Exploring Local Optima in Schematic Layout

In search-based graph drawing methods there are typically a number of parameters that control the search algorithm. These parameters do not affect the ?tness function, but nevertheless have an impact on the ?nal layout. One such search method is hill climbing, and, in the context of schematic layout, we explore how varying three parameters (grid spacing, the starting distance of allowed node movement and the number of iterations) affects the resultant diagram. Although we cannot characterize schematics completely and so cannot yet automatically assign parameters for diagrams, we observe that when parameters are set to values that increase the search space, they also tend to improve the ?nal layout. We come to the conclusion that hillclimbing methods for schematic layout are more prone to reaching local optima than had previously been expected and that a wider search, as described in this paper, can mitigate this, so resulting in a better layout

Gesture-Based Input for Drawing Schematics on a Mobile Device

We present a system for drawing metro map style schematics using a gesture-based interface. This work brings together techniques in gesture recognition on touch-sensitive devices with research in schematic layout of networks. The software allows users to create and edit schematic networks, and provides an automated layout method for improving the appearance of the schematic. A case study using the metro map metaphor to visualize social networks and web site structure is described

XRound : A reversible template language and its application in model-based security analysis

Successful analysis of the models used in Model-Driven Development requires the ability to synthesise the results of analysis and automatically integrate these results with the models themselves. This paper presents a reversible template language called XRound which supports round-trip transformations between models and the logic used to encode system properties. A template processor that supports the language is described, and the use of the template language is illustrated by its application in an analysis workbench, designed to support analysis of security properties of UML and MOF-based models. As a result of using reversible templates, it is possible to seamlessly and automatically integrate the results of a security analysis with a model. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

'How compliant do we want to be with the colonoscopy surveillance guidelines?'

Objective: To assess the referral practice for surveillance colonoscopy amongst clinicians and to measure whether practice was inline with the current Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) and the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) guidelines. Method: A questionnaire was sent to members of the ACPGBI. Results: A total of 195 (49%) clinicians responded, providing information on their referral habits with comments on where they deviated from the guidelines. Conclusions: The BSG and ACPGBI guidelines are well established amongst clinicians and generally accepted as best practice however the majority of clinicians deviate from the guidelines for particular clinical scenarios. In fact only 18% of respondents followed all recommendations for surveillance colonoscopy for patients with polyps, previous cancers and a family history

Improving Search-Based Schematic Layout by Parameter Manipulation

This paper reports on a method to improve the automated layout of schematic diagrams by widening the search space examined by the system. In search-based layout methods there are typically a number of parameters that control the search algorithm which do not affect the fitness function, but nevertheless have an impact on the final layout. We explore how varying three parameters (grid spacing, the starting distance of allowed node movement and the number of iterations) affects the resultant diagram in a hill- climbing layout system. Using an iterative process, we produce diagram layouts that are significantly better than those produced by ad-hoc parameter settings

Control Consistency as a Management Tool: The Identification of Systematic Security Control Weaknesses in Air Traffic Management

In 2008 EUROCONTROL published Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Security Guidance to Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), to assist them in complying with regulatory security requirements. This included a visualisation tool which allowed the consistency of control sets to be reviewed and communicated: consistency being the degree to which more sophisticated controls were supported by core controls. The validation of that guidance included surveys which were conducted to contrast current practice in European ANSPs with a baseline control set based on ISO/IEC 27001:2005. The consistency test revealed significant gaps in the control strategies of these organisations: despite relatively sophisticated control regimes there were areas which lacked core controls. Key missing elements identified in the ANSPs surveyed include security management and senior management engagement, system accreditation, the validation and authentication of data used by ATM systems, incident management, and business continuity preparedness. Since anonymity requires that little can be said about the original surveys these results are necessarily indicative, so the paper contrasts these findings with contemporaneous literature, including audit reports on security in US ATM systems. The two sources prove to be in close agreement, confirming the value of the control consistency view in providing an overview of an organisation's security control regime

Genetic predictors of match performance in sub-elite Australian football players: A pilot study

The current study aimed to determine whether previously identified candidate polymorphisms were associated with match performance in sub-elite Australian Rules Football (ARF) players. The genotypes of thirty players were analysed along with 3x1-kilometre time trial results, ARF-specific skill assessments (handball and kicking), and match performance (direct game involvements) per minute (DGIs/min) to investigate if there was a relationship between any of the variables. Results support previous findings that aerobic time trials are a significant predictor of DGIs/min in sub-elite ARF players. Significant associations were found for genotypes ADRB2 CC (p = .001), PPARGC1A AA (p = .001), PPARGC1A AG (p \u3c .001), ACE ID (p \u3c .001), COMT AA (p = .003), BDNF AG (p = .008), ADRB1 CC (p = .018) and ADRB3 CC (p = .010) and the 3x1-kilometre time trials (p \u3c .001). In the current study, a variant in the DRD2 gene was a strong predictor of handball possessions during a match. Significance was seen for variants in the BDNF and COMTgenes when the kicking and handball skill test results were combined and used in a linear mixed model to predict DGIs/min, suggesting a potential relationship with motor learning. The confirmation of genetic predictors of player performance in a team sport, such as ARF, suggests a portion of the physiological mechanisms of skill and ARF-specific talent may be explained by the expression of a specific number of genes

A Reinforcement Learning Approach to Weaning of Mechanical Ventilation in Intensive Care Units

The management of invasive mechanical ventilation, and the regulation of sedation and analgesia during ventilation, constitutes a major part of the care of patients admitted to intensive care units. Both prolonged dependence on mechanical ventilation and premature extubation are associated with increased risk of complications and higher hospital costs, but clinical opinion on the best protocol for weaning patients off of a ventilator varies. This work aims to develop a decision support tool that uses available patient information to predict time-to-extubation readiness and to recommend a personalized regime of sedation dosage and ventilator support. To this end, we use off-policy reinforcement learning algorithms to determine the best action at a given patient state from sub-optimal historical ICU data. We compare treatment policies from fitted Q-iteration with extremely randomized trees and with feedforward neural networks, and demonstrate that the policies learnt show promise in recommending weaning protocols with improved outcomes, in terms of minimizing rates of reintubation and regulating physiological stability

Movement economy in soccer: Current data and limitations

Soccer is an intermittent team-sport, where performance is determined by a myriad of psychological, technical, tactical, and physical factors. Among the physical factors, endurance appears to play a key role into counteracting the fatigue-related reduction in running performance observed during soccer matches. One physiological determinant of endurance is movement economy, which represents the aerobic energy cost to exercise at a given submaximal velocity. While the role of movement economy has been extensively examined in endurance athletes, it has received little attention in soccer players, but may be an important factor, given the prolonged demands of match play. For this reason, the current review discusses the nature, impact, and trainability of movement economy specific to soccer players. A summary of current knowledge and limitations of movement economy in soccer is provided, with an insight into future research directions, to make this important parameter more valuable when assessing and training soccer players’ running performance