Engineering simulations for cancer systems biology

Computer simulation can be used to inform in vivo and in vitro experimentation, enabling rapid, low-cost hypothesis generation and directing experimental design in order to test those hypotheses. In this way, in silico models become a scientific instrument for investigation, and so should be developed to high standards, be carefully calibrated and their findings presented in such that they may be reproduced. Here, we outline a framework that supports developing simulations as scientific instruments, and we select cancer systems biology as an exemplar domain, with a particular focus on cellular signalling models. We consider the challenges of lack of data, incomplete knowledge and modelling in the context of a rapidly changing knowledge base. Our framework comprises a process to clearly separate scientific and engineering concerns in model and simulation development, and an argumentation approach to documenting models for rigorous way of recording assumptions and knowledge gaps. We propose interactive, dynamic visualisation tools to enable the biological community to interact with cellular signalling models directly for experimental design. There is a mismatch in scale between these cellular models and tissue structures that are affected by tumours, and bridging this gap requires substantial computational resource. We present concurrent programming as a technology to link scales without losing important details through model simplification. We discuss the value of combining this technology, interactive visualisation, argumentation and model separation to support development of multi-scale models that represent biologically plausible cells arranged in biologically plausible structures that model cell behaviour, interactions and response to therapeutic interventions

Pattern languages in HCI: A critical review

This article presents a critical review of patterns and pattern languages in human-computer interaction (HCI). In recent years, patterns and pattern languages have received considerable attention in HCI for their potential as a means for developing and communicating information and knowledge to support good design. This review examines the background to patterns and pattern languages in HCI, and seeks to locate pattern languages in relation to other approaches to interaction design. The review explores four key issues: What is a pattern? What is a pattern language? How are patterns and pattern languages used? and How are values reflected in the pattern-based approach to design? Following on from the review, a future research agenda is proposed for patterns and pattern languages in HCI

Identificación y clasificación de patrones en el diseño de aplicaciones móviles

Durante los últimos años hemos sido testigos de un gran crecimiento tecnológico en materia de comunicaciones inalámbricas. Han surgido innumerables mejoras en las redes de comunicación, protocolos más eficientes, mayores anchos de banda, mayores áreas de cobertura, entre otras. Y por otra parte se han mejorado las prestaciones de los dispositivos móviles, los cuales cuentan ahora con baterías de mayor duración, displays de mayor resolución, mayor poder de cómputos y un número creciente de nuevas prestaciones. Esta revolución tecnológica ha facilitado el desarrollo de aplicaciones móviles más complejas que sus predecesoras, pero que a su vez deben poder evolucionar con mayor rapidez. En otras palabras las nuevas aplicaciones móviles deben adaptarse a los cambios tecnológicos, siendo flexibles y extensibles de forma que puedan cambiar su funcionalidad o extenderse para soportar una nueva. Actualmente el desarrollo de sistemas para escenarios móviles se ha difundido considerablemente. De aplicaciones casi experimentales, solo utilizadas en ambientes universitarios, se ha llegado a aplicaciones comerciales de uso a mayor escala, con una variedad que va desde las orientadas a empresas, pasando por las de uso personal y sin dejar de lado aquellas utilizadas simplemente para entretenimiento. El mercado ha cambiando, o visto de otra forma el usuario ha cambiado, sus necesidades son otras, su nivel de requerimientos es otro. Por citar un ejemplo, no hace mas de cinco años enviar mensajes SMS era cosa de unos pocos, hoy existen prestadoras de servicios celulares que permiten enviar mensajes a solo aquellos “contactos” que se encuentran dentro de las proximidades del usuario, y esto ya es visto como algo habitual, el usuario se acostumbra a este servicio y cada vez resulta mas difícil sorprenderlo con nuevas funcionalidades. Los diseñadores deberán agudizar su ingenio para lograr nuevas aplicaciones, situación que sin lugar a duda sucederá. En este escenario aparecen nuevas necesidades, cada vez más desafiantes y complejas que las anteriores, y que obligan a soluciones que deben ser puestas en servicio cada vez con mayor rapidez. Si bien no se puede negar que el dominio de las aplicaciones móviles, es un dominio completamente ligado a los avances tecnológicos, y hasta se podría afirmar que el mismo es de carácter sumamente restrictivo, al momento de diseñar una aplicación de este tipo existen otros puntos a tener en cuenta, más allá que las limitaciones tecnológicas. Por ejemplo diferentes grados de personalización de la aplicación por medio del usuario, según sus preferencias o su contexto actual, son requerimientos que pueden afectar el diseño de una aplicación móvil y que distan de tener una componente tecnológica que los afecte. En esta evolución surgen desafíos más que interesantes para la ingeniería de software. La importancia de analizar el diseño, antes comenzar a escribir una sola línea de código, para aplicaciones que debe evolucionar rápidamente, es sin lugar a dudas un punto que no puede ser menospreciado. El modelado de una arquitectura a nivel conceptual permite al diseñador decidir cuestiones que tendrán influencia a lo largo de todo el ciclo de vida de la aplicación. En la literatura, se encuentran varios trabajos relacionados con el desarrollo de aplicaciones para escenarios móviles [Bur03], [CD03], [Chu04], [KCL03], [LB03], [Rot01], [RR04], y dentro de los mismos existen varias corrientes que propician la utilización de patrones. Argumentan el éxito obtenido en otros dominios para replicar la idea al dominio de aplicaciones móviles. En algunos de ellos se presentan jerarquías de patrones, en otros se los agrupa según clases y los mas avezados, presentan al estilo de la tabla periódica, una matriz donde se predice cual seria el patrón ha ser descubierto para cada fila/columna. De todas maneras, es claro que el uso de patrones como herramienta para capturar conocimiento o experiencia de los diseñadores mas experimentados ha sido uno de los grandes logros de la ingeniería de software y por lo tanto es natural tratar de replicar este concepto en el dominio de las aplicaciones móviles.Facultad de Informátic

