Computer – Based Infrastructure Sector Interdependencies and Security Implications

Traditionally, the analysis of sector interdependencies has involved the characterization of all infrastructure-to-infrastructure interconnections and some of the main infrastructure integrals that, once lost or be tampered with, will compromise the performance and security issues with the other interconnected infrastructures. Therefore, the paper dwells much on the security implications which may be associated with these infrastructure sector interdependencies. This paper also discusses some of the major risk considerations, analytical approaches, researches and the necessary developments needed as well as the interdisciplinary ranges through which the necessary skills are required in the construction of comprehensive sector interdependencies.

Identification of Important FPGA Modules Based on Complex Network

The globalization of hardware designs and supply chains,as well as the integration of third-party intellectual property(IP)cores,has led to an increased focus from malicious attackers on computing hardware.However,existing defense or detection approaches often require additional circuitry to perform security verification,and are thus constrained by time and resource limitations.Considering the scale of actual engineering tasks and tight project schedules,it is usually difficult to implement designs for all modules in field programmable gate array(FPGA)circuits.Some studies have pointed out that the failure of key modules tends to cause greater damage to the network.Therefore,under limited conditions,priority protection designs need to be made on key modules to improve protection efficiency.We have conducted research on FPGA designs including single FPGA systems and multi-FPGA systems,to identify key modules in FPGA systems.For the single FPGA designs,considering the topological structure,network characteristics,and directionality of FPGA designs,we propose a node importance evaluationmethod based on the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution(TOPSIS)method.Then,for the multi-FPGA designs,considering the influence of nodes in intra-layer and inter-layers,they are constructed into the interdependent network,and we propose a method based on connection strength to identify the important modules.Finally,we conduct empirical research using actual FPGA designs as examples.The results indicate that compared to other traditional indexes,node importance indexes proposed for different designs can better characterize the importance of nodes.

Assessing edge-coupled interdependent network disintegration via rank aggregation and elite enumeration

The disintegration of networks is a widely researched topic with significant applications in fields such as counterterrorism and infectious disease control. While the traditional approaches for achieving network disintegration involve identifying critical sets of nodes or edges, limited research has been carried out on edge-based disintegration strategies. We propose a novel algorithm, i.e., a rank aggregation elite enumeration algorithm based on edge-coupled networks(RAEEC),which aims to implement tiling for edge-coupled networks by finding important sets of edges in the network while balancing effectiveness and efficiency. Our algorithm is based on a two-layer edge-coupled network model with one-to-one links, and utilizes three advanced edge importance metrics to rank the edges separately. A comprehensive ranking of edges is obtained using a rank aggregation approach proposed in this study. The top few edges from the ranking set obtained by RAEEC are then used to generate an enumeration set, which is continuously iteratively updated to identify the set of elite attack edges.We conduct extensive experiments on synthetic networks to evaluate the performance of our proposed method, and the results indicate that RAEEC achieves a satisfactory balance between efficiency and effectiveness. Our approach represents a significant contribution to the field of network disintegration, particularly for edge-based strategies.

Percolation transitions in edge-coupled interdependent networks with directed dependency links

We propose a model of edge-coupled interdependent networks with directed dependency links(EINDDLs)and develop the theoretical analysis framework of this model based on the self-consistent probabilities method.The phase transition behaviors and parameter thresholds of this model under random attacks are analyzed theoretically on both random regular(RR)networks and Erd¨os-Renyi(ER)networks,and computer simulations are performed to verify the results.In this EINDDL model,a fractionβof connectivity links within network B depends on network A and a fraction(1-β)of connectivity links within network A depends on network B.It is found that randomly removing a fraction(1-p)of connectivity links in network A at the initial state,network A exhibits different types of phase transitions(first order,second order and hybrid).Network B is rarely affected by cascading failure whenβis small,and network B will gradually converge from the first-order to the second-order phase transition asβincreases.We present the critical values ofβfor the phase change process of networks A and B,and give the critical values of p andβfor network B at the critical point of collapse.Furthermore,a cascading prevention strategy is proposed.The findings are of great significance for understanding the robustness of EINDDLs.

