Conflict-driven Hybrid Observer-based Anomaly Detection

This paper presents an anomaly detection method using a hybrid observer -- which consists of a discrete state observer and a continuous state observer. We focus our attention on anomalies caused by intelligent attacks, which may bypass existing anomaly detection methods because neither the event sequence nor the observed residuals appear to be anomalous. Based on the relation between the continuous and discrete variables, we define three conflict types and give the conditions under which the detection of the anomalies is guaranteed. We call this method conflict-driven anomaly detection. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated mathematically and illustrated on a Train-Gate (TG) system

Guaranteed Fault Detection and Isolation for Switched Affine Models

This paper considers the problem of fault detection and isolation (FDI) for switched affine models. We first study the model invalidation problem and its application to guaranteed fault detection. Novel and intuitive optimization-based formulations are proposed for model invalidation and T-distinguishability problems, which we demonstrate to be computationally more efficient than an earlier formulation that required a complicated change of variables. Moreover, we introduce a distinguishability index as a measure of separation between the system and fault models, which offers a practical method for finding the smallest receding time horizon that is required for fault detection, and for finding potential design recommendations for ensuring T-distinguishability. Then, we extend our fault detection guarantees to the problem of fault isolation with multiple fault models, i.e., the identification of the type and location of faults, by introducing the concept of I-isolability. An efficient way to implement the FDI scheme is also proposed, whose run-time does not grow with the number of fault models that are considered. Moreover, we derive bounds on detection and isolation delays and present an adaptive scheme for reducing isolation delays. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated using several examples, including an HVAC system model with multiple faults.Comment: This material is copyrighted by IEEE and will appear in IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, 201

An exploratory study of co-authorships among Iranian scientists in experimental sciences

This paper investigates the factors that made international co-authorship between scientists in Iran and elsewhere possible. A questionnaire was sent out to Iranian scientists in fields of physics, chemistry, and biology who had co-authored an internationally published journal article during 2003. The main foreign co-author in each of the articles was identified and questions regarding this co-author and the collaborative event were asked. The results show that not all co-authored articles were the results of collaborative projects. Also, the main collaborative motives behind the co-authorships were identified and described. Among these, we could mention sharing laboratory devices, accessing knowledge, and increase the efficiency of the study at hand. It is clear that emigrated Iranian scientists play an important role as collaborators and probably also as links to the international scientific community as a whole. Cultural factors mix with scientific and work related one

Novel mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in Iranian women with early-onset breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy and a major cause of death in middle-aged women. So far, germline mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in patients with early-onset breast and/or ovarian cancer have not been identified within the Iranian population. METHODS: With the collaboration of two main centres for cancer in Iran, we obtained clinical information, family history and peripheral blood from 83 women under the age of 45 with early-onset breast cancer for scanning of germline mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. We analysed BRCA1 exons 11 and BRCA2 exons 10 and 11 by the protein truncation test, and BRCA1 exons 2, 3, 5, 13 and 20 and BRCA2 exons 9, 17, 18 and 23 with the single-strand conformation polymorphism assay on genomic DNA amplified by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Ten sequence variants were identified: five frameshifts (putative mutations – four novel); three missense changes of unknown significance and two polymorphisms, one seen commonly in both Iranian and British populations. CONCLUSIONS Identification of these novel mutations suggests that any given population should develop a mutation database for its programme of breast cancer screening. The pattern of mutations seen in the BRCA genes seems not to differ from other populations studied. Early-onset breast cancer (less than 45 years) and a limited family history is sufficient to justify mutation screening with a detection rate of over 25% in this group, whereas sporadic early-onset breast cancer (detection rate less than 5%) is unlikely to be cost-effective

Go East! I mercati adriatici come bacino di collaborazione e opportunit\ue0 di internazionalizzazione per le PMI del Nord Est

e Piccole e Medie Imprese (PMI) che approcciano i mercati internazionali risultano condizionate da almeno due fattori inibitori: la cosiddetta \u201cliability of foreigness\u201d \u2013 con cui si intende la scarsa conoscenza degli usi, costumi, delle leggi e delle istituzioni che caratterizzano un determinato mercato \u2013 e la \u201cliability of smallness\u201d. Quest\u2019ultima \u2013 anche intesa come \u201cvincolo dimensionale\u201d e pertanto riferita alla limitata disponibilit\ue0 di risorse e competenze a supporto dei processi di internazionalizzazione \u2013 rappresenta a detta di molti uno dei principali fattori che limitano il processo di espansione internazionale della piccola impresa

An exploratory study of co-authorships among Iranian scientists in experimental sciences

This paper investigates the factors that made international co-authorship between scientists in Iran and elsewhere possible. A questionnaire was sent out to Iranian scientists in fields of physics, chemistry, and biology who had co-authored an internationally published journal article during 2003. The main foreign co-author in each of the articles was identified and questions regarding this co-author and the collaborative event were asked. The results show that not all co-authored articles were the results of collaborative projects. Also, the main collaborative motives behind the co-authorships were identified and described. Among these, we could mention sharing laboratory devices, accessing knowledge, and increase the efficiency of the study at hand. It is clear that emigrated Iranian scientists play an important role as collaborators and probably also as links to the international scientific community as a whole. Cultural factors mix with scientific and work related one

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Studies: One or Two Fields of Research?

Innovation and industrial dynamics have grown in importance over the last 40-50 years as we have moved towards a more knowledge intensive society. In an effort to understand these developments in society new research fields have emerged such as innovation and entrepreneurship studies. In general, these two research fields are regarded as rather closely interlinked. In this study we elaborate on the question: Should innovation and entrepreneurship be seen as one or two fields of research? We have taken a cognitive approach in which we analyze the knowledge platforms in innovation and entrepreneurship studies. We use a methodology in which we have built a unique database consisting of all references in twelve “state-of-the-art” books in entrepreneurship. The chapters in these “state-of-the-art” books are written by experts within the field, and it can be assumed that the most frequently cited references in these chapters represent “core knowledge” in entrepreneurship research. We have analyzed the references cited in these chapters in order to identify core contributors and core works within entrepreneurship research. In addition, we have compared our results with a similar study conducted by Fagerberg et al. (2012) on the knowledge basis in the field of innovation studies. The study shows that we are talking about two more or less separate fields of research. Despite common roots in Schumpeter and some interrelated works, the two fields seem to have drifted apart over the last decades. However, there seems to be some elements of overlaps, for example, in the interest in the evolutionary approaches, and in the interest in topics such as innovation management (corporate entrepreneurship) and in technology-based ventures