Split message-based anonymity for JXTA applications

JXTA is an open peer-to-peer (P2P) protocols specification that, in its about 10 years of history, has slowly evolved to appeal to a broad set of applications. As part of this process,some long awaited security improvements have been included in the latest versions. However, under some contexts, even more advanced security requirements should be met, such as anonymity. Several approaches exist to deploy anonymity in P2P networks, but no perfect solution exists. Even though path-based approaches are quite popular, it is considered that, in dynamicgroups, using a split message-based one is better. In this work, we propose an anonymity service for JXTA using such approach. The proposal takes advantage JXTA's core services, in a manner so that it can be easily integrated to existing end applications and services.

Metadata for describing learning scenarios under European Higher Education Area paradigm

In this paper we identify the requirements for creating formal descriptions of learning scenarios designed under the European HigherEducation Area paradigm, using competences and learning activities as the basic pieces of the learning process, instead of contents and learning resources, pursuing personalization. Classical arrangements of content based courses are no longer enough to describe all the richness of this new learning process, where user profiles, competences and complex hierarchical itineraries need to be properly combined. We study the intersection with the current IMS Learning Design specification and theadditional metadata required for describing such learning scenarios. This new approach involves the use of case based learning and collaborativelearning in order to acquire and develop competences, following adaptive learning paths in two structured levels.

Combining Customer Requirements and Modularity in Complete Tap Water Solution

This thesis studies forming a complete solution concept for tap water systems in project business environment. The aim of the study is to find tools and means for the target company to determine the scope of their tap water solution offering and to research what kind of organizational capabilities and resources are needed to supply such system solutions. With the help of literature, the characteristics of systems selling and project business and thematics of systems integration and integrated solutions are examined, and the significance of modularity and customer requirements in the given operational environment is discussed. After this, a checklist tool for customer requirements management is developed for the tap water system along with a module allocation method. The study proposes that with the checklist and module allocation the technical specifications can be extensively and innovatively defined for the system. The tools developed are a part of a complete tap water solution concept, which suggests that integrated solutions might constitute possibilities for the company to outperform its competitors when the traditional business methods of the industry are becoming obsolete.

Technology roadmap for new sales support and management system for crane manufacturing company

Sales configurators are essential tools for companies that offer complicated case specifically crafted products for customers. Most sophisticated of them are able to design an entire end product on the fly according to given constraints, calculate price for the offer and move the order into production. This thesis covers a sales configurator acquisition project in a large industrial company that offers cranes for its customers. The study spans the preliminary stages of a large-scale software purchase project starting from the specification of problem domain and ending up presenting the most viable software solution that fulfils the requirements for the new system. The project consists of mapping usage environment, use cases, and collecting requirements that are expected from the new system. The collected requirements involve fitting the new sales system into enterprise application infrastructure, mitigating the risks involved in the project and specifying new features to the application whilst preserving all of the admired features of the old sales system currently used in the company. The collected requirements were presented to a number of different sales software vendors who were asked to provide solution suggestions that would fulfil all the demands. All of the received solution proposals were exposed to an evaluation to determine the most feasible solutions, and the construction of evaluation criteria itself was a part of the study. The final outcome of this study is a short-list of the most feasible sales configurator solutions together with a description of how software purchase process in large enterprises work, and which aspects should be paid attention in large projects of similar kind.

Contribution of cytochrome P450 and ABCB1 genetic variability on methadone pharmacokinetics, dose requirements, and response

Although the efficacy of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) in opioid dependence disorder has been well established, the influence of methadone pharmacokinetics in dose requirement and clinical outcome remains controversial. The aim of this study is to analyze methadone dosage in responder and nonresponder patients considering pharmacogenetic and pharmacokinetic factors that may contribute to dosage adequacy. Opioid dependence patients (meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, [4th Edition] criteria) from a MMT community program were recruited. Patients were clinically assessed and blood samples were obtained to determine plasma concentrations of (R,S)-, (R) and (S)- methadone and to study allelic variants of genes encoding CYP3A5, CYP2D6, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and P-glycoprotein. Responders and nonresponders were defined by illicit opioid consumption detected in random urinalysis. The final sample consisted in 105 opioid dependent patients of Caucasian origin. Responder patients received higher doses of methadone and have been included into treatment for a longer period. No differences were found in terms of genotype frequencies between groups. Only CYP2D6 metabolizing phenotype differences were found in outcome status, methadone dose requirements, and plasma concentrations, being higher in the ultrarapid metabolizers. No other differences were found between phenotype and responder status, methadone dose requirements, neither in methadone plasma concentrations. Pharmacokinetic factors could explain some but not all differences in MMT outcome and methadone dose requirements.