Currencies of greater interest for central Asian economies:an analysis of exchange market pressure amid global and regional interdependence

Central Asian Economies(CAEs)have diverse exchange rate policies.They have recorded higher volatility in the foreign exchange market since inception.High volatility of the transition era has drifted these economies towards partial dollarization.Monetary authorities in CAEs,(already have a challenge of maintaining monetary policy autonomy)have a gigantic task of price stability and stopping the spread of dollarization.This study is directed towards assessing the drivers and the determinants of foreign exchange market pressure in CAEs.The results,based on panel data analysis and the System GMM model,have provided useful insights about the exchange market pressure determinants particularly USD,Euro,Ruble,and Renminbi.The results show that China and Russia exchange market pressure has a negative effect on the exchange market pressure of CAEs.While the dollar index shows a positive impact on the exchange market pressure of CAEs.Overall,the findings imply that China and Russia currency appreciation results in a trade deficit across CAEs.The policy implication suggests that the floating exchange rate regime(inflation targeting regime)is not in favor of CAEs,and they must use managed-float to reduce their trade deficits.

Effects of the Reactive Power Injection on the Grid—The Rise of the Volt/var Interaction Chain

The major challenge to increase the decentralized generation share in distribution grids is the maintenance of the voltage within the limits. The inductive power injection is widely used as a remedial measure. The main aim of this paper is to study the effect of the reactive power injection (by what-ever means) on radial grid structures and their impact on the voltage of the higher voltage-level grids. Various studies have shown that, in addition to the major local effect on the voltage at the injection point, the injection of the reactive power on a feeder has a global effect, which cannot be neglected. The reactive power flow and the voltage on the higher voltage level grid are significantly affected. In addition, a random effect is introduced by the DGs which are connected through inverters (using wind or PVs). Although their operation is in accordance with the grid code, a volatile reactive power flow circulates on the grid. Finally, this study proposes the implementation of the “Volt/var secondary control” interaction chain in order to increase the distributed generation share at every distribution voltage level, be it medium or low voltage, and at the same time to guarantee a stable operation of the power grid. Features of Volt/var secondary control loops ensure a resilient behavior of the whole chain.

A comparative study of the role of solute,potent particles and ultrasonic treatment during solidification of pure Mg,Mg-Zn and Mg-Zr alloys

Ultrasonic treatment(UST)applied during the solidification of pure Mg,eutectic(Mg-Zn)and peritectic(Mg-Zr)alloys was investigated in order to explore the grain refinement mechanisms.Temperature dependent grain refinement is observed in pure Mg where decreasing the superheat temperature(at which UST is applied from above the melting temperature,TM)from 100℃to 40℃produces significant refinement with a uniform grain structure.The presence of solute reduces the temperature dependence of the UST refinement and excellent grain refinement is obtained regardless of the superheat temperature(100℃or 40℃)and even with the use of preheated sonotrode in the Mg-6 wt.%Zn alloy.A further improvement in grain refinement is achieved when the alloy contains potent particles that introduce additional nucleation of grains in Mg-0.5 and 1.0 wt.%Zr alloys(producing an average grain size of≤100μm).At 40℃superheat,UST of Mg-Zn alloys produces excellent refinement(average grain size<200μm)with non-dendritic grains,which is normally achieved only with the addition of grain refining master alloy in the as-cast condition.The enhanced refinement observed in the eutectic alloy is explained through the undercooling imposed by a relatively cold sonotrode combined with high frequency vibrations and acoustic streaming.The advantages of using a cold sonotrode,a low superheat and solute are demonstrated for achieving significant refinement during solidification of Mg alloys under UST without or with a lower addition of grain refining master alloys.

Recovery of coupled networks after cascading failures

With society＇s increasing dependence on critical infrastructure such as power grids and communications systems, the robustness of these systems has attracted significant attention.Failure of some nodes can trigger a cascading failure, which completely fragments the network, necessitating recovery efforts to improve robustness of complex systems. Inspired by real-world scenarios, this paper proposes repair models after two kinds of network failures, namely complete and incomplete collapse. In both models, three kinds of repair strategies are possible, including random selection（RS）, node selection based on single network node degree（SD）, and node selection based on double network node degree（DD）. We find that the node correlation in each of the two coupled networks affects repair efficiency. Numerical simulation and analysis results suggest that the repair node ratio and repair strategies may have a significant impact on the economics of the repair process. The results of this study thus provide insight into ways to improve the robustness of coupled networks after cascading failures.

