Intelligence acquisition methods in cyber domain : examining the circumstantial applicability of cyber intelligence acquisition methods using a hierarchical model

Phenomena in cyber domain, especially threats to security and privacy, have proven an increasingly heated topic addressed by different writers and scholars at an increasing pace – both nationally and internationally. However little public research has been done on the subject of cyber intelligence. The main research question of the thesis was: To what extent is the applicability of cyber intelligence acquisition methods circumstantial? The study was conducted in sequential a manner, starting with defining the concept of intelligence in cyber domain and identifying its key attributes, followed by identifying the range of intelligence methods in cyber domain, criteria influencing their applicability, and types of operatives utilizing cyber intelligence. The methods and criteria were refined into a hierarchical model. The existing conceptions of cyber intelligence were mapped through an extensive literature study on a wide variety of sources. The established understanding was further developed through 15 semi-structured interviews with experts of different backgrounds, whose wide range of points of view proved to substantially enhance the perspective on the subject. Four of the interviewed experts participated in a relatively extensive survey based on the constructed hierarchical model on cyber intelligence that was formulated in to an AHP hierarchy and executed in the Expert Choice Comparion online application. It was concluded that Intelligence in cyber domain is an endorsing, cross-cutting intelligence discipline that adds value to all aspects of conventional intelligence and furthermore that it bears a substantial amount of characteristic traits – both advantageous and disadvantageous – and furthermore that the applicability of cyber intelligence methods is partly circumstantially limited.

A speculative systems model of the dynamic interaction among students, faculty and administration in the community college, with particular reference to intrinsic motivation and the teacher-administrator interface

The challenge the community college faces in helping meet the needs of the living open system of society is examined in this study. It is postulated that internalization student outcomes are required by society to reduce entropy and remain self-renewing. Such behavior is characterized as having an intrinsically motivated energy source and displays the seeking and conquering of challenge, the development of reflective knowledge and skill, full use of all capabilities, internal control, growth orientation, high self-esteem, relativistic thinking and competence. The development of a conceptual systems model that suggests how transactions among students, faculty and administration might occur to best meet the needs of internalization outcomes in students, and intrinsic motivation in faculty is a major purpose of this study. It is a speculative model that is based on a synthesis of a wide variety of variables. Empirical evidence, theoretical considerations, and speculative ideas are gathered together from researchers and theoretici.ans who are working on separate answers to questions of intrinsic motivation, internal control and environments that encourage their development. The model considers the effect administrators·have on faculty anq the corresponding effect faculty may have on students. The major concentration is on the administrator--teacher interface.For administrators the model may serve as a guide in planning effective transactions, and establishing system goals. The teacher is offered a means to coordinate actions toward a specific overall objective, and the administrator, teacher and researcher are invited to use the model to experiment, innovate, verify the assumptions on which the model is based, and raise additional hypotheses. Goals and history of the community colleges in Ontario are examined against current problems, previous progress and open system thinking. The nature of the person as a five part system is explored with emphasis on intrinsic motivation. The nature, operation, conceptualization, and value of this internal energy source is reviewed in detail. The current state of society, education and management theory are considered and the value of intrinsically motivating teaching tasks together with "system four" leadership style are featured. Evidence is reviewed that suggests intrinsically motivated faculty are needed, and "system four" leadership style is the kind of interaction-influence system needed to nurture intrinsic motivation in faculty.

Évaluation d'un programme de formation en administration des services de soins infirmiers : le cas du Sénégal

