Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do actors call use cases? - solving the problems of OOSE/UML use-case relationships

UML 1.3 has made a pair of changes concerning the use-case relationships; one is to move include and extend that used to be stereotypes of the generalization into those of the dependency, and the other is to introduce a true generalization. A use-case generalization, however, is practically useless and therefore the changes are rather worsening the situation. The ACU or Actors-Call-Use-cases conjecture, which is actually against the definition of a use case, is found buried in OOSE (Object-Oriented Software Engineering). It distorts the features of use-case objects and is the root cause of the problems. Strictly following the definition of a use case, a real-world model is built that represents a typical situation of using a use case in the analysis and design stages, and a use case is reified as an ordinary object. The use-case specification thus constructed successfully solves the problems.
Thoughts about the Neuman Systems Model

This is a report of an interview of Betty Neuman, founder of the Neuman systems model, that took place at the 13th Neuman Systems Model Symposium in June 2011. The interview, conducted by Jacqueline Fawcett, included questions submitted by Neuman systems model trustees Sarah Beckman, Barbara Cammuso, Marlou de Kuiper, Barbara Freese, Lois Lowry, and Andre Merks.
A Conceptual Framework for Performance Assessment in Primary Health Care

As health systems strive to achieve improvements in quality, equity and efficiency, systems of performance assessment are increasingly being introduced. To function effectively as tools for internal quality improvement, they need to be aligned with staff and organisational objectives, foster insight into practice and provide a focus for learning leading to improvement. Adopting such a "coalface" perspective, we developed a conceptual framework to underpin the potential development of a quality system for a large primary health care program. The Framework for Performance Assessment in Primary Health Care (FPA_PHC) is grounded in evaluation theory and explicitly identifies the processes of primary health care articulated by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is based on Donabedian's (1998) now classic "structure", "process", "outcome" model for assessment of quality of care. The FPA_PHC specifies the development of objectives that are focused on patients/families/communities and has four indicator levels relating to stewardship, organisational structures and processes, processes of care and intermediate outcomes. Equity can be assessed by asking of processes of care and intermediate outcomes: "is it the same for everyone? " The indicators can be mapped to higher order system performance frameworks such as the National Health Performance Framework. The FPA_PHC has been adopted for the National Quality and Performance System for Divisions of General Practice and its application in this and a second setting are described.
Applying workflow management to support massive maintenance

Workflow management systems have proven useful for improving the management end execution of processes in several application domains, including software engineering. In this paper we discuss issues and preliminary results of a project aiming at introducing workflow technology in a software maintenance organization. We apply a four steps process to model the workflows, and the associated flows of documentations of the massive maintenance process. The paper describes the models obtained and discusses how they have been implemented using market-widespread workflow technology.
An Effective and Practical Performance Prediction Model for Parallel Computing on Nondedicated Heterogeneous NOW

cated system effects of the underlying system. In this paper, we focus on developing a practical performance prediction methodology for such a network of workstations. Quite a few researchers [1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 12] have contributed useful results to the performance prediction of parallel computing in dedicated homogeneous parallel environments. A two-level prediction framework has been widely used in existing prediction methods with the objective of separating the performance factors arising from the two logic levels: the application level and the system level. These prediction methods differ in the way they model the nondeterministic nature of system effects, such as interprocess communication events, contention for shared resources, and program structures. These methods fall into two classes: stochastic methods and deterministic methods. In stochastic models, nondeterminism is reflected by taking into account the variance or distribution of execution times of the synchronizing processes in the program. However, as surveyed and shown in [1], the stochastic models proposed so far have never been evaluated with regard to efficiency and accuracy for actual applications because those models require complex solution techniques, as well as the assumption of exponential task times for analytical tractability. In deterministic models, the variance of execution times is assumed to be negligible and these execution times are represented as deterministic quantities. Intuition and conceptual simplification are the major advantages of deterministic models which make it possible to predict execution of an application program. In [1, 4], the authors have demonstrated the deterministic assumption to be practical. The major limitation of deterministic models is that they fail to reflect the effect of network contention, which is an important factor affecting the execution of many applications in some network architectures, such as Ethernet. In [1, 7, 12], network contention is analyzed based on numerical techniques involving queuing networks or even Markov chains. These techniques may be intractable for real world applications that have complicated communication patterns. In [4], the communication overhead is deterministically decided by four parameters: network bandwidth, communication startup time, maximal bit transmission time and the number of processors. This model may not JOURNAL OF PARALLEL AND DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING 38, 63–80 (1996) ARTICLE NO. 0129
An Evaluation of the Prioritisation of Referrals by Leeds Social Services Senior Occupational Therapists

