bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gear Quality Assessment Using Magnetic Barkhausen Noise Technique
Authors: Vaidhianathasamy Moorthy  , Shaw Brian Andrew
Published: February 2025

The Magnetic Barkhausen Noise (MBN) technique is considered as a potential Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) method for assessing material properties in case-hardened gears. For gear manufacturing industries, the evaluation of material properties such as tempering induced changes in hardness level and the associated microstuctural changes, variations in case-depth of hardened layer, grinding process induced alteration in microstructure, hardness and residual stress distributions are of primary importance in order to ensure the quality of gears. During the service life of gears, the evaluation of the contact fatigue damage and the assessment of remaining quality life of gears are important in order to prevent catastrophic failures. This paper presents an overview of different research and developmental studies carried out at Design Unit, Newcastle University on the MBN technique suitable for different applications in the evaluation of quality of gears.
Use of Magnetic Barkhausen Noise to Evaluate the Mechanical Properties and Residual Stress
Authors: Kumar Suranjit  , Singh P.K.  , Bhasin V.  , Vaze K.K.
Published: February 2025

Experiments have been carried out to understand the feasibility of using MBN method to estimate the residual stresses and the effect of cold working of steel. In the first set austenitic stainless steel pipe welds of 324mm and 168 mm outer diameters with 25 mm and 14 mm thickness respectively have been used for estimation of residual stress. Pipes are welded using the hot wire GTAW with narrow gap technique. MBN analysis for these pipe welds shows that MBN peak height is sensitive to both microstructure and residual stress. But peak position is insensitive to residual stress however, it varies with micro-structural variation. These pipe welds have the same microstructure and varying residual stress. Second set of experiments are carried out on carbon steel subjected to 10 and 20% cold working and on low alloy steel subjected 8, 10 and 15% cold working. Results shows that rise in MBN parameters like RMS, amplitude and energy is faster till 10% of cold working thereafter it saturates.
Electromagnetic evaluation of metallic fillers – plastic composites
Authors: Grimberg Raimond  , Savin Adriana
Published: February 2025

This paper proposes the description of a simple method for determination of metallic fillers concentration in composite materials laminated, plastic-metallic fillers type. The bulk resistivity and dielectric permittivity measurements of the studied composites have been performed, these measures being less influenced by the fillers concentration. The amplitude measurement of e.m.f induced in the reception coil of the focused transducer with orthogonal coils and their averaging for the scanning of a relative large zone of the composite has proven to be an efficient method. The average amplitude linearly decreases with the increasing of fillers concentration, and has different values for Cu and AISI 316 fillers.
Religious, Extremist and Nationalist Terrorism: a Linguistic and Socio – cultural Approach
Authors: Ciotti Galletti Silvia
Published: February 2025

In the last years many Islamic words have become familiar in the Western countries. Most of them are connected to the religion, history, social structures and traditions of the Islamic world, and are coming from the Holy Qur'$\bar{{\rm a}}$n and other Sacred Isl$\bar{{\rm a}}$m texts. They are a very important cultural and religious heritage for the Muslims. However, the meanings of how these words are used in the many documents and speeches made by radical authors are often fairly different from the traditional meaning. In some cases, most of all in the terrorists' speeches, the significance is totally changed. In this paper, we present the results of a comparative and evaluative analysis, started in 2009 and ended in February 2011, of a selected list of 37 Islamic words, such as Had$\bar{{\rm i}}$th, Im$\bar{{\rm a}}$m, Intif$\bar{{\rm a}}$dah, Jih$\bar{{\rm a}}$d. For every word, four aspects have been analyzed: 1) linguistic and semantic; 2) historical and evolutionary; 3) the word significance in radical thought; 4) stability (in time and space) of the semantic meaning.
Factors Affecting Rates of Terrorism Incidents in Diverse Communities
Authors: Ekici Sıddık  , Akdoğan Hüseyin  , Kapti Alican
Published: February 2025

Terrorism has been a long standing problem in the history of the mankind. Meanwhile the changing nature of our societies has made counter terrorism more complicated. Scholars and policy makers need to keep in mind that diversity has become a natural part of our communities but it necessitates practitioners and policymakers to adopt themselves to the new conditions for successful counter terrorism in diverse communities. This research looks into the issue whether diversity in a community increases the likelihood of terror incidents in a country. Findings are encouraging and reveal that diversity is not an matter that we should fear concerning terrorism incidents.
CAPRA: A Collaborative Problem Solving Model
Authors: Archibald Andrew  , Smith Angus
Published: February 2025

