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Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Workshop of the Psychology of Programming Interest Group
This is the Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Workshop of the Psychology of Programming Interest Group (PPIG). This was the first PPIG to be held physically since 2019, following the two online-only PPIGs in 2020 and 2021, both during the Covid pandemic. It was also the first PPIG conference to be designed specifically for hybrid attendance. Reflecting the theme, it was hosted by Music Computing Lab at the Open University in Milton Keynes
A WSSL Implementation for Critical CyberPhysical Systems Applications
The advancements in wireless communication technologies have enabled unprecedented pervasiveness and ubiquity of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). Such technologies can now empower true Systems-of-Systems (SoS), which cooperate to achieve more complex and efficient functionalities, such as vehicle automation, industry, residential automation, and others. However, for CPS applications to become a reality and fulfill their potential, safety and security must be guaranteed, particularly in critical systems, since they rely heavily on open communication systems, prone to intentional and non-intentional interferences. To address these issues, in this work, we propose designing a Wireless Security and Safety Layer (WSSL) architecture to be implemented in critical CPS applications. WSSL increases the reliability of these critical communications by enabling the detection of communication errors. Otherwise, it increases the CPS security using a message signature process that uniquely identifies the sender. So, this work intends to present the WSSL architecture and its implementation over two different scenarios: over Message Queue Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol and inside a simulation environment for communication between Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Ground Control Stations in case of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) applications. We aim to prove that the WSSL does not significantly increase the system payload and demonstrate its safety and security resources, allowing it to be used in any general or critical CPS.Os avanços nas tecnologias de comunicação sem fios permitiram uma omnipresença e ubiquidade sem precedentes dos Sistemas Ciber-Físicos (CPS). CPS são a combinação de um sistema físico, um sistema cibernético, e a sua rede de comunicação. Tais tecnologias podem agora capacitar verdadeiros Sistemas de Sistemas (SoS) que cooperam para alcançar funcionalidades mais complexas e eficientes, tais como automação de veículos, indústria, automação residencial, e outras. As aplicações CPS são baseadas num ambiente complexo, onde sistemas estão interligados e dispositivos interagem entre si em grande escala. Estas circunstâncias aumentam a superfície de ataque, e os desafios para garantir fiabilidade e segurança. Contudo, para que as aplicações CPS se tornem realidade e alcancem o seu potencial, a segurança do funcionamento e segurança contra intrusões devem ser garantidas, particularmente em sistemas críticos, uma vez que dependem fortemente de sistemas de comunicação abertos, propensos a interferências intencionais e não intencionais. Tais interferências podem ocasionar graves danos ao ambiente e riscos a integridade física e moral das pessoas envolvidas. Neste trabalho, propõe-se a concepção de uma arquitectura WSSL, a ser implementada em aplicações críticas de CPS, para abordar estas questões. Esta arquitectura aumenta a fiabilidade das comunicações críticas, permitindo a detecção de erros de comunicação. Além disso, aumenta a segurança dos CPS utilizando um processo de assinatura de mensagem que identifica de forma única o remetente, garantindo a integridade e autenticidade, pilares cruciais da cibersegurança. Assim, pretende-se apresentar a definição, arquitectura e a implementação da WSSL sobre um protocolo MQTT (do inglês Message Queue Telemetry Transport) para avaliação dos custos associados a sua implementação, e provar que esta não aumenta significativamente a carga útil do sistema. Também é pretendido avaliar seu comportamento e custos a partir da implementação em um ambiente simulado para comunicação entre veículos aéreos não tripulados e estações de controle terrestres . Por fim, deve-se avaliar se os seus recursos de segurança são eficientes na detecção de erros relativos a segurança do funcionamento ou a segurança contra intrusões, permitindo a sua utilização em qualquer CPS, seja ele um CPS crítico ou não.N/
Images on the Move
In contemporary society, digital images have become increasingly mobile. They are networked, shared on social media, and circulated across small and portable screens. Accordingly, the discourses of spreadability and circulation have come to supersede the focus on production, indexicality, and manipulability, which had dominated early conceptions of digital photography and film. However, the mobility of images is neither technologically nor conceptually limited to the realm of the digital. The edited volume re-examines the historical, aesthetical, and theoretical relevance of image mobility. The contributors provide a materialist account of images on the move - ranging from wired photography to postcards to streaming media
Towards a circular economy: fabrication and characterization of biodegradable plates from sugarcane waste