Leeds occupational therapy section formally adopted a priority system for referrals in 1989. Written priority guidelines defined three levels of priority: immediate need (P1), urgent need (P2) and non-urgent (P3). Senior occupational therapists assign priority to referrals which they subsequently allocate to field workers. P1 and P2 referrals are visited by occupational therapists and P3 referrals by occupational therapy assistants. This study attempted to discover if the priority assigned by the senior occupational therapists was accurate. The senior occupational therapists were asked to allocate a number of referrals from each priority level to the occupational therapists without indicating what priority they considered the referral to be. The occupational therapists were asked to visit the client and record the priority of the case on the basis of their home assessment, using the written guidelines. The priorities assigned were compared and agreement was measured by use of the kappa statistic. The senior occupational therapists allocated 264 study referrals. Occupational therapist information was gathered on 216 of these. The occupational therapists and senior occupational therapists agreed on 64.4% of the P1s, 40.3% of the P2s and 47.4% of the P3s. The kappa statistics indicate that the level of agreement was poor to fair. Further information should be gathered on those referrals considered to be either P2 or P3 by the senior occupational therapists to allow more accurate prioritisation.
Prior-knowledge assisted fast 3D map building of structured environments for steel bridge maintenance

Practical application of a robot in a structured, yet unknown environment, such as in bridge maintenance, requires the robot to quickly generate an accurate map of the surfaces in the environment. A consistent and complete map is fundamental to achieving reliable and robust operation. In a real-world and field application, sensor noise and insufficient exploration oftentimes result in an incomplete map. This paper presents a robust environment mapping approach using prior knowledge in combination with a single depth camera mounted on the end-effector of a robotic manipulator. The approach has been successfully implemented in an industrial setting for the purpose of steel bridge maintenance. A prototype robot, which includes the presented map building approach in its software package, has recently been delivered to industry.
Does Comorbidity Increase the Risk of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever and Dengue Shock Syndrome

Background. Dengue fever is an emerging public health problem in Pakistan. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between comorbid conditions in individuals suffering from dengue fever and the development of dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. Methods. In this age- and sex-matched case control study, total of 132 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome and 249 randomly selected controls were recruited from two major teaching hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. A semistructured questionnaire was used to collect data through interview and by reviewing clinical records. SPSS version 18 was utilized for statistical analysis including conditional logistic regression. Results. Odds of developing dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) among diabetics are higher than in controls, but this association was not found statistically significant (OR. 1.26; 95% CI. 0.78–2.03; ). Similarly, no association was observed in individuals suffering from hypertension (OR. 0.93; 95% CI. 0.57–1.49; ). Odds of developing DHF and DSS were higher for bronchial asthma (adjusted OR. 1.34) and pulmonary tuberculosis (adjusted OR. 1.41); however P values were insignificant. Conclusion. Presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and bronchial asthma among patients contracted dengue fever will not increase the risk of dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.
Heterogeneous and Multifaceted Multimedia Objects in DOOR/MM: A Role-Based Approach with Views

Although the distributed multimedia information system is getting popular nowadays, existing database systems do not offer adequate support to structural nor behavioral extension of multimedia objects. Moreover, the multifaceted nature of multimedia data has seldom been investigated. Besides the flexibility for multimedia authoring tools, dynamic extension and multifacet modeling can in general ease the task on integrating the multimedia information of heterogeneous formats over a distributed network. This paper presents the support of dynamic extension and multifacet modeling of multimedia objects in a client-server, object-role database system called DOOR. The resultant system, with multimedia functionalities, is named as DOOR/MM (DOOR with multimedia extensions). First, the underlying data model for DOOR is summarized. We then present the extension of the data model, by means of meta-object protocol (MOP), to implement the metaclasses for multimedia objects. In DOOR, objects are structured as a tree of roles. Each role may carry different properties and interact with other roles cooperatively. An object may acquire or drop multiple roles during its lifetime. Structural and behavioral extensions of multimedia objects are achieved by dynamic role playing. Multifaceted interfaces of an multimedia object are modeled by means of views on roles. In particular, we discuss different ways of using views to model different abstraction levels of the heterogeneous multimedia resources. Throughout the paper, examples such as text, bitmap, MIDI, and 3D graphic objects are used to demonstrate the significance of our approach.
Electricity load demand time series forecasting with Empirical Mode Decomposition based Random Vector Functional Link network

