OpenRaiser/Intern-Atlas huggingface dataset:
Time Synchronization Attack in Smart Grid-Part I: Impact and Analysis
Venue: arXiv cs.CR 2012
Year: 2012

Many operations in power grids, such as fault detection and event location estimation, depend on precise timing information. In this paper, a novel Time Synchronization Attack (TSA) is proposed to attack the timing information in smart grid. Since many applications in smart grid utilize synchronous measurements and most of the measurement devices are equipped with global positioning system (GPS) for precise timing, it is highly probable to attack the measurement system by spoofing the GPS. The effectiveness of TSA is demonstrated for three applications of phasor measurement unit (PMU) in smart grid, namely transmission line fault detection, voltage stability monitoring and event locationing. The validity of TSA is demonstrated by numerical simulations.
Validation of nonlinear PCA
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2012
Year: 2012

Linear principal component analysis (PCA) can be extended to a nonlinear PCA by using artificial neural networks. But the benefit of curved components requires a careful control of the model complexity. Moreover, standard techniques for model selection, including cross-validation and more generally the use of an independent test set, fail when applied to nonlinear PCA because of its inherent unsupervised characteristics. This paper presents a new approach for validating the complexity of nonlinear PCA models by using the error in missing data estimation as a criterion for model selection. It is motivated by the idea that only the model of optimal complexity is able to predict missing values with the highest accuracy. While standard test set validation usually favours over-fitted nonlinear PCA models, the proposed model validation approach correctly selects the optimal model complexity.
Exploiting Channel Correlation and PU Traffic Memory for Opportunistic Spectrum Scheduling
Venue: arXiv cs.IT 2012
Year: 2012

We consider a cognitive radio network with multiple primary users (PUs) and one secondary user (SU), where a spectrum server is utilized for spectrum sensing and scheduling the SU to transmit over one of the PU channels opportunistically. One practical yet challenging scenario is when \textit{both} the PU occupancy and the channel fading vary over time and exhibit temporal correlations. Little work has been done for exploiting such temporal memory in the channel fading and the PU occupancy simultaneously for opportunistic spectrum scheduling. A main goal of this work is to understand the intricate tradeoffs resulting from the interactions of the two sets of system states - the channel fading and the PU occupancy, by casting the problem as a partially observable Markov decision process. We first show that a simple greedy policy is optimal in some special cases. To build a clear understanding of the tradeoffs, we then introduce a full-observation genie-aided system, where the spectrum server collects channel fading states from all PU channels. The genie-aided system is used to decompose the tradeoffs in the original system into multiple tiers, which are examined progressively. Numerical examples indicate that the optimal scheduler in the original system, with observation on the scheduled channel only, achieves a performance very close to the genie-aided system. Further, as expected, the optimal policy in the original system significantly outperforms randomized scheduling, pointing to the merit of exploiting the temporal correlation structure in both channel fading and PU occupancy.
The Power of Linear Programming for Valued CSPs
Venue: arXiv cs.CC 2012
Year: 2012

A class of valued constraint satisfaction problems (VCSPs) is characterised by a valued constraint language, a fixed set of cost functions on a finite domain. An instance of the problem is specified by a sum of cost functions from the language with the goal to minimise the sum. This framework includes and generalises well-studied constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) and maximum constraint satisfaction problems (Max-CSPs). Our main result is a precise algebraic characterisation of valued constraint languages whose instances can be solved exactly by the basic linear programming relaxation. Using this result, we obtain tractability of several novel and previously widely-open classes of VCSPs, including problems over valued constraint languages that are: (1) submodular on arbitrary lattices; (2) bisubmodular (also known as k-submodular) on arbitrary finite domains; (3) weakly (and hence strongly) tree-submodular on arbitrary trees.
Performance of the Google Desktop, Arabic Google Desktop and Peer to Peer Application in Arabic Language
Venue: arXiv cs.IR 2012
Year: 2012

The Arabic language is a complex language; it is different from Western languages especially at the morphological and spelling variations. Indeed, the performance of information retrieval systems in the Arabic language is still a problem. For this reason, we are interested in studying the performance of the most famous search engine, which is a Google Desktop, while searching in Arabic language documents. Then, we propose an update to the Google Desktop to take into consideration in search the Arabic words that have the same root. After that, we evaluate the performance of the Google Desktop in this context. Also, we are interested in evaluation the performance of peer-to-peer application in two ways. The first one uses a simple indexation that indexes Arabic documents without taking in consideration the root of words. The second way takes in consideration the roots in the indexation of Arabic documents. This evaluation is done by using a corpus of ten thousand documents and one hundred different queries.
Exploring Application Logs
Venue: arXiv cs.OH 2012
Year: 2012

