A traffic analysis attack to compute social network measures

The development of digital media, the increasing use of social networks, the easier access to modern technological devices, is perturbing thousands of people in their public and private lives. People love posting their personal news without consider the risks involved. Privacy has never been more important. Privacy enhancing technologies research have attracted considerable international attention after the recent news against users personal data protection in social media websites like Facebook. It has been demonstrated that even when using an anonymous communication system, it is possible to reveal user’s identities through intersection attacks or traffic analysis attacks. Combining a traffic analysis attack with Analysis Social Networks (SNA) techniques, an adversary can be able to obtain important data from the whole network, topological network structure, subset of social data, revealing communities and its interactions. The aim of this work is to demonstrate how intersection attacks can disclose structural properties and significant details from an anonymous social network composed of a university community.

     

A geological-geotechnical data base for micro computers

This paper describes a Data Base design for geotechnical and geological purposes, created for use and implementation on a microcomputer, although its logical structure can be adapted to large computers. Both, the geological and geotechnical information obtained from boreholes sunk in an urban area in Barcelona (Spain) have been used to set up the system, which provides facilities not only for retrieving information stored in the Data Base, but also for drawing contour maps using a probabilistic formulation.

---

Base de données géologiques et géotechniques pour microordinateurs

Résumé L'utilisation des banques de données géologiques et géotechniques s'est généralisée depuis 1960. L'un des plus importants problèmes posés est comment réaliser une bonne définition des champs et variables. Les questions posées par la définition et la conception d'une banque constituée de données géologiques et d'essais géotechniques est présentée et la solution adoptée pour un microordinateur est développée. Le logiciel permet de traiter des fichiers géologiques-géotechniques et leur exploitation sur écran, et de déboucher sur une cartographie automatique.

     

Mundane aesthetics.

With the publication of Zür experimentalen ?sthetik (1871) and Vorschule der ?sthetik (1876), Fechner laid the foundations for a new field termed experimental aesthetics, and provided three methods for empirical research. Of these, the method of choice has dominated subsequent research. It is argued that this method, in combination with a narrow, post-Baumgarten definition of aesthetics as pertaining mainly to the experience of art, has not served aesthetics well. In so doing it has overlooked the vast corpus of everyday objects for which people engage in aesthetic choice. Termed mundane aesthetics, this represents the low end, design, as distinct from the high end, art. The aesthetics of the mundane represents everyday reality, far removed from the rarefied pursuit of art. A study is reported into that most mundane and ubiquitous activity, selecting a paint color for the home. It eschews the laboratory and, instead, uses a retrospective method supported by qualitative data analysis (NVivo). The results indicate that aesthetic choice involves processes that are far from uniform, far from instantaneous (cf. laboratory studies), and that employ both internal and external aids reflecting cognitive, emotional, and social considerations. Selecting a wall color emerges as a surprisingly sophisticated process and, on the basis of the present study, one that women appear better equipped to perform than men. A parallel is drawn with the domain of decision research, particularly naturalistic decision-making. Mundane aesthetics involves a decision process, and not simply an affective choice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Springtime Monitoring of Passive Cool Roofs in Subtropical Climate

Passive strategies for acclimatization of buildings have been studied by several authors in many countries, especially the evaporative and radiant cooling techniques. Fiber cement tiles are very common in popular constructions due to their low cost. However, they have over twice of the value thermal transmittance indicated to this bioclimatic zone according to Brazilian guidelines. The objective is to present an alternative to reduce high temperatures on fiber cement tiles. In this paper, the monitoring of passive cooling of roofing during the spring season in a city with subtropical climate is described. Single and combined reflective and evaporative cooling systems were studied in different environmental conditions. Internal surface temperatures of tiles were monitored together with weather variables. Results show a decrease of about 6 ℃, 9 ℃, 10 ℃ and 11 ℃ as compared to the original tiles according to environment conditions and the combined passive cooling techniques. These results allow for the conclusion that the use of passive cooling techniques opens up new possibilities to attenuate the internal surface temperatures of tiles and to consequently decrease the roofing solar heat gain into buildings, thus, providing less air cooling energy consumption.     

Glyphosate transport through weathered granite soils under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions — Barcelona, Spain

The transport of Glyphosate ([N-phosphonomethyl] glycine), AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid, CH₆NO₃P), and Bromide (Br⁻) has been studied, in the Mediterranean Maresme area of Spain, north of Barcelona, where groundwater is located at a depth of 5.5 m. The unsaturated zone of weathered — granite soils was characterized in adjacent irrigated and non-irrigated experimental plots where 11 and 10 boreholes were drilled, respectively. At the non irrigated plot, the first half of the period was affected by a persistent and intense rainfall. After 69 days of application residues of Glyphosate up to 73.6 μgg^− 1 were detected till a depth of 0.5 m under irrigated conditions, AMPA, analyzed only in the irrigated plot was detected till a depth of 0.5 m. According to the retardation coefficient of Glyphosate as compared to that of Br⁻ for the topsoil and subsoil (80 and 83, respectively) and the maximum observed migration depth of Br⁻ (2.9 m) Glyphosate and AMPA should have been detected till a depth of 0.05 m only. Such migration could be related to the low content of organic matter and clays in the soils; recharge generated by irrigation and heavy rain, and possible preferential solute transport and/or colloidal mediated transport.     

Esthetic decision‐making: How do people select colours for real settings?

A feature of the empirical literature in colour psychology is that little attention has been given to how people in real settings engage in colour selection. Surprisingly, with rare exceptions, we know almost nothing about this. Besides its theoretical significance within psychology, this question has practical implications for industries where colour choice is important. A study is reported into that most ubiquitous of activities, selecting a paint colour for the home. This used a retrospective method supported by qualitative data analysis (NVivo) in which participants described their process of colour selection. The results indicate a process that is far from uniform, but one that consists of two essential stages. The first involves arriving at what we refer to as an affective specification of the qualities sought. Once constructed, this leads to the second stage of matching colour attributes to that specification. Selecting a wall colour emerges as a surprisingly complex process, and one that corresponds more closely to a search than to a simple affective choice. A parallel is drawn with decision research, particularly the field of naturalistic decision‐making. From participants' reports, colour selection also emerges as a process that women appear to understand better than men. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 55–60, 2008