Software Development Process Modeling. Developers Perspective to Contemporary Modeling Techniques

Formal software development processes and well-defined development methodologies are nowadays seen as the definite way to produce high-quality software within time-limits and budgets. The variety of such high-level methodologies is huge ranging from rigorous process frameworks like CMMI and RUP to more lightweight agile methodologies. The need for managing this variety and the fact that practically every software development organization has its own unique set of development processes and methods have created a profession of software process engineers. Different kinds of informal and formal software process modeling languages are essential tools for process engineers. These are used to define processes in a way which allows easy management of processes, for example process dissemination, process tailoring and process enactment. The process modeling languages are usually used as a tool for process engineering where the main focus is on the processes themselves. This dissertation has a different emphasis. The dissertation analyses modern software development process modeling from the software developers’ point of view. The goal of the dissertation is to investigate whether the software process modeling and the software process models aid software developers in their day-to-day work and what are the main mechanisms for this. The focus of the work is on the Software Process Engineering Metamodel (SPEM) framework which is currently one of the most influential process modeling notations in software engineering. The research theme is elaborated through six scientific articles which represent the dissertation research done with process modeling during an approximately five year period. The research follows the classical engineering research discipline where the current situation is analyzed, a potentially better solution is developed and finally its implications are analyzed. The research applies a variety of different research techniques ranging from literature surveys to qualitative studies done amongst software practitioners. The key finding of the dissertation is that software process modeling notations and techniques are usually developed in process engineering terms. As a consequence the connection between the process models and actual development work is loose. In addition, the modeling standards like SPEM are partially incomplete when it comes to pragmatic process modeling needs, like light-weight modeling and combining pre-defined process components. This leads to a situation, where the full potential of process modeling techniques for aiding the daily development activities can not be achieved. Despite these difficulties the dissertation shows that it is possible to use modeling standards like SPEM to aid software developers in their work. The dissertation presents a light-weight modeling technique, which software development teams can use to quickly analyze their work practices in a more objective manner. The dissertation also shows how process modeling can be used to more easily compare different software development situations and to analyze their differences in a systematic way. Models also help to share this knowledge with others. A qualitative study done amongst Finnish software practitioners verifies the conclusions of other studies in the dissertation. Although processes and development methodologies are seen as an essential part of software development, the process modeling techniques are rarely used during the daily development work. However, the potential of these techniques intrigues the practitioners. As a conclusion the dissertation shows that process modeling techniques, most commonly used as tools for process engineers, can also be used as tools for organizing the daily software development work. This work presents theoretical solutions for bringing the process modeling closer to the ground-level software development activities. These theories are proven feasible by presenting several case studies where the modeling techniques are used e.g. to find differences in the work methods of the members of a software team and to share the process knowledge to a wider audience.

Device model for training of laparoscopic surgical skills

The authors present a especially constructed, lightweight, collapsible, portable and low cost model device for skills training in laparoscopic.

Design and testing of an armature-reaction-compensated permanent magnet synchronous generator for island operation

At present, permanent magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs) are of great interest. Since they do not have electrical excitation losses, the highly efficient, lightweight and compact PMSGs equipped with damper windings work perfectly when connected to a network. However, in island operation, the generator (or parallel generators) alone is responsible for the building up of the network and maintaining its voltage and reactive power level. Thus, in island operation, a PMSG faces very tight constraints, which are difficult to meet, because the flux produced by the permanent magnets (PMs) is constant and the voltage of the generator cannot be controlled. Traditional electrically excited synchronous generators (EESGs) can easily meet these constraints, because the field winding current is controllable. The main drawback of the conventional EESG is the relatively high excitation loss. This doctoral thesis presents a study of an alternative solution termed as a hybrid excitation synchronous generator (HESG). HESGs are a special class of electrical machines, where the total rotor current linkage is produced by the simultaneous action of two different excitation sources: the electrical and permanent magnet (PM) excitation. An overview of the existing HESGs is given. Several HESGs are introduced and compared with the conventional EESG from technical and economic points of view. In the study, the armature-reaction-compensated permanent magnet synchronous generator with alternated current linkages (ARC-PMSG with ACL) showed a better performance than the other options. Therefore, this machine type is studied in more detail. An electromagnetic design and a thermal analysis are presented. To verify the operation principle and the electromagnetic design, a down-sized prototype of 69 kVA apparent power was built. The experimental results are demonstrated and compared with the predicted ones. A prerequisite for an ARC-PMSG with ACL is an even number of pole pairs (p = 2, 4, 6, …) in the machine. Naturally, the HESG technology is not limited to even-pole-pair machines. However, the analysis of machines with p = 3, 5, 7, … becomes more complicated, especially if analytical tools are used, and is outside the scope of this thesis. The contribution of this study is to propose a solution where an ARC-PMSG replaces an EESG in electrical power generation while meeting all the requirements set for generators given for instance by ship classification societies, particularly as regards island operation. The maximum power level when applying the technology studied here is mainly limited by the economy of the machine. The larger the machine is, the smaller is the efficiency benefit. However, it seems that machines up to ten megawatts of power could benefit from the technology. However, in low-power applications, for instance in the 500 kW range, the efficiency increase can be significant.

