Verification Issues Research Articles

The Global Reporting Initiative and corporate sustainability reporting in Swedish companies

AbstractWith empirical evidence from Swedish companies, this paper analyses the phenomenon of corporate sustainability reporting (CSR) in general and the use of CSR guidelines developed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in particular. The main questions at issue are why companies have chosen to use the GRI guidelines and how this has affected corporate social responsibility and environmental management. From interviews with all Swedish companies that use the guidelines, we have found that companies produce CSRs mainly to seek organizational legitimacy, and that the main reason for use of the GRI guidelines is an expectation of increasing credibility of the CSR, but also that it provides a template for how to design a report. Moreover, we have found that the CSR report and the GRI guidelines are of more help for internal than external communication at this stage of development. It could help corporations to learn about themselves and to see what has actually been done in the organization. In all, the GRI guidelines would have the potential for gaining visibility and control of the triple bottom line on a corporate level, but they are in need of further development, not least in relation to the issue of verification. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Nonlinear hearing AIDS and verification of fitting targets.

This paper addresses the issue of initial verification of hearing aid gain and output for nonlinear hearing aids. Specifically, "urban legend" has it that nonlinear hearing aids with digital noise reduction circuitry may not be accurately measured using functional gain and/or probe microphone measures. Discussed are the advantages and disadvantages of both measurement strategies, and how they may be used to "acoustically match" hearing aids to individual patients. An evaluation protocol that employs both optimal aided thresholds and probe microphone measurements to assess gain, output, and audibility in hearing-impaired patients.

Gravitational sensor for LISA and its technology demonstration mission

We describe the current design of the European gravitational sensor (GS) for the LISA Technology Package (LTP) that, on board the mission SMART-2, aims to demonstrate geodetic motion within one order of magnitude of the anticipated LISA performance. We report also the development of a noise model used in assessing the performance and determining the feasibility of achieving the overall noise goals for the GS. This analysis includes environmental effects that will be present in the sensor. Finally, we discuss open questions regarding the GS for LTP and LISA, ground testing, and verification issues.

Keeping runtimes down in embedded gate array layout checks

Embedded gate arrays can reduce the initial costs of producing ASICs but raise physical verification issues that demand the effective use of hierarchical tools. The real issue with verification of the base array is with layout versus schematic (LVS) checks. The use of a regular array makes it similar to a memory with the disadvantage that, unlike a memory, none of the blocks are connected. Labeling a multitude of nets for correspondence may well help in checking the base, but these bases will be programmed at some point and will need to be LVS verified again, without any manual manipulation of the layout as, once in production use, schedules will be very tight. In the case of a base array, the netlist is algorithmically generated and typically reflects the architecture of the device from a design standpoint while the layout is typically structured for the most efficient placement of the devices to minimise area.

Stability Issues for Determination and Verification in Discrete Tomography

The talk focusses on the ill-posedness of inverse problems in discrete tomography that are motivated by demands from material sciences for the reconstruction of crystalline structures from images produced by quantitative high resolution transmission electron microscopy. In particular, we present new stability and instability results for the determination and verification of finite point sets from some of their noisy X-ray images.

On approaches and applications of the Wageningen crop models

Since the pioneering work of C.T. de Wit in the 1960s, the Wageningen group has built a tradition in developing and applying crop models. Rather than focusing on a few models, diversity is its trademark. Here we present an overview of the Wageningen crop and crop-soil modelling approaches along three criteria. The first criterion relates to the production situations the models are dealing with (i.e. potential, water and/or nutrient-limited, and actual production situations including pests, diseases and weeds). Second, models differ as a result of the objectives of model development, and hence required scale and degree of detail and comprehensiveness. Third, models have at least three potential application domains, i.e. research, education and support of learning and decision making processes. We describe both summary and more comprehensive modelling approaches for the major production situations. An overview of most of the Wageningen models is presented together with a more detailed description of LINTUL, SUCROS, ORYZA, WOFOST and INTERCOM. Illustrations for each of the three application domains are presented, i.e. plant type design, guiding experimental research, education, yield gap analysis, evaluation of manure policies, crop growth monitoring system and analysis and design of farming and regional land use systems. We discuss common issues of model verification, model validation, model validity and data requirements, and present information on software implementation, model and software documentation and distribution policy. Finally, we reflect upon the Wageningen modelling approaches and identify a number of key issues for future research. Major achievements of Wageningen modelling efforts include (1) a broad variety of approaches for modelling of systems at different scales and with different purposes; (2) their contribution to quantitative systems thinking in general, also for applications at higher hierarchical levels; (3) a strong linkage between crop modelling and higher education, both at undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral level. To continually increase our understanding of crops and production systems a diversified approach must be cherished. At the same time we conclude that focus is required on a limited number of modules in a more integrated modelling framework for the benefit of analysing, evaluating and designing cropping systems. This review may be instrumental in the development of such an integrated framework.

