bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reducing the Energy Consumption of Electric Vehicles
Authors: Skarka Wojciech
Published: February 2025

Currently more and more attention is paid to energy consumption and it is especially noticeable in electric vehicles. Generally, when thinking about the idea of reducing the energy consumption in an electric vehicle there are two methods. The first one is introducing new technical solutions in the design for reducing energy consumption. The second way is driving and performing other maintenance tasks in a manner that reduce energy consumption. A special case of the use of these methods is with vehicles built specifically for energy efficient racing, where the criterion of energy saving is much more critical than in the ordinary, commercial vehicles. The task of ensuring minimum energy consumption during driving is quite demanding and the decisions taken as early as at the vehicle concept stage can have a great impact on the final result. The paper presents the experience of the Silesian University of Technology team gained while constructing the high-performance electric vehicles designed for Shell Eco-marathon, beginning with the selected methodology for the design of such vehicles by solving partial design issues for some components of the vehicle as well as studies carried both on test stands and on the racetrack . Special attention was paid to the method of dealing with the determination when reducing the interaction of design features to evaluate their influence on the energy consumption. The second part of the paper deals with the evaluation of the driving strategy during the race and its impact on reducing the energy consumption. The method to determine the outcome of the set strategy and how to select the race strategy is presented along with the optimal strategy in specific structural and environmental constraints. The paper summarizes a few year experience in the design and testing of two vehicles built for Shell Eco-marathon, which is world famous competition for Prototype and UrbanConcept electric battery powered vehicles.
Cloud-based Project Supervision to Support Virtual Team for Academic Collaboration
Authors: Ito Teruaki  , Kasim Mohd Shahir  , Izamshah Raja  , Nasir Norazlin  , Teoh Yong Siang
Published: February 2025

Concurrent Engineering (CE) aims at the goal of cost and time reduction as well as quality improvement. For this achievement of CE, the collaboration of various activities are considered, ranging from design disciplines, manufacturing and assembly, marketing and purchasing, all the way to the end users. In this respect, collaboration of people from various activities among different locations is crucial to the success of CE, where the collaboration does not mean the activities for industries but also for academia to pursue global research/education. TMAC (TokushimaU UTeM Academic Centre) has been established in September, 2014 in order to enhance the academic collaboration between the two institutions. TMAC is not a satellite office of Tokushima University at UTeM but a joint academic center which is designed to be operated by a virtual team composed of the existing faculties who serve for each institution. In other words, TMAC has a unique organizational structure based on the virtual team across the globe. Therefore, it is a very critical project to figure out how to enhance the global collaboration among TMAC staffs. For enhancing the collaboration, some existing communication tools and collaboration system are already under use. However, a new type of cloud-based computing system is required to satisfy the specific needs of this unique organization. This paper overviews the outline of TMAC and presents an idea of cloud-based supervision system to support virtual team organization for global academic collaboration of TMAC, which could be applied to the similar types of global collaboration.
4.1. Wheel – Vehicle – Step Obstacle Interaction
Authors: Shukhman Sergey B.  , Vantsevich Vladimir V.
Published: February 2025

The problem of overcoming a step obstacle by controlling the power distribution between the driving wheels of all-wheel-drive vehicles is analyzed. A mathematical model for traversing step obstacles by a single wheel that allows calculating the magnitudes of forces , including the torque and the longitudinal direction force that are needed to overcome the obstacle is developed. The results are applied to a 4x4 vehicle with individual distribution of power between the wheels.
4.2. Estimation of Soil Damage
Authors: Shukhman Sergey B.  , Vantsevich Vladimir V.
Published: February 2025

A new method to estimate soil damage caused by vehicles' locomotion systems is proposed and includes the influence of the number of vehicle wheels, location of the wheels along the wheelbase, the distribution of normal load between the axles, driveline and tire characteristics.
5.1. Inverse Dynamics Problems in Vehicle Applications
Authors: Vantsevich Vladimir V.
Published: February 2025

This section presents new inverse dynamics approaches that were established in the course of the author's vehicle dynamics research work. Case studies include an analysis of the influence of a driveline system on the power distribution between the drive wheels and optimisation of the gear ratio of the interaxle differential.
6.1. Treatment of Uncertainties in Multibody Dynamic Systems using a Generalized Polynomial Chaos Approach; Case Study on a Full Vehicle
Authors: Sandu Corina  , Li Lin  , Sandu Adrian
Published: February 2025

