Formal Specification of Non-Functional Properties of Context-Aware Systems

During the recent years, there is an increasing demand for software systems that dynamically adapt their behavior at run-time in response to changes in user preferences, execution environment, and system requirements, being thus context-aware. Authors are referring here to requirements related to both functional and non-functional aspects of system behavior since changes can also be induced by failures or unavailability of parts of the software system itself. To ensure the coherence and correctness of the proposed model, all relevant properties of system entities are precisely and formally described. This is especially true for non-functional properties, such as performance, availability, and security. This article discusses semantic concepts for the specification of non-functional requirements, taking into account the specific needs of a context-aware system. Based on these semantic concepts, we present a specification language that integrates non-functional requirements design and validation in the development process of context-aware self-adaptive systems.

Sex, gender and the pulmonary physiology of exercise

In this review, we detail how the pulmonary system's response to exercise is impacted by both sex and gender in healthy humans across the lifespan. First, the rationale for why sex and gender differences should be considered is explored, and then anatomical differences are highlighted, namely that females typically have smaller lungs and airways than males. Thereafter, we describe how these anatomical differences can impact functional aspects such as respiratory muscle energetics and activation, mechanical ventilatory constraints, diaphragm fatigue, and pulmonary gas exchange in healthy adults and children. Finally, we detail how gender can impact the pulmonary response to exercise.

Plant Flavonoids in Mediterranean Species: A Focus on Flavonols as Protective Metabolites under Climate Stress

Flavonoids are specialized metabolites largely widespread in plants where they play numerous roles including defense and signaling under stress conditions. These compounds encompass several chemical subgroups such as flavonols which are one the most represented classes. The most studied flavonols are kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin to which research attributes antioxidative properties and a potential role in UV-defense through UV-screening mechanisms making them critical for plant adaptation to climate change. Despite the great interest in flavonol functions in the last decades, some functional aspects remain under debate. This review summarizes the importance of flavonoids in plant defense against climate stressors and as signal molecules with a focus on flavonols in Mediterranean plant species. The review emphasizes the relationship between flavonol location (at the organ, tissue and cellular scales) and their function as defense metabolites against climate-related stresses. It also provides evidence that biosynthesis of flavonols, or flavonoids as a whole, could be a crucial process allowing plants to adapt to climate change, especially in the Mediterranean area which is considered as one of the most sensitive regions to climate change over the globe.

Scavenger receptors in host defense: from functional aspects to mode of action

Scavenger receptors belong to a superfamily of proteins that are structurally heterogeneous and encompass the miscellaneous group of transmembrane proteins and soluble secretory extracellular domain. They are functionally diverse as they are involved in various disorders and biological pathways and their major function in innate immunity and homeostasis. Numerous scavenger receptors have been discovered so far and are apportioned in various classes (A-L). Scavenger receptors are documented as pattern recognition receptors and known to act in coordination with other co-receptors such as Toll-like receptors in generating the immune responses against a repertoire of ligands such as microbial pathogens, non-self, intracellular and modified self-molecules through various diverse mechanisms like adhesion, endocytosis and phagocytosis etc. Unlike, most of the scavenger receptors discussed below have both membrane and soluble forms that participate in scavenging; the role of a potential scavenging receptor Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme-2 has also been discussed whereby only its soluble form might participate in preventing the pathogen entry and replication, unlike its membrane-bound form. This review majorly gives an insight on the functional aspect of scavenger receptors in host defence and describes their mode of action extensively in various immune pathways involved with each receptor type.

Abnormal larval neuromuscular junction morphology and physiology in Drosophila Prickle isoform mutants with defective axonal transport and adult seizure behavior

Previous studies have demonstrated that mutations of the Drosophila planar cell polarity gene prickle (pk) result in altered microtubule-mediated vesicular transport in larval motor axons, as well as adult neuronal circuit hyperexcitability and epileptic behavior. It is also known that mutant alleles of the prickle-prickle (pkpk) and prickle-spiny-legs (pksple) isoforms differ in phenotype but display isoform counterbalancing effects in heteroallelic pkpk/pksple flies to ameliorate adult motor circuit and behavioral hyperexcitability. We have further investigated the larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and uncovered robust phenotypes in both pkpk and pksple alleles (heretofore referred to as pk and sple alleles, respectively), including synaptic terminal overgrowth, as well as irregular motor axon terminal excitability, poor vesicle release synchronicity, and altered efficacy of synaptic transmission. We observed significant increase in whole-cell excitatory junctional potential (EJP) in pk homozygotes, which was restored to near WT level in pk/sple heterozygotes. We further examined motor terminal excitability sustained by presynaptic Ca2+ channels, under the condition of pharmacological blockade of Na+ and K+ channel function. Such manipulation revealed extreme Ca2+ channel-dependent nerve terminal excitability in both pk and sple mutants. However, when combined in pk/sple heterozygotes, such terminal hyper-excitability was restored to nearly normal. Focal recording from individual synaptic boutons revealed asynchronous vesicle release in both pk and sple homozygotes, which nevertheless persisted in pk/sple heterozygotes without indications of isoform counter-balancing effects. Similarly, the overgrowth at NMJs was not compensated in pk/sple heterozygotes, exhibiting an extremity comparable to that in pk and sple homozygotes. Our observations uncovered differential roles of the pk and sple isoforms and their distinct interactions in the various structural and functional aspects of the larval NMJ and adult neural circuits.

