M.Ing. ( Electrical & Electronic Engineering Science) / Economic modelling tools have gained popularity in recent years due to the increasing need for greater knowledge to assist policy makers and economists. A number of computational intelligence approaches have been proposed for economic modelling. Most of these approaches focus on the accuracy of prediction and not much research has been allocated to investigate the interpretability of the decisions derived from these systems. This work proposes the use of computational intelligence techniques (Rough set theory (RST) and the Multi-layer perceptron (MLP) model) to model the South African economy. RST is a rule-based technique suitable for analysing vague, uncertain and imprecise data. RST extracts rules from the data to model the system. These rules are used for prediction and interpreting the decision process. The lesser the number of rules, the easier it is to interpret the model. The performance of the RST is dependent on the discretization technique employed. An equal frequency bin (EFB), Boolean reasoning (BR), entropy partition (EP) and the Naïve algorithm (NA) are used to develop an RST model. The model trained using EFB data performs better than the models trained using BR and EP. RST was used to model South Africa’s financial sector. Here, accuracy of 86.8%, 57.7%, 64.5% and 43% were achieved for EFB, BR, EP and NA respectively. This work also proposes an ensemble of rough set theory and the multi-layer perceptron model to model the South African economy wherein, a prediction of the direction of the gross domestic product is presented. This work also proposes the use of an auto-associative Neural Network to impute missing economic data. The auto-associative neural network imputed the ten variables or attributes that were used in the prediction model. These variables were: Construction contractors rating lack of skilled labour as constraint, Tertiary economic sector contribution to GDP, Income velocity of circulation of money, Total manufacturing production volume, Manufacturing firms rating lack of skilled labour as constraint, Total asset value of banking industry, Nominal unit labour cost, Total mass of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) mined, Total revenue from sale of PGMs and the Gross Domestic Expenditure (GDE). The level of imputation accuracy achieved varied with the attribute. The accuracy ranged from 85.9% to 98.7%.

M.Ing. (Engineering Management) / The growing need for customized solutions and faster product delivery obliges the product development industry to develop new strategies that can enable the rapid and flexible design of products. Several design approaches have been developed to address this issue: one such is Knowledge-Based Engineering (KBE), which is a design technique that enables the automation of the design process. This approach consists of using computational intelligence to capture the design rules related to a product family in order to generate automatically customized designs adapted to particular customer requirements. Knowledge-Based Engineering is also used to facilitate the performance of design evaluation activities such as finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as part of multi-disciplinary design optimization (MDO). The application of this approach led to impressive results mostly in the automotive and aeronautical industry. Owing to this method, some companies manage to reduce the duration of the design process by 90%. Despite the excellent results obtained through the use of Knowledge-Based Engineering, there are still very few companies that make use of this approach in their design process. The review of the relevant literature showed that the lack of a standard easy-to-use methodology of implementation is one of the major obstacles to the expansion of Knowledge-Based Engineering. The knowledge processing phase constitutes one of the main challenges of the KBE implementation process. This phase consists of extracting and documenting the knowledge embedded in the design team in order to convert it in a programming code. Available methodologies such as MOKA and KNOMAD do not seem to provide easy-to-use methods to represent the design knowledge in a form that makes it easy to be programmed. The lack of a preliminary stage that justifies the adequacy of KBE for a particular design process is also an important gap identified in the literature.This dissertation discusses a detailed method that addresses issues related to knowledge processing and suitability analysis in KBE implementation. The knowledge processing method suggested is based on the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) which is used widely in the system engineering approach and consists of a very logical classification of the design knowledge. The strength of this method lies in its ability to represent the design knowledge in a form that makes it understandable for both engineers and programmers. Appropriate representation of this sort shortens the duration of the knowledge processing and facilitates the knowledge programming phase. Regarding the rationale for choosing of KBE, a detailed suitability assessment method is proposed.

Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Chemical Engineering / unrestricted

The Semantic Web is a vision to create a “web of knowledge”; an extension of the Web as we know it which will create an information space which will be usable by machines in very rich ways. The technologies which make up the Semantic Web allow machines to reason across information gathered from the Web, presenting only relevant results and inferences to the user. Users of the Web in its current form assess the credibility of the information they gather in a number of different ways. If processing happens without the user being able to check the source and credibility of each piece of information used in the processing, the user must be able to trust that the machine has used trustworthy information at each step of the processing. The machine should therefore be able to automatically assess the credibility of each piece of information it gathers from the Web. A case study on advanced checks for website credibility is presented, and the site presented in the case presented is found to be credible, despite failing many of the checks which are presented. A website with a backend based on RDF technologies is constructed. A better understanding of RDF technologies and good knowledge of the RAP and Redland RDF application frameworks is gained. The second aim of constructing the website was to gather information to be used for testing various trust metrics. The website did not gain widespread support, and therefore not enough data was gathered for this. Techniques for presenting RDF data to users were also developed during website development, and these are discussed. Experiences in gathering RDF data are presented next. A scutter was successfully developed, and the data smushed to create a database where uniquely identifiable objects were linked, even where gathered from different sources. Finally, the use of digital signature as a means of linking an author and content produced by that author is presented. RDF/XML canonicalisation is discussed in the provision of ideal cryptographic checking of RDF graphs, rather than simply checking at the document level. The notion of canonicalisation on the semantic, structural and syntactic levels is proposed. A combination of an existing canonicalisation algorithm and a restricted RDF/XML dialect is presented as a solution to the RDF/XML canonicalisation problem. We conclude that a trusted Semantic Web is possible, with buy in from publishing and consuming parties.

In this thesis a framework for Security Operation Centers (SOCs) is proposed. It was developed by utilising Systems Engineering best practices, combined with industry-accepted standards and frameworks, such as the TM Forum’s eTOM framework, CoBIT, ITIL, and ISO/IEC 27002:2005. This framework encompasses the design considerations, the operational considerations and the means to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of SOCs. The intent is to provide guidance to consumers on how to compare and measure the capabilities of SOCs provided by disparate service providers, and to provide service providers (internal and external) a framework to use when building and improving their offerings. The importance of providing a consistent, measureable and guaranteed service to customers is becoming more important, as there is an increased focus on holistic management of security. This has in turn resulted in an increased number of both internal and managed service provider solutions. While some frameworks exist for designing, building and operating specific security technologies used within SOCs, we did not find any comprehensive framework for designing, building and managing SOCs. Consequently, consumers of SOCs do not enjoy a constant experience from vendors, and may experience inconsistent services from geographically dispersed offerings provided by the same vendor.

No description available.

As part of an effort to develop an intelligent tutoring system, a set of knowledge representation frameworks was proposed to represent expert domain knowledge. A general representation of time points and temporal relations was developed to facilitate temporal concept deductions as well as facilitating explanation capabilities vital in an intelligent advisor system. Conventional representations of time use a single-referenced timeline and assigns a single unique value to the time of occurrence of an event. They fail to capture the notion of events, such as changes in signal states in microcomputer systems, which do not occur at precise points in time, but rather over a range of time with some probability distribution. Time is, fundamentally, a relative quantity. In conventional representations, this relative relation is implicitly defined with a fixed reference, "time-zero", on the timeline. This definition is insufficient if an explanation of the temporal relations is to be constructed. The proposed representation of time solves these two problems by representing a time point as a time-range and making the reference point explicit. An architecture of the system was also proposed to provide a means of integrating various modules as the system evolves, as well as a modular development approach. A production rule EXPERT based on the rule framework used in the Graphic Interactive LISP tutor (GIL) [44, 45], an intelligent tutor for LISP programming, was implemented to demonstrate the inference process using this time point representation. The EXPERT is goal-driven and is intended to be an integral part of a complete intelligent tutoring system. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of / Graduate

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MEng (Mechanical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