In this study we look into the treatment of parametric uncertainties and the response of a vehicle system with several degrees of freedom, using the polynomial chaos approach. The research aims at investigating the accuracy of the method compared with traditional Monte Carlo simulations, and the change in computational efficiency as the number of uncertain parameters and stochastic external excitations increase. A 7 degree-of-freedom full-car dynamic model has been developed. Key parameters of the system have been assumed to be stochastic, with large uncertainties. In addition, the vehicle runs over rough (and undeformable) terrain, with uncertain terrain height. The polynomial chaos expansion and the Galerkin approach are used to quantify the uncertainties and to determine the time evolution of the stochastic system under sole or combined sources of uncertainties.
8. Mechatronics of Vehicle Control and Self-powered Systems
Authors: Khoshnoud Farbod  , de Silva Clarence W.
Published: February 2025

Section 8.1. Mechatronics is a synergistic application of mechanics, electronics, control engineering, and computer science in the development of electromechanical products and systems, through integrated design. A mechatronic system consists of sensors and transducers, actuators, and controllers. In developing a mechatronic system, modeling, analysis, integrated design, deployment, testing and refinement tasks are carried out. This section addresses Characteristics of a Mechatronic System, Motivation for Mechatronic Design, and Modeling Needs in Mechatronics.
9.3. Tire Modelling
Authors: Blundell Mike
Published: February 2025

This Section introduces the area of tire modelling with a focus on the modelling of tire behavior to support the simulation of vehicles both on-road and off-road. For on-road work the emphasis is on empirical models, for off-road work the emphasis is on the physical modelling of the tire. The most recognized tire models in these areas, the Magic Formula and FTire are both also briefly introduced.
2.2. Terrorist Threats, Agile Vehicle Trajectory Deviation and Critical Reposition in Interaction with Environment
Authors: Vamvoudakis Kyriakos G.  , Hudas Gregory R.
Published: February 2025

Security problems have emerged as soon as computers and networks entered our life and started to hold sensitive information. However network security of teams of vehicles still remains an open research problem despite its vital importance. This is because networked systems are difficult to observe and control even by expert users. Game theory provides an excellent framework to study network security problems because it captures the interlock between defensive and offensive algorithms. Network security can be viewed as a strategic game played between malicious attackers that manipulate data or compromise functionality and defenders whose aim is to protect information and maintain proper service operation. The security game framework is applicable to security problems in a variety of areas ranging from intrusion detection to social, wireless, and vehicular networks. This chapter introduces two different types of attacks (threats). Namely we consider measurement (vehicle trajectory deviation) and jamming attacks compromising the security of the networked teams. We propose two new techniques based on reinforcement learning to guarantee desired behavior in the presence of those attacks.
European Union's Counter-Terrorism Policy and the Problem of Lone Actors
Authors: Pavlov Nikolay
Published: February 2025

The paper explores the problem of lone actor terrorism in the context of the evolving counter-terrorism policy of the European Union. As e relatively new security threat in the European Union lone actor terrorism has not been adequately addressed in relevant strategic documents, legal acts and policies. The need for an ideological approach in countering lone actor terrorism at the European level is emphasized.
Lone Wolves and Black Sheep in the Modern Urban Jungle – Loneliness as a Source for Terror Threats in Modern Cities
Authors: Vaturi Asher  , Sharan Yair
Published: February 2025

Recent terror acts took place in cities like Sydney, Australia; New York, U.S.A.; Ottawa, Canada; Oslo, Norway, Copenhagen, Denmark and more. These events were carried out by individuals who acted alone, the so called “lone wolf”. The motivations of these loners vary. For some, their relationship with society provided the backdrop for violence. Many of them were left behind and became the “black sheep” of society. Urban terrorism and especially lone actor terrorism has become an important phenomena and a significant threat to urban society worldwide. This behavior of some of the terrorists is rooted in their low quality of life and in their inability to integrate into society. This paper first discusses the roots of loneliness of individuals in modern urban areas and then examines the approach of “new urbanism” as a possible solution to address this phenomenon.
The Terrorist and Violent Extremist Threat to the U.S. and NATO
Authors: Banks Anthony J.
Published: February 2025

Africa is becoming more and more of a concern on the counterterrorist front. The U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) has been stood up to address the military issues associated with this continent, with counterterrorism foremost. The command has identified a number of trends that will affect the continent in the coming 10 years and developed a plan consistent with U.S. national guidance to address these concerns and help Africa and African nations develop. The security landscape in North Africa is extremely complex and has to be considered in a broader context. The only effective response to a networked problem is a networked solution, comprised of partnerships focused on shared goals and desired outcomes.
The Changing Nature of North African Terrorism
Authors: COE-DAT Staff
Published: February 2025

