We show how bio-inspired algorithms can be used to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of peer-to-peer computer networks and present Self-Chord, a peer-to-peer system in which resources are distributed, in an adaptive and semantic-aware fashion, by means of statistical algorithms inspired by the behavior of ant colonies. This strategy enables the efficient execution of complex queries, improves the load balance among peers, and strengthens the system's ability to self-organize and rapidly adapt to environmental changes.

By studying and improving the process of digital content creation, we can develop more intelligent applications. One promising step ahead is to acquire machine representation of content as early as possible - while the user is still typing and is available to answer questions.

Recent advances in illumination invariance and textural features were utilized in the construction of a content-based tile retrieval system, which eases laborious browsing of large tile catalogues. Regardless of whether a user is choosing tiles for their house or designing a prestigious office building, this computer-aided consulting system will help to select the right tiles by suggesting tiles which have similar colours and / or patterns as some other tiles that the user likes. The performance of the system was verified on a large commercial tile database in a psycho-physical experiment.

We present a novel environment that supports the design of multi-device service-based interactive applications by using several user interface abstraction levels and utilizing the composition of annotated services.

The goal of PANDORA is to apply state-of-the-art ICT technologies to build a learning environment for strategic crisis managers. We are currently refining a first version where training sessions are animated by reproducing realistic crisis events and fostering creative decision-making. Central to PANDORA is an original use of the timeline-based planning strategies used to diversify crisis scenarios by creating alternative training paths and to model trainees behavioral patterns for personalized training.

After more than a decade of research, system security and resilience is now the major technological barrier for the Cognitive Radio (CR) to be adopted by the telecommunication industry. New ideas are required to make CR networks secure and robust against attacks taking advantage the inherent characteristics of the CR functionality. This work explores key points that urgently need to be addressed.

The Austrian Institute of Technology has developed a stereo vision system that monitors and counts pedestrians and cyclists in real-time. This vision system includes a processing unit with embedded intelligent software for scene analysis, object classification and counting.

The aim of this research is to contribute to the 'greening' of city traffic through investigation of heterogeneous traffic dynamics on urban road networks.

This study, which builds on previous work in the area of traffic flow modelling done by our group, is one of several current related projects in the Centre for Scientific Computing & Complex Systems Modelling at Dublin City University. The work is funded by the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET), through an 'Embark Initiative' postgraduate scholarship.

The conventional automotive industry is a market of mass production. On the one hand, due to the fact that the same platform may be used for different car generations, the lifecycle of a control network architecture (physical network and communication schedule) is expected to be at least one decade. On the other hand, future extensions to car functionality come along with increased bandwidth requirements. Additionally, there are safety requirements to fulfill that have to be reflected in the design of the control architecture. The technical challenge is the design of an architecture that fulfills existing requirements while being open for new functionalities without the necessity to re-design the whole control network.

Hydrometeorological science has made strong progress over the last decade as new modelling tools, post processing methodologies and observational data have become available. The goal of the DRIHMS project is to promote collaboration between the hydrometeorological and the GRID research communities in order to further advance the state-of-the-art.

by Kevin Doolin, Pierfranco Ferronato and Stefania Marrara

SOCIETIES will design and deliver a complete integrated package for the creation and management of Social Networks. The project will extend pervasive systems beyond the individual to dynamic communities of users.