HaDeS: a Scalable Service Oriented Deployment System for Large Scale Installations

Building large computational facilities requires scalable and flexible deployment tools that can cope with massive loads. Classical installation methods are not very flexible, since they are usually limited in the number of OS supported, rely on transfer solutions that impose constraints on network topology, and do not scale very well. Here we describe HaDeS (Hardware Deployment System), a new deployment system for large scale installation designed to be agnostic with respect to the network topology and the OS deployed and to scale with the number of nodes being deployed.251-25

Pluto: A Monte Carlo Simulation Tool for Hadronic Physics

Pluto is a Monte-Carlo event generator designed for hadronic interactions from Pion production threshold to intermediate energies of a few GeV per nucleon, as well as for studies of heavy ion reactions. This report gives an overview of the design of the package, the included models and the user interface.Comment: XI International Workshop on Advanced Computing and Analysis Techniques in Physics Research, April 23-27 2007, Amsterdam, the Netherland

Pluto: a Monte Carlo simulation tool for hadronic physics

Pluto is a Monte-Carlo event generator designed for hadronic interactions from Pion production threshold to intermediate energies of a few GeV per nucleon, as well as for studies of heavy ion reactions. The package is entirely based on ROOT, without the need of additional packages, and uses the embedded C++ interpreter of ROOT to control the event production. The generation of events based on a single reaction chain and the storage of the resulting particle objects can be done with a few lines of a ROOT-macro. However, the complete control of the package can be taken over by the steering macro and user-defined models may be added without a recompilation of the framework. Multi-reaction cocktails can be facilitated as well using either mass-dependent or user-defined static branching ratios. The included physics uses resonance production with mass-dependent Breit-Wigner sampling. The calculation of partial and total widths for resonances producing unstable particles is performed recursively in a coupled-channel approach. Here, particular attention is paid to the electromagnetic decays, motivated by the physics program of HADES. The thermal model supports 2-component thermal distributions, longitudinal broadening, radial blast, direct and elliptic flow, and impact-parameter sampled multiplicities. The interface allows angular distribution models (e.g. for the primary meson emission) to be attached by the user as well as descriptions of multi-particle correlations using decay chain templates. The exchange of mass sampling or momentum generation models is also possible. The first feature allows for consistent coupled-channel calculations, needed for a correct description of hadronic interactions. For elementary reactions, angular distribution models for selected channels are already part of the framework, based on parameterizations of existing data. This report gives an overview of the design of the package, the included models and the user interface

Deliverable DJRA1.2. Solutions and protocols proposal for the network control, management and monitoring in a virtualized network context

This deliverable presents several research proposals for the FEDERICA network, in different subjects, such as monitoring, routing, signalling, resource discovery, and isolation. For each topic one or more possible solutions are elaborated, explaining the background, functioning and the implications of the proposed solutions.This deliverable goes further on the research aspects within FEDERICA. First of all the architecture of the control plane for the FEDERICA infrastructure will be defined. Several possibilities could be implemented, using the basic FEDERICA infrastructure as a starting point. The focus on this document is the intra-domain aspects of the control plane and their properties. Also some inter-domain aspects are addressed. The main objective of this deliverable is to lay great stress on creating and implementing the prototype/tool for the FEDERICA slice-oriented control system using the appropriate framework. This deliverable goes deeply into the definition of the containers between entities and their syntax, preparing this tool for the future implementation of any kind of algorithm related to the control plane, for both to apply UPB policies or to configure it by hand. We opt for an open solution despite the real time limitations that we could have (for instance, opening web services connexions or applying fast recovering mechanisms). The application being developed is the central element in the control plane, and additional features must be added to this application. This control plane, from the functionality point of view, is composed by several procedures that provide a reliable application and that include some mechanisms or algorithms to be able to discover and assign resources to the user. To achieve this, several topics must be researched in order to propose new protocols for the virtual infrastructure. The topics and necessary features covered in this document include resource discovery, resource allocation, signalling, routing, isolation and monitoring. All these topics must be researched in order to find a good solution for the FEDERICA network. Some of these algorithms have started to be analyzed and will be expanded in the next deliverable. Current standardization and existing solutions have been investigated in order to find a good solution for FEDERICA. Resource discovery is an important issue within the FEDERICA network, as manual resource discovery is no option, due to scalability requirement. Furthermore, no standardization exists, so knowledge must be obtained from related work. Ideally, the proposed solutions for these topics should not only be adequate specifically for this infrastructure, but could also be applied to other virtualized networks.Postprint (published version

