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The objective of this paper is to provide an educational diagnostic into the technology of blockchain and its application for the supply chain. Education on the topic is important to prevent misinformation on the capabilities of blockchain. Blockchain as a new technology can be confusing to grasp given the wide

The objective of this paper is to provide an educational diagnostic into the technology of blockchain and its application for the supply chain. Education on the topic is important to prevent misinformation on the capabilities of blockchain. Blockchain as a new technology can be confusing to grasp given the wide possibilities it can provide. This can convolute the topic by being too broad when defined. Instead, the focus will be maintained on explaining the technical details about how and why this technology works in improving the supply chain. The scope of explanation will not be limited to the solutions, but will also detail current problems. Both public and private blockchain networks will be explained and solutions they provide in supply chains. In addition, other non-blockchain systems will be described that provide important pieces in supply chain operations that blockchain cannot provide. Blockchain when applied to the supply chain provides improved consumer transparency, management of resources, logistics, trade finance, and liquidity.
ContributorsKrukar, Joel Michael (Author) / Oke, Adegoke (Thesis director) / Duarte, Brett (Committee member) / Hahn, Richard (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
Ethereum smart contracts are susceptible not only to those vulnerabilities common to all software development domains, but also to those arising from the peculiar execution model of the Ethereum Virtual Machine. One of these vulnerabilities, a susceptibility to re-entrancy attacks, has been at the center of several high-profile contract exploits.

Ethereum smart contracts are susceptible not only to those vulnerabilities common to all software development domains, but also to those arising from the peculiar execution model of the Ethereum Virtual Machine. One of these vulnerabilities, a susceptibility to re-entrancy attacks, has been at the center of several high-profile contract exploits. Currently, there exist many tools to detect these vulnerabilties, as well as languages which preempt the creation of contracts exhibiting these issues, but no mechanism to address them in an automated fashion. One possible approach to filling this gap is direct patching of source files. The process of applying these patches to contracts written in Solidity, the primary Ethereum contract language, is discussed. Toward this end, a survey of deployed contracts is conducted, focusing on prevalence of language features and compiler versions. A heuristic approach to mitigating a particular class of re-entrancy vulnerability is developed, implemented as the SolPatch tool, and examined with respect to its limitations. As a proof of concept and illustrative example, a simplified version of the contract featured in a high-profile exploit is patched in this manner.
ContributorsLehman, Maxfield Chance Christian (Author) / Bazzi, Rida (Thesis director) / Doupe, Adam (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
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Description
This thesis will look into the cryptocurrency Basic Attention Token (BAT) and the browser they partnered with, Brave, to innovate the way that digital marketing dollars are spent. They believe that their browser and cryptocurrency will be able to remove inefficiencies the digital marketing world is full of, and also

This thesis will look into the cryptocurrency Basic Attention Token (BAT) and the browser they partnered with, Brave, to innovate the way that digital marketing dollars are spent. They believe that their browser and cryptocurrency will be able to remove inefficiencies the digital marketing world is full of, and also giving some power to users with their data. The vision of this team is to create a marketing agreement with users that makes it so the marketing space they offer is a verified real individual without compromising this person's user data to large firms and keeps all information stored locally. We will cover the international landscape, BAT and Brave from a branding perspective, and get into some research into interest in adoption.
ContributorsPenny, Troy Lyall (Author) / Kristofferson, Kirk (Thesis director) / Goegan, Brian (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
Currently conventional Subtitle D landfills are the primary means of disposing of our waste in the United States. While this method of waste disposal aims at protecting the environment, it does so through the use of liners and caps that effectively freeze the breakdown of waste. Because this method can

Currently conventional Subtitle D landfills are the primary means of disposing of our waste in the United States. While this method of waste disposal aims at protecting the environment, it does so through the use of liners and caps that effectively freeze the breakdown of waste. Because this method can keep landfills active, and thus a potential groundwater threat for over a hundred years, I take an in depth look at the ability of bioreactor landfills to quickly stabilize waste. In the thesis I detail the current state of bioreactor landfill technologies, assessing the pros and cons of anaerobic and aerobic bioreactor technologies. Finally, with an industrial perspective, I conclude that moving on to bioreactor landfills as an alternative isn't as simple as it may first appear, and that it is a contextually specific solution that must be further refined before replacing current landfills.
ContributorsWhitten, George Avery (Author) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Thesis director) / Allenby, Braden (Committee member) / Houston, Sandra (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description

Through my work with the Arizona State University Blockchain Research Lab (BRL) and JennyCo, one of the first Healthcare Information (HCI) HIPAA - compliant decentralized exchanges, I have had the opportunity to explore a unique cross-section of some of the most up and coming DLTs including both DAGs and blockchains.

