Defining the Fluid framework

In this position paper we present the developing Fluid framework, which we believe offers considerable advantages in maintaining software stability in dynamic or evolving application settings. The Fluid framework facilitates the development of component software via the selection, composition and configuration of components. Fluid's composition language incorporates a high-level type system supporting object-oriented principles such as type description, type inheritance, and type instantiation. Object-oriented relationships are represented via the dynamic composition of component instances. This representation allows the software structure, as specified by type and instance descriptions, to change dynamically at runtime as existing types are modified and new types and instances are introduced. We therefore move from static software structure descriptions to more dynamic representations, while maintaining the expressiveness of object-oriented semantics. We show how the Fluid framework relates to existing, largely component based, software frameworks and conclude with suggestions for future enhancements. © 2007 IEEE.

Defining an OWL ontology that could be used to integrate mental-health risk information within a decision support system

In the field of mental health risk assessment, there is no standardisation between the data used in different systems. As a first step towards the possible interchange of data between assessment tools, an ontology has been constructed for a particular one, GRiST (Galatean Risk Screening Tool). We briefly introduce GRiST and its data structures, then describe the ontology and the benefits that have already been realised from the construction process. For example, the ontology has been used to check the consistency of the various trees used in the model. We then consider potential uses in integration of data from other sources. © 2009 IEEE.

Defining Network Activity Patterns Using First Order Temporal Logics

Part of network management is collecting information about the activities that go on around a distributed system and analyzing it in real time, at a deferred moment, or both. The reason such information may be stored in log files and analyzed later is to data-mine it so that interesting, unusual, or abnormal patterns can be discovered. In this paper we propose defining patterns in network activity logs using a dialect of First Order Temporal Logics (FOTL), called First Order Temporal Logic with Duration Constrains (FOTLDC). This logic is powerful enough to describe most network activity patterns because it can handle both causal and temporal correlations. Existing results for data-mining patterns with similar structure give us the confidence that discovering DFOTL patterns in network activity logs can be done efficiently.

Defining Interestigness for Association Rules

Interestingness in Association Rules has been a major topic of research in the past decade. The reason is that the strength of association rules, i.e. its ability to discover ALL patterns given some thresholds on support and confidence, is also its weakness. Indeed, a typical association rules analysis on real data often results in hundreds or thousands of patterns creating a data mining problem of the second order. In other words, it is not straightforward to determine which of those rules are interesting for the end-user. This paper provides an overview of some existing measures of interestingness and we will comment on their properties. In general, interestingness measures can be divided into objective and subjective measures. Objective measures tend to express interestingness by means of statistical or mathematical criteria, whereas subjective measures of interestingness aim at capturing more practical criteria that should be taken into account, such as unexpectedness or actionability of rules. This paper only focusses on objective measures of interestingness.

Understanding Computing through Defining its Lexicon

Бойко Банчев - Понятието пресмятане в широкия му смисъл и неговото присъствие в природата, науката, технологията и други области е свързано с редица неизяснени въпроси. Дори в по-тесните рамки на програмирането и използването на компютри то не е адекватно разбрано. Представяме тезата, че един начин за приближаване към такова разбиране е разкриването на дълбинните структури и отношения, свързани с пресмятането, и на тази основа построяване на речник на пресмятането.

