Explorando o paradigma Publish/Subscribe e a elasticidade em níveis aplicados ao procedimento de Telemedicina

Imagens médicas são usadas diariamente para apoio ao diagnóstico em diferentes áreas da Radiologia no mundo todo. No entanto, há uma grande necessidade de que essas imagens sejam analisadas por diferentes especialistas e discutidas de forma ampla na busca do melhor tratamento para cada patologia. Em ambientes clínicos transmitir essas imagens em tempo hábil é um problema sem solução espontânea. A indisponibilidade de dados em tempo real para a avaliação médica especializada impacta diretamente no sucesso terapêutico. O modelo de computação em nuvem tem as características necessárias para garantir que estas imagens possam estar ao alcance de profissionais aptos a oferecer o melhor atendimento. O presente artigo apresenta o modelo PS2DICOM que estabelece comunicação em redes hospitalares e utiliza o paradigma Publicar/Assinar em dois níveis de escalabilidade. O modelo PS2DICOM é um middleware que atua na camada IaaS (\Infrastructure as a Service), apoiando as tarefas de transmissão e armazenamento de arquivos dentro do padrão DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine). O sistema oferece ainda compactação dos dados de forma adaptativa à largura de banda disponível. A pesquisa contribui ao apresentar uma arquitetura eficaz para otimizar tarefas de rede, capaz de ser adotada como solução ao desenvolver aplicações voltadas para redes hospitalares. A arquitetura foi testada utilizando um protótipo com módulos distintos, desenvolvidos para cada serviço específico oferecido e mostrou-se eficiente como solução para os problemas em questão

UbitourAR: A ubiquitous tourism model based on augmented reality

Nowadays, Brazil has an expected growth in the tourism sector due to the FIFA World Cup (which had a huge success) and the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. However, there is a lack of tourism applications for Brazil, such as Electronic Tourism Guides (ETGs) for mobile devices. The existence of ETGs that takes into account real world environment is still very rare. By taking into account this scenario, this article presents a ubiquitous tourism model based on augmented reality. The proposed architecture, which is called UbitourAR, takes into account the context awareness focusing on localization-based services allied with user profile and restrictions. This article describes the development of UbitourAR enabling users to interact with the real world environment using augmented reality when visiting a place or point of interest (POI). In order to evaluate the model we had taken two approaches. Firstly, we evaluated the ontology proposed using scenarios. Secondly, we evaluated the usability in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and user satisfaction. For doing that, we developed a mobile application for the Caminhos de Pedra itinerary, in Bento Gonçalves, Brazil. The proposed model extends the previous work of Ubitour by adding augmented reality. The results of the tests showed a user acceptance higher than 80%, which encourages the research in augmented reality allied with ubiquitous tourism.Keywords: augmented reality, Web Semantics, ubiquitous tourism, ubiquitous computing, mobile computing

A proposal of an infrastructure for load-balancing transactions on electronic funds transfer systems

This article aims to present the first ideas for developing a framework for load-balancing called GetLB. Considering the electronic funds transfer (EFT) context, GetLB offers a new scheduling heuristic that optimizes the selection of Processing Machines to execute transactions in a processing center. Instead of using the Round-Robin typical approach, the proposal combines data from computation, network, memory and disc metrics for producing a unified scheduling approach, denoted LL (i,j). The proposal calculates the load level of executing an i-typed transaction on a j specific Processing Machine. Furthermore, the load-balancing framework also enables notifications triggered by Processing Machines to the Dispatcher for informing it about asynchronous events such as administrative tasks or transactions disposing. Aiming to evaluate GetLB, a simple prototype was developed by using Java RMI. Preliminary tests revealed that the framework is feasible, outperforming the number of queued transactions obtained with the Round-Robin approach.Keywords: Electronic Funds Transfer, transactions, load balancing, remote method invocatio

INTERACT: Um modelo baseado em contextos para motivação de interações em Redes Sociais Educacionais

