bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expanding technology access for adults with developmental disabilities at F.E.G.S health & human services network
Authors: Hacker Emily
Published: June 2007

New technologies that have become integrated into all facets of society present a multitude of challenges and opportunities for human services providers and the consumers they serve. The mission of F.E.G.S Health and Human Services System (F.E.G.S), has always been to help individuals reach their highest level of achievement, at work, at home, and in the community. To carry out this mission today requires setting new program goals to help reduce the digital divide for our consumers. F.E.G.S enters the 21 st Century committed to finding new ways of creating synergy between technology and health and human services to make sure the individuals we serve are able to be full participants in the digital age.
Cognitive difficulties and access to information systems
Authors: Gregor Peter , Dickinson Anna
Published: June 2007

In this paper we discuss our human computer interaction research on improving the accessibility and supportiveness of information systems for people with cognitive difficulties, whether these are developmental impairments, such as dyslexia, or acquired difficulties, most often an effect of the ageing process. The aetiology and symptoms of these conditions are diverse, yet the challenges they pose to the design of information systems can be addressed using a similar approach (see, for example, Dickinson
et al.
, 2003). The concept of accessibility for this group cannot be an extension of traditional accessibility approaches, which focus on the provision of opportunities to the technically adept: accessibility for this group demands new approaches and a reconsideration of the design of information systems.
Concurrent programming on microcomputers
Authors: Appelbe B. , Kroening M.
Published: June 2007

The design and implementation of a well-defined set of extensions to the UCSD Pascal System which support concurrent programming is described. The extensions provide for dynamic process creation and interprocess communication using messages. The extensions are designed to be consistent with the UCSD Pascal System philosophy of providing a compact, portable environment for microcomputer software development. The concurrent programming capability extends the range of applications of the UCSD Pascal System to distributed systems, real-time process control, and simulation of discrete processes.
Rosetta Smalltalk
Authors: Warren Scott K. , Abbe Dennis
Published: June 2007

Rosetta Smalltalk is a personal information handling environment for low-cost microcomputers based on the work of the Learning Research Group at Xerox PARC. Our prototype runs on two different Z-80 based personal computers. The major goals of the system are to support a lively interactive style of working and to provide an open-ended medium in which personalized tools may easily be constructed. Rather than write monolithic programs, the user extends the language with new objects and syntax. He then solves his problems by interacting with his extensions at the keyboard. Multiple independent CRT windows permit several partially completed interactions to be displayed at once.All facilities in Rosetta Smalltalk are represented by
objects
, which are instances of Simulalike classes. Objects are not operated on directly, but are sent
messages
requesting them to perform actions and return replies. The language is extended by creating new classes and by adding new messages to existing classes.
A multi-microprocessor system for parallel computations
Authors: Wang Pong-sheng , Liu Ming T.
Published: June 2007

This paper is concerned with the design of a multi-microprocessor system that exploits parallelism in ordinary high-level language programs so as to increase their execution speed, without adding too much complexity to the system. The notion of Parallel Execution Strings (PES) as a representation of expressions for parallel execution is first discussed. We then apply the PES scheme to detect the parallelism at both the statement and the block levels. Finally, the design of a multi-microprocessor system suitable for executing the programs compiled with the PES notion is presented. It consists of a number of microprocessors (Am2900) with central control of moderate complexity.
Micro-SEED and its application
Authors: Gerritsen Rob , Hackathorn Richard
Published: June 2007

Micro-SEED is the first complete database management system for microcomputers. This paper reviews the development of Micro-SEED and then describes two applications that have been developed to use Micro-SEED: general ledger and bill-of-material processor. A final section evaluates the performance in terms of the transaction rate of general ledger applications that can be supported and calculates the cost per transaction.
A window manager for the UCSD p-System
Authors: Tate Austin
Published: June 2007

There has been a great deal of interest recently in the use of computer displays which allow a screen to be divided into a number of separate areas or 'windows' such as are used in the Xerox environment (Alto, 1979). Examples of software environments based on the Alto using windows include Smalltalk (a summary of several environments is given in Goldberg, 1979) and the Lisp Programmer's Assistant (Teitelman, 1977). In these systems, separate windows are often 'attached' to separate, possibly concurrent, processes.
TMML
Authors: Park Ted C. , Korpman Ralph A.
Published: June 2007

