or violate security and privacy properties. Preventing such Web attacks demands defensive programming techniques that require repetitive and error-prone manual coding and auditing. This dissertation presents three methods for improving the security of server-side Web applications against forced browsing and SQL/NoSQL command injection attacks. The first method finds incomplete access-control enforcement. It statically identifies access-control logic that mediates security-sensitive operations and finds missing access-control checks without an a priori specification of an access-control policy. Second, we design, implement and evaluate a static analysis and program transformation tool that finds access-control errors of omission and produces candidate repairs. Our third method dynamically identifies SQL/NoSQL command injection attacks. It computes shadow values for tracking user-injected values and then parses a shadow value along with the original database query in tandem with its shadow value to identify whether user-injected parts serve as code. Remediating Web vulnerabilities and blocking Web attacks are essential for improving Web application security. Automated security tools help developers remediate Web vulnerabilities and block Web attacks while minimizing error-prone human factors. This dissertation describes automated tools implementing the proposed ideas and explores their applications to real-world server-side Web applications. Automated security tools are effective for identifying server-side Web application security holes and a promising direction toward better server-side Web security. / text

When a patient is exposed surgical stress, the endocrine system secretes hormones in response to that stress. These hormones further activate the immune system to release cytokines and other acute phase reactions. These processes are supposed to protect the body by upregulating the innate immune system and producing an inflammatory response that acts to protect and heal. However, uncontrolled surgical stress may cause a weaker immune response that may lead to delayed wound healing. The phenomenon of unplanned perioperative hypothermia is known to expose patients to additional surgical stress. The purpose of this preliminary experimental study was to determine the effect of a preoperative warming intervention on the acute phase response of surgical stress in surgical patients. Specifically, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a prewarming intervention using a forced-air warming (FAW) device versus routine care (RC) using warmed cotton blankets on the development of unplanned hypothermia, cytokine production, and endocrine responses. It was hypothesized that 1) the FAW participants would experience less unplanned perioperative hypothermia than the RC participants; 2) the FAW participants would experience lower catecholamine and cortisol levels than the RC participants; and 3) the FAW participants would experience higher proinflammatory cytokine and CRP production intra- and postoperatively than the RC participants. Infrared tympanic temperatures and 4 blood samples were taken at 4 time intervals from each of the 28 (n = 14 each group) randomized participants that underwent routine general anesthesia surgery. Serum concentrations of CRP, cortisol and IL-1beta, IL- 6, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma, and plasma concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine were measured. To test the hypotheses across time and between groups, a repeated measures ANOVA design was used. Though FAW was not associated with a differential endocrine or inflammatory response in this small, preliminary study, further study of forced air warming as a preoperative nursing intervention is warranted. The finding of higher than expected IL-6 levels in the preoperative period suggests a potential role for anxiety, an important factor in psychoneuroimmunological pathways, that could affect recovery and healing. The relationship between surgical stress, anxiety, and preoperative IL-6 deserves further study.

A novel strategy to investigate interfaces relevant to chromatographic separations is presented. The strategy in this dissertation relies on three key ideas: 1) design and fabrication of appropriate model of chromatographic interface, 2) use of forced dewetting to separate interfacial constituent of mobile phase from its bulk component yet preserves the interface, and 3) use of IR spectroscopy and ellipsometry to investigate the structure and thickness of isolated interface.Stratified structures of ultrathin (< 10 nm thick) silica films on gold using gold oxide as adhesive layer and wetting control agent are used as model solid phase. Such design provides chemical environment of bulk silica surface, does not introduce significant spectral background, is suitable for reflection-based spectroscopies, and allow for easy modification to mimic wide range of silica - solvent interfaces. Bare silica-water models capillary electrophoresis interfaces; water-methanol mixture at octadecylsilane-modified silica represents reversed phase liquid chromatography interfaces.Forced dewetting is used to decouple interfacial constituent of mobile phase from its bulk component; yet, the integrity of interface is preserved. This approach, combined with the use of IR spectroscopy and ellipsometry, allowed for ambient atmosphere characterization of these interfacial layers in terms of their structure, composition, and thickness for water at bare silica. Hydrogen bonding was probed in case of complex water-methanol binary mixture at octadecylsilane-modified silica surface.The analysis of residual water layers formed by forced dewetting at bare silica as a function of bulk solution pH shows that the structure of the interfacial layer is highly ordered compared to bulk, and is also pH dependent. Further, thicknesses of interfacial layers were found to be pH dependent and vary from ~6 (pH 1) to ~9 nm (pH 9). Gouy-Chapman-Stern double layer was found to be inadequate to satisfactorily describe observed trends. In addition, surface enhanced infrared absorbance phenomenon was also observed that aided increased quality of resulting IR spectra.The analysis of residual water-methanol layers formed by forced dewetting at octadecylsilane-modified silica surface as a function of gas phase atmosphere shows that the structure of the interfacial layer is highly dependent on the composition of gas phase. The observed changes indicate that condensation of methanol from gas phase into residual layer and/or evaporation of water from residual layer into gas phase may occur in used experimental setup used in this dissertation. For that reason, more precise quantification of relative amounts of water and methanol in residual layers was precluded. Yet, regardless of investigational conditions, two different hydrogen bonding environments for methanol were distinctively observed.