Radicalization to violence remains a critical subset of the terrorist threat to Canada. As the lead agency in the Canadian law enforcement response to terrorism, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) National Security Criminal Investigations Program takes a number of innovative community-based approaches to the problem of radicalization to violence. One of these approaches is a problem-solving model called CAPRA that was developed specifically for application in a community policing environment. Named for its five component steps – Clients, Acquiring / Analyzing Information, Partnerships, Response, Assessment – CAPRA plays a critical role in reaching out to at-risk communities and helping those communities develop workable responses to the problem of radicalization to violence.
The Importance of Local Community Knowledge in Policing Terrorism
Authors: Warnes Richard
Published: February 2025

The attacks of 9/11 caused a focus on the ‘War Model’ of counter-terrorism, which has tended to overshadow the existing role of policing in counter-terrorism. The importance of this role is only now beginning to fully re-emerge. Policing continues to play a critical role in countering terrorism, particularly when this threat emerges from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Such counter-terrorist policing fulfills a number of roles, such as Community Policing, Paramilitary Policing, Investigative Policing, Intelligence Policing, Protective Policing and Tactical Intervention Policing. All these roles are contingent on the engendering of community confidence, which allows police engagement with the community and the development of local community knowledge. Consequently, such local community knowledge, and the intelligence it generates, permeate the various roles in counter-terrorist policing, and are critical to its effectiveness and success.
Countering Terrorism in Ferghana Valley: A Comparative Analysis of Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Tajik Youth Policies as a Measure of Success
Authors: Yuldashev Farhod
Published: February 2025

State youth policy intersects with state policies to prevent radicalism and terrorism in central ways. This paper explores different ways in which youth policies are coordinated and implemented in a culturally, linguistically, and politically diverse region called Ferghana Valley. A comparative analysis of youth policies of three countries, namely Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan that divide up the Valley sheds light into the ways in which terrorism can be prevented by focusing on their social causes, especially those associated with the problems, such as poverty, unemployment, and radicalist socialization that young people experience in their day-to-day lives. The results of the analysis show that it is important to coordinate the youth policies at the national level, while allowing local, international government and nongovernmental institutions to participate in youth policy formulation as well as implementation. A well-articulated youth policy framework at the national government level is important to educate and socialize the youth in accordance with the mainstream values of society.
Operationalizing Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) to treat the Full Spectrum of Pain and Suffering in Wounded Warriors
Authors: Money Nisha N.  , Kaye Michelle L.
Published: February 2025

The healthcare costs for treating pain for wounded military personnel, veterans, and their families have grown exponentially. To either mitigate or completely resolve these issues for both one's personal well-being and U.S. economic practicality and stability, new approaches outside the Western medical model of intervention are required. A number of complementary and alternative healing modalities are providing substantive results in both arenas, thus reducing pharmaceutical and long-term healthcare dependencies and, most importantly, addressing the much-needed physical and psychological challenges faced by military personnel, veterans, and their families.
The Need to Build Sustainable Business Models to Ensure that Telehomecare can Deliver Care
Authors: Goodband Suzanne
Published: February 2025

This chapter discusses the need to develop financially sustainable organizations in order to ensure that Telehomecare is able to support the delivery of care. The author combines her experience in care delivery, health management, health business investment and running companies to introduce a set of challenges facing the successful implementation of Telehomecare in the United Kingdom. She suggests ways to overcome these challenges, in particular, the lack of meaningful evidence that Telehomecare brings about desired health care objectives, the need to simplify Telehomecare by making it more informatics driven and the need to focus on the needs and outcomes for individuals using the system rather than the system itself.
Legal Framework and Its Priorities
Authors: Howsley Roger  , Nikonov Dmitriy  , Sevini Filippo
Published: February 2025

Just over a decade ago, nuclear security was an often overlooked subset of safety. Today, it is on the agenda of heads of states. While this is considerable progress, the rapid inclusion of security into the nuclear apparatus has left a disconnect between safety and security cultures, as well as ambiguous notions of accountability. Roger Howsley has an intimate understanding of these gaps, having worked as a security director at a major nuclear facility. He discusses the work the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) is doing to address these gaps: namely sharing best practices and promoting corporate governance. Dmitriy Nikonov details the driving factors of the nuclear renaissance: energy demand, fuel prices, energy security, a changing attitude towards alternative energies, and climate change. The renaissance has increased the need for enhanced export controls. To address this issue, Nikonov discusses Articles I and III of the NPT at both the national and international level. He further outlines the obligations states have under UNSCR 1540, along with the challenges states face in meeting these obligations. Foremost among these is a lack of dedicated legal basis for implementing regulations at the national level in many countries, which of course stifles implementation. The EU, on the other hand, provides a salient example of successful implementation policies. Filippo Sevini highlights the fact that the EU developed legal framework regarding atomic energy far before the NPT came into force. This framework, namely the Euratom Treaty, established safeguards that now play a role in the design and physical protection of facilities. The success of the legal instruments in Europe has led to the development of programs aimed at improving capabilities in regions neighboring the EU. Many different programs have been started, but a clear focus of every initiative is illicit trafficking of materials.
Technology, Information and Collective Memory: Sustainable Development and Humanities
Authors: Karumidze Zurab
Published: February 2025