What in Hell Conflicts with God? The Divine Promulgation View of Hell Confirms the Reality of Hell Does Not Make God a Moral Monster

The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate that God is not morally at fault for humans consigned to eternal punishment in hell. In this work, I contribute to the ongoing conversation of hell in the following ways: (1) I provide an exposition on the words translated as hell in the Bible; (2) I uncover the progressive nature of the doctrine of hell as sin increases and God advances His plan of salvation to rescue humans from such an eternal fate; (3) I argue that Christianity and the biblical doctrine of hell are bound principally as Christ’s work on the cross ultimately saves humans from being consigned to hell; (4) I demonstrate that God assists humanity to avoid hell by promulgating necessary information on hellish doctrine in various ways such as the creation, Scriptures, general and special revelation, Jesus, Holy Spirit and ministers of the gospel. The Divine Promulgation View of Hell will be introduced and elucidated in this thesis as a fresh perspective in defense of God’s attributes in the face of hellish doctrine

The Apple of Discord

Apple of Discord is an IMGD MQP in which a team of five students conceived, developed, tested, and re-defined a two-point-five dimensional, four person online game in the Unity3D engine. Our conceptual focus was to develop a polished game about the thirteen Greek Olympians that stayed true to religion. We hoped to deliver an end product akin in entertainment value to those of professionally developed products. Every art asset in the game was first hand-sculpted then turned into 2D sprites by our artists. The game has fully functional LAN-based online multiplayer that supports up to four players. Apple of Discord blends familiar mechanics from games such as the Civilization series, League of Legends , and Final Fantasy Tactics to deliver a unique and easy experience

Impediments to the development of European Union's common security and defence policy

The global geopolitical rift has presented challenges as Russia's revisionism policy, a spread of Islamic extremism and terrorism, instability in Eastern and Southern neighbourhood causing migration crisis, the rise of ultranationalist populism igniting Euro-scepticism. The situation requires a coherent and comprehensive approach from the European Union, however, we observe the lack of motivation and sufficient instruments to react. The European security initiatives finally resulted into Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), however, Europeans inability to deliver an effective response to existing challenges is encapsulated into impediments derived from differences of views and goals of leading EU members. Therefore this work is designed to explore European security and defence initiative focusing on problem why CSDP failed to expand and develop deeper, and respond to the research question what are such a wide differences of views on CSDP of leading European countries such as the UK, France and Germany? Our tasks in the dissertation are at first to identify major strategic divergences of leading EU member states such as the UK, France, and Germany and secondly to identify and describe key factors that have contributed to those strategic divergences. To respond stated research tasks within dissertation has been used case study method exploring three EU state to see differences in their motivations and goals and trace the process in order to identify key ruptures which facilitated impediments to European security initiative. During research, we identified stumbling blocks which have been generalised into conclusion. It emphasises major problem of post-World War II European order inherited in modernity where the USA holds hegemonic power and plays the decisive role in foreign and security affairs of Europe preventing the emergence of European power core. The nature of EU and its internal settings are also causing for the imperfection of system which cannot overcome obstruction and develop the common defence. In addition, some states perceive European integration in foreign and security area as a threat to own sovereignty inducing them to act it in opposition.http://www.ester.ee/record=b4684484*es

The purpose of Hell: control of communities through apocalyptic literature.

Literature depicting Hell in late antique Christianity reveals more than the theological concern for one’s eternal soul, revealing the underlying values and morals of the growing society. Borrowing from Roman, Greek, and Jewish culture, Christians were seeking to set themselves apart while also grappling with their past around them. Through visions of Hell, apocalyptic literature in late antique Christian society exhibits the control exercised over parishioners, specifically control over their bodies and their wealth. The moral laws from Greek, Roman, and Jewish influences is evident through early Christian literature, which dictate the ways in which people are regulated by Christianity in Late Antiquity. Traditions surrounding the afterlife and Hell not only reflect society’s oversight over bodies and wealth but were also used as a method of control