Do we really need to write documentation for a system? CASE tool add-ons: generator+editor for a precise documentation

One of the common problems of system development projects is that the system documentation is often outdated and does not describe the latest version of the system. The situation is even more complicated if we are speaking not about a natural language description of the system, but about its formal specification. In this paper we discuss how the problem could be solved by updating the documentation automatically, by generating a new formal specification from the model if the model is frequently changed.Comment: In Proceedings International Conference on Model-Driven Engineering and Software Development (MODELSWARD'13

Reusing Test-Cases on Different Levels of Abstraction in a Model Based Development Tool

Seamless model based development aims to use models during all phases of the development process of a system. During the development process in a component-based approach, components of a system are described at qualitatively differing abstraction levels: during requirements engineering component models are rather abstract high-level and underspecified, while during implementation the component models are rather concrete and fully specified in order to enable code generation. An important issue that arises is assuring that the concrete models correspond to abstract models. In this paper, we propose a method to assure that concrete models for system components refine more abstract models for the same components. In particular we advocate a framework for reusing testcases at different abstraction levels. Our approach, even if it cannot completely prove the refinement, can be used to ensure confidence in the development process. In particular we are targeting the refinement of requirements which are represented as very abstract models. Besides a formal model of our approach, we discuss our experiences with the development of an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system in a model driven development process. This uses extensions which we implemented for our model-based development tool and which are briefly presented in this paper.Comment: In Proceedings MBT 2012, arXiv:1202.582

The application of graphene and its derivatives to energy conversion, storage, and environmental and biosensing devices

Graphene (GR) and its derivatives are promising materials on the horizon of nanotechnology and material science and have attracted a tremendous amount of research interest in recent years. The unique atom-thick 2D structure with sp2 hybridization and large specific surface area, high thermal conductivity, superior electron mobility, and chemical stability have made GR and its derivatives extremely attractive components for composite materials for solar energy conversion, energy storage, environmental purification, and biosensor applications. This review gives a brief introduction of GR's unique structure, band structure engineering, physical and chemical properties, and recent energy-related progress of GR-based materials in the fields of energy conversion (e.g., photocatalysis, photoelectrochemical water splitting, CO2 reduction, dye-sensitized and organic solar cells, and photosensitizers in photovoltaic devices) and energy storage (batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors). The vast coverage of advancements in environmental applications of GR-based materials for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, gas sensing, and removal of heavy-metal ions is presented. Additionally, the use of graphene composites in the biosensing field is discussed. We conclude the review with remarks on the challenges, prospects, and further development of GR-based materials in the exciting fields of energy, environment, and bioscience