24 research outputs found
A Quality-Aware Approach to Web Services Procurement
Web services bring programmers a new way to develop advanced applications
able to integrate any group of services on the Internet into a single
solution. Web services procurement (WSP) is focussed on the acquisition of web
services, including some complex tasks such as the specification of demands, the
search for available offers, and the best choice selection. Although the technology
to support them already exists, there are only a few approaches wherein qualityof-
service in demands and offers is taken into account, in addition to functionality.
In this paper, we present some implementation issues on a quality-aware
approach to WSP, whose solution is mainly based on using mathematical constraints
to define quality-of-service in demands and offers.Ministerio de Ciencia y TecnologĂa TIC2000-1106-C02-01Ministerio de Ciencia y TecnologĂa FIT-150100-2001-78Junta de Comunidades de Castilla La Mancha PCB-02-00
Automating the Procurement of Web Services
As government agencies and business become more dependent on
web services, software solutions to automate their procurement gain importance.
Current approaches for automating the procurement of web services suffer from
an important drawback: neither uncertainty measures nor non-linear, and complex
relations among parameters can be used by providers to specify quality-ofservice
in offers. In this paper, we look deeply into the roots of this drawback
and present a proposal which overcomes it. The key point to achieve this improvement
has been using the constraint programming as a formal basis, since
it endows the model with a very powerful expressiveness. A XML-based implementation
is presented along with some experimental results and comparisons
with other approaches.ComisiĂłn Interministerial de Ciencia y TecnologĂa TIC 2000â1106âC02â01Ministerio de Ciencia y TecnologĂa TIC2003-02737-C02-01Ministerio de Ciencia y TecnologĂa FIT-150100-2001-7
Genome-wide identification and phylogenetic analysis of the ERF gene family in cucumbers
Members of the ERF transcription-factor family participate in a number of biological processes, viz., responses to hormones, adaptation to biotic and abiotic stress, metabolism regulation, beneficial symbiotic interactions, cell differentiation and developmental processes. So far, no tissue-expression profile of any cucumber ERF protein has been reported in detail. Recent completion of the cucumber full-genome sequence has come to facilitate, not only genome-wide analysis of ERF family members in cucumbers themselves, but also a comparative analysis with those in Arabidopsis and rice. In this study, 103 hypothetical ERF family genes in the cucumber genome were identified, phylogenetic analysis indicating their classification into 10 groups, designated I to X. Motif analysis further indicated that most of the conserved motifs outside the AP2/ERF domain, are selectively distributed among the specific clades in the phylogenetic tree. From chromosomal localization and genome distribution analysis, it appears that tandem-duplication may have contributed to CsERF gene expansion. Intron/exon structure analysis indicated that a few CsERFs still conserved the former intron-position patterns existent in the common ancestor of monocots and eudicots. Expression analysis revealed the widespread distribution of the cucumber ERF gene family within plant tissues, thereby implying the probability of their performing various roles therein. Furthermore, members of some groups presented mutually similar expression patterns that might be related to their phylogenetic groups
Photosynthesis-dependent HâOâ transfer from chloroplasts to nuclei provides a high-light signalling mechanism
Chloroplasts communicate information by signalling to nuclei during acclimation to fluctuating light. Several potential operating signals originating from chloroplasts have been proposed, but none have been shown to move to nuclei to modulate gene expression. One proposed signal is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) produced by chloroplasts in a light-dependent manner. Using HyPer2, a genetically encoded fluorescent H2O2 sensor, we show that in photosynthetic Nicotiana benthamiana epidermal cells, exposure to high light increases H2O2 production in chloroplast stroma, cytosol and nuclei. Critically, over-expression of stromal ascorbate peroxidase (H2O2 scavenger) or treatment with DCMU (photosynthesis inhibitor) attenuates nuclear H2O2 accumulation and high light-responsive gene expression. Cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase over-expression has little effect on nuclear H2O2 accumulation and high light-responsive gene expression. This is because the H2O2 derives from a sub-population of chloroplasts closely associated with nuclei. Therefore, direct H2O2 transfer from chloroplasts to nuclei, avoiding the cytosol, enables photosynthetic control over gene expression
Introducing grid-based, semi-autonomous evolutionary design systems
The paper describes the initial development of the data modelling and search, exploration and
optimisation processes (SEO) of a Grid-enabled problem solving environment (PSE). This
environment will enable a client to access coupled computational components sited at different
âcentres of expertiseâ. Each centre offers a data generation and analysis approach that aids a
better understanding of the design domain whilst providing a route to the identification of
appropriate high-performance design solutions. The intention is to support satisfactory, remote
problem definition that leads to the selection and application of appropriate design search,
exploration and optimisation techniques. This should occur seamlessly so that the client is
unaware that these processes are to be undertaken at different sites. The intention is that the
system will support clients with extensive knowledge of their design domain but little expertise in
state-of-the-art data modelling and SEO processes