Reconfigurando aplicaciones multi-cloud con líneas de producto software dinámicas

La reconfiguración dinámica de aplicaciones multi-cloud es un reto complejo aún no suficientemente explorado. En estos entornos las aplicaciones o sus módulos pueden estar desplegados en diferentes proveedores. Por lo tanto, reconfigurar en tiempo de ejecución estas aplicaciones puede requerir la modificación de la distribución en múltiples y heterogéneos proveedores. Obtener la nueva distribución para que sigan funcionando correctamente las aplicaciones no es una tarea sencilla, pues tanto los requisitos de las aplicaciones como las propiedades de los proveedores son muy diversos y variables. Además, la migración de las aplicaciones o sus módulos en tiempo real de un proveedor a otro puede conllevar problemas de compatibilidad y/o dependencias entre los módulos. Por lo tanto, el manejo de la variabilidad dinámica de las aplicaciones y proveedores, así como el de las dependencias existentes es deseable que se haga a un alto nivel de abstracción. Las Líneas de Producto Software Dinámicas (DSLP) utilizan modelos de variabilidad en tiempo de ejecución para obtener los cambios que han de llevarse a cabo durante la reconfiguración. En este trabajo de reflexión, exploramos el uso del enfoque de DSPL, para que cuando ocurran problemas en los proveedores o se violen los requisitos de las aplicaciones en entornos multi-cloud, las aplicaciones puedan ser reconfiguradas y seguir proporcionando los servicios adecuadamente a los usuarios.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Autonomic Wireless Sensor Networks: A Systematic Literature Review

Autonomic computing (AC) is a promising approach to meet basic requirements in the design of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), and its principles can be applied to efficiently manage nodes operation and optimize network resources. Middleware for WSNs supports the implementation and basic operation of such networks. In this systematic literature review (SLR) we aim to provide an overview of existing WSN middleware systems that address autonomic properties. The main goal is to identify which development approaches of AC are used for designing WSN middleware system, which allow the self-management of WSN. Another goal is finding out which interactions and behavior can be automated in WSN components. We drew the following main conclusions from the SLR results: (i) the selected studies address WSN concerns according to the self-* properties of AC, namely, self-configuration, self-healing, self-optimization, and self-protection; (ii) the selected studies use different approaches for managing the dynamic behavior of middleware systems for WSN, such as policy-based reasoning, context-based reasoning, feedback control loops, mobile agents, model transformations, and code generation. Finally, we identified a lack of comprehensive system architecture designs that support the autonomy of sensor networking

The application of blockchain algorithms to the management of education certificates

Blockchain is a new application technology in many sectors and the same is true in the world of education. Therefore, there is an increasingly emerging need to research blockchain technology, as it is still taking its first steps in different sectors, such as education. This article presents a review of the state of the art of blockchain technology in the education sector, focusing on identifying the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges associated with the introduction of blockchain technology in the education sector. In addition, the implementation of a title certificate solution through blockchain technology through the BeCertify project is presented. In this solution, the development stages of the platform, the system architecture, and the operation of the API have been carried out, resulting in a platform that constitutes the first step towards a more transparent and technologically advanced way of managing the certifications of the students’ qualifications

Multidisciplinary approach and long-term follow-up in a series of 640 consecutive patients with sarcoidosis: cohort study of a 40-year clinical experience at a tertiary referral center in Barcelona

