A tool for a formal pattern modeling language

This paper presents a formal but practical approach for defining and using design patterns. Initially we formalize the concepts commonly used in defining design patterns using Object-Z. We also formalize consistency constraints that must be satisfied when a pattern is deployed in a design model. Then we implement the pattern modeling language and its consistency constraints using an existing modeling framework, EMF, and incorporate the implementation as plug-ins to the Eclipse modeling environment. While the language is defined formally in terms of Object-Z definitions, the language is implemented in a practical environment. Using the plug-ins, users can develop precise pattern descriptions without knowing the underlying formalism, and can use the tool to check the validity of the pattern descriptions and pattern usage in design models. In this work, formalism brings precision to the pattern language definition and its implementation brings practicability to our pattern-based modeling approach.

A patttern based model evolution approach

In this paper, we present a framework for pattern-based model evolution approaches in the MDA context. In the framework, users define patterns using a pattern modeling language that is designed to describe software design patterns, and they can use the patterns as rules to evolve their model. In the framework, design model evolution takes place via two steps. The first step is a binding process of selecting a pattern and defining where and how to apply the pattern in the model. The second step is an automatic model transformation that actually evolves the model according to the binding information and the pattern rule. The pattern modeling language is defined in terms of a MOF-based role metamodel, and implemented using an existing modeling framework, EMF, and incorporated as a plugin to the Eclipse modeling environment. The model evolution process is also implemented as an Eclipse plugin. With these two plugins, we provide an integrated framework where defining and validating patterns, and model evolution based on patterns can take place in a single modeling environment.

Alpha tocopherol supplementation elevates plasma apolipoprotein A1 isoforms in normal healthy subjects

Plasma α-tocopherol (AT) concentrations are inversely related to cardiovascular (CV) risk; however, intervention studies with AT have failed to show any consistent benefit against CV disease (CVD). Proteomics offers the opportunity to examine novel effects of AT supplementation on protein expression and therefore improve our understanding of the physiological roles of AT. Thus, to investigate the effects of AT supplementation on the plasma proteome of healthy subjects we have undertaken a double-blind, randomised, parallel design supplementation study in which healthy subjects (n = 32; 11 male and 21 female) consumed AT supplements (134 or 268 mg/day) or placebo capsules for up to 28 days. Plasma samples were obtained before supplementation and after 14 and 28 days of supplementation for analysis of changes in the plasma proteome using 2-DE and MALDI-MS. Using semiquantitative proteomics, we observed that proapolipoprotein A1 (identified by MS and Western blotting) was altered at least two-fold. Using quantitative ELISA techniques, we confirmed a significant increase in plasma apolipoprotein A1 concentration following supplementation with AT which was both time and dose dependent (p < 0.01 after 28 days supplementation with 268 mg AT/day). These data demonstrate the time and dose sensitivity of the plasma proteome to AT supplementation. © 2006 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Meta level component-based framework for distributed computing applications

Adaptability for distributed object-oriented enterprise frameworks is a critical mission for system evolution. Today, building adaptive services is a complex task due to lack of adequate framework support in the distributed computing environment. In this thesis, we propose a Meta Level Component-Based Framework (MELC) which uses distributed computing design patterns as components to develop an adaptable pattern-oriented framework for distributed computing applications. We describe our novel approach of combining a meta architecture with a pattern-oriented framework, resulting in an adaptable framework which provides a mechanism to facilitate system evolution. The critical nature of distributed technologies requires frameworks to be adaptable. Our framework employs a meta architecture. It supports dynamic adaptation of feasible design decisions in the framework design space by specifying and coordinating meta-objects that represent various aspects within the distributed environment. The meta architecture in MELC framework can provide the adaptability for system evolution. This approach resolves the problem of dynamic adaptation in the framework, which is encountered in most distributed applications. The concept of using a meta architecture to produce an adaptable pattern-oriented framework for distributed computing applications is new and has not previously been explored in research. As the framework is adaptable, the proposed architecture of the pattern-oriented framework has the abilities to dynamically adapt new design patterns to address technical system issues in the domain of distributed computing and they can be woven together to shape the framework in future. We show how MELC can be used effectively to enable dynamic component integration and to separate system functionality from business functionality. We demonstrate how MELC provides an adaptable and dynamic run time environment using our system configuration and management utility. We also highlight how MELC will impose significant adaptability in system evolution through a prototype E-Bookshop application to assemble its business functions with distributed computing components at the meta level in MELC architecture. Our performance tests show that MELC does not entail prohibitive performance tradeoffs. The work to develop the MELC framework for distributed computing applications has emerged as a promising way to meet current and future challenges in the distributed environment.