Short-term electricity load demand forecasting is a critical process in the management of modern power system. An ensemble method composed of Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and Random Vector Functional Link network (RVFL) is presented in this paper. Due to the randomly generated weights between input and hidden layers and the close form solution for parameter tuning, RVFL network is a universal approximator with the advantages of fast training. By introducing ensemble approach via EMD into RVFL network, the performance can be significantly improved. Five electricity load demand datasets from Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The attractiveness of the proposed EMD based RVFL network can be demonstrated by the comparison with six benchmark methods.
Brain-Computer Interfacing for multimedia quality assessment

The assessment of perceived multimedia quality is a central research field in information and media technology. Conventionally, psychophysical techniques are used for determining the quality of multimedia signals. Recently, Brain-Computer Interfacing (BCI)-based methods have been proposed for the assessment of perceived multimedia signal quality. In this paper we give an overview over the shortcomings of conventional approaches, present the state-of-the art of BCI-based methods and discuss open questions and challenges relevant to the BCI community.
Compression and its metrics for multimedia

Multimedia involves a myriad of data and multidimensional signals, including not only plain and formatted text, but also mathematical and other symbols, tables, vector and bitmap graphics, images, sound, animation, video, and interactive virtual reality objects. Compression of such signals is usually necessary to fit them into the available communications channels and digital storage, or for data mining. This paper provides an overview of important compression methods and techniques, including lossless entropy coding techniques designed to reduce the redundancy in the critical multimedia material, as well as lossy coding techniques designed to preserve the relevancy of the noncritical multimedia material. Modern lossy techniques often employ wavelets, wavelet packets, fractals, and neural networks. Progressive image transmission is also employed to deliver the material quickly. The paper also addresses several approaches to blind separation of signal from noise (denoising) to improve the compression, and to the difficult question of objective and subjective image quality assessment through complexity metrics.
Performance of frequency resource assignment schemes for cognitive radio based cooperative communication systems

Cognitive radio (CR) allows unauthorized users to access authorized band without interfering the authorized user, thereby improving the bandwidth efficiency. In addition, cooperative communications with relay stations (RSs) can be used to improve throughput performance of 4G downlink network. In this study a cognitive radio assisted cooperation (CRAC), which combines advantages of CR and cooperative communications with RSs, is considered for resources allocation in the downlink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) networks. Two adaptive resource allocation algorithms are presented and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithms can not only enhance throughput, but also improve fairness and utility of users assuming available channels are known by base station.
Letter to the Editor: Identification of vocalic features from French stop bursts

Abstract This paper investigates the perception of vocalic features from French stop bursts. The test corpus was made up of 90 stimuli of 20–25 ms duration extracted from natural monosyllabic words which combined the initial stops /p, t, k/ with the vowels /i, a, u/. In order to cut off all traces of the following vowel, bursts with a duration of less than 20–25 ms were lengthened. Eight listeners identified the vocalic context under a training condition, eight others under a no-training condition. Results showed that the burst onset provided substantial vocalic information (the overall identification rate was 80% under training condition). Under both conditions, the vowel /i/ was clearly identified from /t/ and /k/, and the vowel /u/ was clearly identified from /k/. Knowledge about coarticulation in stop-vowel sequences and its effects on burst acoustics was used in order to find articulatory phenomena and corresponding acoustic patterns which could explain the identification of vowels from bursts.
The Development of a Patient Care Center in a Supermarket Chain Pharmacy

Purpose: The objective of this manuscript is to describe the development and implementation of a patient care center in a grocery store supermarket chain pharmacy. Methods: A clinical pharmacist and shared faculty member between Wayne State University and Kroger Pharmacy developed a patient care center and rotation site for P4 PharmD advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). The site was developed to provide advanced pharmacy services to patients and as a practice site for students to learn how to deliver care. Preliminary outcomes observed include the number and types of patients that utilized the patient care center and the educational experiences provided for student pharmacists practicing in this setting. Results: Since implementation, 160 patients visited the patient care center. The pharmacists involved in the clinic performed 30 biometric screenings and 47 comprehensive medication reviews. Conclusions: Establishing a patient care center in a supermarket pharmacy provides important care for patients and valuable learning experiences for student pharmacists. The collaborative efforts of both Wayne State University and Kroger Pharmacy demonstrate commitment to providing clinical care to patients and strong clinical community practice experiences for students. Future goals include creating more clinical services in the community and practice experiences for students.
Evaluation of Discontinuation of Atypical Antipsychotics Prescribed for ICU Delirium

