Estudi per a la integració d'un model d'events en una aplicació web basada en el model MVC

En aquest treball es realitzarà bàsicament l'estudi preliminar d'investigació i disseny de l'aplicació.

Design of a Knowledge-Based Geographic Information System

A GIS has been designed with limited Functionalities; but with a novel approach in Aits design. The spatial data model adopted in the design of KBGIS is the unlinked vector model. Each map entity is encoded separately in vector fonn, without referencing any of its neighbouring entities. Spatial relations, in other words, are not encoded. This approach is adequate for routine analysis of geographic data represented on a planar map, and their display (Pages 105-106). Even though spatial relations are not encoded explicitly, they can be extracted through the specially designed queries. This work was undertaken as an experiment to study the feasibility of developing a GIS using a knowledge base in place of a relational database. The source of input spatial data was accurate sheet maps that were manually digitised. Each identifiable geographic primitive was represented as a distinct object, with its spatial properties and attributes defined. Composite spatial objects, made up of primitive objects, were formulated, based on production rules defining such compositions. The facts and rules were then organised into a production system, using OPS5

A Resource Centric Approach For Advancing Collaboration Through Hydrologic Data And Model Sharing

HydroShare is an online, collaborative system being developed for open sharing of hydrologic data and models. The goal of HydroShare is to enable scientists to easily discover and access hydrologic data and models, retrieve them to their desktop or perform analyses in a distributed computing environment that may include grid, cloud or high performance computing model instances as necessary. Scientists may also publish outcomes (data, results or models) into HydroShare, using the system as a collaboration platform for sharing data, models and analyses. HydroShare is expanding the data sharing capability of the CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System by broadening the classes of data accommodated, creating new capability to share models and model components, and taking advantage of emerging social media functionality to enhance information about and collaboration around hydrologic data and models. One of the fundamental concepts in HydroShare is that of a Resource. All content is represented using a Resource Data Model that separates system and science metadata and has elements common to all resources as well as elements specific to the types of resources HydroShare will support. These will include different data types used in the hydrology community and models and workflows that require metadata on execution functionality. The HydroShare web interface and social media functions are being developed using the Drupal content management system. A geospatial visualization and analysis component enables searching, visualizing, and analyzing geographic datasets. The integrated Rule-Oriented Data System (iRODS) is being used to manage federated data content and perform rule-based background actions on data and model resources, including parsing to generate metadata catalog information and the execution of models and workflows. This presentation will introduce the HydroShare functionality developed to date, describe key elements of the Resource Data Model and outline the roadmap for future development.

