MOO: An architectural framework for runtime optimization of multiple system objectives in embedded control software

Due to copyright restrictions, the access to the full text of this article is only available via subscription.Today's complex embedded systems function in varying operational conditions. The control software adapts several control variables to keep the operational state optimal with respect to multiple objectives. There exist well-known techniques for solving such optimization problems. However, current practice shows that the applied techniques, control variables, constraints and related design decisions are not documented as a part of the architecture description. Their implementation is implicit, tailored for specific characteristics of the embedded system, tightly integrated into and coupled with the control software, which hinders its reusability, analyzability and maintainability. This paper presents an architectural framework to design, document and realize multi-objective optimization in embedded control software. The framework comprises an architectural style together with its visual editor and domain-specific analysis tools, and a code generator. The code generator generates an optimizer module specific for the given architecture and it employs aspect-oriented software development techniques to seamlessly integrate this module into the control software. The effectiveness of the framework is validated in the context of an industrial case study from the printing systems domain.Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affair

Outcome of aplastic anemia in adolescence: A survey of the Severe Aplastic Anemia Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

We analyzed the outcome of 537 adolescents (age 12–18 years) with idiopathic aplastic anemia included in the database of the Severe Aplastic Anemia Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation comparing: i) matched family donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation performed as first-line treatment with ii) front-line immunosuppressive therapy not followed by subsequent transplant given for failure and with iii) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation performed after failed front-line immunosuppressive therapy. Overall survival was 86% in the matched family donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation group, 90% in patients given front-line immunosuppressive alone (those who did not fail this treatment and who did not receive subsequent rescue with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) and 78% in subjects who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation post failed front-line immunosuppressive therapy (P=0.14). Event-free survival in the same groups was respectively 83%, 64% and 71% (P=0.04). Cumulative incidence of rejection was 8% in matched family donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and 9% in transplants post failed front-line immunosuppression (P=0.62). Cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease was 12% in matched family donor transplants and 18% in transplants post failed immunosuppression (P=0.18). Chronic graft-versus-host disease was higher in matched family donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (8%) than in transplants post failed immunosuppressive therapy (20%) (P=0.0009). Cumulative incidence of post-therapy malignancies was 0.7% in matched family donor transplantations, 7% in transplantations post failed immunosuppression and 21% after front-line immunosuppression (P=0.0017). In the whole cohort, under multivariate analysis, the diagnosis to treatment interval of two months or under positively affected overall survival whereas up-front immunosuppression alone (with no subsequent rescue transplants) negatively affected event-free survival. In transplanted patients an interval from diagnosis to treatment of 2 months or under, bone marrow as source of cells and first-line matched family donor transplants provided a significant advantage in overall and event-free survival. Aplastic anemia in adolescents has a very good outcome. If a matched family donor is available, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation using bone marrow cells is the first choice treatment. If such a donor is not available, immunosuppressive treatment may still be an acceptable second choice, also because, in case of failure, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a very good rescue option

Upfront Alternative Donor Transplant Versus Immunosuppressive Therapy in Patients with Severe Aplastic Anemia Who Lack FullyHLA Matched Related Donor: Systematic Review and Meta- Analysis of Retrospective Studies. on Behalf of the Severe Aplastic Anemia Working Party of European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (SAAWP of EBMT)

Idiopathic aplastic anemia is a rare and life threatening disorder characterized by immune mediated hematopoietic stem cells dysfunction. The standard treatment strategy of severe aplastic anemia (SAA) has been hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for children and adults younger than the age of 40 if an HLA matched sibling donor (MSD) is available. Immunosuppressive therapy (IST) is the mainstay of treatment for older patients or when MSD is not available. The response rate to IST with the use of horse anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) is around 70%. Despite that, many patients s