1,091 research outputs found
Hackers vs. Security: Attack-Defence Trees as Asynchronous Multi-Agent Systems
Attack-Defence Trees (ADTs) are well-suited to assess possible attacks to
systems and the efficiency of counter-measures. In this paper, we first enrich
the available constructs with reactive patterns that cover further security
scenarios, and equip all constructs with attributes such as time and cost to
allow quantitative analyses. Then, ADTs are modelled as (an extension of)
Asynchronous Multi-Agents Systems--EAMAS. The ADT-EAMAS transformation is
performed in a systematic manner that ensures correctness. The transformation
allows us to quantify the impact of different agents configurations on metrics
such as attack time. Using EAMAS also permits parametric verification: we
derive constraints for property satisfaction. Our approach is exercised on
several case studies using the Uppaal and IMITATOR tools.Comment: This work was partially funded by the NWO project SEQUOIA (grant
15474), EU project SUCCESS (102112) and the PHC van Gogh PAMPAS. The work of
Arias and Petrucci has been supported by the BQR project AMoJA
Multi-agent geo-simulation of crowds and control forces in conflict situations : models, application and analysis
Peu de modĂšles et de simulations qui dĂ©crivent les comportements de foule en situations de conflit impliquant des forces de lâordre et des armes non-lĂ©tales (NLW) existent. Ce mĂ©moire prĂ©sente des modĂšles dâagents de la foule et des forces de lâordre ainsi que des NLWs dans des situations de conflit. Des groupes ainsi que leurs interactions et actions collectives sont explicitement modĂ©lisĂ©s, ce qui repousse les approches de simulation de foule existantes. Les agents sont caractĂ©risĂ©s par des profils dâapprĂ©ciation de lâagressivitĂ© et ils peuvent changer leurs comportements en relation avec la ThĂ©orie de lâidentitĂ© sociale. Un logiciel a Ă©tĂ© dĂ©veloppĂ© et les modĂšles ont Ă©tĂ© calibrĂ©s avec des scĂ©narios rĂ©alistes. Il a dĂ©montrĂ© la faisabilitĂ© technique de modĂšles sociaux aussi complexes pour des foules de centaines dâagents, en plus de gĂ©nĂ©rer des donnĂ©es pour Ă©valuer lâefficacitĂ© des techniques dâintervention.Few models and simulations that describe crowd behaviour in conflict situations involving control forces and non-lethal weapons (NLW) exist. This thesis presents models for crowd agents, control forces, and NLWs in crowd control situations. Groups as well as their interactions and collective actions are explicitly modelled, which pushes further currently existing crowd simulation approaches. Agents are characterized by appreciation of aggressiveness profiles and they can change their behaviours in relation with the Social Identity theory. A software application was developed and the models were calibrated with realistic scenarios. It demonstrated the technical feasibility of such complex social models for crowds of hundreds of agents, as well generating data to assess the efficiency of intervention techniques
1992 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program
For the 28th consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was conducted by the University of Alabama and MSFC during the period June 1, 1992 through August 7, 1992. Operated under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education, the MSFC program, was well as those at other centers, was sponsored by the Office of Educational Affairs, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. The basic objectives of the programs, which are the 29th year of operation nationally, are (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate and exchange ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA centers
Dagstuhl News January - December 2008
"Dagstuhl News" is a publication edited especially for the members of the Foundation "Informatikzentrum Schloss Dagstuhl" to thank them for their support. The News give a summary of the scientific work being done in Dagstuhl. Each Dagstuhl Seminar is presented by a small abstract describing the contents and scientific highlights of the seminar as well as the perspectives or challenges of the research topic
Eniatype: Transdisciplinary Practice for Methodologies of Communication
Full version unavailable due to 3rd party copyright restrictions.The thesis demonstrates a rethinking of methodologies of communication through ecological design. Human communication and ecological accountability are inextricably linked in architectural design: the current global ecological crisis underscores this fundamental connection. Within architectural practice the communication from architect to participant or environment is not at all straightforward. This is also true of the dyadic relation between context, design and communication in architectural education. Notational systems within architectural education used as a communication tool have made the composition of architecture an activity like the composition of fiction: the activity of communication. So deep is the connection between architecture and communication in our culture that for much of the time we ignore it and behave as if notation were really a transparent window â just as in reading a working drawing in architectural practice we may ignore the intermediacy of notation and imagine that thoughts are reaching us directly from the architectâs mind. The most important criterion of notational systems, whether literally or architectural, is precisely that it should not draw attention to itself, nor disturb the illusion of neutrality and faithfulness.
Through original design exploration, this work proffers a critical vision towards the built environment. These conceptions challenge the everyday education of architectural design by offering a transdisciplinary framework for design production. The work concludes with the necessity for a new design field entitled âEniatypeâ. Eniatype is still in its nascent stages. It has the potential to become a far-reaching awareness that bonds the disciplines of design ecologies, theory of notation, instructional design and aesthetics; together they form the acronym ENIA. The work establishes the theoretical foundation for Eniatype in four parts. Part one, ideation, is a survey of visions on architectural practice illustrating original concepts such as âCorrealismâ, âReflexive Architectureâ and âRecursive Visionâ. Part two, Enia, illustrates the principles of design ecologies, theory of notation, instructional design and aesthetical strands in projects such as âBasque Eniaâ and âBeijing Eniaâ. Part three, Type, conveys the principles of the logical theory of types in âWorking Drawing, Participant and Environmentâ. Part four, Eniatype, synthesise these approaches through a series of research sessions towards a transdisciplinary idea of architectural education and practice.