Use of fiber-reinforced composite framework and thermochromic pigment in maxillofacial prostheses

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the possibility to enhance certain qualities of facial prostheses. Polymethyl methacrylate is still being used as base mate¬rial or clip carrier material, but it is hard and heavy, and debonding of the silicone from the acrylic base material is a frequent problem. This thesis aims to evaluate the use of fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) as framework material for maxillofacial silicone prostheses. FRC has been used as reinforcement in removable and fixed partial dentures since the 1990s. This material is lightweight and can be fabricated to compress the margins of the prosthesis slightly, to keep it tightly against the skin during jaw movements and facial expressions. Additionally, the use of a thermochromic pigment, colorless in room temperature and red in a cold environment, was studied in order to evaluate the possibility of using this color changing pigment in facial prostheses to mimic the color change of facial skin in cold weather. The tensile bond strength between pre-impregnated, unidirectional FRC and maxillofacial silicone elastomer was studied. Three different bonding agents or primers were compared. Bond strength was improved by one of the primers and by roughening the surface. The effect of a skin compressing glass fiber-reinforced composite framework on facial skin blood flow was studied by using a face mask, constructed with a compression pad corresponding to the outer margin of a glass fiber-reinforced framework beam of a facial prosthesis. The skin blood flow of ten healthy volunteers, aged 23-25 years, was measured during touch, light, and moderate compression of the skin, by using laser Doppler imaging technique. None of the compressions showed any marked effects on local skin blood flow. There were no significant differences between blood flow during compression and at baseline. Maxillofacial silicone elastomer was colored intrinsically with conventional color pigments: a control group containing only conventional pigments was compared to two test groups with 0.2 wt% and 0.6 wt% thermochromic pigment added. The color of the material was measured with a spectrophotometer in room temperature and after storage in a freezer. The color stability of the maxillofacial silicone elastomer colored with thermo¬chromic pigment was evaluated by artificial aging. The color dif¬ference of the L* (lightness) and a* values (redness), comparing color after the samples were stored at room temperature and in a freezer (-19°C), was statistically significant for both 0.2 wt% and 0.6 wt% thermo¬chromic pigment groups. The differences in the b* values (yellowness) were statistically significant for the 0.6 wt% group. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation led to visually noticeable and statistically signifi¬cant color changes (ΔE) in all color values in both test groups. The specimens containing thermochromic pigment were very sensitive to UV radiation. In conclusion, a framework of fiber-reinforced composite can successfully be bonded to maxillofacial silicone elastomer, and a framework beam, compressing the facial skin, did not remarkably alter the skin blood flow on healthy, young adults. The thermochromic pigment showed color change in maxillofacial silicone elastomer. However, artificial aging showed that it was too sensitive to UV radiation to be used, as such, in maxillofacial prostheses.

Ison tuuligeneraattorin roottorin ja staattorin rakennetarkastelu

Maailmanlaajuinen ilmastopolitiikka asettaa vaativia tavoitteita hiilidioksidipäästöjen vähentämiselle. Suurin haaste on tuottaa energiaa mahdollisimman alhaisin kustannuksin käyttäen uusiutuvia ja ympäristöä säästäviä energiamuotoja. Tuulivoimasta on tullut nopeimmin kehittyvä sähköntuotantotapa, ja tuuliturbiinien koon kasvun myötä on myös generaattorien koko kasvanut merkittävästi 1990-luvulta lähtien. Generaattorin massiivisuus suoravetoisessa tuuliturbiinin voimansiirrossa vaatii tarkkoja kuormitustarkasteluja, jotta rakenne kestäisi tuuliturbiinin eliniän. Tuuliturbiinin kuormitukset ovat stokastisia ja toisinaan erittäin suuria, mikä vaikeuttaa kuormitusten määrittämistä. Tuulen kuormitusten lisäksi generaattori altistuu eri toimintojen kautta muillekin kuormituksille, ja tästä syystä on otettava huomioon jarrutuksen, dynaamisen tasapainon ja ohjauksen sekä verkkovikojen aiheuttamat rasitukset tuuliturbiinin voimansiirrolle. Edellisten lisäksi työssä on tarkasteltu erilaisia rakenneratkaisuja sekä pyritty kiinnittämään huomio niiden kuormankantokykyyn ja jäykkyyteen sekä generaattorin keventämismahdollisuuksiin verrattuna perinteisiin radiaalivuogeneraattoreihin. Työssä on pyritty selvittämään rakenteen kuormitukset siten, että pystyttäisiin optimoimaan mahdollisimman kevyt rakenne. Optimoinnin kohteena on pinnarakenteisen generaattorin rakenteen massa puolien, puolan kulmien sekä tukirenkaan ja niistä aiheutuvien erilaisten rakenneyhdistelmien suhteen tarkasteltuna.

Packaging Content for Aggregated and Federated Repositories through APTrust

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

DSpace REST API: an Interface for Reusing DSpace Content, and Practical Applications

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

A museum object repository using LIDO schema

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Modal testing and numerical modeling of the dynamic properties of layered sheet-steel structure

Recently, due to the increasing total construction and transportation cost and difficulties associated with handling massive structural components or assemblies, there has been increasing financial pressure to reduce structural weight. Furthermore, advances in material technology coupled with continuing advances in design tools and techniques have encouraged engineers to vary and combine materials, offering new opportunities to reduce the weight of mechanical structures. These new lower mass systems, however, are more susceptible to inherent imbalances, a weakness that can result in higher shock and harmonic resonances which leads to poor structural dynamic performances. The objective of this thesis is the modeling of layered sheet steel elements, to accurately predict dynamic performance. During the development of the layered sheet steel model, the numerical modeling approach, the Finite Element Analysis and the Experimental Modal Analysis are applied in building a modal model of the layered sheet steel elements. Furthermore, in view of getting a better understanding of the dynamic behavior of layered sheet steel, several binding methods have been studied to understand and demonstrate how a binding method affects the dynamic behavior of layered sheet steel elements when compared to single homogeneous steel plate. Based on the developed layered sheet steel model, the dynamic behavior of a lightweight wheel structure to be used as the structure for the stator of an outer rotor Direct-Drive Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator designed for high-power wind turbines is studied.

Kevyen istutuskoneen suunnittelu puuntaimille

Työssä pyritään suunnittelemaan kevyempi versio jo olemassa olevasta puuntaimien istutuslaitteesta. Työ koostuu kahdesta osasta. Ensimmäisessä teoria osuudessa käydään läpi mekatronisen koneen suunnittelussa huomioitavia seikkoja ja järjestelmällistä tuotekehitysprosessia yleisesti. Toisessa osassa esitellään nykyisten istutuslaitteiden kehityshistoriaa ja nykyisin koneellisessa metsänistutuksessa käytössä olevia laitteita. Loppuratkaisujen aikaan saamisessa pyritään QFD-menetelmää käyttämällä saamaan aikaan kevyen istutuskoneen vaatimusprofiili ja profiilissa ilmi tulleiden vaatimusten ja toiveiden pohjalta kehitettiin ratkaisuja joilla perinteistä koneellista istutus toimintaa voidaan uudistaa. Materiaalinvalinnan avulla optimoitiin kevyttä istutuskonetta pyrkimällä löytämään ympäristöystävälliset materiaalit jotka ovat tuotteen elinkaarta kokonaisuutena ajatellen parhaat mahdolliset. Työssä saatiin aikaan malli jolla on mahdollista jatkokehittelyn jälkeen ja kunnolla tuotteistettuna edistää koneellisen metsänistutuksen yleistymistä. Työn aikana huomattiin, että suurimmat esteet metsän istutuksen koneellistumiselle ovat nykyisten koneiden korkeat hankinta- ja käyttökustannukset sekä koneiden käyttämisen vaatima ammattitaito. Kustannuksia alentamalla ja käyttökynnystä madaltamalla voi edistää koneellisen metsänistutuksen yleistymistä tehostamisen rinnalla.

