Abstract
System resilience is a key challenge to building extreme scale systems. A large number of HPC applications are inherently resilient, but application programmers lack mechanisms to convey their fault tolerance knowledge to the system. We present a cross-layer approach to resilience in which we propose a set of programming model extensions and develop a runtime inference framework that can reason about the context and significance of faults, as they occur, to the application programmer's fault tolerance expectations. We demonstrate using a set accelerated fault injection experiments the validity of our approach with a set of real scientific and engineering codes. Our experiments show that a cross-layer approach that explicitly engages the programmer in expressing fault tolerance knowledge which is then leveraged across the layers of system abstraction can significantly improve the dependability of long running HPC applications. © 2012 IEEE.

Abstract
For manufacturers of physical goods, conducting market tests of product prototypes to assess consumers' preferences can be costly and complex. To some extent, production and logistic processes need to be in place, not just the marketing rationale. We put forth the hypothesis that virtual worlds may be a feasible environment to conduct early market tests of product prototypes for some physical products. The rationale for this hypothesis is that such tests with virtual versions of product prototypes may be conducted with minimal overhead, based on resources from marketing and design departments, without resources from production or logistics. They could be a first filter or selection process to determine which product prototypes demonstrate better acceptance by the public, with reduced costs and complexity. An expectation is that by having simpler and less costly tests, a wider variety of product prototypes can be considered, and test number and frequency increased, supporting better information gathering. A central question in this regard is the level of similarity between the preferences of the public when presented with virtual items, in comparison with the actual physical items. To attain data about this, we carried out an exploratory study, creating a set of both virtual and physical prototype versions of a physical product: t-shirts. We then invited virtual-world users to experience the virtual t-shirts on their avatars and express their preferences. Finally, we presented users with the option to buy the physical t-shirts with their own money, at promotional cost (as a reward for participating in the virtual trial), but explicitly told them, as they held the various physical versions in their hands, that they could change their preference at no extra cost. The results identified the level of similarity and differences between buyers' preferences in these two situations, pointing to the significant potential of using a virtual world to conduct market tests to assess consumers' preferences on prototypes of physical t-shirts.

Abstract

Abstract
Pectus excavatum is the most common congenital deformity of the anterior chest wall, in which an abnormal formation of the rib cage gives the chest a caved-in or sunken appearance. Today, the surgical correction of this deformity is carried out in children and adults through Nuss technic, which consists in the placement of a prosthetic bar under the sternum and over the ribs. Although this technique has been shown to be safe and reliable, not all patients have achieved adequate cosmetic outcome. This often leads to psychological problems and social stress, before and after the surgical correction. This paper targets this particular problem by presenting a method to predict the patient surgical outcome based on pre-surgical imagiologic information and chest skin dynamic modulation. The proposed approach uses the patient pre-surgical thoracic CT scan and anatomical-surgical references to perform a 3D segmentation of the left ribs, right ribs, sternum and skin. The technique encompasses three steps: a) approximation of the cartilages, between the ribs and the sternum, trough b-spline interpolation; b) a volumetric mass spring model that connects two layers - inner skin layer based on the outer pleura contour and the outer surface skin; and c) displacement of the sternum according to the prosthetic bar position. A dynamic model of the skin around the chest wall region was generated, capable of simulating the effect of the movement of the prosthetic bar along the sternum. The results were compared and validated with patient postsurgical skin surface acquired with Polhemus FastSCAN system.

Abstract
Model-driven engineering approaches aim at avoiding productivity, model quality and model maintenance problems that arise when models are used for documentation only, by generating executable applications from models. However, in many cases, the level of detail of the models needed to generate complete applications is too much or only effective for specific domains. For those cases where it is not practical to build complete models and generate complete applications from them, we propose a lightweight approach, applicable at different levels (unit, integration and system testing), that combines partial application generation from structural models with test generation from partial behavioral models. To demonstrate the approach, we developed a plug-in that adds to the code generation capabilities of an existing UML modeling tool, the capability of generating executable tests from sequence diagrams acting also as parameterized test scenarios, including some novel features as compared to existing model-based testing tools.

Abstract
With the restructuring of the energy sector in industrialized countries there is an increased complexity in market players' interactions along with emerging problems and new issues to be addressed. Decision support tools that facilitate the study and understanding of these markets are extremely useful to provide players with competitive advantage. In this context arises MASCEM, a multi-agent simulator for competitive electricity markets. It is essential to reinforce MASCEM with the ability to recreate electricity markets reality in the fullest possible extent, making it able to simulate as many types of markets models and players as possible. This paper presents the development of the Balancing Market in MASCEM. A key module to the study of competitive electricity markets, as it has well defined and distinct characteristics previously implemented.