Explosion-proof requirements for Electrical Machines in Chemical, Oil and Gas Industry in Russia and CIS Countries

One of the main industries which form the basis of Russian Economical structure is oil and gas. This industry is also playing a significant role for CIS countries. Oil and gas industry is developing intensively attracting foreign investments. This situation is providing sustainable development of machinery production for hazardous areas. Operating in oil and gas areas is always related with occurrence of explosion gas atmospheres. Machines for hazardous areas must be furnished with additional protection of different types. Explosion protection is regulated with standards according to which equipment must be manufactured. In Russia and CIS countries explosion-proof equipment must be constructed in compliance with GOST standards. To confirm that equipment is manufactured according to standards’ requirements and is safe and reliable it must undergo the approval procedure. Certification in Russia is governed by Federal Laws and legislation. Each CIS country has its own approval certificates and permissions for operating in hazardous areas.

Tuotannonohjauksen kehittäminen piensarjatuotannossa

Tämä diplomityö käsittelee teollisen yrityksen tuotannonohjauksen kehittämistä piensarjatuotannossa. Työn kohteena on ABB Oy:n Tuulivoimageneraattorit-tulosyksikkö, joka valmistaa vakiotuotteita asiakasohjautuvasti. Työssä esitellään aluksi tuotannon ja tuotannonohjauksen teoriaa. Lävitse käydään perusasioiden kuten määritelmien, tavoitteiden ja tehtävien lisäksi tuotannonohjausprosessia sekä tuotannonohjauksen tietotekniikkaa. Teorian jälkeisessä empiriaosuudessa esitellään työssä kehitettyjä keinoja tuotannonohjauksen parantamiseksi. Tutkimus on toteutettu teoreettisen ja empiirisen tutkimustyön avulla. Teoreettiseen tutkimustyöhön sisältyi suomalaisiin ja ulkomaalaisiin kirjallisuuslähteisiin perehtyminen. Empiirinen tutkimustyö suoritettiin itsenäisen ongelman ratkaisutyön avulla. Tämä sisälsi kehittämiskohteiden analysoinnin, tarkempien kehittämistarpeiden määrityksen sekä kokeilujen kautta tapahtuneen kehittämistyön. Tutkimuksen päätavoitteena oli selvittää, miten tuotannonohjauksen kehittämisellä voidaan parantaa kohteena olevan tulosyksikön tuottavuutta ja kannattavuutta. Päätavoitteen pohjalta muodostettiin kuusi osatavoitetta: toimitusvarmuuden parantaminen, kapasiteetin kuormitusasteen nostaminen, kapasiteetin suunnittelun kehittäminen, läpäisyaikojen lyhentäminen, uuden ERP-järjestelmän vaatimusmäärittely sekä tuotannonohjausprosessin määrittäminen. Työssä rakennettiin neljään ensiksi mainittuun osatavoitteeseen tietotekniset sovellukset, jotka mahdollistavat osatavoitteiden suunnittelun ja ohjaamisen. Sovelluksia varten kullekin tuotteelle määriteltiin esimerkiksi työnvaiheketjut läpäisyaikoineen, kuormitusryhmät, kuormitusryhmien kapasiteetit, tuotteiden kuormittavuudet sekä kriittiset työvälineet. Työ osoitti, että tietotekniikka auttaa suuresti tuotannonohjauksessa. Lisääntynyt läpinäkyvyys, parantunut tiedonkulku, simulointimahdollisuudet sekä graafinen esitystapa helpottavat erilaisten suunnitelmien teossa ja parantavat siten päätöksenteon laatua. Tietotekniikan hyväksikäytön pohjana toimii tuotannon perus- ja tapahtumatietojen kurinalainen päivitys. Tämän vuoksi tietojärjestelmistä kannattaa rakentaa mahdollisimman yksinkertaisia.

