Engineering Adaptive Model-Driven User Interfaces for Enterprise Applications

Enterprise applications such as enterprise resource planning systems have numerous complex user interfaces (UIs). Usability problems plague these UIs because they are offered as a generic off-the-shelf solution to end-users with diverse needs in terms of their required features and layout preferences. Adaptive UIs can help in improving usability by tailoring the features and layout based on the context-of-use. The model-driven UI development approach offers the possibility of applying different types of adaptations on the various UI levels of abstraction. This approach forms the basis for many works researching the development of adaptive UIs. Yet, several gaps were identified in the state-of-the-art adaptive model-driven UI development systems. To fill these gaps, this thesis presents an approach that offers the following novel contributions: - The Cedar Architecture serves as a reference for developing adaptive model-driven enterprise application user interfaces. - Role-Based User Interface Simplification (RBUIS) is a mechanism for improving usability through adaptive behavior, by providing end-users with a minimal feature-set and an optimal layout based on the context-of-use. - Cedar Studio is an integrated development environment, which provides tool support for building adaptive model-driven enterprise application UIs using RBUIS based on the Cedar Architecture. The contributions were evaluated from the technical and human perspectives. Several metrics were established and applied to measure the technical characteristics of the proposed approach after integrating it into an open-source enterprise application. Additional insights about the approach were obtained through the opinions of industry experts and data from real-life projects. Usability studies showed the approach’s ability to significantly improve usability in terms of end-user efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction

Using interpreted runtime models for devising adaptive user interfaces of enterprise applications

Although proposed to accommodate new technologies and the continuous evolution of business processes and business rules, current model-driven approaches do not meet the flexibility and dynamic needs of feature-rich enterprise applications. This paper illustrates the use of interpreted runtime models instead of static models or generative runtime models, i.e. those that depend on code generation. The benefit of interpreting runtime models is illustrated in two enterprise user interface (UI) scenarios requiring adaptive capabilities. Concerned with devising a tool-supported methodology to accommodate such advanced adaptive user interface scenarios, we propose an adaptive UI architecture and the meta-model for such UIs. We called our architecture Custom Enterprise Development Adaptive Architecture (CEDAR). The applicability and performance of the proposed approach are evaluated by a case study

Integrating adaptive user interface capabilities in enterprise applications

Many existing enterprise applications are at a mature stage in their development and are unable to easily benefit from the usability gains offered by adaptive user interfaces (UIs). Therefore, a method is needed for integrating adaptive UI capabilities into these systems without incurring a high cost or significantly disrupting the way they function. This paper presents a method for integrating adaptive UI behavior in enterprise applications based on CEDAR, a model-driven, service-oriented, and tool-supported architecture for devising adaptive enterprise application UIs. The proposed integration method is evaluated with a case study, which includes establishing and applying technical metrics to measure several of the method’s properties using the open-source enterprise application OFBiz as a test-case. The generality and flexibility of the integration method are also evaluated based on an interview and discussions with practitioners about their real-life projects

Engineering Adaptive Model-Driven User Interfaces

Software applications that are very large-scale, can encompass hundreds of complex user interfaces (UIs). Such applications are commonly sold as feature-bloated off-the-shelf products to be used by people with variable needs in the required features and layout preferences. Although many UI adaptation approaches were proposed, several gaps and limitations including: extensibility and integration in legacy systems, still need to be addressed in the state-of-the-art adaptive UI development systems. This paper presents Role-Based UI Simplification (RBUIS) as a mechanism for increasing usability through adaptive behaviour by providing end-users with a minimal feature-set and an optimal layout, based on the context-of- use. RBUIS uses an interpreted runtime model-driven approach based on the Cedar Architecture, and is supported by the integrated development environment (IDE), Cedar Studio. RBUIS was evaluated by integrating it into OFBiz, an open-source ERP system. The integration method was assessed and measured by establishing and applying technical metrics. Afterwards, a usability study was carried out to evaluate whether UIs simplified with RBUIS show an improvement over their initial counterparts. This study leveraged questionnaires, checking task completion times and output quality, and eye-tracking. The results showed that UIs simplified with RBUIS significantly improve end-user efficiency, effectiveness, and perceived usability

Two minimal incision fasciotomy for chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the lower leg

Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) of the leg is a pathological condition often related to overuse in subject who engage repetitive physical activities. Fascial release is the mainstay of surgical management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results obtained with a double incision decompressive fasciotomy. Eighteen consecutive athletes with a diagnosis of anterior and/or lateral CECS of the leg were operated on with a minimal double incision fascial release after a mean period of 4months after onset of symptoms. In 11 cases (61%) CECS was bilateral. Surgery was performed without tourniquet and active mobilization was starting immediately. Sports activities were resumed gradually at a mean period of 25days. The athletes were followed until 2years. All resumed pre-injury level sports activity. Two patients (18%) of the 11 who underwent to bilateral fasciotomy referred a sensation of leg weakness for an average period of 3months. The surgical technique presented in this paper seems to be a good mean to treat anterior and lateral leg CECS. The use of tourniquet is deconselled to obtain an accurate intraoperative haemostasis so reducing the risk of post-operative haematom

