The realisation of JSD specifications in object oriented languages

Jackson System Development (JSD) is an operational software development method which addresses most of the software lifecycle either directly or by providing a framework into which more specialised techniques can fit. The method has two major phases: first an abstract specification is derived that is in principle executable; second the specification is implemented using a variety of transformations. The object oriented paradigm is based on data abstraction and encapsulation coupled to an inheritance architecture that is able to support software reuse. Its claims of improved programmer productivity and easier program maintenance make it an important technology to be considered for building complex software systems. The mapping of JSD specifications into procedural languages typified by Cobol, Ada, etc., involves techniques such as inversion and state vector separation to produce executable systems of acceptable performance. However, at present, no strategy exists to map JSD specifications into object oriented languages. The aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between JSD and the object oriented paradigm, and to identify and implement transformations capable of mapping JSD specifications into an object oriented language typified by Smalltalk-80. The direction which the transformational strategy follows is one whereby the concurrency of a specification is removed. Two approaches implementing inversion - an architectural transformation resulting in a simulated coroutine mechanism being generated - are described in detail. The first approach directly realises inversions by manipulating Smalltalk-80 system contexts. This is possible in Smalltalk-80 because contexts are first class objects and are accessible to the user like any other system object. However, problems associated with this approach are expounded. The second approach realises coroutine-like behaviour in a structure called a `followmap'. A followmap is the results of a transformation on a JSD process in which a collection of followsets is generated. Each followset represents all possible state transitions a process can undergo from the current state of the process. Followsets, together with exploitation of the class/instance mechanism for implementing state vector separation, form the basis for mapping JSD specifications into Smalltalk-80. A tool, which is also built in Smalltalk-80, supports these derived transformations and enables a user to generate Smalltalk-80 prototypes of JSD specifications.

A novel entropy measure for analysis of the electrocardiogram

There has been much recent research into extracting useful diagnostic features from the electrocardiogram with numerous studies claiming impressive results. However, the robustness and consistency of the methods employed in these studies is rarely, if ever, mentioned. Hence, we propose two new methods; a biologically motivated time series derived from consecutive P-wave durations, and a mathematically motivated regularity measure. We investigate the robustness of these two methods when compared with current corresponding methods. We find that the new time series performs admirably as a compliment to the current method and the new regularity measure consistently outperforms the current measure in numerous tests on real and synthetic data.

A deficit in encoding the order of visual sequences in developmental dyslexia: a non -phonological deficit

The present thesis tested the hypothesis of Stanovich, Siegel, & Gottardo (1997) that surface dyslexia is the result of a milder phonological deficit than that seen in phonological dyslexia coupled with reduced reading experience. We found that a group of adults with surface dyslexia showed a phonological deficit that was commensurate with that shown by a group of adults with phonological dyslexia (matched for chronological age and verbal and non-verbal IQ) and normal reading experience. We also showed that surface dyslexia cannot be accounted for by a semantic impairment or a deficit in the verbal learning and recall of lexical-semantic information (such as meaningful words), as both dyslexic subgroups performed the same. This study has replicated the results of our published study that surface dyslexia is not the consequence of a mild retardation or reduced learning opportunities but a separate impairment linked to a deficit in written lexical learning, an ability needed to create novel lexical representations from a series of unrelated visual units, which is independent from the phonological deficit (Romani, Di Betta, Tsouknida & Olson, 2008). This thesis also provided evidence that a selective nonword reading deficit in developmental dyslexia persists beyond poor phonology. This was shown by finding a nonword reading deficit even in the presence of normal regularity effects in the dyslexics (when compared to both reading and spelling-age matched controls). A nonword reading deficit was also found in the surface dyslexics. Crucially, this deficit was as strong as in the phonological dyslexics despite better functioning of the sublexical route for the former. These results suggest that a nonword reading deficit cannot be solely explained by a phonological impairment. We, thus, suggested that nonword reading should also involve another ability relating to the processing of novel visual orthographic strings, which we called 'orthographic coding'. We then investigated the ability to process series of independent units within multi-element visual arrays and its relationship with reading and spelling problems. We identified a deficit in encoding the order of visual sequences (involving both linguistic and nonlinguistic information) which was significantly associated with word and nonword processing. More importantly, we revealed significant contributions to orthographic skills in both dyslexic and control individuals, even after age, performance IQ and phonological skills were controlled. These results suggest that spelling and reading do not only tap phonological skills but also order encoding skills.