The development of a set of utility macro-instructions (called TMML) for use with mini-computer assembly languages is described. Each macro call is similar to a typical high-level language statement thus allowing a more structured approach to the assembly coding process. A unique feature of TMML is its ability to be freely intermixed with straight assembly code with no modifications necessary in the assembly coding process. Although TMML may be viewed as a programming language in which one may freely intermix assembly code, it should more properly be viewed as a means of enhancing programming in assembly language by freely intermixing TMML constructs. This implementation was done on a Data General ECLIPSE series computer. The implementation methodology is detailed in this paper to allow for use of TMML on many computer models and types.
Personalizing large computers
Authors: Weiderman Nelson H.
Published: June 2007

Many of us in the computing field who have been accustomed to using time-sharing systems on mini and maxi computers are not yet ready to give up our access to large interactive systems in favor of a personal computer. Personal computers simply do not provide the diversity of software and data available through a good time-sharing facility. However, as computing professionals we realize that personal computers will become a larger part of our work and that we ought to have one in our office. How can we reasonably justify personal computers and bridge the gap between our past experience and the newer technology? Obviously we must provide the incentive of offering better interactive access to maxi computers through a microcomputer. In this case, "better" can mean faster, cheaper, and more friendly computing.
As we may think
Authors: Bush Vannevar
Published: June 2007

As Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Dr. Vannevar Bush has coordinated the activities of some six thousand leading American scientists in the application of science to warfare. In this significant article he holds up an incentive for scientists when the fighting has ceased. He urges that men of science should then turn to the massive task of making more accessible our bewildering store of knowledge. For years inventions have extended man's physical powers rather than the powers of his mind. Trip hammers that multiply the fists, microscopes that sharpen the eye, and engines of destruction and detection are new results, but not the end results, of modern science. Now, says Dr. Bush, instruments are at hand which, if properly developed, will give man access to and command over the inherited knowledge of the ages. The perfection of these pacific instruments should be the first objective of our scientists as they emerge from their war work. Like Emerson's famous address of 1837 on "The American Scholar," this paper by Dr. Bush calls for a new relationship between thinking man and the sum of our knowledge.
Z - the 95% program editor
Authors: Wood Steven R.
Published: June 2007

Recently much attention has been focused on structure-oriented program editors that have specific knowledge about the syntax and semantics of a particular programming language [1, 4, 5, 18]. These editors provide many desirable features for editing programs. However, the user interface is constrained by the syntax and semantics of the target language, and editing operations that are simple in a text editor can be quite complicated in a structure-oriented editor. In addition, the user has an editor that is limited to a single language and must use a different editor for text editing. Existing implementations of structure-oriented editors use a parse-tree representation for a program along with a supporting lexical analyzer, parser, and pretty-printer; this representation significantly complicates the implementation of an editor.

We believe that the most natural representation of programs is text and that the editor should be able to take advantage of the same visual cues that programmers use to understand their programs. With a text-oriented model of program structure, the editor is both a program editor and a document editor. As a program editor it provides features to support many different programming languages, such as LISP, APL, PASCAL, and BLISS. As a document editor it provides basic word-processing functions such as text justification and spelling correction. A text orientation considerably simplifies the design of the editor and presents the user with a simple but powerful model of program structure. This paper describes a text-oriented display editor called Z. Z is the production editor in the Yale Computer Science Department.
The why and wherefore of the Cornell Program Synthesizer
Authors: Teitelbaum Tim , Reps Thomas , Horwitz Susan
Published: June 2007

The Cornell Program Synthesizer is a syntax-directed programming environment that has been used in introductory programming courses since June, 1979. We present our experience with the Synthesizer by introducing its main features, by presenting our basic principles of design, and by discussing important design decisions.
The design of a language-directed editor for block-structured languages
Authors: Morris Joseph M. , Schwartz Mayer D.
Published: June 2007

A language-directed editor combines the text manipulation functions of a general-purpose editor with the syntax-checking functions of a compiler. It allows a user to create and modify a program in terms of its syntactic structure. The design of a user interface and an implementation for one such editor is described in language-independent terms. The design rationale is given. The implementation is outlined in terms of its major data structures.
Etude and the folklore of user interface design
Authors: Good Michael
Published: June 2007

Research in user interface design is like the weather—everybody talks about it, but nobody does anything about it. While this isn't strictly true, the great majority of guidelines for user interface design that one is likely to come across are based on the experience or gut feelings of a particular designer. These are better than nothing, but they are made less useful since 1) a particular recommendation could be based on factors unique to the designer's own system, 2) the population for whom the particular system is intended is either not described in detail or is not a generalizable sample of computer users, 3) designers' gut feelings are notoriously inaccurate sources for human factors guidelines. Thus the main body of recommendations available to the designer of a new system is more in the category of folklore than of readily accepted engineering principles.