Environmental factors, spatial variation, and specific requirements of Chironomidae in Mediterranean reference streams

Chironomidae spatial distribution was investigated at 63 near-pristine sites in 22 catchments of the Iberian Mediterranean coast. We used partial redundancy analysis to study Chironomidae community responses to a number of environmental factors acting at several spatial scales. The percentage of variation explained by local factors (23.3%) was higher than that explained by geographical (8.5%) or regional factors(8%). Catchment area, longitude, pH, % siliceous rocks in the catchment, and altitude were the best predictors of Chironomidae assemblages. We used a k-means cluster analysis to classified sites into 3 major groups based on Chironomidae assemblages. These groups were explained mainly by longitudinal zonation and geographical position, and were defined as 1) siliceous headwater streams, 2) mid-altitude streams with small catchment areas, and 3) medium-sized calcareous streams. Distinct species assemblages with associated indicator taxa were established for each stream category using IndVal analysis. Species responses to previously identified key environmental variables were determined, and optima and tolerances were established by weighted average regression. Distinct ecological requirements were observed among genera and among species of the same genus. Some genera were restricted to headwater systems (e.g., Diamesa), whereas others (e.g., Eukiefferiella) had wider ecological preferences but with distinct distributions among congenerics. In the present period of climate change, optima and tolerances of species might be a useful tool to predict responses of different species to changes in significant environmental variables, such as temperature and hydrology.

Formal Power Analysis of Systems-on-Chip

The design methods and languages targeted to modern System-on-Chip designs are facing tremendous pressure of the ever-increasing complexity, power, and speed requirements. To estimate any of these three metrics, there is a trade-off between accuracy and abstraction level of detail in which a system under design is analyzed. The more detailed the description, the more accurate the simulation will be, but, on the other hand, the more time consuming it will be. Moreover, a designer wants to make decisions as early as possible in the design flow to avoid costly design backtracking. To answer the challenges posed upon System-on-chip designs, this thesis introduces a formal, power aware framework, its development methods, and methods to constraint and analyze power consumption of the system under design. This thesis discusses on power analysis of synchronous and asynchronous systems not forgetting the communication aspects of these systems. The presented framework is built upon the Timed Action System formalism, which offer an environment to analyze and constraint the functional and temporal behavior of the system at high abstraction level. Furthermore, due to the complexity of System-on-Chip designs, the possibility to abstract unnecessary implementation details at higher abstraction levels is an essential part of the introduced design framework. With the encapsulation and abstraction techniques incorporated with the procedure based communication allows a designer to use the presented power aware framework in modeling these large scale systems. The introduced techniques also enable one to subdivide the development of communication and computation into own tasks. This property is taken into account in the power analysis part as well. Furthermore, the presented framework is developed in a way that it can be used throughout the design project. In other words, a designer is able to model and analyze systems from an abstract specification down to an implementable specification.

Agile CRM System Implementation Project

The application of information technology (IT) in customer relationship management (CRM) is growing rapidly as many companies implement CRM systems to support their numerous customer facing activities. However, failure rates of CRM projects remain notably high as they deliver scant solutions and poor user acceptance. As a consequence, it is justified to study previously researched CRM success factors and apply them to CRM system implementation. The aim of this master’s thesis was to get acquainted with relevant academic theories, frameworks and practices concerning CRM and agile development, and use them to generate a modified CRM project strategy to support the successful execution of the case company’s, Process Vision Oy, CRM implementation project. The empirical CRM system implementation project was conducted simultaneously with writing this thesis. Its theoretical findings could be transferred into practice through active participation in the CRM system development and deployment work. The project’s main goal was to produce and take into use a functioning CRM system. The goal was met, since at the time of printing this thesis the first system release was successfully published to its users at Process Vision’s marketing and sales departments. The key success elements in the CRM project were cyclic, iterative system development, customer oriented approach, user inclusion and flexible project management. Implying agile development practices ensured being able to quickly respond to changes arising during the progress of the CRM project. Throughout modelling of the core sales process formed a strong basis, on which the CRM system’s operational and analytical functionalities were built. End users were included in the initial specification of system requirements and they provided feedback on the system’s usage. To conclude, the chosen theoretical CRM roadmaps and agile development practices proved as beneficial in the successful planning and execution of the agile CRM system implementation project at Process Vision.

