A constraint hierarchies approach to geometric constraints on sketches

International audienceWe propose an approach that uses preferences on the constraints in order to deal with over-constrained geometric constraint problems. This approach employs constraint hierarchies, a paradigm that has close relations with the traditional graph-based approaches used in geometric constraint solving. We also remark that any geometric constraint problem defined by imposing relations on a sketch becomes overconstrained as soon as the sketch is imposed as a weak constraint representing the designers intents. As a result our method appears very appropriate in CAD/CAM tools

A Programming Environment for Visual Block-Based Domain-Specific Languages

AbstractVisual block-based programming is useful for various users such as novice programmers because it provides easy operations and improves the readability of programs. Also, in programming education, it is known to be effective to initially present basic language features and then gradually make more advanced features available. However, the cost of implementing such visual block-based languages remains a challenge. In this paper, we present a programming environment for providing visual block-based domain- specific languages (visual DSLs) that are translatable into various programming languages. In our environment, programs are built by combining visual blocks expressed in a natural language. Blocks represent program elements such as operations and variables. Tips represent snippets, and macro blocks represent procedures. Using Tips and macros make code more abstract, and reduce the number of blocks in code. Visual DSLs can be a front-end for various languages. It can be easily restricted and extended by adding and deleting blocks. We applied our programming environment to Processing, an educational programming language for media art. We show that the environment is useful for novice programmers who learn basic concepts of programming and the features of Processing

Franco-Japanese Research Collaboration on Constraint Programming

International audienceConstraint programming is an emergent technology that allows modeling and solving various problems in many areas such as artificial intelligence, computer programming, computer-aided design, computer graphics, and user interfaces. In this report, we provide recent activities of research collaboration on constraint programming conducted by the authors and other researchers in France and Japan. First, we outline our joint research projects on constraint programming, and then present the backgrounds, goals, and approaches of several research topics treated in the projects. Second, we describe the two Franco-Japanese Workshops on Constraint Programming (FJCP), which we organized in Japan in October 2004 and in France in November 2005. We conclude with future prospects for collaboration between French and Japanese researchers in this area

A reasoning module for distributed clinical decision support systems

One of the main challenges in distributed clinical decision support systems is to ensure that the flow of information is kept. The failure of one or more components should not bring down an entire system. Moreover, it should not impair any decision processes that are taking place in a functioning component. This work describes a decision module that is capable of managing states of incomplete information which result from the failure of communication between components or delays in making the information available. The framework is also capable of generating scenarios for situations in which there are information gaps. The proposal is described through an example about colon cancer staging.This work is part-funded by ERDF-European Regional Development Fund through the COMPETE Programme (operational programme for competitiveness) and by National Funds through the FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) within project FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-028980 and project scope UID/CEC/00319/2013. The work of Tiago Oliveira is supported by a FCT grant with the reference SFRH/BD/85291/2012.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A dynamic default revision mechanism for speculative computation

In this work a default revision mechanism is introduced into Speculative Computation to manage incomplete information. The default revision is supported by a method for the generation of default constraints based on Bayesian Networks. The method enables the generation of an initial set of defaults which is used to produce the most likely scenarios during the computation, represented by active processes. As facts arrive, the Bayesian Network is used to derive new defaults. The objective with such a new dynamic mechanism is to keep the active processes coherent with arrived facts. This is achieved by changing the initial set of default constraints during the reasoning process in Speculative Computation. A practical example in clinical decision support is described.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Second nationwide surveillance of bacterial pathogens in patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis conducted by Japanese Surveillance Committee from 2015 to 2016: antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus

The Japanese Surveillance Committee conducted a second nationwide surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of uropathogens responsible for acute uncomplicated cystitis (AUC) in premenopausal patients aged 16–40 years old at 31 hospitals throughout Japan from March 2015 to February 2016. In this study, the susceptibility of causative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus saprophyticus) for various antimicrobial agents was investigated by isolation and culturing of organisms obtained from urine samples. In total, 324 strains were isolated from 361 patients, including E. coli (n = 220, 67.9%), S. saprophyticus (n = 36, 11.1%), and K. pneumoniae (n = 7, 2.2%). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 20 antibacterial agents for these strains were determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) manual. At least 93% of the E. coli isolates showed susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins, whereas 100% of the S. saprophyticus isolates showed susceptibility to fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides. The proportions of fluoroquinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli strains were 6.4% (13/220) and 4.1% (9/220), respectively. The antimicrobial susceptibility of K. pneumoniae was retained during the surveillance period, while no multidrug-resistant strains were identified. In summary, antimicrobial susceptibility results of our second nationwide surveillance did not differ significantly from those of the first surveillance. Especially the numbers of fluoroquinolone-resistant and ESBL-producing E. coli strains were not increased in premenopausal patients with AUC in Japan

A Modular Geometric Constraint Solver for User Interface Applications

Constraints have been playing an important role in the user interface field since its infancy. A prime use of constraints in this field is to automatically maintain geometric layouts of graphical objects. To facilitate the construction of constraint-based user interface applications, researchers have proposed various constraint satisfaction methods and constraint solvers. Most previous research has focused on either local propagation or linear constraints, excluding more general nonlinear ones. However, nonlinear geometric constraints are practically useful to various user interfaces, e.g., drawing editors and information visualization systems. In this paper, we propose a novel constraint solver called Chorus, which realizes various powerful nonlinear geometric constraints such as Euclidean geometric, non-overlapping, and graph layout constraints. A key feature of Chorus is its module mechanism that allows users to define new kinds of geometric constraints. Also, Chorus supports "soft" constraints with hierarchical strengths or preferences (i.e., constraint hierarchies). We describe its framework, algorithm, implementation, and experimental results. KEYWORDS: geometric constraints, soft constraints, constraint solvers, module mechanisms, graph layout