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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
321

On Experimental Quantum Communication and Cryptography

Erven, Christopher January 2012 (has links)
One of the most fascinating recent developments in research has been how different disciplines have become more and more interconnected. So much so that fields as disparate as information theory and fundamental physics have combined to produce ideas for the next generation of computing and secure information technologies, both of which have far reaching consequences. For more than fifty years Moore's law, which describes the trend of the transistor's size shrinking by half every two years, has proven to be uncannily accurate. However, the computing industry is now approaching a fundamental barrier as the size of a transistor approaches that of an individual atom and the laws of physics and quantum mechanics take over. Rather then look at this as the end, quantum information science has emerged to ask the question of what additional power and functionality might be realized by harnessing some of these quantum effects. This thesis presents work on the sub-field of quantum cryptography which seeks to use quantum means in order to assure the security of ones communications. The beauty of quantum cryptographic methods are that they can be proven secure, now and indefinitely into the future, relying solely on the validity of the laws of physics for their proofs of security. This is something which is impossible for nearly all current classical cryptographic methods to claim. The thesis begins by examining the first implementation of an entangled quantum key distribution system over two free-space optical links. This system represents the first test-bed of its kind in the world and while its practical importance in terrestrial applications is limited to a smaller university or corporate campus, the system mimics the setup for an entangled satellite system aiding in the study of distributing entangled photons from an orbiting satellite to two earthbound receivers. Having completed the construction of a second free-space link and the automation of the alignment system, I securely distribute keys to Alice and Bob in two distant locations separated by 1,575 m with no direct line-of-sight between them. I examine all of the assumptions necessary for my claims of security, something which is particularly important for moving these systems out of the lab and into commercial industry. I then go on to describe the free-space channel over which the photons are sent and the implementation of each of the major system components. I close with a discussion of the experiment which saw raw detected entangled photon rates of 565 s^{-1} and a quantum bit error rate (QBER) of 4.92% resulting in a final secure key rate of 85 bits/s. Over the six hour night time experiment I was able to generate 1,612,239 bits of secure key. With a successful QKD experiment completed, this thesis then turns to the problem of improving the technology to make it more practical by increasing the key rate of the system and thus the speed at which it can securely encrypt information. It does so in three different ways, involving each of the major disciplines comprising the system: measurement hardware, source technology, and software post-processing. First, I experimentally investigate a theoretical proposal for biasing the measurement bases in the QKD system showing a 79% improvement in the secret key generated from the same raw key rates. Next, I construct a second generation entangled photon source with rates two orders of magnitude higher than the previous source using the idea of a Sagnac interferometer. More importantly, the new source has a QBER as low as 0.93% which is not only important for the security of the QKD system but will be required for the implementation of a new cryptographic primitive later. Lastly, I study the free-space link transmission statistics and the use of a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) filter to improve the key rate by 25.2% from the same amount of raw key. The link statistics have particular relevance for a current project with the Canadian Space Agency to exchange a quantum key with an orbiting satellite - a project which I have participated in two feasibility studies for. Wanting to study the usefulness of more recent ideas in quantum cryptography this thesis then looks at the first experimental implementation of a new cryptographic primitive called oblivious transfer (OT) in the noisy storage model. This primitive has obvious important applications as it can be used to implement a secure identification scheme provably secure in a quantum scenario. Such a scheme could one day be used, for example, to authenticate a user over short distances, such as at ATM machines, which have proven to be particularly vulnerable to hacking and fraud. Over a four hour experiment, Alice and Bob measure 405,642,088 entangled photon pairs with an average QBER of 0.93% allowing them to create a secure OT key of 8,939,150 bits. As a first implementer, I examine many of the pressing issues currently preventing the scheme from being more widely adopted such as the need to relax the dependance of the OT rate on the loss of the system and the need to extend the security proof to cover a wider range of quantum communication channels and memories. It is important to note that OT is fundamentally different than QKD for security as the information is never physically exchanged over the communication line but rather the joint equality function f(x) = f(y) is evaluated. Thus, security in QKD does not imply security for OT. Finally, this thesis concludes with the construction and initial alignment of a second generation free-space quantum receiver, useful for increasing the QKD key rates, but designed for a fundamental test of quantum theory namely a Svetlichny inequality violation. Svetlichny's inequality is a generalization of Bell's inequality to three particles where any two of the three particles maybe be non-locally correlated. Even so, a violation of Svetlichny's inequality shows that certain quantum mechanical states are incompatible with this restricted class of non-local yet realistic theories. Svetlichny's inequality is particularly important because while there has been an overwhelming number of Bell experiments performed testing two-body correlations, experiments on many-body systems have been few and far between. Experiments of this type are particularly valuable to explore since we live in a many-body world. The new receiver incorporates an active polarization analyzer capable of switching between measurement bases on a microsecond time-scale through the use of a Pockels cell while maintaining measurements of a high fidelity. Some of the initial alignment and analysis results are detailed including the final measured contrasts of 1:25.2 and 1:22.6 in the rectilinear and diagonal bases respectively.
322

