DECORAIT -- DECentralized Opt-in/out Registry for AI Training

We present DECORAIT; a decentralized registry through which content creators may assert their right to opt in or out of AI training as well as receive reward for their contributions. Generative AI (GenAI) enables images to be synthesized using AI models trained on vast amounts of data scraped from public sources. Model and content creators who may wish to share their work openly without sanctioning its use for training are thus presented with a data governance challenge. Further, establishing the provenance of GenAI training data is important to creatives to ensure fair recognition and reward for their such use. We report a prototype of DECORAIT, which explores hierarchical clustering and a combination of on/off-chain storage to create a scalable decentralized registry to trace the provenance of GenAI training data in order to determine training consent and reward creatives who contribute that data. DECORAIT combines distributed ledger technology (DLT) with visual fingerprinting, leveraging the emerging C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) standard to create a secure, open registry through which creatives may express consent and data ownership for GenAI.Comment: Proc. of the 20th ACM SIGGRAPH European Conference on Visual Media Productio

A general model for print delivery of internet documents

With the explosion of the Internet there are abundant opportunities for budding authors (writers and designers). Their content can be eaily posted on the Web and accessed by a wide reader base through WWW. However, this on-demand and on-site publishing is limited to on-screen viewing and desktop printing. As more and more books and materials are accessed, there is growing need for on-demand printed copies. Ordering a printed copy is still a traditional business which limits amature authors and users from getting easy access to them. Some of the on-line bookstores provide only the purchase transactions through on-line, while the printing itself is done through traditional process. Some of the growing needs of on-demand printing include: getting a printed copy of a electronic Thesis material, printed copy of selective sections of a User Manual, revised pages of a Book. This thesis project involves a thorough study of a Model to facilitate on-demand print of documents available in Internet covering such issues like quality, speed, copyright, security, bandwidth, royalty and delivery. A working project will be developed, demonstrating the Model, using a Docutech Printer. The steps involved in setting up a work flow to facilitate on-demand printing of an Internet document using Interdoc/Docutech work flow will be documented. This work could be further extended to adopt to the evolving Collaborated Publishing concept widely being discussed for use in the Academic Society

Master in advanced techniques for research and development in food and agriculture

[SPA] El Máster de Técnicas Avanzadas en Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario, tiene como principal objetivo la formación de investigadores en el ámbito del desarrollo agrario y alimentario, pues todos los indicadores actuales muestran que es necesario un aumento de la masa crítica de investigadores en éste área en la UE; a pesar de que la agricultura, desde la fase de producción hasta la de procesado y fabricación tiene un campo muy amplio en el que se puede investigar e innovar, existen determinadas herramientas horizontales de trabajo que permiten formar alumnos con unas capacidades técnicas excelentes y de aplicación a ámbitos tan variados como el medio ambiente, genética y mejora animal y vegetal, procesado de alimentos o control de las plagas. Estos antecedentes nos han llevado a formular un programa de Máster que tiene cuatro módulos definidos, uno de cursos metodológicos y tres de cursos fundamentales. [ENG] The Master in Advanced Techniques in Agricultural and Food Research and Development intends to introduce university students into the research in such field. The programme is based on research carried out by the Higher Technical School of Agriculture Engineer on the one hand, and on the other hand on the technological development of the Spanish agricultural and food sector. This Master programme has as its main goal the qualifying of researchers in the area of agricultural and food development, since all the present indicators point at the need for an increase in the critical mass of researchers in this area in the EU; despite the fact that agriculture, from production to processing and manufacturing, is a wide field in which to research and innovate. There exist some horizontal tools that allow us to train students with excellent technical skills, and that can be applied to a wide range of areas such as environment, genetics, animal and vegetal improvement, food processing or pest control. On these grounds we have been led to draw up a Master programme that has four clearly defined modules: one with methodology courses and three with basic courses. The students who follow the proposed Master programme should become university experts in research and development in the agricultural and food field.[ENG] The Master in Advanced Techniques in Agricultural and Food Research and Development intends to introduce university students into the research in such field. The programme is based on research carried out by the Higher Technical School of Agriculture Engineer on the one hand, and on the other hand on the technological development of the Spanish agricultural and food sector. This Master programme has as its main goal the qualifying of researchers in the area of agricultural and food development, since all the present indicators point at the need for an increase in the critical mass of researchers in this area in the EU; despite the fact that agriculture, from production to processing and manufacturing, is a wide field in which to research and innovate. There exist some horizontal tools that allow us to train students with excellent technical skills, and that can be applied to a wide range of areas such as environment, genetics, animal and vegetal improvement, food processing or pest control. On these grounds we have been led to draw up a Master programme that has four clearly defined modules: one with methodology courses and three with basic courses. The students who follow the proposed Master programme should become university experts in research and development in the agricultural and food field

