Mission-based reliability prediction in component-based systems

This paper develops a framework for the extraction of a reliability block diagram in component-based systems for reliability prediction with respect to specific missions. A mission is defined as a composition of several high-level functions occurring at different stages and for a specific time during the mission. The high-level functions are decomposed into lower-level functions, which are then mapped to their corresponding components or component assemblies. The reliability block diagram is obtained using functional decomposition and function-component association. Using the reliability block diagram and the reliability information on the components such as failure rates, the reliability of the system carrying out a mission can be estimated. The reliability block diagram is evaluated by converting it into a logic (Boolean) expression. A modeling language created using the Generic Modeling Environment (GME) platform is used, which enables modeling of a system and captures the functional decomposition and function-component association in the system. This framework also allows for real-time monitoring of the system performance where the reliability of the mission can be computed over time as the mission progresses. The uncertainties in the failure rates and operational time of each high-level function are also considered which are quantified through probability distributions using the Bayesian framework. The dependence between failures of components are also considered and are quantified through a Bayesian network (BN). Other quantities of interest such as mission feasibility and function availability can also be assessed using this framework. Mission feasibility analysis determines if the mission can be accomplished given the current state of components in the system, and function availability provides information whether the function will be available in the future given the current state of the system. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using a radio-controlled (RC) car to carry out a simple surveillance mission.

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Research on the system of reliability block diagram design and reliability prediction

2011 International Conference on System science, Engineering design and Manufacturing informatization ◽

10.1109/icssem.2011.6081318 ◽

2011 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Liu Yanjun ◽

Wu Wei

Keyword(s):

Block Diagram ◽

Reliability Prediction ◽

Reliability Block Diagram ◽

Diagram Design

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Assessing the current state of information security policies in academic organizations

Information and Computer Security ◽

10.1108/ics-12-2018-0142 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 423-444

Author(s):

Jake Weidman ◽

Jens Grossklags

Keyword(s):

Information Security ◽

Security Policies ◽

Content Type ◽

Academic Communities ◽

Current State ◽

Accessible Information ◽

The Usa ◽

Tonal Analysis ◽

High Level ◽

And Function

Purpose Colleges and universities across the USA have seen data breaches and intellectual property theft rise at a heightened rate over the past several years. An integral step in the first line of defense against various forms of attacks are (written) security policies designed to prescribe the construction and function of a technical system, while simultaneously guiding the actions of individuals operating within said system. Unfortunately, policy analysis is an insufficiently discussed topic in many academic communities with very little research being conducted in this space. Design/methodology/approach This work aims to assess the current state of information security policies by analyzing in-use policies from 200 universities and colleges in the USA with the goal of identifying important features and general attributes of these documents. The authors accomplish this through a series of analyzes designed to examine the language and construction of these policies. Findings To summarize high-level results, the authors found that only 54 per cent of the top 200 universities had publicly accessible information security policies, and the policies that were examined lacked consistency with little shared source material. The authors also found that the tonal makeup of these policies lacked a great deal of emotion, but contained a high amount of tentative or ambiguous language leading toward policies that could be viewed as “unclear.” Originality/value This work is an extension of a paper that was presented at ECIS 2018. The authors have added additional analyzes including a cross-policy content and tonal analysis to strengthen the findings and implications of this work for the wider research audience.

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Visual Affordance and Function Understanding

ACM Computing Surveys ◽

10.1145/3446370 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 54 (3) ◽

pp. 1-35

Author(s):

Mohammed Hassanin ◽

Salman Khan ◽

Murat Tahtali

Keyword(s):

State Of The Art ◽

Scene Understanding ◽

Robot Vision ◽

Literature Survey ◽

Research Gaps ◽

Open Problems ◽

Object Affordances ◽

Current State ◽

High Level ◽

And Function

Nowadays, robots are dominating the manufacturing, entertainment, and healthcare industries. Robot vision aims to equip robots with the capabilities to discover information, understand it, and interact with the environment, which require an agent to effectively understand object affordances and functions in complex visual domains. In this literature survey, first, “visual affordances” are focused on and current state-of-the-art approaches for solving relevant problems as well as open problems and research gaps are summarized. Then, sub-problems, such as affordance detection, categorization, segmentation, and high-level affordance reasoning, are specifically discussed. Furthermore, functional scene understanding and its prevalent descriptors used in the literature are covered. This survey also provides the necessary background to the problem, sheds light on its significance, and highlights the existing challenges for affordance and functionality learning.