Partout dans le monde, la formation en gestion des cadres infirmiers est devenue une nécessité. Afin de doter la profession infirmière de chefs de file capables de faire face aux changements, plusieurs pays ont conçu des programmes de formation de deuxième cycle en administration des services de soins infirmiers. Plusieurs programmes sont développés en ce sens dont peu ou prou sont évalués. Plusieurs auteurs croient que l’évaluation de ces programmes permettrait de mieux apprécier l’atteinte des objectifs pédagogiques et ultérieurement, d’améliorer la formation et les pratiques de gestion. Afin de contribuer à ce projet, la présente étude vise à évaluer le programme de formation Administration et enseignement de l'École nationale de développement sanitaire et social (ENDSS) du Sénégal. Cette évaluation prend en compte les points de vue des diplômés, des enseignants, des concepteurs du programme et des directions d’hôpitaux. Il s’agit d’une recherche évaluative de type rétrospectif. Une enquête par questionnaire et par entrevue a été réalisée auprès des diplômés, des enseignants, des concepteurs de programme et des directions d'hôpitaux. Également, des bases de données sur les étudiants finissants entre les années 2003 et 2009 ont été consultées pour recueillir les notes obtenues à l’examen de certification, les effectifs d’admission et d’inscrits et les renseignements sociodémographiques. Cette évaluation porte sur les principales composantes du programme de formation Administration et enseignement de l’ENDSS qui sont examinées à l’aide du modèle systémique d’évaluation de programme éducatif de Stufflebeam (1981) communément appelé modèle CIPP. Les résultats de l’analyse s’appuient sur 70 questionnaires et 37 entrevues. En vue de répondre aux questions de recherche, les données recueillies sont analysées et interprétées à partir d’indicateurs et selon des critères définis. La démarche d’analyse des résultats s’est effectuée en deux étapes. D'abord, les données des questionnaires et des entrevues fournies par les diplômés, les enseignants et les concepteurs ont été analysées ainsi que celles du dossier scolaire des étudiants inscrits au programme. Ensuite, l’examen a porté sur les données des questionnaires recueillies auprès des directions d’hôpitaux. Les avis de tous les répondants sur les améliorations à apporter au programme sont analysés pour rendre compte de leurs recommandations à ce sujet. Tout au long de l’analyse des résultats, les données des questionnaires et des entrevues sont présentées à la fois. Le jugement sur l’efficacité du programme de formation Administration et enseignement de l’ENDSS est établi par l’analyse d’indicateurs reliés aux quatre types d'évaluation proposés par Stufflebeam (1981). Les diplômés et les concepteurs jugent que la formation est adéquate pour l’exercice de la fonction de chef de services des soins infirmiers. Par contre, les enseignants sont très partagés sur cette question, puisque près de la moitié d'entre eux expriment un avis favorable tandis que les autres ont une opinion contraire. Les diplômés apparaissent très partagés par rapport à la cohérence apparente entre les objectifs de stage d’administration hospitalière et les compétences à développer, alors que les enseignants et les concepteurs expriment plus largement une opinion négative. La cohérence entre les notions du module de Management des services de santé et l’exercice de la fonction de chef de services des soins infirmiers est jugée plus forte en ce qui concerne plusieurs notions, par les diplômés, les enseignants et les concepteurs. La majorité des diplômés et des enseignants jugent que la supervision offerte aux étudiants est insatisfaisante. Les diplômés et les enseignants croient que la disponibilité des ressources didactiques à la bibliothèque ne facilite pas les apprentissages. Tandis que les concepteurs, en proportion plus élevée, expriment le même jugement. Les diplômés et les enseignants sont divisés sur la question de l’équilibre entre le nombre d’heures alloué à la théorie et à la formation pratique. Tandis que la majorité des concepteurs croient qu’il n’y a pas d'équilibre entre le nombre d'heures consacré aux cours et à la formation pratique. Les diplômés et les enseignants expriment une opinion très positive sur la qualité des rapports sociaux des étudiants entre eux, avec les enseignants et le personnel administratif. Tandis que les concepteurs ont une opinion plutôt négative à ce sujet. Les diplômés, de même que les enseignants jugent en majorité, que la supervision des stages offerte aux étudiants est insatisfaisante. Ces opinions convergent avec celles de la grande majorité des concepteurs. Selon les diplômés, le travail de groupe, de même que les études de cas sont les méthodes les plus pertinentes dans la formation de chef de service des soins infirmiers. Pour les enseignants et les concepteurs c'est le travail de groupe qui est la méthode la plus pertinente pour faire acquérir des connaissances. Parmi l’ensemble des inscrits, incluant les étudiants sénégalais et étrangers, 104 d’entre eux ont obtenu un diplôme. Subséquemment, seuls 2 étudiants sur les 106 inscrits au programme ont échoué. Les enseignants, les diplômés et les concepteurs sont tous satisfaits du programme de formation Administration et enseignement de l’ENDSS. Les directions d'hôpitaux sont partagées quant à elles, à l’idée selon laquelle les étudiants sont préparés aux fonctions de chef de service des soins infirmiers. En plus, selon la grande majorité des directions le programme de formation ne répond pas à la stratégie de la réforme hospitalière. Elles affirment à l’unanimité qu’elles n’ont pas été associées au processus d’élaboration du programme et sont d’accord que, de manière générale, la formation reçue par le chef de services des soins infirmiers est de qualité. Unanimement, les directions d’hôpitaux jugent que des notions devraient être ajoutées ou améliorées au programme de formation Administration et enseignement de l’ENDSS. L’interprétation des données révèle la complexité qui entoure l’importance de l’équilibre du volume horaire à consacrer à la théorie et à la pratique dans un programme de formation. En plus, les résultats sur les connaissances à acquérir par les diplômés durant la formation montrent un besoin élevé de perfectionnement voire d’enseignement plus poussé du contenu des notions Système d’information sanitaire et Introduction à l’informatique, Introduction au management; Élaboration de programme et Administration hospitalière. Un choix approprié de terrain où l’étudiant pourrait réaliser les objectifs d’apprentissage, une sélection de la période adéquate pour le stage, de même qu’un encadrement signifiant, seraient le gage d’un stage profitable pour l’étudiant. Nous estimons que cette recherche a ouvert des pistes à des perspectives de recherches reliées au développement professionnel des futurs chefs de service des soins infirmiers. Mots clés : évaluation de programme, acquisition de connaissances, développement des compétences, administration des soins infirmiers, programme de deuxième cycle.