Towards Real-World Adoption of Quantum Key Distribution using Entangled Photons

Holloway, Catherine 01 August 2012 (has links)
In order for quantum key distribution (QKD) to move from the lab to widespread adoption, it will need to be compatible with existing infrastructure. To that end, I demonstrate an implementation of QKD with entangled photons on active, standard telecommunications ber. By using a wavelength outside of the conventional band used by telecommunications tra c, I achieve minimal disruption to either the quantum or classical signals. In an attempt to extend the reach of QKD with entangled photons I studied the parameters of these systems. I developed a model for the number of measured two-fold coincidences that maximizes the secure key rate (SKR), for any combination of system parameters, using a symbolic regression algorithm based on simulated data. I validated this model against experimental data, and demonstrated its usefulness by applying it to simulations of QKD between the ground and a satellite and in optical bers. Finally, I worked on a step towards a new entangled photon source that is a hybrid between visible and telecommunications wavelengths by building a hybrid single photon source.
323

Ranking of key factors when a company makes their choice of advertising agency

Johansson, Daniel, Koos, Johan January 2010 (has links)
No description available.
324

Key Success Factors of Innovative Agriculture in Taiwan

Lin, Pei-Yao 30 August 2011 (has links)
Key Success Factors of Innovative Agriculture in Taiwan Abstract The traditional agriculture in Taiwan has a pressing need for transformation and innovation in the age of knowledge economy and economic globalization. Innovation is the core value of knowledge economy. Knowledge in itself is exclusive of all value judgment. Therefore, adding value through knowledge transfer to the product development processes can be achieved by means of new perspectives and points of view for business sustainability. The purpose of this study was to identify the key success factors (KSF) of successful promoters of innovative agriculture in the process of transformation and innovation. Three leading manufacturers of innovative agricultural products were chosen for in-depth interviews to collect specially needed data. Based on the characteristics of agricultural industry, the four dimensions of ¡§leadership quality¡¨, ¡§market strategy¡¨, ¡§product strategy¡¨, and ¡§management strategy¡¨ are used as a measure of the index of KSFs. The results show that the KSFs on the dimension of leadership quality are ¡§entrepreneurial spirit¡¨, ¡§leadership ability and foresight¡¨, ¡§cross-enterprise thinking¡¨, ¡§enterprise knowledge¡¨, and ¡§enthusiasm to help others¡¨. The KSFs on the dimension of market strategy are ¡§the ability to open up new markets¡¨, ¡§brand image¡¨, and ¡§market orientation¡¨. The KSFs on the dimension of product strategy are ¡§R&D and innovation¡¨, ¡§value-added agricultural products¡¨, ¡§product quality¡¨, and ¡§traceability system¡¨. The KSFs on the dimension of management strategy are ¡§size of business¡¨, ¡§integration¡¨, ¡§social assessment¡¨, ¡§product flow management¡¨, and ¡§core value¡¨. And finally, make recommendations to agricultural operators for moving forward with ongoing change in the economic environment. Key words: Innovative Agriculture, Key Success Factor, Knowledge Economy
325

Humanoid Robot Behavior Emulation and Representation

Zheng, Yu-An 12 September 2012 (has links)
The objective of the thesis is utilizing body sensing technology to develop a more intuitive and convenient way to control robots. The idea is to build a body sensing control system based on Kinect framework. Through Kinect, users from different age groups can achieve the desired purposes through motion demonstration without complicated programming. The system can accurately calculate angle change from users¡¦ gestures in a motion and identify key-postures which can compose an emulation motion similar to the presenting one. In other words, from analyzing these key postures, the demonstrated behaviors are able to be represented internally. Therefore, the system, consisting of a kinematics computational module and a representation algorithm, not only provides the function of behavior emulation but also behavior representation. By representation algorithm, the system extracts the features of combined behaviors. Besides, with the modular programming methodology, different behaviors can be reorganized to generate new behaviors based on the set of key poses represented by the extracted features. The application implemented in this system is within the OpenNI and NITE environment. OpenNI is used to retrieve information that the Kinect captured. NITE is used to track the user skeleton. The system is demonstrated by a play of ¡§Tai-Ji-Advancer¡¨ and at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSYS49JKVAA.
326

Effects of translocation and deer-vehicle collision mitigation on Florida Key deer

