Knowledge based quality-driven architecture design and evaluation

Modelling and evaluating quality properties of software is of high importance, especially when our every day life depends on the quality of services produced by systems and devices embedded into our surroundings. This paper contributes to the body of research in quality and model driven software engineering. It does so by introducing; (1) a quality aware software architecting approach and (2) a supporting tool chain. The novel approach with supporting tools enables the systematic development of high quality software by merging benefits of knowledge modelling and management, and model driven architecture design enhanced with domain-specific quality attributes. The whole design flow of software engineering is semi-automatic; specifying quality requirements, transforming quality requirements to architecture design, representing quality properties in architectural models, predicting quality fulfilment from architectural models, and finally, measuring quality aspects from implemented source code. The semi-automatic design flow is exemplified by the ongoing development of a secure middleware for peer-to-peer embedded systems.     

Using results of eye movement signal analysis in the neural network recognition of otoneurological patients

We extracted a collection of eye movement signals employed for almost two decades in clinical otoneurological tests at a balance laboratory. During those years we designed and programmed signal analysis methods to analyse their features in detail and to compute medically important attributes. In the present study, using such attributes and their results computed we classified test cases into groups of healthy subjects and patients with multilayer perceptron neural networks. Classification succeeded in total accuracies from 60% to 90% depending on the type of eye movements, which were saccades, nystagmus, sinusoidal movements and vestibulo-ocular reflex stimulated in two different ways; these are the chief eye movement tests applied in otoneurology.     

Investigation of the Equivalence of National Dew-Point Temperature Realizations in the ?50?°C to +?20?°C Range

In the field of humidity quantities, the first CIPM key comparison, CCT-K6 is at its end. The corresponding European regional key comparison, EUROMET.T-K6, was completed in early 2008, about 4?years after the starting initial measurements in the project. In total, 24 NMIs from different countries took part in the comparison. This number includes 22 EURAMET countries, and Russia and South Africa. The comparison covered the dew-point temperature range from ?50?°C to +20?°C. It was carried out in three parallel loops, each with two chilled mirror hygrometers as transfer standards in each loop. The comparison scheme was designed to ensure high quality results with evenly spread workload for the participants. It is shown that the standard uncertainty due to the long-term instability was smaller than 0.008?°C in all loops. The standard uncertainties due to links between the loops were found to be smaller than 0.025?°C at ?50?°C and 0.010?°C elsewhere. Conclusions on the equivalence of the dew-point temperature standards are drawn on the basis of calculated bilateral degrees of equivalence and deviations from the EURAMET comparison reference values (ERV). Taking into account 16 different primary dew-point realizations and 8 secondary realizations, the results demonstrate the equivalence of a large number of laboratories at an uncertainty level that is better than achieved in other multilateral comparisons so far in the humidity field.     

How to construct small probabilistic roadmaps with a good coverage?

We investigate how we can construct small probabilistic roadmaps in a reasonable time while still keeping a good coverage and connectivity. We propose a new neighborhood-based method that can reduce the size of the roadmaps by filtering out unnecessary nodes. We then experimentally test it against a basic probabilistic roadmap planner and a visibility-based planner. We use both a uniform sampling and a bridge test sampling in our tests. The results show that the neighborhood-based method can reduce the number of nodes considerably. The neighborhood-based method is simple to implement, it works well with a uniform sampling, and it does not need any additional parameters when compared with the basic planner.     

Preparation and characterisation of α-methylstyrene–butadiene latexes for paper coating applications

The purpose of this work is to demonstrate how α-methylstyrene (AMS) can replace styrene in preparing styrene–butadiene (SB) type latexes and to compare the properties of the paper coating of the prepared α-methylstyrene–butadiene emulsion with the commercial styrene–butadiene latex reference sample. A lot of work is nowadays being conducted on different biorefinery concepts replacing fossil oil with biomass based raw materials due to the expected rise of the fossil oil cost. Aromatics can in principle be produced from renewable raw materials, such as lignin, sugars and terpenes for example. The potential methods include thermochemical conversions, catalytic fast pyrolysis, metabolic engineering, catalytic aromatisation and dehydrogenation among others. Terpenes, such as α-limonene and pinene, are possible sources of aromatics, and they can indeed be catalytically converted to p-cymene. Industrial hydrodealkylation and disproportionation processes developed by major petrochemical companies can further convert p-cymene to BTX aromatics or simultaneously dehydrogenate the alkyl chain of p-cymene to styrenic monomers such as α-methylstyrene. Based on the measured paper properties for uncalendered and calendered coated samples, AMS proved to be adequate to replace the oil based styrene in commercial reference SB latexes. Even though the emulsion polymerisation for the α-methylstyrene–butadiene latex was not optimised, almost all tested properties were at least equally good as in the commercial reference sample. α-Methylstyrene containing coating colours had slightly higher viscosity than the other coating colours. Coating colours containing α-methylstyrene seems to have an improved water retention compared to the commercial reference styrene–butadiene latex coating colour and the laboratory prepared styrene–butadiene coating colour. The paper coated with the commercial reference latex containing coating colour was less porous than the other coated papers. Despite of that, both dry and wet surface strength were at least equally good as in the case of the commercial reference latex. The results are promising when thinking of the future development of the bio-based latexes.     

Structure formation mechanisms in consolidating pigment coatings—Simulation and visualisation

Microstructure development in consolidating pigment coating layers was studied in terms of particle flocculation and clustering mechanisms utilising a 3D particle dynamics model. The model includes hydrodynamic forces, colloidal interactions as well as the Brownian motion. The influence of colloidal interactions and drying strategy on the coating layer thickness development and internal solid concentration gradients, was investigated. A low particle surface potential resulted in the formation of porous particle networks, which impeded the shrinkage of the coating layer. At higher surface potentials particles arranged into denser structures, whereby the solids concentration profile could be controlled by the drying. Low electrostatic double layer thicknesses allowed sharp concentration gradients to form as result of the applied drying strategy. At high double layer thicknesses, the structure formation was similar regardless of drying strategy. This work elucidates the combined effect of drying conditions and colloidal suspension properties on coating microstructure development. Furthermore, the results aid in the understanding of how coating suspension additives may influence the structure development of the coating layer.     

Conference Reviews

Abstract

The desire to teach in a way that acknowledges our position in the world as global citizens faces several challenges, many of which are global in nature. We identify three of these. First, there is the split between “modern” and “traditional” that can be found in a wide range of institutional and historical practices the world over. Second, there is the problem of language which has embedded within it certain historical presumptions. Third, there is the hesitancy in studio teaching to address issues that allow students to see themselves as actors in global history. What we advocate is a global critique of anti-global practices.