A scenario-driven decision support system for serious crime investigation

Consideration of a wide range of plausible crime scenarios during any crime investigation is important to seek convincing evidence and hence to minimize the likelihood of miscarriages of justice. It is equally important for crime investigators to be able to employ effective and efficient evidence-collection strategies that are likely to produce the most conclusive information under limited available resources. An intelligent decision support system that can assist human investigators by automatically constructing plausible scenarios, and reasoning with the likely best investigating actions will clearly be very helpful in addressing these challenging problems. This paper presents a system for creating scenario spaces from given evidence, based on an integrated application of techniques for compositional modelling and Bayesian network-based evidence evaluation. Methods of analysis are also provided by the use of entropy to exploit the synthesized scenario spaces in order to prioritize investigating actions and hypotheses. These theoretical developments are illustrated by realistic examples of serious crime investigation.

QoS-aware model driven architecture through the UML and CIM

The specification of Quality of Service (QoS) constraints over software design requires measures that ensure such requirements are met by the delivered product. Achieving this goal is non-trivial, as it involves, at least, identifying how QoS constraint specifications should be checked at the runtime. In this paper we present an implementation of a Model Driven Architecture (MDA) based framework for the runtime monitoring of QoS properties. We incorporate the UML2 superstructure and the UML profile for Quality of Service to provide abstract descriptions of component-and-connector systems. We then define transformations that refine the UML2 models to conform with the Distributed Management Taskforce (DMTF) Common Information Model (CIM) (Distributed Management Task Force Inc. 2006), a schema standard for management and instrumentation of hardware and software. Finally, we provide a mapping the CIM metamodel to a .NET-based metamodel for implementation of the monitoring infrastructure utilising various .NET features including the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) interface.

Hydrodynamic Simulations Of Vacuum-Driven Storage Tanks

As a result of urbanization, stormwater runoff flow rates and volumes are significantly increased due to increasing impervious land cover and the decreased availability of depression storage. Storage tanks are the basic devices to efficiently control the flow rate in drainage systems during wet weather. Presented in the paper conception of vacuum-driven detention tanks allows to increase the storage capacity by usage of space above the free surface water elevation at the inlet channel. Partial vacuum storage makes possible to gain cost savings by reduction of both the horizontal area of the detention tank and necessary depth of foundations. Simulation model of vacuum-driven storage tank has been developed to estimate potential profits of its application in urban drainage system. Although SWMM5 has no direct options for vacuum tanks an existing functions (i.e. control rules) have been used to reflect its operation phases. Rainfall data used in simulations were recorded at raingage in Czestochowa during years 2010÷2012 with time interval of 10minutes. Simulation results gives overview to practical operation and maintenance cost (energy demand) of vacuum driven storage tanks depending of the ratio: vacuum-driven volume to total storage capacity. The following conclusion can be drawn from this investigations: vacuum-driven storage tanks are characterized by uncomplicated construction and control systems, thus can be applied in newly developed as well as in the existing urban drainage systems. the application of vacuum in underground detention facilities makes possible to increase of the storage capacity of existing reservoirs by usage the space above the maximum depth. Possible increase of storage capacity can achieve even a few dozen percent at relatively low investment costs. vacuum driven storage tanks can be included in existing simulation software (i.e. SWMM) using options intended for pumping stations (including control and action rules ).