Architectural prototyping: from CCS to .Net

Over the last decade, software architecture emerged as a critical issue in Software Engineering. This encompassed a shift from traditional programming towards software development based on the deployment and assembly of independent components. The specification of both the overall systems structure and the interaction patterns between their components became a major concern for the working developer. Although a number of formalisms to express behaviour and to supply the indispensable calculational power to reason about designs, are available, the task of deriving architectural designs on top of popular component platforms has remained largely informal. This paper introduces a systematic approach to derive, from CCS behavioural specifications the corresponding architectural skeletons in the Microsoft .Net framework, in the form of executable C and Cω code. The prototyping process is fully supported by a specific tool developed in Haskell

Collecting system percutaneous access using real-time tracking sensors: first pig model in vivo experience

Purpose: Precise needle puncture of the renal collecting system is an essential but challenging step for successful percutaneous nephrolithotomy. We evaluated the efficiency of a new real-time electromagnetic tracking system for in vivo kidney puncture. Materials and Methods: Six anesthetized female pigs underwent ureterorenoscopy to place a catheter with an electromagnetic tracking sensor into the desired puncture site and ascertain puncture success. A tracked needle with a similar electromagnetic tracking sensor was subsequently navigated into the sensor in the catheter. Four punctures were performed by each of 2 surgeons in each pig, including 1 each in the kidney, middle ureter, and right and left sides. Outcome measurements were the number of attempts and the time needed to evaluate the virtual trajectory and perform percutaneous puncture. Results: A total of 24 punctures were easily performed without complication. Surgeons required more time to evaluate the trajectory during ureteral than kidney puncture (median 15 seconds, range 14 to 18 vs 13, range 11 to 16, p ¼ 0.1). Median renal and ureteral puncture time was 19 (range 14 to 45) and 51 seconds (range 45 to 67), respectively (p ¼ 0.003). Two attempts were needed to achieve a successful ureteral puncture. The technique requires the presence of a renal stone for testing. Conclusions: The proposed electromagnetic tracking solution for renal collecting system puncture proved to be highly accurate, simple and quick. This method might represent a paradigm shift in percutaneous kidney access techniques

Prototyping Behavioural Specifications in the.NET framework

Over the last decade, software architecture emerged as a critical design step in Software Engineering. This encompassed a shift from traditional programming towards the deployment and assembly of independent components. The specification of the overall system structure, on the one hand, and of the interactions patterns between its components, on the other, became a major concern for the working developer. Although a number of formalisms to express behaviour and supply the indispensable calculational power to reason about designs, are available, the task of deriving architectural designs on top of popular component platforms has remained largely informal. This paper introduces a systematic approach to derive, from behavioural specifications written in Ccs, the corresponding architectural skeletons in the Microsoft .Net framework in the form of executable C] code. Such prototyping process is automated by means of a specific tool developed in Haskell

A Representação de Personagens Virtuais: Como a Tecnologia Obriga à Criação de Estilos e Estéticas Interdisciplinares na Animação Contemporânea

The evolution of computer animation represents one of the most relevant andrevolutionary aspects in the rise of contemporary digital visual culture (Darlew,2000), in particular, phenomena such as cinema “spectacular “ (Ibidem) and videogames. This article analyzes the characteristics of this “culture of simulation” (Turkle, 1995:20) relating the multidisciplinary and spectrum of technical and stylistic choices to the dimension of virtual characters acting. The result of these hybrid mixtures and computerized human motion capture techniques - called virtual cinema, universal capture, motion capture, etc. - cosists mainly on the sophistication of “rotoscoping”, as a new interpretation and appropriation of the captured image. This human motion capture technology, used largely by cinema and digital games, is one of the reasons why the authenticity of the animation is sometimes questioned. It is in the fi eld of 3D computer animation visual that this change is more signifi cant, appearing regularly innovative techniques of image manipulation and “hyper-cinema” (Lamarre, 2006: 31) character’s control with deeper sense of emotions. This shift in the culture that Manovich (2006: 27) calls “photo-GRAPHICS” - and Mulvey (2007) argue that creates a new form of possessive relationship with the viewer, in that it can analyze in detail the image, it can acquire it and modify it - is one of the most important aspects in the rise of Cubbit’s (2007) “cinema of attraction”. This article delves intrinsically into the analyze of virtual character animation — particularly in the fi eld of 3D computer animation and human digital acting.

Collecting system percutaneous access using real-time tracking sensors: first pig model in vivo experience

Purpose: Precise needle puncture of the renal collecting system is an essential but challenging step for successful percutaneous nephrolithotomy. We evaluated the efficiency of a new real-time electromagnetic tracking system for in vivo kidney puncture. Materials and Methods: Six anesthetized female pigs underwent ureterorenoscopy to place a catheter with an electromagnetic tracking sensor into the desired puncture site and ascertain puncture success. A tracked needle with a similar electromagnetic tracking sensor was subsequently navigated into the sensor in the catheter. Four punctures were performed by each of 2 surgeons in each pig, including 1 each in the kidney, middle ureter, and right and left sides. Outcome measurements were the number of attempts and the time needed to evaluate the virtual trajectory and perform percutaneous puncture. Results: A total of 24 punctures were easily performed without complication. Surgeons required more time to evaluate the trajectory during ureteral than kidney puncture (median 15 seconds, range 14 to 18 vs 13, range 11 to 16, p ¼ 0.1). Median renal and ureteral puncture time was 19 (range 14 to 45) and 51 seconds (range 45 to 67), respectively (p ¼ 0.003). Two attempts were needed to achieve a successful ureteral puncture. The technique requires the presence of a renal stone for testing. Conclusions: The proposed electromagnetic tracking solution for renal collecting system puncture proved to be highly accurate, simple and quick. This method might represent a paradigm shift in percutaneous kidney access techniques.