So long as one recognizes these limitations, it is still very helpful to consider the recommendations one finds in the literature when designing a new system. Some of these are based on experimental evidence, while others are repeated often enough and with so little opposition that their utility is better than average. In this paper, I will show how these principles have been applied in designing the Etude text processing system. After summarizing the major ideas behind the design of Etude, I will focus on several specific areas of user interface design, comparing Etude's approach with the appropriate recommendations from the folklore. I will conclude by briefly describing a forthcoming experiment which is intended to determine if adherence to the folklore has in fact produced a system that is easy to use.
The document editor
Authors: Walker Janet H.
Published: June 2007

As understanding of a particular problem domain matures, its tools become more specialized, moving from general low-level tools to more specialized high-level tools. Early work in a field applies the same set of low-level aids to all problems. Gradually more specialized tools emerge as we come to better understand the problem and the tools that are best for it.

Since the emergence of the first program editors in the early 1960s we have learned a lot about the editing process and about building editors. Recently several editors specialized for editing program sources, text, and data structures have been developed. To date, little work has been reported on specialized document editors for editing complex text. This paper describes a research effort into identifying the requirements for an interactive environment for editing complex documents and an initial implementation for the environment.
Checking for spelling and typographical errors in computer-based text
Authors: Turba Thomas N.
Published: June 2007

This paper addresses the problems and techniques of checking for spelling and typographical errors in computer-based text. To some extent, the paper is a combination of a report of work done by the author and a survey of other work which, although not all used by the author, is of equal value and interest. Some of the material presented is related to other aspects of text processing such as data compaction and the efficient searching of very large dictionaries.
PEN
Authors: Allen Todd , Nix Robert , Perlis Alan
Published: June 2007

Three terms in common usage in computerized text processing are
text-editing, word-processing,
and
computer controlled typesetting
. This paper deals with a fourth term,
manuscript preparation
, that has important intersections with the above three. A
computerized manuscript preparation system
is one that supports an author in the preparation of a manuscript. In what follows we deal with one such, the
PEN
system, directed towards the preparation of manuscripts containing significant mathematical notation.
PIC—a language for typesetting graphics
Authors: Kernighan Brian W.
Published: June 2007

PIC is a language for specifying pictures so that they can be typeset as an integral part of a document preparation system.

The basic objects in PIC are boxes, lines, arrows, circles, ellipses, arcs and splines, which may be placed anywhere and labeled with arbitrary text. Most of the effort in designing PIC has gone into making it possible to specify the sizes and positions of objects with minimal use of absolute coordinates.

This paper describes PIC, with primary emphasis on those aspects of the language that make it easy to use.
A graphics typesetting language
Authors: Van Wyk Christopher J.
Published: June 2007

We present a new programming language, IDEAL, in which two-dimensional figures can be expressed. The language is intended to work with existing text-formatting systems so that text and figures can be typeset at the same time.

The building block for IDEAL programs is called a “box” it shares some features with procedures and some with records in general-purpose programming languages. A box includes a system of constraints (in this incarnation, equations in complex variables) that declares the relative positions of its significant points and requests for actions to be performed at those points.

A box is called by adding enough constraints to the system in its definition that its significant points can be solved for uniquely. A box call may also include additional actions to be performed during the call. The notions of drawing a line using a pattern and texturing a polygonal area follow directly from the mechanism for defining and calling boxes.

Users may also ask for a box to be “opaque” so that it blots out pieces of picture that it covers. Finally, two commands embody the idea of sketching several pictures on different parallel planes, then merging them into a single picture. We use these when erasing to create one part of a picture would destroy another part that we want.

We discuss good algorithms for implementing IDEAL when the constraints are expressed as a special kind of nonlinear system and the pictures are composed of straight lines and circular arcs. The language has been implemented, and was used to produce the paper.
Prettyprinting in an interactive programming environment
Authors: Mikelsons Martin
Published: June 2007

Prettyprint algorithms designed for printing programs on paper are not appropriate in an interactive environment where the interface to the user is a CRT screen. We describe a data representation and an algorithm that allow the efficient generation of program displays from a parsed internal representation of a program. The displays show the structure of the program by consistent and automatic indentation. They show the program in varying levels of detail by replacing unimportant parts with ellipsis marks. The relative importance of program parts is determined jointly by the structure of the program and by the current focus of attention of the programmer.
On the line breaking problem in text formatting
Authors: Achugbue James O.
Published: June 2007

A basic problem in text formatting is that of determining the break points for separating a string of words into lines to obtain a formatted paragraph. When formatted text is required to be aligned with both the left and right margins, the choice of break points greatly affects the quality of the formatted document. This paper presents and discusses solutions to the line breaking problem. These include the usual line-by-line method, a dynamic programming approach, and a new algorithm which is optimal and runs almost as fast as the line-by-line method.
A redisplay algorithm
Authors: Gosling James
Published: June 2007