Parker, Israel David 02 June 2009 (has links)
Urban development and habitat fragmentation threaten recovery and management of the endangered Florida Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium). Urban development has reduced deer dispersal from their core habitat resulting in deer “overabundance” and has increased deer-human interactions (mostly deer-vehicle collisions [DVCs]). Conversely, deer populations on outer islands have declined in recent years due to limited deer dispersal from source populations. In order to expand the Key deer’s range and reduce DVCs within their core habitat, wildlife managers determined translocations and DVC mitigation were needed. Thus, the objectives of my thesis were to determine (1) effects of translocation on the establishment of outer-island local populations, and (2) effects of United States 1 Highway (US 1) improvements (i.e., exclusion fencing, underpasses, deer guards, and extra lane creation) on DVCs and deer movements. I evaluated the efficacy of translocations by comparing annual survival and seasonal ranges between resident and translocated deer and by analyzing reproduction of translocated deer. Translocated females (yearlings and adults) had lower annual survival than resident deer. Conversely, males (yearlings and adults) demonstrated higher annual survival than resident males. Due to low sample sizes and large variation, these numbers are potentially less important than the high overall survival (only 4 of 38 died). Seasonal ranges were generally smaller for resident deer than translocated deer. I attribute differences in ranges to differences in habitat quality between the core habitat and destination islands and to use of soft releases. Presence of fawns and yearlings indicated successful reproduction of translocated deer. Overall, the project was successful in establishing populations on the destination islands. The US 1 Highway improvements reduced DVCs along the fenced section of US 1 (2003, n = 2; 2004, n = 1; 2005, n = 0); however, overall DVCs increased on Big Pine Key (1996–2000, x¯ = 79; 2003, n = 91; 2004, n = 84; 2005, n = 100). Data suggest DVCs shifted to the unfenced segment of US 1. However, monthly deer surveys also suggested an increase in deer numbers that may explain overall DVC increases observed in my study.
327

The Operation Performances and Key Successful Factors of Japanese Telecommunication Operators in Third Generation Telecommunication Industry

Tsai, Yong-ning 06 September 2004 (has links)
Innovations of technologies often brings the industries impacts of different extents, if there is a company who holds KSF (key successful factor) in hand and becomes the leader, another would gradually lose his competitiveness because of not having KSF. This research looks at the development history of the Third Generation (3G) telecommunication services of Japan as background, which contains the overall environment, the 3G technology systems, the industry value-chain, the using condition of telecommunication services. Cooperating with the operation performance data including the number of 3G subscribers, ARPU (average revenue per user), the using amount of data services, the revenue of the 3G operators, etc., I probed into the KSF of the distribution of 3G, focused especially on why the performance of the early entrant NTT DoCoMo would fell behind the follower KDDI/au. And from the research results, I further discussed the market trend of the future 3G industry, hoping to provide references for the new incomers of 3G in Taiwan. As 3G services has only been started for less than 3 years and relevant academic researches remain few, this thesis can be seen as a exploratory research. And this research is based on literature survey of second-hand materials collected from white papers, fact sheets, media reports, proprietors¡¦ public materials, opinions from concerned professionals, industrial research reports, resources on the internet, etc., from which I analyzed and verified the operation performances of the operators and its relativity with the KSF I concluded from the literature: quality of telecommunications, speed of data transfer, provided contents and services, charge plans and promotion, properties and design of mobiles. The research show that what effect the performance of operators in the early period of 3G distribution are quality of telecommunications and the properties and series number of corresponding mobiles, and after the infrastructure construction period the focus would shift to new 3G services and contents and the price charged. As the telecommunication industry of Japan is on the way from infrastructure construction period to overall growth period, the performance of operators would be affected by the design and properties of corresponding mobiles and the telecommunication fees. Due to the 900i series mobile and the follow-up of the packet norm, the competitiveness of NTT DoCoMo on 3G has apparently raised. Although the number of 3G subscribers of KDDI/au still remains 3 times of DoCoMo, as DoCoMo holds 60% of the market, its top status of the telecommunication industry in Japan seems hard to be shattered. As there are still two important factors: the price battle of data telecommunication and the realization of number portability that may bring huge changes to the 3G market of Japan, the real battle of 3G can be seen as just unveiled.
328

The Key successful factors of Southern Travel Agents in Taiwan- a Case Study of M Company