Redes Sociais Educacionais (RSE) podem proporcionar espaços de interação e trocas entre aprendizes, mas não garantem motivação para que estas aconteçam. O INTERACT se utiliza do histórico contextual dos usuários para potencializar interações entre usuários de RSE. Além do modelo, é apresentado o protótipo desenvolvido. A avaliação se deu com coleta de dados gerados pelas atividades de voluntários no experimento e em questionários, tendo como observações centrais a participação, recomendação e reação dos participantes. Resultados apontaram aumento no volume de interações nos momentos de atuação do protótipo. Por fim, são apresentadas percepções dos voluntários quanto à qualidade e assertividade das ações do INTERACT.   PALAVRAS-CHAVE: ciência de contexto; redes sociais educacionais; computação ubíqua; sistemas de recomendação; interação.     ABSTRACT Educational Social Networks (ESN) can provide spaces for interaction and exchanges between learners, but they do not guarantee motivation for them to happen. INTERACT uses the contextual history of users to enhance interactions among ESN users. In addition to the model, the developed prototype is presented. The evaluation was based on data collection generated by the activities of volunteers in the experiment and in questionnaires, with the central observations being the participation, recommendation and reaction of the participants. Results showed an increase in the volume of interactions at the moments of prototype performance. Finally, the volunteers' perceptions about the quality and assertiveness of the INTERACT actions are presented.   KEYWORDS: Context science; Educational social networks; ubiquitous computing; Recommendation systems; interaction.     RESUMEN Las Redes Sociales Educativas (RSE) pueden proporcionar espacios de interacción e intercambios entre aprendices, pero no garantizan motivación para que éstas ocurran. INTERACT se utiliza del historial contextual de los usuarios para potenciar las interacciones entre los usuarios de RSE. Además del modelo, se presenta el prototipo desarrollado. El análisis se dio con la recolección de datos generados por las actividades de voluntarios en el experimento y en cuestionarios, teniendo como observaciones centrales la participación, recomendación y reacción de los participantes. Los resultados apuntaron un aumento en el volumen de interacciones en los momentos de actuación del prototipo. Por último, se presentan percepciones de los voluntarios en cuanto a la calidad y asertividad de las acciones del prototipo.   PALABRAS CLAVE: Ciencia de contexto; Redes sociales educativas; Computación ubicua; Sistemas de recomendación; Interacción

Por uma educação musical crítica frente ao consumo e à alienação

The general objective of this research is to understand how critical theory contributes to thinking about a more reflective and resistant music education in the face of consumption and alienation. We are based on some theories of resistance to the influence of the cultural industry and the search for an integral and humanistic musical formation in line with the ideas of a more autonomous society. Based on the studies of Theodor Adorno, and other authors linked to Critical Theory, we seek to contemplate the proposal to understand the relationship between music and consumption. In this way, an opinion poll was conducted with music teachers and students from a higher education institution to demonstrate points related to consumption, human training, and the importance of humanistic knowledge in music classes. The qualitative analysis of the data in this research was based on the following categories: consumption, alienation, resistance to the cultural industry, and training of music educators. Thus, we seek to understand how the elements of a critical formation can contribute to thinking about a more reflective and resistant musical education in the face of consumption and alienation.O objetivo geral desta pesquisa é compreender como a teoria crítica contribui para pensarmos uma educação musical mais reflexiva e resistente frente ao consumo e à alienação. Temos por base algumas teorias de resistência à influência da indústria cultural e a busca por uma formação musical em consonância com ideários de uma sociedade mais autônoma. Tendo por fundamentos os estudos de Theodor Adorno, e outros autores ligados à Teoria Crítica, procuramos contemplar a proposta de compreender a relação entre música e consumo. Desse modo, foi realizada uma pesquisa de opinião com docentes e estudantes de música de uma instituição de ensino superior para demonstrar pontos relativos ao consumo e à formação humana nas aulas de música. A análise qualitativa dos dados dessa pesquisa foi embasada nas seguintes categorias: consumo, alienação e resistência à indústria cultural. Destarte, procuramos compreender como os elementos de uma formação crítica podem contribuir para pensarmos uma educação musical mais reflexiva e resistente frente ao consumo e alienação

On revisiting vital signs IoT sensors for COVID-19 and long COVID-19 monitoring: a condensed updated review and future directions

