Robust Algorithms for Preemptive Scheduling

Preemptive scheduling problems on parallel machines are classic problems. Given the goal of minimizing the makespan, they are polynomially solvable even for the most general model of unrelated machines. In these problems, a set of jobs is to be assigned to run on a set of m machines. A job can be split into parts arbitrarily and these parts are to be assigned to time slots on the machines without parallelism, that is, for every job, at most one of its parts can be processed at each time. Motivated by sensitivity analysis and online algorithms, we investigate the problem of designing robust algorithms for constructing preemptive schedules. Robust algorithms receive one piece of input at a time. They may change a small portion of the solution as an additional part of the input is revealed. The capacity of change is based on the size of the new piece of input. For scheduling problems, the supremum ratio between the total size of the jobs (or parts of jobs) which may be re-scheduled upon the arrival of a new job j, and the size of j, is called migration factor. We design a strongly optimal algorithm with the migration factor $1-\frac{1}{m}$ for identical machines. Strongly optimal algorithms avoid idle time and create solutions where the (non-increasingly) sorted vector of completion times of the machines is lexicographically minimal. In the case of identical machines this results not only in makespan minimization, but the created solution is also optimal with respect to any ? _p norm (for p>1). We show that an algorithm of a smaller migration factor cannot be optimal with respect to makespan or any other ? _p norm, thus the result is best possible in this sense as well. We further show that neither uniformly related machines nor identical machines with restricted assignment admit an optimal algorithm with a constant migration factor. This lower bound holds both for makespan minimization and for any ? _p norm. Finally, we analyze the case of two machines and show that in this case it is still possible to maintain an optimal schedule with a small migration factor in the cases of two uniformly related machines and two identical machines with restricted assignment.     

Intrusion detection for mobile devices using the knowledge-based, temporal abstraction method

In this paper, a new approach for detecting previously unencountered malware targeting mobile device is proposed. In the proposed approach, time-stamped security data is continuously monitored within the target mobile device (i.e., smartphones, PDAs) and then processed by the knowledge-based temporal abstraction (KBTA) methodology. Using KBTA, continuously measured data (e.g., the number of sent SMSs) and events (e.g., software installation) are integrated with a mobile device security domain knowledge-base (i.e., an ontology for abstracting meaningful patterns from raw, time-oriented security data), to create higher level, time-oriented concepts and patterns, also known as temporal abstractions. Automatically-generated temporal abstractions are then monitored to detect suspicious temporal patterns and to issue an alert. These patterns are compatible with a set of predefined classes of malware as defined by a security expert (or the owner) employing a set of time and value constraints. The goal is to identify malicious behavior that other defensive technologies (e.g., antivirus or firewall) failed to detect. Since the abstraction derivation process is complex, the KBTA method was adapted for mobile devices that are limited in resources (i.e., CPU, memory, battery). To evaluate the proposed modified KBTA method a lightweight host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS), combined with central management capabilities for Android-based mobile phones, was developed. Evaluation results demonstrated the effectiveness of the new approach in detecting malicious applications on mobile devices (detection rate above 94% in most scenarios) and the feasibility of running such a system on mobile devices (CPU consumption was 3% on average).     

Of robot ants and elephants: A computational comparison

In the robotics community, there exist implicit assumptions concerning the computational capabilities of robots. Two computational classes of robots emerge as focal points of recent research: robot ants and robot elephants. Ants have poor memory and communication capabilities, but are able to communicate using pheromones, in effect, turning their work area into a shared memory. By comparison, elephants are computationally stronger, have large memory, and are equipped with strong sensing and communication capabilities. Unfortunately, not much is known about the relation between the capabilities of these models in terms of the tasks they can address. In this paper, we present formal models of both ants and elephants, and investigate if one dominates the other. We present two algorithms: AntEater, which allows elephant robots to execute ant algorithms and ElephantGun, which converts elephant algorithms-specified as Turing machines-into ant algorithms. By exploring the computational capabilities of these algorithms, we reach interesting conclusions regarding the computational power of both models.     

Approximation Algorithms for Quickest Spanning Tree Problems

Let $G=(V,E)$ be an undirected multigraph with a special vertex ${\it root} \in V$, and where each edge $e \in E$ is endowed with a length $l(e) \geq 0$ and a capacity $c(e) > 0$. For a path $P$ that connects $u$ and $v$, the {\it transmission time} of $P$ is defined as $t(P)=\mbox{\large$\Sigma$}_{e \in P} l(e) + \max_{e \in P}\!{(1 / c(e))}$. For a spanning tree $T$, let $P_{u,v}^T$ be the unique $u$--$v$ path in $T$. The {\sc quickest radius spanning tree problem} is to find a spanning tree $T$ of $G$ such that $\max _{v \in V} t(P^T_{root,v})$ is minimized. In this paper we present a 2-approximation algorithm for this problem, and show that unless $P =NP$, there is no approximation algorithm with a performance guarantee of $2 - \epsilon$ for any $\epsilon >0$. The {\sc quickest diameter spanning tree problem} is to find a spanning tree $T$ of $G$ such that $\max_{u,v \in V} t(P^T_{u,v})$ is minimized. We present a ${3 \over 2}$-approximation to this problem, and prove that unless $P=NP$ there is no approximation algorithm with a performance guarantee of ${3 \over 2}-\epsilon$ for any $\epsilon >0$.     

Interactions of sperm perinuclear theca with the oocyte: implications for oocyte activation,anti-polyspermy defense,and assisted reproduction

Perinuclear theca (PT) is the cytoskeletal coat of mammalian sperm nucleus that is removed from the sperm head at fertilization. PT harbors the sperm borne, oocyte-activating factor (SOAF), a yet-to-be-characterized substance responsible for triggering the signaling cascade of oocyte activation, thought to be dependent on intra-oocyte calcium release. The present article reviews the current knowledge on the biogenesis and molecular composition of sperm PT. Possible functions of sperm PT during natural and assisted fertilization, and in the initiation of embryonic development are discussed. Furthermore, evidence is provided that SOAF is transferred from the sperm PT to oocyte cytoplasm through the internalization and rapid solubilization of the post-acrosomal PT. It is shown that during natural fertilization the sperm PT dissolves in the oocyte cytoplasm concomitantly with sperm nuclear decondensation and the initiation of pronuclear development. SOAF activity is preserved in the differentially extracted sperm heads only if the integrity of PT is maintained. After intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), activation occurs only in those oocytes in which the injected spermatozoon displays complete or partial dissolution of PT. In the latter case, the residual PT of the sub-acrosomal and/or post-acrosomal sperm region may persist on the apical surface of the sperm nucleus/male pronucleus and may cause a delay or arrest of zygotic development. We propose that the sperm PT harbors SOAF in the post-acrosomal sheath, as this is the first part of the sperm cytosol to enter the oocyte cytoplasm and its disassembly appears sufficient to initiate the early events of oocyte activation. Dissolution of the sub-acrosomal part of the PT, on the other hand, appears necessary to insure complete DNA decondensation in the internalized sperm nucleus and initiate DNA synthesis of both pronuclei. The release of the SOAF from the sperm head into oocyte cytoplasm at fertilization ultimately leads to the activation of oocyte mechanism including the completion of the meiotic cell cycle, pronuclear development and anti-polyspermy defense.