An evaluation framework and selection tool for education apps usability, with a case study from health education apps

Mobile apps for health education are commonly utilised to support different users. The development of these apps is increasing rapidly. A critical evaluation framework is needed to ensure the usability and reliability of Mobile Health Education Applications (MHEAs) to save time and effort for stakeholders. This project aims to assist the evaluation of MHEAs through development of an evaluation framework, which includes suitable metrics, an efficient hybrid utilizing Heuristic Evaluation (HE) and Usability Evaluation (UE). This framework determines the usefulness and usability of MHEAs, in order to improve the software engineering to create more effective ways to evaluate such software. In this framework, the Medical Apps Selection Tool (MAST) has been developed in which performance helps to select suitable MHEAs, assisting stakeholders to choose MHEAs that meet their requirements.The thesis employs two methods to make the evaluation framework capable of performing qualitative and quantitative data analysis. The first is a qualitative method, involving interviews based on proposed selected hybrid metrics from HE and UE, with three kinds of stakeholders: Patients, Health Professionals and Software Developers, to identify specific relevant selected hybrid metrics to measure usability in MHEAs. These metrics are deployed to measure usability in different MHEAs based on ranking these apps within the evaluation framework. These metrics were converted into an evaluation questionnaire, which has been applied to several MHEAs. The second method is the translation of the outcomes form the first method to measure the usability of MHEAs and determine what stakeholders require from using MHEAs. For this purpose, it categorises stakeholders with different needs from MHEAs; this reflected in the MAST, based on matching different stakeholders with different MHEAs.The findings of the study indicate that the evaluation framework is able to evaluate MHEAs and record usability problems. Furthermore, this evaluation framework leads to selection of the most appropriate apps by developing the MAST for stakeholders. The framework is expected to be applicable to other domains and platforms

A model for capturing the software architecture design process of mobile systems

Numerous efforts have addressed the problem of defining the fundamental architectural building blocks and methods for modelling software architectures in dynamic mobile environments. However, there is a lack of tools for documentingthe evolution of the products generated during the design of software architectures for mobile systems. Based on a generic versioning administration scheme, a model to capture and manage the products of a software architecture design process is proposed placing the focus on mobility concerns. This model follows an operational approach, where design decisions are represented as architectural operations that are captured when they are applied during a design project. The capture of this information enables the tracing of such a design process and its resulting products.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Adoção de padrões de projeto em uma aplicação móvel de edição de imagens

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Departamento de Ciência da Computação, 2016.Com a crescente expansão do mercado de aplicações para dispositivos móveis vieram os desafios de desenvolvimento dos mesmos. Um desses desafios é manter o aplicativo simples e claro. Na área de Engenharia de Software mais especificamente Arquitetura de Software existem os padrões de projeto. Na tentativa de contribuir para a solução do desafio serão adotados padrões de projeto voltados para aplicações móveis. Utilizando como estudo de caso um aplicativo de edição de imagem para o sistema operacional Android e análise, a partir das normas ISO 9126, ISO 9241 e ISO 25062 para atributos de qualidade,procuramos comprovar que o uso desses padrões auxiliam na usabilidade e, consequentemente, ajudam o aplicativo a se manter simples e claro.Após fazer uma análise do aplicativo por meio de vídeos e um questionário, foram verificados os tempos que cada participante levou na realização de algumas tarefas predeterminadas, taxa de erro, taxa de completude e taxa de assistência. A partir dessa análise, confirmou-se que os padrões de projeto para aplicações móveis ajudam a manter o aplicativo simples e claro.With the increasing expansion of the market for mobile applications came the challenges of developing them. One of these challenges is keeping the application simple and clear. In the area of Software Engineering more specifically Software Architecture there are design patterns. In an attempt to contribute to the solution of the challenge design patterns for mobile applications will be adopted . Using as a case study an image editing application for the Android operating system and analysis based on the ISO 9126, ISSO 9241 and ISO 25062 standards for quality attributes, we have tried to prove that the use of these standards helps usability and therefore helps the application to stay simple and clear. After analyzing the application through videos and a form, participants’ time, error rate, completeness rate and attendance rate were checked. From this analysis, it has been confirmed that design patterns for mobile applications help keep the application simple and clear

A model for adaptive multimodal mobile notification

Information is useless unless it is used whilst still applicable. Having a system that notifies the user of important messages using the most appropriate medium and device will benefit users that rely on time critical information. There are several existing systems and models for mobile notification as well as for adaptive mobile notification using context awareness. Current models and systems are typically designed for a specific set of mobile devices, modes and services. Communication however, can take place in many different modes, across many different devices and may originate from many different sources. The aim of this research was to develop a model for adaptive mobile notification using context awareness. An extensive literature study was performed into existing models for adaptive mobile notification systems using context awareness. The literature study identified several potential models but no way to evaluate and compare the models. A set of requirements to evaluate these models was developed and the models were evaluated against these criteria. The model satisfying the most requirements was adapted so as to satisfy the remaining criteria. The proposed model is extensible in terms of the modes, devices and notification sources supported. The proposed model determines the importance of a message, the appropriate device and mode (or modes) of communication based on the user‘s context, and alerts the user of the message using these modes. A prototype was developed as a proof-of-concept of the proposed model and evaluated by conducting an extensive field study. The field study highlighted the fact that most users did not choose the most suitable mode for the context during their initial subscription to the service. The field study also showed that more research needs to be done on an appropriate filtering mechanism for notifications. Users found that the notifications became intrusive and less useful the longer they used them