Simulación de seguimiento de blancos en sistemas radar. Parte 2

El proyecto consiste en el diseño y estudio de un software cuyas prestaciones estén orientadas a gestionar una simulación de un sistema de radar. El prototipo de este entorno de simulación se ha realizado en el lenguaje Matlab debido a que inicialmente se considera el más adecuado para el tratamiento de las señales que los sistemas de radar manejan para realizar sus cálculos. Se ha escogido como modelo el software desarrollado por la compañía SAP para gestionar los E.R.P.s de grandes empresas. El motivo es que es un software cuyo diseño y funcionalidad es especialmente adecuado para la gestión ordenada de una cantidad grande de datos diversos de forma integrada. Diseñar e implementar el propio entorno es una tarea de enorme complejidad y que requerirá el esfuerzo de una cantidad importante de personas; por lo que este proyecto se ha limitado, a un prototipo básico con una serie de características mínimas; así como a indicar y dejar preparado el camino por el que deberán transcurrir las futuras agregaciones de funcionalidad o mejoras. Funcionalmente, esto es, independientemente de la implementación específica con la que se construya el entorno de simulación, se ha considerado dividir las características y prestaciones ofrecidas por el sistema en bloques. Estos bloques agruparán los componentes relacionados con un aspecto específico de la simulación, por ejemplo, el bloque 1, es el asignado a todo lo relacionado con el blanco a detectar. El usuario del entorno de simulación interactuará con el sistema ejecutando lo que se llaman transacciones, que son agrupaciones lógicas de datos a introducir/consultar en el sistema relacionados y que se pueden ejecutar de forma independiente. Un ejemplo de transacción es la que permite mantener una trayectoria de un blanco junto con sus parámetros, pero también puede ser una transacción la aplicación que permite por ejemplo, gestionar los usuarios con acceso al entorno. Es decir, las transacciones son el componente mínimo a partir del cual el usuario puede interactuar con el sistema. La interfaz gráfica que se le ofrecerá al usuario, está basada en modos, que se pueden considerar “ventanas” independientes entre sí dentro de las cuáles el usuario ejecuta sus transacciones. El usuario podrá trabajar con cuantos modos en paralelo desee y cambiar según desee entre ellos. La programación del software se ha realizado utilizando la metodología de orientación a objetos y se ha intentado maximizar la reutilización del código así como la configurabilidad de su funcionalidad. Una característica importante que se ha incorporado para garantizar la integridad de los datos es un diccionario sintáctico. Para permitir la persistencia de los datos entre sesiones del usuario se ha implementado una base de datos virtual (que se prevé se reemplace por una real), que permite manejar, tablas, campos clave, etc. con el fin de guardar todos los datos del entorno, tanto los de configuración que solo serían responsabilidad de los administradores/desarrolladores como los datos maestros y transaccionales que serían gestionados por los usuarios finales del entorno de simulación. ABSTRACT. This end-of-degree project comprises the design, study and implementation of a software based application able to simulate the various aspects and performance of a radar system. A blueprint for this application has been constructed upon the Matlab programming language. This is due to the fact that initially it was thought to be the one most suitable to the complex signals radar systems usually process; but it has proven to be less than adequate for all the other core processes the simulation environment must provide users with. The software’s design has been based on another existing software which is the one developed by the SAP company for managing enterprises, a software categorized (and considered the paradigm of) as E.R.P. software (E.R.P. stands for Enterprise Resource Planning). This software has been selected as a model because is very well suited (its basic features) for working in an orderly fashion with a pretty good quantity of data of very diverse characteristics, and for doing it in a way which protects the integrity of the data. To design and construct the simulation environment with all its potential features is a pretty hard task and requires a great amount of effort and work to be dedicated to its accomplishment. Due to this, the scope of this end-of-degree project has been focused to design and construct a very basic prototype with minimal features, but which way future developments and upgrades to the systems features should go has also been pointed. In a purely functional approach, i.e. disregarding completely the specific implementation which accomplishes the simulation features, the different parts or aspects of the simulation system have been divided and classified into blocks. The blocks will gather together and comprise the various components related with a specific aspect of the simulation landscape, for example, block number one will be the one dealing with all the features related to the radars system target. The user interaction with the system will be based on the execution of so called transactions, which essentially consist on bunches of information which logically belong together and can thus be managed together. A good example, could be a transaction which permits to maintain a series of specifications for target’s paths; but it could also be something completely unrelated with the radar system itself as for example, the management of the users who can access the system. Transactions will be thus the minimum unit of interaction of users with the system. The graphic interface provided to the user will be mode based, which can be considered something akin to a set of independent windows which are able on their own to sustain the execution of an independent transaction. The user ideally should be able to work with as many modes simultaneously as he wants to, switching his focus between them at will. The approach to the software construction has been based on the object based paradigm. An effort has been made to maximize the code’s reutilization and also in maximizing its customizing, i.e., same sets of code able to perform different tasks based on configuration data. An important feature incorporated to the software has been a data dictionary (a syntactic one) which helps guarantee data integrity. Another important feature that allow to maintain data persistency between user sessions, is a virtual relational data base (which should in future times become a real data base) which allows to store data in tables. The data store in this tables comprises both the system’s configuration data (which administrators and developers will maintain) and also master and transactional data whose maintenance will be the end users task.

