Towards a method for rigorous development of generic requirements patterns

We present work in progress on a method for the engineering, validation and verification of generic requirements using domain engineering and formal methods. The need to develop a generic requirement set for subsequent system instantiation is complicated by the addition of the high levels of verification demanded by safety-critical domains such as avionics. Our chosen application domain is the failure detection and management function for engine control systems: here generic requirements drive a software product line of target systems. A pilot formal specification and design exercise is undertaken on a small (twosensor) system element. This exercise has a number of aims: to support the domain analysis, to gain a view of appropriate design abstractions, for a B novice to gain experience in the B method and tools, and to evaluate the usability and utility of that method.We also present a prototype method for the production and verification of a generic requirement set in our UML-based formal notation, UML-B, and tooling developed in support. The formal verification both of the structural generic requirement set, and of a particular application, is achieved via translation to the formal specification language, B, using our U2B and ProB tools

Relativistic quantum dynamics in strong fields: Photon emission from heavy, few-electron ions

Recent progress in the study of the photon emission from highly-charged heavy ions is reviewed. These investigations show that high-$Z$ ions provide a unique tool for improving the understanding of the electron-electron and electron-photon interaction in the presence of strong fields. Apart from the bound-state transitions, which are accurately described in the framework of Quantum Electrodynamics, much information has been obtained also from the radiative capture of (quasi-) free electrons by high-$Z$ ions. Many features in the observed spectra hereby confirm the inherently relativistic behavior of even the simplest compound quantum systems in Nature.Comment: Version 18/11/0

Effect of Antihypertensive Therapy with Alpha Methyldopa on Levels of Angiogenic Factors in Pregnancies with Hypertensive Disorders

Antihypertensive drugs are believed to lower blood pressure in pre-eclampsia by direct or central vasodilatory mechanisms. However, they could also act by decreasing production of anti-angiogenic proteins involved in the pathophysiology of hypertension and proteinuria in pre-eclampsia (PE). The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of antihypertensive therapy with alpha methyldopa on maternal circulating levels and placental production of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), soluble endoglin (sEng), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placental growth factor (PlGF) in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

The Airway Microbiota in Cystic Fibrosis: A Complex Fungal and Bacterial Community—Implications for Therapeutic Management

International audienceBackground Given the polymicrobial nature of pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), it is essential to enhance our knowledge on the composition of the microbial community to improve patient management. In this study, we developed a pyrosequencing approach to extensively explore the diversity and dynamics of fungal and prokaryotic populations in CF lower airways. Methodology and Principal Findings Fungi and bacteria diversity in eight sputum samples collected from four adult CF patients was investigated using conventional microbiological culturing and high-throughput pyrosequencing approach targeting the ITS2 locus and the 16S rDNA gene. The unveiled microbial community structure was compared to the clinical profile of the CF patients. Pyrosequencing confirmed recently reported bacterial diversity and observed complex fungal communities, in which more than 60% of the species or genera were not detected by cultures. Strikingly, the diversity and species richness of fungal and bacterial communities was significantly lower in patients with decreased lung function and poor clinical status. Values of Chao1 richness estimator were statistically correlated with values of the Shwachman-Kulczycki score, body mass index, forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (p = 0.046, 0.047, 0.004, and 0.001, respectively for fungal Chao1 indices, and p = 0.010, 0.047, 0.002, and 0.0003, respectively for bacterial Chao1 values). Phylogenetic analysis showed high molecular diversities at the sub-species level for the main fungal and bacterial taxa identified in the present study. Anaerobes were isolated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which was more likely to be observed in association with Candida albicans than with Aspergillus fumigatus

Indirect Fourier transform in the context of statistical inference

Inferring structural information from the intensity of a small-angle scattering (SAS) experiment is an ill-posed inverse problem. Thus, the determination of a solution is in general non-trivial. In this work, the indirect Fourier transform (IFT), which determines the pair distance distribution function from the intensity and hence yields structural information, is discussed within two different statistical inference approaches, namely a frequentist one and a Bayesian one, in order to determine a solution objectively From the frequentist approach the cross-validation method is obtained as a good practical objective function for selecting an IFT solution. Moreover, modern machine learning methods are employed to suppress oscillatory behaviour of the solution, hence extracting only meaningful features of the solution. By comparing the results yielded by the different methods presented here, the reliability of the outcome can be improved and thus the approach should enable more reliable information to be deduced from SAS experiments.</jats:p

Static evaluation of software architectures

The software architecture is one of the most crucial artifacts within the lifecycle of a software system. Decisions made at the architectural level directly enable, facilitate, hamper, or interfere with the achievement of business goals as well as meeting functional and quality requirements. The latter includes reusability, and thus software architectures are also essential for the success of product line engineering. This paper summarizes our practical experience by giving an overview on when and how static architecture evaluation practically contributes to architecture development. Therefore, it defines ten distinct purposes of architectural evaluations and illustrates them in a set of industrial and academic case studies. Most of the case studies are settled in a product line engineering context. In particular, we highlight how the different purposes determine and influence subsequent steps in architecture development

SASET A program for series analysis of small angle scattering data

This article presents a new program that allows highly automatized analyses of series of, especially, anisotropic two-dimensional neutron and X-ray small-angle scattering data as well as one-dimensional data series. The main aim of this work was to reduce the effort of the analysis of complex scattering systems, which remains an essential burden in the evaluation process of complex systems. The program is built in a modular manner to support a stepwise analysis of small-angle scattering data. For example, from a two-dimensional data series, features such as anisotropy or changes of the preferred scattering direction or intensities along the radial or azimuthal directions as well as along the series axis (e.g. time axis) can quickly be extracted. Different anisotropy measurement methods are available, which are described herein. In a second step, physical scattering models can be fitted to the extracted data. More complex models can be easily added. The fitting procedure can be applied with nearly every possible constraint and works automatically on whole scattering data series. Furthermore, simultaneous fitting can be used to analyze coupled series, and parallel working methods are implemented to speed up the code execution. Finally, results can be easily visualized. The name of the program isSASET, which is an acronym standing for small-angle scattering evaluation tool.SASETis based on MATLAB.</jats:p

Case studies of static software architecture evaluations

Architecture evaluations play an important role in the development and evolution of software systems since they determine how adequate the architecture is for its intended usage. This paper summarizes our practical experience with using static architecture evaluations and gives an overview on when and how static architecture evaluations contribute to architecture development. In particular, we identify ten distinct purposes and needs for static architecture evaluations derived from practical experiences in a set of industrial and academic case studies