Abstract: Trusted Computing is about guaranteeing the integrity of a remote service based on a small piece of secure hardware. Despite several solutions have been proposed, they either focus on small applications or their performance strongly depends from the service’s state size. In this DI-Smalltalk I will advance some ideas to deal with the problem of computing over a large state in a constrained environment, while still being able to deliver security guarantees that are efficiently verifiable.

About the presenter: Ph.D. student at FCUL-DI & CMU-CSD

Abstract: Secure two-party computation allows two parties to compute functions of their combined inputs, while retaining privacy of the inputs. Progress in recent years has improved up to a practical level the efficiency of this functionality. And now what? In what applications is S2PC going to find its way in the real world? In this DI-Smalltalk I will ask for ideas of practical applications of S2PC and will talk about brokered identification as a candidate context where a small S2PC can be used to solve a big privacy problem.

About the presenter: Ph.D. student at FCUL-DI and CMU-ECE

Abstract:
MapReduce is often used for critical data processing, e.g., in the context of scientific or financial simulation. However, there is evidence in the literature that there are arbitrary (or Byzantine) faults that may corrupt the results of MapReduce without being detected.

In this smalltalk I will present an (i) overview of the MapReduce framework, (ii) focus on the limitations of the framework, (iii) describe the existent related work, (iv) show a new design to make the framework able to tolerate arbitrary faults, (iv) present two modes of execution in order to improve performance, (v) and show the results of the experiments.

This is a first step in order to scale out MapReduce computation to a cloud of clouds environment.

About the presenter: PhD student

Abstract: Since Francis Crick introduced his pioneer concepts in the 50’s that molecular biologists like myself have been striving in the lab to unravel the principles and mechanisms underlying biological information. Recently, however, major breakthroughs in technology – namely ‘Next Generation Sequencing’ – have turned biology into a data intensive science, highly reliant on demanding computational approaches.

In this DI-Smalltalk I will provide an overview on these topics and current challenges. By the end, I expect the audience to have gained some insight into this brave new world, full of opportunities to apply their expert knowledge, hopefully paving the way for interdisciplinary collaborations.

About the presenter: Investigadora do Centro de Investigação BioFIG

Abstract: Tendo tido responsabilidades na avaliação docente que decorreu em 2013 e aproximando-se novo ciclo (se bem que com nova legislação e regulamentação) tentarei partilhar alguma da experiência que recolhi.

About the presenter: Docente do DI

Abstract: Raft is a consensus algorithm that is designed to be easy to understand. It’s equivalent to Paxos in fault-tolerance and performance. The difference is that it’s decomposed into relatively independent subproblems, and it cleanly addresses all major pieces needed for practical systems. In this talk I will present this algorithm and show the system model.

Slides here

About the presenter: Ph.D. student

Abstract: Communication-Centred (CC) programming has as a focus the descriptions of reliable communication protocols for distributed systems. Interestingly, there has been two main visions when specifying CC programs: An imperative vision, where the message flows are defined explicitly, and a declarative one, where such flows are described as a collection of constraints to be respected.
We will present an approach that integrates both the operational and the declarative flavours of CC programs. By relying on a (timed) concurrent constraint programming language, we show that in addition to the usual operational techniques from process calculi, a CC program can elegantly exploit logic-based reasoning techniques coming from its declarative transformation. I will discuss some details of the approach, as well as some of the challenges.

About the presenter: Postdoct at FCUL-DI

Abstract: In this talk I will present two research contexts for Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation to study complex human and natural systems (CHANS). The contexts are the Pest Control Management in Azorean Islands and the Sustainable Resource Management in Azorean sea. These contexts are interesting because they simulate real contexts, comprise great amounts of data and, foremost, address the interaction between human decision-making and the environment. Along the talk will be presented a brief description of each one of these contexts, their goals and the different possible research threads associated to each one of these contexts.

About the presenter: Universidade dos Açores / LabMAg

Slides Here

Abstract: Connected TV is an advanced broadcasting technology that provides a better experience in terms of picture and sound quality and enables interactive capabilities, while extending the reach of content by enabling access to Internet’s multimedia content. As this technology becomes common it is paramount that these new features are accessible by all. In this talk I will show the ongoing work I have been doing on my PhD regarding the evaluation of the current state of the accessibility on TVs. In the end we will engage on a brainstorm session about the next step to enhance blind users interaction.

About the presenter: Ph.D. student

Slides Here