PUFPass: A password management mechanism based on software/hardware codesign

Secure passwords need high entropy, but are difficult for users to remember. Password managers minimize the memory burden by storing site passwords locally or generating secure site passwords from a master password through hashing or key stretching. Unfortunately, they are threatened by the single point of failure introduced by the master password which is vulnerable to various attacks such as offline attack and shoulder surfing attack. To handle these issues, this paper proposes the PUFPass, a secure password management mechanism based on software/hardware codesign. By introducing the hardware primitive, Physical Unclonable Function (PUF), into PUFPass, the random physical disorder is exploited to strengthen site passwords. An illustration of PUFPass in the Android operating system is given. PUFPass is evaluated from aspects of both security and preliminary usability. The security of the passwords is evaluated using a compound heuristic algorithm based PUF attack software and an open source password cracking software, respectively. Finally, PUFPass is compared with other password management mechanisms using the Usability-Deployability-Security (UDS) framework. The results show that PUFPass has great advantages in security while maintaining most benefits in usability.     

Current-ramp assisted sintering of 3YSZ: Electrochemical and microstructural comparison to flash and thermal sintering

Flash sintering features an unoptimized and uncontrolled rise in current density and sample conductivity. By using a controlled current-ramp technique with a predetermined ramp function, microstructure and electrochemical properties can be improved. This current-ramp method is investigated through use of test functions that follow square-root, linear, and parabolic time dependence with comparison to conventional flash sintering and thermal sintering. Steeper ramp functions during the sintering result in higher activation energy, suggesting a change in the vacancy concentration for both the bulk and grain boundary regions. Estimation of the grain boundary domain width suggests a grain size dependence of the unique space charge contribution to conduction independent of sintering method. Contrary to conventional wisdom, flash sintering can actually result in enhanced grain growth compared to controlled current-ramps and conventional sintering, implying that uncontrolled rise in current to a set cutoff may not be the optimal method for densification.     

Data-driven placemaking: Public space canopy design through multi-objective optimisation considering shading,structural and social performance

In the context of ongoing densification of cities and aging urban populations, public spaces are a crucial infrastructure to support the physical and mental wellbeing of urban residents. The design of public space furniture elements is often standardised, and not considered in relation to environmental conditions and mechanisms of social interaction. This article presents a digital workflow to generate site-specific designs for shaded public seating, considering the relationships of local public places to their surroundings. A strategy for customised and site-specific design is developed through the use of multiple software tools, employing evolutionary algorithms and multi-objective optimisation. The method is applied to a small public space canopy prototype installed within a public housing estate in Hong Kong, incorporating additional criteria to achieve a low-cost and light-weight structure. Through multiple stages of refinement and optimisation, a material, structural and social performance-driven outcome was achieved that creates a shaded space for public seating, people watching and social interaction. As part of a larger research agenda exploring architectural form-finding and environmental psychology, the project represents potential new applications in the emerging field of socially driven computational design.     

The Localization of “Imported” Urban Form in Northeast China: The Case Study on Circular–Radial Space in Dalian City

After the “imported” urban forms, which originated from foreign cultures, were transplanted into Chinese cities, they generate brand-new urbanscape but suffer from a lack of cultural roots and a disconnection with the mainstream of contemporary urban planning. Thus, their current value and potential in urban renewal are questioned. The study takes the circular–radial space from the Baroque cities as an example to clarify the motivation of its import from the west to northeast China. It further clarifies their adaptive changes in form and function in the local urban context, through a case study on Dalian City. The study finds that different geometric patterns of existing circular–radial space were influenced by European, American, and Japanese urban planning theories to varying degrees, but with equal emphasis on symbolism and functionality. Their implementation in Dalian has a continuity in time and space. But due to the changes in topography, traffic, and planning concepts, their forms and functions tend to be independent, their connection weakens, and their importance recedes after the street network. The circular–radial space in Dalian led to distinctive urbanscape. But during their inheritance and transformation, the rationality of new forms and functions, as well as the necessity of continuing the initial ones need to be dialectically considered, so as to avoid dogmatic revival and antique reproduction. Finally, the study reconsiders the concept of “localization” of “imported” urban form, and constructs a general research pattern to provide a new perspective for understanding the transformation of similar types of urban forms.     

The legitimacy gap of algorithmic decision-making in the public sector: Why it arises and how to address it

Algorithmic decision-making (ADM) systems are increasingly adopted by the state to support various administrative functions and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public services, such as in unemployment services or policing. While these systems create challenges of opaqueness, unfairness, and value trade-offs, the present paper argues that a more fundamental challenge lies in the way these systems alter the epistemic bases of decision-making. It contributes to the literature by highlighting why procedural standards of legitimacy in operative decision-making no longer suffice for certain applications and by discussing how the resulting legitimacy gap can be addressed through stakeholder involvement. By adapting research on participatory technology assessments to the particularities of ADM system design, it is possible to identify the core challenges of such a stakeholder process and the necessary steps to deal with them.     

