Mitigating Server Breaches in Password-Based Authentication: Secure and Efficient Solutions

Drug discovery as well as (nano)material design projects demand the in silico analysis of large datasets of compounds with their corresponding properties/activities, as well as the retrieval and virtual screening of more structures in an effort to identify new potent hits. This is a demanding procedure for which various tools must be combined with different input and output formats. To automate the data analysis required we have developed the necessary tools to facilitate a variety of important tasks to construct workflows that will simplify the handling, processing and modeling of cheminformatics data and will provide time and cost efficient solutions, reproducible and easier to maintain. We therefore develop and present a toolbox of >25 processing modules, Enalos+ nodes, that provide very useful operations within KNIME platform for users interested in the nanoinformatics and cheminformatics analysis of chemical and biological data. With a user-friendly interface, Enalos+ Nodes provide a broad range of important functionalities including data mining and retrieval from large available databases and tools for robust and predictive model development and validation. Enalos+ Nodes are available through KNIME as add-ins and offer valuable tools for extracting useful information and analyzing experimental and virtual screening results in a chem- or nano- informatics framework. On top of that, in an effort to: (i) allow big data analysis through Enalos+ KNIME nodes, (ii) accelerate time demanding computations performed within Enalos+ KNIME nodes and (iii) propose new time and cost efficient nodes integrated within Enalos+ toolbox we have investigated and verified the advantage of GPU calculations within the Enalos+ nodes. Demonstration data sets, tutorial and educational videos allow the user to easily apprehend the functions of the nodes that can be applied for in silico analysis of data.

Download Full-text

Parallel Computing Using the Prefix Problem

10.1093/oso/9780195088496.001.0001 ◽

1994 ◽

Author(s):

S. Lakshmivarahan ◽

Sudarshan K. Dhall

Keyword(s):

Parallel Computing ◽

Parallel Algorithms ◽

Parallel Programming ◽

Building Blocks ◽

Efficient Solutions ◽

Computer Scientists ◽

Important Approach

The prefix operation on a set of data is one of the simplest and most useful building blocks in parallel algorithms. This introduction to those aspects of parallel programming and parallel algorithms that relate to the prefix problem emphasizes its use in a broad range of familiar and important problems. The book illustrates how the prefix operation approach to parallel computing leads to fast and efficient solutions to many different kinds of problems. Students, teachers, programmers, and computer scientists will want to read this clear exposition of an important approach.

Download Full-text

Hypervolume scalarization for shape optimization to improve reliability and cost of ceramic components

Optimization and Engineering ◽

10.1007/s11081-020-09586-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Johanna Schultes ◽

Michael Stiglmayr ◽

Kathrin Klamroth ◽

Camilla Hahn

Keyword(s):

Shape Optimization ◽

Optimization Problem ◽

Mechanical Stability ◽

Adjoint Equation ◽

Tensile Load ◽

Problem Formulation ◽

State Equation ◽

Efficient Solutions ◽

Volume Stability ◽

Shape Optimization Problem

AbstractIn engineering applications one often has to trade-off among several objectives as, for example, the mechanical stability of a component, its efficiency, its weight and its cost. We consider a biobjective shape optimization problem maximizing the mechanical stability of a ceramic component under tensile load while minimizing its volume. Stability is thereby modeled using a Weibull-type formulation of the probability of failure under external loads. The PDE formulation of the mechanical state equation is discretized by a finite element method on a regular grid. To solve the discretized biobjective shape optimization problem we suggest a hypervolume scalarization, with which also unsupported efficient solutions can be determined without adding constraints to the problem formulation. FurthIn this section, general properties of the hypervolumeermore, maximizing the dominated hypervolume supports the decision maker in identifying compromise solutions. We investigate the relation of the hypervolume scalarization to the weighted sum scalarization and to direct multiobjective descent methods. Since gradient information can be efficiently obtained by solving the adjoint equation, the scalarized problem can be solved by a gradient ascent algorithm. We evaluate our approach on a 2 D test case representing a straight joint under tensile load.

Download Full-text

Design and Adoption of Low-Cost Point-of-Care Diagnostic Devices: Syrian Case

Micromachines ◽

10.3390/mi12080882 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 882

Author(s):

M. Munzer Alseed ◽

Hamzah Syed ◽

Mehmet Cengiz Onbasli ◽

Ali K. Yetisen ◽

Savas Tasoglu

Keyword(s):

Civil Wars ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

New Technologies ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Low Cost ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Efficient Solutions ◽

Humanitarian Crises ◽

Technology Experience ◽

The Cost

Civil wars produce immense humanitarian crises, causing millions of individuals to seek refuge in other countries. The rate of disease prevalence has inclined among the refugees, increasing the cost of healthcare. Complex medical conditions and high numbers of patients at healthcare centers overwhelm the healthcare system and delay diagnosis and treatment. Point-of-care (PoC) testing can provide efficient solutions to high equipment cost, late diagnosis, and low accessibility of healthcare services. However, the development of PoC devices in developing countries is challenged by several barriers. Such PoC devices may not be adopted due to prejudices about new technologies and the need for special training to use some of these devices. Here, we investigated the concerns of end users regarding PoC devices by surveying healthcare workers and doctors. The tendency to adopt PoC device changes is based on demographic factors such as work sector, education, and technology experience. The most apparent concern about PoC devices was issues regarding low accuracy, according to the surveyed clinicians.

Download Full-text

Platoon Merging Approach Based on Hybrid Trajectory Planning and CACC Strategies

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21082626 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (8) ◽

pp. 2626

Author(s):

Carlos Hidalgo ◽

Ray Lattarulo ◽

Carlos Flores ◽

Joshué Pérez Rastelli

Keyword(s):

Trajectory Planning ◽

Traffic Congestion ◽

Efficient Solutions ◽

Test Case ◽

Cruise Control ◽

Automated Driving ◽

Modular Architecture ◽

The Road ◽

Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control ◽

Multiple Vehicles

Currently, the increase of transport demands along with the limited capacity of the road network have increased traffic congestion in urban and highway scenarios. Technologies such as Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) emerge as efficient solutions. However, a higher level of cooperation among multiple vehicle platoons is needed to improve, effectively, the traffic flow. In this paper, a global solution to merge two platoons is presented. This approach combines: (i) a longitudinal controller based on a feed-back/feed-forward architecture focusing on providing CACC capacities and (ii) hybrid trajectory planning to merge platooning on straight paths. Experiments were performed using Tecnalia’s previous basis. These are the AUDRIC modular architecture for automated driving and the highly reliable simulation environment DYNACAR. A simulation test case was conducted using five vehicles, two of them executing the merging and three opening the gap to the upcoming vehicles. The results showed the good performance of both domains, longitudinal and lateral, merging multiple vehicles while ensuring safety and comfort and without propagating speed changes.

Download Full-text