Modeling geometric rules in object based models:an XML / GML approach

Most object-based approaches to Geographical Information Systems (GIS) have concentrated on the representation of geometric properties of objects in terms of fixed geometry. In our road traffic marking application domain we have a requirement to represent the static locations of the road markings but also enforce the associated regulations, which are typically geometric in nature. For example a give way line of a pedestrian crossing in the UK must be within 1100-3000 mm of the edge of the crossing pattern. In previous studies of the application of spatial rules (often called 'business logic') in GIS emphasis has been placed on the representation of topological constraints and data integrity checks. There is very little GIS literature that describes models for geometric rules, although there are some examples in the Computer Aided Design (CAD) literature. This paper introduces some of the ideas from so called variational CAD models to the GIS application domain, and extends these using a Geography Markup Language (GML) based representation. In our application we have an additional requirement; the geometric rules are often changed and vary from country to country so should be represented in a flexible manner. In this paper we describe an elegant solution to the representation of geometric rules, such as requiring lines to be offset from other objects. The method uses a feature-property model embraced in GML 3.1 and extends the possible relationships in feature collections to permit the application of parameterized geometric constraints to sub features. We show the parametric rule model we have developed and discuss the advantage of using simple parametric expressions in the rule base. We discuss the possibilities and limitations of our approach and relate our data model to GML 3.1. © 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

The implementation of a functional query language front-end to a relational database system. Available in 2 volumes.

Database systems have a user interface one of the components of which will normally be a query language which is based on a particular data model. Typically data models provide primitives to define, manipulate and query databases. Often these primitives are designed to form self-contained query languages. This thesis describes a prototype implementation of a system which allows users to specify queries against the database in a query language whose primitives are not those provided by the actual model on which the database system is based, but those provided by a different data model. The implementation chosen is the Functional Query Language Front End (FQLFE). This uses the Daplex functional data model and query language. Using FQLFE, users can specify the underlying database (based on the relational model) in terms of Daplex. Queries against this specified view can then be made in Daplex. FQLFE transforms these queries into the query language (Quel) of the underlying target database system (Ingres). The automation of part of the Daplex function definition phase is also described and its implementation discussed.

Two-Language, Two-Paradigm Introductory Computing Curriculum Model and its Implementation

This paper analyzes difficulties with the introduction of object-oriented concepts in introductory computing education and then proposes a two-language, two-paradigm curriculum model that alleviates such difficulties. Our two-language, two-paradigm curriculum model begins with teaching imperative programming using Python programming language, continues with teaching object-oriented computing using Java, and concludes with teaching object-oriented data structures with Java.

Semantic wrapping for heterogeneous database management

Query processing is a commonly performed procedure and a vital and integral part of information processing. It is therefore important and necessary for information processing applications to continuously improve the accessibility of data sources as well as the ability to perform queries on those data sources. ^ It is well known that the relational database model and the Structured Query Language (SQL) are currently the most popular tools to implement and query databases. However, a certain level of expertise is needed to use SQL and to access relational databases. This study presents a semantic modeling approach that enables the average user to access and query existing relational databases without the concern of the database's structure or technicalities. This method includes an algorithm to represent relational database schemas in a more semantically rich way. The result of which is a semantic view of the relational database. The user performs queries using an adapted version of SQL, namely Semantic SQL. This method substantially reduces the size and complexity of queries. Additionally, it shortens the database application development cycle and improves maintenance and reliability by reducing the size of application programs. Furthermore, a Semantic Wrapper tool illustrating the semantic wrapping method is presented. ^ I further extend the use of this semantic wrapping method to heterogeneous database management. Relational, object-oriented databases and the Internet data sources are considered to be part of the heterogeneous database environment. Semantic schemas resulting from the algorithm presented in the method were employed to describe the structure of these data sources in a uniform way. Semantic SQL was utilized to query various data sources. As a result, this method provides users with the ability to access and perform queries on heterogeneous database systems in a more innate way. ^

DIMUSE: An integrated framework for distributed multimedia system with database management and security support