Preparation and Characterization of High-Strength Geopolymer Based on BH-1 Lunar Soil Simulant with Low Alkali Content

The construction of a lunar base and habitation on the Moon has always been on researchers’ minds. Building materials used in in situ lunar resources are of great significance for saving expensive space freight. In this study, a new type of lunar soil simulant named Beihang (BH)-1 was developed. The chemical mineral composition and microstructure of BH-1 closely resemble those of real lunar soil, as verified by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and reflectance spectra. This research also synthesized a geopolymer based on BH-1 cured at simulated lunar atmospheric conditions. We also investigated the effect of supplementing aluminum (Al) sources on the enhancement of geopolymer strength based on BH-1. The rheological behavior of alkali-activated BH-1 pastes was determined for workability. XRF, XRD, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, SEM coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and ²⁷Al magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance were used to characterize resulting geopolymers. Rheological test findings showed that the rheology of BH-1 pastes fits the Herschel–Bulkley model, and they behaved like a shear-thinning fluid. The results showed that the 28-day compressive strength of the BH-1 geopolymer was improved by up to 100.8%. Meanwhile, the weight of additives required to produce per unit strength decreased, significantly reducing the mass of materials transported from the Earth for the construction of lunar infrastructure and saving space transportation costs. Microscopic analyses showed that the mechanism to improve the mechanical properties of the BH-1 geopolymer by adding an additional Al source enhances the replacement of silicon atoms by Al atoms in the silicon–oxygen group and generates a more complete and dense amorphous gel structure.     

A review of digital twin in product design and development

In the era of digitalization, there are many emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Digital Twin (DT), Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI), which are quickly developped and used in product design and development. Among those technologies, DT is one promising technology which has been widely used in different industries, especially manufacturing, to monitor the performance, optimize the progresses, simulate the results and predict the potential errors. DT also plays various roles within the whole product lifecycle from design, manufacturing, delivery, use and end-of-life. With the growing demands of individualized products and implementation of Industry 4.0, DT can provide an effective solution for future product design, development and innovation. This paper aims to figure out the current states of DT research focusing on product design and development through summarizing typical industrial cases. Challenges and potential applications of DT in product design and development are also discussed to inspire future studies.     

Quo Vadis public television? Market position of selected Western European countries

The liberalization of television markets and the emergence of commercial channels has changed the position of public television, bringing an end to monopolies. Public television now competes for audiences with private television. In this paper, the authors analyze the changes to the market position of public television in Germany, Spain, France, the United Kingdom (UK), and Italy between 1995 and 2019. In this 25-year period, all of these countries have had a liberalized TV market. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the ways in which public television competes with commercial television, assessing the consequences of this on market power. This analysis allows us to detect similarities and dissimilarities between public television and television markets in large Western European countries. The results show the decline of the market share of public television in all countries, except Germany. Furthermore, public television has remained market leading in all countries, with the exception of Spain. One of the ways to compete with commercial television is to start new public channels and acquire a large audience.     

Determinant factors of individuals’ decision to emigrate in rural Spain: The role of ICT-based public policies

Depopulation is a dramatic problem in rural inland Spain. The present study draws on a survey administered to inhabitants of rural areas to analyse the factors influencing the decision to emigrate to larger centres of population, with a special focus on the impact of ICT-based public policies. The findings show that size of municipality, age and education affect the intention to emigrate. It is found that the digital divide in terms of quality of ICT access has not, in many cases, been overcome, having an effect on citizen satisfaction. To guide public actions, we identify population profiles depending on both level of satisfaction with ICT development and preference towards specific ICT-related public policy measures intended to combat depopulation. We also find that most individuals continue to think that improving investment in ICT infrastructures should be a priority of public policy, compared to more advanced measures such as bolstering e-government.     

Blockchain verification and validation: Techniques,challenges, and research directions

As blockchain technology is gaining popularity in industry and society, solutions for Verification and Validation (V&V) of blockchain-based software applications (BC-Apps) have started gaining equal attention. To ensure that BC-Apps are properly developed before deployment, it is paramount to apply systematic V&V to verify their functional and non-functional requirements. While existing research aims at addressing the challenges of engineering BC-Apps by providing testing techniques and tools, blockchain-based software development is still an emerging research discipline, and therefore, best practices and tools for the V&V of BC-Apps are not yet sufficiently developed. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey on V&V solutions for BC-Apps. Specifically, using a layered approach, we synthesize V&V tools and techniques addressing different components at various layers of the BC-App stack, as well as across the whole stack. Next, we provide a discussion on the challenges associated with BC-App V&V, and summarize a set of future research directions based on the challenges and gaps identified in existing research work. Our study aims to highlight the importance of BC-App V&V and pave the way for a disciplined, testable, and verifiable BC development.