Applying the MDA Approach to Domain Specific Models

International audienceThe MDA (Model Driven Architecture) approach by the OMG has been evolved as a de-facto-standard for modern modelling tools. MDA uses the UML, which is based on top of programming language concepts. Therefore it is fairly limited when using it in the automotive domain, since the UML offers only limited ways for adapting it to special purposes. A possible solution is to replace the UML with a domain specific modelling language (DSML). This implies also dismissing the existence of UML profiles, since the DSML includes them already. In this article we show an approach to take advantages of the MDA combined with the power of domain specific models. We built a code generator using the Java Server Pages (JSP) technology and are able to transform any domain model into code or other artefacts

Relationship between Age-Dependent Body Constitution and Temporomandibular Joint Sounds in Adolescents

To date, risk factors for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sounds are still not completely understood, and anatomical factors are suspected to influence their occurrence. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of body constitution on temporomandibular joint sounds of adolescents. 10- to 18-year-old participants of the LIFE Child Study were examined for TMJ sounds, and physical parameters such as body height, body weight, and general laxity of joints were measured. Odds ratios (OR) for associations of TMJ sounds and standard deviation scores (SDS) of body height and body weight were calculated by using binary logistic regression, including cofactors such as age and number of hypermobile joints. The OR for TMJ sounds and SDS of body height was 1.28 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06; 1.56) in females when the age-adjusted height value was above 0. SDS of body weight indicated significant ORs for TMJ sounds in males with values of 0.81 (95% CI 0.70; 0.94). No correlation was detected for SDS values and TMJ crepitus. Tall female adolescents seem to be more prone to TMJ clicking sounds, while their occurrence seems less likely in male adolescents with higher body weight

Constraints on the symmetry energy and on neutron skins from the pygmy resonances in 68Ni and 132Sn

Correlations between the behavior of the nuclear symmetry energy, the neutron skins, and the percentage of energy-weighted sum rule (EWSR) exhausted by the Pygmy Dipole Resonance (PDR) in 68Ni and 132Sn have been investigated by using different Random Phase Approximation (RPA) models for the dipole response, based on a representative set of Skyrme effective forces plus meson-exchange effective Lagrangians. A comparison with the experimental data has allowed us to constrain the value of the derivative of the symmetry energy at saturation. The neutron skin radius is deduced under this constraint.Comment: Accepted for publication in PRC Rapid Comminicatio

Harmonization of growth hormone measurements with different immunoassays by data adjustment

Background: The aim of our study was to evaluate the between-assay variability of commercially available immunoassays for the measurement of human growth hormone (hGH). In addition, we asked whether the comparability of the diagnosis of childhood onset growth hormone deficiency could be improved by adjusting hGH results by statistical methods, such as linear regression, conversion factors, and quantile transformation. Methods: In archived sera from 312 children and adolescents (age: 17 days-17 years) hGH values between 0.01 and 16.5 ng/mL were determined by using the following immunoassays: AutoDELFIA (PerkinElmer), BC-IRMA (Beckman-Coulter), ELISA (Mediagnost), IMMULITE 2000 (Siemens), iSYS (IDS), Liaison (DiaSorin), UniCel DxI 800 Access (BeckmanCoulter) and "In house"-RIA (Tubingen). Results: The assays differed in median hGH concentrations by as much as 5.44 ng/mL (Immulite), and as little as 2.67 ng/mL (BC-IRMA). The mean difference between assays ranged from 0.35 to 2.71 ng/mL, whereas several samples displayed differences up to 11.4 ng/mL. The best correlation (r=0.992) was found between AutoDELFIA and Liasion, the lowest (r=0.864) was between an in-house RIA and iSYS. The between-assay CV (mean +/- SD) of values within the cut-off range was 24.3%+/- 7.4%, resulting in an assay-dependent diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in more than 27% of patients. Yet, adjustment of this data by linear regression or a conversion factor reduced the CV below 14%, and the ratio of assay-dependent diagnoses below 8%. Using quantile transformation, the CV and ratio were reduced to 11.4% and < 1%, respectively. Conclusions: hGH measurements using different assays vary significantly. Linear regression, conversion factors, or particularly quantile transformation are useful tools to improve comparability in the diagnostic procedure for the confirmation of GHD in childhood and adolescence

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Abstract not availabl

A Classification of BPEL Extensions

The Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) has emerged as de-facto standard for business processes implementation. This language is designed to be extensible for including additional valuable features in a standardized manner. There are a number of BPEL extensions available. They are, however, neither classified nor evaluated with respect to their compliance to the BPEL standard. This article fills this gap by providing a framework for classifying BPEL extensions, a classification of existing extensions, and a guideline for designing BPEL extensions

Global patterns of ecologically unequal exchange:Implications for sustainability in the 21st century

Ecologically unequal exchange theory posits asymmetric net flows of biophysical resources from poorer to richer countries. To date, empirical evidence to support this theoretical notion as a systemic aspect of the global economy is largely lacking. Through environmentally-extended multi-regional input-output modelling, we provide empirical evidence for ecologically unequal exchange as a persistent feature of the global economy from 1990 to 2015. We identify the regions of origin and final consumption for four resource groups: materials, energy, land, and labor. By comparing the monetary exchange value of resources embodied in trade, we find significant international disparities in how resource provision is compensated. Value added per ton of raw material embodied in exports is 11 times higher in high-income countries than in those with the lowest income, and 28 times higher per unit of embodied labor. With the exception of embodied land for China and India, all other world regions serve as net exporters of all types of embodied resources to high-income countries across the 1990–2015 time period. On aggregate, ecologically unequal exchange allows high-income countries to simultaneously appropriate resources and to generate a monetary surplus through international trade. This has far-reaching implications for global sustainability and for the economic growth prospects of nations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Nef protein modulates the lipid composition of virions and host cell membrane microdomains

BACKGROUND: The Nef protein of Human Immunodeficiency Viruses optimizes viral spread in the infected host by manipulating cellular transport and signal transduction machineries. Nef also boosts the infectivity of HIV particles by an unknown mechanism. Recent studies suggested a correlation between the association of Nef with lipid raft microdomains and its positive effects on virion infectivity. Furthermore, the lipidome analysis of HIV-1 particles revealed a marked enrichment of classical raft lipids and thus identified HIV-1 virions as an example for naturally occurring membrane microdomains. Since Nef modulates the protein composition and function of membrane microdomains we tested here if Nef also has the propensity to alter microdomain lipid composition. RESULTS: Quantitative mass spectrometric lipidome analysis of highly purified HIV-1 particles revealed that the presence of Nef during virus production from T lymphocytes enforced their raft character via a significant reduction of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine species and a specific enrichment of sphingomyelin. In contrast, Nef did not significantly affect virion levels of phosphoglycerolipids or cholesterol. The observed alterations in virion lipid composition were insufficient to mediate Nef's effect on particle infectivity and Nef augmented virion infectivity independently of whether virus entry was targeted to or excluded from membrane microdomains. However, altered lipid compositions similar to those observed in virions were also detected in detergent-resistant membrane preparations of virus producing cells. CONCLUSION: Nef alters not only the proteome but also the lipid composition of host cell microdomains. This novel activity represents a previously unrecognized mechanism by which Nef could manipulate HIV-1 target cells to facilitate virus propagation in vivo