This paper presents an algorithm for updating the image displayed on a conventional video terminal. It assumes that the terminal is capable of doing the usual insert/delete line and insert/delete character operations. It takes as input a description of the image currently on the screen and a description of the new image desired and produces a series of operations to do the desired transformation in a near-optimal manner. The algorithm is interesting because it applies results from the theoretical string-to-string correction problem (a generalization of the problem of finding a longest common subsequence), to a problem that is usually approached with crude ad-hoc techniques.
The implementation of Etude, an integrated and interactive document production system
Authors: Hammer Michael , Ilson Richard , Anderson Tim , Gilbert Edward , Good Michael , Niamir Bahram , Rosentein Larry , Schoichet Sandor
Published: June 2007

Etude is an experimental text processing system that is being developed in order to formulate and evaluate new approaches to the design of user interfaces for office automation tools. The primary design goal for Etude is to provide the user with substantial functionality in the editing and formatting of documents in the context of a system that is easy to learn and use.
Implementing SNOBOL 4 for the 8086 micro-computer family
Authors: Emmer Mark B.
Published: June 2007

A commercial product called SNOBOL4+ for the 8086/8088 computer family is described. It implements the entire SNOBOL4 language, and shows reasonable execution speed. Sample programs in the standard SNOBOL4 language reference text which were run on an IBM 360 model 65 execute approximately 10 times slower on an 8088 equipped IBM PC (3.5 times slower on a PC AT).The internal construction of the SNOBOL4 interpreter has been well described elsewhere (Griswold, Ralph E., The Macro Implementation of SNOBOL4. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman and Co., 1972, 310 pages). This note explains some of the design decisions made for this specific implementation. It is hoped that lessons learned the proverbial "hard way" may benefit others when implementing large systems for the 8086/8088. The "lessons" reflect the author's personal bias and experience. Some are conjectural, others resulted from doing things over the "right" way.
Application of a portable minicomputer system in a research/student laboratory environment
Authors: Nebolon Joseph F.
Published: June 2007

A portable minicomputer system (PDP 11/03) including floppy disk drives, lineprinter, graphics plotter, A/D, parallel and serial interfaces, even-timing circuitry, and user-designed data base software, is the focus of this paper. The system is located in a laboratory used for both undergraduate instructional purposes and graduate level research. A variety of experimental applications of this system will be discussed, although special attention will be paid to our steady state engine testing faciltiy. In this experiment the data acquisition system monitors a large number of engine operating conditions as well as a bank of seven exhaust gas analyzers. The operator views a CRT screen displaying all engine parameters, exhaust composition, and warning diagnostics.Briefly stated, over two years experience with this system has had three main effects upon this department: (1) exposing undergraduate mechanical engineering students to modern computer-aided experimental techniques, (2) increasing the quality and quantity of data taken, and (3) providing the experimentalist with convenient access to the data.
UNIX on a micro
Authors: Boldyreff Cornelia
Published: June 2007

The earliest version of UNIX (circa 1969--70) developed at Bill Laboratories ran on DEC PDP-7 and PDP-9 computers. It was modeled on the Multics system; the operating system resulting from a joint development project undertaken in the mid-sixties by Bell Labs, MIT and General Electric (now Honeywell) which at the time it was conceived, was one of the first operating systems to be largely written in a high level language. The PDP-11 version of UNIX became operational in 1971. Dennis M Richie and Ken Thompson, joint developers of UNIX, cite its most important achievement was the demonstration that a powerful operating system for interactive use need not be expensive in either hardware of software development. They claim the main system software was developed in less than two man years. This was not done at the expense of operating facilities as the users of UNIX will testify; the system is characterised by its simplicity, elegance and ease of use.[1]
Microprocessor assembly language draft standard
Authors: Marino Richard A.
Published: June 2007

Among the first languages used in programming computers were assembly languages, in which each instruction is translated directly into machine code. Since that time, the level and sophistication of computer languages has grown to such an extent that high-level computer languages are essentially machine-independent and some are nearly compatible with the spoken language. Even though high-level languages continue to become more and more sophisticated and are the subject of most computer language discussion, there still is and always be a need for assembly languages.
Fifth SIGSMALL Symposium 2, 3, 4 August 1982 Colorado Springs, Colorado
Authors: Berghel Hal
Published: June 2007