Through my work with the Arizona State University Blockchain Research Lab (BRL) and JennyCo, one of the first Healthcare Information (HCI) HIPAA - compliant decentralized exchanges, I have had the opportunity to explore a unique cross-section of some of the most up and coming DLTs including both DAGs and blockchains. During this research, four major technologies (including JennyCo’s own systems) presented themselves as prime candidates for the comparative analysis of two models for implementing JennyCo’s system architecture for the monetization of healthcare information exchanges (HIEs). These four identified technologies and their underlying mechanisms will be explored thoroughly throughout the course of this paper and are listed with brief definitions as follows: Polygon - “Polygon is a “layer two” or “sidechain” scaling solution that runs alongside the Ethereum blockchain. MATIC is the network’s native cryptocurrency, which is used for fees, staking, and more” [8]. Polygon is the scalable layer involved in the L2SP architecture. Ethereum - “Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain platform that establishes a peer-to-peer network that securely executes and verifies application code, called smart contracts.” [9] This foundational Layer-1 runs thousands of nodes and creates a unique decentralized ecosystem governed by turing complete automated programs. Ethereum is the foundational Layer involved in the L2SP. Constellation - A novel Layer-0 data-centric peer-to-peer network that utilizes the “Hypergraph Transfer Protocol or HGTP, a DLT known as a [DAG] protocol with a novel reputation-based consensus model called Proof of Reputable Observation (PRO). Hypergraph is a feeless decentralized network that supports the transfer of $DAG cryptocurrency.” [10] JennyCo Protocol - Acts as a HIPAA compliant decentralized HIE by allowing consumers, big businesses, and brands to access and exchange user health data on a secure, interoperable, and accessible platform via DLT. The JennyCo Protocol implements utility tokens to reward buyers and sellers for exchanging data. Its protocol nature comes from its DLT implementation which governs the functioning of on-chain actions (e.g. smart contracts). In this case, these actions consist of secure and transparent health data exchange and monetization to reconstitute data ownership to those who generate that data [11]. With the direct experience of working closely with multiple companies behind the technologies listed, I have been exposed to the benefits and deficits of each of these technologies and their corresponding approaches. In this paper, I will use my experience with these technologies and their frameworks to explore two distributed ledger architecture protocols in order to determine the more effective model for implementing JennycCo’s health data exchange. I will begin this paper with an exploration of blockchain and directed acyclic graph (DAG) technologies to better understand their innate architectures and features. I will then move to an in-depth look at layered protocols, and healthcare data in the form of EHRs. Additionally, I will address the main challenges EHRs and HIEs face to present a deeper understanding of the challenges JennyCo is attempting to address. Finally, I will demonstrate my hypothesis: the Hypergraph Transfer Protocol (HGTP) model by Constellation presents significant advantages in scalability, interoperability, and external data security over the Layer-2 Scalability Protocol (L2SP) used by Polygon and Ethereum in implementing the JennyCo protocol. This will be done through a thorough breakdown of each protocol along with an analysis of relevant criteria including but not limited to: security, interoperability, and scalability. In doing so, I hope to determine the best framework for running JennyCo’s HIE Protocol.