Sustainable Development needs to reconsider the essence of technology as such and come up with the holistic vision of the entire venture -- comprehending biology, esthetics, ethics and technology. For putting together such a holistic vision, the Humanities (philosophy, anthropology, arts, literature, education, etc.) can provide some pertinent ideas and practices. Sustainable Development is not only about the energy in terms of electricity, heating, etc. It's also about “social energy” – the energy that moves a society, a community. Here I would like to focus on the source of different kind -- the so-called National Narratives and Collective Memory (Cultural Memory). National Narratives are cognitive instruments that grasp together information into a coherent whole; they organize texts, episodes of the past, symbols, and practices, which make up Collective Memory, into a story. Collective Memory (as a combination of texts, episodes of the past, symbols, and practices) differs from analytic History as an objective discipline. The latter type of tools provide more flexible mediation as they are holistic in essence, based on the synergy of different kind of tools, and give us an access to a wider and more diverse picture of the world. The fusion of renewable energy and innovative technologies with the arts and humanities can provide such synergy, which will lay foundation for the Sustainable Development.
Safety and Stability of the Internet System
Authors: Spentzas Konstantinos N.
Published: February 2025

The scope of this paper is to discuss the safety and stability of the Internet System by use of knowledge from the Theory of Systems. This is achieved by: (a) reviewing fundamental knowledge of the Theory of Systems in order to apply it to the Internet system; (b) applying this knowledge in the case of the Internet; (c) discussing the safety and stability of the Internet System by use of the above-mentioned knowledge. By this approach we show that: a) The Internet is a system only if it operates under rules. b) The Internet is a global system, which means that is a system without environment and as such is subject only to Internal disturbances, which can very easily render it unstable. c) The Internet System can be secure only by implementing rules, which prohibit anonymity of users and force all to work in synergy for the achievement of a common scope, which is communication and diffusion of information and knowledge and d) The Internet System can be safe only by close monitoring its operation and by intervening to prevent the application of destabilizing disturbances by any of its elements.
Truth-telling in Supply Chain Allocation Mechanisms. Simple Prototype Algorithms
Authors: Lazaris A.K.  , Yannakopoulos P.H.
Published: February 2025

Information asymmetry disintegrates the performance of Supply Chains, by inducing misallocation of the available and potential resources, discriminatory pricing and allocation policies leading to winners and losers in the wealth creation game, arbitrage, lead-times variations and unpredictability. We provide the theoretical underpinning that can reinforce truthful information sharing, that is an incentive compatible mechanism. We focus on scenarios about allocating the capacity of a supplier. The theoretical implementation of the mechanism is presented in the form of SSCC protocols, which comprise truthful inputs of all participants, the computation of allocations on the basis of supplier and retailers' profit maximisation, the non-disclosure of inputs and results. Simple commercial protocols for linear and proportional allocation mechanism will be presented as prototypes.
Knowledge Engineering: Quantum Approach
Authors: Archuadze Maya  , Besiashvili Gela  , Khachidze Manana  , Kervalishvili Paata
Published: February 2025

Nowadays quantum models became very applicable in artificial intelligence development. Mathematical basis of quantum mechanics allows its well use for tasks of cognitive informatics: conceptual analysis, learning and information retrieval. For farther development of concepts formation, learning, and information retrieval technologies utilization of quantum methods of contextuality and entanglement, interference, quantum range and semantic similarity are very important: they introduced the new step in information science and technology. In presented paper some methods and tools of quantum information technologies are observed. On the basis of quantum interactions concepts formation and their properties within information retrieval tasks were investigated.
Philosophy of Quantum Information Science
Authors: Kervalishvili P.J.
Published: February 2025

Nowadays quantum information science is in a state of theoretic completeness; much is invested to research quality physical solution for quantum computer and applications, so the field is led by physicists and information science and technology professionals. This field proved its potential and many (including us) believe it is in the right direction to go. In this paper we'll try to present and analyze the philosophy and nature of quantum information science and discuss hot topics around them. Although there is plenty of space for discussion around this field, we will concentrate on some important issues, such as quantum communication, algorithms and cryptography. Communication promises to be one of the directions where huge breakthroughs will be observed (entanglement as communication), algorithms have already shown exponential advantage (Shor's factoring) over classical counterparts and different paradigm of information processing. Cryptography seems to utilize general achievements in quantum information science and make encryption protocols very secure. Quantum computation can be understood as a generalization of classical computation: The possible states of a quantum computer are superpositions of bit strings, where the tensor factor is called a quantum bit or qubit. To evaluate the computational complexity of an algorithm, either classical or quantum, it is necessary to specify a set of elementary operations, the number of which used during the computation quantities the complexity. If we allow arbitrary permutations classically, or arbitrary unitary transformations quantum mechanically, any state can be reached from any other state in a single step. The general kind of quantum computer should be programmed to perform distinctively quantum operations such as generating two bits in a superposition state. An appropriate measurement on the final superposed state of the computer produces a probabilistic behavior of the output, and because of this quantum parallelization does not reduce the average time required for parallelizable computation completion. The development of quantum computing science and technology as well as quantum computers as thinking machines is very dependent on different achievements of modern research in fundamental and applied physics as well as novel mathematical methods and tools.
Mechanizing Game-Based Proofs of Security Protocols
Authors: Blanchet Bruno
Published: February 2025

