A comparison of CMB- and HLA-based approaches to type I interoperability reference model problems for COTS-based distributed simulation

Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) simulation packages (CSPs) are software used by many simulation modellers to build and experiment with models of various systems in domains such as manufacturing, health, logistics and commerce. COTS distributed simulation deals with the interoperation of CSPs and their models. Such interoperability has been classified into six interoperability reference models. As part of an on-going standardisation effort, this paper introduces the COTS Simulation Package Emulator, a proposed benchmark that can be used to investigate Type I interoperability problems in COTS distributed simulation. To demonstrate its use, two approaches to this form of interoperability are discussed, an implementation of the CMB conservative algorithm, an example of a so-called “light” approach, and an implementation of the HLA TAR algorithm, an example of a so-called “heavy” approach. Results from experimentation over four federation topologies are presented and it is shown the HLA approach out performs the CMB approach in almost all cases. The paper concludes that the CSPE benchmark is a valid basis from which the most efficient approach to Type I interoperability problems for COTS distributed simulation can be discovered

Low calcaneal bone mineral density and the risk of distal forearm fracture in women and men: A population-based case-control study.

Objective: We used dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure calcaneal bone mineral density (BMD) and estimate the prevalence of osteoporosis in a population with distal forearm fracture and a normative cohort. Methods: Patients 20 to 80 years of age with distal forearm fracture treated at one emergency hospital during two consecutive years were invited to calcaneal BMD measurement; 270 women (81%) and 64 men (73%) participated. A DXA heel scanner estimated BMD (g/cm(2)) and T-scores. Osteoporosis was defined as T-score </=-2.5 SD. Of the fracture cohort, 254 women aged 40-80 years and 27 men aged 60-80 years were compared with population-based control cohorts comprising 171 women in the age groups 50, 60, 70 and 80 years and 75 men in the age groups 60, 70, and 80 years. Results: In the fracture population no woman below 40 years or man below 60 years of age had osteoporosis. In women aged 40-80 years the prevalence of osteoporosis in the distal forearm fracture cohort was 34% and in the population-based controls was 25%; the age-adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) was 1.32 (95% CI 1.00-1.76). In the subgroup of women 60-80 years the age-adjusted prevalence ratio of osteoporosis was 1.28 (95% CI 0.95-1.71). In men aged 60-80 years the prevalence of osteoporosis in the fracture cohort was 44% and in the population-based controls was 8% (PR 6.31, 95% CI 2.78-14.4). The age-adjusted odds ratio for fracture associated with a 1-SD reduction in calcaneal BMD was in women aged 40-80 years 1.4 (95% CI 1.1-1.8), in the subgroup of women 60-80 years 1.2 (95% CI 0.95-1.6), and in men 60-80 years 2.6 (95% CI 1.7-4.1). Among those aged 60-80 years the area under the ROC curve was in women 0.56 (95% CI 0.49-0.63) and in men 0.80 (95% CI 0.70-0.80). Conclusions: The age-adjusted prevalence of osteoporosis based on calcaneal BMD is higher in individuals with distal forearm fracture than in population-based controls. BMD impairment is associated with increased odds ratio for forearm fracture in both women and men but the differences between cases and controls are more pronounced in men than in women, which may have implications in fracture prevention