Davidson County Community College

The research introduces a secure system using privacy-preserving multi-modal biometric cryptography to confront major security flaws in biometric authentication over the cloud. The system uses both fingerprint and facial recognition along with strong cryptography to guard biometric data as it is sent and kept. Spreading, repeating and tampering with the system using false identities are mitigated by liveness checks, encrypting templates, using valid authentication keys during each use and through asymmetrical digital signatures. Simulations of over 1,000 authentications found that the FAR fell from 4.2% to 0.6% and the FRR reduced from 5.8% to 1.2%. In addition, the security system dealt with 95% of fake attempts and correctly agreed with genuine users in 99.1% of cases. Having encryption and authentication methods in place greatly cut the likelihood of man-in-the-middle attacks by 98%. The results suggest that the proposed system enhances security, provides privacy and maintains excellent user authentication rates in cloud biometric systems.

The research presents a safe and energy-saving way to send data through Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) using Hybrid Pareto-based Lion Swarm Optimization with Advanced Encryption Standard (HPLSOAES). This method targets key issues in WSNs, for instance, short-lived node energy, easy access to stolen data and changes to transmitted data. It improves the performance of a network by running through the factors of residual energy, link quality and distance, as this method permits making the best choice of forwarder nodes and improves routing functionality with less energy consumed. For secure data delivery, the application makes use of double-key AES encryption which improves both confidentiality and the ability to withstand attacks. Reliable and secure transmission is important in this system for agricultural monitoring in real time. Experimental results prove that HPLSOAES greatly improves performance, with a 0.0001 second delay, increased throughput (0.89 %), less energy used (0.00001 J), extended network lifetime and much lower dropped packet rates. As a result, the approach helps make WSNs more robust, secure and energy efficient which makes it a good fit for places that require sensitive and limited resources.

Purpose: This conceptual piece applies what we know about student success to introduce a faculty model of success called the Faculty Pathway to Excellence. The model elevates faculty voices in the conversation of student success in community colleges. Method: We collected qualitative data from interviews with faculty at two community colleges and focus groups with faculty from six community colleges to help inform a faculty-focused framework. Proposed model: By changing the conversation to a more comprehensive perspective of faculty success, the model emphasizes the connections, establishment, navigation and leadership, and teaching and learning excellence of faculty members throughout their career trajectories. We define faculty success as faculty retention, faculty satisfaction/sense of belonging, faculty productivity, and ultimately student success (e.g., learning, retention, completion, transfer). Contributions: The development of this Faculty Pathway to Excellence suggests a wider variety of strategies by administration to attract, support, and retain faculty. It also has the potential to help faculty members envision and prepare for the multiple and non-linear pathways in academia. Understanding faculty and their career progression is critical to advance student success conversations. Finding ways to enhance faculty growth and development across all career stages helps students and faculty succeed.

Research has shown that interest in knowledge facilitates students' academic achievement in learning. Because individual interest is often based on how much one knows, in other words existing or prior knowledge, studying adolescents' interest in health-enhancing physical activity and its benefits should address the relation between the interest and their existing or prior physical activity knowledge. Understanding this relationship may help us facilitate students to not only develop interest in knowing more about but also actual adopt a healthy, active lifestyle. This study used a large-sample structural equation design to identify the relationship between middle school students' interest in physical activity knowledge and their prior physical activity knowledge, and to assess the change of this relationship over time. Guided by the declarative-procedural knowledge framework, latent growth models were developed and tested on data collected from a random sample of 3882 students from ten middle schools. The latent growth curve model indicated that, 1) on average, students experienced a significant interest decline in both procedural and declarative knowledge; 2) prior knowledge helped slow the decline and facilitated interest growth in knowledgeable students. The results suggest that existing knowledge determined the interest change.

In physical education, it has become necessary for children to learn kinesiological knowledge for understanding the benefits of physical activity and developing a physically active lifestyle. This study was conducted to determine the extent to which cognitive assignments about healthful living and fitness contributed to knowledge growth on cardiorespiratory fitness and health. Fourth grade students (N = 616) from 15 randomly sampled urban elementary schools completed 34 cognitive assignments related to the cardiorespiratory physical activities they were engaged in across 10 lessons. Performance on the assignments were analyzed in relation to their knowledge gain measured using a standardized knowledge test. A multivariate discriminant analysis revealed that the cognitive assignments contributed to knowledge gain but the contribution varied assignment by assignment. A multiple regression analysis indicated that students' assignment performance by lesson contributed positively to their knowledge growth scores. A content analysis based on the constructivist learning framework showed that observing-reasoning assignments contributed the most to knowledge growth. Analytical and analytical-application assignments contributed less than the constructivist theories would predict.

There is an increasing need for community health promotion efforts directed to populations that are often disenfranchised from the health care system. The rapidly growing Hispanic population can benefit from outreach efforts that provide health education and promote community awareness of health status and health problems. This article describes a cost effective survey system that measured health status, health needs and provided individualized health feedback and education to Hispanic residents. The results underscore the importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate community-based initiatives that assess health status to aid in setting policy, eliminate health disparities, and determine priorities to meet the health needs of the growing Hispanic population.

Two studies were conducted that assessed health perceptions and functional health status among an urban, low-income population in the southeastern region of the United States. The first study was conducted with 176 hospitalized indigent patients prior to discharge from a county hospital. Patients were administered the Short Form-36 (SF-36) health status questionnaire and two additional questions regarding perceptions of health. The second study was conducted in the same geographic region with a nonhospitalized, low-income population. The SF-36 was administered by telephone to 546 randomly selected interview respondents. The results demonstrated consistent differences between black and white respondents in referents for self-perceived health. It is suggested that health expectations and perceptions may be indicative of the cultural, contextual, and social-political factors that affect the lives of this urban, low income population. The validity of global single-item health indicators for use among low-income populations is questioned. Further research is needed to develop patient-based measures that accurately reflect the meanings and values of low-income patient groups.

"Doing things the same old way" can lead to complacency and eventually to a breakdown in the healthcare system. Such is the case with the deadly disease tuberculosis (TB). While TB was thought to be a disease of the past, the United States is experiencing an alarming rise in the incidence of the disease, especially among those least likely to get help or to stick with a treatment program. This article explores a more creative approach for reaching out to treat homeless people who have TB.