title: Secure FPGA as a Service - Towards Secure Data Processing by Physicalizing the Cloud

authors: Will, Mark Antony

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Securely processing data in the cloud is still a difficult problem, even with homomorphic encryption and other privacy preserving schemes. Hardware solutions provide additional layers of security and greater performance over their software alternatives. However by definition the cloud should be flexible and adaptive, often viewed as abstracting services from products. By creating services reliant on custom hardware, the core essence of the cloud is lost. FPGAs bridge this gap between software and hardware with programmable logic, allowing the cloud to remain abstract. FPGA as a Service (FaaS) has been proposed for a greener cloud, but not for secure data processing. This paper explores the possibility of Secure FaaS in the cloud for privacy preserving data processing, describes the technologies required, identifies use cases, and highlights potential challenges.

text: Secure FPGA as a Service - Towards Secure Data Processing by Physicalizing the Cloud Securely processing data in the cloud is still a difficult problem, even with homomorphic encryption and other privacy preserving schemes. Hardware solutions provide additional layers of security and greater performance over their software alternatives. However by definition the cloud should be flexible and adaptive, often viewed as abstracting services from products. By creating services reliant on custom hardware, the core essence of the cloud is lost. FPGAs bridge this gap between software and hardware with programmable logic, allowing the cloud to remain abstract. FPGA as a Service (FaaS) has been proposed for a greener cloud, but not for secure data processing. This paper explores the possibility of Secure FaaS in the cloud for privacy preserving data processing, describes the technologies required, identifies use cases, and highlights potential challenges.

year: 2017

title: Changeover delay and concurrent schedules

authors: Scown, Jan Marie

abstract: Domestic hens served as subjects in a series of three experiments investigating the effects of changeover delay (COD) on concurrent variable-interval schedule performance. The first experiment involved manipulations of the relative reinforcement rates on the two schedules presented on two separate keys while holding the COD constant over a series of COD durations from no COD to 15-sec. Sensitivity to reinforcement as measured by a in the generalised matching law was, for both response and time measures, less than unity and least at no COD. Generally it increased with the introduction of any COD but did not change systematically with COD length. Responding during the COD was found to be insensitive to changes in reinforcement rate ratios. The second experiment manipulated the stimuli presented on the main key during the COD (CO-key procedure). Adding distinctive key-colours during the COD increased sensitivity to reinforcement while the addition of blackout decreased time (but not response) sensitivity. Both effects carried over into following (non-stimulus) conditions but this did not survive a change in the schedules. The third experiment held the schedule values constant (two-key procedure) while the COD values were varied from no COD to 12-sec (thrice). Measures of behaviour changed with COD value although generally the a values were similar to those of the first experiment. Overall the changes were recoverable although individual point estimates of a were shown not to be reliable. The findings from the three experiments support the use of the generalised matching law to describe performance on concurrent schedules of
reinforcement. They also question the common use of changeover delays in concurrent schedules in that they appear to do more than simply separate the schedules in time.

text: Changeover delay and concurrent schedules Domestic hens served as subjects in a series of three experiments investigating the effects of changeover delay (COD) on concurrent variable-interval schedule performance. The first experiment involved manipulations of the relative reinforcement rates on the two schedules presented on two separate keys while holding the COD constant over a series of COD durations from no COD to 15-sec. Sensitivity to reinforcement as measured by a in the generalised matching law was, for both response and time measures, less than unity and least at no COD. Generally it increased with the introduction of any COD but did not change systematically with COD length. Responding during the COD was found to be insensitive to changes in reinforcement rate ratios. The second experiment manipulated the stimuli presented on the main key during the COD (CO-key procedure). Adding distinctive key-colours during the COD increased sensitivity to reinforcement while the addition of blackout decreased time (but not response) sensitivity. Both effects carried over into following (non-stimulus) conditions but this did not survive a change in the schedules. The third experiment held the schedule values constant (two-key procedure) while the COD values were varied from no COD to 12-sec (thrice). Measures of behaviour changed with COD value although generally the a values were similar to those of the first experiment. Overall the changes were recoverable although individual point estimates of a were shown not to be reliable. The findings from the three experiments support the use of the generalised matching law to describe performance on concurrent schedules of
reinforcement. They also question the common use of changeover delays in concurrent schedules in that they appear to do more than simply separate the schedules in time.

year: 1983

title: An examination of genres and text-types in written Māori discourse: Analysis and pedagogic implications

authors: Houia-Roberts, Ngaere

abstract: The overall aim of this research project is to determine what genres and text-types are most commonly required of students at upper secondary and tertiary levels in Māori-medium educational settings (Chapter 4), and to further determine, in relation to the analysis of authentic texts written by educated users of the language who have a high level of proficiency, how such genres and text-types are typically structured (Chapters 5 and 6). It is intended that this information should provide teachers and students with a solid foundation for the development of the skills required to create written texts in Māori that are structured in ways that are as close as possible to authentic discourses written by educated and highly proficient users of the language (Chapter 7). The thesis begins by providing some background to the research and outlining the primary aims, research questions and research methods (Chapter 1). This is followed by a critical review of some general landmark publications in the area of genre and text-type (Chapter 2).More pedagogically-centred, process-oriented approaches to genre and text-type are then critically reviewed in the context of the design of the model which underpins the analyses conducted in the following chapters.

text: An examination of genres and text-types in written Māori discourse: Analysis and pedagogic implications The overall aim of this research project is to determine what genres and text-types are most commonly required of students at upper secondary and tertiary levels in Māori-medium educational settings (Chapter 4), and to further determine, in relation to the analysis of authentic texts written by educated users of the language who have a high level of proficiency, how such genres and text-types are typically structured (Chapters 5 and 6). It is intended that this information should provide teachers and students with a solid foundation for the development of the skills required to create written texts in Māori that are structured in ways that are as close as possible to authentic discourses written by educated and highly proficient users of the language (Chapter 7). The thesis begins by providing some background to the research and outlining the primary aims, research questions and research methods (Chapter 1). This is followed by a critical review of some general landmark publications in the area of genre and text-type (Chapter 2).More pedagogically-centred, process-oriented approaches to genre and text-type are then critically reviewed in the context of the design of the model which underpins the analyses conducted in the following chapters.

year: 2004