In the summer of 1980, a California communications firm contracted me to conduct a feasibility study, the focus of which was to be a hand-held Diet Calculator which would keep a running total of the calories, tata, carbohydrates, cholesterol, protein, sodium, etc. intake for individuals on restricted diets. The president of the firm wanted a display prototype and a rough estimate of unit cost. If the results of the study looked favorable, a new company would be formed to manufacture and market this product. In this paper I will brietly summarize the results of this project.The key to this endeavor was flexibility. We were unsure of which food properties would eventually be important to monitor, and what ultimate size the calculator should have. So we aimed at 8 food properties, and an overall dimension of approximately 6" × 3" × 1/2". Other than these basic guidelines, the project was omnidirectional. Every facet of the product had to be explored including the hardware and software engineering, subcontracting the plastics, keyboard, LCD display, power supply, estimates on tooling and mask charges, etc. This soon became an eye-opening experience.
Criteria for UNIX-like systems
Authors: Mason Alan
Published: June 2007

In setting a standard for UNIX-like systems we must first consider why we wish to do this, and effectively constrain our areas of interest. As a User Group we wish to have a common reference base for discussion whilst as a group of users we are more interested in the question of portability. Portability, not simply of software but of personnel. We look, in fact, for an environment whereby users may move with ease between different systems without perpetually residing at the low end of the learning curve. This is particularly important in the research environment, which is rarely constrained to a single architecture and with todays growing interest in distributed and networked systems. Having said this, it must be realised that in many ways, attempting to set a standard is contrary to aspects of the philosophy of a non-supported, high level language written system such as UNIX. We are not attempting to set a standard which must be obeyed by every installation, but one which must be able to be implemented on any system. Nor do we wish to be overly formal in its definition, but rather give guidelines as to what a UNIX User/Programmer might expect from a UNIX-like system.
Virtual machines on microprocessor hosts
Authors: Higgins Donald S.
Published: June 2007

One of the characteristics of a stored program computer is that given sufficient memory, any stored program computer can be programmed to simulate any other stored program computer. With the availability of 64K microprocessor systems which can execute over 1 million instructions per second, it is now feasible and practical to simulate a large mainframe computer using the native micro-processor macro assembler as a vertical microprogramming language (1). This paper describes the results of an experiment using this technique to implement an IBM 370 virtual machine on a Z80 microprocessor host using what is called pseudo microcode (PMC).
The iAPX 286 protection architecture
Authors: Klebanoff Jack
Published: June 2007

The iAPX 286 is a 16 bit microprocessor introduced by Intel in 1982. Its main features are as follows.1) High performance, 2 to 3 times the performance of the Intel 8086 at equivalent clock speeds.2) A protection architecture that is capable of supporting secure and reliable systems.3) A high performance memory management and protection mechanism (high performance is retained when memory management and protection is turned on).4) Compatibility with the Intel 8086/8088.This article will give an overview of the protection architecture of the Intel iAPX 286.With current software technology, it is not feasible to implement large, or even medium sized, software systems that are completely correct. Generally the number of bugs increases at least linearly with the software size. If a system is to show some robustness its most crucial sections must be protected from less crucial sections. If enforcement of a security policy is the key measure of robustness, then the part of the operating system that enforces security must be small and protected from the rest of the system. Yet one does not want to throw the bulk of the operating system to the wolves; it should be protected from application software.One quickly comes to the conclusion that a traditional two level, user/supervisor, protection architecture is not adequate for supporting secure, high performance, systems. Instead, a Multics-like ring architecture [1] was chosen for the iAPX 286.
An evaluation of RQL
Authors: Masters Susan , Driscoll James R.
Published: June 2007

Microcomputers for data-base applications are available in a wide range of prices. At the low-end, the minimum configuration for any serious Data Base work would be a processor and memory unit, two floppy diskette drives, a keyboard, a video display unit, and a printer [2]. This configuration would be adequate for small applications. As an example, an Apple II computer with two floppy disk drives, video display, and printer retails for approximately $3000.00.The availability of Data Base Management Systems for low-end microcomputers is very limited [1,2]. There appear to be only two relational systems commercially available for low-end configurations - RQL (Relational Query Language) and RMS (Relational Menu System). Both of these systems are available from Hello Software, 8380 Roanne Drive, Orlando, Florida 32817, U.S.A. The RQL system runs on the Apple II microcomputer. Although it was designed for use in a classroom environment, RQL may also be suitable in a small business environment.RQL is a relationally complete system [3,4]. Through a combination of automatic navigation and a relational processing query language, the RQL system allows the unsophisticated user direct interaction with data bases. Furthermore, RQL can manage multiple data bases with each data base extending across a maximum of eight volumes (floppy diskettes) [4]. However, since low-end configurations are inherently slow, the RQL system is unavoidably sluggish at times.The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate features of the RQL system and discuss its recent use in a learning environment and its potential use in a small business environment. For demonstration purposes a real-world situation typical of a small business organization will be used and a data base will be established for it using the RQL system (Release 3).
The most significant bits
Authors: Godderz J. E.
Published: June 2007