Defining response to anti-VEGF therapies in neovascular AMD

The introduction of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) has made significant impact on the reduction of the visual loss due to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (n-AMD). There are significant inter-individual differences in response to an anti-VEGF agent, made more complex by the availability of multiple anti-VEGF agents with different molecular configurations. The response to anti-VEGF therapy have been found to be dependent on a variety of factors including patient’s age, lesion characteristics, lesion duration, baseline visual acuity (VA) and the presence of particular genotype risk alleles. Furthermore, a proportion of eyes with n-AMD show a decline in acuity or morphology, despite therapy or require very frequent re-treatment. There is currently no consensus as to how to classify optimal response, or lack of it, with these therapies. There is, in particular, confusion over terms such as ‘responder status’ after treatment for n-AMD, ‘tachyphylaxis’ and ‘recalcitrant’ n-AMD. This document aims to provide a consensus on definition/categorisation of the response of n-AMD to anti-VEGF therapies and on the time points at which response to treatment should be determined. Primary response is best determined at 1 month following the last initiation dose, while maintained treatment (secondary) response is determined any time after the 4th visit. In a particular eye, secondary responses do not mirror and cannot be predicted from that in the primary phase. Morphological and functional responses to anti-VEGF treatments, do not necessarily correlate, and may be dissociated in an individual eye. Furthermore, there is a ceiling effect that can negate the currently used functional metrics such as >5 letters improvement when the baseline VA is good (ETDRS>70 letters). It is therefore important to use a combination of both the parameters in determining the response.The following are proposed definitions: optimal (good) response is defined as when there is resolution of fluid (intraretinal fluid; IRF, subretinal fluid; SRF and retinal thickening), and/or improvement of >5 letters, subject to the ceiling effect of good starting VA. Poor response is defined as <25% reduction from the baseline in the central retinal thickness (CRT), with persistent or new IRF, SRF or minimal or change in VA (that is, change in VA of 0+4 letters). Non-response is defined as an increase in fluid (IRF, SRF and CRT), or increasing haemorrhage compared with the baseline and/or loss of >5 letters compared with the baseline or best corrected vision subsequently. Poor or non-response to anti-VEGF may be due to clinical factors including suboptimal dosing than that required by a particular patient, increased dosing intervals, treatment initiation when disease is already at an advanced or chronic stage), cellular mechanisms, lesion type, genetic variation and potential tachyphylaxis); non-clinical factors including poor access to clinics or delayed appointments may also result in poor treatment outcomes. In eyes classified as good responders, treatment should be continued with the same agent when disease activity is present or reactivation occurs following temporary dose holding. In eyes that show partial response, treatment may be continued, although re-evaluation with further imaging may be required to exclude confounding factors. Where there is persistent, unchanging accumulated fluid following three consecutive injections at monthly intervals, treatment may be withheld temporarily, but recommenced with the same or alternative anti-VEGF if the fluid subsequently increases (lesion considered active). Poor or non-response to anti-VEGF treatments requires re-evaluation of diagnosis and if necessary switch to alternative therapies including other anti-VEGF agents and/or with photodynamic therapy (PDT). Idiopathic polypoidal choroidopathy may require treatment with PDT monotherapy or combination with anti-VEGF. A committee comprised of retinal specialists with experience of managing patients with n-AMD similar to that which developed the Royal College of Ophthalmologists Guidelines to Ranibizumab was assembled. Individual aspects of the guidelines were proposed by the committee lead (WMA) based on relevant reference to published evidence base following a search of Medline and circulated to all committee members for discussion before approval or modification. Each draft was modified according to feedback from committee members until unanimous approval was obtained in the final draft. A system for categorising the range of responsiveness of n-AMD lesions to anti-VEGF therapy is proposed. The proposal is based primarily on morphological criteria but functional criteria have been included. Recommendations have been made on when to consider discontinuation of therapy either because of success or futility. These guidelines should help clinical decision-making and may prevent over and/or undertreatment with anti-VEGF therapy.

A szervezeti identitás meghatározása, elemei és menedzselése (Defining of organizational identity and its components and management)

Jelen cikk a szervezeti identitás különböző tudományos értelmezéseit, elemeit mutatja be és kapcsolja össze a gyakorlattal. A szerzők értelmezése szerint a szervezeti identitás nem azonos a köznyelvben elterjedt arculattal (sem image-zsal), hanem egy holisztikus, menedzsment-szakirodalmakon átívelő fogalomként értelmezhető, mely a külső tényezők hatására a szervezeti kultúra és a szervezeti stratégia alapján alakítható ki. A szervezeti identitás három alkotóelem-csoportból áll (nevezhetjük ezt identitásmixnek is): a munkáltatói márkázásból, az integrált marketingkommunikációból és a vizuális identitásból. Mivel a változó környezet szükségessé teszi, a szervezeti identitás menedzselése egy véget nem érő „spirálfolyamat”, mely a felmérés, a meghatározás, a bevezetés és értékelés szakaszok ismétléséből áll addig, amíg az ideális identitás ki nem alakul. Melyet talán soha nem ér el a vállalat. _____ In this article the different scientific interpretations and elements of organizational identity are presented and combined with practice. According to the authors’ interpretation the organizational identity is not the same as the corporate image, but it can be interpreted as a holistic management literatures panning notion which can be formed by the effect of external factors on basis of the organizational culture and organizational strategy. The organizational identity consists of three component-groups (also called this identity mix) the employer branding, integrated marketingcommunications and visual identity. Due to the changing environment makes it necessary the management of organizational identity is a never-ending ”spiral process”, which consists of repetitions of the survey, the definition, the introduction and the assessment phases until the ideal identity will be formed. Which may be never achieved by the corporate.