Terrorism in North Africa is not a stagnant phenomenon but one that is constantly evolving with changing conditions. Whereas previously these organizations were nationalistic in nature, now there are more international connections, including with drug trafficking, that may herald a drift away from ideology and reflect a more criminal approach. Most of the opposition to governments is rooted in broken promises of development. There were two major turning points in the past that have resulted in the situation of today. The first was the overthrow of the Iranian Shah in 1979 and the second was the return of “Arab Afghans” in the late 1990s. These two events energized the opposition to north African governments that chance was possible. If this phenomena is to be defeated, it is necessary to use troops coupled with other programs to address real needs.
Embodied Ambient Intelligent Systems
Authors: Hanke Sten  , Tsiourti Christiana  , Sili Miroslav  , Christodoulou Eleni
Published: February 2025

The information and communication technology (ICT) we interact with in daily life is more and more distributed in the environment (the so called intelligent space). Most of these devices have increasing calculation capacity and therefore the potential to contribute to an overall distributed calculation power and therefor a processing intelligence. These so called intelligent nodes can for example provide context information (sensors) or act as an interface through which we interact with the whole system. At the same time interaction with such ambient intelligent systems gets more and more complex. The interaction with the system is not any more human to single machine, like we were used in the interaction with the personal computer (PC) or personal device, it's an interaction with a system which is around us and ubiquitously distributed in our surroundings.Research projects are currently investigating the possibility of users interacting with avatars. The advantage of avatars is, that the systems gets an embodiment and a personality. The complexity of the underlying distributed system is hidden from the user. The user is interacting in a natural dialogue with a system which has a personality, cognitive and effective capabilities, human like memory structures as well as perception and awareness. The paper presents the concept of ambient intelligent systems and the challenges regarding user interaction. It shows how the interaction of such systems can be improved by the embodiment of an ambient distributed system. Based on three current research projects working with avatars this concept is explained and first results are presented.
Panel Session on Energy Geo-Engineering
Authors: Falcão Flávia  , Mack Mark  , Pereira Jean-Michel  , Sanchez Marcelo
Published: February 2025

This paper presents the contributions from the three invited panelists of the Panel 1-C on ‘Geo-Engineering for Energy’; organized by the ISSMGE TC308 on ‘Energy Geotechnics’ in the framework of the XV Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, hold in Buenos Aires between 15thto 18thNovember 2015. This contribution also presents a brief description of the TC308 activities, as well as the questions suggested to the invited panelists.
Hydraulic Fracturing of Unconventional Reservoirs: Design and Evaluation
Authors: Mack Mark
Published: February 2025

The most significant development in upstream oil and gas in the last decade has been the surge in development of unconventional resources, especially shale oil and gas. Hydraulic fracturing (the most important stimulation technique in these reservoirs) has evolved rapidly, mostly through operational trial and error. The primary challenge to economically optimal development of unconventional resources is the current inability to reliably predict production from individual wells, and hence to make stimulation design decisions for the specific well or area. One of the largest impediments to such predictions is the limited knowledge of the pre-existing fracture network and its impact on the success of stimulation treatments. Microseismic data, and the rigorous inclusion of the DFN into hydraulic fracture design and simulation tools is critical to removing this impediment.
Compaction Characteristics and Physical Properties of Compacted Soil Controlled by the Degree of Saturation
Authors: Tatsuoka Fumio
Published: February 2025

The conventional fill compaction procedure usually controls the dry density ρdand the water content w referring to the maximum dry density (ρd)maxand the optimum water content woptdetermined by laboratory compaction tests performed at a certain compaction energy level (CEL). However, (ρd)maxincreases and woptdecreases with CEL, while, since Proctor (1933), CEL practically available in the field has been increasing and the required ρdvalue has generally been becoming higher for more satisfactory performance of soil structures. Besides, the values of (ρd)maxand woptchange with soil type. In a single earthwork project, the actual CEL and soil type may vary and it is very difficult to accurately estimate the field CEL and identify the actual soil type at a given moment at a given place. Therefore, the actual values of (ρd)maxand woptare usually unknown. On the other hand, the optimum degree of saturation (Sr)optdefined as Srwhen (ρd)maxis obtained for a given CEL and the ρd/(ρd)maxvs. Sr−(Sr)optrelation are rather independent of CEL and soil type. The unsoaked and soaked strength and stiffness and the saturated hydraulic conductivity are a function of ρdand compacted Srnot including CEL as a variable. It is proposed to control Srof compacted soil to be close to (Sr)optand ρdto be large enough to achieve the physical properties required in design, together with pre-compaction control of water content.
Monotonic and cyclic behaviour of weakly cemented sands
Authors: Vranna Antigoni D.  , Tika Theodora
Published: February 2025