A new and very interesting minicomputer has appeared on the scene --- the IBM 5100 Portable Computer. By now most of you have seen advertisements for the 5100 in various magazines and newspapers read by scientific or business-oriented professionals.
Experience in the design, implementation and use of PL-11, a programming language for the PDP-11
Authors: Russell Robert D.
Published: June 2007

PL-11 is a programming language for the PDP-11 family of computers designed and implemented as part of the OMEGA Project at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research). Its purpose is to provide an effective tool for both physicists and systems programmers to use in building real-time data acquisition systems that are online to high-energy physics experiments. It is a fairly typical member of the PL-class of programming languages (44) which are based on the initial design of PL360 (41) (See Table 1). Each of these languages represents a linguistic model of its specific machine architecture, thereby providing a Systems Implementation Language (SIL) that is extremely efficient on its target machine, yet is also highly effective for human programmers to use. The need for such a tool is obvious on all computer systems, but especially on minicomputers, where most applications are in fact "systems programs". For example, in any data acquisition environment the distinction between "user" and "operating system" largely disappears---the user's prime concern is to handle time-dependent sequences of events involving the manipulation of special I/O devices through direct status checking and data streaming---all functions which are usually buried in the operating system of conventional computing systems.
Experiences moving COBOL onto a minicomputer
Authors: Herrick Steven S.
Published: June 2007

This paper presents some subjective experience and relative qualitative results concerning the transfer of a full High Level COBOL compiler designed for the IBM S/370 to a Low-Intermediate Level on a 32-bit minicomputer. The major impacts of language feature deletion upon compiler size and complexity, as well as the effects of specific compiler and object code support via micro-coding, are discussed.
Adapting large systems to small machines
Authors: Stuart Thomas
Published: June 2007

An evaluation of software available on mini-computers and its adequacy was made. It led to extension of a systems implementation language to two minicomputers. The language LITTLE was chosen for its machine independence and efficiency. Techniques for code generation and storage allocation are recounted with a special emphasis on producing compact code.
Using a distributed mini-computer network to automate a biochemical laboratory
Authors: Lennon William J. , Baatz Eric L. , Colussi Sandra L. , Kinnear Kenneth E.
Published: June 2007

This research considers a distributed system constructed by networking small computers as an appropriate architecture for the automation of laboratories having an integrated function. The simplicity, inherent reliability, and flexibility of such an architecture can be realized only if the laboratory as a whole and its proposed final operational characteristics are considered from the very beginning. This desire to automate an integrated laboratory forces us to address not only the normal problems associated with instrument automation but also the goal oriented behavior of the laboratory. We have clarified these requirements by extending the accepted characterization of instrument automation and also by characterizing the levels of interaction appropriate for laboratories which must attain successive levels of integration.
Personal computing position paper
Authors: Heiser Richard S.
Published: June 2007

The problems of the 80's for personal computing center around the task of developing an entire industry to produce and distribute good machines and software. Developing an industry is much trickier than developing a single product or technical solution.
Position paper on
Authors: Gammill Robert C.
Published: June 2007

This paper examines the problems involved in the development of an inexpensive personal computer for use by scientific researchers in a variety of disciplines. Since the term "personal computer" (PC) is ill-defined, we begin by describing what it is intended to mean here and the special requirements imposed by the context of use in scientific research. Subsequently there will be much more detailed examination of the reasons behind the assertions that follow.
SIGACCESS member profile
Authors: Keates Simeon
Published: June 2007

Member of SIGACCESS since: 1999Member of ACM since: 1999
SIGACCESS member profile
Authors: Keates Simeon
Published: June 2007

Member of SIGACCESS since: Not sureMember of ACM since: 1994Also member of: SIGART
Style and substance in communication
Authors: Nagasundaram Murli
Published: June 2007

An investigation into the requirements of a scale used for evaluating conference papers results in---quite surprisingly---some important implications for the design of message structuring systems.
Efficient algorithms for Web services selection with end-to-end QoS constraints
Authors: Yu Tao , Zhang Yue , Lin Kwei-Jay
Published: June 2007