The effects of administration of a nuclear factor kappa-B inhibitor on pulmonary endothelial dysfunction after cardiopulmonary bypass: impact on oxygenation and hemodynamics and development of therapeutic and preventive modalities in a porcine model

Introduction: La circulation extracorporelle (CEC) peut entraîner une dysfonction endothéliale pulmonaire et l’hypertension pulmonaire. Le SN50 agit au niveau de la signalisation cellulaire pour prévenir ces réactions à la CEC et pourrait renverser la dysfonction endothéliale pulmonaire post-CEC sans effets néfastes sur l’hémodynamie. Méthodes: Quatre groups de porcs ont reçu un parmi quatre traîtements avant de subir 90 minutes de CEC et 60 minutes de reperfusion: (1) milrinone nébulisé; (2) sildenafil nébulisé; (3) placebo nébulisé; et (4) SN-50 intraveineux. Un monitoring hémodynamique invasif a été utilisé. La réactivité vasculaire des artères pulmonaires de deuxième ordre a été évaluée face à l’acétylcholine et la bradykinine. Résultats: Le sildénafil produit une augmentation significative de la pression de l’artère pulmonaire (PAP) moyenne à 60 minutes de reperfusion par rapport au début de la chirurgie. Les relaxations dépendantes de l’endothélium face à la bradykinine étaient meilleurs dans les groupes milrinone et SN-50 et surtout dans le groupe sildénafil par rapport au groupe placébo. Le SN-50 produisait de moins bonnes relaxations dépendantes de l’endothélium face à l’acétylcholine que les autres traitements incluant placébo. Conclusion: Le sildénafil prévient mieux la dysfonction endothéliale pulmonaire que les autres traitements. Les bénéfices du SN-50 sont possiblement sous-estimés vu que la dose n’a pas pu être ajustée à la durée de CEC. Le sildenafil inhalé mérite une étude plus importante chez l’humain et le SN-50 dans un model de CEC animal.

Regional climate model applications on sub-regional scales over the Indian monsoon region: The role of domain size on downscaling uncertainty

Regional climate models are becoming increasingly popular to provide high resolution climate change information for impacts assessments to inform adaptation options. Many countries and provinces requiring these assessments are as small as 200,000 km2 in size, significantly smaller than an ideal domain needed for successful applications of one-way nested regional climate models. Therefore assessments on sub-regional scales (e.g., river basins) are generally carried out using climate change simulations performed for relatively larger regions. Here we show that the seasonal mean hydrological cycle and the day-to-day precipitation variations of a sub-region within the model domain are sensitive to the domain size, even though the large scale circulation features over the region are largely insensitive. On seasonal timescales, the relatively smaller domains intensify the hydrological cycle by increasing the net transport of moisture into the study region and thereby enhancing the precipitation and local recycling of moisture. On daily timescales, the simulations run over smaller domains produce higher number of moderate precipitation days in the sub-region relative to the corresponding larger domain simulations. An assessment of daily variations of water vapor and the vertical velocity within the sub-region indicates that the smaller domains may favor more frequent moderate uplifting and subsequent precipitation in the region. The results remained largely insensitive to the horizontal resolution of the model, indicating the robustness of the domain size influence on the regional model solutions. These domain size dependent precipitation characteristics have the potential to add one more level of uncertainty to the downscaled projections.