This paper deals with the problem of analyzing application event logs in relevance to dependability evaluation. We present the significance of application logs as a valuable source of information on operational profiles, anomalies and errors. They can enhance classical approaches based on monitoring system logs and performance variables. Keywords; event monitoring, operational profiles, anomalies
Query Language for Complex Similarity Queries
Venue: arXiv cs.DB 2012
Year: 2012

For complex data types such as multimedia, traditional data management methods are not suitable. Instead of attribute matching approaches, access methods based on object similarity are becoming popular. Recently, this resulted in an intensive research of indexing and searching methods for the similarity-based retrieval. Nowadays, many efficient methods are already available, but using them to build an actual search system still requires specialists that tune the methods and build the system manually. Several attempts have already been made to provide a more convenient high-level interface in a form of query languages for such systems, but these are limited to support only basic similarity queries. In this paper, we propose a new language that allows to formulate content-based queries in a flexible way, taking into account the functionality offered by a particular search engine in use. To ensure this, the language is based on a general data model with an abstract set of operations. Consequently, the language supports various advanced query operations such as similarity joins, reverse nearest neighbor queries, or distinct kNN queries, as well as multi-object and multi-modal queries. The language is primarily designed to be used with the MESSIF framework for content-based searching but can be employed by other retrieval systems as well.
On the Value of Multiple Read/Write Streams for Data Compression
Venue: arXiv cs.DS 2012
Year: 2012

We study whether, when restricted to using polylogarithmic memory and polylogarithmic passes, we can achieve qualitatively better data compression with multiple read/write streams than we can with only one. We first show how we can achieve universal compression using only one pass over one stream. We then show that one stream is not sufficient for us to achieve good grammar-based compression. Finally, we show that two streams are necessary and sufficient for us to achieve entropy-only bounds.
Mouse Simulation Using Two Coloured Tapes
Venue: arXiv cs.AI 2012
Year: 2012

In this paper, we present a novel approach for Human Computer Interaction (HCI) where, we control cursor movement using a real-time camera. Current methods involve changing mouse parts such as adding more buttons or changing the position of the tracking ball. Instead, our method is to use a camera and computer vision technology, such as image segmentation and gesture recognition, to control mouse tasks (left and right clicking, double-clicking, and scrolling) and we show how it can perform everything as current mouse devices can. The software will be developed in JAVA language. Recognition and pose estimation in this system are user independent and robust as we will be using colour tapes on our finger to perform actions. The software can be used as an intuitive input interface to applications that require multi-dimensional control e.g. computer games etc.
A Sliding Mode Control for a Sensorless Tracker: Application on a Photovoltaic System
Venue: arXiv cs.SY 2012
Year: 2012

The photovoltaic sun tracker allows us to increase the energy production. The sun tracker considered in this study has two degrees of freedom (2-DOF) and especially specified by the lack of sensors. In this way, the tracker will have as a set point the sun position at every second during the day for a period of five years. After sunset, the tracker goes back to the initial position (which of sunrise). The sliding mode control (SMC) will be applied to ensure at best the tracking mechanism and, in another hand, the sliding mode observer will replace the velocity sensor which suffers from a lot of measurement disturbances. Experimental measurements show that this autonomic dual axis Sun Tracker increases the power production by over 40%.
An approximation algorithm for the link building problem
Venue: arXiv cs.DS 2012
Year: 2012

In this work we consider the problem of maximizing the PageRank of a given target node in a graph by adding $k$ new links. We consider the case that the new links must point to the given target node (backlinks). Previous work shows that this problem has no fully polynomial time approximation schemes unless $P=NP$. We present a polynomial time algorithm yielding a PageRank value within a constant factor from the optimal. We also consider the naive algorithm where we choose backlinks from nodes with high PageRank values compared to the outdegree and show that the naive algorithm performs much worse on certain graphs compared to the constant factor approximation scheme.
Partial LLL Reduction
Venue: arXiv cs.IT 2012
Year: 2012

The Lenstra-Lenstra-Lovasz (LLL) reduction has wide applications in digital communications. It can greatly improve the speed of the sphere decoding (SD) algorithms for solving an integer least squares (ILS) problem and the performance of the Babai integer point, a suboptimal solution to the ILS problem. Recently Ling and Howgrave-Graham proposed the so-called effective LLL (ELLL) reduction. It has less computational complexity than LLL, while it has the same effect on the performance of the Babai integer point as LLL. In this paper we propose a partial LLL (PLLL) reduction. PLLL avoids the numerical stability problem with ELLL, which may result in very poor performance of the Babai integer point. Furthermore, numerical simulations indicated that it is faster than ELLL. We also show that in theory PLLL and ELLL have the same effect on the search speed of a typical SD algorithm as LLL.
Intra-bodyhybrid communication scheme for healthcare systems
Venue: arXiv cs.ET 2012
Year: 2012