This paper presents a laboratory investigation into the undrained monotonic and cyclic response of weakly cemented sands. To this end, undrained monotonic compression and cyclic triaxial tests were performed on a clean sand, with cement contents ranging from 1% to 8% by weight of dry soil. The test results show that cementation has a significant effect on both monotonic and cyclic behaviour. At a given density and effective confining stress, increasing cementation results in the increase of both the monotonic undrained shear strength and cyclic resistance, as well as the transition of soil behaviour from contractive to a more dilative one.
Numerical Analysis of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Models for Shallow Foundations
Authors: Aiassa Martinez Gonzalo  , Useche Infante Danny  , Arrua Pedro  , Eberhardt Marcelo
Published: February 2025

One of the most effective alternatives to improve the bearing capacity of soft soils is to replace part of their materials with granular soils reinforced with geosynthetics, which have much higher resistance parameters. The behavior of granular soils including geosynthetics has been largely documented by various investigations around the world and these have concluded that this type of treatment decreases settlements and increases the bearing capacity of the soil to the loads from shallow foundations. This is achieved by the tensile strength that the geosynthetic provides to the soil-geosynthetic composite material. A bibliographic review is presented about geosynthetic reinforced soil including experimental results, numerical and analytical models for mechanical behavior prediction under shallow foundations [1, 2 and 3]. The different parameters governing soil-geosynthetic interaction are listed. Certain models have been selected and implemented numerically. The parameters of these models were adopted according available results for Córdoba sands and gravels. Through the different models studied, the settlements and ultimate bearing capacity of the reinforced soil were analyzed, depending on the type and geometry of the foundation as well as the type, quantity and spacing of geosynthetic layers. The purpose of this study is to perform the numerical implementation in MATLAB of mathematical models to simulate the mechanical behavior of soil-geosynthetic system under shallow foundations. The parameters of models were selected for typical granular soils commonly used in compacted embankments for shallow foundations in Córdoba, Argentina. The most commonly used material corresponds to river sand. The geosynthetics considered refer to geotextiles and geogrids available commercially.
The Effect of Fine Content and History of Hydraulic Loading on the Characterization of Suffusion Sensibility of Cohesionless Soil
Authors: Rochim Abdul  , Marot Didier  , Sibille Luc  , Bendahmane Fateh
Published: February 2025

Suffusion involves a selective erosion of fine particles in a soil by the water seepage in the matrix formed by coarser particles. This phenomenon can induce a change in particle size distribution, porosity and hydraulic conductivity of the material. With the objective to characterize the soil sensibility and propose suffusion sensibility classification, a series of one-dimensional downward seepage flow tests was realized with an erodimeter. Tests were performed under controlled hydraulic gradients in binary mixtures of sandy gravel soils. Two controlling parameters were used: 1) fine content and 2) hydraulic loading history. An analysis based on energy induced by the seepage flow is proposed to characterize the hydraulic loading and the cumulative eroded dry mass to characterize the soil response. The results show that for a given soil different hydraulic loading histories result in different soil sensibilities. Soils with the lowest fine contents tend to require larger flow energy for the development of erosion. These results demonstrate that this approach is effective to characterize suffusion sensibility for cohesionless soils.
Experimental investigation of wave propagation in three dimensions in unbounded particulate assemblies
Authors: Hamlin Simon  , Ibraim Erdin  , Lings Martin  , Muir Wood David  , Cavaretta Ignazio  , Camenen Jean Francois
Published: February 2025

Understanding wave propagation through soils is essential for site response analysis in earthquake engineering, interpretation of geophysical surveys and SASW (Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves), interpretation of laboratory bender element tests, etc. Analysis of wave propagation has largely been based on continuum descriptions and two dimensional analyses. This study presents recent developments in multiaxial testing that permit the combination of laboratory seismic testing with exploration of three-dimensional principal stress space. A Cubical Cell Apparatus with bender-extender piezoceramic elements fitted in all six faces are used so that wave propagation velocities of an analogue granular material can be determined. The results of a first series of wave propagation tests for a sample under isotropic confinement are presented.
Early age cemented paste backfill stiffness development
Authors: Festugato Lucas  , Consoli Nilo Cesar  , Fourie Andy
Published: February 2025

Paste filling is a process utilized in many underground mining operations. This involves the filling of tall underground voids with a free flowing combination of mine tailings, water and cement. In order to evaluate early age stiffness development, hydration tests were carried out on cemented mine tailings mixtures. The hydration test involved preparing a sample in a triaxial cell and may be used to gather the relevant properties relating to stiffness development, permeability and self-desiccation. This study was focused on the stiffness development. The mixtures were prepared in a slurry form and therefore to support the material in this state a perforated mould was utilized. The samples were poured into a membrane that was supported by this mould and after sealing the sample the mould was left in the instrument for the duration of the test. Bender elements were attached to the end platens. These are used to excite small shear waves through the sample that may be recovered by the receiver element at the opposite end of the sample. The speed of shear wave could then be used for an estimative of the materials small strain shear stiffness over time. The tailings, produced from gold mining, are classified as sandy silt with traces of clay and were cemented with different amounts of Portland cement, ranging from 3% to 10% by dry weigh of soil. From the moment of the materials mixture up to about 170 hours, the results showed the evolution of initial stiffness values raise logarithmic over time and increase with the increase of the cementation level.
Creep and Stress Relaxation Envelopes of Granular Materials in Direct Shear
Authors: Duttine Antoine  , Salotti Alice  , Tatsuoka Fumio  , Ezaoui Alan
Published: February 2025