Design, implementation and application of a generic framework for integrated regional land-use modeling

Land use is a crucial link between human activities and the natural environment and one of the main driving forces of global environmental change. Large parts of the terrestrial land surface are used for agriculture, forestry, settlements and infrastructure. Given the importance of land use, it is essential to understand the multitude of influential factors and resulting land use patterns. An essential methodology to study and quantify such interactions is provided by the adoption of land-use models. By the application of land-use models, it is possible to analyze the complex structure of linkages and feedbacks and to also determine the relevance of driving forces. Modeling land use and land use changes has a long-term tradition. In particular on the regional scale, a variety of models for different regions and research questions has been created. Modeling capabilities grow with steady advances in computer technology, which on the one hand are driven by increasing computing power on the other hand by new methods in software development, e.g. object- and component-oriented architectures. In this thesis, SITE (Simulation of Terrestrial Environments), a novel framework for integrated regional sland-use modeling, will be introduced and discussed. Particular features of SITE are the notably extended capability to integrate models and the strict separation of application and implementation. These features enable efficient development, test and usage of integrated land-use models. On its system side, SITE provides generic data structures (grid, grid cells, attributes etc.) and takes over the responsibility for their administration. By means of a scripting language (Python) that has been extended by language features specific for land-use modeling, these data structures can be utilized and manipulated by modeling applications. The scripting language interpreter is embedded in SITE. The integration of sub models can be achieved via the scripting language or by usage of a generic interface provided by SITE. Furthermore, functionalities important for land-use modeling like model calibration, model tests and analysis support of simulation results have been integrated into the generic framework. During the implementation of SITE, specific emphasis was laid on expandability, maintainability and usability. Along with the modeling framework a land use model for the analysis of the stability of tropical rainforest margins was developed in the context of the collaborative research project STORMA (SFB 552). In a research area in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, socio-environmental impacts of land-use changes were examined. SITE was used to simulate land-use dynamics in the historical period of 1981 to 2002. Analogous to that, a scenario that did not consider migration in the population dynamics, was analyzed. For the calculation of crop yields and trace gas emissions, the DAYCENT agro-ecosystem model was integrated. In this case study, it could be shown that land-use changes in the Indonesian research area could mainly be characterized by the expansion of agricultural areas at the expense of natural forest. For this reason, the situation had to be interpreted as unsustainable even though increased agricultural use implied economic improvements and higher farmers' incomes. Due to the importance of model calibration, it was explicitly addressed in the SITE architecture through the introduction of a specific component. The calibration functionality can be used by all SITE applications and enables largely automated model calibration. Calibration in SITE is understood as a process that finds an optimal or at least adequate solution for a set of arbitrarily selectable model parameters with respect to an objective function. In SITE, an objective function typically is a map comparison algorithm capable of comparing a simulation result to a reference map. Several map optimization and map comparison methodologies are available and can be combined. The STORMA land-use model was calibrated using a genetic algorithm for optimization and the figure of merit map comparison measure as objective function. The time period for the calibration ranged from 1981 to 2002. For this period, respective reference land-use maps were compiled. It could be shown, that an efficient automated model calibration with SITE is possible. Nevertheless, the selection of the calibration parameters required detailed knowledge about the underlying land-use model and cannot be automated. In another case study decreases in crop yields and resulting losses in income from coffee cultivation were analyzed and quantified under the assumption of four different deforestation scenarios. For this task, an empirical model, describing the dependence of bee pollination and resulting coffee fruit set from the distance to the closest natural forest, was integrated. Land-use simulations showed, that depending on the magnitude and location of ongoing forest conversion, pollination services are expected to decline continuously. This results in a reduction of coffee yields of up to 18% and a loss of net revenues per hectare of up to 14%. However, the study also showed that ecological and economic values can be preserved if patches of natural vegetation are conservated in the agricultural landscape. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Land/sea warming ratio in response to climate change: IPCC AR4 model results and comparison with observations

