ARROW@DIT

Evaluating the AfDB “High 5’s”: Bifocal Lenses Assessment via Citizen Participation

Oluwasegun O. Seriki — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:10:49 PDT

The thought of evaluating the AfDB high 5’s is tempting. It is, in fact, a herculean task and cannot just be achieved using a blanket approach or be dismissed with the common approach “…difficult is done at once; the impossible takes a little longer”. In reality, evaluating these high priority areas will involve much rigour and will involve finding that one area that is lacking but can improve on with a single change of lenses, consequently improving circumstances drastically. The high 5’s garner much attention in headlines, much is said about it, talks, seminars, and — who knows — maybe even an evaluation week. When was the last time a member of the African community, an ordinary citizen -the perceived recipients of these “high 5’s”- tasked with the responsibility of evaluating these five top priority areas? When again have the members of the African populace been actively engaged not only the evaluation but the continued implementation of these focus areas? The task of transforming the African continent, which is the aim of the high 5’s, is not mutually exclusive but rather inclusive, requiring extensive collaboration and participation, with huge benefits for all stakeholders. There is no room for isolation, for either implementers or evaluators. Drawing on the proceedings from the recent Annual Development Effectiveness Review 2016 by the AfDB, it is evident that the review has an undertone of a one-sided analysis by experts. This paper, however, will articulate a different argument. It operates on the premise that no eyeglasses have one lens, they usually have two. The current evaluation method may fit something of the format of a multinational CSR review or progress report, lacking the pluralistic approach that challenges conventional assessment models and provides insights into the truths about society view the activities of the AfDB high 5’s. This paper examines how utilising bifocal evaluation mechanisms will challenge these big ideas: is it worth it allowing citizens participate in the assessment process? Moreover, it suggests that the future of evaluation of the “high five” does not only lie with the AfDB, but perhaps the answer lies in the acknowledgement of the fallibility of unidirectional appraisals. Two heads are better than one.

Main Contractor Selection on Construction Projects When Adapting an Integrated Project Delivery Procurement Strategy Within an Irish Context.

Fiacra McDonnell — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 04:11:12 PDT

The Irish construction industry has experienced turbulent years over the last decade from an economic viewpoint. The industry has tended to be conservative in nature and slow to embrace change. However international influences have exposed Irish construction professionals to new more efficient systems and technologies, which although slow to take hold have started to gain traction within certain sectors of the industry. This study has focussed on the innovative procurement route known as Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and its facilitator; Building Information Modelling (BIM). The overall aim of this study was to investigate whether Integrated Project Delivery was a viable procurement route for construction work within the Irish construction industry. The chosen research strategy for conducting this research was qualitative in nature utilising a phenomenological approach. Semi structured interviews were deemed to be the most suitable platform for data collection, and this data was organised into solid themes for further analysis. .The participants to the study comprised of eight expert commentators from the Irish construction industry who occupied senior positions in their respective companies. An extensive literature was completed on both Irish and international literature dealing with this area. The research question was answered based on the data gathered during the research process, supplemented by findings in the literature review. The overall conclusion based on the data gathered during this research was that IPD was a viable procurement route for construction work within the Irish construction industry, on condition that the Irish government would make policy decisions conducive to creating a collaborative environment of trust. This policy changes must deal with procurement regulations, contractual arrangements and promotion of IPD within the industry itself Keywords; Integrated Project Delivery, Building Information Modelling, Procurement

Three Experiments in Wood and Computational Design

Marcin Wójcik — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 04:00:51 PDT

This article focuses on the relationships among material-oriented design, digital technologies, and environmentally responsible construction. It argues that computational design methods and digital manufacturing have the capacity to open new opportunities for design and can lead to more sustainable practices. Through an analysis of three experiments in design and construction, the research seeks solutions that use the inherent material properties and behavior of wood to replace toxic chemicals, metal connectors, and energy-intensive processes. Offering an alternative to design processes that begin with theory and representation, this paper proposes a different approach, beginning with experiments in materiality. This approach involves methods based on rational reasoning rather than intuition.

A Portfolio of Compositions

Anne-Marie O'Farrell — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 02:17:32 PDT

The works in the attached portfolio address a number of compositional focal points: to bring together diverse strands of musical influence into sustained musical argument, across various large-scale media; to enlarge and explore the musical language of the harp, including the lever harp; and to integrate received materials into new music so as to create a different context while acknowledging musical inheritance. These combine with the exploration of inherent instrumental colour within my approaches to rhythm, harmony, melodic transformation, structure and the use of text to demonstrate the development of my compositional style during my PhD study. The commentary opens with three contextual chapters which outline my compositional approach and which discuss prominent aspects common to the works attached. These chapters are ‘My Main Compositional Concerns’, ‘Use of Received Materials’ and ‘Writing for Voice’. Commentaries on individual works follow, providing discussion of dimensions of the pieces not addressed in the opening chapters. Two appendices are given at the end of the portfolio. The first is an orchestral piece, Rann Dó Trí which won the BBC Baroque Remixed composition competition in 2013: it is included to demonstrate a more overt of use of received materials in a piece which at times resembles an arrangement of baroque material, in contrast to the concealed use of borrowed materials in the harp piece, Amplétude. The second item in the appendix is an alternative instrumentation of ‘A Flower Given to My Daughter’ from Pomes Penyeach using accompaniment of cello and harp instead of two violins. The reason for its inclusion is the exploration of a wider range of sonorities, particularly from lower registers, and the resulting provision of upper harmonics. Below is a list of the works in the portfolio. Recordings of the works are provided and these are listed on page vi. Most of the works are performed by musicians and singers, and in cases where such recordings are not available, midi recordings are included.

A Multimodal Discourse Analysis Exploration of a Crowdfunding Entrepreneurial Pitch.

Victoria Doyle et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 08:17:28 PDT

This paper explores multimodal discourse analysis (Kress and Van Leeuwen, 2001) as a methodology to address the research question: How are environmentally conscious entrepreneurial ventures constituted in online investment crowd-funding pitches and the communications that surround them? While discourse may be realised in many different ways (Kress and Van Leeuwen, 2001 p.5, Bezemer and Jewit, 2010), multimodal discourse analysis focuses on analysing and describing a repertoire of meaning making resources which individuals use in various contexts (visual, gestural, written, actional etc.). Broadband internet and associated technologies mean that these crowdfunding pitches and many other genres tend to be much richer in the modes of communication than was traditionally the case in business. This paper explores one environmentally conscious crowdfunding entrepreneurial pitch “Solar Roadways”. The focus of multimodality analysis will be on the process of meaning making to understand how this venture is constituted in an online crowdfunding pitch using a variety of modes such as images, clothing, bodily decoration, music and speech.

The aim of this paper is to argue for the usefulness of multimodal discourse analysis as a methodological tool with which to explore pitches designed for the crowdfunding audience. The findings suggest that visual and audible symbols within the video pitch create meaning making and can be linked to story- telling which can impact on the impressions made by the entrepreneur to potential funders. Employing a multimodal methodology demonstrates that language is not the only method of communication to potential contributors.

A Hardware One-Time Pad Prototype Generator for Localising Cloud Security

Paul Tobin et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 05:28:52 PDT

In this paper, we examine a system for encrypting data before storing in the Cloud. Adopting this system gives excellent security to stored data and complete control for accessing data by the client at different locations. The motivation for developing this personal encryption came about because of poor Cloud security and doubts over the safety of public encryption algorithms which might contain backdoors. However, side-channel attacks and other unwanted third-party interventions in Cloud security, probably contribute more to the poor security record history. These factors led to the development of a prototype for personalising security locally which defeats cryptanalysis. The key distribution problem associated with random binary sequences called one-time-pads, does not exist for one-to-Cloud applications, unlike bi-directional communications where it was a big issue. The random binary sequences were generated from chaotic analogue oscillators with initial conditions from a data receiver. A JavaScript application processed the one-time pad and data using modulo two arithmetic and applied the von Neumann bias-removal algorithm to increase the overall entropy. The one-time pad binary sequences applied the fifteen tests in the National Institute of Standards and Technology statistical suite of tests to test for randomness. The one-time pads are transported between locations in a memory key device and the prototype encoder should have dimensions similar to a typical memory key device.

One-to-Cloud One-Time Pad Data Encryption: Introducing Virtual Prototyping with PSpice

Paul Tobin et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 05:23:10 PDT

In this paper, we examine the design and application of a one-time pad encryption system for protecting data stored in the Cloud. Personalising security using a one-time pad generator at the client-end protects data from break-ins, side-channel attacks and backdoors in public encryption algorithms. The one-time pad binary sequences were obtained from modified analogue chaos oscillators initiated by noise and encoded client data locally. Specific ``one-to-Cloud'' storage applications returned control back to the end user but without the key distribution problem normally associated with one-time pad encryption. Development of the prototype was aided by ``Virtual Prototyping'' in the latest version of Cadence OrCAD PSpice$^\copyright$. This addition allows the prototype simulation schematic to be connected to an actual microcontroller in real time using device model interfacing for bi-directional communication.

Chaos-based Cryptography for Cloud Computing

Paul Tobin et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 05:18:51 PDT

Cloud computing and poor security issues have quadrupled over the last six years and with the alleged presence of backdoors in common encryption ciphers, has created a need for personalising the encryption process by the client. In 2007, two Microsoft employees gave a presentation ``On the Possibility of a backdoor in the NIST SP800-90 Dual Elliptic Curve Pseudo Random Number Generators'' and was linked in 2013 by the New York Times with notes leaked by Edward Snowden. This confirmed backdoors were placed, allegedly, in a number of encryption systems by the National Security Agency, which if true creates an urgent need for personalising the encryption process by generating locally unbreakable one-time pad ciphers. Hybrid random binary sequences from chaotic oscillators initialised by natural noise, were exported to an online Javascript application which applies a von Neumann deskewing algorithm to improve the cryptographic strength of the encryptor. The application also provides initial statistical p-test for randomness testing. Encoding the \textit{Lenna} image by XORing it with the new cipher provided another test to observe if patterns could be observed in the encoded image. Finally, the cipher was subjected to the NIST suite of statistical tests. All designs were simulated using Orcad PSpice $^{\copyright}$ V16.5

On the Development of a One-Time Pad Generator for Personalising Cloud Security

Paul Tobin et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 04:53:38 PDT

Cloud computing security issues are being reported in newspapers, television, and on the Internet, on a daily basis. Furthermore, in 2013, Edward Snowden alleged backdoors were placed in a number of encryption systems by the National Security Agency causing confidence in public encryption to drop even further. Our solution allows the end-user to add a layer of unbreakable security by encrypting the data locally with a random number generator prior to uploading data to the Cloud. The prototype one-time pad generator is impervious to cryptanalysis because it generates unbreakable random binary sequences from chaos sources initiated from a natural noise. Specialised one-to-Cloud applications for this device means key distribution problems do not exist, even when used at different locations. A JavaScript application maximised the encryptor key entropy using a von Neumann algorithm and modulo-two arithmetic, where the key passed the National Institute of Standards and Technology statistical suite of tests. It is hoped that the final size of the generator should be similar to a typical Universal Serial Bus device.

Education for Sustainable Development- The Irish Construction Sector and the Need for a Sustainable Approach

Conor McManus — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 04:04:42 PDT

This study explores the path to be taken towards achieving Sustainable Development. It examines the impact the construction industry has on the environment as a result of a knowledge and skills gap and considers how our present way of thinking facilitates this. It then goes on to show how a change in construction education can bring about change in the industry and facilitate the implementation of sustainable development. The study examines how the singular emphasis on technology, the introduction of the ‘expert’ into the domestic building process and the narrow focus on operational energy conservation raises questions about Ireland's present path towards Sustainable Development. It will provide clear definitions for ‘sustainable building’. It will outline the significance of the 'local' and the ‘occupant’ in the sustainable building process. It will highlight conflicting sustainable philosophies and examines why the Irish construction industry has to go beyond Part L in order to align itself with Sustainable Development goals.

In order to ensure the success of the drive towards a sustainable economy in Ireland it is imperative that societal change occurs. This study concentrates on the recently depleted Irish construction sector and the potential for a new direction in the industry based on a sustainable ecological approach. The following hypothesis is presented; that in order to ensure Sustainable Development a paradigm shift which forms the fundamental attitudes that we hold concerning the environment must take place. This paper will look at how higher level education may be the entry point where attitudes can be greatly influenced in parallel with the dissemination of knowledge and skills. While outlining why the construction industry must take a lead role in the change towards a sustainable economy this paper looks at how and why the educational process itself must also change in order to embed sustainable development, its philosophy and ethos in the construction sector.

Scoped: Visualising the scope chain within source code

Ivan Bacher et al. — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 02:22:36 PDT

This paper presents an interactive visualisation tool that encodes the scope chain, and information related to the scope chain, within source code. The main goal of the tool is to support programmers when dealing with issues related to scope and to provide answers to questions such as to which scope does a specific variable or function belong to and can I access a specific variable from the scope I am currently located in. The design guidelines followed during the implementation of the tool, as well as the design rationale behind the main features of the tool are described. Finally, the results of a pilot user experience evaluation study are presented where an interesting observation was that the tool seemed to support programmers in verifying and correcting their assumptions when asked questions about specific scoping issues within a source code document.

An Analysis of the Application of Simplified Silhouette to the Evaluation of k-means Clustering Validity

Hector-Hugo Franco-Penya et al. — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 05:08:12 PDT

Silhouette is one of the most popular and effective internal measures for the evaluation of clustering validity. Simplified Silhouette is a computationally simplified version of Silhouette. However, to date Simplified Silhouette has not been systematically analysed in a specific clustering algorithm. This paper analyses the application of Simplified Silhouette to the evaluation of k-means clustering validity and compares it with the k-means Cost Function and the original Silhouette from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. The theoretical analysis shows that Simplified Silhouette has a mathematical relationship with both the k-means Cost Function and the original Silhouette, while empirically, we show that it has comparative performances with the original Silhouette, but is much faster in calculation. Based on our analysis, we conclude that for a given dataset the k-means Cost Function is still the most valid and efficient measure in the evaluation of the validity of k-means clustering with the same k value, but that Simplified Silhouette is more suitable than the original Silhouette in the selection of the best result from k-means clustering with different k values.

A Framework for Post-Stroke Quality of Life Prediction Using Structured Prediction

Andrew Hines et al. — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 04:23:12 PDT

This paper presents a conceptual model that relates Quality of Life to the established Quality of Experience formation process. It uses concepts developed by the Quality of Experience community to propose an adapted framework for developing predictive models for Quality of Life. A mapping of common factors that can be applied to health related quality of life is proposed and practical challenges for modelling and applications are presented and discussed. The process of identifying and categorising factors and features is illustrated using stroke patient treatment as an example use case.

Bitrate Classification of Twice-Encoded Audio using Objective Quality Features

Colm Sloan et al. — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 04:18:14 PDT

When a user uploads audio files to a music stream- ing service, these files are subsequently re-encoded to lower bitrates to target different devices, e.g. low bitrate for mobile. To save time and bandwidth uploading files, some users encode their original files using a lossy codec. The metadata for these files cannot always be trusted as users might have encoded their files more than once. Determining the lowest bitrate of the files allows the streaming service to skip the process of encoding the files to bitrates higher than that of the uploaded files, saving on processing and storage space. This paper presents a model that uses quality predictions from ViSQOLAudio, a full reference objective audio quality metric, as features in combination with a multi-class support vector machine classifier. An experiment on twice-encoded files found that low bitrate codecs could be classified using audio quality features. The experiment also provides insights into the implications of multiple transcodes from a quality perspective.

The AEPEM Collection: A Set of Annotated Traditional French Music Scores

Pierre Beauguitte — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 02:02:56 PDT

The aim of this paper is to present the AEPEM collection, consisting of more than five thousand scores of French traditional melodies. The original material and the digitized collection are described. A short statistical analysis is performed to compare this collection to existing ones in terms of melodic profiles.