PCLIPS: Parallel CLIPS

PCLIPS (Parallel CLIPS) is a set of extensions to the C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) expert system language. PCLIPS is intended to provide an environment for the development of more complex, extensive expert systems. Multiple CLIPS expert systems are now capable of running simultaneously on separate processors, or separate machines, thus dramatically increasing the scope of solvable tasks within the expert systems. As a tool for parallel processing, PCLIPS allows for an expert system to add to its fact-base information generated by other expert systems, thus allowing systems to assist each other in solving a complex problem. This allows individual expert systems to be more compact and efficient, and thus run faster or on smaller machines

The Management and Security Expert (MASE)

The Management and Security Expert (MASE) is a distributed expert system that monitors the operating systems and applications of a network. It is capable of gleaning the information provided by the different operating systems in order to optimize hardware and software performance; recognize potential hardware and/or software failure, and either repair the problem before it becomes an emergency, or notify the systems manager of the problem; and monitor applications and known security holes for indications of an intruder or virus. MASE can eradicate much of the guess work of system management

Controlling structure and composition in double-heterojunction nanorods for high quantum yield and tunable color

Limitations of colloidal semiconductor double-heterojunction nanorods reported thus far are low photoluminescence quantum yield, low color purity owing to wide size distribution, and emission over a narrow range of energies in the visible spectrum. Here we report alterations to the synthetic route which result in a narrow size and morphological distribution of CdS nanorod seeds tunable over a range of lengths from 10 – 50 nm and quantum-confined bandgaps between 2.62 – 2.78 eV. Variously sized CdS seeds are then used to investigate the effects of the rate of Zn-Oleate etching and of the rate and amount of ZnSe growth on DHNR morphology and optical properties. Structure and composition are investigated by TEM. Each are shown to depend sensitively on the synthetic route. We ultimately demonstrate DHNR with emission wavelength tunable between 2.04 - 2.16 eV, photoluminescence quantum yield up to 68%, and full width at half maximum photoluminescence as low as 84 meV

Shifting Mindsets for Managing Complexity: A Municipal Case Study

At the core of this research are the City of Kitchener’s Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) and selected management staff. These administrative City leaders engaged with REFOCUS, a Canadian cooperative non-profit organization, in applying the organizational change approach Enterprise Evolution (EE) to the municipal context, a global first. Enterprise Evolution is a methodology for co-creatively working with organizational leaders to build their system leadership capacity with innovative methods for managing for complexity. The first step in the EE programming is a series of workshops intended to lead to a mindset change among leaders by developing a more holistic understanding of emergent forces of change and appreciating the risks associated with maintaining the status quo. The EE theory of change defines this as an important step before engaging in a longer-term coproduction process of adapting strategic management practices. The focus of this study was to understand this initial process, its effectiveness within the specific context of the City of Kitchener, and its impact with the corporate leadership team. While there has been much theorizing about the need for a mindset change for deep and meaningful system change, empirical research reveals few successful, practical approaches that facilitate mindset change

Shifting Mindsets for Managing Complexity: A Municipal Case Study

At the core of this research are the City of Kitchener’s Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) and selected management staff. These administrative City leaders engaged with REFOCUS, a Canadian cooperative non-profit organization, in applying the organizational change approach Enterprise Evolution (EE) to the municipal context, a global first. Enterprise Evolution is a methodology for co-creatively working with organizational leaders to build their system leadership capacity with innovative methods for managing for complexity. The first step in the EE programming is a series of workshops intended to lead to a mindset change among leaders by developing a more holistic understanding of emergent forces of change and appreciating the risks associated with maintaining the status quo. The EE theory of change defines this as an important step before engaging in a longer-term coproduction process of adapting strategic management practices. The focus of this study was to understand this initial process, its effectiveness within the specific context of the City of Kitchener, and its impact with the corporate leadership team. While there has been much theorizing about the need for a mindset change for deep and meaningful system change, empirical research reveals few successful, practical approaches that facilitate mindset change

Shifting Mindsets for Managing Complexity: A Municipal Case Study

At the core of this research are the City of Kitchener’s Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) and selected management staff. These administrative City leaders engaged with REFOCUS, a Canadian cooperative non-profit organization, in applying the organizational change approach Enterprise Evolution (EE) to the municipal context, a global first. Enterprise Evolution is a methodology for co-creatively working with organizational leaders to build their system leadership capacity with innovative methods for managing for complexity. The first step in the EE programming is a series of workshops intended to lead to a mindset change among leaders by developing a more holistic understanding of emergent forces of change and appreciating the risks associated with maintaining the status quo. The EE theory of change defines this as an important step before engaging in a longer-term coproduction process of adapting strategic management practices. The focus of this study was to understand this initial process, its effectiveness within the specific context of the City of Kitchener, and its impact with the corporate leadership team. While there has been much theorizing about the need for a mindset change for deep and meaningful system change, empirical research reveals few successful, practical approaches that facilitate mindset change

Tattoo-Like Multi-Color Physically Unclonable Functions

Advanced anti-counterfeiting and authentication approaches are in urgent need of the rapidly digitizing society. Physically unclonable functions (PUFs) attract significant attention as a new-generation security primitive. The challenge is design and generation of multi-color PUFs that can be universally applicable to objects of varied composition, geometry, and rigidity. Herein, tattoo-like multi-color fluorescent PUFs are proposed and demonstrated. Multi-channel optical responses are created by electrospraying of polymers that contain semiconductor nanocrystals with precisely defined photoluminescence. The universality of this approach enables the use of dot and dot-in-rod geometries with unique optical characteristics. The fabricated multi-color PUFs are then transferred to a target object by using a temporary tattoo approach. Digitized keys generated from the red, green and blue fluorescence channels facilitate large encoding capacity and rapid authentication. Feature matching algorithms complement the authentication by direct image comparison, effectively alleviating constraints associated with imaging conditions. The strategy that paves the way for the development of practical, cost-effective, and secure anticounterfeiting systems is presented. Tattoo-like multi-color encoding layers based on random processing of semiconductor nanocrystals of varied composition and geometry are reported. Additive deposition via chaotic electrospraying enables randomness and multiplexing, whereas the tattoo approach provides substrate independence.imageThe Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey [119F384]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) [2132538]; US National Science Foundation (NSF)This work was supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) under grant no. 119F384. MS acknowledges support from US National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant no. 2132538