Effect of Starch/Polylactic Acid Ratio on the Interdependence of Two-Phase and the Properties of Composites

Starch/polylactic acid(PLA) composites were prepared by melt extrusion, with corn starch and PLA as raw materials, glycerol as the plasticizer. Effects of starch/PLA ratio on the interdependence of two-phase and other properties of the composites were studied. The combination of results of TGA with SEM indicated that the interdependence between starch and PLA was increased gradually as the starch/PLA ratio reduced. DSC results showed that the glass transition temperature(Tg), melting temperature(Tm) and degree of crystallinity of PLA in composites were increased gradually, whereas the cold crystallization temperature(Tc) was gradually decreased as the starch/PLA ratio reduced. The rheological properties of composites were closely related with the interdependence of two-phase, with reducing starch/PLA proportion, the interdependence was increased, and then the strain for storage modulus was firstl reduced and then gradually increased. Frequency scanning showed that the storage modulus and complex viscosity were decreased with reducing starch content. As the starch/PLA ratio reduced, the matrix phase PLA was increased, so that the strength of composites was increased gradually, whereas water absorption rate was decreased gradually.

A fiber-section model based Timoshenko beam element using shear-bending interdependent shape function

A fiber-section model based Timoshenko beam element is proposed in this study that is founded on the nonlinear analysis of frame elements considering axial, flexural, and shear deformations. This model is achieved using a shear-bending interdependent formulation （SBIF）. The shape function of the element is derived from the exact solution of the homogeneous form of the equilibrium equation for the Timoshenko deformation hypothesis.The proposed element is free from shear-locking. The sectional fiber model is constituted with a multi-axial plasticity material model, which is used to simulate the coupled shear-axial nonlinear behavior of each fiber. By imposing deformation compatibility conditions among the fibers, the sectional and elemental resisting forces are calculated. Since the SBIF shape functions are interactive with the shear-corrector factor for different shapes of sections, an iterative procedure is introduced in the nonlinear state determination of the proposed Timoshenko element. In addition, the proposed model tackles the geometric nonlinear problem by adopting a corotational coordinate transformation approach. The derivation procedure of the corotational algorithm of the SBIF Timoshenko element for nonlinear geometrical analysis is presented. Numerical examples confirm that the SBIF Timoshenko element with a fiber-section model has the same accuracy and robustness as the flexibility-based formulation. Finally, the SBIF Timoshenko element is extended and demonstratedin a three-dimensional numerical example.

Weighted Gini-Simpson Quadratic Index of Biodiversity for Interdependent Species

The weighted Gini-Simpson quadratic index is the simplest measure of biodiversity which takes into account the relative abundance of species and some weights assigned to the species. These weights could be assigned based on factors such as the phylogenetic distance between species, or their relative conservation values, or even the species richness or vulnerability of the habitats where these species live. In the vast majority of cases where the biodiversity is measured the species are supposed to be independent, which means that the relative proportion of a pair of species is the product of the relative proportions of the component species making up the respective pair. In the first section of the paper, the main versions of the weighted Gini-Simpson index of biodiversity for the pairs and triads of independent species are presented. In the second section of the paper, the weighted Gini-Simpson quadratic index is calculated for the general case when the species are interdependent. In this instance, the weights reflect the conservation values of the species and the distribution pattern variability of the subsets of species in the respective habitat induced by the inter-dependence between species. The third section contains a numerical example.

A Security Enhancement Model Based on Switching Edge Strategy in Interdependent Heterogeneous Cyber-Physical Systems

With the advent of cross-domain interconnection,large-scale sensor network systems such as smart grids,smart homes,and intelligent transportation have emerged.These complex network systems often have a CPS(Cyber-Physical System)architecture and are usually composed of multiple interdependent systems.Minimal faults between interdependent networks may cause serious cascading failures between the entire system.Therefore,in this paper,we will explore the robustness detection schemes for interdependent networks.Firstly,by calculating the largest giant connected component in the entire system,the security of interdependent network systems under different attack models is analyzed.Secondly,a comparative analysis of the cascade failure mechanism between interdependent networks under the edge enhancement strategy is carried out.Finally,the simulation results verify the impact of system reliability under different handover edge strategies and show how to choose a better handover strategy to enhance its robustness.The further research work in this paper can also help design how to reduce the interdependence between systems,thereby further optimizing the interdependent network system’s structure to provide practical support for reducing the cascading failures.In the later work,we hope to explore our proposed strategies in the network model of real-world or close to real networks.