Architecture of Extensible Computations Driven Systems

Никола Вълчанов, Тодорка Терзиева, Владимир Шкуртов, Антон Илиев - Една от основните области на приложения на компютърната информатика е автоматизирането на математическите изчисления. Информационните системи покриват различни области като счетоводство, електронно обучение/тестване, симулационни среди и т. н. Те работят с изчислителни библиотеки, които са специфични за обхвата на системата. Въпреки, че такива системи са перфектни и работят безпогрешно, ако не се поддържат остаряват. В тази работа описваме механизъм, който използва динамично библиотеките за изчисления и взема решение по време на изпълнение (интелигентно или интерактивно) за това как и кога те да се използват. Целта на тази статия е представяне на архитектура за системи, управлявани от изчисления. Тя се фокусира върху ползите от използването на правилните шаблони за дизайн с цел да се осигури разширяемост и намаляване на сложността.

Meta level component-based framework for distributed computing systems

Adaptability for distributed object-oriented enterprise frameworks in multimedia technology is a critical mission for system evolution. Today, building adaptive services is a complex task due to lack of adequate framework support in the distributed computing systems. In this paper, we propose a Metalevel Component-Based Framework which uses distributed computing design patterns as components to develop an adaptable pattern-oriented framework for distributed computing applications. We describe our approach of combining a meta-architecture with a pattern-oriented framework, resulting in an adaptable framework which provides a mechanism to facilitate system evolution. This approach resolves the problem of dynamic adaptation in the framework, which is encountered in most distributed multimedia applications. The proposed architecture of the pattern-oriented framework has the abilities to dynamically adapt new design patterns to address issues in the domain of distributed computing and they can be woven together to shape the framework in future. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Asynchronous distributed parallelization of mobile network optimization algorithms

It has been years since the introduction of the Dynamic Network Optimization (DNO) concept, yet the DNO development is still at its infant stage, largely due to a lack of breakthrough in minimizing the lengthy optimization runtime. Our previous work, a distributed parallel solution, has achieved a significant speed gain. To cater for the increased optimization complexity pressed by the uptake of smartphones and tablets, however, this paper examines the potential areas for further improvement and presents a novel asynchronous distributed parallel design that minimizes the inter-process communications. The new approach is implemented and applied to real-life projects whose results demonstrate an augmented acceleration of 7.5 times on a 16-core distributed system compared to 6.1 of our previous solution. Moreover, there is no degradation in the optimization outcome. This is a solid sprint towards the realization of DNO.

El surgimiento de HTML5; un nuevo paradigma en los estándares Web

Gracias al crecimiento, expansión y popularización de la World Wide Web, su desarrollo tecnológico tiene una creciente importancia en la sociedad. La simbiosis que protagonizan estos dos entornos ha propiciado una mayor influencia social en las innovaciones de la plataforma y un enfoque mucho más práctico. Nuestro objetivo en este artículo es describir, caracterizar y analizar el surgimiento y difusión del nuevo estándar de hipertexto que rige la Web; HTML5. Al mismo tiempo exploramos este proceso a la luz de varias teorías que aúnan tecnología y sociedad. Dedicamos especial atención a los usuarios de la World Wide Web y al uso genérico que realizan de los Medios Sociales o "Social Media". Sugerimos que el desarrollo de los estándares web está influenciado por el uso cotidiano de este nuevo tipo de tecnologías y aplicaciones. 

Research in practice: Bringing behavioural change from lab to studio

Design influences behaviour, whether it's planned or not. Service Design has a great opportunity to lead the emerging field of design for behavioural change, helping guide and shape experiences to benefit users, service providers and wider society. In this article, presented as an evolving conversation between research and practice, Nick Marsh (EMC Consulting) and Dan Lockton (Brunel University) discuss and explore design patterns for influencing behaviour through Service Design, and how Service Designers and academics can work together for social benefit.