Intra-body communication (IBC) is a type of Body Area Network (BAN)that utilizes human body as the medium for data transmission. Thelow power requirements of intra-body communication (IBC) as compared to near field electromagnetic waves showed that it can be a suitable solution for Medical Body Area Networks (MBANs) in a mobile health care system.In this paper, we investigate the transmission characteristics of the human body as a conductor of signals by considering different data transmission rates of multi-point to point network in order to reduce overall power consumption of the BAN.Furthermore, we utilize IBC and propose a new scheme to combines Slotted ALOHA, TDMA, and Reservation ALOHA together to increase the throughput and decrease the delay. By using our new hybrid scheme with the movable boundary designed for health status monitoring, we are able to increase the efficiency of data transmission by prioritizing the more critical data from the sensors.
Performance evaluation of beacon enabled IEEE 802.15.4 under NS2
Venue: arXiv cs.NI 2012
Year: 2012

The increasing demand for real-time applications has made the Quality of Service (Qos) support for wireless sensor networks (WSN) a fairly new research framework. In this paper, we propose an extended model of the Beacon enabled IEEE 802.15.4 including the Guaranteed Time Slot GTS allocation mechanism in the aim to analyze and evaluate network performances. Series of extensive simulations were performed to analyze the impact of the Beacon Order BO and the Superframe Order SO on the network performance based on commonly known metrics. In particular, we examine data packet delivery performance and the throughput for different duty cycle rates. Also, we analyze the impact of the number of nodes on collision probability. Thus, for high number of nodes, collision becomes higher and the reachability begins to decline slightly. We discuss and compare simulation results conducted under various parameter settings to the IEEE 802.11 network.
Design and Analysis of a Novel Digital Image Encryption Scheme
Venue: arXiv cs.CR 2012
Year: 2012

In this paper, a new image encryption scheme using a secret key of 144-bits is proposed. In the substitution process of the scheme, image is divided into blocks and subsequently into color components. Each color component is modified by performing bitwise operation which depends on secret key as well as a few most significant bits of its previous and next color component. Three rounds are taken to complete substitution process. To make cipher more robust, a feedback mechanism is also applied by modifying used secret key after encrypting each block. Further, resultant image is partitioned into several key based dynamic sub-images. Each sub-image passes through the scrambling process where pixels of sub-image are reshuffled within itself by using a generated magic square matrix. Five rounds are taken for scrambling process. The propose scheme is simple, fast and sensitive to the secret key. Due to high order of substitution and permutation, common attacks like linear and differential cryptanalysis are infeasible. The experimental results show that the proposed encryption technique is efficient and has high security features.
Algorithmic Applications of Baur-Strassen's Theorem: Shortest Cycles, Diameter and Matchings
Venue: arXiv cs.DS 2012
Year: 2012

Consider a directed or an undirected graph with integral edge weights from the set [-W, W], that does not contain negative weight cycles. In this paper, we introduce a general framework for solving problems on such graphs using matrix multiplication. The framework is based on the usage of Baur-Strassen's theorem and of Strojohann's determinant algorithm. It allows us to give new and simple solutions to the following problems: * Finding Shortest Cycles -- We give a simple \tilde{O}(Wn^ω) time algorithm for finding shortest cycles in undirected and directed graphs. For directed graphs (and undirected graphs with non-negative weights) this matches the time bounds obtained in 2011 by Roditty and Vassilevska-Williams. On the other hand, no algorithm working in \tilde{O}(Wn^ω) time was previously known for undirected graphs with negative weights. Furthermore our algorithm for a given directed or undirected graph detects whether it contains a negative weight cycle within the same running time. * Computing Diameter and Radius -- We give a simple \tilde{O}(Wn^ω) time algorithm for computing a diameter and radius of an undirected or directed graphs. To the best of our knowledge no algorithm with this running time was known for undirected graphs with negative weights. * Finding Minimum Weight Perfect Matchings -- We present an \tilde{O}(Wn^ω) time algorithm for finding minimum weight perfect matchings in undirected graphs. This resolves an open problem posted by Sankowski in 2006, who presented such an algorithm but only in the case of bipartite graphs. In order to solve minimum weight perfect matching problem we develop a novel combinatorial interpretation of the dual solution which sheds new light on this problem. Such a combinatorial interpretation was not know previously, and is of independent interest.
Optimizing One Fair Document Exchange Protocol
Venue: arXiv cs.CR 2012
Year: 2012

This paper presents an efficient fair document exchange protocol. The exchange of the documents will be between two parties. The protocol is based on the verifiable and recoverable encryption of a document's key. This verifiable and recoverable encryption of the document's key will allow one party to verify the encrypted key. It will also ensure this party that the Semi Trusted Third Party will be able to recover the key if the other party misbehaves. The protocol also incorporates the concept of enforcing the honesty of one party. The proposed protocol consists of only three messages and is more efficient than related protocols.
Simple and Efficient Contract Signing Protocol
Venue: arXiv cs.CR 2012
Year: 2012