With the recent explosion in the complexity and amount of digital multimedia data, there has been a huge impact on the operations of various organizations in distinct areas, such as government services, education, medical care, business, entertainment, etc. To satisfy the growing demand of multimedia data management systems, an integrated framework called DIMUSE is proposed and deployed for distributed multimedia applications to offer a full scope of multimedia related tools and provide appealing experiences for the users. This research mainly focuses on video database modeling and retrieval by addressing a set of core challenges. First, a comprehensive multimedia database modeling mechanism called Hierarchical Markov Model Mediator (HMMM) is proposed to model high dimensional media data including video objects, low-level visual/audio features, as well as historical access patterns and frequencies. The associated retrieval and ranking algorithms are designed to support not only the general queries, but also the complicated temporal event pattern queries. Second, system training and learning methodologies are incorporated such that user interests are mined efficiently to improve the retrieval performance. Third, video clustering techniques are proposed to continuously increase the searching speed and accuracy by architecting a more efficient multimedia database structure. A distributed video management and retrieval system is designed and implemented to demonstrate the overall performance. The proposed approach is further customized for a mobile-based video retrieval system to solve the perception subjectivity issue by considering individual user's profile. Moreover, to deal with security and privacy issues and concerns in distributed multimedia applications, DIMUSE also incorporates a practical framework called SMARXO, which supports multilevel multimedia security control. SMARXO efficiently combines role-based access control (RBAC), XML and object-relational database management system (ORDBMS) to achieve the target of proficient security control. A distributed multimedia management system named DMMManager (Distributed MultiMedia Manager) is developed with the proposed framework DEMUR; to support multimedia capturing, analysis, retrieval, authoring and presentation in one single framework.

Transactions and schema evolution in a persistent object-oriented programming system

Applications are subject of a continuous evolution process with a profound impact on their underlining data model, hence requiring frequent updates in the applications' class structure and database structure as well. This twofold problem, schema evolution and instance adaptation, usually known as database evolution, is addressed in this thesis. Additionally, we address concurrency and error recovery problems with a novel meta-model and its aspect-oriented implementation. Modern object-oriented databases provide features that help programmers deal with object persistence, as well as all related problems such as database evolution, concurrency and error handling. In most systems there are transparent mechanisms to address these problems, nonetheless the database evolution problem still requires some human intervention, which consumes much of programmers' and database administrators' work effort. Earlier research works have demonstrated that aspect-oriented programming (AOP) techniques enable the development of flexible and pluggable systems. In these earlier works, the schema evolution and the instance adaptation problems were addressed as database management concerns. However, none of this research was focused on orthogonal persistent systems. We argue that AOP techniques are well suited to address these problems in orthogonal persistent systems. Regarding the concurrency and error recovery, earlier research showed that only syntactic obliviousness between the base program and aspects is possible. Our meta-model and framework follow an aspect-oriented approach focused on the object-oriented orthogonal persistent context. The proposed meta-model is characterized by its simplicity in order to achieve efficient and transparent database evolution mechanisms. Our meta-model supports multiple versions of a class structure by applying a class versioning strategy. Thus, enabling bidirectional application compatibility among versions of each class structure. That is to say, the database structure can be updated because earlier applications continue to work, as well as later applications that have only known the updated class structure. The specific characteristics of orthogonal persistent systems, as well as a metadata enrichment strategy within the application's source code, complete the inception of the meta-model and have motivated our research work. To test the feasibility of the approach, a prototype was developed. Our prototype is a framework that mediates the interaction between applications and the database, providing them with orthogonal persistence mechanisms. These mechanisms are introduced into applications as an {\it aspect} in the aspect-oriented sense. Objects do not require the extension of any super class, the implementation of an interface nor contain a particular annotation. Parametric type classes are also correctly handled by our framework. However, classes that belong to the programming environment must not be handled as versionable due to restrictions imposed by the Java Virtual Machine. Regarding concurrency support, the framework provides the applications with a multithreaded environment which supports database transactions and error recovery. The framework keeps applications oblivious to the database evolution problem, as well as persistence. Programmers can update the applications' class structure because the framework will produce a new version for it at the database metadata layer. Using our XML based pointcut/advice constructs, the framework's instance adaptation mechanism is extended, hence keeping the framework also oblivious to this problem. The potential developing gains provided by the prototype were benchmarked. In our case study, the results confirm that mechanisms' transparency has positive repercussions on the programmer's productivity, simplifying the entire evolution process at application and database levels. The meta-model itself also was benchmarked in terms of complexity and agility. Compared with other meta-models, it requires less meta-object modifications in each schema evolution step. Other types of tests were carried out in order to validate prototype and meta-model robustness. In order to perform these tests, we used an OO7 small size database due to its data model complexity. Since the developed prototype offers some features that were not observed in other known systems, performance benchmarks were not possible. However, the developed benchmark is now available to perform future performance comparisons with equivalent systems. In order to test our approach in a real world scenario, we developed a proof-of-concept application. This application was developed without any persistence mechanisms. Using our framework and minor changes applied to the application's source code, we added these mechanisms. Furthermore, we tested the application in a schema evolution scenario. This real world experience using our framework showed that applications remains oblivious to persistence and database evolution. In this case study, our framework proved to be a useful tool for programmers and database administrators. Performance issues and the single Java Virtual Machine concurrent model are the major limitations found in the framework.