Relating Innovative 2D Ideas into 3D Garments in Terms of Structure, Using ‘Sculptural Form Giving’ as an Intermediate Step in Creation.

This research focuses on finding a fashion design methodology to reliably translate innovative two-dimensional ideas on paper, via a structural design sculpture, into an intermediate model. The author, both as a fashion designer and a researcher, has witnessed the issues which arise, regarding the loss of some of the initial ideas and distortion during the two-dimensional creative sketch to three-dimensional garment transfer process. Therefore, this research is concerned with fashion designers engaged in transferring a two-dimensional sketch through the method ‘sculptural form giving’. This research method applies the ideal model of conceptual sculpture, in the fashion design process, akin to those used in the disciplines of architecture. These parallel design disciplines share similar processes for realizing design ideas. Moreover, this research investigates and formalizes the processes that utilize the measurable space between the garment and the body, to help transfer garment variation and scale. In summation, this research proposition focuses on helping fashion designers to produce a creative method that helps the designer transfer their imaginative concept through intermediate modeling.

FRAMEWORK SYNTHESIS FOR SYMBOLIC EXECUTION OF EVENT-DRIVEN FRAMEWORKS

Symbolic execution is a powerful program analysis technique, but it is very challenging to apply to programs built using event-driven frameworks, such as Android. The main reason is that the framework code itself is too complex to symbolically execute. The standard solution is to manually create a framework model that is simpler and more amenable to symbolic execution. However, developing and maintaining such a model by hand is difficult and error-prone. We claim that we can leverage program synthesis to introduce a high-degree of automation to the process of framework modeling. To support this thesis, we present three pieces of work. First, we introduced SymDroid, a symbolic executor for Android. While Android apps are written in Java, they are compiled to Dalvik bytecode format. Instead of analyzing an app’s Java source, which may not be available, or decompiling from Dalvik back to Java, which requires significant engineering effort and introduces yet another source of potential bugs in an analysis, SymDroid works directly on Dalvik bytecode. Second, we introduced Pasket, a new system that takes a first step toward automatically generating Java framework models to support symbolic execution. Pasket takes as input the framework API and tutorial programs that exercise the framework. From these artifacts and Pasket's internal knowledge of design patterns, Pasket synthesizes an executable framework model by instantiating design patterns, such that the behavior of a synthesized model on the tutorial programs matches that of the original framework. Lastly, in order to scale program synthesis to framework models, we devised adaptive concretization, a novel program synthesis algorithm that combines the best of the two major synthesis strategies: symbolic search, i.e., using SAT or SMT solvers, and explicit search, e.g., stochastic enumeration of possible solutions. Adaptive concretization parallelizes multiple sub-synthesis problems by partially concretizing highly influential unknowns in the original synthesis problem. Thanks to adaptive concretization, Pasket can generate a large-scale model, e.g., thousands lines of code. In addition, we have used an Android model synthesized by Pasket and found that the model is sufficient to allow SymDroid to execute a range of apps.

Génération de patrons de conception et restructuration de code vers un patron de conception pour Java

(POO) est l’utilisation de patrons de conception (PC). Un PC est un arrangement caractéristique de classes permettant d’offrir une solution éprouvée, tout en obtenant un code réutilisable et compréhensible. Plusieurs PC sont définis, dont 24 par la GoF [12] et plusieurs autres sont apparus par la suite. Le concept de PC est abstrait ce qui peut amener différentes interprétations. Ces différences peuvent aussi causer une mauvaise implémentation qui peut réduire les avantages d’utiliser ce patron. Ce projet consiste à concevoir un outil facilitant l’utilisation des PC. L’outil Génération et Restructuration de Patrons de Conception(GRPC) permet la génération automatique du squelette d’un patron de conception ainsi que la restructuration d’un code en le transformant structure respectant un PC. La génération et la restructuration automatique permettent d’obtenir un code uniforme et de qualité tout en respectant le patron de conception. La compréhension et la maintenance du code sont ainsi améliorées. GRPC est module d’extension pour l’environnement de développement Eclipse écrit en Java. Le code est conçu pour être facilement compréhensible et extensible. Les deux principaux objectifs de GRPC sont de restructurer (refactoring) une section de code vers l’architecture d’un patron de conception et de générer des squelettes de patrons de conception. Une interface graphique permet de guider l’utilisateur et d’aller chercher toutes les informations importantes pour le fonctionnement du logiciel. Elle permet aussi de configurer les éléments du patron de conception. Pour s’assurer de la possibilité d’effectuer une restructuration, chaque patron est associé avec une ou plusieurs règles qui analysent le code pour détecter la présence d’une structure particulière. Des procédures aident les développeurs à ajouter de nouveaux PC dans GRPC. GRPC fournit des fonctionnalités permettant d’implémenter quelques patrons de conception de la POO définis dans le livre Design Patterns : Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software.

