Kynoid: Real-time enforcement of fine-grained,user-defined,and data-centric security policies for Android

We introduce Kynoid, a real-time monitoring and enforcement framework for Android. Kynoid is based on user-defined security policies which are defined for data-items. This allows users to define temporal, spatial, and destination constraints which have to hold for single items. We introduce an innovative approach to allow for the real-time tracking and enforcement of such policies. In this way, Kynoid is the first extension for Android which enables the enforcement of security policies of data-items stored in shared resources. We outline Kynoid's architecture, present its operation and discuss it in terms of applicability, and performance. By providing a proof-of-concept implementation we further show the feasibility of our framework.     

More Than Stories With Buttons: Narrative,Mechanics, and Context as Determinants of Player Experience in Digital Games

Recent research has attempted to describe meaningful experiences with entertainment media that go beyond hedonic enjoyment. Most of this research focuses on noninteractive media, such as film and television. When applied to digital games, however, such research needs to account for not only the content of the medium, but also the unique dimensions of digital games that distinguish them from noninteractive media. Experiences with digital games are shaped by the game mechanics that define the users' interaction with game content, as well as by the opportunities for social interaction that many games offer. We argue that the complex interplay of these dimensions (narrative, mechanics, and context) facilitates or inhibits meaningful user experiences in ways that are unique to digital games.     

Isotopic composition of soil,vegetation or cattle hair no suitable indicator of nitrogen balances in permanent pasture

Stable isotope signatures of cattle tail switch hair or meadow vegetation have been found to be related to nitrogen (N) surpluses of whole farms and of meadows, respectively. Permanent pastures are more patchy in terms of nutrient inputs and outputs and N balances for the whole plot do not necessarily give correct impressions of losses. We here investigated correlations between isotopic signatures and N balances calculated for different spatial and temporal scales in permanent pastures. N concentrations and δ¹⁵N values of cattle tail switch hair, vegetation and soil samples were measured in an experiment with different grazing intensities started in 2002. Results were compared to soil surface balances calculated for the whole plot or for plot areas affected by either dung, urine, grazing without excreta input, or the pasture area without dung pats. There were no significant correlations between plant or cattle hair isotopic signatures and any of the balances. N fixation probably influenced vegetation signatures, making the isotopic values less dependent on soil and more on atmospheric N. The cattle preferred short mixed vegetation with more legume biomass, which also influenced the ¹⁵N values of their hair. The ¹⁵N signatures of soil samples were the best indicators of partial N balances in these heterogeneous pastures, probably because soil values are most directly influenced by N inputs and outputs. Still, soil signatures only explained between 15 and 35% of the variation in balance results. Thus, none of the tested parameters can be used as a reliable indicator of N balance results in this heterogeneous system with small differences in budgets among treatments and potentially small plot-scale N losses.     

IN-PLANE MOISTURE TRANSPORT IN PAPER DETECTED BY MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

Magnetic resonance imaging was used to visualize in-plane moisture transport in laboratory-made handsheets, heavy paperboard, and polyethylene-coated paperboard. Beginning with wet samples sealed on both surfaces, the moisture content was reduced through evaporation from the outside edges. The diffusion of moisture to the outside edges, i.e., in the plane of the sheets, was found to be isotropic with respect to the sample machine and cross directions. Isotropic in-plane moisture diffusion was observed for samples exhibiting a relatively high degree of fiber orientation, and under conditions of forced convection with air flow rates up to 10 L/min past the outside edges.     

Simulations for the Development of Thermoelectric Measurements

In thermoelectricity, continuum theoretical equations are usually used for the calculation of the characteristics and performance of thermoelectric elements, modules or devices as a function of external parameters (material, geometry, temperatures, current, flow, load, etc.). An increasing number of commercial software packages aimed at applications, such as COMSOL and ANSYS, contain vkernels using direct thermoelectric coupling. Application of these numerical tools also allows analysis of physical measurement conditions and can lead to specifically adapted methods for developing special test equipment required for the determination of TE material and module properties. System-theoretical and simulation-based considerations of favorable geometries are taken into account to create draft sketches in the development of such measurement systems. Particular consideration is given to the development of transient measurement methods, which have great advantages compared with the conventional static methods in terms of the measurement duration required. In this paper the benefits of using numerical tools in designing measurement facilities are shown using two examples. The first is the determination of geometric correction factors in four-point probe measurement of electrical conductivity, whereas the second example is focused on the so-called combined thermoelectric measurement (CTEM) system, where all thermoelectric material properties (Seebeck coefficient, electrical and thermal conductivity, and Harman measurement of zT) are measured in a combined way. Here, we want to highlight especially the measurement of thermal conductivity in a transient mode. Factors influencing the measurement results such as coupling to the environment due to radiation, heat losses via the mounting of the probe head, as well as contact resistance between the sample and sample holder are illustrated, analyzed, and discussed. By employing the results of the simulations, we have developed an improved sample head that allows for measurements over a larger temperature interval with enhanced accuracy.     

Whodunnit – Searching for the most important feature types signalling emotion-related user states in speech

In this article, we describe and interpret a set of acoustic and linguistic features that characterise emotional/emotion-related user states – confined to the one database processed: four classes in a German corpus of children interacting with a pet robot. To this end, we collected a very large feature vector consisting of more than 4000 features extracted at different sites. We performed extensive feature selection (Sequential Forward Floating Search) for seven acoustic and four linguistic types of features, ending up in a small number of ‘most important’ features which we try to interpret by discussing the impact of different feature and extraction types. We establish different measures of impact and discuss the mutual influence of acoustics and linguistics.     

Coal lumps vs. electrons: How do Chinese bulk energy transport decisions affect the global steam coal market?

This paper demonstrates the ways in which different Chinese bulk energy transport strategies affect the future steam coal market in China and in the rest of the world. An increase in Chinese demand for steam coal will lead to a growing need for additional domestic infrastructure as production hubs and demand centers are spatially separated, and domestic transport costs could influence the future Chinese steam coal supply mix. If domestic transport capacity is available only at elevated costs, Chinese power generators could turn to the global trade markets and further increase steam coal imports. Increased Chinese imports could then yield significant changes in steam coal market economics on a global scale. This effect is analyzed in China, where coal is mainly transported by railway, and in another setting where coal energy is transported as electricity. For this purpose, a spatial equilibrium model for the global steam coal market has been developed. One major finding is that if coal is converted into electricity early in the supply chain, worldwide marginal costs of supply are lower than if coal is transported via railway. Furthermore, China's dependence on international imports is significantly reduced in this context. Allocation of welfare changes particularly in favor of Chinese consumers while rents of international producers decrease.