Orientador: Silvio Roberto Andrietta / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T23:09:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bassetto_NayaraZago_M.pdf: 1198826 bytes, checksum: cc10dd78f55da0ba496ff27d88b3e57b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido o sistema especialista SEPPA para auxiliar no projeto de construção ou reforma de uma planta industrial para produção de álcool anidro e hidratado fazendo o dimensionamento dos equipamentos, especificando o consumo de energia, o consumo de água e a produção de vapor. Um sistema Especialista é um software que é projetado e desenvolvido para atender a uma aplicação determinada do conhecimento humano. É capaz de emitir uma decisão, apoiado em conhecimento justificado, a partir de uma base de informações, tal qual um especialista de determinada área do conhecimento humano. Uma vez que é gasto um grande tempo para realização dos cálculos de dimensionamento de equipamentos e que pessoas são suscetíveis a erros por diversos fatores, este trabalho será de grande auxílio a todos os profissionais que trabalham dimensionando equipamentos para produção de álcool diminuindo o tempo de cálculo e detalhamentos, garantindo a certeza e precisão em todas as respostas, preservando e reproduzindo o conhecimento do especialista da área em questão. Utilizou para desenvolvimento das telas de interface com o usuário a linguagem de programação Delphi 5.0 e para armazenamento de dados o sistema de banco de dados Interbase 6.0. O Delphi é uma linguagem de programação orientada a objetos, e nos permite trabalhar com a herança em telas proporcionando agilidade no desenvolvimento destas e na implementação de códigos em opções comuns a todos os formulários. O Interbase é um eficiente e seguro banco de dados Cliente/Servidor relacional. A base de conhecimento do sistema foi adquirida através da experiência acumulada de um Engenheiro Químico, este foi construído para processos contínuos e possui algoritmos contendo cálculos de balanço de massa, balanço de energia e equações cinéticas. Através dos testes realizados o software mostrou ser seguro e apto a projetar uma planta industrial, seus resultados foram coerentes com os dados obtidos através dos cálculos e especificações realizadas por meio de um projeto manual utilizando os mesmos parâmetros de entrada / Abstract: In this work it was developed a Expert System an help in the design to built-up or restaur of building or reform industrial plant for the production of anidro and hydrated alcohol defining the size of the equipments, specifying the energy and water consumption and the vapor production. An Expert System is a software projected and developed to attend a determined application and limited of the humans knowledge. It¿s able to emit a decision, supported at justified knowledge, from the base of information, exactly a specialist of a determined area of the human knowledge. The Expert System has its mechanism supported at the heuristic processes. The reasoning process is made the realization of the importance of the facts and comparing it with information contained in the knowledge accumulated about this facts and hypothesis. This reasoning is always based in the previous accumulated knowledge. A specialist with this process is not able to achieve a right decision if the facts that dispose to apply your previous knowledge are not sufficient, and can arrive at a wrong conclusion in function of many reasons. Since is spent a big time to perform the calculations for the dimensionation of equipments and that people are always susceptible at mistakes for many factors, this work will be of a significant help to all the professionals that working dimension at the equipments to the alcohol production diminishing the time of calculations and details, guaranteeing the right answer and the precision so, preserving and reproducing the specialist knowledge of the area in question. It was utilized for the development the Interface and the language of programation Delphi 5.0 and to the storage of data was used the database Interbase 6.0. Delphi is a language of programation oriented to objects, and it permits to work with the inheritance at hardware¿s providing agility in the development of this and the implementation of codes in common options at all the formularies. Interbase is an efficient and safe database Client/ Server. The base of knowledge of system was acquired through the experience accumulated of chemistry engineers in the design of continuous process and has algorithms containing of mass and energy balances as well as thus kinetic equation. Through the tests carried out the software showed be safe and apt to project an industrial plant, its results were coherent with the data obtained through calculus and specifications realized by means of a manual project using the same entrance parameter / Mestrado / Desenvolvimento de Processos Biotecnologicos / Mestre em Engenharia Química

Natural disasters disrupt our daily life and cause many sufferings. Among the various natural disasters, flood is one of the most catastrophic. Assessing flood risk helps to take necessary precautions and can save human lives. The assessment of risk involves various factors which can not be measured with hundred percent certainty. Therefore, the present methods of flood risk assessment can not assess the risk of flooding accurately.  This research rigorously investigates various types of uncertainties associated with the flood risk factors. In addition, a comprehensive study of the present flood risk assessment approaches has been conducted. Belief Rule Base expert systems are widely used to handle various of types of uncertainties. Therefore, this research considers BRBES’s approach to develop an expert system to assess the risk of flooding. In addition, to facilitate the learning procedures of BRBES, an optimal learning algorithm has been proposed. The developed BRBES has been applied taking real world case study area, located at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The training data has been collected from the case study area to obtain the trained BRB and to develop the optimal learning model. The BRBES can generate different "What-If" scenarios which enables the analysis of flood risk of an area from various perspectives which makes the system robust and sustainable. This system is said to be intelligent as it has knowledge base, inference engine as well as the learning capability.