Identifying the limits of governmental interference with on-line privacy

This thesis addresses the issue of on-line privacy, in an effort to identify the limits of governmental interference with this kind of right. Traditional privacy has been a well accepted and legally recognized human right for many years now. However, the exposure of privacy to the Internet has created new threats that mould the nature of 'on-line privacy': a user is less aware of the dangers faced in cyberspace, due to the instinctive feeling of being alone when in front of a computer; the distinction between private and public places is blurred, cyberspace looks like a public space, but is actually an aggregation of privately owned digital spaces, open to public access. Taking this as a basis, the thesis explores the route to be followed in order for a well-balanced interference with on-line privacy to be designed. First, an analysis of computer-related crime, the major reason (or excuse) on which governments base the need to interfere and delimit privacy in the on-line environment. On¬ line delinquency may be a serious problem, but it has to be examined closer than it has been up to present if it is to choose effective measures to combat it. Second, the thesis analyses the legal reasons justifying governmental interference with on-line privacy. National security, public safety and the economic well being of a country are the most popular reasons appearing in laws regulating interference with an otherwise protected right, and they will play a prominent role in justifying interference with privacy in cyberspace; an approach on the meaning, use and difficulties met in their application can be a starting point in an effort to avoid the same problems in the on-line environment. The European Convention of Human Rights, being one of the most complete and effective legal forums for human rights protection, is then used to show how the legally acceptable justifications for interference with privacy are being implemented. The thesis goes on to examine cryptography: being one of the most valuable tools for the protection of on-line privacy, regulating its use and dissemination is a way of governmental interference. An approach of the efforts made to limit the use and dissemination of strong encryption shows how on-line privacy has been affected. It is further suggested that restrictions in the use of strong encryption have a much more detrimental effect for legitimate users than for those using it to conceal illegal activity. The effectiveness of these measures is, therefore, under question. Next, the UK Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 is analysed, mainly those parts that affect on-line privacy. RIPA regulates the use of investigatory powers in the on-line environment such as interception of communications, acquisition of communications data and governmental access to keys. Being one of the few examples of such legislation, a lot can be learnt from the mistakes made. Last, the thesis explores the threat posed to on-line privacy by systems of covert governmental surveillance. The Echelon and other major international surveillance systems is probably the most real threat for privacy in the on-line environment

