Enhancing UML Connectors with Behavioral ALF Specifications for Exogenous Coordination of Software Components

Connectors are powerful architectural elements that allow the specification of interactions between software components. Since the connectors do not include behavior in UML, the components include the behavior for coordinating the components, complicating the designs of components and decreasing their reusability. In this study, we propose the enrichment of UML connectors with behavioral specifications. The goal is to provide separation of concerns for the components so that they are freed from coordination duties. The reusability of the components will increase as a result of such exogenous coordination. Additionally, using the associated behaviors, we aim to resolve the ambiguities that arise when n-ary connectors are used. We use a series of QVTo transformations to transform UML models that include connector behaviors in ALF specifications into UML models which include fUML activities as connector behavior specifications. We present a set of example connectors specified using the proposed method. We execute the QVTo transformations on the example connectors to produce models that represent platform-independent definitions of the coordination behaviors. We also present and discuss cases from real-life large-scale avionics software projects in which using the proposed approach results in simpler and more flexible designs and increases component reusability

Effect of curcumin on hepatic heme oxygenase 1 expression in high fat diet fed rats: is there a triangular relationship?

İstanbul Bilim Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi.High fat diet (HFD) is associated with oxidative stress induced fatty liver. Curcumin, an extract of Curcuma longa, has been shown to possess potent antioxidant and hypolipidemic properties. In this study, we investigated the effect of curcumin treatment on hepatic heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression along with pro-oxidant-antioxidant status and lipid accumulation in rats fed an HFD. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were distributed among 4 groups: Group 1, which was fed the control diet (10% of total calories from fat); Group 2, which was fed the HFD (60% of total calories from fat); and groups 3 and 4, which received the HFD supplemented with curcumin and the control diet supplemented with curcumin (1 g/kg diet; w/w), respectively, for 16 weeks. HFD caused increases in hepatic lipid levels, production of reactive oxygen species, and lipid peroxidation. Further, HO-1 expression was significantly decreased. Histopathological examination showed hepatic fat accumulation and slight fibrotic changes. Curcumin treatment reduced hepatic lipids and oxidative stress parameters, and HO-1 expression was significantly increased. These findings suggest that increased HO-1 expression, along with suppressed oxidative stress as well as reduced hepatic fat accumulation and fibrotic changes, contribute to the beneficial effects of curcumin in attenuating the pathogenesis of fatty liver induced metabolic diseases