Evaluating Sequential Combination of Two Light-Weight Genetic Algorithm based Solutions to Intrusion Detection

In this work we have presented a genetic algorithm approach for classifying normal connections and intrusions. We have created a serial combination of two light-weight genetic algorithm-based intrusion detection systems where each of the systems exhibits certain deficiency. In this way we have managed to mitigate the deficiencies of both of them. The model was verified on KDD99 intrusion detection dataset, generating a solution competitive with the solutions reported by the state-ofthe- art, while using small subset of features from the original set that contains forty one features. The most significant features were identified by deploying principal component analysis and multi expression programming. Furthermore, our system is adaptable since it permits retraining by using new data

Research and higher education: UK as international star and closet European?

The research and higher education sectors have an exemplary place in the referendum debate. They were not part of the David Cameron renegotiation package. But stakeholders in favour of Remain have disrupted the consensus that in these sectors the EU’s role is relatively unimportant and that the UK’s achievements can be explained in national terms. The article seeks to explain first, the change in political dynamics that have brought the EU connections out of the shadows in these sectors, and second, what these sectors risk losing by a Brexit. It suggests that the campaign has made the case for a causal relationship between the UK’s higher education and research achievements and its global reach and it has shown how these sectoral policies are embedded in the EU’s foundational principles of freedom of movement and non-discrimination. There also signs that EU membership may come to matter to students, a politically important group, for reasons which range from freedom of movement to conflict prevention

Preparing for the Apocalypse: a Multi-Prong Proposal to Develop Countermeasures for Biological, Chemical, Radiological, and Nuclear Threats

The false alarm of an Hawaiian nuclear attack in January 2018 is an example of the lack of U.S. preparedness for attacks using nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. To address such threats, this Article proposes the establishment of a nation-wide integrated defense of health countermeasures initiative (“DHCI”), which is a multi-prong program to create a defensive triad comprising government, private industry, and academia to develop countermeasures for health threats posed by biological, chemical, radiological, and nuclear (“BCRN”) attacks. Key elements of our multi-faceted proposal include the use of the government’s Other Transaction Authority to simplify procurement arrangements, the establishment of public-private partnerships with an information commons for the sharing and the use of certain information and trusted intermediaries to protect proprietary information pursuant to cooperative research and development agreements (“CRADAs”), and the creation of a network of incubators sited in ecosystems of excellence. Although our proposal focuses on health countermeasures, it may be applied to other urgent national needs, such as rebuilding U.S. infrastructure

Nanotechnology and preventive arms control

"Nanotechnology (NT) is about analysis and engineering of structures with size between 0.1 and 100 nanometres (1 nm = 10 -9 m). At this scale, new effects occur and the boundaries between physics, chemistry and biology vanish. NT is predicted to lead to stronger but lighter materials, markedly smaller computers with immensely increased power, large and small autonomous robots, tools for manipulation of single molecules, targeted intervention within cells, connections between electronics and neurones, and more. In recent years military research and development (R&D) of NT has been expanded markedly, with the USA far in the lead. US work spans the full range from electronics via materials to biology. While much of this is still at the fundamental level, efforts are being made to bring applications to the armed forces soon. One quarter to one third of the Federal funding for NT goes to military R&D, and the USA outspends the rest of the world by a factor 4 to 10. NT applications will likely pervade all areas of the military. Very small electronics and computers will be used everywhere, e.g. in glasses, uniforms, munitions. Large-scale battle-management and strategy-planning systems will apply human-like reasoning at increasing levels of autonomy, integrating sensors, communication devices and displays into an ubiquitous network. Stronger but light-weight materials, more efficient energy storage and propulsion will allow faster and more agile vehicles in all media. NT-based materials and explosives can bring faster and more precise projectiles. Small arms, munitions and anti-personnel missiles without any metal can become possible. Systems worn by soldiers could monitor the body status and react to injury. Systems implanted into the body could monitor the biochemistry and release drugs, or make contacts to nerves and the brain to reduce the reaction time, later possibly to communicate complex information. Autonomous land vehicles, ships and aircraft would become possible mainly through strongly increased computing power. By using NT to miniaturise sensors, actuators and propulsion, autonomous systems (robots) could also become very small, principally down to below a millimetre - fully artificial or hybrid on the basis of e.g. insects or rats. Satellites and their launchers could become small and cheap, to be used in swarms for earth surveillance, or for anti-satellite attack. Whereas no marked change is expected concerning nuclear weapons, NT may lead to various new types of chemical and biological weapons that target specific organs or act selectively on a certain genetic or protein pattern. On the other hand, NT will allow cheap sensors for chemical or biological warfare agents as well as materials for decontamination. Most of these applications are ten or more years away. Using criteria of preventive arms control, potential military NT applications are evaluated. New conventional, chemical and biological weapons would jeopardise existing arms-control treaties. Armed autonomous systems would endanger the law of warfare. Military stability could decrease with small distributed battlefield sensors and in particular with armed autonomous systems. Arms racing and proliferation have to be feared with all applications. Strong dangers to humans would ensue from armed mini-/ micro-robots and new chemical/ biological weapons used by terrorists. Negative effects on human integrity and human rights could follow indirectly if body manipulation were applied in the military before a thorough societal debate on benefits, risks and regulation." (excerpt)"Die Nanotechnologie (NT) befasst sich mit der Untersuchung und Gestaltung von Strukturen, die sich in Größen zwischen 0,1 and 100 Nanometer (1 nm = 10 -9 m) bewegen. Bei dieser Größenordnung treten neue Effekte auf, und die Grenzen zwischen Physik, Chemie und Biologie verschwinden. Die Experten sagen voraus, dass NT festere und gleichzeitig leichtere Materialien, erheblich kleinere Computer mit unermesslich gesteigerter Leistung, große und kleine autonome Roboter, Werkzeuge für die Handhabung einzelner Moleküle, gezielte Eingriffe in Zellen, Verbindungen zwischen Elektronik und Neuronen und anderes mehr hervorbringen wird. In den letzten Jahren ist die militärische Forschung und Entwicklung (FuE) im Bereich der NT erheblich ausgeweitet worden. Im weltweiten Vergleich liegen die USA deutlich in Führung. Dort wird die gesamte Bandbreite von Elektronik über Materialien bis hin zur Biologie bearbeitet. Auch wenn vieles davon noch Grundlagenforschung ist, gibt es dort doch heute schon Vorbereitungen, den Streitkräften bald Anwendungsmöglichkeiten zur Verfügung zu stellen. Ein Viertel bis ein Drittel der Regierungsausgaben für NT auf Bundesebene steht für militärische FuE zur Verfügung, und die USA geben 4 bis 10 mal so viel dafür aus wie der Rest der Welt. NT-Anwendungen werden alle Bereiche des Militärs durchdringen. Hierzu zählt der umfassende Einsatz sehr kleiner Elektronik und Computer, z.B. in Brillen, Uniformen, Munition. Komplexe Schlachtführungs- und Strategieplanungssysteme werden zunehmend autonom funktionieren und menschenähnliche Überlegungen anstellen, wobei sie Sensoren, Kommunikationsgeräte und Anzeigeeinheiten zu einem allgegenwärtigen Netzwerk verbinden. Festere und dabei leichtere Materialien, effizientere Energiespeicher und Antriebe ermöglichen den Bau schnellerer und beweglicherer Land-, Wasser-, Luft- und Raumfahrzeuge. Des weiteren können NT-basierte Materialien und Sprengstoffe zur Herstellung schnellerer und genauerer Geschosse verwendet werden. Denkbar sind metallfreie Kleinwaffen, Munition und Antipersonen-Flugkörper. Zwar ist bei Kernwaffen keine große Veränderung zu erwarten, NT kann aber zu verschiedenen neuen Arten von chemischen und biologischen Waffen führen, die auf spezifische Organe zielen oder selektiv auf eine bestimmte Eiweißstruktur oder auf ein genetisches Muster hin aktiv werden. Andererseits wird NT billige Sensoren für chemische oder biologische Waffen sowie Materialien zur Entgiftung zur Verfügung stellen. Mit den meisten dieser Anwendungen ist erst in einem Zeitraum von zehn oder mehr Jahren zu rechnen. Mögliche militärische NT-Anwendungen müssen unter den Kriterien der Präventiven Rüstungskontrolle bewertet werden." (Textauszug

