Advanced grid authorisation using semantic technologies - AGAST

Collaborative research requires flexible and fine-grained access control, beyond the common all-or-nothing access based purely on authentication. Existing systems can be hard to use, and do not lend themselves naturally to federation. We present an access-control architecture which builds on RDFs natural strength as an integration framework, which uses RDF scavenged from X.509 certificates, and policies expressed as ontologies and SPARQL queries, to provide flexible and distributed access control. We describe initial implementations

Semantic security: specification and enforcement of semantic policies for security-driven collaborations

Collaborative research can often have demands on finer-grained security that go beyond the authentication-only paradigm as typified by many e-Infrastructure/Grid based solutions. Supporting finer-grained access control is often essential for domains where the specification and subsequent enforcement of authorization policies is needed. The clinical domain is one area in particular where this is so. However it is the case that existing security authorization solutions are fragile, inflexible and difficult to establish and maintain. As a result they often do not meet the needs of real world collaborations where robustness and flexibility of policy specification and enforcement, and ease of maintenance are essential. In this paper we present results of the JISC funded Advanced Grid Authorisation through Semantic Technologies (AGAST) project (www.nesc.ac.uk/hub/projects/agast) and show how semantic-based approaches to security policy specification and enforcement can address many of the limitations with existing security solutions. These are demonstrated into the clinical trials domain through the MRC funded Virtual Organisations for Trials and Epidemiological Studies (VOTES) project (www.nesc.ac.uk/hub/projects/votes) and the epidemiological domain through the JISC funded SeeGEO project (www.nesc.ac.uk/hub/projects/seegeo)

The Use of Matrix Technique in an Analysis of Atta Personal Pronouns

All Philippine languages have multiple pronoun sets, differing in distribution within the clause, and differing in internal complexity. Traditionally, pronoun sets have been listed and their distribution stated, but few attempts have been made to describe their internal structuring. Smearing of morpheme boundaries has made conventional morpheme analysis of the pronouns a difficult and often unproductive exercise. It will be demonstrated in this paper, however, that by using the techniques of matrix permutation and conflation, the ranking of pronouns and a display of their internal structure is entirely possible. The purpose of this paper is, first, to demonstrate how this was accomplished for the Atta pronouns, and second, to show how on the basis of these matrices meanings can be attributed to each of the pronoun formatives

Defining true propagation patterns of underwater noise produced by stationary vessels

The study of underwater vessel noise over the past sixty years has predominantly focused upon the increase in ambient noise caused by the propulsion mechanisms of large commercial vessels. Studies have identified that the continuous rise of ambient noise levels in open waters is linked to the increase in size and strength of anthropogenic sound sources. Few studies have investigated the noise contribution of smaller vessels or ambient noise levels present in coastal and in-shore waters. This study aimed to identify the level of noise common to non-commercial harbors by studying the noise emissions of a diesel generator on board a 70m long sailing vessel. Propagation patterns revealed an unconventional shape (specific to the precise location of the noise source on board the vessel), unlike those of standard geometric spreading models, as typically assumed when predicting vessel noise emission. Harbor attributes (including water depth, ground sediment and structural material components) caused for altered level and frequency characteristics of the recorded underwater noise, and were correlated to the sound measurements made. The measurements (taken in eight harbors around Northern Europe) were statistically analyzed to identify the primary factors influencing near-field sound propagation around a stationary vessel

An Exploration of School and Young People’s Perceptions and Experiences of In-School Units

The evidence base on exclusions highlights many negative long-term consequences for young people, yet they are continuing to rise. One response to managing behaviour has been the use of in-school units (ISUs) which provide a halfway point between formal exclusion and being in mainstream classes. ISUs are particularly prominent among secondary schools and academies. Little is known about how ISUs operate and how the LA supports schools in managing behaviour. There is little research that seeks the views of young people regarding their experiences of ISUs. However, recent guidance has indicated that the government want to encourage the use of ISUs. Data were collected in two phases via semi-structured interviews. Phase one consisted of interviewing 4 school staff each from different secondary schools and 3 members of a LA behaviour team in one LA. This explored how ISUs are operating in some secondary educational settings and the support that schools receive from LA behaviour services. Phase two interviewed 8 young people from two secondary settings to explore the experiences of those who have accessed ISUs. Data were analysed using a thematic approach. Findings from school staff and the LA behaviour team highlighted three key themes: the discrepancies about the procedure, use and impact of ISUs; the school context and how the school system understands the strengths and needs of staff and pupils and accommodates these; and wider systemic considerations that could impact on the availability of support. Findings from young people highlighted three key themes: the negative impacts of the ISU, the sense of social injustice that arose from attending ISUs, and young people’s ideas on moving forward with the practice of ISUs. Implications for schools, professionals and policy makers are discussed

CFD Characterization of Automotive Inflator-Generated Gas Distribution Process

This thesis outlines the application of Computational Fluid Dynamics to the characterization of the gas distribution process inherent in automotive gas generators. The gas distribution process is important to understand as it greatly influences the overall performance of the device and its competitiveness in the marketplace. Presently, there is limited analysis that has been conducted on the gas generators. The current method involves conducting experiments using prototype hardware and high speed video to capture the flow field. This approach has proven to be useful; however, it lacks the ability to thoroughly study the fluid dynamics. Furthermore, the analysis has to be conducted on actual hardware and lacks the freedom inherent to computer CAD models and CFD where changes can be implemented and studied at a lower cost and in less time. The thesis details the general background on gas generators, the existing analysis methods, the construction of the CFD model, and a detailed look at the simulation results

Presymptomatic risk assessment for chronic non-communicable diseases

The prevalence of common chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs) far overshadows the prevalence of both monogenic and infectious diseases combined. All CNCDs, also called complex genetic diseases, have a heritable genetic component that can be used for pre-symptomatic risk assessment. Common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that tag risk haplotypes across the genome currently account for a non-trivial portion of the germ-line genetic risk and we will likely continue to identify the remaining missing heritability in the form of rare variants, copy number variants and epigenetic modifications. Here, we describe a novel measure for calculating the lifetime risk of a disease, called the genetic composite index (GCI), and demonstrate its predictive value as a clinical classifier. The GCI only considers summary statistics of the effects of genetic variation and hence does not require the results of large-scale studies simultaneously assessing multiple risk factors. Combining GCI scores with environmental risk information provides an additional tool for clinical decision-making. The GCI can be populated with heritable risk information of any type, and thus represents a framework for CNCD pre-symptomatic risk assessment that can be populated as additional risk information is identified through next-generation technologies.Comment: Plos ONE paper. Previous version was withdrawn to be updated by the journal's pdf versio