An integrated view of data quality in earth observation

Data quality is a difficult notion to define precisely, and different communities have different views and understandings of the subject. This causes confusion, a lack of harmonization of data across communities and omission of vital quality information. For some existing data infrastructures, data quality standards cannot address the problem adequately and cannot full all user needs or cover all concepts of data quality. In this paper we discuss some philosophical issues on data quality. We identify actual user needs on data quality, review existing standards and specification on data quality, and propose an integrated model for data quality in the eld of Earth observation. We also propose a practical mechanism for applying the integrated quality information model to large number of datasets through metadata inheritance. While our data quality management approach is in the domain of Earth observation, we believe the ideas and methodologies for data quality management can be applied to wider domains and disciplines to facilitate quality-enabled scientific research.

About Ontology Application to the Description of Syllabus

Publication describes the experience in application of ontology technique to structuring of educational materials. Several topics of physics were formalized by means of Protégé software tool. Some principal problems in building of knowledge structure were found, so the discussion may interest not only ontology users, but also the developers of ontology tools.

Computing and Visualizing Solution Sets of Interval Linear Systems

The paper has been presented at the 12th International Conference on Applications of Computer Algebra, Varna, Bulgaria, June, 2006

Sufficient Conditions of Optimality for Control Pproblem Governed by Variational Inequalities

* This work was completed while the author was visiting the University of Limoges. Support from the laboratoire “Analyse non-linéaire et Optimisation” is gratefully acknowledged.

Access Rights Inheritance in Information Systems Controlled by Metadata

All information systems have to be protected. As the number of information objects and the number of users increase the task of information system’s protection becomes more difficult. One of the most difficult problems is access rights assignment. This paper describes the graph model of access rights inheritance. This model takes into account relations and dependences between different objects and between different users. The model can be implemented in the information systems controlled by the metadata, describing information objects and connections between them, such as the systems based on CASE-technology METAS.

Applications of Nonclassical Logic Methods for Purposes of Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining

* The work is partially supported by Grant no. NIP917 of the Ministry of Science and Education – Republic of Bulgaria.

Review and Outlooks of the Means for Visualization of Syntax Semantics and Source Code. Procedural and Object Oriented Paradigm – Differences

In the article, we have reviewed the means for visualization of syntax, semantics and source code for programming languages which support procedural and/or object-oriented paradigm. It is examined how the structure of the source code of the structural and object-oriented programming styles has influenced different approaches for their teaching. We maintain a thesis valid for the object-oriented programming paradigm, which claims that the activities for design and programming of classes are done by the same specialist, and the training of this specialist should include design as well as programming skills and knowledge for modeling of abstract data structures. We put the question how a high level of abstraction in the object-oriented paradigm should be presented in simple model in the design stage, so the complexity in the programming stage stay low and be easily learnable. We give answer to this question, by building models using the UML notation, as we take a concrete example from the teaching practice including programming techniques for inheritance and polymorphism.

Well-Posedness of Diffusion-Wave Problem with Arbitrary Finite Number of Time Fractional Derivatives in Sobolev Spaces H^s

Mathematics Subject Classification 2010: 26A33, 33E12, 35S10, 45K05.

On a 3D-Hypersingular Equation of a Problem for a Crack

MSC 2010: 45DB05, 45E05, 78A45

Applications of the Fréchet subdifferential

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 46A30, 54C60, 90C26.

A sphere of resonance for networked learning in the ‘non-places’ of our universities

The logic of ‘time’ in modern capitalist society appears to be a fixed concept. Time dictates human activity with a regularity, which as long ago as 1944, George Woodcock referred to as The Tyranny of the Clock. Seventy years on, Hartmut Rosa suggests humans no longer maintain speed to achieve something new, but simply to preserve the status quo, in a ‘social acceleration’ that is lethal to democracy. Political engagement takes time we no longer have, as we rush between our virtual spaces and ‘non-places’ of higher education. I suggest it’s time to confront the conspirators that, in partnership with the clock, accelerate our social engagements with technology in the context of learning. Through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) I reveal an alarming situation if we don’t. With reference to Bauman’s Liquid Modernity, I observe a ‘lightness’ in policy texts where humans have been ‘liquified’ Separating people from their own labour with technology in policy maintains the flow of speed a neoliberal economy demands. I suggest a new ‘solidity’ of human presence is required as we write about networked learning. ‘Writing ourselves back in’ requires a commitment to ‘be there’ in policy and provide arguments that decelerate the tyranny of time. I am though ever-mindful that social acceleration is also of our own making, and there is every possibility that we actually enjoy it.

Weak Convergence to the Tangent Process of the Linear Multifractional Stable Motion

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 60G18, 60E07