Abstract State Machines 1988-1998: Commented ASM Bibliography

An annotated bibliography of papers which deal with or use Abstract State Machines (ASMs), as of January 1998.Comment: Also maintained as a BibTeX file at http://www.eecs.umich.edu/gasm

A multicriteria lifespan energy efficiency approach to intelligent building assessment

This paper presents a multicriteria decision-making model for lifespan energy efficiency assessment of intelligent buildings (IBs). The decision-making model called IBAssessor is developed using an analytic network process (ANP) method and a set of lifespan performance indicators for IBs selected by a new quantitative approach called energy-time consumption index (ETI). In order to improve the quality of decision-making, the authors of this paper make use of previous research achievements including a lifespan sustainable business model, the Asian IB Index, and a number of relevant publications. Practitioners can use the IBAssessor ANP model at different stages of an IB lifespan for either engineering or business oriented assessments. Finally, this paper presents an experimental case study to demonstrate how to use IBAssessor ANP model to solve real-world design tasks

Soluciones para la autenticación y gestión de subredes en manets y vanets

En los últimos años las redes inalámbricas están ganando cada vez más popularidad conforme sus prestaciones aumentan y se descubren nuevas aplicaciones. Dichas redes permiten a sus usuarios acceder a información y recursos en tiempo real sin necesidad de estar físicamente conectados. Además, ofrecen una gran flexibilidad a un bajo coste ya que en general no hay necesidad de usar instalaciones cableadas lo que implica que sean fácilmente desplegables. Es por eso que resultan muy útiles en entornos donde es muy costoso instalar infraestructuras fijas, como son entornos militares, agrícolas, situaciones de emergencia, etc. Las redes móviles ad-hoc o MANETs (Mobile Ad-hoc NETworks) son un tipo de red inalámbrica, distribuida y sin autoridad central en las que los nodos son móviles. El comportamiento de una MANET es en muchos aspectos similar al de una red Peer-TO-Peer (P2P) pues en ambos casos los nodos de la red reciben y envían información de forma descentralizada. La gestión de las MANETs conlleva muchas dificultades ya que por ejemplo su topología cambia constantemente debido a la movilidad de los nodos y a la inexistencia de una infraestructura fija. Las redes ad-hoc vehiculares o VANETs (Vehicular Ad-hoc NETworks) pueden considerarse un subconjunto de las MANETs en las que los nodos móviles son vehículos. En su definición clásica, las VANETs permiten comunicar información no solo entre las unidades a bordo u OBUs (On Board Units) situadas en los vehículos, sino también con la infraestructura de la carretera o RSU (Road Side Unit). El objetivo principal de estos sistemas es proporcionar un mejor conocimiento de las condiciones de las carreteras a los conductores para reducir el número de accidentes y lograr que la conducción sea más cómoda y fluida, reduciendo con ello la cantidad de CO2 que los vehículos expulsan a la atmósfera. Las redes ad-hoc son especialmente vulnerables a varios tipos de ataques, tanto activos como pasivos. Por ejemplo, un atacante puede intentar emular a un nodo legítimo y capturar paquetes de datos y de control, destruir tablas de encaminamiento, etc. En particular, los efectos de los ataques a las VANETs pueden ser muy destructivos, ya que pueden llegar incluso a causar muertes. Por este motivo, el propósito fundamental de la presente Tesis es la propuesta de nuevas herramientas que permitan proteger las redes móviles ad-hoc contra diferentes ataques, asegurando en la medida de lo posible que la generación de información, así como su retransmisión se realizan correctamente. Para ello, se proponen y analizan aquí nuevos esquemas de autenticación y gestión de subredes en MANETs y VANETs. Hay que destacar que las simulaciones juegan un papel fundamental en este trabajo ya que permiten analizar y evaluar el comportamiento de las propuestas realizadas a gran escala y en diversas condiciones. En particular, gran parte de los algoritmos diseñados en esta Tesis han sido simulados con el simulador de redes NS-2 y el simulador de tráfico SUMO. También son de gran interés en esta Tesis las implementaciones de algunas de las propuestas en dispositivos reales, ya que no sólo permiten evaluar su comportamiento en entornos reales, sino descubrir problemas que las simulaciones no detectan, y obtener datos reales para alimentar simulaciones a gran escala. Las implementaciones en dispositivos reales se han llevado a cabo en particular en la plataforma Windows Mobile usando Visual Studio 2008. Como resultado práctico de este trabajo, y en colaboración con otras investigaciones, surge VAiPho (VANET in Phones), que es una herramienta para la asistencia a la conducción. VAiPho permite crear una red vehicular real utilizando únicamente teléfonos móviles inteligentes, sin necesidad de instalar ningún tipo de infraestructura ni en los vehículos ni en la carretera. VAiPho cuenta ya con varias aplicaciones en entornos urbanos, tales como la detección de atascos, plazas de aparcamiento libres y vehículo aparcado. Dicha herramienta es el producto de la implementación de una patente presentada

Quantum Search Algorithms for Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization Problems Using Grover\u27s Search and Quantum Walk Algorithms with Advanced Oracle Design