A number of trials suggest that short-term use of atypical antipsychotics may be useful in the treatment of delirium associated with critical illness. However, long-term use of such agents for this indication has not been studied and may be associated with risks of adverse effects as well as unnecessary health care costs. A retrospective study of prescribing patterns of atypical antipsychotics initiated for the treatment of intensive care unit (ICU) delirium was performed to identify whether these agents were being discontinued prior to or upon hospital discharge. Of the 59 patients who met inclusion criteria and survived to hospital discharge, 28 (47%) were continued on the atypical antipsychotic upon discharge from the medical ICU. For those continued on the agent, 20 patients (71.4%) were prescribed continued therapy as an outpatient. Inpatient costs for atypical antipsychotics during the 9-month study period were increased by approximately $888. Annual cost of the medication as outpatient therapy is assessed at approximately $45 107. Although short-term trials of atypical antipsychotics may be useful for ICU delirium, caution is advised regarding potential adverse effects and added health care costs when use is prolonged.
Hilbert Functions and the Buchberger Algorithm

Abstract In this paper we show how to use the knowledge of the Hilbert–Poincare series of an idealIto speed up the Buchberger algorithm for the computation of a Grobner basis. The algorithm is useful in the change of ordering and in the validation of modular computations, also with tangent cone orderings; speeds the direct computation of a Grobner basis if the ideal is a complete intersection, e.g. in the computation of cartesian from parametric equations, can validate or disprove a conjecture that an ideal is a complete intersection, and is marginally useful also when the conjecture is false. A large set of experiments is reported.
Comments on Graves’ Hyperthyroidism-Induced Psychosis Treated With Aripiprazole

Macedo et al described the first ever case in which the atypical antipsychotic aripiprazole was used successfully to treat Graves’ hyperthyroidism-induced psychosis in a patient with atrial fibrillation. We have experienced similar success using aripiprazole in a patient with atrial fibrillation and an elevated QTc of 509 ms. Aripiprazole was chosen in our case due to its reported lack of association with QTc prolongation and torsade de pointes. Here we briefly describe the case of a 45-year-old SamoanJapanese male with a medical history of polycystic kidney and liver disease and a psychiatric history of depression but not psychosis or substance abuse who was initially admitted to the medical ward with acute onset of newly disorganized behavior and speech and paranoid delusions in the context of untreated hyperthyroidism secondary to Graves’ Disease (antithryoglobulin and antithyroperoxidase positive, thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH] 6.99 ng/dL, free T3 18.40 pg/mL). On hospital day number 4, he became increasingly agitated and paranoid and aripiprazole was restarted while treatment continued with methimazole 20 mg twice daily, atenolol 50 mg daily, and digoxin 0.125 mg daily. Again his disorganized behavior and speech resolved over the next 4 days, with improvement in his delusional beliefs and no report of adverse effects. At the time of this report, he was scheduled for future thyroid ablation with plan for ongoing outpatient psychiatric treatment. Final discharge diagnosis was psychotic disorder secondary to Graves’ hyperthyroidism. This case demonstrates that Macedo et al’s findings are replicable and supports the purported use of aripiprazole to treat Graves’ hyperthyroidism-induced psychosis, especially in patients with associated cardiac abnormalities including prolonged QTc. Caution, however, should still be taken when using aripiprazole in this population as the package insert does report QTc prolongation in 1 or more patients who overdosed on aripiprazole either alone or in combination with other substances, and a recent case report describes QTc prolongation and torsades de pointes occurring in an intensive care unit patient after administration of low doses. Our case suggests that lower doses may be as effective as higher doses, thus potentially lowering the risk of side effects, and that longer duration of treatment may be indicated as relapse of psychotic symptoms can possibly occur. Unfortunately, medication nonadherence, also reported in Macedo et al’s case, appears to be a major barrier to prolonged treatment. Patient education and close monitoring provided by health care professionals such as physicians and pharmacists could go a long way to increase the chances of successful treatment.
Hierarchical Shape Classification Using Bayesian Aggregation

In 3D shape classification scenarios with classes arranged in a hierarchy from most general to most specific, the use of an independent classifier for each class can produce predictions that are inconsistent with the parent-child relationships of the hierarchy. To be consistent, an example shape must not be assigned to a class unless it is also assigned to its parent class. This paper presents a Bayesian framework for combining multiple classifiers based on a class hierarchy. Given a set of independent classifiers for an arbitrary type of shape descriptor, we combine their possibly inconsistent predictions in our Bayesian framework to obtain the most probable consistent set of predictions. Such error correction is expected to improve accuracy on the overall classification by utilizing the structure of the hierarchy. Our experiments show that over the 170-class hierarchical Princeton shape benchmark using the spherical harmonic descriptor (SHD) our algorithm improves the classification accuracy of the majority of classes, in comparison to independent classifiers. Our method is also more effective than straightforward heuristics for correcting hierarchical inconsistencies