Cohort studies of large series of patients with sarcoidosis over a long period of time are scarce. The aim of this study is to report a 40-year clinical experience of a large series of patients at Bellvitge University Hospital, a tertiary university hospital in Barcelona, Spain. Diagnosis of sarcoidosis required histological confirmation except in certain specific situations. All patients underwent a prospective study protocol. Clinical assessment and follow-up of patients were performed by a multidisciplinary team.From 1976 to 2015, 640 patients were diagnosed with sarcoidosis, 438 of them (68.4%) were female (sex ratio F/M 2:1). The mean age at diagnosis was 43.3 ± 13.8 years (range, 14-86 years), and 613 patients (95.8%) were Caucasian. At diagnosis, 584 patients (91.2%) showed intrathoracic involvement at chest radiograph, and most of the patients had normal pulmonary function. Erythema nodosum (39.8%) and specific cutaneous lesions (20.8%) were the most frequent extrapulmonary manifestations, but there was a wide range of organ involvement. A total of 492 patients (76.8%) had positive histology. Follow-up was carried out in 587 patients (91.7%), over a mean of 112.4 ± 98.3 months (range, 6.4-475 months). Corticosteroid treatment was administered in 255 patients (43.4%), and steroid-sparing agents in 49 patients (7.7%). Outcomes were as follows: 111 patients (18.9%) showed active disease at the time of closing this study, 250 (42.6%) presented spontaneous remission, 61 (10.4%) had remission under treatment, and 165 (28.1%) evolved to chronic sarcoidosis; among them, 115 (19.6%) with mild disease and 50 (8.5%) with moderate to severe organ damage. A multivariate analysis showed that at diagnosis, age more than 40 years, the presence of pulmonary involvement on chest radiograph, splenic involvement, and the need of treatment, was associated with chronic sarcoidosis, whereas Löfgren syndrome and mediastinal lymphadenopathy on chest radiograph were indicators of good outcome.Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease with protean clinical-radiographic manifestations. Although almost half of patients follow a spontaneous resolution or under treatment, a significant number of them may have several degrees of organ damage. This study emphasizes the value of a multidisciplinary approach and long-term follow-up by specialized teams in sarcoidosis

Images across Europe: The sending and receiving of sexual images and associations with interpersonal violence in young people's relationships

This article explores young people's experiences of sending and receiving sexual images and text messages (sexting) within their interpersonal relationships and the contexts in which this occurs. The article uses data from a recent Daphne funded project ‘Safeguarding teenagers' intimate relationships’ (STIR) involving a survey with 4564 young people aged between 14 and 17 in a number of schools across five countries in Europe. Findings reveal that experiences of sexting vary by country and gender. The study also found that young people who reported victimisation in their relationships were more likely to have sent a sext message than those who had not. The article points to the need for a more nuanced understanding of the varied contexts and experiences around sexting in order to better develop policy, practice and education in this area

Configuration Process of a Software Product Line for AmI Middleware

Developing Ambient Intelligence applications is a very complex task since it implies dealing with low-level software and hardware resources. The use of a middleware platform may alleviate this task by providing a set of high-level and platform-independent services to these kinds of applications. Nevertheless, the tendency is that the middleware deployed in each device has a flat and homogeneous architecture, although these devices and the requirements of intelligence environments are heterogeneous. This implies the middleware software deployed in each device normally contains more functionality than strictly required, leading to waste resources so scarce in lightweight devices. But the configuration and deployment of a minimal middleware customized to a target platform is a complex task, due to the diversity of hardware and software present in devices and the variable requirements of ambient intelligence applications. In order to solve these shortcomings, we propose to customize the piece of software related to the middleware platform by using a Software Product Line engineering approach. This paper presents an innovative configuration process for a software product line for ambient intelligence middleware where a minimal set of high-level parameters needs to be specified. So, the software engineers for this kind of systems can automatically obtain customized middleware by simply specifying this high-level information

Análisis de la expresión diferencial de genes involucrados en la interacción planta de papa-fitoplasma “Mexican potato purple top”