On-line signal analysis of partial discharges in medium-voltage power cables

Partial discharges are symptomatic of many degradation phenomena in power cables and may cause further deterioration of the insulation in many cases. Electrical im- pulses, generated by partial discharges, travel towards the cable ends, and can there be detected using appropriate sensors. Continuous monitoring of the insulation con- dition can be achieved by on-line detection and location of partial discharge (PD) signals. An important aspect of such a diagnostic is the analysis of on-line measure- ments. The research reported in this thesis is aimed at analysis of PD signals from on-line measurements and location of discharge sites. Signal analysis depends on knowledge of both signals and disturbances that are to be expected. To that end, characteristics of PD signals in medium voltage cables are studied in this thesis. The result of this study is a signal model of the propagation path between the discharge site and the sensors. The model accounts for cable sections with di®erent properties, and incorporates the propagation channel load impedances, i.e. the equipment to which a cable is terminated in an on-line situation. The exact propagation properties and load impedances depend on the speci¯c cable connection under test, and are unknown a priori. For this reason, research is conducted on meth- ods that enable experimental characterization of the parameters, by evaluating the response of the cable to applied transients. The presented methods rely on the ex- traction of pulses that are re°ected on impedance transitions within the cable system under test. On-line ¯eld measurements are corrupted by noise and interference, which impede PD signal detection and location. Generally, narrowband interferences resulting from radio broadcasts dominate the measurements, thus prohibiting data-acquisition trig- gered by PD signals. Broadband background noise is present within the entire PD signal bandwidth, and therefore poses a fundamental limit on PD signal analysis. Generally, existing extraction techniques for PD signals only partially exploit a priori knowledge of both signals and interference. In this thesis, matched ¯lters are ap- plied that are derived from the signal model, and are optimally adapted to the signals that can be expected. Besides signal extraction, matched ¯lters provide a means to estimate the PD magnitude and the signal arrival time. Likewise, discharge location methods based on the signal model are proposed, resulting in optimal location esti- mators. Computer simulations illustrate the e®ectiveness of the proposed algorithms and show that the attainable accuracy can be speci¯ed by theoretical bounds. Accurate PD location relies on estimation of the di®erence in arrival times of signals originating from the same discharge. In case of on-line detection, the cable is connected to the grid, and signals are not necessarily re°ected at the cable ends. Therefore signal detection at both sides is generally required for the purpose of dis- charge location. Synchronization of the measurement equipment is achieved using pulses that are injected into the cable connection. Finite-energy disturbances, such as PD signals that originate outside the cable connection under test, frequently occur in on-line situations. Since measurements are synchronously conducted at both cable ends, pulses originating within and outside the cable can be distinguished by examining the di®erence in time of arrival. Moreover, in many situations, the signal direction of arrival can be determined by detecting pulses in two di®erent current paths at a cable termination. This method is applied as an additional technique to discriminate PD signals and disturbances. Based on the results of research, a measurement system is proposed, which enables automated on-line PD detection and location in medium voltage cable connections. The conceptual design is validated by experiments, and the results demonstrate that the practical application is promising

The Nexus Between Security Sector Governance/Reform and Sustainable Development Goal-16

This Security Sector Reform (SSR) Paper offers a universal and analytical perspective on the linkages between Security Sector Governance (SSG)/SSR (SSG/R) and Sustainable Development Goal-16 (SDG-16), focusing on conflict and post-conflict settings as well as transitional and consolidated democracies. Against the background of development and security literatures traditionally maintaining separate and compartmentalized presence in both academic and policymaking circles, it maintains that the contemporary security- and development-related challenges are inextricably linked, requiring effective measures with an accurate understanding of the nature of these challenges. In that sense, SDG-16 is surely a good step in the right direction. After comparing and contrasting SSG/R and SDG-16, this SSR Paper argues that human security lies at the heart of the nexus between the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations (UN) and SSG/R. To do so, it first provides a brief overview of the scholarly and policymaking literature on the development-security nexus to set the background for the adoption of The Agenda 2030. Next, it reviews the literature on SSG/R and SDGs, and how each concept evolved over time. It then identifies the puzzle this study seeks to address by comparing and contrasting SSG/R with SDG-16. After making a case that human security lies at the heart of the nexus between the UN’s 2030 Agenda and SSG/R, this book analyses the strengths and weaknesses of human security as a bridge between SSG/R and SDG-16 and makes policy recommendations on how SSG/R, bolstered by human security, may help achieve better results on the SDG-16 targets. It specifically emphasizes the importance of transparency, oversight, and accountability on the one hand, and participative approach and local ownership on the other. It concludes by arguing that a simultaneous emphasis on security and development is sorely needed for addressing the issues under the purview of SDG-16

Big Data in Bioeconomy

This edited open access book presents the comprehensive outcome of The European DataBio Project, which examined new data-driven methods to shape a bioeconomy. These methods are used to develop new and sustainable ways to use forest, farm and fishery resources. As a European initiative, the goal is to use these new findings to support decision-makers and producers – meaning farmers, land and forest owners and fishermen. With their 27 pilot projects from 17 countries, the authors examine important sectors and highlight examples where modern data-driven methods were used to increase sustainability. How can farmers, foresters or fishermen use these insights in their daily lives? The authors answer this and other questions for our readers. The first four parts of this book give an overview of the big data technologies relevant for optimal raw material gathering. The next three parts put these technologies into perspective, by showing useable applications from farming, forestry and fishery. The final part of this book gives a summary and a view on the future. With its broad outlook and variety of topics, this book is an enrichment for students and scientists in bioeconomy, biodiversity and renewable resources