The Last 15,000 Years: Climate-Controlled and “Rare-Event”-Triggered/Rise and Fall of Holocene Cultures in the Near/Middle East and in Central Europe—Evidence and Background

Pushed by the results of a preceding publication on the possibly Quaternary Jebel Waqf as Suwwan Meteorite Crater, Jordan [5], where an amazing coincidence of Rapid Climate Changes (RCCs) with Rise and Fall of Neolithic and Bronze Age Cultures became evident for the Near/Middle East, this paper deals with the same subject, however, relating to the complete Holocene period in the same area and, additionally, in Central Europe as well. By application of modern climatic data [6] comprising isotope analysis (δ18O, 14C, 10Be), acid and aerosol events, and greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4) Greenland ice cores as well as other astro-/geophysical and geological parameters, an overwhelming coincidence/relation/interdependence of both natural and cultural evidences becomes obvious throughout the last 15,000 years across the Northern Hemisphere. Apart from solar output and other astrophysical processes, most important climate- and Earth-related parameters are Mega-Volcanism (i.e.Santorini Greece: ~3640 yr cal. B. P.), Impact Events (i.e. during Mesolithic: ~9600 yr cal. B. P), rapid oceanic current change (DO-Events), and Plate Tectonics (possibly Atlantis-Event: ~11,500 yr cal. B.P. = Pleistocene/Holocene boundary). The most essential parameter is a significant temperature change related to more or less restricted latitude realms of the Northern Hemisphere. Thus, glacier advance/retreat controls the mobility of peoples (i.e. Nations' Migration, Teutonic Empires) and the access to ore deposits (Au, Ag, Cu, Sn, Zn, Pb, Fe) located in Alpine Mountain Ranges (i.e. End-Neolithic, Early Bronze Age). Myths like the Gilgamesh Epos and John Apocalypse convincingly reveal realistic contents relating to natural hazards like tsunamis, impact and flooding events. They unmisunderstandably make obvious that Myths may provide valuable contributions, especially to Geosciences. Some of the controlling parameters interrelate with others or present a kind of hierarchy: Mega-Volcanism/impact events à ejecta à wildfires, heat storms à cosmic winter, sint winter à stop of photosynthesis à mass extinction environmental pollution à greenhouse effects. Significant events (21 cases in total) occurred on i.e.

Scenario-based approach for project portfolio selection in army engineering and manufacturing development

The decisions concerning portfolio selection for army engineering and manufacturing development projects determine the benefit of those projects to the country concerned.Projects are typically selected based on ex ante estimates of future return values,which are usually difficult to specify or only generated after project launch.A scenario-based approach is presented here to address the problem of selecting a project portfolio under incomplete scenario information and interdependency constraints.In the first stage,the relevant dominance concepts of scenario analysis are studied to handle the incomplete information.Then,a scenario-based programming approach is proposed to handle the interdependencies to obtain the projects,whose return values are multi-criteria with interval data.Finally,an illustrative example of army engineering and manufacturing development shows the feasibility and advantages of the scenario-based multi-objective programming approach.

Regional Interdependence: A Model That Needs to Be Integrated in the Functional Evaluation and Physiotherapy Treatment—Part 1

Background: Rehabilitation is increasing the need to use codes in order to make both a functional diagnosis and a therapeutic intervention as correct and targeted as possible. Thus, it is very important to integrate the model of Regional Interdependence (RI) in the classical rehabilitation evaluation methods, since it will be of help for understanding, solving dysfunctional problems, and improving the patient management, which is often difficult given the fact that there is no concordance on functional tests and timing of treatments. The RI should be added to the functional evaluation each time that a patient presents symptoms in a specific location, which interest also distal regions. This is due to the functional and anatomical connections of the myofascial system, vascular, autonomic nervous system (ANS), the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the neuro-immunoendocrine system. The RI can be summarized into three groups that are correlated when it comes to applying it practically: upper, bottom and front quadrant. Adding the concept of RI to the clinical and therapeutically practice, it would have positive effects on improving the quality of life and allocate better health’s resources. The aim of this paper is to make the functional assessment in clinical practice faster and more standardized.

The Design of Supervisory Institutions in the Ming Dynasty and Its Enlightenment to Modern Society

The supervisory system and the examination system are two indigenous political systems of China,and the former has a longer history than the latter when it comes to the origin.Having inherited the essence of the supervisory system since the Qin Dynasty,the supervisory rules in the Ming Dynasty opened a new chapter of legal thoughts of monitoring.This paper started with the design of the supervisory institutions in the Ming Dynasty recorded in the historical materials such as the Memoir of Ming Dynasty and The Interpretive Supplements to"The Great Learning",to get a glimpse of the main content of the legal thoughts of supervisory at that time,and tried to"take history as a mirror"to provide insights and lessons of the legal thoughts of supervisory in the Ming Dynasty for the later generations.