Cognitive versus exposure therapy for problem gambling: randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Problem gambling-specific cognitive therapy (CT) and behavioural (exposure-based) therapy (ET) are two core cognitive-behavioural techniques to treating the disorder, but no studies have directly compared them using a randomised trial. AIMS: To evaluate differential efficacy of CT and ET for adult problem gamblers at a South Australian gambling therapy service. METHODS: Two-group randomised, parallel design. Primary outcome was rated by participants using the Victorian Gambling Screen (VGS) at baseline, treatment-end, 1, 3, and 6 month follow-up. FINDINGS: Of eighty-seven participants who were randomised and started intervention (CT = 44; ET = 43), 51 (59%) completed intervention (CT = 30; ET = 21). Both groups experienced comparable reductions (improvement) in VGS scores at 12 weeks (mean difference -0.18, 95% CI: -4.48-4.11) and 6 month follow-up (mean difference 1.47, 95% CI: -4.46-7.39). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive and exposure therapies are both viable and effective treatments for problem gambling. Large-scale trials are needed to compare them individually and combined to enhance retention rates and reduce drop-out.

Code pattern analysis of object-oriented programming languages

Code patterns, including programming patterns and design patterns, are good references for programming language feature improvement and software re-engineering. However, to our knowledge, no existing research has attempted to detect code patterns based on code clone detection technology. In this study, we build upon the previous work and propose to detect and analyze code patterns from a collection of open source projects using NiPAT technology. Because design patterns are most closely associated with object-oriented languages, we choose Java and Python projects to conduct our study. The tool we use for detecting patterns is NiPAT, a pattern detecting tool originally developed for the TXL programming language based on the NiCad clone detector. We extend NiPAT for the Java and Python programming languages. Then, we try to identify all the patterns from the pattern report and classify them into several different categories. In the end of the study, we analyze all the patterns and compare the differences between Java and Python patterns.

Identificación de las relaciones reales y posibles entre la administración basada en modelos, la ciencia computacional de la organización y la ingeniería emergente en el contexto de la gestión organizacional

Las teorías administrativas se han basado, casi sin excepción, en los fundamentos y los modelos de la ciencia clásica (particularmente, en los modelos de la física newtoniana). Sin embargo, las organizaciones actualmente se enfrentan a un mundo globalizado, plagado de información (y no necesariamente conocimiento), hiperconectado, dinámico y cargado de incertidumbre, por lo que muchas de las teorías pueden mostrar limitaciones para las organizaciones. Y quizá no por la estructura, la lógica o el alcance de las mismas, sino por la falta de criterios que justifiquen su aplicación. En muchos casos, las organizaciones siguen utilizando la intuición, las suposiciones y las verdades a medias en la toma de decisiones. Este panorama pone de manifiesto dos hechos: de un lado, la necesidad de buscar un método que permita comprender las situaciones de cada organización para apoyar la toma de decisiones. De otro lado, la necesidad de potenciar la intuición con modelos y técnicas no tradicionales (usualmente provenientes o inspiradas por la ingeniería). Este trabajo busca anticipar los pilares de un posible método que permita apoyar la toma de decisiones por medio de la simulación de modelos computacionales, utilizando las posibles interacciones entre: la administración basada en modelos, la ciencia computacional de la organización y la ingeniería emergente.