Pre-feasibility study for PV electrfication of off-grid rural communities

A pre-feasibility study has been undertaken for the electrification of the rural off-grid village of Hurhudedanda, Nepal. PV solar was deemed most suitable after an assessment of local wind, micro-hydro, solar and biogas potential. To determine the most cost-effective PV configuration, different scenarios were simulated using RETscreenTM. Decentralized Solar Home Systems (SHS) resulted in lower life cycle costs than centralized PV generation (1.25 $/kWh and 1.46$/kWh respectively) and might be the best alternative for a first stage of electrification. A final study has been undertaken to assess the proposed system’s ability to deal with a forecasted load increas

Post-traumatic overload or acute syndrome of the os trigonum: a possible cause of posterior ankle impingement

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the post-traumatic overload syndrome of the os trigonum as a possible cause of posterior ankle impingement and hindfoot pain. We have reviewed 19 athletes who were referred to our foot unit between 1995 and 2001 because of posterior ankle pain, and in whom a post-traumatic overload syndrome of os trigonum was diagnosed. All these patients were followed up over a period of 2 years. In 11 cases a chronic repetitive movements in forced plantar flexion was found. In the other eight cases the pain appeared to persist after a standard treatment of an ankle sprain in inversion plantar flexion. The diagnosis was based on clinical history, physical examination and X-rays that revealed a non-fused os trigonum. The confirmation of diagnosis was carried-out injecting local anaesthetic under fluoroscopic control. In all cases a corticosteroid injection as first line treatment was performed. In 6 cases a second injection was necessary to alleviate pain because incomplete recovery with the first injection. Three cases (16%) were recalcitrant to this treatment and in these three cases a surgical excision of the os trigonum was carried out. Our conclusion is that after some chronic athletic activity or an acute ankle sprain the os trigonum, if present, may undergo mechanical overload, remain undisrupted and become painful. Treatment by corticosteroid injection often resolves the proble

Vascular smooth muscle Sirtuin-1 protects against aortic dissection during Angiotensin II-induced hypertension

BACKGROUND: Sirtuin-1 (SirT1), a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide(+)-dependent deacetylase, is a key enzyme in the cellular response to metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stresses; however, the role of endogenous SirT1 in the vasculature has not been fully elucidated. Our goal was to evaluate the role of vascular smooth muscle SirT1 in the physiological response of the aortic wall to angiotensin II, a potent hypertrophic, oxidant, and inflammatory stimulus. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mice lacking SirT1 in vascular smooth muscle (ie, smooth muscle SirT1 knockout) had drastically high mortality (70%) caused by aortic dissection after angiotensin II infusion (1 mg/kg per day) but not after an equipotent dose of norepinephrine, despite comparable blood pressure increases. Smooth muscle SirT1 knockout mice did not show any abnormal aortic morphology or blood pressure compared with wild-type littermates. Nonetheless, in response to angiotensin II, aortas from smooth muscle SirT1 knockout mice had severely disorganized elastic lamellae with frequent elastin breaks, increased oxidant production, and aortic stiffness compared with angiotensin II-treated wild-type mice. Matrix metalloproteinase expression and activity were increased in the aortas of angiotensin II-treated smooth muscle SirT1 knockout mice and were prevented in mice overexpressing SirT1 in vascular smooth muscle or with use of the oxidant scavenger tempol. CONCLUSIONS: Endogenous SirT1 in aortic smooth muscle is required to maintain the structural integrity of the aortic wall in response to oxidant and inflammatory stimuli, at least in part, by suppressing oxidant-induced matrix metalloproteinase activity. SirT1 activators could potentially be a novel therapeutic approach to prevent aortic dissection and rupture in patients at risk, such as those with hypertension or genetic disorders, such as Marfan's syndrome.R01 HL098028 - NHLBI NIH HHS; HL098028 - NHLBI NIH HHS; HL105287 - NHLBI NIH HHS; T32 HL07224 - NHLBI NIH HH

Work With What You’ve Got: An Approach for Resource-driven Adaptation

Resource-driven systems are affected by resource variability, which prevents the timely completion of important tasks. This paper presents BOND, a hyBrid resOurce-driveN aDaptation approach which addresses the issue of resource variability by (i) prioritising tasks and making resources available for tasks with higher priorities, (ii) considering alternative task executions when resources are not available, (iii) substituting resources with alternative ones, and (iv) changing tasks into similar ones. The approach supports a proactive and reactive adaptation plan. A prototype tool has been implemented as a proof of concept and used for an initial evaluation of the approach in terms of its feasibility and scalability

Two minimal incision fasciotomy for chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the lower leg

Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) of the leg is a pathological condition often related to overuse in subject who engage repetitive physical activities. Fascial release is the mainstay of surgical management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results obtained with a double incision decompressive fasciotomy. Eighteen consecutive athletes with a diagnosis of anterior and/or lateral CECS of the leg were operated on with a minimal double incision fascial release after a mean period of 4 months after onset of symptoms. In 11 cases (61%) CECS was bilateral. Surgery was performed without tourniquet and active mobilization was starting immediately. Sports activities were resumed gradually at a mean period of 25 days. The athletes were followed until 2 years. All resumed pre-injury level sports activity. Two patients (18%) of the 11 who underwent to bilateral fasciotomy referred a sensation of leg weakness for an average period of 3 months. The surgical technique presented in this paper seems to be a good mean to treat anterior and lateral leg CECS. The use of tourniquet is deconselled to obtain an accurate intraoperative haemostasis so reducing the risk of post-operative haematoma