After a short introduction to the field of security protocol verification, we present the automatic protocol verifier CryptoVerif. In contrast to most previous protocol verifiers, CryptoVerif does not rely on the Dolev-Yao model, but on the computational model. It produces proofs presented as sequences of games, like those manually done by cryptographers; these games are formalized in a probabilistic process calculus. CryptoVerif provides a generic method for specifying security properties of the cryptographic primitives. It can prove secrecy and correspondence properties (including authentication). It produces proofs valid for any number of sessions, in the presence of an active adversary. It also provides an explicit formula for the probability of success of an attack against the protocol, as a function of the probability of breaking each primitive and of the number of sessions.
Interactive Proof: Introduction to Isabelle/HOL
Authors: Nipkow Tobias
Published: February 2025

This paper introduces interactive theorem proving with the Isabelle/HOL system [3]. The following topics are covered:
Terrorism Overview
Authors: Çelik Özden
Published: February 2025

This article discuss the historical evolution and the causes of the terrorism as a form of political violence, by looking at the changing ideology, organization and structure, as well as motives and roots. First, the article examines the historical evolution of the terrorism, together with its goals and motivation. Second, it brings up the difficulties for defining terrorism with emphasizing historical and current challenges. In this part, the main pillars of the common definitions are also presented. Third, the last part of the article is dedicated to explain the main causes of the terrorism, with special attention to contextual, convictional, motivational and facilitating causes.
The 2008 Terrorist Attack on the Kabul Serena Hotel: Lessons from a Captured Suicide Bomber
Authors: Sim Susan  , Jevanathan Jason
Published: February 2025

The suicide attack on the Kabul Serena Hotel in January 2008 was a radical departure from previous terrorist attacks on soft targets. Using interviews with survivors and a captured suicide bomber, the authors have reconstructed the attack to show why the tactic has been used again and again by Taliban insurgents to penetrate well-guarded targets in Kabul and might well have served as a template for the November 2008 attacks on the Taj and Oberoi Hotels in Mumbai by the Laskar-e-Toiba. This essay also offers insights into the recruitment of suicide bombers in the border region and how the ready availability of volunteers has allowed the Taliban to step up the number of suicide attacks without a corresponding increase in lethality.
Methodological Justification and Practical Approaches to Risk Assessment of Emergency Situations (Caused by Natural and Man-made Processes)
Authors: Avagyan Anna A.
Published: February 2025

The paper considers the practical approaches to the risk assessment of emergency situations caused by natural and man-made processes. It determines the concepts and methods of analysis of emergency risks for the population and country, which are based on information technologies, the processing of non-uniformly scaled electronic maps, and modelling the consequences of adverse impacts from natural processes.
Countering Routine and Emergency Secondary Contamination of Treated Wastewater: A Case Study of the Chernivtsi Wastewater Treatment Plant
Authors: Winkler Igor  , Choban Alla
Published: February 2025

Municipal wastewater contains numerous toxic pollutants and can seriously disturb ecological conditions of the receiving water bodies. As the urban population of most European cities is growing, the problem of adequate treatment of wastewater gains more topicality and requires more and more resources. Excessive activated sludge is one by-product of wastewater biotreatment technology. The sludge accumulates many inorganic and organic pollutants which can be released into the environment and cause serious secondary contamination of soils and groundwater as a result of improper collection and/or utilization of the separated sludge. This negative effect can be aggravated by natural decomposition of organic components of the sludge. This paper analyses the influence of routine and emergency secondary contamination of the treated and ready-to-discharge wastewater caused by storage of excessive activated sludge at the Chemivtsi wastewater treatment plant. Quantitative parameters of this influence have been determined and possible ways of mitigation are discussed.
Monitoring the Impact of Human Factors on Surface Waters to Prevent Ecological Disasters: Case Study on Faecal Pollution of Nicolina River, Iasi, Romania
Authors: Ionita Alexandrina  , Toma Ovidiu
Published: February 2025