Innovation, technology and security: the emergence of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles before and after 9/11

This thesis addresses the relationship between military technological innovation and evolving practices of security before and after 9/11 through the case of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology and particularly the UAV lineage associated with the General Atomics Predator system. Through the case of UAV development the thesis contributes to wider theoretical debates regarding military innovation and weapons acquisition processes. The case illustrates that rather than a moment, innovation is better understood as a process. Rather than linear, however, the process is uncertain, involving complex interactions between institutional pressures, technological development and external events. The thesis presents UAV development in terms of ‘statuses’ of marginality, emergence and assimilation. Establishing the long UAV development history in the US, the thesis explores military innovation theory to consider the reasons for their long Cold War marginality, despite repeated efforts. It then considers the emergence of UAVs in the early post-Cold war period, focusing particularly on the design iterations that yielded the Predator and the bureaucratic political processes through which that system was fielded. Thirdly, the progressive assimilation of Predator is addressed in relation to the growing threat of terrorist networks, and the post-9/11 attempt to reorient existing military and intelligence capabilities to counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations. This raises the question of the relation between technological innovation and the security ‘pathways’ opened up after 9/11, the extent that 9/11 provided a window of opportunity for drone assimilation, and the role of drones in shaping the emergence of a technologically-enabled, remote approach to counter terrorism and military intervention

Software Infrastructure for Natural Language Processing

We classify and review current approaches to software infrastructure for research, development and delivery of NLP systems. The task is motivated by a discussion of current trends in the field of NLP and Language Engineering. We describe a system called GATE (a General Architecture for Text Engineering) that provides a software infrastructure on top of which heterogeneous NLP processing modules may be evaluated and refined individually, or may be combined into larger application systems. GATE aims to support both researchers and developers working on component technologies (e.g. parsing, tagging, morphological analysis) and those working on developing end-user applications (e.g. information extraction, text summarisation, document generation, machine translation, and second language learning). GATE promotes reuse of component technology, permits specialisation and collaboration in large-scale projects, and allows for the comparison and evaluation of alternative technologies. The first release of GATE is now available - see http://www.dcs.shef.ac.uk/research/groups/nlp/gate/Comment: LaTeX, uses aclap.sty, 8 page

Speaker segmentation and clustering

This survey focuses on two challenging speech processing topics, namely: speaker segmentation and speaker clustering. Speaker segmentation aims at finding speaker change points in an audio stream, whereas speaker clustering aims at grouping speech segments based on speaker characteristics. Model-based, metric-based, and hybrid speaker segmentation algorithms are reviewed. Concerning speaker clustering, deterministic and probabilistic algorithms are examined. A comparative assessment of the reviewed algorithms is undertaken, the algorithm advantages and disadvantages are indicated, insight to the algorithms is offered, and deductions as well as recommendations are given. Rich transcription and movie analysis are candidate applications that benefit from combined speaker segmentation and clustering. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved