Task‐based conceptual graphs as a basis for automating software development

It is widely recognized that requirements engineering is a knowledge‐intensive process and cannot be dealt with using only a few general principles. Since knowledge plays a crucial role in software development, software engineers have to describe and organize various aspects of knowledge before the program can be written. A recent work by Robillard reveals that software development can be further improved by recognizing the relevant knowledge structures. In this paper, we propose the use of a task‐based conceptual graphs (TBCB) framework as a basis for automating software development. By structuring and operationalizing conceptual graphs, TBCG specifications can be transformed into executable programs automatically. To construct a conceptual model, task‐based specification methodology is used as the mechanism to structure the knowledge captured in conceptual models, whereas conceptual graphs are adopted as the formalism to express task‐based specifications and to provide a reasoning capability for the purpose of automation. Once task‐based graphs have been constructed and verified, a blackboard system will automatically transform TBCG specifications into a software system composed of database schemas, knowledge base, and user interfaces. A meeting scheduling system is used as an illustrative example to demonstrate our approach. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A Novel Threshold Cryptography with Membership Authentication and Key Establishment

Wireless Personal Communications - Threshold cryptography has become one of most important tools in providing secure applications such as password protection, cloud computing, etc. Threshold...     

Computation-efficient key establishment in wireless group communications

Wireless Networks - Efficient key establishment is an important problem for secure group communications. The communication and storage complexity of group key establishment problem has been studied...     

Tendenzen der MDF-Plattenerzeugung

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Growth of transplanted tumours in mice treated with macrophages and their products

The antitumour activity of peritoneal macrophages, added to tumour inocula (Winn test), was determined. Macrophages harvested from mice immunised with tumour, or from tumour-bearing mice, suppressed or inhibited tumour growth when in direct contact with tumour cells. Incubation of macrophages exhibiting antitumour activity with tumour cells yielded supernatant fluids capable of interfering with tumour growth. Consistent induction of antitumor activity required either addition of indomethacin to the incubation mixture, or collection of macrophages from immunised or tumour-bearing donors that had ingested indomethacin in the drinking water. Tumour growth was significantly inhibited when tumour inocula were suspended in supernatant fluid, or when mice were given several subcutaneous injections of supernatant prior to tumour transplantation.     

Interdisciplinary question generation: Synthesis and validity analysis of the 1993–1997 bovine mastitis-related literature

Interdisciplinary synthesis and validity analysis (ISVA), a structured learning approach which integrates learning and communication theories, meta-analytic evaluation methods, and literature management-related technologies was applied in the context of the 1993–1997 bovine mastitis research literature. This study investigated whether ISVA could: 1) facilitate the analysis and synthesis of interdisciplinary knowledge claims, and 2) generate projects or research questions. The bovine mastitis-related literature was conceptualized as composed of microbiological, immunological, and epidemiological dimensions. Keywords involving these dimensions were searched in theMedline andAgricola databases. A final list of 148 articles were retrieved, analyzed, synthesized into fifteen information sub-sets, and evaluated for construct, internal, external and statistical validity through an interdisciplinary iterative dialogical process. Validity threats were re-phrased as new research or educational projects.     

Whole milk extender with antibiotics to eliminate Campylobacter fetus from frozen bovine semen

Fresh bovine semen was contaminated with five strains of Campylobacter fetus at 10(5) to 10(6) organisms per ml of semen. The contaminated semen was processed to contain 500 units of polymyxin B, 500 units of penicillin G, and 1000 micrograms of streptomycin sulfate per ml, incubated at 35 degrees C for 10 min, and added then to whole milk extender with like units of antibiotics for further processing. Both a low and high initial sperm count requiring extension rates 1:7 and 1:39 were studied. Specimens for bacterial viability were processed for culture prior to adding bacteria, 100 min after initial antibiotic treatment, prior to freezing, and after thawed semen was centrifuged and washed to remove extender and antibiotic residue. All strains of Campylobacter fetus were not viable 6 h postantibiotic treatment prior to freezing. All nonantibiotic treated controls were viable after thawing and washing. Removal of antibiotics from thawed semen by centrifugation and washing indicated that antibiotics had bactericidal rather than only bacteriostatic activities against Campylobacter fetus.     

Efficient identity-based RSA multisignatures

A digital multisignature is a digital signature of a message generated by multiple signers with knowledge of multiple private keys. In this paper, an efficient RSA multisignature scheme based on Shamir's identity-based signature (IBS) scheme is proposed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first efficient RSA-based multisignature scheme with both fixed length and the verification time. The proposed identity-based multisignature scheme is secure against forgerability under chosen-message attack. It is also secure against multi-signer collusion attack and adaptive chosen-ID attack.     

Threshold proxy re-signature: definition and new constructions

The previous threshold proxy re-signature schemes have been mainly constructed with bilinear maps, the implementations of which are much more time-consuming than exponentiation operations. To solve this problem, we propose efficient threshold proxy re-signature schemes which are constructed with El-Gamal signatures. The performance analysis shows that our schemes are more efficient than the existing threshold proxy re-signature schemes. Based on the discrete logarithm problem, our schemes are provable secure in the random oracle model.     

Experiences with the New York State Bovine Leukosis Virus Eradication and Certification Program

The Diagnostic Laboratory at the Veterinary College at Cornell University has offered a bovine leukosis virus (BLV) eradication/ certification program since 1985. The program has been popular with purebred breeders since its inception. Recently, many commercial dairymen have also begun participating to reduce the high incidence of clinical leukosis observed in their heavily infected herds. Eradication is achieved through a management and testing program designed to meet the needs of each farm. Over the years, experiences and observations have elucidated a number of factors that significantly affect the rate of progress and time required for a herd to become "BLV-Free."