Replacing Copper with New Carbon Nanomaterials in Electrical Machine Windings

Electrical machines have significant improvement potential. Nevertheless, the field is characterized by incremental innovations. Admittedly, steady improvement has been achieved, but no breakthrough development. Radical development in the field would require the introduction of new elements, such that may change the whole electrical machine industry system. Recent technological advancements in nanomaterials have opened up new horizons for the macroscopic application of carbon nanotube (CNT) fibres. With values of 100 MS/m measured on individual CNTs, CNT fibre materials hold promise for conductivities far beyond those of metals. Highly conductive, lightweight and strong CNT yarn is finally within reach; it could replace copper as a potentially better winding material. Although not yet providing low resistivity, the newest CNT yarn offers attractive perspectives for accelerated efficiency improvement of electrical machines. In this article, the potential for using new CNT materials to replace copper in machine windings is introduced. It does so, firstly, by describing the environment for a change that could revolutionize the industry and, secondly, by presenting the breakthrough results of a prototype construction. In the test motor, which is to our knowledge the first in its kind, the presently most electrically conductive carbon nanotube yarn replaces usual copper in the windings.

Improved biological performance of magnesium by micro-arc oxidation

Magnesium and its alloys have recently been used in the development of lightweight, biodegradable implant materials. However, the corrosion properties of magnesium limit its clinical application. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the degradation behavior and biomechanical properties of magnesium materials treated with micro-arc oxidation (MAO), which is a new promising surface treatment for developing corrosion resistance in magnesium, and to provide a theoretical basis for its further optimization and clinical application. The degradation behavior of MAO-treated magnesium was studied systematically by immersion and electrochemical tests, and its biomechanical performance when exposed to simulated body fluids was evaluated by tensile tests. In addition, the cell toxicity of MAO-treated magnesium samples during the corrosion process was evaluated, and its biocompatibility was investigated under in vivo conditions. The results of this study showed that the oxide coating layers could elevate the corrosion potential of magnesium and reduce its degradation rate. In addition, the MAO-coated sample showed no cytotoxicity and more new bone was formed around it during in vivo degradation. MAO treatment could effectively enhance the corrosion resistance of the magnesium specimen and help to keep its original mechanical properties. The MAO-coated magnesium material had good cytocompatibility and biocompatibility. This technique has an advantage for developing novel implant materials and may potentially be used for future clinical applications.