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ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ КУРСАНТОВ КАК НЕОБХОДИМОЕ УСЛОВИЕ СТАНОВЛЕНИЯ СОТРУДНИКА УИС

Vestnik Samarskogo iuridicheskogo instituta ◽

10.37523/sui.2019.36.5.019 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander Votinov

Keyword(s):

Russian Federation ◽

Professional Culture ◽

Professional Activity ◽

Teaching Staff ◽

Successful Performance ◽

Current State ◽

Professional Self ◽

The Russian Federation ◽

Executive System ◽

High Level

Современное состояние и развитие уголовно-исполнительной системы Российской Федерации диктует необходимость овладения будущими специалистами комплексом определенных знаний, умений и навыков, позволяющих им эффективно решать служебные задачи. Одним из путей повышения профессионального уровня специалистов является формирование и развитие профессиональной культуры. Проведенный в статье анализ понятия «профессиональная культура» позволяет констатировать сложность его содержания, что связано с особенностями профессиональной деятельности сотрудников УИС, многообразием решаемых задач. Автором подробно исследуется процесс формирования профессиональной культуры в вузах ФСИН России, рассматриваются особенности работы в данном направлении профессорско-преподавательского состава, командиров строевых подразделений, сотрудников отделов по работе с личным составом, приводятся возникающие при этом проблемы и предлагаются возможные пути решения. Отмечается, что успешность формирования профессиональной культуры курсантов зависит от их профессионализма, дисциплинированности, инициативности, настойчивости и личного примера сотрудников. В заключение подчеркивается, что высокий уровень профессиональной культуры сотрудника УИС является условием успешной служебной деятельности и целью дальнейшего профессионального самосовершенствования.The current state and development of the criminal Executive system of the Russian Federation dictates the need for future specialists to master a set of certain knowledge, skills and abilities that allow them to solve official tasks effectively. One of the ways to improve the professional level of specialists is the formation and development of professional culture. The analysis of the concept of «professional culture» in the article allows us to state the complexity of its content, which is associated with the peculiarities of professional activity of employees of the UIS, the variety of tasks to be solved. The author studies in detail the process of formation of professional culture in the universities of the Federal penitentiary service of Russia, examines the features of work in this direction of the teaching staff, commanders of combat units, employees of departments for work with personnel, presents the problems arising in this case and suggests possible solutions. It is noted that the success of the formation of professional culture of cadets depends on their professionalism, discipline, initiative, perseverance and personal example. In conclusion, it is emphasized that the high level of professional culture of the employee is a condition of successful performance and the purpose of further professional self-improvement.

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The Oxford Handbook of the Auditory Brainstem

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190849061.001.0001 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Current Knowledge ◽

Auditory Pathway ◽

Auditory Brainstem ◽

Auditory Midbrain ◽

Current State ◽

Neuronal Mechanisms ◽

Maladaptive Plasticity ◽

And Function ◽

Auditory Field

The Oxford Handbook of the Auditory Brainstem provides an in-depth reference to the organization and function of ascending and descending auditory pathways in the mammalian brainstem. Individual chapters are organized along the auditory pathway, beginning with the cochlea and ending with the auditory midbrain. Each chapter provides an introduction to the respective area and summarizes our current knowledge before discussing the disputes and challenges that the field currently faces.The handbook emphasizes the numerous forms of plasticity that are increasingly observed in many areas of the auditory brainstem. Several chapters focus on neuronal modulation of function and plasticity on the synaptic, neuronal, and circuit level, especially during development, aging, and following peripheral hearing loss. In addition, the book addresses the role of trauma-induced maladaptive plasticity with respect to its contribution in generating central hearing dysfunction, such as hyperacusis and tinnitus.The book is intended for students and postdoctoral fellows starting in the auditory field and for researchers of related fields who wish to get an authoritative and up-to-date summary of the current state of auditory brainstem research. For clinical practitioners in audiology, otolaryngology, and neurology, the book is a valuable resource of information about the neuronal mechanisms that are currently discussed as major candidates for the generation of central hearing dysfunction.

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L2 acquisition of the bei passive in Mandarin Chinese: A constructionist approach

Chinese as a Second Language Research ◽

10.1515/caslar-2020-0007 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 169-198

Author(s):

Chen Chen ◽

Feng-hsi Liu

Keyword(s):

Mandarin Chinese ◽

Choice Task ◽

L2 Acquisition ◽

Low Level ◽

Passive Construction ◽

Form And Function ◽

L2 Learners ◽

Constructionist Approach ◽

High Level ◽

And Function

Abstract A major claim in the constructionist approach to language acquisition is that grammar is learned by pairings of form and function. In this study we test this claim by examining how L2 learners of Mandarin Chinese acquire the bei passive construction, a construction that is associated with the meaning of adversity. Our goal is to find out whether L2 learners make the association between the passive and adversity. Participants performed a sentence choice task under four conditions: an adversative context with an adversative verb, an adversative context with a neutral verb, a neutral context with a neutral verb and a positive context with a neutral verb. In each context participants were asked to select either the bei passive construction or its active counterpart. We found that high-level learners consistently chose the bei passive significantly more in adversative contexts than in non-adversative contexts regardless of the connotations of the verbs, while low-level learners made the distinction half of the time. In addition, while low-level learners did not yet associate adversity with the form of the construction, high-level learners did. We conclude that L2 learners do learn the bei passive construction as a form-meaning pair. The constructionist approach is supported.