In this paper, a new contract signing protocol is proposed based on the RSA signature scheme. The protocol will allow two parties to sign the same contract and then exchange their digital signatures. The protocol ensures fairness in that it offers parties greater security: either both parties receive each other's signatures or neither does. The protocol is based on offline Trusted Third Party (TTP) that will be brought into play only if one party fails to sign the contract. Otherwise, the TTP remains inactive. The protocol consists of only three messages that are exchanged between the two parties.
A New Approach for Arabic Handwritten Postal Addresses Recognition
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2012
Year: 2012

In this paper, we propose an automatic analysis system for the Arabic handwriting postal addresses recognition, by using the beta elliptical model. Our system is divided into different steps: analysis, pre-processing and classification. The first operation is the filtering of image. In the second, we remove the border print, stamps and graphics. After locating the address on the envelope, the address segmentation allows the extraction of postal code and city name separately. The pre-processing system and the modeling approach are based on two basic steps. The first step is the extraction of the temporal order in the image of the handwritten trajectory. The second step is based on the use of Beta-Elliptical model for the representation of handwritten script. The recognition system is based on Graph-matching algorithm. Our modeling and recognition approaches were validated by using the postal code and city names extracted from the Tunisian postal envelopes data. The recognition rate obtained is about 98%.
The threshold EM algorithm for parameter learning in bayesian network with incomplete data
Venue: arXiv cs.AI 2012
Year: 2012

Bayesian networks (BN) are used in a big range of applications but they have one issue concerning parameter learning. In real application, training data are always incomplete or some nodes are hidden. To deal with this problem many learning parameter algorithms are suggested foreground EM, Gibbs sampling and RBE algorithms. In order to limit the search space and escape from local maxima produced by executing EM algorithm, this paper presents a learning parameter algorithm that is a fusion of EM and RBE algorithms. This algorithm incorporates the range of a parameter into the EM algorithm. This range is calculated by the first step of RBE algorithm allowing a regularization of each parameter in bayesian network after the maximization step of the EM algorithm. The threshold EM algorithm is applied in brain tumor diagnosis and show some advantages and disadvantages over the EM algorithm.
Dissecting the FEAST algorithm for generalized eigenproblems
Venue: arXiv cs.NA 2012
Year: 2012

We analyze the FEAST method for computing selected eigenvalues and eigenvectors of large sparse matrix pencils. After establishing the close connection between FEAST and the well-known Rayleigh-Ritz method, we identify several critical issues that influence convergence and accuracy of the solver: the choice of the starting vector space, the stopping criterion, how the inner linear systems impact the quality of the solution, and the use of FEAST for computing eigenpairs from multiple intervals. We complement the study with numerical examples, and hint at possible improvements to overcome the existing problems.
Removal of Quantifiers by Elimination of Boundary Points
Venue: arXiv cs.LO 2012
Year: 2012

We consider the problem of elimination of existential quantifiers from a Boolean CNF formula. Our approach is based on the following observation. One can get rid of dependency on a set of variables of a quantified CNF formula F by adding resolvent clauses of F eliminating boundary points. This approach is similar to the method of quantifier elimination described in [9]. The difference of the method described in the present paper is twofold: {\bullet} branching is performed only on quantified variables, {\bullet} an explicit search for boundary points is performed by calls to a SAT-solver Although we published the paper [9] before this one, chrono- logically the method of the present report was developed first. Preliminary presentations of this method were made in [10], [11]. We postponed a publication of this method due to preparation of a patent application [8].
Mobile Web - Strategy for Enterprise Success
Venue: arXiv cs.OH 2012
Year: 2012

Today, enterprises are faced with increased global competition in an environment where customers are demanding faster delivery, better service and also want to gain significant and immediate business value by increasing productivity and reducing operational cost. Spurred by unprecedented customer demand, each Industry cluster has developed its own source of comparative advantage. Even within a single organization, the business value chain is geographically fragmented. Such diversification and fragmentation of value chain drives the need for cross-platform Web applications over mobile channel. Mobile Web is the next logical transition in this evolutionary process and Mobile Web applications will continue to gain more prominence in the enterprises not just to improve the return on investment in their existing system landscape, but also to expand global reach and improve operational efficiency of their mobile workforce. This paper outlines the critical business needs to rapidly create flexible Mobile web solutions across all lines of business. The paper enlightens the benefits offered by enabling web applications on Mobile devices and also addresses the current business challenges in developing Mobile Web applications. This paper is intended for all business domains irrespective of application portfolios.