MHCWeb: Converting a WWW database into a knowledge-based collaborative environment

The World Wide Web (WWW) is useful for distributing scientific data. Most existing web data resources organize their information either in structured flat files or relational databases with basic retrieval capabilities. For databases with one or a few simple relations, these approaches are successful, but they can be cumbersome when there is a data model involving multiple relations between complex data. We believe that knowledge-based resources offer a solution in these cases. Knowledge bases have explicit declarations of the concepts in the domain, along with the relations between them. They are usually organized hierarchically, and provide a global data model with a controlled vocabulary, We have created the OWEB architecture for building online scientific data resources using knowledge bases. OWEB provides a shell for structuring data, providing secure and shared access, and creating computational modules for processing and displaying data. In this paper, we describe the translation of the online immunological database MHCPEP into an OWEB system called MHCWeb. This effort involved building a conceptual model for the data, creating a controlled terminology for the legal values for different types of data, and then translating the original data into the new structure. The 0 WEB environment allows for flexible access to the data by both users and computer programs.

MDA-based re-engineering with Object-Z

This paper describes a practical application of MDA and reverse engineering based on a domain-specific modelling language. A well defined metamodel of a domain-specific language is useful for verification and validation of associated tools. We apply this approach to SIFA, a security analysis tool. SIFA has evolved as requirements have changed, and it has no metamodel. Hence, testing SIFA’s correctness is difficult. We introduce a formal metamodelling approach to develop a well-defined metamodel of the domain. Initially, we develop a domain model in EMF by reverse engineering the SIFA implementation. Then we transform EMF to Object-Z using model transformation. Finally, we complete the Object-Z model by specifying system behavior. The outcome is a well-defined metamodel that precisely describes the domain and the security properties that it analyses. It also provides a reliable basis for testing the current SIFA implementation and forward engineering its successor.

Does Independent Component Analysis Play a Role in Unmixing Hyperspectral Data?

Chapter in Book Proceedings with Peer Review First Iberian Conference, IbPRIA 2003, Puerto de Andratx, Mallorca, Spain, JUne 4-6, 2003. Proceedings

Design of an extensible metadata editor based on RDF

The content of a Learning Object is frequently characterized by metadata from several standards, such as LOM, SCORM and QTI. Specialized domains require new application profiles that further complicate the task of editing the metadata of learning object since their data models are not supported by existing authoring tools. To cope with this problem we designed a metadata editor supporting multiple metadata languages, each with its own data model. It is assumed that the supported languages have an XML binding and we use RDF to create a common metadata representation, independent from the syntax of each metadata languages. The combined data model supported by the editor is defined as an ontology. Thus, the process of extending the editor to support a new metadata language is twofold: firstly, the conversion from the XML binding of the metadata language to RDF and vice-versa; secondly, the extension of the ontology to cover the new metadata model. In this paper we describe the general architecture of the editor, we explain how a typical metadata language for learning objects is represented as an ontology, and how this formalization captures all the data required to generate the graphical user interface of the editor.