A survey of molecular communication in cell biology : establishing a new hierarchy for interdisciplinary applications

Molecular communication (MC) engineering is inspired by the use of chemical signals as information carriers in cell biology. The biological nature of chemical signaling makes MC a promising methodology for interdisciplinary applications requiring communication between cells and other microscale devices. However, since the life sciences and communications engineering fields have distinct approaches to formulating and solving research problems, the mismatch between them can hinder the translation of research results and impede the development and implementation of interdisciplinary solutions. To bridge this gap, this survey proposes a novel communication hierarchy for MC signaling in cell biology and maps phenomena, contributions, and problems to the hierarchy. The hierarchy includes: 1) the physical propagation of cell signaling at the Physical Signal Propagation level; 2) the generation, reception, and biochemical pathways of molecular signals at the Physical and Chemical Signal Interaction level; 3) the quantification of physical signals, including macroscale observation and control methods, and conversion of signals to information at the Signal-Data Interface level; 4) the interpretation of information in cell signals and the realization of synthetic systems to store, process, and communicate molecular signals at the Local Data Abstraction level; and 5) applications relying on communication with MC signals at the Application level. To further demonstrate the proposed hierarchy, it is applied to case studies on quorum sensing, neuronal signaling, and communication via DNA. Finally, several open problems are identified for each level and the integration of multiple levels. The proposed hierarchy provides language for communication engineers to study and interface with biological systems, and also helps biologists to understand how communications engineering concepts can be exploited to interpret, control, and manipulate signaling in cell biology