Defining failure in the nonprofit organization: The case of four human service agencies

Private nonprofit human service organizations provide a spectrum of services that aim to resolve societal problems. Their failure may leave needed and desired services unprovided or not provided sufficiently to meet public demand. However, the concept of organizational failure has not been examined for the nonprofit organization. This research addresses the deficiency in the literatures of organization failure and nonprofit organizations.^ An eight category typology, developed from a review of the current literature and findings from expert interviews, is initially presented to define nonprofit organization failure. A multiple case study design is used to test the typology in four nonprofit human service delivery agencies. The case analysis reduces the typology to five types salient to nonprofit organization failure: input failure, legitimacy failure, adaptive failure, management failure and leadership failure.^ The resulting five category typology is useful to both theory builders and nonprofit practitioners. For theory development, the interaction of the failure types extends the literature and lays a foundation for a theory of nonprofit organization failure that diffuses management and leadership across all of the failure types, highlights management and leadership failure as collective functions shared by paid staff and the volunteer board of directors, and emphasizes the importance of organization legitimacy.^ From a practical perspective, the typology provides a tool for diagnosing failure in the nonprofit organization. Using the management indicators developed for the typology, a checklist of the warning signals of potential failure, emphasizing the key types of management and leadership, offers nonprofit decision makers a priori examination of an organization's propensity for failure. ^

Defining the role of floating periphyton mats in shaping food-web dynamics in the Florida Everglades

Expansive periphyton mats are a striking characteristic of the Florida Everglades. Floating periphyton mats are home to a diverse macroinvertebrate community dominated by chironomid and ceratopogonid larvae and amphipods that use the mat as both a food resource and refuge from predation. While this periphyton complex functions as a self-organizing system, it also serves as a base for trophic interactions with larger organisms. The purpose of my research was to quantify variation in the macroinvertebrate community inhabiting floating periphyton mats, describe the role of mats in shaping food-web dynamics, and describe how these trophic interactions change with eutrophication. ^ I characterized the macroinvertebrate community inhabiting periphyton through a wet-season by describing spatial variation on scales from 0.2 m to 3 km. Floating periphyton mats contained a diverse macroinvertebrate community, with greater taxonomic richness and higher densities of many taxa than adjacent microhabitats. Macroinvertebrate density increased through the wet season as periphyton mats developed. While some variation was noted among sites, spatial patterns were not observed on smaller scales. I also sampled ten sites representing gradients of hydroperiod and nutrient (P) levels. The density of macroinvertebrates inhabiting periphyton mats increased with increasing P availability; however, short-hydroperiod P-enriched sites had the highest macroinvertebrate density. This pattern suggests a synergistic interaction of top-down and bottom-up effects. In contrast, macroinvertebrate density was lower in benthic floc, where it was negatively correlated with hydroperiod. ^ I used two types of mesocosms (field cages and tanks) to manipulate large consumers (fish and grass shrimp) with inclusion/exclusion cages over an experimental P gradient. In most cases, periphyton mats served as an effective predation refuge. Macroinvertebrates were consumed more frequently in P-enriched treatments, where mats were also heavily grazed. Macroinvertebrate densities decreased with increasing P in benthic floc, but increased with enrichment in periphyton mats until levels were reached that caused disassociation of the mat. ^ This research documents several indirect trophic interactions that can occur in complex habitats, and emphasizes the need to characterize dynamics of all microhabitats to fully describe the dynamics of an ecosystem. ^