The field of quantum computing has emerged as a powerful tool for solving and optimizing combinatorial optimization problems. To solve many real-world problems with many variables and possible solutions for constraint satisfaction and optimization problems, the required number of qubits of scalable hardware for quantum computing is the bottleneck in the current generation of quantum computers. In this dissertation, we will demonstrate advanced, scalable building blocks for the quantum search algorithms that have been implemented in Grover\u27s search algorithm and the quantum walk algorithm. The scalable building blocks are used to reduce the required number of qubits in the design. The proposed architecture effectively scales and optimizes the number of qubits needed to solve large problems with a limited number of qubits. Thus, scaling and optimizing the number of qubits that can be accommodated in quantum algorithm design directly reflect on performance. Also, accuracy is a key performance metric related to how accurately one can measure quantum states. The search space of quantum search algorithms is traditionally created by using the Hadamard operator to create superposition. However, creating superpositions for problems that do not need all superposition states decreases the accuracy of the measured states. We present an efficient quantum circuit design that the user has control over to create the subspace superposition states for the search space as needed. Using only the subspace states as superposition states of the search space will increase the rate of correct solutions. In this dissertation, we will present the implementation of practical problems for Grover\u27s search algorithm and quantum walk algorithm in logic design, logic puzzles, and machine learning problems such as SAT, MAX-SAT, XOR-SAT, and like SAT problems in EDA, and mining frequent patterns for association rule mining

An Assertional Proof System for Multithreaded Java - Theory and Tool Support

Besides the features of a class-based object-oriented language, Java integrates concurrency via its thread classes, allowing for a multithreaded flow of control. The concurrency model includes shared-variable concurrency via instance variables, coordination via reentrant synchronization monitors, synchronous message passing, and dynamic thread creation. To reason about safety properties of multithreaded Java programs, we introduce a tool-supported assertional proof method for JavaMT ("Multi-Threaded Java"), a small sublanguage of Java, covering the mentioned concurrency issues as well as the object-based core of Java. The verification method is formulated in terms of proof-outlines, where the assertions are layered into local ones specifying the behavior of a single instance, and global ones taking care of the connections between objects. We establish the soundness and the completeness of the proof system. From an annotated program, a number of verification conditions are generated and handed over to the interactive theorem prover PVS.IST project Omega (IST-2001-33522) NWO/DFG project Mobi-J (RO 1122/9-1, RO 1122/9-2)UBL - phd migration 201

Advances in Evolutionary Algorithms

With the recent trends towards massive data sets and significant computational power, combined with evolutionary algorithmic advances evolutionary computation is becoming much more relevant to practice. Aim of the book is to present recent improvements, innovative ideas and concepts in a part of a huge EA field

Statistical shape analysis for bio-structures : local shape modelling, techniques and applications

A Statistical Shape Model (SSM) is a statistical representation of a shape obtained from data to study variation in shapes. Work on shape modelling is constrained by many unsolved problems, for instance, difficulties in modelling local versus global variation. SSM have been successfully applied in medical image applications such as the analysis of brain anatomy. Since brain structure is so complex and varies across subjects, methods to identify morphological variability can be useful for diagnosis and treatment. The main objective of this research is to generate and develop a statistical shape model to analyse local variation in shapes. Within this particular context, this work addresses the question of what are the local elements that need to be identified for effective shape analysis. Here, the proposed method is based on a Point Distribution Model and uses a combination of other well known techniques: Fractal analysis; Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods; and the Curvature Scale Space representation for the problem of contour localisation. Similarly, Diffusion Maps are employed as a spectral shape clustering tool to identify sets of local partitions useful in the shape analysis. Additionally, a novel Hierarchical Shape Analysis method based on the Gaussian and Laplacian pyramids is explained and used to compare the featured Local Shape Model. Experimental results on a number of real contours such as animal, leaf and brain white matter outlines have been shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model. These results show that local shape models are efficient in modelling the statistical variation of shape of biological structures. Particularly, the development of this model provides an approach to the analysis of brain images and brain morphometrics. Likewise, the model can be adapted to the problem of content based image retrieval, where global and local shape similarity needs to be measured

Designing a human-centred, mobile interface to support real-time flood forecasting and warning system

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonThere is a demand for human-centred technology which improves the management of flood events. This thesis describes the development, design and evaluation of a mobile GIS-based hydrological model. The application provides hydrological forecasts and issues flood warnings. The thesis reports on the usability and practicality of the application. The application, a mobile-based hydrological modelling system, permits the integrated handling of real-time rainfall data from a wireless monitoring network. A spatially distributed GIS-based model integrates this incoming data, approximating real-time, to generate data on catchment hydrology and runoff. The data can be accessed from any android-based mobile computer or mobile phone. It may be further analysed online using several GIS and numerical functions. A human-centred approach to design was taken. Design guidelines for a user-centric application were developed and deployed in the first prototype. There was intensive consultation with potential users. Particular attention was paid to the ease of use of the mobile interface. Users’ needs and attitudes were relevant in the achievement of a highly functional but intuitive interface. The first prototype underwent intensive testing with users. After the initial testing of the first prototype an interactive approach was taken to development. This generated a high-fidelity prototype which was matched to the taxonomy from a user’s mental model. Users were interrogated under controlled laboratory conditions as they performed predefined tasks which were selected to generate data across all aspects of the system and to identify weaknesses. Subsequent to this work there was a major prototype re-design. User test data, identified issues and an improved mental taxonomy closer were used to further refine the application. Of particular note was new functionality which aligned with user expectations and enhanced the applications credibility. The final evaluation of the system was undertaken with diverse subjects. Overall, the subjects considered the system efficient and effective. Users said the system was easy to learn and integrate into their work. Task completion rates were satisfactory. The final interviews with users confirmed that the application was ready to proceed to the implementation phase