Climate model simulations consistently show that in response to greenhouse gas forcing surface temperatures over land increase more rapidly than over sea. The enhanced warming over land is not simply a transient effect, since it is also present in equilibrium conditions. We examine 20 models from the IPCC AR4 database. The global land/sea warming ratio varies in the range 1.36–1.84, independent of global mean temperature change. In the presence of increasing radiative forcing, the warming ratio for a single model is fairly constant in time, implying that the land/sea temperature difference increases with time. The warming ratio varies with latitude, with a minimum in equatorial latitudes, and maxima in the subtropics. A simple explanation for these findings is provided, and comparisons are made with observations. For the low-latitude (40°S–40°N) mean, the models suggest a warming ratio of 1.51 ± 0.13, while recent observations suggest a ratio of 1.54 ± 0.09.

Land surface anomaly simulations and predictions with a climate model: an El Nino Southern Oscillation case study

The ability of climate models to reproduce and predict land surface anomalies is an important but little-studied topic. In this study, an atmosphere and ocean assimilation scheme is used to determine whether HadCM3 can reproduce and predict snow water equivalent and soil moisture during the 1997–1998 El Nino Southern Oscillation event. Soil moisture is reproduced more successfully, though both snow and soil moisture show some predictability at 1- and 4-month lead times. This result suggests that land surface anomalies may be reasonably well initialized for climate model predictions and hydrological applications using atmospheric assimilation methods over a period of time.

The Phosphorus Indicators Tool: a simple model of diffuse P loss from agricultural land to water

The Phosphorus Indicators Tool provides a catchment-scale estimation of diffuse phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural land to surface waters using the most appropriate indicators of P loss. The Tool provides a framework that may be applied across the UK to estimate P loss, which is sensitive not only to land use and management but also to environmental factors such as climate, soil type and topography. The model complexity incorporated in the P Indicators Tool has been adapted to the level of detail in the available data and the need to reflect the impact of changes in agriculture. Currently, the Tool runs on an annual timestep and at a 1 km(2) grid scale. We demonstrate that the P Indicators Tool works in principle and that its modular structure provides a means of accounting for P loss from one layer to the next, and ultimately to receiving waters. Trial runs of the Tool suggest that modelled P delivery to water approximates measured water quality records. The transparency of the structure of the P Indicators Tool means that identification of poorly performing coefficients is possible, and further refinements of the Tool can be made to ensure it is better calibrated and subsequently validated against empirical data, as it becomes available.

Optimization algorithms in FMRF model-based segmentation for LIDAR data and co-registered bands

In this paper, a fuzzy Markov random field (FMRF) model is used to segment land-objects into free, grass, building, and road regions by fusing remotely, sensed LIDAR data and co-registered color bands, i.e. scanned aerial color (RGB) photo and near infra-red (NIR) photo. An FMRF model is defined as a Markov random field (MRF) model in a fuzzy domain. Three optimization algorithms in the FMRF model, i.e. Lagrange multiplier (LM), iterated conditional mode (ICM), and simulated annealing (SA), are compared with respect to the computational cost and segmentation accuracy. The results have shown that the FMRF model-based ICM algorithm balances the computational cost and segmentation accuracy in land-cover segmentation from LIDAR data and co-registered bands.

Idealized model for changes in equilibrium temperature, mixed layer depth, and boundary layer cloud over land in a doubled CO2 climate

An idealized equilibrium model for the undisturbed partly cloudy boundary layer (BL) is used as a framework to explore the coupling of the energy, water, and carbon cycles over land in midlatitudes and show the sensitivity to the clear‐sky shortwave flux, the midtropospheric temperature, moisture, CO2, and subsidence. The changes in the surface fluxes, the BL equilibrium, and cloud cover are shown for a warmer, doubled CO2 climate. Reduced stomatal conductance in a simple vegetation model amplifies the background 2 K ocean temperature rise to an (unrealistically large) 6 K increase in near‐surface temperature over land, with a corresponding drop of near‐surface relative humidity of about 19%, and a rise of cloud base of about 70 hPa. Cloud changes depend strongly on changes of mean subsidence; but evaporative fraction (EF) decreases. EF is almost uniquely related to mixed layer (ML) depth, independent of background forcing climate. This suggests that it might be possible to infer EF for heterogeneous landscapes from ML depth. The asymmetry of increased evaporation over the oceans and reduced transpiration over land increases in a warmer doubled CO2 climate.