Coupled reactive mass transport and fluid flow: Issues in model verification

Model verification and validation are both important steps in the development of reactive transport models. In this paper, a distinction is made between verification and validation, and the focus is on codifying the issues of verification for a numerical, reactive transport flow model. First, the conceptual basis of model verification is reviewed, which shows that verification should be understood as a first step in model development, and be followed by a protocol that assures that the model accurately represents system behavior. Second, commonly used procedures and methods of model verification are presented. In the third part of this paper, an intercomparison of models is used to demonstrate that model verification can be performed despite differences in hydrogeochemical transport code formulations. Results of an example simulation of transport are presented in which the numerical model is tested against other hydrogeochemical codes. Different kinetic formulations between solid and aqueous phases used among numerical models complicates model verification. This test problem involves uranium transport under conditions of varying pH and oxidation potential, with reversible precipitation of calcium uranate and coffinite. Results between the different hydrogeochemical transport codes show differences in oxidation potentials, but similarities in mineral assemblages and aqueous transport patterns. Because model verification can be further complicated by differences in the approach for solving redox problems, a comparison of a fugacity approach (based on O 2 partial pressure) to both the external approach (based on hypothetical electron activity) and effective internal approach (based on conservation of electrons) is performed. The comparison demonstrates that the oxygen fugacity approach produces different redox potentials and mineral assemblages than both the effective internal and external approaches.

Measuring river velocity and discharge with acoustic Doppler profilers

Acoustic Doppler profilers and associated software packages presently are being used to measure water velocity, channel bathymetry, and river discharge. The instruments have various configurations and frequencies; choice of the appropriate instrument depends on various factors including depth, width, and sediment load of the rivers being measured. The acoustic Doppler profilers are mounted on powerboats or small remote-controlled or tethered rafts or catamarans. Profilers enable users to make fast, accurate, and economical discharge measurements on large rivers and rivers with unsteady flow conditions because of flooding or irregular releases from reservoirs. This article describes the principles of operation, application of acoustic Doppler profilers to the measurement of velocity and discharge, and calibration and verification issues.

Architectural Components of Information–Sharing Societies

Two similar multi–agent systems have been designed to address the issue of information sharing within a multi–agent system. This paper examines the architectural components that have been added to our information–sharing societies, ACORN and MP3. Through this exploration, we conclude that these components and their underlying concepts can be added to other information–retrieval societies.ACORN consists of a set of information–sharing locations referred to as cafés. Cafés are defined as meeting locations for like–minded agents. Like–minded agents are defined as agents that share a common set of interests. As an example, a café may contain agents that are interested in information relating to cars. A dynamic café clustering method is developed. The performance evaluation of the proposed structure for the café is presented. The concept of a fat/thin agent architecture is introduced. This agent architecture allows for minimizing network traffic as agents traverse the network in search of or distribution of knowledge. The directory server component is presented along with its relation to the fat/thin agent architecture. Finally, an anonymity service provider which allows anonymity for users is introduced.The MP3 society exists with the sole purpose of finding MP3s throughout a given network. Through this society, the core design issues of agent verification and agent validation are addressed and solutions are presented through respective interface components.

Specifying and verifying reactive systems in a multi-language environment

The multi-language environment Synchronie supports the design and formal verificationof synchronous reactive systems. It integrates three synchronous languages and also three ways to specify properties: the temporal logic with future operators CTL, the temporal logic with past operators Past TL, and observers, which are particular synchronous programs. It is argued that this multi-language feature provides an answer to two major issues of formal verification: facility of formalizing properties and facility of verifying large systems. The approach is illustrated with the case study of a time-triggered protocol.

Verification of Precipitation Forecasts over the Alpine Region Using a High-Density Observing Network

The demand for verification of forecasting systems to ascertain their strengths and weaknesses is increasing dramatically as models evolve more rapidly. Precipitation forecasts have always been of great interest to forecasters because they influence daily life. The recent flooding over Europe has also shown how important it is to know how models can reproduce these events. The issue of precipitation verification is addressed here, starting from the assumption that model spatial scales have to be verified against data representing similar scales. Only in this way may the skill of forecasting system used herein be determined. The performance of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model in predicting precipitation is discussed. The study concentrates on the period September to November 1999 during which high-density observations were available for the Alps. The high-resolution observing network over the Alpine region has been used to reconstruct a precipitation analysis that contains smoothed small-scale variability and represents with sufficient accuracy the average behavior of the observed field in the model grid box. The precipitation forecast is verified against both the precipitation analysis and the surface synoptic observations (SYNOP) available in real time via the Global Telecommunication System. Both verification approaches show that for the Alpine region, during autumn 1999, the model overestimates the precipitation amount. Overestimation is smaller when the forecast is compared with the precipitation analysis. It is also shown that verification against irregular and scattered observations (SYNOP data) is highly influenced by the variability of the precipitation in a grid box. A precipitation analysis is, therefore, important if model skill has to be defined.

Symposium on Marshall's Tendencies: 4 Comments on Marshall's Tendencies

Professor Sutton opens his lively monograph on the nature of economic theory with the following question: is it possible to find economic models that work? He uses the question to guide us on a methodological tour with Marshall's characterization of economic theory as the point of departure. I must say I enjoyed the trip. Along the way, the animating issue of what works in economics could hardly have been addressed without dealing with issues in verification, and the author's arguments include an appraisal of what he considers as standard econometric methods. In these comments, I will revisit at some length one of the key sites on John Sutton's tour bringing along a view of modern econometrics which is somewhat different from his and which affords a different perspective on the Marshallian paradigm.

Monitoring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

The first nuclear bomb was detonated in 1945, thus ushering in the nuclear age. A few political leaders quickly saw a need to limit nuclear weapons through international cooperation and the first proposals to do so were made later that same year. The issue of nuclear testing, however, was not formally addressed until 1958 when the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, initiated talks intended to establish a total ban on that testing (a Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty or CTBT). Those talks ended unsuccessfully, ostensibly because the participants could not agree on the issue of on-site verification.

High-torque density integrated electro-mechanical flight actuators

Electro-mechanical flight actuators (EMFAs) are core flight-critical vehicle components. Fly-by-wire or fly-by-light control of EMFAs is performed by flight management systems (flight, mission, propulsion, and integrated controls that manage any combination of specific flight, mission, and propulsion functions). Reported here are novel results in the analysis of EMFAs with permanent-magnet synchronous motors, with particular interest in the application of brushless high-torque density motors which have superior characteristics compared with other state-of-the-art motor technologies. It is shown that due to nonlinearities and bounds, new control algorithms must be developed and implemented to achieve a spectrum of performance and requirements for EMFAs. A number of important issues in control, analysis, model development, integration, and verification are studied. Tracking control algorithms are synthesized, stability studied, and novel analysis results are reported. Advanced computer-aided engineering software tools and emerging simulation-based design environments are used to guarantee high fidelity modeling and analysis within data intensive simulation. Proof-of-concept demonstration testbeds for the design of advanced EMFAs and their components are developed, and EMFA imitator performance thoroughly studied. Verification of the concepts reported are formed and documented. Precise tracking, disturbance attenuation, accuracy, stability, robustness, and excellent acceleration capabilities are reported. A demonstration is performed to substantiate the theoretical analyses to add credence to its applicability as an approach and method that the designer of future EMFAs can use to design a new class of actuators for aircraft flight control surfaces.

Call for Papers Verification and Computational Logic Special Issue of Theory and Practice of Logic Programming

Submission deadline: January 10, 2002The past decade has seen dramatic growth in the application of model checking techniques to the validation and verification of correctness properties of hardware, and more recently software systems. One of the methods is to model a hardware or software system as a finite, labelled transition system which is then exhaustively explored to decide whether a given temporal specification holds. Recently, there has been increasing interest in applying logic programming techniques to model checking in particular and verification in general. For example, table-based logic programming can be used as an efficient means of performing explicit model checking. Other research has successfully exploited set-based logic program analysis, constraint logic programming, and logic program transformation techniques.The aim of this special issue is to attract high-quality research papers on the interplay between verification techniques (e.g. model checking, reduction and abstraction) and logic programming techniques (e.g. constraints, abstract interpretation, program transformation).