Bagasse pulp is a promising material to produce biodegradable plates. Bagasse is the fibrous residue that remains after sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract their juice. It is a renewable resource and is widely available in many countries, making it an attractive alternative to traditional plastic plates. Recent research has shown that biodegradable plates made from Bagasse pulp have several advantages over traditional plastic plates. For example, they are more environmentally friendly because they are made from renewable resources and can be composted after use. Additionally, they are safer for human health because they do not contain harmful chemicals that can leach into food. The production process for Bagasse pulp plates is also relatively simple and cost-effective. Bagasse is first collected and then processed to remove impurities and extract the pulp. The pulp is then molded into the desired shape and dried to form a sturdy plate. Overall, biodegradable plates made from Bagasse pulp are a promising alternative to traditional plastic plates. They are environmentally friendly, safe for human health, and cost-effective to produce. As such, they have the potential to play an important role in reducing plastic waste and promoting sustainable practices. Over the years, the world was not paying strict attention to the impact of rapid growth in plastic use. As a result, uncontrollable volumes of plastic garbage have been released into the environment. Half of all plastic garbage generated worldwide is made up of packaging materials. The purpose of this article is to offer an alternative by creating bioplastic goods that can be produced in various shapes and sizes across various sectors, including food packaging, single-use tableware, and crafts. Products made from bagasse help address the issue of plastic pollution. To find the optimum option for creating bagasse-based biodegradable dinnerware in Egypt and throughout the world, researchers tested various scenarios. The findings show that bagasse pulp may replace plastics in biodegradable packaging. As a result of this value-added utilization of natural fibers, less waste and less of it ends up in landfills. The practical significance of this study is to help advance low-carbon economic solutions and to produce secure bioplastic materials that can replace Styrofoam in tableware and food packaging production
Advances in Artificial Intelligence: Models, Optimization, and Machine Learning
The present book contains all the articles accepted and published in the Special Issue “Advances in Artificial Intelligence: Models, Optimization, and Machine Learning” of the MDPI Mathematics journal, which covers a wide range of topics connected to the theory and applications of artificial intelligence and its subfields. These topics include, among others, deep learning and classic machine learning algorithms, neural modelling, architectures and learning algorithms, biologically inspired optimization algorithms, algorithms for autonomous driving, probabilistic models and Bayesian reasoning, intelligent agents and multiagent systems. We hope that the scientific results presented in this book will serve as valuable sources of documentation and inspiration for anyone willing to pursue research in artificial intelligence, machine learning and their widespread applications
Pharmakon in the Firelands: Connecting Historical Discourses and Small-Town Social Contexts with Substance Use Experience
The ongoing increase in opioid and polysubstance-related overdoses and mortality in United States coincides with a shift in the ways substance use is understood. Once almost exclusively treated as a criminal problem, substance use, and overdose is increasingly viewed in terms of public health and from an urban to rural issue. The discourse surrounding the use of psychoactive substances largely omits the voices of the very people who use them. Likewise, the social context of small towns, at once not quite rural nor entirely urban, is generally given little consideration. To address these gaps in the research, I conduct two historical discourse analyses; the first analyzing advertisements and the second studying news articles published in the Northern Ohio region known as The Firelands. I conduct and analyze unstructured interviews with current and former opioid and polysubstance users, their family, and friends. I employ ethnographic data collection to advance and enrich the sociological understanding of the lived experiences and knowledge of the people who use psychoactive substances. The results of the discourse analysis are used to contextualize the knowledge of small-town opioid users and their lived experiences. Collectively, these insights contribute to the sociological study of deviance, a deeper understanding of drug use within the context of space and place, and the sociology of health and medicine
Z-Numbers-Based Approach to Hotel Service Quality Assessment
In this study, we are analyzing the possibility of using Z-numbers for
measuring the service quality and decision-making for quality improvement in the
hotel industry. Techniques used for these purposes are based on consumer evalu-
ations - expectations and perceptions. As a rule, these evaluations are expressed
in crisp numbers (Likert scale) or fuzzy estimates. However, descriptions of the
respondent opinions based on crisp or fuzzy numbers formalism not in all cases
are relevant. The existing methods do not take into account the degree of con-
fidence of respondents in their assessments. A fuzzy approach better describes
the uncertainties associated with human perceptions and expectations. Linguis-
tic values are more acceptable than crisp numbers. To consider the subjective
natures of both service quality estimates and confidence degree in them, the two-
component Z-numbers Z = (A, B) were used. Z-numbers express more adequately
the opinion of consumers. The proposed and computationally efficient approach
(Z-SERVQUAL, Z-IPA) allows to determine the quality of services and iden-
tify the factors that required improvement and the areas for further development.
The suggested method was applied to evaluate the service quality in small and
medium-sized hotels in Turkey and Azerbaijan, illustrated by the example
New Trends in Environmental Engineering, Agriculture, Food Production, and Analysis
This Special Issue presents the latest advances in agriculture, aquaculture, food technology and environmental protection and engineering, discussing, among others, the following issues: new technologies in water, stormwater and wastewater treatment; water saving, lake restoration; new sludge and waste management systems; biodiesel production from animal fat waste; the microbiological quality of compound fish feeds for aquaculture; the role of technological processes to improve food quality and safety; new trends in the analysis of food and food components including in vitro, in vivo, and in silico analyses; and functional and structural aspects of bioactivities of food molecules
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