Mining structural and behavioral patterns in smart malware

Mención Internacional en el título de doctorFuncas. Premio Enrique Fuentes Quintana 2016.Smart devices equipped with powerful sensing, computing and networking capabilities have proliferated lately, ranging from popular smartphones and tablets to Internet appliances, smart TVs, and others that will soon appear (e.g., watches, glasses, and clothes). One key feature of such devices is their ability to incorporate third-party apps from a variety of markets. This poses strong security and privacy issues to users and infrastructure operators, particularly through software of malicious (or dubious) nature that can easily get access to the services provided by the device and collect sensory data and personal information. Malware in current smart devices—mostly smartphones and tablets—has rocketed in the last few years, supported by sophisticated techniques (e.g., advanced obfuscation and targeted infection and activation engines) purposely designed to overcome security architectures currently in use by such devices. This phenomenon is known as the proliferation of smart malware. Even though important advances have been made on malware analysis and detection in traditional personal computers during the last decades, adopting and adapting those techniques to smart devices is a challenging problem. For example, power consumption is one major constraint that makes unaffordable to run traditional detection engines on the device, while externalized (i.e., cloud-based) techniques raise many privacy concerns. This Thesis examines the problem of smart malware in such devices, aiming at designing and developing new approaches to assist security analysts and end users in the analysis of the security nature of apps. We first present a comprehensive analysis on how malware has evolved over the last years, as well as recent progress made to analyze and detect malware. Additionally, we compile a suit of the most cutting-edge open source tools, and we design a versatile and multipurpose research laboratory for smart malware analysis and detection. Second, we propose a number of methods and techniques aiming at better analyzing smart malware in scenarios with a constant and large stream of apps that require security inspection. More precisely, we introduce Dendroid, an effective system based on text mining and information retrieval techniques. Dendroid uses static analysis to measures the similarity between malware samples, which is then used to automatically classify them into families with remarkably accuracy. Then, we present Alterdroid, a novel dynamic analysis technique for automatically detecting hidden or obfuscated malware functionality. Alterdroid introduces the notion of differential fault analysis for effectively mining obfuscated malware components distributed as parts of an app package. Next, we present an evaluation of the power-consumption trade-offs among different strategies for off-loading, or not, certain security tasks to the cloud. We develop a system for testing several functional tasks and metering their power consumption called Meterdroid. Based on the results obtained in this analysis, we then propose a cloud-based system, called Targetdroid, that addresses the problem of detecting targeted malware by relying on stochastic models of usage and context events derived from real user traces. Based on these models, we build an efficient automatic testing system capable of triggering targeted malware. Finally, based on the conclusions extracted from this Thesis, we propose a number of open research problems and future directions where there is room for researchLos dispositivos inteligentes se han posicionado en pocos años como aparatos altamente populares con grandes capacidades de cómputo, comunicación y sensorización. Entre ellos se encuentran dispositivos como los teléfonos móviles inteligentes (o smartphones), las televisiones inteligentes, o más recientemente, los relojes, las gafas y la ropa inteligente. Una característica clave de este tipo de dispositivos es su capacidad para incorporar aplicaciones de terceros desde una gran variedad de mercados. Esto plantea fuertes problemas de seguridad y privacidad para sus usuarios y para los operadores de infraestructuras, sobre todo a través de software de naturaleza maliciosa (o malware), el cual es capaz de acceder fácilmente a los servicios proporcionados por el dispositivo y recoger datos sensibles de los sensores e información personal. En los últimos años se ha observado un incremento radical del malware atacando a estos dispositivos inteligentes—principalmente a smartphones—y apoyado por sofisticadas técnicas diseñadas para vencer los sistemas de seguridad implantados por los dispositivos. Este fenómeno ha dado pie a la proliferación de malware inteligente. Algunos ejemplos de estas técnicas inteligentes son el uso de métodos de ofuscación, de estrategias de infección dirigidas y de motores de activación basados en el contexto. A pesar de que en las últimos décadas se han realizado avances importantes en el análisis y la detección de malware en los ordenadores personales, adaptar y portar estas técnicas a los dispositivos inteligentes es un problema difícil de resolver. En concreto, el consumo de energía es una de las principales limitaciones a las que están expuestos estos dispositivos. Dicha limitación hace inasequible el uso de motores tradicionales de detección. Por el contrario, el uso de estrategias de detección externalizadas (es decir, basadas en la nube) suponen una gran amenaza para la privacidad de sus usuarios. Esta tesis analiza el problema del malware inteligente que adolece a estos dispositivos, con el objetivo de diseñar y desarrollar nuevos enfoques que permitan ayudar a los analistas de seguridad y los usuarios finales en la tarea de analizar aplicaciones. En primer lugar, se presenta un análisis exhaustivo sobre la evolución que el malware ha seguido en los últimos años, así como los avances más recientes enfocados a analizar apps y detectar malware. Además, integramos y extendemos las herramientas de código abierto más avanzadas utilizadas por la comunidad, y diseñamos un laboratorio que permite analizar malware inteligente de forma versátil y polivalente. En segundo lugar, se proponen una serie de técnicas dirigida a mejorar el análisis de malware inteligente en escenarios dónde se requiere analizar importantes cantidad de muestras. En concreto, se propone Dendroid, un sistema basado en minería de textos que permite analizar conjuntos de apps de forma eficaz. Dendroid hace uso de análisis estático de código para extraer una medida de la similitud entre distintas las muestras de malware. Dicha distancia permitirá posteriormente clasificar cada muestra en su correspondiente familia de malware de forma automática y con gran precisión. Por otro lado, se propone una técnica de análisis dinámico de código, llamada Alterdroid, que permite detectar automáticamente funcionalidad oculta y/o ofuscada. Alterdroid introduce la un nuevo método de análisis basado en la inyección de fallos y el análisis diferencial del comportamiento asociado. Por último, presentamos una evaluación del consumo energético asociado a diferentes estrategias de externalización usadas para trasladar a la nube determinadas tareas de seguridad. Para ello, desarrollamos un sistema llamado Meterdroid que permite probar distintas funcionalidades y medir su consumo. Basados en los resultados de este análisis, proponemos un sistema llamado Targetdroid que hace uso de la nube para abordar el problema de la detección de malware dirigido o especializado. Dicho sistema hace uso de modelos estocásticos para modelar el comportamiento del usuario así como el contexto que les rodea. De esta forma, Targetdroid permite, además, detectar de forma automática malware dirigido por medio de estos modelos. Para finalizar, a partir de las conclusiones extraídas en esta Tesis, identificamos una serie de líneas de investigación abiertas y trabajos futuros basados.Programa Oficial de Doctorado en Ciencia y Tecnología InformáticaPresidente: Francisco Javier López Muñoz.- Secretario: Jesús García Herrero.- Vocal: Nadarajah Asoka