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) provides a flexible framework for service composition. Using standard-based protocols (such as SOAP and WSDL), composite services can be constructed by integrating atomic services developed independently. Algorithms are needed to select service components with various QoS levels according to some application-dependent performance requirements. We design a broker-based architecture to facilitate the selection of QoS-based services. The objective of service selection is to maximize an application-specific utility function under the end-to-end QoS constraints. The problem is modeled in two ways: the combinatorial model and the graph model. The combinatorial model defines the problem as a multidimension multichoice 0-1 knapsack problem (MMKP). The graph model defines the problem as a multiconstraint optimal path (MCOP) problem. Efficient heuristic algorithms for service processes of different composition structures are presented in this article and their performances are studied by simulations. We also compare the pros and cons between the two models.
DES watch: an examination of the sufficiency of the data encryption standard for financial institution information security in the 1990s
Authors: Garon Gilles , Outerbridge Richard
Published: June 2007

DES is used almost universally by financial institutions (Fls) around the world. For the foreseeable future there are no alternatives to its continued use. Within ten years unmodified single-key DES will be breakable for a cost of about $3,500 per solution in under one day. Many financial systems which currently rely on single-key DES are therefore becoming vulnerable to attack.Despite the impact of breaking DES, the misconception that an FI's exposure is limited to the dollar values of particular short-lived transactions may make users unwilling to undertake urgent remedial measures. They may be prepared to tolerate risks they perceive as limited and unrealistic. This view ignores the danger that a breach of key management security poses to the system as a whole.Until a new encryption standard emerges, the exposure and consequences can be avoided by the adoption of double-length keys for DES. This is technically and economically feasible. Double-length keys and unique keys per transaction should be implemented in financial systems as soon as possible.
Working paper on functional specifications for an EDI cryptoserver
Authors: Gerberick Dahl
Published: June 2007

As more and more business information is transmitted between computer systems we are seeing an increased need to protect these Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) encoded transactions from unauthorized viewing and/or alteration. EDI transactions carry market intelligence such as item name, quantity, purchase price, delivery dates, etc. Unauthorized viewing can provide competitive information we may not want disclosed. With the advent of the Payment Order/Remittance Advice transactions, sensitive payment information such as payment amount, bank identification and bank account numbers can be carried in an EDI transaction. Alteration of any of these fields can result in an improper payment being made.
Open CSCW systems
Authors: Lewe Henrik , Barent Volker
Published: June 2007

It is proposed to design "Open CSCW Systems" tailorable along the content and process dimensions of group tasks and their domains. A refineable architecture for the process dimension is suggested. Whether this idea leads to a better support of groupwork has to be evaluated by prototypes.
Sensitive security points in PC microcomputers
Authors: Guinier Daniel
Published: June 2007

The future of computer security is very dependent on the wild development of
networking
and
microcomputing
, and it is more and more difficult to protect microcomputers against enhanced piracy or
"viruses".
Also, a
revision of such systems
must be taken into consideration involving machines, operating systems, applications and data to avoid unauthorized access, abusive use of resources and losses of
confidentiality, integrity
and
availability.
Solutions need to be realistic
to guarantee effective security. This involves mechanisms which are dependent on hardware and system software. MS-DOS components at work, boot, interrupts, DOS call functions are examined, and at the same time advanced
"viruses"
usages involving active and passive techniques, to suggest and evaluate possible solutions.
A dual software examiner and security board solution
is described. It does not necessitate modifying actual versions of the operating system, or applications in use, and new information about files can be stored in a secure way to avoid manipulation. Such a proposition can help to build security as a countermeasure to various intrusions, these from men,
"viruses"
, worms and Trojan horses. It is better than any
pure software solution
which
cannot guarantee overall security
and especially in case of advanced
"stealthy virus"
attacks. It is possible to implement
an intrusion detection model
to predict future action from different intruders. This model has to support intuition exploration, and uncertainty or adaptative reasoning, working under control of a software security examiner which is itself under control of a hardware.
Social plans: a preliminary report (abstract)
Authors: Rao Anand S. , Georgeff Michael P. , Sonenberg Elizabeth A.
Published: June 2007

In this paper we describe a domain independent control structure for cooperating problem solving. This control structure is introduced at both conceptual and implementational levels and is further complemented by a descriptive example. The concepts presented in this paper are derived from a generic agent model based upon intentions, behavior and resources of agents. Agents are motivated to act according to their long term goals, desires, preferences, responsibilities and the like. Their actions are influenced by their perceived surroundings, which are other agents and the environment in which they operate.
Conversation for organizational activity (abstract)
Authors: Numaoka Chisato
Published: June 2007