The behaviours of creep and stress relaxation (SR) during otherwise monotonic loading (ML) drained direct shear (DS) at a fixed shear displacement rate of air-dried specimens of three types of clean sand and a gravel having different particle shapes were evaluated and compared. As the particles become rounder, the grading becomes more uniform, as the specimen becomes looser and as the shear displacement becomes larger, the viscous property type deviates more from Isotach type. The SR envelope comprising multiple stress-shear displacement states reached after stress relaxation is always located considerably below the creep envelope reached by a creep process for the same duration of time. The difference becomes larger as the viscous property becomes less Isotach.
Soil-pile interaction during pile installation. Observations from x-ray tomography and 3D-DIC
Authors: Silva Matias  , Combe Gaël
Published: February 2025

The mechanisms behind the installation of a driven pile in sands are complex and difficult to identify from field tests. Phenomenon such as grain breakage, local variations in sand density, pile abrasion and arching effects, are commonly studied through indirect methods or by using small laboratory models. This article presents the results of an experimental laboratory research devoted to the analysis of the soil kinematics during the installation of an uninstrumented close-ended model pile in a specimen of siliceous sand. The research has focused on understanding the micromechanical aspects of the installation process by focusing on sand-pile interaction around the pile's tip. A three dimensional displacement field was obtained with the combined use of x-ray tomography and three dimensional digital image correlations. The results show two well-identified zones where the displacement and therefore strains concentrate. The interaction of these zones, which are linked by consecutive phases of sand contraction and extension as the pile embeds into the sand, gives new ideas about the mechanisms controlling the pile shaft friction.
Aging of Sand Grain Contacts at Microscale: Numerical Study
Authors: Wang Zhijie  , Michalowski Radoslaw
Published: February 2025

Sands change their properties over time even under constant loads: they age. The changes include increase in small strain stiffness and the resistance to cone penetration. Mechanisms behind aging have been proposed in the past, but none has gained wide acceptance. Previous research did not produce sufficient information about the behavior of individual contacts between grains. A static fatigue hypothesis is adopted here, which attributes aging of sand to evolution of micromechanical properties at grain contacts, caused by delayed fracturing of textural features at grain surfaces. A distinct element model of a small portion of an inter-grain contact region was constructed; the solid material of the grain was modeled with an assembly of sub-particles bonded together with the parallel-bond stress corrosion model (PSC), which is able to mimic the stress corrosion process at the near-surface grain region. The surface at the contact was generated with a random topography to simulate the rough sand grain surface. Numerical static fatigue tests were conducted on this model, where normal load was applied by a rigid plate and was kept constant throughout the test. The true contact area was monitored in term of the number of contact points, as stress corrosion developed. The results provided useful information regarding evolution of grain contacts, which in turn, shed light on the mechanisms of sand aging.
Model for Predicting and Controlling Creep Settlements with Surcharge Loading
Authors: Yuan Yixing  , Whittle Andrew J.  , Nash David F.T.
Published: February 2025

It is well known that long-term, creep settlements of embankments on clay can be reduced through prior surcharge loading. This behavior can be explained by considering the relationship between creep properties and stress history of the clay, and is broadly consistent with the isotache framework of soil behavior, which assumes a unique relation between the effective stress, strain and strain rate (Suklje, 1957). However, most existing isotache models tend to overestimate the creep strains measured after surcharge loading, because these models assume isotaches are equally spaced in terms of ratios of strain rates, and imply a constant value for the secondary compression coefficient, Cαϵ. This paper presents a simple modification of the standard isotache concept using two material input parameters that are readily obtained from creep measurements of lightly overconsolidated clay specimens in 1-D laboratory oedometer tests. Data from creep tests on a low plasticity clay from Salt Lake City (Ng, 1998) are then used to develop relationships between the surcharge-induced overconsolidation ratio (OCR) and the subsequent creep property,, and initial creep strain rate,. The proposed relationship indicates a significant reduction inwith surcharge loading as compared to the normally consolidated value Cαϵand hence, can provide a more realistic basis for predicting and controlling long-term settlements using surcharge loads. Comparisons are made with tests on reconstituted Bothkennar clay, which exhibit very different creep behavior. This highlights the need for future tests on high quality natural clay samples to clarify the creep behavior for a wide range of OCRs and to validate the performance of the proposed model.
Effect of treatment on the microstructural characteristics of bio-improved sand
Authors: Terzis Dimitrios  , Laloui Lyesse
Published: February 2025