ContributorsVan Bussum, Alexander (Author) / Boscovic, Dragan (Thesis director) / Grando, Adela (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
In recent years, cryptocurrency has become an increasingly popular new alternative investment among retail traders. Additionally, this attention has grown beyond retail traders and now presents itself as a prominent conversation among media, institutions, and academia. The purpose of this project is to explore the unappreciated aspect of cryptocurrency use such

In recent years, cryptocurrency has become an increasingly popular new alternative investment among retail traders. Additionally, this attention has grown beyond retail traders and now presents itself as a prominent conversation among media, institutions, and academia. The purpose of this project is to explore the unappreciated aspect of cryptocurrency use such that it is capable of functioning in the foreign exchange markets (FOREX or FX markets). The inherent idea behind cryptocurrency is that it is accessible worldwide, protected, and verifiable via blockchain, holding the same monetary value regardless of location and minimizing the cost of cross-border payments by eliminating financial intermediaries in the traditional FOREX currency markets. Moreover, the goal of cryptocurrency intends to operate at faster rates than current traditional finance intermediaries. The article incorporates frequently debated aspects of cryptocurrency to identify the advantages and limitations of both cryptocurrency and traditional monetary systems. Thus, this research reveals the necessary fundamentals needed in cryptocurrency for the evolution in traditional financial structures and for widespread adoption to occur.
ContributorsKrygier, Jakob (Author) / Van Orden, Joseph (Thesis director) / Hill, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor)
Created2023-05
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Description
Environmentally harmful byproducts from solid waste’s decomposition, including methane (CH4) emissions, are managed through standardized landfill engineering and gas-capture mechanisms. Yet only a limited number of studies have analyzed the development and composition of Bacteria and Archaea involved in CH4 production from landfills. The objectives of this research were to

Environmentally harmful byproducts from solid waste’s decomposition, including methane (CH4) emissions, are managed through standardized landfill engineering and gas-capture mechanisms. Yet only a limited number of studies have analyzed the development and composition of Bacteria and Archaea involved in CH4 production from landfills. The objectives of this research were to compare microbiomes and bioactivity from CH4-producing communities in contrasting spatial areas of arid landfills and to tests a new technology to biostimulate CH4 production (methanogenesis) from solid waste under dynamic environmental conditions controlled in the laboratory. My hypothesis was that the diversity and abundance of methanogenic Archaea in municipal solid waste (MSW), or its leachate, play an important role on CH4 production partially attributed to the group’s wide hydrogen (H2) consumption capabilities. I tested this hypothesis by conducting complementary field observations and laboratory experiments. I describe niches of methanogenic Archaea in MSW leachate across defined areas within a single landfill, while demonstrating functional H2-dependent activity. To alleviate limited H2 bioavailability encountered in-situ, I present biostimulant feasibility and proof-of-concepts studies through the amendment of zero valent metals (ZVMs). My results demonstrate that older-aged MSW was minimally biostimulated for greater CH4 production relative to a control when exposed to iron (Fe0) or manganese (Mn0), due to highly discernable traits of soluble carbon, nitrogen, and unidentified fluorophores found in water extracts between young and old aged, starting MSW. Acetate and inhibitory H2 partial pressures accumulated in microcosms containing old-aged MSW. In a final experiment, repeated amendments of ZVMs to MSW in a 600 day mesocosm experiment mediated significantly higher CH4 concentrations and yields during the first of three ZVM injections. Fe0 and Mn0 experimental treatments at mesocosm-scale also highlighted accelerated development of seemingly important, but elusive Archaea including Methanobacteriaceae, a methane-producing family that is found in diverse environments. Also, prokaryotic classes including Candidatus Bathyarchaeota, an uncultured group commonly found in carbon-rich ecosystems, and Clostridia; All three taxa I identified as highly predictive in the time-dependent progression of MSW decomposition. Altogether, my experiments demonstrate the importance of H2 bioavailability on CH4 production and the consistent development of Methanobacteriaceae in productive MSW microbiomes.
ContributorsReynolds, Mark Christian (Author) / Cadillo-Quiroz, Hinsby (Thesis advisor) / Krajmalnik-Brown, Rosa (Thesis advisor) / Wang, Xuan (Committee member) / Kavazanjian, Edward (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
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Description
Zero-Valent Metals (ZVM) are highly reactive materials and have been proved to be effective in contaminant reduction in soils and groundwater remediation. In fact, zero-Valent Iron (ZVI) has proven to be very effective in removing, particularly chlorinated organics, heavy metals, and odorous sulfides. Addition of ZVI has also been proved