Weather requirements and rain forecast to time fungicide application for Fusarium head blight control in wheat

The aim of this study was to determine the minimum conditions of wetness duration and mean temperature required for Fusarium head blight infection in wheat. The weather model developed by Zoldan (2008) was tested in field experiments for two wheat cultivars grown in 2005 (five sowing dates) and 2006 (six sowing dates) in 10 m² plots with three replicates. The disease was assessed according to head incidence (HI), spikelet incidence (SI), and the interaction between these two methods was called head blight severity (HBS). Starting at the beginning of anthesis, air temperature and head wetness duration were daily recorded with an automatic weather station. With the combination of these two factors, a weather favorability table was built for the disease occurrence. Starting on the day of flowering beginning (1 - 5% fully exserted anthers), the sum of daily values for infection favorability (SDVIF) was calculated by means of a computer program, according to Zoldan (2008) table. The initial symptoms of the disease were observed at 3.7% spikelet incidence, corresponding to 2.6 SVDFI. The infection occurs in wheat due to rainfall which results in spike wetting of > 61.4 h duration. Rainfall events forecast can help time fungicide application to control FHB. The name of this alert system is proposed as UPF-scab alert.

Hitsauskoneen kunnonvalvontajärjestelmän kehittäminen

Teollisuuden kasvavien laatuvaatimusten johdosta valmistava teollisuus joutuu tiukentamaan laatuvaatimuksiaan täyttääkseen asiakasvaatimukset. Laatujärjestelmät asettavat valmistajille erilaisia vaatimuksia, kuten valmistuksessa käytettävien laitteistojen huoltodokumentaatioiden tuottaminen. Standardi SFS-EN ISO 3834-2 Metallien sulahitsauksen laatuvaatimukset: Kattavat laatuvaatimukset tuo edellä mainitut vaatimukset myös hitsaustuotantoon. Ennakoivaa kunnossapitoa käytetään monilla teollisuuden aloilla, koska tuotannon yllättävät keskeytymiset halutaan ennaltaehkäistä. Käsinhitsaukseen ei ole ollut toistaiseksi työkaluja, jotka mahdollistaisivat ennakoivan kunnossapidon hitsauskoneille. Kemppi Oy kehittää hitsauksen monitorointiratkaisua, jonka yhtenä päämääränä on kunnonvalvontajärjestelmän kehittäminen hitsauslaitteistolle. Järjestelmä ottaa huomioon myös laatujärjestelmien asettamat vaatimukset hitsauskoneiden huoltodokumentaation tuottamisesta. Diplomityön tavoitteena oli tehdä vaatimusmäärittely hitsauskoneiden kunnonvalvontajärjestelmälle. Tässä diplomityössä perehdyttiin kunnossapidon ja vikaantumisen lajeihin, laatujärjestelmiin sekä hitsauslaitteistoon. Tutkimuksessa syvennyttiin hitsauskoneiden kunnossapidon ja vikaantumistapauksien kautta suunnitteilla olevan järjestelmän tarpeisiin. Haastatteluiden avulla kartoitettiin hitsauslaitteiden kunnonvalvontajärjestelmältä vaadittavia piirteitä, järjestelmälle asetettavia vaatimuksia sekä järjestelmän monitorointikohteita. Tutkimuksen pohjalta laadittuun vaatimusmäärittelyyn saatiin muodostettua toiminnalliset vaatimukset, joista muodostetaan tuotekehityksen aikana tuotteen ominaisuudet. Lisäksi vaatimusmäärittelyyn luotiin käyttäjäryhmät, käyttötapaukset sekä alustavat monitorointikohteet. Vaatimusten täyttämiseksi kunnonvalvontajärjestelmään on suunnitteilla myös laitetietokanta, johon sisällytetään hitsauslaitteille suoritettujen huoltojen ja validointien tiedot. Varsinaisen tuotekehitystyön alkaessa nyt laadittua vaatimusmäärittelyä tullaan käyttämään suuntaviivojen näyttäjänä projektissa.