Bio-chemical processes have recently become the core of several studies in the geoengineering field, where the emphasis is placed on new and emerging applications. Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation has been introduced as an alternative cementation mechanism for soils, and it is studied for its potential to offer substantial and environment-friendly solutions for soil improvement. In this paper, we focus on the microstructural characteristics of the new geo-material, which is engineered after harnessing a treatment process including multiple injections of bacteria and chemical solutions, which ultimately induce the formulation of calcite particles inside the soil matrix. Obtaining detailed knowledge of the local structural properties of the precipitated nuclei is considered an essential factor because calcite particles affect the macroscopic mechanical response with the foreseen increase in strength and stiffness, which are attributed to the precipitated mass and its geometrical arrangement. The main objective of this study is to elucidate the role of the calcium chloride concentration on the yielded precipitation and clarify some of the predominant fabric characteristics of the new structure. For this purpose, microstructural observations with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used. Here, calcite mesocrystals, i.e., aggregates of single particles, are identified as a distinct form of precipitates that provide the crucial grain-to-grain contact surfaces. The cemented samples were subsequently subjected to undrained triaxial shear. The results show the increase in peak strength at low strains, followed by a brittle fracture and post-yield softening.
Probabilistic Model Checking
Authors: Baier Christel
Published: February 2025

Probabilistic model checking is a fully automated method for the quantitative system analysis against temporal logic specifications. This article provides an overview of the main model-checking concepts for finite-state discrete-time Markov chains.
Programming by Examples
Authors: Gulwani Sumit
Published: February 2025

Programming by Examples (PBE) has the potential to revolutionize end-user programming by enabling end users, most of whom are non-programmers, to create scripts for automating repetitive tasks. PBE involves synthesizing intended programs in an underlying domain-specific language (DSL) from example based specifications (Ispec). We formalize the notion of Ispec and discuss some principles behind designing useful DSLs for synthesis.
Equivalence - Combinatorics, Algebra, Proofs
Authors: Seidl Helmut  , Maneth Sebastian  , Kemper Gregor  , Engelfriet Joost
Published: February 2025

One particular instance of reasoning about the semantic correctness of programs is to prove that two programs in fact are equivalent, where the notion of equivalence may be relativized w.r.t. the set of observations of interest to be made about the behavior of the code.
Parametric Sizing of Tube Wall Thickness from Multi-Frequency Remote Field Eddy Current Signals
Authors: Thirunavukkarasu S.  , Rao B.P.C.  , Joseph Manu  , Gopalakrishnan N.  , Mukhopadhyay C.K.  , Jayakumar T.
Published: February 2025

This paper presents a nonlinear parametric approach for simultaneous estimation of depth and length of uniform wall loss grooves from the RFEC phase signals. The nonlinear parametric equation has been arrived after detailed analysis of the model predicted RFEC phase signals of grooves of different dimensions. The performance of the approach has been validated and accurate sizing of depth of the grooves within a maximum absolute error of ±0.03 mm has been achieved.
Agents of Peace or Conflict? The Role of Civil Society Actors in Conflict Management
Authors: Fialová Zuzana
Published: February 2025

Conflict management, especially when taking into consideration civil war or international violent conflict, can be effective and sustainable only when it is rooted in local social structures. Civil society actors can be agents of peace or, on the contrary, can bring about conflict escalation and violence. Economic and social development should be included in conflict management strategies. However, very often this becomes a dividing factor when development is not inclusive and its benefits are not distributed fairly. Disrespect for human dignity is often what escalates a conflict. On the other hand, education, employment, and prospects for a better life are what motivate people to build peace. Development organizations apply “Do No Harm” principles so as not to contribute to local conflicts by unfair distribution of resources or power. It is crucial to build peace via the action of local people who have already got the trust of their communities (community leaders, mobilizers, teachers, elders, etc.). Such people or organizations, especially if have done any kind of successful community development work before, have the potential to be “the connectors” in resolving the conflict. Peace can be achieved neither from outside nor from above. Nevertheless, conflict may serve as a catalyst to mobilize civil society. The growth of volunteerism and social activism in Ukraine serves as proof. International assistance in conflict management should focus on strengthening the local capacities for building peace.
Do they deliver what they promise? The capability-expectation gap in the perceptions of regional security actors in the post-Soviet space
Authors: Axyonova Vera
Published: February 2025