Recent decades were characterized by an accelerated rhythm of industrialization and urbanization, these implying the rapid deterioration of water courses due to untreated discharges. It has been internationally acknowledged that water problems are severe, this being reflected in the growing international concern. This serious water pollution problem is because much of the sewage in urban areas goes untreated into rivers. As a result, surface waters and groundwater have been increasingly polluted due to industrial and domestic wastewater and agricultural runoff. Contamination of surface waters through the discharge of faecal material is an important water quality problem in many urban environments. The high degree of pollution of the environment as a result of human activities can turn easily into an ecological disaster. This paper examines the impact of human factors on the quality of water courses with a focus on Nicolina River which crosses the city of Iasi and flows into Bahlui River. Faecal indicators were monitored between November 2010 and January 2011 in three different sampling points along Nicolina River. High levels of total and faecal coliform bacteria were present while comparatively low levels of enterococci were found. The results suggest that higher bacterial concentrations at downstream sampling points are strongly associated with human factors.
Energy Aware Consolidation Policies
Authors: Sheikhalishahi Mehdi  , Llorente Ignacio Martìn  , Grandinetti Lucio
Published: February 2025

Green computing denotes energy efficiency in all components of computing systems i.e. hardware, software, local area, etc. Placement of jobs is a critical decision to address Poor Performance, Resource Contention and High Energy Consumption problems. Consolidation policies are one of the sources of information for effective placement of jobs in any computing paradigm. In this paper, we design two energy aware consolidation policies according to workload characteristics to model mainly resource contention among jobs and implement them as host selection policies of a scheduler. We evaluate our policies in HPC and cloud computing paradigms with traces from Parallel Workload Archives. The simulation results show improvements on resource contention metric against the greedy host selection policy.
Remote Utilization of OpenCL for Flexible Computation Offloading using Embedded ECUs, CE Devices and Cloud Servers
Authors: Endt Holger  , Weckemann Kay
Published: February 2025

In the automotive sector, the product cycles are by means longer than in the mobile markets. This often leads to long timeframes for introducing innovations of the infotainment domain in automobiles. In this paper, we present an approach that allows to downsize on-board ECUs to support the typical case of running a specified number of applications while featuring the opportunity to back-off computational power in worst case scenarios. Furthermore, this concept enables car manufacturers to offer new functionality to customers over the complete product-lifetime without the need to upgrade the hardware of ECUs or to have cost intensive automotive high performance hardware available on-board. This is achieved by enabling automotive applications to utilize either built-in computational power, CE (Consumer Electronics) devices like the customer's smartphone or the computational power of cloud servers. Therefore, we extend OpenCL, an industry standard that is supported by many different companies, to work locally on automotive platforms as well as remotely over the network. This becomes possible with the emergence of IP-based in-car networks.
Trajectory-Search on ScaleMP's vSMP Architecture
Authors: Berr Nicolas  , Schmidl Dirk  , Göbbert Jens Henrik  , Lankes Stefan  , an Mey Dieter  , Bemmerl Thomas  , Bischof Christian
Published: February 2025

ScaleMP's vSMP software turns commodity Infiniband clusters with Intel's x86 processors into large shared memory machines providing a single system image at low cost. However, codes need to be tuned to deliver good performance on these machines. TrajSearch, developed at the Institute for Combustion Technology at RWTH Aachen University, is a post-processing code for analyzing trajectories in three dimensional turbulent flow fields. The initial OpenMP version of TrajSearch has been tuned to run very efficiently on the vSMP cluster which exhibits a pronounced NUMA behavior. As a side effect, the code also performs nicely on a more expensive large SGI Altix UV shared memory machine.
On-the-fly Singular Value Decomposition for Aitken's Acceleration of the Schwarz Domain Decomposition Method
Authors: Berenguer Laurent  , Dufaud Thomas  , Pham Toan  , Tromeur-Dervout Damien
Published: February 2025

This paper discusses the low-rank approximation of the Aitken's acceleration of the convergence of the Schwarz domain decomposition method. The singular value decomposition (SVD) of the solution on interfaces at successive Schwarz iterations gives a basis of a low-dimensional space. The error operator of the Schwarz process, involved in the Aitken's formula, is approximated in this space. The efficiency of the Aitken's acceleration depends on the quality of this basis to approximate the exact solution, which is related to the number of iterations involved in the SVD. We use an iterative procedure to compute the SVD simultaneously with the Schwarz process in order to perform the Aitken's acceleration when the SVD satisfies a mathematical criterion.
Balancing CPU Load for Irregular MPI Applications
Authors: Keller Jörg  , Majeed Mudassar  , Kessler Christoph W.
Published: February 2025

MPI applications typically are designed to be run on a parallel machine with one process per core. If processes exhibit different computational load, either the code must be rewritten for load balancing, with negative side-effects on readability and maintainability, or the one-process-per-core philosophy leads to a low utilization of many processor cores. If several processes are mapped per core to increase CPU utilization, the load might still be unevenly distributed among the cores if the mapping is unaware of the process characteristics.
Engineering Concurrent Software Guided by Statistical Performance Analysis
Authors: Grelck Clemens  , Hammond Kevin  , Hertlein Heinz  , Hölzenspies Philip  , Jesshope Chris  , Kirner Raimund  , Scheuermann Bernd  , Shafarenko Alex  , te Boekhorst Iraneus  , Wieser Volkmar
Published: February 2025