Se ha identificado al fitoplasma “Mexican potato purple top” (MPPT) afectando al cultivo de papa en México, provocando grandes pérdidas en su producción. El estudio y control de estos patógenos es difícil por ser parásitos obligados. Sin embargo, en el fitoplasma AY-WB se han identificado genes codificantes para proteínas de virulencia (SAP11 y SAP30) que alteran la fisiología celular y modulan la defensa de las plantas hospederas, por lo que es importante determinar si dichos genes se conservan en el genoma del fitoplasma MPPT. Adicionalmente, el grupo de trabajo cuenta con una biblioteca de cDNAs de genes expresados diferencialmente en plantas de papa in vitro en respuesta a la infección por el fitoplasma MPPT. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar el nivel de expresión de genes asociados con la respuesta de plantas de papa ante la infección por MPPT. Los resultados de RTPCR sugieren que los genes de virulencia SAP11 y SAP30 no se encuentran conservados en el fitoplasma MPPT. Mediante PCR en tiempo real se determinó el nivel de expresión de diez genes expresados diferencialmente en plantas de papa in vitro en respuesta a la infección por el fitoplasma MPPT. Se observó una sobreexpresión de seis de los genes, cuatro que codifican para proteínas involucradas en defensa celular/respuesta a estrés (SAP6, dedo de Zn, HSP90 y EREB), una proteína de transcripción (WRKY) y una proteína de función desconocida. Tres de los genes mantuvieron su nivel de expresión, dos de ellos codifican para proteínas involucradas en defensa celular/respuesta a estrés (Transportador ABC y MCP In) y otro que codifica para una proteína de metabolismo (MDAR). Un gen codificante para una proteína relacionada con defensa celular/respuesta a estrés (Proteína de membrana) disminuyó su nivel de expresión. Por otro lado, no se observaron niveles detectables de expresión de los genes para MDAR, en MCP In y Proteína de membrana en plantas sintomáticas respecto a plantas asintomáticas. Los genes codificantes para SAP6, dedo de Zn, HSP90, EREB, WRKY, Transportador ABC y una Proteína de función desconocida presentaron una inducción en su expresión, por lo que es posible que estén involucrados en mecanismos de defensa en las plantas de papa y en la presencia de síntomas

Configuration Process of a Software Product Line for

Abstract: Developing Ambient Intelligence applications is a very complex task since it implies dealing with low-level software and hardware resources. The use of a middleware platform may alleviate this task by providing a set of high-level and platform-independent services to these kinds of applications. Nevertheless, the tendency is that the middleware deployed in each device has a flat and homogeneous architecture, although these devices and the requirements of intelligence environments are heterogeneous. This implies the middleware software deployed in each device normally contains more functionality than strictly required, leading to waste resources so scarce in lightweight devices. But the configuration and deployment of a minimal middleware customized to a target platform is a complex task, due to the diversity of hardware and software present in devices and the variable requirements of ambient intelligence applications. In order to solve these shortcomings, we propose to customize the piece of software related to the middleware platform by using a Software Product Line engineering approach. This paper presents an innovative configuration process for a software product line for ambient intelligence middleware where a minimal set of high-level parameters needs to be specified. So, the software engineers for this kind of systems can automatically obtain customized middleware by simply specifying this high-level information

Self-Adaptive Energy-Efficent Applications: The HADAS Developing Approach

Software systems have a strong impact on the energy consumption of the hardware they use. For this reason, software developers should be more aware of the energy consumed by their systems. Moreover, software systems should be developed to be able to adapt their behavior to minimize the energy consumed during their execution. This paper illustrates how to address the problem of developing self-adaptive energyefficient applications using the HADAS approach. HADAS makes use of advanced software engineering methods, such as Dynamic Software Product Lines and Aspect-Oriented Software Development. The main steps of the HADAS approach, both during the design of the application and also at runtime are illustrated by applying them to a running case study.Junta de Andalucía MAGIC P12-TIC1814Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades HADAS TIN2015-64841-

Dynamic Reconfiguration of Security Policies in Wireless Sensor Networks

Providing security and privacy to wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) is very challenging, due to the heterogeneity of sensor nodes and their limited capabilities in terms of energy, processing power and memory. The applications for these systems run in a myriad of sensors with different low-level programming abstractions, limited capabilities and different routing protocols. This means that applications for WSNs need mechanisms for self-adaptation and for self-protection based on the dynamic adaptation of the algorithms used to provide security. Dynamic software product lines (DSPLs) allow managing both variability and dynamic software adaptation, so they can be considered a key technology in successfully developing self-protected WSN applications. In this paper, we propose a self-protection solution for WSNs based on the combination of the INTER-TRUST security framework (a solution for the dynamic negotiation and deployment of security policies) and the FamiWare middleware (a DSPL approach to automatically configure and reconfigure instances of a middleware for WSNs).We evaluate our approach using a case study from the intelligent transportation system domain