Using FPGA reconfigurable integrated circuits for monitoring, controlling and managing industrial processes in potentially explosive atmospheres

The implementation of calculation architectures, data acquisition and processing systems, VLSI type integrated circuits within driving systems shows and increased trend in the industry, due to the advantages of such circuits compared to microcontrollers and ASIC’s. In the first part of the paper is presented functional aspects of reconfigurable integrated circuits for monitoring, controlling and managing industrial processes. Compact RIO is a device developed by National Instruments and which is intended for monitoring and controlling industrial processes. This is also an “embedded” type system, which comprises a FPGA device, a processor with real-time operating system (RTOS) and various input-output modules which have to be attached by the user. Applications using such devices, usually also use an HMI (human machine interface) for creating a graphical interface with the user. The second part of the paper is allocated for establishing the requirements for using of such system in the explosive atmospheres. The practical achievement consists in the construction of a wirelessly PC-controlled robot and the analysis of measurements achieved, respectively data acquired from sensors and video recordings. Among conclusions is highlighted the opportunities brought by the use of the intrinsic safety and flame proof types of protection.

Visual Attention and Cognitive Archaeology: An Eye-Tracking Study of Palaeolithic Stone Tools

The study of lithic technology can provide information on human cultural evolution. This article aims to analyse visual behaviour associated with the exploration of ancient stone artefacts and how this relates to perceptual mechanisms in humans. In Experiment 1, we used eye tracking to record patterns of eye fixations while participants viewed images of stone tools, including examples of worked pebbles and handaxes. The results showed that the focus of gaze was directed more towards the upper regions of worked pebbles and on the basal areas for handaxes. Knapped surfaces also attracted more fixation than natural cortex for both tool types. Fixation distribution was different to that predicted by models that calculate visual salience. Experiment 2 was an online study using a mouse-click attention tracking technique and included images of unworked pebbles and ‘mixed’ images combining the handaxe's outline with the pebble's unworked texture. The pattern of clicks corresponded to that revealed using eye tracking and there were differences between tools and other images. Overall, the findings suggest that visual exploration is directed towards functional aspects of tools. Studies of visual attention and exploration can supply useful information to inform understanding of human cognitive evolution and tool use.

Architectures in parametric component-based systems: Qualitative and quantitative modelling

One of the key aspects in component-based design is specifying the software architecture that characterizes the topology and the permissible interactions of the components of a system. To achieve well-founded design there is need to address both the qualitative and non-functional aspects of architectures. In this paper we study the qualitative and quantitative formal modelling of architectures applied on parametric component-based systems, that consist of an unknown number of instances of each component. Specifically, we introduce an extended propositional interaction logic and investigate its first-order level which serves as a formal language for the interactions of parametric systems. Our logics achieve to encode the execution order of interactions, which is a main feature in several important architectures, as well as to model recursive interactions. Moreover, we prove the decidability of equivalence, satisfiability, and validity of first-order extended interaction logic formulas, and provide several examples of formulas describing well-known architectures. We show the robustness of our theory by effectively extending our results for parametric weighted architectures. For this, we study the weighted counterparts of our logics over a commutative semiring, and we apply them for modelling the quantitative aspects of concrete architectures. Finally, we prove that the equivalence problem of weighted first-order extended interaction logic formulas is decidable in a large class of semirings, namely the class (of subsemirings) of skew fields.

THE STUDY ON THE FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF MOSQUE INSTITUTION

It was the norm for Muslim armies during the early period that whenever a new territory was conquered, the first establishment would be a mosque. That mosque served simultaneously as the military base, administrative office, and place for congregational prayers. However, at present, the function of the mosque institution has become more diversified and flexible. This paper aims to study the historical precedence of a mosque's function and the current perception of the mosque programs. The paper adopts the qualitative method through reviewing existing literature and analyzing the data using descriptive analysis. Recommendations are made based on the findings that show that the diversification of mosque's functions. It is highly needed in the present time as the Muslim community is facing rapid socio-cultural changes. Moreover, the inclusiveness of mosque institutions is significant to ensure the participation from all strata of community. Further research on these aspects can be done to study specific mosques in selected contexts.

Anatomy of the Nervous System in Chelifer cancroides (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) with a Distinct Sensory Pathway Associated with the Pedipalps

Many arachnid taxa have evolved unique, highly specialized sensory structures such as antenniform legs in Amblypygi (whip spiders), for instance, or mesosomal pectines in scorpions. Knowledge of the neuroanatomy as well as functional aspects of these sensory organs is rather scarce, especially in comparison to other arthropod clades. In pseudoscorpions, no special sensory structures have been discovered so far. Nevertheless, these animals possess dominant, multifunctional pedipalps, which are good candidates for being the primary sensory appendages. However, only little is known about the anatomy of the nervous system and the projection pattern of pedipalpal afferents in this taxon. By using immunofluorescent labeling of neuronal structures as well as lipophilic dye labeling of pedipalpal pathways, we identified the arcuate body, as well as a comparatively small mushroom body, the latter showing some similarities to that of Solifugae (sun spiders and camel spiders). Furthermore, afferents from the pedipalps terminate in a glomerular and a layered neuropil. Due to the innervation pattern and structural appearance, we conclude that these neuropils are the first integration centers of the chemosensory and mechanosensory afferents. Within Arthropoda, but also other invertebrates or even vertebrates, sensory structures show rather similar neuronal arrangement. Thus, these similarities in the sensory systems of different evolutionary origin have to be interpreted as functional prerequisites of the respective modality.