In this paper I address the issues of how an organization, such as a group or a hierarchical society, can be formed and how organizational knowledge (e.g. a contract) can be acquired through conversation among situated agents. A special interest group (SIG) has the most fundamental style of these organizations. Through conversation, situated agents can join any SIG and act as a member in order to individually profit from group activity. On the basis of SIGs, we can formulate markets and hierarchies, which are organizations of different styles. Conversation is key to the organizational activity of situated agents in these organizations.
Dependence relations among autonomous agents (abstract)
Authors: Castlefranchi Cristiano , Miceli Maria , Cesta Amedeo
Published: June 2007

The main thesis of this work is that human interactions are neither unpredictable nor bounded, but they are undertaken autonomously on the grounds of a number of basic principles and conditions. Among these, a crucial role is played by the objective dependence relationships holding among agents. In this paper we report about a first step in providing a computational theory of dependence as a tool for interaction control. We define non social as well as social dependence, and try to show how dependence relationships are organized into complex patterns (such as multiparty, multigoal, unilateral, and bilateral dependence). We then show how a given set of dependence relationships may produce new dependence relationships. Finally, we explore the relationship between dependence and influencing, describing how an agent's dependence on another is predictive of one's goal of influencing the other, as well as of the latter's power of influencing the former.
Variable coupling of agents to their environment (abstract)
Authors: Kiss George
Published: June 2007

The paper identifies
generality
and
power
(processing work per unit time) as two major but conflicting requirements for the design of autonomous intelligent agents. A separation of these two concerns leads to the notion of a
variable degree of causal coupling
between parts of a mechanism and its environment in terms of space and time. An implementation strategy for variable coupling can be a layered architecture, where higher layers support generality and lower layers support power. The consequences of these distinctions for the choice of representations and processing strategies is discussed and illustrated. Some speculations are offered about the need for an agent self subsystem in the architecture in order to support mechanisms for full intentionality.
Exploiting emergent behavior in multi-agent systems (abstract)
Authors: Wavish Peter
Published: June 2007

This paper addresses the question of how to exploit emergent behaviour in the design of multi-agent systems. The method advocated is to design the individual agents so that they maintain symbolic representations of emergent behaviour which can then be used as a basis for building higher level behaviours. The paper falls into four main parts: a description of behaviour-based agents, a discussion of emergent behaviour, a description of a methodology for developing agents which exploit emergent behaviour, and a practical example of the application of these ideas to the development of a simulated multi-agent system.
A multi-agent analogical representation for physical objects (abstract)
Authors: Gambardella Luca Maria , Haex Marc
Published: June 2007

In a multi-agent world, several agents act simultaneously, competitively or cooperatively. In many situations, an intelligent autonomous agent must interact with the other agents or the physical environment in real time. Because it cannot predict all the events that will occur in the physical environment or result from other agents reasoning, it must notice and control its responses to unanticipated events. However, insuring execution of the best possible operation conflicts with meeting deadlines, especially as the event rate and the number of known operations increase. Rather than engineer agents to meet deadlines under particular parameter values, we aim to build autonomous agents that control their reasoning so as to guarantee real-time performance despite increases in parameter values. We propose a satisficing algorithm. To control response time, it triggers only a limited number of operations and interrupts triggering to execute the best one available whenever it triggers a "good enough" operation or a deadline occurs. To insure that it can execute high-priority operations when interrupts occur, it uses dynamic control plans to trigger operations roughly "best-first." In this paper, we describe the satisficing algorithm, informally analyse the behavior of an agent under this algorithm, and present experimental results.
E-mail court case
Authors: Clement Andrew
Published: June 2007

"When Alana Shoars arrived for work at Epson America one morning in January 1990, she discovered her supervisor reading and printing out electronic mail messages between other employees. As electronic mail administrator, Ms. Shoars was appalled. When she had trained employees to use the computerized system, Ms. Shoars told them their mail was private. Now a company manager was violating that trust.When she questioned the practice, Ms. Shoars said, she was told to mind her own business. A day later, she said she was fired for insubordination. She has since filed a $1 million wrongful termination suit.. . . She still bristles about Epson: 'You don't read other people's mail, just as you don't listen to their phone conversations. Right is right, and wrong is wrong.'Michael Simmons, chief information officer at the Bank of Boston, disagrees completely, 'If the corporation owns the equipment and pays for the network, that asset belongs to the company and it has a right to look and see if people are using it for purposes other than running the business,' he said." (excerpt from Rifkin, NY Times, Dec. 8, 1991)
Who owns information security
Authors: Schweitzer James A
Published: June 2007

Most large business organizations have functions called" computer security" or "data security". Very often, these activities are organizationally located within the information systems department or data center.