Verifying security protocols by knowledge analysis

This paper describes a new interactive method to analyse knowledge of participants involved in security protocols and further to verify the correctness of the protocols. The method can detect attacks and flaws involving interleaving sessions besides normal attacks. The implementation of the method in a generic theorem proving environment, namely Isabelle, makes the verification of protocols mechanical and efficient; it can verify a medium-sized security protocol in less than ten seconds. As an example, the paper finds the flaw in the Needham-Schroeder public key authentication protocol and proves the secure properties and guarantees of the protocol with Lowe's fix to show the effectiveness of this method

Design of generic modular reconfigurable platforms (GMRPS) for a product-oriented micro manufacturing system

With the proposition of the concept of product-service systems, many manufacturers are focusing on selling services or functionality rather than products. Industrial production is shifting production models from mass production to mass customization and highly personalized needs. As a result, there is a tendency for manufacturing system suppliers to develop product-oriented systems to responsively cope with the dynamic fast moving competitive market. The key features of such a manufacturing system are the reconfigurability and adaptability, which can enable the system respond to the changeable needs of customers quickly and adaptively. Therefore, one of the challenges for the micro manufacturing system provider has been the design of a reconfigurable machine platform which will provide the functionalities and flexibility required by the product-oriented systems. In this paper, a new micro manufacturing platform, i.e. a generic modular reconfigurable platform (GMRP) is proposed in order to provide an effective means for fabrication of high quality micro products at low cost in a responsive manner. The GMRP-based system aims to be a product-oriented reconfigurable, highly responsive manufacturing system particularly for high value nano/micro manufacturing purposes. To reuse components and decrease material consumption, GMRP is characterized by hybrid micro manufacturing processes, modularity of key components, and reconfigurability of machine platforms and key components. Furthermore, a practical methodology for the design of reconfigurable machine platforms is discussed against the requirements from product-driven micro manufacturing and its extension for adaptive production

The Impact of Bank and Non-Bank Financial Institutions on Local Economic Growth in China

This paper provides evidence on the relationship between finance and growth in a fast growing country, such as China.Employing data of 27 Chinese provinces over the period 1995-2003, we study whether the financial development of two different types of institutions - banks and non-bank financial institutions - have a (significantly different) impact on local economic growth.Our findings indicate that only banking development shows a statistically significant and economically relevant impact on local economic growth.growth;financial development;Chinese provinces;banks

Information Sharing and Credit Rationing: Evidence from the Introduction of a Public Credit Registry

We provide the first evidence on how the introduction of information sharing via a public credit registry affects banks’ lending decisions. We employ a unique dataset containing detailed information on credit card applications and decisions from one of the leading banks in China. While we do not find that information sharing decreases credit rationing on average, the distribution of granted credit among borrowers with shared information has a unique pattern. In particular, compared to those with information reported only by this bank, borrowers with extra information shared by other banks receive higher credit card lines. While positive information shared by other banks augments lending of this bank, the effect of negative information shared by other banks is not significant. In addition, the availability of shared information through the Public Registry has mixed effects on how the bank utilizes internally produced information. Last, information sharing alleviates informational barriers in China’s credit card market, but not completely.information sharing;credit availability;credit rationing;credit card

AI for public health: Self-screening for eye diseases

A software-based visual-field testing (perimetry) system is described which incorporates several AI components, including machine learning, an intelligent user interface and pattern discovery. This system has been successfully used for self-screening in several different public environment

Design of a smart turning tool with application to in-process cutting force measurement in ultraprecision and micro cutting

In modern micromachining, there is a need to measure and monitor certain machining process parameters in process so as to detect tool wear in real time, to optimize the process parameters setup, and to render the machining process some level of smartness and intelligence. This paper presents the innovative design of a smart turning tool using two pieces of piezoelectric films to measure cutting and feed force in real time. The tool was tested on its performance through the calibration and cutting trials against the commercial dynamometer. The results show the smart turning tool has achieved the performance as designed