Zero-Valent Metals (ZVM) are highly reactive materials and have been proved to be effective in contaminant reduction in soils and groundwater remediation. In fact, zero-Valent Iron (ZVI) has proven to be very effective in removing, particularly chlorinated organics, heavy metals, and odorous sulfides. Addition of ZVI has also been proved in enhancing the methane gas generation in anaerobic digestion of activated sludge. However, no studies have been conducted regarding the effect of ZVM stimulation to Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) degradation. Therefore, a collaborative study was developed to manipulate microbial activity in the landfill bioreactors to favor methane production by adding ZVMs. This study focuses on evaluating the effects of added ZVM on the leachate generated from replicated lab scale landfill bioreactors. The specific objective was to investigate the effects of ZVMs addition on the organic and inorganic pollutants in leachate. The hypothesis here evaluated was that adding ZVM including ZVI and Zero Valent Manganese (ZVMn) will enhance the removal rates of the organic pollutants present in the leachate, likely by a putative higher rate of microbial metabolism. Test with six (4.23 gallons) bioreactors assembled with MSW collected from the Salt River Landfill and Southwest Regional Landfill showed that under 5 grams /liter of ZVI and 0.625 grams/liter of ZVMn additions, no significant difference was observed in the pH and temperature data of the leachate generated from these reactors. The conductivity data suggested the steady rise across all reactors over the period of time. The removal efficiency of sCOD was highest (27.112 mg/lit/day) for the reactors added with ZVMn at the end of 150 days for bottom layer, however the removal rate was highest (16.955 mg/lit/day) for ZVI after the end of 150 days of the middle layer. Similar trends in the results was observed in TC analysis. HPLC study indicated the dominance of the concentration of heptanoate and isovalerate were leachate generated from the bottom layer across all reactors. Heptanoate continued to dominate in the ZVMn added leachate even after middle layer injection. IC analysis concluded the chloride was dominant in the leachate generated from all the reactors and there was a steady increase in the chloride content over the period of time. Along with chloride, fluoride, bromide, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate and sulfate were also detected in considerable concentrations. In the summary, the addition of the zero valent metals has proved to be efficient in removal of the organics present in the leachate.
ContributorsPandit, Gandhar Abhay (Author) / Cadillo – Quiroz, Hinsby (Thesis advisor) / Olson, Larry (Thesis advisor) / Boyer, Treavor (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
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Description
All modern multiplayer games are administered by having players connect to a remote server which is used to provide the ground truth for game state and player actions. This use of a central server provides a simple and intuitive way to administer game servers but also provides a single point

All modern multiplayer games are administered by having players connect to a remote server which is used to provide the ground truth for game state and player actions. This use of a central server provides a simple and intuitive way to administer game servers but also provides a single point of failure, as each server must be able to process all actions coming in and make a decision on whether the action is allowed or not, and how to update the game state accordingly. In cases where the server is under significant load, either from a very popular game release or from a deliberate attack, the game slows down or completely crashes. When there is a server action backlog, this can allow malicious actors to perform previously impossible actions. By instead using a decentralized platform, we can build a robust system that allows playing games through a P2P manner, filling in the need for central servers with consensus algorithms that provide the security on the part of a central authority. This project aims to show that a decentralized solution can be used to create a transparent, fully playable game of Monopoly with complex features that would be more scalable, reliable, and cost-effective compared to a centralized solution; meaning that games could be produced that costs pennies to publish and modify, taking seconds to propagate changes globally, and most importantly, cost nothing for upkeep. The codebase is available here: https://github.com/SirNeural/monopoly
ContributorsXu, Yun Hui (Author) / Boscovic, Dragan (Thesis director) / Foy, Joseph (Committee member) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-12
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Description

This project aims to mint NFT's on the Ethereum blockchain with upgraded functionality. This functionality helps user verifiability and increases a user's control over their NFT.

ContributorsHoppe, Aidan (Author) / Boscovic, Dragan (Thesis director) / Pesic, Sasa (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2022-05