This paper introduces the ADVANCE approach to engineering concurrent systems using a new component-based approach. A cost-directed tool-chain maps concurrent programs onto emerging hardware architectures, where costs are expressed in terms of programmer annotations for the throughput, latency and jitter of components. These are then synthesized using advanced statistical analysis techniques to give overall cost information about the concurrent system that can be exploited by the hardware virtualisation layer to drive mapping and scheduling decisions. Initial performance results are presented, showing that the ADVANCE technologies could provide a promising approach to dealing with near- and future-term complexities of programming heterogeneous multi-core systems.
Visualization of MPI(-IO) Datatypes
Authors: Kunkel Julian  , Ludwig Thomas
Published: February 2025

To permit easy and efficient access to non-contiguous regions in memory for communication and I/O the message passing interface offers nested datatypes. Since nested datatypes can be very complicated, the understanding of non-contiguous access patterns and the debugging of wrongly accessed memory regions is hard for the developer.
ParaFPGA 2011 – High Performance Computing with Multiple FPGAs: Design Methodology and Applications
Authors: D'Hollander Erik H.  , Stroobandt Dirk  , Touhafi Abdellah
Published: February 2025

ParaFPGA 2011 marks the third mini-symposium devoted to the methodology, design and implementation of parallel applications using FPGAs. The focus of the contributions is mainly on organizing parallel applications in multiple FPGAs. This includes experiences from building a supercomputer with FPGAs, automatic and dedicated balancing of different tasks on heterogeneous FPGA constellations and designing optimal interconnects between collaborating FPGAs.
Reconfigurable Computing Cluster
Authors: Sass Ron  , Schmidt Andrew G.  , Buscemi Scott
Published: February 2025

The Reconfigurable Computing Cluster project has been investigating broad question of what, if any, role FPGAs may play in parallel computing. While this article does not answer that question but describes the experiences thus far. The main vehicle for research has been Spirit, a small-scale experimental machine consisting of 64 FPGAs connected in 3-D torus. It has been at the core of several focused studies. This article provides a summary of the architecture, the scientific and pragmatic discoveries enabled by the machine, and two more FPGA-based parallel computers that are presently under development.
A case study of the task-based parallel wavefront pattern
Authors: Dios Antonio J.  , Navarro Angeles  , Asenjo Rafael  , Corbera Francisco  , Zapata Emilio L.
Published: February 2025

This paper analyzes the applicability of the task-programming model to the parallelization of the wavefront pattern. Computations for this type of problem are characterized by a data dependency pattern across a data space. This pattern can produce a variable number of independent tasks through traversing this space. Different implementations of this pattern are studied based on the current state-of-the-art threading frameworks that support tasks. For each implementation, the specific issues are discussed from a programmer's point of view, highlighting any advantageous features in each case. In addition, several experiments are carried out, and the factors that can limit performance in each implementation are identified. Moreover, some optimizations that the programmer can exploit to reduce overheads (task recycling, prioritization of tasks based on locality hints and tiling) are proposed and assessed.
Design and Evaluation of a Parallel Execution Framework for the CLEVER Clustering Algorithm
Authors: Chen Chung Sheng  , Shaikh Nauful  , Charoenrattanaruk Panitee  , Eick Christoph F.  , Rizk Nouhad  , Gabriel Edgar
Published: February 2025

Data mining is used to extract valuable knowledge from vast pools of data. Due to the computational complexity of the algorithms applied and the problems of handling large data sets themselves, data mining applications often require days to perform their analysis when dealing with large data sets. This paper presents the design and evaluation of a parallel computation framework for CLEVER, a prototype-based clustering algorithm which has been successfully used for a wide range of application scenarios. The algorithm supports plug-in fitness functions and employs randomized hill climbing to maximize a given fitness function. We explore various parallelization strategies using OpenMP and CUDA, and evaluate the performance of the parallel algorithms for three different data sets. Our results indicate a very good scalability of the parallel algorithm using multi-core processors, reducing the execution time and allowing to solve problems which were considered not feasible with the sequential version of CLEVER.
The BL-Octree: An Efficient Data Structure for Discretized Block-Based Adaptive Mesh Refinement
Authors: Zebrowski Ashley  , Löffler Frank  , Schnetter Erik
Published: February 2025

Adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) algorithms require efficient structures to store and operate upon volumetric grid data that will be used to distribute work among processes. When inefficient algorithms are used, AMR-enabled software may have its scaling negatively impacted as processes are starved for work. We present a variable-resolution octree-based structure which efficiently handles the set operations needed for AMR operations such as calculating process communication schedules and buffer zones. Results indicate a marked improvement in execution times when large amounts of volumetric data are processed, at the price of a structure creation and traversal penalty for smaller amounts of data. The BL-octree (“blocktree”) data structure presented in this paper will therefore be of use in massively parallel AMR environments, where the cost of distributing AMR workloads across many tens of thousands or more processes can be reduced.
Towards Parallelizing Object-Oriented Programs Automatically
Authors: Löwe Welf  , Lundberg Jonas
Published: February 2025

We describe an approach to parallelize sequential object-oriented general purpose programs automatically adapting well-known analysis and transformation techniques and combined with context-aware composition. First experiments demonstrate the potential speed-up. This approach allows sequential object-oriented programs to benefit from modern hardware developments without bearing unacceptable re-engineering costs.
Heap Dependence Analysis for Sequential Programs
Authors: Basak Barnali  , Dasgupta Sandeep  , Karkare Amey
Published: February 2025

In this paper we demonstrate a novel intra-procedural technique for detecting heap dependences in sequential programs that use recursive data structures. The novelty of our technique lies in the way we compute, for each statement, abstract heap access paths that approximate the locations accessed by the statement, and the way we convert these paths into equations that can be solved using traditional tests, e.g. GCD test, Banerjee test and Lamport test. The dependence test also uses a field sensitive shape analysis to detect dependences among heap locations arising out of sharing within the data structure. In presence of loops, the technique can be used to discover loop dependences. i.e. the dependence among two different iterations of the same loop. This information can be used by a parallelizing compiler to transform sequential input program for better parallel execution.
Strategic Communication: Winning and Reassuring Domestic Minds including Minorities
Authors: Mihăilă Viorel
Published: February 2025

Strategic communication is a rapidly evolving concept intended to foster a deeper understanding of the present day communications interactions. In the defense against terrorism, the importance of communicating the right message to the right people is paramount. From a military perspective, and now we are speaking about NATO's perspective, this is trying to be organized and shaped by employing a variety of instruments, mainly now under the umbrella of strategic communication. What we have now is a NATO information strategy, which communicates strategies (for different operations) rather than strategic communications on the defense against terrorism initiative as a whole. At the national level, the situation is not much more different that the one mentioned above. We now have a few new features such as video blogs, web-based TV channels, RSS and podcast, and even some small social media communities. At the national level, communicating defense and security issues could be the context to employ strategic communication to support the fight against terrorism in order to get domestic support.
The Threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction to Homeland Security
Authors: Kibaroglu Mustafa
Published: February 2025

As the world has become more interdependent, no state can stand alone against international terrorism without international cooperation. For international terrorist groups who seek mass casualties, WMD is an attractive option and can be regarded as a ‘low probability, high consequence’ problem. While the number of terrorist groups who would seek and use WMD is limited, those that are seeking them are intent on using them. Although all types of WMD are equally attractive to such terrorist, biological agents are the most cost effective and have many unique features that would appeal to a terrorist attacker. Intelligence on any terrorist group aspiring to WMD must be shared in a timely manner and NATO, along with other international organizations, has set up some initiatives to build cooperation and partnership in the control of proliferation of WMD.
Introduction to Vibrational Spectroscopy in Diagnosis and Screening
Authors: Severcan Feride  , Haris Parvez I.
Published: February 2025

This Chapter introduces the topic of vibrational spectroscopy in diagnosis and screening. A brief background to the key vibrational spectroscopic methods that are in current use is discussed. The historical dimension to the use of vobrational spectroscopy in diagnosis and screening is addressed. Finally, the recent trend in the use of mid-infrared, near-infrared, Raman and Terahertz spectroscopy in various areas of diagnosis and screening is presented.
Characterisation of single molecules in complex biological fluids using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and multivariate techniques: Quantification of low- and high-density lipoproteins
Authors: Huck Christian W.  , Bittner Lukas  , Huck-Pezzei Verena  , Pezzei Christine  , Pallua Johannes  , Schönbichler Stefan
Published: February 2025

As water is a strong absorber in the near infrared (NIR) region, the most efficient way to analyze single molecules in complex fluids is to bind the analyte of interest with high efficiency and selectivity to a well-designed carrier material. This strategy enables on one side the direct measurement and on the other side an increase in sensitivity due to the appearing pre-concentrating effects. In the present contribution, a strategy for the analysis of low and high density lipoprotein (LDL and HDL) in human serum applying NIR spectroscopy and multivariate calibration techniques is described. During method development it is useful to evaluate the feasibility of NIRS for classifying and identifying different analytes by establishing a qualitative principal component analysis (PCA) based cluster model. In case of LDL and HDL analysis, titanium oxide (TiO2) beads offer an efficient material for selective immobilization, including incubation and a washing step. For quantification, a principal component regression (PCR) model of standards in a range from 500–3000 ppm (clinical value is 1500 ppm) and a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model of HDL standards in a range from 100–1000 ppm (clinical value is 400 ppm) are highly efficient. Wavenumber region selection allowed gaining main spectral information between 4000 and 7240 cm−1. For the analysis of real samples it is necessary to analyze HDL and LDL in chronological order by employing precipitation. It is demonstrated that this NIRS method is a highly useful potential alternative or even supplementary clinical method for the fast determination of single molecules in complex biological fluids.
Characterization of Neurodegenerative Protein-Misfolding Diseases using FTIR Spectroscopy and Microspectroscopy
Authors: Miller Lisa M.
Published: February 2025