The work describes a burgeoning field, Eniatype, which promotes ecological transitions within local and global contexts through architectural education. By linking working drawing and environment within architectural education, unique ecological design proposals were produced, which promote a new role in defining the ciphers of future design thought
Research Opportunities in Interdisciplinary Ground-Water Science
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a long-standing reputation for providing unbiased scientific leadership and excellence in the field of ground-water hydrology and geological research. This report provides a framework for continuing this scientific leadership by describing six interdisciplinary topics for research opportunities in ground-water science in the USGS. These topics build on recommendations of the National Research Council (2000) contained in the report, âInvestigating Groundwater Systems on Regional and National Scales,â and emphasize research topics that would benefit from the integrated capabilities of all parts of the USGS. Understanding the relations between ground water and the geological characteristics of aquifers within which ground water resides, and the relation of ground water to surface-water resources and terrestrial and aquatic biota is increasingly important and presents a considerable opportunity to draw on expertise throughout the USGS, including the science disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The National Research Council (2000) also emphasizes that USGS regional and national assessments of ground-water resources should focus on aspects that foster the sustainability of the resource. The need for a comprehensive program addressing the sustainability of ground-water resources can be stated very conciselyâwe need enough ground water of good quality to sustain our lives, our economy, and our aquatic ecosystems.
Although societal needs for high-quality, objective ground-water science are increasing, current funding for USGS regional ground-water programs is about 40 percent of the funding available 20â25 years ago. Given the current challenges of budgetary constraints, however, this report provides a flexible set of interrelated research topics that enhance the ability of the USGS to focus limited fiscal resources on developing ground-water science tools and methods that provide high-quality, objective scientific information
Design and integrity of deterministic system architectures.
Architectures represented by system construction 'building block' components and interrelationships provide the structural form. This thesis addresses processes, procedures and methods that support system design synthesis and specifically the determination of the integrity of candidate architectural structures. Particular emphasis is given to the structural representation of system architectures, their consistency and functional quantification. It is a design imperative that a hierarchically decomposed structure maintains compatibility and consistency between the functional and realisation solutions. Complex systems are normally simplified by the use of hierarchical decomposition so that lower level components are precisely defined and simpler than higher-level components. To enable such systems to be reconstructed from their components, the hierarchical construction must provide vertical intra-relationship consistency, horizontal interrelationship consistency, and inter-component functional consistency. Firstly, a modified process design model is proposed that incorporates the generic structural representation of system architectures. Secondly, a system architecture design knowledge domain is proposed that enables viewpoint evaluations to be aggregated into a coherent set of domains that are both necessary and sufficient to determine the integrity of system architectures. Thirdly, four methods of structural analysis are proposed to assure the integrity of the architecture. The first enables the structural compatibility between the 'building blocks' that provide the emergent functional properties and implementation solution properties to be determined. The second enables the compatibility of the functional causality structure and the implementation causality structure to be determined. The third method provides a graphical representation of architectural structures. The fourth method uses the graphical form of structural representation to provide a technique that enables quantitative estimation of performance estimates of emergent properties for large scale or complex architectural structures. These methods have been combined into a procedure of formal design. This is a design process that, if rigorously executed, meets the requirements for reconstructability
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Development of Asset Information Requirements to support Asset Management
The management of physical assets (asset management) is becoming increasingly important, supported by a shift in mindsets that are seeing maintenance moving from a "necessary evil" to a value-adding exercise. This is enforced by the need to achieve greater asset performance within increasing financial constraints, aiming to achieve "more for less" while limiting impact on the natural environment. The development of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and the concept of whole-life asset management provided a "new" approach to the management of physical assets based on emerging technologies and information management processes.
The adoption of BIM within the design and construction phase has widely been considered successful with a wealth of studies showing an increase in productivity, reduction in cost and improved risk management. Despite this, the adoption of BIM within the Operation and maintenance (O&M) phase has been limited. A lack of understanding of what information should be collected at an organisational level to support the management of assets throughout their life, results in asset-related information not being collected in alignment with an organisational requirement. Often the gap between the development of Organisational Information Requirements (OIR) and the generation of Asset Information Requirements (AIR), is too much of a jump or hurdle. This is partly due to the fact that asset management organisations purely focus on the development of technical information requirements, with little consideration of the wider organisation.
This thesis proposes a solution to address this challenge by presenting an organisational led framework to the development of Asset Information Requirements (AIR).
This thesis presents an Information Requirements framework and Concept Model, introducing the novel concept of Functional Information Requirements (FIR) to bridge the gap between the OIR and the AIR. The framework was derived through a literature review, industry investigation, and feedback gained through several iterations of partial case studies. The final iteration was tested and validated for its practical application by a case study within a university estate management department. Furthermore, the framework was tested by a third-party partner within the infrastructure sector.
The thesis concludes that the framework aids in the development of AIR. Feedback noted that while the framework is helpful, it is resource intensive and the âvalueâ of BIM within asset management needs to be addressed to gain the required resources. Furthermore, future research should investigate this challenge by considering the possibility of a common set of information requirements to reduce the need for the framework for individual instances of projects, when the projects are of similar purpose. Emerging techniques should be considered for automatic classification of Assets within a BIM model, this would greatly increase efficiency and reduce the resource intensive nature of the framework. Finally, future research should investigate how the proposed framework can support the evolution of the Digital Twin, within the context of the built environment
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