The ongoing crisis in Ukraine has demonstrated the absence of an effective system of conflict prevention in Europe. The development of regional security arrangements within the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the European Union (EU) has not led to the creation of a comprehensive regional security architecture. But does this mean that the regional organizations have failed in providing security to their members and beyond? What instruments do they have to meet security challenges? And are the organizations perceived as serious security providers within former Soviet states, where they engage in conflict resolution and other security related activities?
The Future in the Past: Lessons from Ukraine for the Future
Authors: Dunay Pál
Published: February 2025

This chapter will address the role of certain European and Euro–Atlantic organizations in European security, in light of recent developments and with a view to the future. It is necessary to emphasize that this analysis will thus necessarily remain partial and lop-sided. It is beyond the scope of this chapter to take into account the role played by universal international organizations in conflicts on the “old continent.” Neither will it take into account other regional organizations such as the Council of Europe, or those institutions that have been established in the former Soviet area and which have played practically no role in conflict management (understandably, given the strong hegemonic dominance of Russia in the decision-making of organizations such as the CIS, CSTO or the EaEU).
The EU and conflict management – a closing window of opportunity?
Authors: Lundin Lars-Erik
Published: February 2025

The lack of systematic and steady attention received by the conflict management paradigm has arguably been very costly to the EU and to the international community. The European Union and its Member States are now faced with a seemingly overwhelming number of problems. Illustrating with examples taken from post-Cold War developments in and around Europe, this chapter elaborates on the argument that conflict management remains an insufficiently prominent paradigm in EU external action. What is proposed is not that the conflict management paradigm alone should be at the centre of attention, but that it should be promoted more prominently in synergy with other policy perspectives.
NATO and its Conflict Management Toolbox
Authors: Tuohy Emmet
Published: February 2025

Originally designed as a strictly defensive military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's role has evolved and broadened in the years since the Cold War. This chapter first reviews the history of NATO's understanding of conflict resolution and conflict management (CR/M), analyzing how the Alliance's strategic conception of its non-collective-defense functions has evolved from a vague awareness of the threats arising from phenomena such as state collapse into a fully comprehensive doctrine. It then discusses the items in NATO's expansive conflict management toolbox, one that includes a comprehensive range of political, civilian, and military measures as well as effective coordination procedures. Finally, it focuses on Ukraine as an example of what NATO can – and cannot – do during the different phases of the modern conflict cycle, reviews the Alliance's contributions to Ukrainian security sector reform, and concludes that political will is the essential ingredient in any successful CR/M effort.
Russian Hybrid Warfare: Not New, Well-Accomplished, and Limited in Scope
Authors: Shapiro Joel
Published: February 2025

Hybrid warfare is actually nothing new, despite the fact that observers were initially surprised at the coordinated and disciplined political-military approach that encompassed Russia's forays in Crimea in 2014. The year before, General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the Russian General Staff, noted in an article that, “Methods used in struggle are increasingly changing in favor of political, economic, information, humanitarian and other non-military means, including the use of the protest potential of the population.” Russia's “hybrid” warfare is thus a mixture of unconventional acts (initially) short of war, secret operations backed by military force, and a major information warfare campaign, that also includes a cyber-warfare aspect. This approach will only work well in specific areas of the near abroad where ethnic Russians, or possible proxies, live. It also worked best in specific Ukrainian conditions (a new, paralyzed and confused government without a clear mandate) that will likely not be reproduced elsewhere. The Baltic States and the EU are quite aware of the danger as is NATO, which is constantly exercising in the Baltics. A key issue is how would NATO recognize an ambiguous “hybrid” attack that would require an Article V response? Russia continues to wage a massive propaganda and information warfare campaign with the ultimate goal of undermining NATO and the EU by creating a pro-Russian narrative and even political change. This the part of hybrid warfare that will not easily disappear: it has been part of Russian thinking for over 40 years.
Conserved Conflict: Russia's Pattern in Ukraine's East
Authors: Socor Vladimir
Published: February 2025

Mr. Vladimir Socor, Senior Fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, participated to the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Countering Hybrid Threats: Lessons Learned from Ukraine, organized in Bucharest on September 28–19, 2015, approaching in his speach the characteristics and the major political and military innovations of Russia's military intervention in Ukraine's East. In his spech he challenged the importance of non-military and unconventional means by arguing that Russia achieved its significant gains in Ukraine only by the application of large-scale, old-style military force. He concluded that Russia's conflict undertaking in Ukraine's East fits within patterns familiar from other post-Soviet conflicts, initiated by Russia and conserved on Russian terms with international assistance. However, Russia's war in Ukraine's East involves a number of major political and military innovations in terms of conflict-conservation. His ideas were translated into a written paper and the first form was puplished on-line in the article Conserved Conflict: Russia's Pattern in Ukraine's EastA fist form of this paper was published in the on-line publication Eurasia Daily Monitor, Volume: 12, Issues: 226 and 227, December 17 and 18, 2015.
Russian Information War in the Ukrainian Conflict
Authors: Furgacz Przemysław
Published: February 2025