Controllability of heterogeneous interdependent group systems under undirected and directed topology

The controllability problem of heterogeneous interdependent group systems with undirected and directed topology is investigated in this paper. First, the interdependent model of the heterogeneous system is set up according to the difference of individual characteristics. An extended distributed protocol with the external sliding-mode control is designed, under which it is shown that a heterogeneous interdependent group system is controllable when the corresponding communication topology is controllable. Then, using the network eigenvalue method, the driving individuals are determined for a heterogeneous system with undirected topology. Under directed topology, the maximum match method is utilized to confirm the driving individuals. Some sufficient and necessary conditions are presented to assure that the heterogeneous interdependent group system is structurally controllable. Via theoretical analysis, the controllability of heterogeneous interdependent systems is related to the interdependent manner and the structure of the heterogeneous system. Numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.

Dynamic Similarity of Six Bar Ball Tensegrity Structure in Compression and Expansion Processes

Tensegrity structures have identical members in an orientation that have correlated dynamics under external force.To study this interdependent dynamics in different members in compression and expansion processes,it is vital to analyze the dynamics of the whole structure.In this study,six bar tensegrity structure was studied under compression and expansion,and interdependent movement of different members of the structure in both processes was obtained.First,the relationship between external force and members force densities was analytically developed based on the assumption that each bar moves with the same distance when an external force is applied on the six bar tensegrity ball structure along one plane that either compresses or expands the structure.Then,two individual simulations were carried out to analyze the movement of each bar in compression and expansion under the effect of external force,and elongation in all strings was studied in both processes.Finally,comparative dynamic study of different members in compression and expansion of the structure with the effect of external force was performed,which were categorized according to dynamic symmetry.

The Great Lapse: Climate Change, Water Resources and Economic Risks in the Great Lakes

The striking vastness of the world’s largest surface freshwater resource, the Laurentian Great Lakes, has generated the fallacy that they are not highly vulnerable to climate change. This fallacy has created a great lapse in our research and understanding of the effects of climate change on the Great Lakes, which are approaching critical environmental thresholds and jeopardizing ecosystem services. This article takes the novel approach of correcting the disconnect between the perception of vastness and the reality of vulnerability to climate change in the Great Lakes, and takes an additional novel step to link the water risks with the economic risks. The primary purpose is to demonstrate the interdependence of the freshwater ecosystem services affected by climate change with the economies that are highly dependent on those freshwater services in the Great Lakes region. Although many believe that environmental science or ethical arguments should be sufficient to warrant action on climate change, evidence shows that policy-makers are not compelled to generate advances unless there are strong economic components. This article highlights the leading edge of climate science for the Great Lakes, having conducted 32 in depth interviews with experts in microbiology, ecology, and limnology, among others, but it also adds substantively to previous work by providing economic evidence of water risks in the agricultural sector and energy sector, which constitute over $6 trillion in value and jobs that are specifically dependent on lakes waters. The article concludes by articulating three specific conclusions: the economic viability of the agricultural sector and the energy sector are jeopardized by loss of federal funding for climate change adaptation in the water sector;the existing policies such as between sectors such as the Farm Bill and Energy Future Bill are mal-aligned and should be aligned with the water sector;and negative environmental externalities including factors that exacerbate climate change should be incorporated into the true cost of water so we can more accurately conduct ecosystem valuation and, thus, address the true economic and environmental cost of climate change on the Great Lakes and our greatest water resources. This paper has not previously been published.

Autonomy and interdependence: quandaries in research ethics

The autonomy of research participants is crucial in research ethics without which it will be difficult to carry out research. Central to the concept of autonomy is the debate on whether the cultural norms of individuals (particularly women) should be given priority in settings where these norms require that researchers should go through male heads such as husbands and traditional leaders. This paper examines issues relating to the autonomy of women in research ethics. It highlights the far-reaching implications of autonomy for women participating in research using Islam as a religion and Africa as case studies. The paper takes a look at what obtains in Ghana and Nigeria as African countries with diverse religious sects highlighting at the same time the extent to which women are autonomous in some Islamic parts of India and Pakistan. The paper stresses that in spite of certain factors limiting the autonomy of women in Africa and Islam, there is need for a more robust account of autonomy. It takes a relational approach to autonomy concluding at the same time that the best way to do bioethics is to be culture-sensitive.