A survey on multilayer networks modelled to assess robustness in infrastructure systems

The development of modern societies places particular demands on the consistent performance of infrastructure systems. Because multilayer network models are capable of representing the interdependencies between infrastructure components, they have been widely used to analyse the robustness of infrastructure systems. This present study is a systematic review of literature, published since 2010. It aims to investigate how multilayer network models have been used in analysing the robustness of infrastructure systems. According to findings, percolation theory was the most popular method used in about 57% of papers. Regarding the properties, coupling strength and node degree were the most common while directed links and feedback conditions were the least common. The following gaps were identified which provide opportunities for further research. These include the absence of models based on real-world data and the need for models that make fewer simplifying assumptions about complex systems. No papers considered all potential properties, and their effect on boosting or weakening each other’s effect. By considering all properties, the importance of different properties on the robustness of infrastructure systems can be quantified and compared in future studies

Framing the MH17 disaster – more heat than light?

Despite the reductionist analyses produced by politicians and the Fourth Estate, the loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was a systems accident – a product of the interactions between the actants that compose the commercial aviation system network-space. As an antidote to reductionism’s ‘fundamental attribution error’, this paper presents a systems-thinking-informed analysis of the MH17 disaster. To this end it draws on Actor-Network Theory and the work of Reason, Toft, Dekker, Hollnagel and other systems-thinking advocates. Whether intentional or not, politicians’ reductionist analyses generated political capital. European Union and American finger-pointing distracted from aviation authorities’ and airlines’ ill-advised routing policies. Russian finger-pointing distracted from that country’s economic dysfunction and adventurism. The risk-management community must redouble its efforts to publicise the benefits of the systems-thinking approach to risk assessment and accident investigation

The software emergent properties and them reflection in the non-functional requirements and quality models

In this paper the analysis of the known approaches to detection of emergent properties of software system in the context of involvement for this of the software quality models was done. The attempt of evaluation of share of the non-functional requirements in the software quality models was done

Theoretical grounds for the equipment's operability and safety estimations of nuclear power plants with emergent properties taking into account

The approaches to the evaluation of equipment's operability and safety of NPP are discussed. The purpose of this article is the conceptual development of approaches, models and methods that make possible to obtain as-sessments of the equipment's operability and safety of NPP taking into account possible emergent properties of the systems. The scientific and practical value of the results of this article is to develop approaches, models and methods that allow us to obtain estimates of the equip-ment's operability and NPP safety, taking into account the possible emergent properties that are neglected in approaches, models and meth-ods well-known today. General approaches to the construction of mathematical models of the responsible equipment of NPP, which taking into account the interaction of various external factors that can lead to synergistic effects, are considered. The main result is the established possibility of mathematical modelling of NPP equipment in the form of systems of connected boundary and initial boundary value problems, which allows us to take into account possible emergent properties. The main conclusion is promising applications semi-discretization meth-ods for numerical analysis of NPP elements. The value of obtained results consists in developing of theoretical foundations for estimating the equipment's operability and safety of NPP by taking into account possible emergent properties

Infrastructure (Resilience-oriented) Modelling Language: I®ML A proposal for modelling infrastructures and their connections

The modelling of critical infrastructures (CIs) is an important issue that needs to be properly addressed, for several reasons. It is a basic support for making decisions about operation and risk reduction. It might help in understanding high-level states at the system-of-systems layer, which are not ready evident to the organisations that manage the lower level technical systems. Moreover, it is also indispensable for setting a common reference between operator and authorities, for agreeing on the incident scenarios that might affect those infrastructures. So far, critical infrastructures have been modelled ad-hoc, on the basis of knowledge and practice derived from less complex systems. As there is no theoretical framework, most of these efforts proceed without clear guides and goals and using informally defined schemas based mostly on boxes and arrows. Different CIs (electricity grid, telecommunications networks, emergency support, etc) have been modelled using particular schemas that were not directly translatable from one CI to another. If there is a desire to build a science of CIs it is because there are some observable commonalities that different CIs share. Up until now, however, those commonalities were not adequately compiled or categorized, so building models of CIs that are rooted on such commonalities was not possible. This report explores the issue of which elements underlie every CI and how those elements can be used to develop a modelling language that will enable CI modelling and, subsequently, analysis of CI interactions, with a special focus on resilienc

Applying causal inference to understand emergent behavior

Emergent behaviors in simulations require explanation, so that valid behaviors can be separated from design or cod-ing errors. Validation of emergent behavior requires ac-cumulation of insight into the behavior and the conditions under which it arises. Previously, we have introduced an approach, Explanation Exploration (EE), to gather insight into emergent behaviors using semi-automatic model adap-tation. We improve our previous work by iteratively apply-ing causal inference procedures to samples gathered from the semi-automatic model adaptation. Iterative application of causal inference procedures reveals the interactions of identified abstractions within the model that cause the emergent behavior. Uncovering these interactions gives the subject matter expert new insight into the emergent be-havior and facilitates the validation process.

Infrastructure (Resilience-oriented) Modelling Language: I®M - A proposal for modelling infrastructures and their connections

The modelling of critical infrastructures (CIs) is an important issue that needs to be properly addressed, for several reasons. It is a basic support for making decisions about operation and risk reduction. It might help in understanding high-level states at the system-of-systems layer, which are not ready evident to the organisations that manage the lower level technical systems. Moreover, it is also indispensable for setting a common reference between operator and authorities, for agreeing on the incident scenarios that might affect those infrastructures. So far, critical infrastructures have been modelled ad-hoc, on the basis of knowledge and practice derived from less complex systems. As there is no theoretical framework, most of these efforts proceed without clear guides and goals and using informally defined schemas based mostly on boxes and arrows. Different CIs (electricity grid, telecommunications networks, emergency support, etc) have been modelled using particular schemas that were not directly translatable from one CI to another. If there is a desire to build a science of CIs it is because there are some observable commonalities that different CIs share. Up until now, however, those commonalities were not adequately compiled or categorized, so building models of CIs that are rooted on such commonalities was not possible. This report explores the issue of which elements underlie every CI and how those elements can be used to develop a modelling language that will enable CI modelling and, subsequently, analysis of CI interactions, with a special focus on resilience.JRC.DG.G.6-Security technology assessmen

In-hospital experiences of families of potential organ donors: A systematic review and qualitative synthesis

Information and compassion assist families of potential organ donors to make informed decisions. However, psychological implications of the in-hospital process are not well described with past research focusing on decisionmaking. To enhance understanding and improve service delivery, a systematic review was conducted. Inductive analysis and synthesis utilised Grounded Theory Methodology within a systems theory framework and contributed to a model proposing that family and staff form a System of Systems with shared responsibility for process outcomes. This model can guide evaluation and improvement of care and will be tested by means of a longitudinal study of family experiences.The first author acknowledges that as a PhD candidate, support was received through an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarshi