Abstract: In this paper, we evaluate the resilience of the smart grid system in the presence of multiple cyber-physical attacks on its distinct functional components. We discuss attack-defense scenarios and their effect on smart grid resilience. Through contingency simulations in the Network and PowerWorld Simulator, we analyze multiple cyber-physical attacks that propagate from the cyber domain to power systems and discuss how such attacks destabilize the underlying power grid. The analysis of such simulations helps system administrators develop more resilient systems and improves the response of the system in the presence of cyber-physical attacks.
Abstract: The adaptation of social networking sites within
higher education has garnered significant interest in the recent years
with numerous researches considering it as a possible shift from the
traditional classroom based learning paradigm. Notwithstanding this
increase in research and conducted studies however, the adaption of
SNS based modules have failed to proliferate within Universities.
This paper commences its contribution by analyzing the various
models and theories proposed in literature and amalgamate together
various effective aspects for the inclusion of social technology within
e-Learning. A three phased framework is further proposed which
details the necessary considerations for the successful adaptation of
SNS in enhancing the students learning experience. This proposal
outlines the theoretical foundations which will be analyzed in
practical implementation across international university campuses.
Abstract: Kumasi is Ghana’s second largest and fastest growing city with an annual population growth rate of 5.4 percent. A major result of this phenomenon is a growing sprawl at the fringes of the city. This paper assesses the nature, extent and impact of sprawl on Kumasi and examines urban planning efforts at addressing this phenomenon. Both secondary and empirical data were collected from decentralized government departments of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and residents of some sprawling communities. The study reveals that sprawl in the metropolis is rapidly consuming fringe rural communities. This situation has weakened effective management of the metropolis causing problems such as congestion and conversion of peri-urban land into residential use without ancillary infrastructure and social services. The paper recommends effective and timely planning and provision of services as well as an overall economic development and spatial integration through regional planning as a way of achieving a long term solution to sprawl.
Abstract: Higher education has an important role to play in
advocating environmentalism. Given this responsibility, the goal of
higher education should therefore be to develop graduates with the
knowledge, skills and values related to environmentalism. However,
research indicates that there is a lack of consciousness amongst
graduates on the need to be more environmentally aware, especially
when it comes to applying the appropriate knowledge and skills
related to environmentalism. Although institutions of higher learning
do include environmental parameters within their undergraduate and
postgraduate academic programme structures, the environmental
boundaries are usually confined to specific engineering majors within
an engineering programme. This makes environmental knowledge,
skills and values exclusive to certain quarters of the higher education
system. The incorporation of environmental literacy within higher
education institutions as a whole is of utmost pertinence if a nation-s
human capital is to be nurtured to become change agents for the
preservation of environment. This paper discusses approaches that
can be adapted by institutions of higher learning to include
environmental literacy within the graduate-s higher learning
experience.
Abstract: Expression data analysis is based mostly on the
statistical approaches that are indispensable for the study of
biological systems. Large amounts of multidimensional data resulting
from the high-throughput technologies are not completely served by
biostatistical techniques and are usually complemented with visual,
knowledge discovery and other computational tools. In many cases,
in biological systems we only speculate on the processes that are
causing the changes, and it is the visual explorative analysis of data
during which a hypothesis is formed. We would like to show the
usability of multidimensional visualization tools and promote their
use in life sciences. We survey and show some of the
multidimensional visualization tools in the process of data
exploration, such as parallel coordinates and radviz and we extend
them by combining them with the self-organizing map algorithm. We
use a time course data set of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder
in our examples. Analysis of data with these tools has the potential to
uncover additional relationships and non-trivial structures.