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A Review of Algorithms and Hardware Implementations for Spiking Neural Networks

Journal of Low Power Electronics and Applications ◽

10.3390/jlpea11020023 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 23

Author(s):

Duy-Anh Nguyen ◽

Xuan-Tu Tran ◽

Francesca Iacopi

Keyword(s):

Neural Networks ◽

Computational Cost ◽

Superior Performance ◽

Training Algorithms ◽

Current State ◽

Hardware Implementations ◽

Neuromorphic Hardware ◽

High Level ◽

Event Based ◽

Hardware Platforms

Deep Learning (DL) has contributed to the success of many applications in recent years. The applications range from simple ones such as recognizing tiny images or simple speech patterns to ones with a high level of complexity such as playing the game of Go. However, this superior performance comes at a high computational cost, which made porting DL applications to conventional hardware platforms a challenging task. Many approaches have been investigated, and Spiking Neural Network (SNN) is one of the promising candidates. SNN is the third generation of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), where each neuron in the network uses discrete spikes to communicate in an event-based manner. SNNs have the potential advantage of achieving better energy efficiency than their ANN counterparts. While generally there will be a loss of accuracy on SNN models, new algorithms have helped to close the accuracy gap. For hardware implementations, SNNs have attracted much attention in the neuromorphic hardware research community. In this work, we review the basic background of SNNs, the current state and challenges of the training algorithms for SNNs and the current implementations of SNNs on various hardware platforms.

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Expression and Function of Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptides in the Human Brain: Physiological and Pharmacological Implications

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics13060834 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 834

Author(s):

Anima M. Schäfer ◽

Henriette E. Meyer zu Schwabedissen ◽

Markus Grube

Keyword(s):

Organic Anion ◽

Physiological Role ◽

Point Of View ◽

Efflux Transporters ◽

Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptides ◽

Current State ◽

P Glycoprotein ◽

The Central Nervous System ◽

And Function ◽

Uptake Transporters

The central nervous system (CNS) is an important pharmacological target, but it is very effectively protected by the blood–brain barrier (BBB), thereby impairing the efficacy of many potential active compounds as they are unable to cross this barrier. Among others, membranous efflux transporters like P-Glycoprotein are involved in the integrity of this barrier. In addition to these, however, uptake transporters have also been found to selectively uptake certain compounds into the CNS. These transporters are localized in the BBB as well as in neurons or in the choroid plexus. Among them, from a pharmacological point of view, representatives of the organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs) are of particular interest, as they mediate the cellular entry of a variety of different pharmaceutical compounds. Thus, OATPs in the BBB potentially offer the possibility of CNS targeting approaches. For these purposes, a profound understanding of the expression and localization of these transporters is crucial. This review therefore summarizes the current state of knowledge of the expression and localization of OATPs in the CNS, gives an overview of their possible physiological role, and outlines their possible pharmacological relevance using selected examples.

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Spine impairment in mice high-expressing neuregulin 1 due to LIMK1 activation

Cell Death and Disease ◽

10.1038/s41419-021-03687-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Peng Chen ◽

Hongyang Jing ◽

Mingtao Xiong ◽

Qian Zhang ◽

Dong Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neural Development ◽

Protein Level ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Postmortem Brain ◽

Pathophysiological Mechanism ◽

Brain Disorders ◽

Spine Density ◽

Genes Encoding ◽

High Level ◽

And Function

AbstractThe genes encoding for neuregulin1 (NRG1), a growth factor, and its receptor ErbB4 are both risk factors of major depression disorder and schizophrenia (SZ). They have been implicated in neural development and synaptic plasticity. However, exactly how NRG1 variations lead to SZ remains unclear. Indeed, NRG1 levels are increased in postmortem brain tissues of patients with brain disorders. Here, we studied the effects of high-level NRG1 on dendritic spine development and function. We showed that spine density in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus was reduced in mice (ctoNrg1) that overexpressed NRG1 in neurons. The frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) was reduced in both brain regions of ctoNrg1 mice. High expression of NRG1 activated LIMK1 and increased cofilin phosphorylation in postsynaptic densities. Spine reduction was attenuated by inhibiting LIMK1 or blocking the NRG1–LIMK1 interaction, or by restoring NRG1 protein level. These results indicate that a normal NRG1 protein level is necessary for spine homeostasis and suggest a pathophysiological mechanism of abnormal spines in relevant brain disorders.

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