Reputation-Based Cooperation in the Clouds

The popularity of the cloud computing paradigm is opening new opportunities for collaborative computing. In this paper we tackle a fundamental problem in open-ended cloud-based distributed computing platforms, i.e., the quest for potential collaborators. We assume that cloud participants are willing to share their computational resources for shared distributed computing problems, but they are not willing to disclose the details of their resources. Lacking such information, we advocate to rely on reputation scores obtained by evaluating the interactions among participants.

A Data Extraction and Visualization Framework for Information Retrieval Systems

In recent years we are witnessing a continuous growth in the amount of data that both public and private organizations collect and profit by. Search engines are the most common tools used to retrieve information, and more recently, clustering techniques showed to be an effective tool in helping users to skim query results.

Specifying and Analysing Reputation Systems with a Coordination Language

Reputation systems are nowadays widely used to support decision making in networked systems. Parties in such systems rate each other and use shared ratings to compute reputation scores that drive their interactions. The existence of reputation systems with remarkable differences calls for formal approaches to their analysis. We present a verification methodology for reputation systems that is based on the use of the coordination language Klaim and related analysis tools.

A HYBRID MODEL OF COLLECTIVE MOTION OF DISCRETE PARTICLES UNDER ALIGNMENT AND CONTINUUM CHEMOTAXIS

In this paper we propose and study a hybrid discrete-continuous mathematical model of collective motion under alignment and chemotaxis effect. Starting from paper [23], in which the Cucker-Smale model [22] was coupled with other cell mechanisms, to describe the cell migration and self-organization in the zebrafish lateral line primordium, we introduce a simplified model in which the coupling between an alignment and chemotaxis mechanism acts on a system of interacting particles.

Network-Aware Evaluation Environment for Reputation Systems

Parties of reputation systems rate each other and use ratings to compute reputation scores that drive their interactions. When deciding which reputation model to deploy in a network environment, it is important to find the most suitable model and to determine its right initial configuration. This calls for an engineering approach for describing, implementing and evaluating reputation systems while taking into account specific aspects of both the reputation systems and the networked environment where they will run.

Trust-Based Enforcement of Security Policies

Two conflicting high-level goals govern the enforcement of security policies, abridged in the phrase ``high security at a low cost''. While these drivers seem irreconcilable, formal modelling languages and automated verification techniques can facilitate the task of finding the right balance. We propose a modelling language and a framework in which security checks can be relaxed or strengthened to save resources or increase protection, on the basis of trust relationships among communicating parties.