This paper examines the relationship between grit and learners’ performance in Japanese language learning. Grit is one’s personality trait which is defined as “perseverance and passion for long-term goal” (Duckworth et al., 2007). The purpose of this quantitative study is to determine whether there were relationships between learners’ grit scores and their performance in two different types of Japanese language classrooms:teacher-centered beginning and intermediate Japanese language courses and student-centered Japanese extensive reading courses. Regarding the study of extensive reading courses, students’ subjective evaluation were used to observe their performance instead of an objective achievement test. There were 78 students who agreed to participate in total. Of all participants, 34 students were taking introductory level Japanese, 27 students were taking the intermediate level, and 17 students were taking a Japanese extensive reading course. The results revealed that participants’ grit scores did not appear to be related to their performance in the introductory language course. Interestingly, in the intermediate course, perseverance subscores of grit measured by the 10-item grit scale were negatively correlated with the students’ performance, with no connection apparent between their grades and grit scores. The results might be attributed to some external factors: such as the process of language learning and students’ academic majors. On the other hand, in the student-centered Japanese extensive reading course, some tendencies of positive correlation were seen between participants’ grit scores and the changes of their subjective evaluation between the beginning and the end of the semester. These findings suggest the possibility that individuals’ grit scores are related to their performance in different ways between teacher-centered and student-centered Japanese language learning.

Nubo is a broker-less and decentralized edge cloud marketplace that provides APIexposure for integration between entities of the marketplace, i.e., service providers and customers of edge cloud. The core functionalities of this marketplace are implemented by using Hyperledger Fabric blockchain. Some of the marketplace features are Subscription to a service, Service registration, Service onboarding, and Application onboarding. Although it has many features, the Nubo marketplace does not provide performance assurance to the customers, which is one of the main reasons for the lack of trust between the service providers and customers. The SLA management can resolve this issue, and it builds a trusted environment in the marketplace. SLA management facilitates the generation of a formal contract between the service provider and the customer, in which the parties agree on the service’s anticipated performance level (measured in terms of QoS indicators). It also involves consequences in the form of a penalty when the expectations are not achieved during the contract period. One of the challenges in SLA management in the marketplace is to describe the SLA considering different edge cloud characteristics such as multi-parties, network services, etc. In this thesis, we studied the specific requirements for describing the edge cloud SLA and SLA intent, and then we proposed TOSCA models that can be used to describe SLA and SLA intent in the marketplace. In the end, we evaluated the proposed models with the help of an edge cloud use case. / <p>Due to the covid pandemic, I made my presentation online.</p>

No description available.

O paradigma de computação em nuvem, por meio de seus modelos de serviço e implantação, apresenta para os provedores de serviço e consumidores benefícios e desafios. Um dos principais desafios apontados pela área de computação em nuvem é com relação à segurança da informação, especificamente a questão de conformidade com relação a contratos firmados entre o provedor e o consumidor. O acordo de nível de serviço (SLA) é um destes contratos, no qual são estabelecidos requisitos para a entrega e operação do serviço contratado pelo consumidor, bem como penalidades em caso de não atendimento a requisitos estabelecidos no contrato. Comumente, em um SLA definido entre provedor de serviço e consumidor as necessidades de disponibilidade e desempenho com relação ao serviço contratado são especificados, o que não ocorre com relação às necessidades de segurança. A necessidade de especificação de requisitos de segurança em um SLA, em especial confidencialidade e integridade, para o contexto de computação em nuvem, bem como arquiteturas de computação que tratem de requisitos de segurança em um SLA e efetuem o gerenciamento destes requisitos durante o ciclo de vida do SLA, encontram-se em evolução, se comparado aos requisitos de disponibilidade. Considerando a demanda crescente de incorporação de SLA de Segurança nos contratos de serviços de computação em nuvem, este trabalho tem como objetivo propor e avaliar um arcabouço de gerenciamento de serviços de computação em nuvem para o modelo de infraestrutura como serviço (IaaS), tendo como base requisitos de segurança especificados em um SLA, em especial os requisitos de confidencialidade e integridade. O gerenciamento proposto pelo arcabouço contempla as etapas do ciclo de vida de um SLA, que compreende as fases de: i) definir e especificar o SLA; ii) gerenciar e implantar o SLA; iii) executar e gerenciar o SLA e iv) finalizar o SLA. A validação do arcabouço proposto é realizada por meio da sua aplicação em um cenário de uso, onde será verificado o atendimento aos requisitos de segurança definidos e especificados no SLA. Para assegurar que o arcabouço proposto é seguro, bem como a sua integração com o ambiente de computação em nuvem é realizada análise de ameaças do arcabouço, e ações de mitigação apresentadas. Ao final, mostra-se que o arcabouço de gerenciamento proposto cumpre com os objetivos e requisitos propostos. / The cloud computing paradigm given its service and deployment models presents several benefits and challenges. One of the main challenges is related to information security, in particular, the compliance contracts between consumers and service provider. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are contracts in which requirements about service operation and delivery as well as penalties in case of non-compliance of these requirements are defined. A SLA is usually defined in terms of availability and performance requirements, and data security requirements are normally not specified in details as these requirements. The need for security requirements specified in an SLA, especially confidentiality and integrity to the cloud computing paradigm, as well computing architectures to deal with SLA security requirements and management of cloud services based on SLA security requirements in an automated manner during its entire lifecycle are still in evolution, compared to availability requirements. In order to deal with these ineeds, this work aims to propose and evaluate a framework to orchestrate the management of cloud services for the infrastructure as a service (IaaS) based on SLA security requirements, specifically the confidentiality and integrity requirements. The management proposed by the framework comprehend the steps of the SLA lifecycle: i) SLA specification and definition; ii) SLA deployment and management; iii) SLA execute and monitoring; and iv) SLA termination. The validation of proposed framework is performed by its application in a usage scenario, checking the compliance with defined security requirements and specified in the SLA. To ensure the security of proposed framework and its cloud computing environment integration, a threat modeling is performed and mitigation actions are presented. At last, it is shown that the proposed management framework meets the specified framework requirements.