Making Sense of Software Product Requirements

One of the most crucial tasks for a company offering a software product is to decide what new features should be implemented in the product’s forthcoming versions. Yet, existing studies show that this is also a task with which many companies are struggling. This problem has been claimed to be ambiguous and changing. There are better or worse solutions to the problem, but no optimal one. Furthermore, the criteria determining the success of the solution keeps changing due to continuously changing competition, technologies and market needs. This thesis seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that companies have reportedly faced in determining the requirements for their forthcoming product versions. To this end, product management related activities are explored in seven companies. Following grounded theory approach, the thesis conducts four iterations of data analysis, where each of the iterations goes beyond the previous one. The thesis results in a theory proposal intended to 1) describe the essential characteristics of organizations’ product management challenges, 2) explain the origins of the perceived challenges and 3) suggest strategies to alleviate the perceived challenges. The thesis concludes that current product management approaches are becoming inadequate to deal with challenges that have multiple and conflicting interpretations, different value orientations, unclear goals, contradictions and paradoxes. This inadequacy continues to increase until current beliefs and assumptions about the product management challenges are questioned and a new paradigm for dealing with the challenges is adopted.

Requirements management process

Vaatimustenhallinnan alue on hyvin kompleksinen. Sen terminologia on moninaista ja samat termit voivat tarkoittaa eri asioita eri ihmisille. Tämän työn tarkoituksena on selkeyttää vaatimustenhallinnan aluetta. Se vastaa kysymyksiin kuten, mitä vaatimustenhallinta on ja miten sitä voidaan tehdä. Työ keskittyy vaatimusten analysoinnin ja validoinnin alueisiin, joten tältä osin se vastaa myös tarkempiin kysymyksiin kuten, miten koottujen vaatimusten jäljitettävyyttä, dokumentointia, analysointia ja validointia voidaan tehdä. Tämän työn kautta vaatimustenhallinta voidaan esitellä yritykselle ja sen eri osat voivat saada saman käsityksen vaatimustenhallinnasta. Tutkimus esittelee vaatimustenhallinnan prosessina, joka pitää sisällään vaatimusten jäljitettävyyden, vaatimusten dokumentoinnin, vaatimusten muutoksenhallinnan ja vaatimusmäärityksen. Vaatimusmääritys voidaan edelleen jakaa vaatimusten koostamiseen, analysointiin ja neuvotteluun sekä validointiin. Työssä esitellään geneerinen vaatimustenhallinnan prosessimalli. Mallin avulla näytetään, että vaatimustenhallinta on jatkuva prosessi, jossa kaikki aktiviteetit ovat kytköksissä toisiinsa. Näitä aktiviteettejä suoritetaan enemmän tai vähemmän samanaikaisesti. Malli esitetään geneerisessä muodossa, jotta se olisi hyödynnettävissä systeemi- ja tuotekehitys projekteissa sekä sisäisissä kehitysprojekteissa. Se kertoo, että vaatimukset tulisi jalostaa niin aikaisin, kuin mahdollista, jotta muutoksien määrä kehitystyön myöhemmissä vaiheissa voitaisiin minimoida. Jotkin muutokset eivät ole vältettävissä, joten muutoksenhallinnan tueksi tulisi kehittää jäljitettävyyskäsikirja ja jäljitettävyyskäytännöt. Vaatimustenhallintaa tarkastellaan meneillään olevassa kehitysprojektissa. Tarkastelussa tutkitaan, mitä vaatimustenhallinnan toimintatapoja sekä analysointi- ja validointimetodeja käytetään ja mitä voitaisiin tehdä vaatimustenhallinnan parantamiseksi projektissa.