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the malfunction and/or death of nerve cells, i.e. neurons, in the central and peripheral nervous system. Many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and the prion diseases, involve the misfolding and aggregation of naturally occurring proteins. These aggregates are thought to be toxic to cells, playing a critical role in neurodegeneration. This chapter focuses on how FTIR spectroscopy and microspectroscopy have been used to evaluate the structural changes in these disease-related proteins. It also examines the effects of lipid peroxidation and breakdown, and the disease-related metabolic changes in carbohydrate and nucleic acid composition. Methods for examining these biochemical changes in vitro, in cell culture, and in tissue are described. Finally, recent applications to a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases will be profiled with an outlook toward future advances and uses of FTIR spectroscopic methods for understanding, diagnosing, and treating neurodegenerative diseases.
Characterization of Stem Cells by Vibrational Spectroscopy
Authors: Aksoy Ceren  , Severcan Feride
Published: February 2025

Stem cell studies hold enormous potential for development of new therapies with unique differentiation ability of stem cells into various cell types. In this manner, investigation of stem cells in normal developmental and physiological states as well as in pathological conditions may lead to understanding of disease pathogenesis and development of new cellular therapies. The chemical changes responsible for a stem cell's unique physiological properties have been explored by various invasive techniques. The biological techniques being used for stem cell analyses involve fixing, staining, and chemical drying. All these steps have damaging effect on life processes of stem cells and they do not provide real-time information about cellular conditions. Therefore; newly non-destructive research methods that enable real-time chemical monitoring, high-quality data collection with less experimental complexity and expense must be used for stem cell characterization. In this context, vibrational spectroscopic appoaches can provide promissing alternatives to get new information into the field of stem cell biology, and they can be successfully used for chemical analysis, quantification and imaging of stem cells. The application of new complimentary vibrational spectroscopic aproaches will shed light on stem cell biology and will provide new insigth into stem cell reseaches for future therapeutic and regenerative medicines.
Diagnosis and Screening of Cancer Tissues by Vibrational Spectroscopy
Authors: Krafft Christoph  , Popp Jürgen
Published: February 2025

Infrared and Raman spectroscopy, the most frequently applied vibrational spectroscopic techniques, have advanced in recent years with increasing use both in academia and industry. This is due largely to steady improvements in instrumentation and the availability of chemometrics to assist in the analysis of data. Applications of infrared and Raman spectroscopy in cancer research have developed similarly and this contribution will focus on those applications.
Forensic Applications of Vibrational Spectroscopy on Screening and Characterization of Tissues
Authors: Ozek Nihal Simsek  , Afnan Aliea  , Bueno Justin  , McLaughlin Greg  , Ralbovsky Megan  , Sikirzhytskaya Aliaksandra  , Sikirzhytski Vitali  , Severcan Feride  , Lednev Igor K.
Published: February 2025

This literature review is aimed at discussing advanced vibrational spectroscopic techniques for the examination of evidence in a forensic investigation. Such evidence includes fingerprints, hair, body fluids and, bones. Recent developments in the fields of infrared and Raman spectroscopy have allowed for forensic evidence to be analyzed efficiently with minimal destruction to the sample. With the development of sophisticated techniques such as synchrotron radiation-Fourier transform infrared microscopy and spatially offset Raman spectroscopy in conjunction with advanced statistical analyses, chemical properties of bulk and micro-sized particles can be identified. Vibrational spectroscopy allows for characteristic structural information to be obtained for the molecule of interest and advancements in infrared and Raman spectroscopy in particular have been increasingly important to forensic science due to their ability to detect even trace amounts of evidence.
A Proposal for Evaluating the Privacy Management through “Fair Trade” Metaphor
Authors: Esquivel Abraham  , Haya Pablo A.  , Alamán Xavier
Published: February 2025

This article presents a proposal for evaluating a privacy mechanism in pervasive environments. These environments are capable of sensing personal information anywhere and at anytime. This implies a risk to privacy that might not be assumed if a clear and trustable privacy management model is not provided. We have devised a privacy solution dealing with user's privacy as a tradable good for obtaining environment's services. Thus, users gain access to more valuable services as they share more personal information. This strategy, combined with optimistic access control and transactions registries mechanisms, enhances users' confidence in the system while encouraging them to share their information, with the consequent benefit for the community.