Background: Although the world has been facing the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year, we understand that there are still some challenges in using Internet of Things (IoT) devices as allies in this fight. Among the main difficulties, we can mention the selection of appropriate devices and the correct measurement and subsequent analysis of previously obtained vital signs.  Methods: In this context, we present a condensed compilation of IoT devices to monitor the vital signs often used to monitor COVID-19. We focus on easy-to-use devices currently available on the market to the general user. Also, the presented analysis is helpful for long COVID-19 monitoring, which is particularly useful to governments and hospitals to analyze eventual sequels on those citizens who tested positive beforehand. Results: The review resulted in 148 heterogeneous devices offering different capabilities. Our first contribution resides in detailing several aspects of each IoT device, indicating which are the most suitable for particular use-case situations. Moreover, our article introduces some challenges and insights into assembling a smart city composed of IoT devices. Conclusion: Here, technological trends such as Serverless computing, homomorphic cryptography, Federated Learning, Elixir programming language, Web Assembly, and vertical elasticity are discussed towards enabling vital sign-driven data capturing and processing. Although there are several IoT devices for health monitoring, there is still work to standardize data formats and APIs for data extraction

GetLB: Balanceamento de Carga Eficiente para o Escalonamento de Transações Eletrônicas Financeiras

Este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar as idéias para o desenvolvimento de um framework para balanceamento de carga chamado GetLB. Considerando o contexto de transferência eletrônica de fundos (TEF), GetLB oferece uma nova forma de organizar as interações entre o chaveador e as máquinas processadoras. Esta organização permite que o chaveador combine informações atualizadas para a execução de um algoritmo de programação dinâmica em vez de usar a abordagem Round-Robin entre as máquinas de processamento. O algoritmo de agendamento de GetLB divide as transações em diferentes tipos, combinando suas necessidades de CPU, memória e disco de dados de máquinas processadoras para oferecer um balanceamento de carga eficiente. Implementou-se um protótipo com RMI e testes revelaram que o quadro é viável para processamento de transações sobre os ambientes homogêneos e heterogêneos. Além disso, a avaliação apresentou as vantagens da adoção de algoritmos GetLB em vez da abordagem Round-Robin tradicional

Towards Cloud-based Asynchronous Elasticity for Iterative HPC Applications

Elasticity is one of the key features of cloud computing. It allows applications to dynamically scale computing and storage resources, avoiding over- and under-provisioning. In high performance computing (HPC), initiatives are normally modeled to handle bag-of-tasks or key-value applications through a load balancer and a loosely-coupled set of virtual machine (VM) instances. In the joint-field of Message Passing Interface (MPI) and tightly-coupled HPC applications, we observe the need of rewriting source codes, previous knowledge of the application and/or stop-reconfigure-and-go approaches to address cloud elasticity. Besides, there are problems related to how profit this new feature in the HPC scope, since in MPI 2.0 applications the programmers need to handle communicators by themselves, and a sudden consolidation of a VM, together with a process, can compromise the entire execution. To address these issues, we propose a PaaS-based elasticity model, named AutoElastic. It acts as a middleware that allows iterative HPC applications to take advantage of dynamic resource provisioning of cloud infrastructures without any major modification. AutoElastic provides a new concept denoted here as asynchronous elasticity, i.e., it provides a framework to allow applications to either increase or decrease their computing resources without blocking the current execution. The feasibility of AutoElastic is demonstrated through a prototype that runs a CPU-bound numerical integration application on top of the OpenNebula middleware. The results showed the saving of about 3 min at each scaling out operations, emphasizing the contribution of the new concept on contexts where seconds are precious

A food allergy risk detection model based on situation awareness

Advances in ubiquitous computing are enabling the emergence of opportunities in many areas; among them we highlight the health-related applications. In this area, there is a trend toward developing many applications that enable care wherever you are and whenever you need, called ubiquitous healthcare. A detailed survey of existing and proposed models has shown that none of these applications meets the needs of people who suffer from food allergy. Thus, this article proposes an allergy detection ubiquitous model based on situation awareness. This model, called Allergy Detector, focuses on food allergy, in particular the eight major allergens (peanut, milk, egg, wheat, soy, fish, crustacean and tree nuts) and their derivatives, which cause about 90% of all food allergies. The main scientific contribution of the Allergy Detector is the use of situation awareness for detecting allergies anytime and anywhere in a transparent manner. In order to assess the model, we designed some case studies. We also carried out a profiling, accessing the Allergy Detector in terms of performance and identifying the main bottlenecks. The results showed the feasibility of using the model for detecting allergy ubiquitously.Keywords: ubiquitous computing, context awareness, ubiquituos health