Accessing Digital Images

SUMMARY This article discusses sources for and issues related to digital Christian art images available on the Internet. An annotated list of relevant Web sites is listed, along with advice on how to locate specific images. Also included in the article are discussions of vocabulary, fact verification, and copyright issues.

Scale issues in verification of precipitation forecasts

Precipitation forecasts from numerical weather prediction models are often compared to rain gauge observations to make inferences as to model performance and the “best” resolution needed to accurately capture the structure of observed precipitation. A common approach to quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) verification is to interpolate the model‐predicted areal averages (typically assigned to the center point of the model grid boxes) to the observation sites and compare observed and predicted point values using statistical scores such as bias and RMSE. In such an approach, the fact that the interpolated values and their uncertainty depend on the scale (model resolution) of the values from which the interpolation was done is typically ignored. This interpolation error, which comes from scale effects, is referred to here as the “representativeness error.” It is a nonzero scale‐dependent error even for the case of a perfect model and thus can be seen as independent of model performance. The scale dependency of the representativeness error can have a significant effect on model verification, especially when model performance is judged as a function of grid resolution. An alternative method is to upscale the gauge observations to areal averages and compare at the scale of the model output. Issues of scale arise here too, with a different scale dependency in the representativeness error. This paper examines the merits and limitations of both verification methods (area‐to‐point and point‐to‐area) in view of the pronounced spatial variability of precipitation fields and the inherent scale dependency of the representativeness error in each of the verification procedures. A composite method combining the two procedures is introduced and shown to diminish the scale dependency of the representativeness error.

RESOLVING THE SINO-INDIAN BORDER DISPUTE: Building Confidence through Cooperative Monitoring

Research Article| April 01 2001 RESOLVING THE SINO-INDIAN BORDER DISPUTE: Building Confidence through Cooperative Monitoring Waheguru Pal Singh Sidhu, Waheguru Pal Singh Sidhu Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Jing-Dong Yuan Jing-Dong Yuan Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Asian Survey (2001) 41 (2): 351–376. https://doi.org/10.1525/as.2001.41.2.351 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Waheguru Pal Singh Sidhu, Jing-Dong Yuan; RESOLVING THE SINO-INDIAN BORDER DISPUTE: Building Confidence through Cooperative Monitoring. Asian Survey 1 April 2001; 41 (2): 351–376. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/as.2001.41.2.351 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAsian Survey Search This content is only available via PDF. © Regents of the University of California Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Toward logical analysis of tabular rule-based systems

Rule-based systems constitute the most popular tool for specification of operational knowledge in the majority of knowledge-based systems. This paper addresses the issue of analysis and verification of selected properties of such systems in a systematic way. A uniform, tabular form of single-level rule-based systems is put forward. Such systems can be used independently as a generalized form of decision tables, or as the lower level components of a hierarchical, multilevel control and decision support knowledge-based system. An algebraic knowledge representation form is proposed and algebraic bases for system verification are outlined.

Verification of multiple agent knowledge-based systems

This paper's purpose is extending single agent verification tests to systems with multiple agent knowledge bases. Particularly, this paper identifies potentially anomalous situations occurring between agent knowledge bases. For example, consider one agent with rule if A then B and another agent with rule if A then C, so agents have a consequence conflict for the same condition. In this setting, agents are constantly at odds, unable to reconcile differences. Alternatively, the following rules are found in one agent (if A then B, if C then A), while another agent has rule (if B then C). With two interacting rule bases, a dialogue starting with A cycles indefinitely, A → B → C → A, depending on relationships between these two agents. Additionally, with traditional problems, this paper also identifies new issues, like agent isolation property. One potential approach to identifying anomalies in multiple agent systems is comparing each subset of agents' knowledge base determining existence verification issues. Where agents' number is small this approach is feasible. However, for even medium size systems this approach explodes computationally. As a result, alternative approaches are needed. This paper finds many multiple agent verification tests are conducted on metarule set generated from all rules contained in each of agents' knowledge bases minimizing computational effort and minimizing need for new verification concepts development. A wide range of anomalies are identified for multiple agent systems. Anomalies are system properties not necessarily incorrect. An important part of system structure is anomalous knowledge. For example, multiple agent systems employ negotiations and other devices facilitating agent interaction, mitigating anomalies. However, anomalies signal a system error. Ultimately, determination to dispostion of the anomaly is likely the responsibility of the developer.