The process of forcibly dewetting a solid substrate from a bulk liquid so as to leave a thin residual layer on the surface is referred to as forced dewetting. This novel experimental approach helps to investigate interfacial species by minimizing the interference of the bulk liquid when coupled with spectroscopy. In this work, the scope of liquids investigating using this approach has been expanded from simple fluids to one type of complex fluid, a nematic liquid crystal, 4-n-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (5CB).In order to better understand the interfacial behavior of the simple fluids, water, chloroform, and n-pentane vapors were adsorbed onto omega-terminated SAM-modifed Ag (11-mercaptoundecanoic acid, 11-mercaptoundenanol, and undecanethiol) surfaces under vapor-saturated conditions. The kinetics of solvent adsorption on each of these surfaces were investigated and the thicknesses of the adsorbed layer were compared to predictions from Lifshitz theory of long-range van der Waals interactions. Although the predicted thicknesses do not match the experimental values for adsorbed films, the predicted thicknesses do match those observed experimentally using forced dewetting. The correlation between these predicted and observed thicknesses implies that residual film formation under the conditions of forced dewetting used in this laboratory is dictated by interfacial forces alone.The surface adsorption behavior of 5CB was investigated using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with the aid of localized surface plasmon resonances-surface plasmon polaritron coupling. The results clearly indicate that 5CB is adsorbed to smooth Ag surface in a facial orientation with pi-d orbital interaction suggested.Finally, forced dewetting studies of bare, -NH2-temintaed SAM, and -CH3-temintaed SAM modified-SiO2 substrates from 5CB were undertaken. Residual layer thicknesses were monitored as a function of substrate velocity. The transition from the regime in which interfacial forces dictate residual layer thickness to the regime in which fluid dynamic forces dictate thickness was observed for the first time and was evaluated in terms of the average 5CB director orientation. Unlike simple fluids, 5CB has strong interfacial interactions from surface anchoring depending on the chemical nature of the substrate, which makes the residual layer thicknesses at least 100 times larger than observed in simple fluids.

Resettlement is a change process where people are involuntarily relocated from one place to another. In most cases, it causes drastic environmental, social, political and economic changes. If planned and implemented appropriately, resettlement can have a positive impact on the livelihoods of people. The study sought to examine how the process of resettlement impacted the livelihoods of the original land users of Folweni as a result of the relocation of Malukazi families into Folweni. The study also sought to understand the tensions which, after 28 years of co-existence with the new-comers, still lingers on, and surfaces in the form of uncertainty, resentment and apathy among the original land users of Folweni from having been being dispossessed of their land. The study was informed mainly by the sustainable livelihoods theory, which recognizes natural, physical, human, social and financial capitals as important and effective tools for examining the impact of regulations on the livelihoods of the poor. The study employed a qualitative research method which included documentary data and interviews. The researcher interviewed 24 respondents who had experienced the impact of resettlement in the Folweni area. Their views and opinions are presented in Chapter 4 of the thesis. A concluding chapter briefly reviews the key findings of the study and presents recommendations and suggestions for future studies. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.

Prostitution is considered to be systematic sexual relations with various partners for a certain payment, which is the only or one of the basic sources and means of subsistence. It is also the usage of facilities given by procurers or people providing the room for prostitution activities. Besides it is a tollage for prostitution to criminal structures. The main reasons determining prostitution: social-economical, cultural- valuables, educational, influence made by negative means of information, commercial reasons, the absence of men’s responsibility concerning prostitution, legitimate reasons.

There are numerous synchronization methodologies available in solving the problem of network synchronization. This paper presents an analytical analysis of the mathematical model of forced synchronization system composed of four oscillators. Exact analytical and graphical expressions of transition functions and exact expressions of the phase differences between signals of oscillators of this synchronization system are obtained.