The study compared 10 fluent second language learners (L2Ls) and 10 heritage learners of Russian (HLs) to monolingual controls (n=20) in their judgments of the subtle nuances of aspectual usage in direct positive and negative imperative structures. The participants were asked to rate the appropriateness of pairs of imperative sentences differing in the aspectual form of the verb against the suggested discourse context. The analysis of the ratings revealed assumed deviations from the baseline in L2Ls. The HLs also revealed deviations, but unexpectedly, did not follow the baseline tendencies of the control monolingual group. Frequency and learning experience are some of the possible explanations of these finding and implications for pedagogy.

O paradigma de computação em nuvem, por meio de seus modelos de serviço e implantação, apresenta para os provedores de serviço e consumidores benefícios e desafios. Um dos principais desafios apontados pela área de computação em nuvem é com relação à segurança da informação, especificamente a questão de conformidade com relação a contratos firmados entre o provedor e o consumidor. O acordo de nível de serviço (SLA) é um destes contratos, no qual são estabelecidos requisitos para a entrega e operação do serviço contratado pelo consumidor, bem como penalidades em caso de não atendimento a requisitos estabelecidos no contrato. Comumente, em um SLA definido entre provedor de serviço e consumidor as necessidades de disponibilidade e desempenho com relação ao serviço contratado são especificados, o que não ocorre com relação às necessidades de segurança. A necessidade de especificação de requisitos de segurança em um SLA, em especial confidencialidade e integridade, para o contexto de computação em nuvem, bem como arquiteturas de computação que tratem de requisitos de segurança em um SLA e efetuem o gerenciamento destes requisitos durante o ciclo de vida do SLA, encontram-se em evolução, se comparado aos requisitos de disponibilidade. Considerando a demanda crescente de incorporação de SLA de Segurança nos contratos de serviços de computação em nuvem, este trabalho tem como objetivo propor e avaliar um arcabouço de gerenciamento de serviços de computação em nuvem para o modelo de infraestrutura como serviço (IaaS), tendo como base requisitos de segurança especificados em um SLA, em especial os requisitos de confidencialidade e integridade. O gerenciamento proposto pelo arcabouço contempla as etapas do ciclo de vida de um SLA, que compreende as fases de: i) definir e especificar o SLA; ii) gerenciar e implantar o SLA; iii) executar e gerenciar o SLA e iv) finalizar o SLA. A validação do arcabouço proposto é realizada por meio da sua aplicação em um cenário de uso, onde será verificado o atendimento aos requisitos de segurança definidos e especificados no SLA. Para assegurar que o arcabouço proposto é seguro, bem como a sua integração com o ambiente de computação em nuvem é realizada análise de ameaças do arcabouço, e ações de mitigação apresentadas. Ao final, mostra-se que o arcabouço de gerenciamento proposto cumpre com os objetivos e requisitos propostos. / The cloud computing paradigm given its service and deployment models presents several benefits and challenges. One of the main challenges is related to information security, in particular, the compliance contracts between consumers and service provider. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are contracts in which requirements about service operation and delivery as well as penalties in case of non-compliance of these requirements are defined. A SLA is usually defined in terms of availability and performance requirements, and data security requirements are normally not specified in details as these requirements. The need for security requirements specified in an SLA, especially confidentiality and integrity to the cloud computing paradigm, as well computing architectures to deal with SLA security requirements and management of cloud services based on SLA security requirements in an automated manner during its entire lifecycle are still in evolution, compared to availability requirements. In order to deal with these ineeds, this work aims to propose and evaluate a framework to orchestrate the management of cloud services for the infrastructure as a service (IaaS) based on SLA security requirements, specifically the confidentiality and integrity requirements. The management proposed by the framework comprehend the steps of the SLA lifecycle: i) SLA specification and definition; ii) SLA deployment and management; iii) SLA execute and monitoring; and iv) SLA termination. The validation of proposed framework is performed by its application in a usage scenario, checking the compliance with defined security requirements and specified in the SLA. To ensure the security of proposed framework and its cloud computing environment integration, a threat modeling is performed and mitigation actions are presented. At last, it is shown that the proposed management framework meets the specified framework requirements.

Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores (Telecomunicações). Universidade do Porto. Faculdade de Engenharia. 2011

Master of Engineering by Research / Service-level-agreement (SLA) monitoring measures network Quality-of-Service (QoS) parameters to evaluate whether the service performance complies with the SLAs. It is becoming increasingly important for both Internet service providers (ISPs) and their customers. However, the rapid expansion of the Internet makes SLA monitoring a challenging task. As an efficient method to reduce both complexity and overheads for QoS measurements, sampling techniques have been used in SLA monitoring systems. In this thesis, I conduct a comprehensive study of sampling methods for network QoS measurements. I develop an efficient sampling strategy, which makes the measurements less intrusive and more efficient, and I design a network performance monitoring software, which monitors such QoS parameters as packet delay, packet loss and jitter for SLA monitoring and verification. The thesis starts with a discussion on the characteristics of QoS metrics related to the design of the monitoring system and the challenges in monitoring these metrics. Major measurement methodologies for monitoring these metrics are introduced. Existing monitoring systems can be broadly classified into two categories: active and passive measurements. The advantages and disadvantages of both methodologies are discussed and an active measurement methodology is chosen to realise the monitoring system. Secondly, the thesis describes the most common sampling techniques, such as systematic sampling, Poisson sampling and stratified random sampling. Theoretical analysis is performed on the fundamental limits of sampling accuracy. Theoretical analysis is also conducted on the performance of the sampling techniques, which is validated using simulation with real traffic. Both theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the stratified random sampling with optimum allocation achieves the best performance, compared with the other sampling methods. However, stratified sampling with optimum allocation requires extra statistics from the parent traffic traces, which cannot be obtained in real applications. In order to overcome this shortcoming, a novel adaptive stratified sampling strategy is proposed, based on stratified sampling with optimum allocation. A least-mean-square (LMS) linear prediction algorithm is employed to predict the required statistics from the past observations. Simulation results show that the proposed adaptive stratified sampling method closely approaches the performance of the stratified sampling with optimum allocation. Finally, a detailed introduction to the SLA monitoring software design is presented. Measurement results are displayed which calibrate systematic error in the measurements. Measurements between various remote sites have demonstrated impressively good QoS provided by Australian ISPs for premium services.

Humanoid robots have proven to be very useful and could revolutionize the way humans live. Knowing human anatomy and behaviour helps improve a robotic mechanisms ability to perform human tasks. The following thesis introduces the concept of a threefingered robot hand and its driving mechanism. The hand includes two fingers and a thumb. Using the concept of “an under actuated system”, each finger consists of three revolute joints which are driven by two actuators and tooth belt transmission system. The thumb has two joints but only one joint is active and actuated by one motor. The passive joint is designed to set the initial position of the thumb on the piano key if necessary. Required angle of rotation for each joint has been calculated through Inverse Kinematics. Once the fingertip presses the piano key, it should apply 1N force to play a note. Force Sensing Resistors at each finger tip, as a control method, are introduced to the system to accurately measure the amount of applied force from the finger tip on the key and increase the angle of rotation of the motor if needed. Stress and deformation of the joints have been studied through Finite Element Analysis. A prototype model, consisting of a single finger was built to better understanding the functionality of the concept. Analysis of this model, led to necessary modification of the transmission system and some design revisions to each link. Genetic Algorithm using MATLAB was used to optimize the performance Index of a finger. Finally the hand assembly including all the components and driving mechanism was constructed and experimented in the playing mode. / UOIT

The English language could be considered to be a second language in Swedish society; it is present in more than just school, such as television, the world of computers and radio. The general field of interest for this study is an exchange between two schools, one located in Sweden and one in Italy, called the Da Vinci Project. The aim of the study is to get an insight into the effects on language development for the students participating in the project. The study focuses on exposure and error-feedback. The information was gathered using both interviews and questionnaires with students and teachers and I had the opportunity to visit the students when attending the school in Italy. Visiting the school in Italy made it easier to understand both the Italian and the Swedish students’ experience of a different school system than they were accustomed to. The results have been analyzed and it was possible to draw conclusions concerning the students’ language development as a result of meeting different teaching methods in the different school systems. The teachers’ answers provided important information about different teaching methods. Using theoretical approach to second language acquisition the results have been analyzed. Stephen Krashen’s monitor model has been an important component in analyzing the results. The results of the survey showed that the Da Vinci Project involves two totally different school systems using different methods when focusing on error-feedback and exposure. A “gap” was found between the two schools but the results of this survey show that for some students it has been their second language, English, has improved through the exchange. While a few students, in the Da Vinci Project, believe that they have not developed in their second language.