Tang, Chao-Kuei 23 August 2005 (has links)
Rapid economy development makes the borders between nationals more and more unclear and trends of more and more foreign specialist working in Taiwan. Undoubtedly, they should have the needs of business trip¡Bvacation and getting back hometown.. Meanwhile, Waves of island-wide learning English spread all cities and towns in Taiwan, so many English cram schools hire plenty of foreign English teachers. And this is a new¡Bundeveloped potential market. Therefore, the thesis employed a single case study & interviews to explore how the increasing market develop and try to figure out how a small travel agent in a rich-market targeted the segmented ¡§foreign specialist¡¨ maintain his competitive advantages and summarized and concluded the key successful factors as the followings: 1. Professional schedule arrangement. Majority of foreign specialists in Taiwan have higher social status no matter they are for business or personal trips. Price is no so important for them to choose a good travel agent instead of service professions. 2. High customerized demands¡GThe schedule of foreigners often involves complex arrangement among different cities or countries. Usually, the preplanned schedules cannot meet the complicated requirement. Hence, It would greatly influence on customer satisfactions to provide the services, which meets the customers¡¦ requirements. 3. Customer¡¦s benefit orientation. Delicate services involves many aspects including professions¡Bcustomerization and so on. Besides, a customer-oriented agent should treat their customers as family to increase the re-purchasement. 4. Quick crisis responses. If a travel agent can provide quick responses when their foreign customers in trouble. Therefore, the abilities of crisis responses will be determinate when the foreigners choose a travel agent.
329

A Research on the Present Condition and Future Strategy of the Upper Supply Firms in TFT-LCD Industry

Lu, Yu-Hsiu 05 September 2005 (has links)
Nowadays, the trend of maximizing the liquid crystal display panels makes the display firms and the upper suppliers hold the passive and disadvantaged position in Taiwan TFT-LCD industry, and cannot but push them follow Korea¡¦s strategies to set up new plants and promote the yield continuously. However, setting up a new plant indeed costs a lot, thus, how to reduce the total cost of the supply chain becomes an urgent key point in TFT-LCD industry. Therefore, the co-operative relationship between the upper key component firms and the middle panel firms, the complementary and complete extend of the materials, equipment and the key components can be highly home-manufactured or not, becomes the most important subjects. For this reason, how to help Taiwan¡¦s TFT-LCD industry acquire the active and predominant position is worth studying. The major TFT-LCD suppliers of technology and equipment in Taiwan still have to depend on Japan. Thus, this research intends to focuses on the large-size TFT-LCD firms and analyzes the present situation with the following three dimensions: 1. Can Taiwanese firms gain the active and dominant position with continuously building up plants and complete localized supply chain in TFT-LCD industry? 2. Discuss the level of completeness between the TFT-LCD panel firms and the upper key components firms with equipment and materials to survey that TFT-LCD industry is self-contained or not in Taiwan. 3. How to speed up the whole supply chain of TFT-LCD industry and makes it come into being. Eventually, this research results in three findings of TFT-LCD industry: 1.Crystal cycles happen repeatedly, and it not only fluctuates obviously but shorten the circular interval as well. 2. The technologies of TFT-LCD alternate rapidly. 3. The supply chain of Taiwanese TFT-LCD industry is not self-contained enough. In addition, the integrated and localized ability is over-slack. In conclusion, I take one foreign and one domestic industry-upgraded cases for examples, and try to figure out the constructive and positive guiding principle for the TFT-LCD industry and the following studies in the future. Key words: TFT-LCD, key components, supply chain.
330

The key factors to the success of the Government Owned Contractor Operated (GOCO) Program ---Case study : ROC Air Force 2nd Air Logistics Center (ALC)

- Fang, Wang 16 July 2006 (has links)
ABSTRACT The Air Force 2nd Logistic Commander of R.O.C. has officially assigned Hang Hsiang etc., four strategic linking companies for operation on Nov. 1,2005. This study has applied the Balanced Scorecard provided by Robert S. Kaplan & David P. Norton of the American strategic agement masters on finance, customers, internal operation flow, and growth and learning four management levels as the major research framework. Then through the interviews by experts and with reference to related recorded documents to draw the target items of the strategy maps; also, to apply questionnaire investigation to analyze the key success factors of double-winning,hoping to find out the key factors that influence the double-winning of the contractor and the military department.The main results from this study are: 1.The military department has been short of contract management personnel on the past, while private business operation must have a team of qualified contract management personnel to fulfill the duty of execution and supervision of the contract, therefore, it requires great deal of training of the personnel with such expertise so that the manufacturers can execute their jobs exactly based on the contract regulations and in coordination with the War Defense demand of the National Army. 2.To strengthen up the supervision and assessment system according to the contract regulations to make sure the maintenance quality so as to develop the overall efficiency. 3. The biggest problem the manufacturers is facing now is the difficulty to establishing material items preparation system, which seriously affect the duration of the maintenance term and the maintenance quality,therefore, the manufacturers shall actively seek the technical cooperation or authorization for maintenance with the original foreign manufacturers, also, they shall actively develop the source of the domestic and overseas business. 4. To set up the learning type organization, to strengthen up employees¡¦ professional technical ability, and to cultivate them to become trained and high morale work team. 5. There is an unlimited business opportunity on domestic military plane, the four strategic linking companies shall strengthen up their mutual cooperation and capability integration and upgrade the domestic aerospace industry standard so as to step into the international domain through the execution of the contract.

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