Embedded Service Bus for Internet of Things Interoperability

Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are developing rapidly, and therefore there exist several standards of interconnection protocols and platforms. The existence of heterogeneous protocols and platforms has become a critical challenge for IoT system developers. To mitigate this challenge, few alliances and organizations have taken the initiative to build a framework that helps to integrate application silos. Some of these frameworks focus only on a specific domain like home automation. However, the resource constraints in the large proportion of connected devices make it difficult to build an interoperable system using such frameworks. Therefore, a general purpose, lightweight interoperability framework that can be used for a range of devices is required. To tackle the heterogeneous nature, this work introduces an embedded, distributed and lightweight service bus, Lightweight IoT Service bus Architecture (LISA), which fits inside the network stack of a small real-time operating system for constrained nodes. LISA provides a uniform application programming interface for an IoT system on a range of devices with variable resource constraints. It hides platform and protocol variations underneath it, thus facilitating interoperability in IoT implementations. LISA is inspired by the Network on Terminal Architecture, a service centric open architecture by Nokia Research Center. Unlike many other interoperability frameworks, LISA is designed specifically for resource constrained nodes and it provides essential features of a service bus for easy service oriented architecture implementation. The presented architecture utilizes an intermediate computing layer, a Fog layer, between the small nodes and the cloud, thereby facilitating the federation of constrained nodes into subnetworks. As a result of a modular and distributed design, the part of LISA running in the Fog layer handles the heavy lifting to assist the lightweight portion of LISA inside the resource constrained nodes. Furthermore, LISA introduces a new networking paradigm, Node Centric Networking, to route messages across protocol boundaries to facilitate interoperability. This thesis presents a concept implementation of the architecture and creates a foundation for future extension towards a comprehensive interoperability framework for IoT.

Inhibitory effect of the essential oil from Eugenia caryophyllata Thumb leaves on coalho cheese contaminating microorganisms

Coalho cheese (a firm but very lightweight cheese produced in Brazil) is widely produced and consumed in the Brazilian Northeast and its production has been mainly related to small farmers. This food has been frequently characterized as having high microbial load posing a risk for the health of consumers. This study aimed to indentify the chemical compounds of the essential oil from Eugenia caryophyllata leaves; to evaluate the inhibitory effect of the oil against coalho cheese contaminating microorganisms; and to assess its efficacy in inhibiting the autochthonous microflora of the cheese during refrigerated storage. Eugenol (74%) was found to be the most prevalent compound in the essential oil. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Cidal Concentration (MCC) in laboratorial broth were in the range of 2.5-5 and 5-20 µg.mL-1, respectively. Vaccum packed coalho cheese added with 5, 10, and 20 µg.g-1 of oil showed a lower growth rate (like-static effect) against mesophilic bacteria during the time intervals evaluated. On the other hand, 2.5-10 µg.g-1 of oil provided a prominent decrease toward fungi count in cheese samples during storage. These results reveal the interesting antimicrobial property of the essential oil from E. caryophyllata leaves against a range of coalho cheese-related microorganisms in laboratorial media and in food matrix.

Dynamics AX -toiminnanohjausjärjestelmän jatkuvuudenhallinta ja toipumissuunnitelma - Simulaatiotestausmalli: case CGI Suomi Oy

Nyky-yhteiskunta nojautuu vahvasti tietojärjestelmiin luoden laajemman arkkitehtuurisen kokonaisuuden, kybertoimintaympäristön. Liiketoimintaa tukevat tietojärjestelmät tukevat myös organisaatioiden prosesseja kokonaisvaltaisesti. Jotta näitä tärkeitä kyberympäristön tietojärjestelmä- sekä liiketoimintaympäristöresursseja pystytään käyttämään, tulee järjestelmien olla luotettavia ja sovellusten saatavilla vuorokauden ympäri tai aina tarvittaessa. Tilanteet, joissa järjestelmän käytettävyys vaarantuu, voivat eskaloitua yllättäen suuremmiksi, jos poikkeustilanteisiin ei ole varauduttu. Poikkeustilanteisiin varautumiseen tarvitaan jatkuvuudenhallintaa, joka on kiinteästi osa kattavampaa IT-strategiaa ja koko yhteiskunta-/yrityskulttuuria. Työ on toteutettu yhdistäen empiriaa ja teoriaa eli tavoitteena on teoreettisen tietämyksen ja käytännön kokemuksellisen oppimisen ja tietämyksen kautta luoda konstruktiivisella otteella toipumissuunnitelman testauksessa käytettävä simulaatiotestausmalli. Dynamics AX -toiminnanohjausjärjestelmän toipumissuunnitelman simulaatiotestausmallista rakentui selkeä ja kevyt työkalu asiakasyritysten toipumissuunnitelman simulaatiotestauksiin. Diplomityössä kuvatuilla keinotekoisilla järjestelmän häiriötilanteilla pystytään simuloimaan Dynamics AX:n toipumissuunnitelman testauksissa oikeita häiriötilanteita suhteellisen kattavalla tasolla.