The conflict in Ukraine unambiguously proves that information warfare became a very important, if not crucial, element of the Russian way of pursuing hybrid war. As an old maxim goes: Truth is a first casualty of war. This rule undoubtedly is even more relevant in hybrid war than it is in conventional war. Even before the conflict in Ukraine broke out in its entirety Russian, Ukrainian and Western societies have been subjected to a very intensive propaganda campaign initiated by the Kremlin and carried out by the Russian media and intelligence apparatus. In the eyes of the Russian strategists and military planners the information warfare is a normal, justified and desired response to political and security threats to Russia as they are perceived by Moscow. The conflict in Ukraine showed how Russian intelligence services employ information warfare in practice. Selected features of Russian information warfare in Ukraine will be discussed and elaborated in the presentation. Dramatic events in Crimea and Donbas taught us that informational threat in hybrid warfare by any means should not be underestimated and neglected.
Goals and Methods of the Russian Federation in the Ukrainian Crisis
Authors: Chirtoagă Roman
Published: February 2025

Russian Federation pursues an international policy based on its national interests, seen from the standpoint of actual governing elite, and taking in consideration balance of power in the region and objective capabilities of Russia. Therefore a main key for correct reading of Kremlin's behavior in Ukrainian crisis would be adequate understanding of every of this variables. Second part of the equation represents background of the conflict: non-political conditions of existence of societies involved in it – technological, economic, humanitarian, etc. According to this line of reasoning ‘unconventional war’ is not totally new type of warfare, but rather an adoption of previously existing methods of confrontation between state actors and between elites to present-day conditions (excluding several aspects conditioned by change in technology).
Black Sea, “Cold Sea”: The Geopolitical Crossroad of Civilizations
Authors: Nate Silviu
Published: February 2025

New prospects for regional developments in the Black Sea area show a new pattern for conflicts and power influences. Arms race evolution and achieving the national interest at all costs is an evidence of the Cold War Era. Delimitation of global or regional influence remains a central element of international players. Tensions in Ukraine and Crimea implicitly indicate the point of incidence of Europe, USA, and Russia in the Black Sea Region. Military, economic, political, and energy reasons make up a difficult scenario in which most countries in the area experience. The uncertain future of the region seems to be maintaining buffer zones and semi-frozen conflicts for an indefinite period.
Corruption in the Defense Sector: Concepts, Practices and Implications for National Security
Authors: Stoian Valentin
Published: February 2025

While corruption and national security can intersect along several lines, the possible connections between the two concepts have not been properly addressed in the social science literature. The paper aims at an elaboration of these connections, by providing a conceptual analysis of the link between corruption and national security. The phenomenon of corruption is conceptualized as a security vulnerability, which is understood as an internal characteristic of the state, impeding it from properly responding to threats. After presenting a brief overview of how the phenomenon of corruption can affect different sectors of human activity and different facets of national security, the paper outlines the possible forms of corruption in the defense sector. It argues that this sector is potentially subject to corruption due to a number of specific characteristics and shows the corrupt practices identified by the literature on the issue. The paper concludes by presenting NATO's Building Integrity program as a potential solution to the issue of corruption in defense.
Hybrid War in Ukraine: What is Next?
Authors: Konoplyov Sergei  , Urbanskiy Alexander
Published: February 2025

In 2014, Russia's actions in Ukraine were based on the concept of “hybrid war” which is - from the structural and functional points of view - unique in many ways. The form of war is “hybrid” however the content is “asymmetric,” which means: war between belligerents whose relative military power and strategies/tactics differ significantly. Most clearly the nature of this type of war was demonstrated by the annexation of Crimea. Later this intervention was followed by Russian support to local radical elements in Donbass and a full-scale invasion of Russian troops in Eastern regions of Ukraine, which the Kremlin still doesn't acknowledge. Although the nature of each specific element of this “hybrid war” is not new and has been used in almost all the wars of the past, what is unique is the coherence and interplay of all elements, the dynamism and flexibility of their use and the paramount importance of the information factor. Moreover, the information factor became an independent component of its own and is no less important than military actions. Moscow's intervention in Ukraine has demonstrated that Western policymakers from EU and NATO need to take these factors into account when crafting new concepts and re-examining existing strategies aimed to maintain the European borders unchanged and secure.