Showing papers in "ACM Crossroads Student Magazine in 2006"

What is web 2.0

Abstract: Ask a dozen Internet experts what the term Web 2.0 means, and you'll get a dozen different answers. Some say that Web 2.0 is a set of philosophies and practices that provide Web users with a deep and rich experience. Others say it's a new collection of applications and technologies that make it easier for people to find information and connect with one another online. A few journalists maintain that the term doesn't mean anything at all -it's just a marketing ploy used to hype social networking sites.

Why are APIs difficult to learn and use

Abstract: An Application Programming Interface (API) comprises reusable functionality accessible through parameterized commands or functions Examples include the Java and NET class libraries, the C++ standard template library, and the system calls exposed by operating systems An API serves as a foundation for creating applications by saving programmers the time necessary to code basic functionality from scratch

C-Transformers: a framework to write C program transformations

Abstract: Program transformation techniques have reached a maturity level that allows processing high-level language sources in new ways. Not only do they revolutionize the implementation of compilers and interpreters, but with modularity as a design philosophy, they also permit the seamless extension of the syntax and semantics of existing programming languages. The C-Transformers project provides a transformation environment for C, a language that proves to be hard to transform. We demonstrate the effectiveness of C-Transformers by extending C’s instructions and control flow to support Design by Contract. C-Transformers is developed by members of the LRDE: EPITA undergraduate students.

RAS: a system for supporting research in online auctions

Abstract: Online auctioning is unparalleled as rhe fastest growing exchange medium to emerge from electronic commerce technology. Buyers and sellers located around the world now auction various items from the latest DVD to rare collectibles. eBay and uBid are among the most successful and popular of the commercial online auctioneers. They use an auctioning process based on a type of auction referred to as an English auction. In an English auction. bidders outbid each other for an item. The winner is the bidder with the highest bid.

From chasing dots to reading minds: the past, present, and future of video game interaction

Abstract: It is the calm before the storm. By the end of 2006, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will have released their new wave of gaming hardware, and the next round in the great video game battle will have begun. Capable of displaying photo-realistic images, and acting as the center of your entertainment lifestyle, these machines promise to change the face of gaming. Console games have moved away from the single-screen experiences of old, to multimillion dollar epics, featuring hours and hours of cinematic action. Truly, it is an exciting time to be a gamer. While visual and audio technology advances toward real-world fidelity, human computer interaction (HCI) — the methods by which users control the simulation — has not received the same degree of attention. But it now seems this aspect of the sense-of-presence problem may undergo a revolution similar to that of its audiovisual counterparts with the next generation of gaming devices. In this article, we discuss the driving forces behind these changes, several devices, and what current research suggests the future may hold for today's gamer.

Architecture-centric development: a different approach to software engineering

Abstract: Every student of computer science has practiced software development in introductory courses generally focusing on programming and algorithms. These courses typically introduce programming language constructs such as branches and loops in addition to basic design principles such as abstraction, modularity, and separation of concerns. For the majority of small-scale problems, these constructs and principles suffice. However, as system complexity increases, these techniques are insufficient for ensuring a successful outcome that fulfills the requirements and quality goals set out. The largest software projects have staggering failure rates: the Standish Report [18] states that nearly a third of projects are cancelled before completion and more than half suffer from serious cost overruns.

A crash overview of groovy

Abstract: Groovy is \"an agile dynamic language for the Java 2 Platform\" [1] that attempts to combine the convenience of scripting with the functionality of Java. Groovy has \"many of the features that people like so much in languages like Python, Ruby and Smalltalk, making them available to Java developers using a Java-like syntax\" [1]. One reason for Java's popularity as a programming language is the Application Programmer Interfaces (APIs) [11]. Each API is a set of related classes that are useful to programmers in Java, similar in concept to the C++ Standard Template Library (STL). The Java APIs are available to Groovy programmers with simplified script-like syntax.

Interesting complexity: Sid Meier and the secrets of game design

Abstract: Firaxis Games is a game geek's Shangri-La. The company's office takes up the top floor of a high-rise in Hunt Valley, Maryland and hosts a team of designers, artists, sound technicians, and producers who put together, as the company slogan goes, \"Games That Stand the Test of Time,\" a design principle that comes from one of the company's founders, the gaming great and creator of the celebrated Civilization series, Sid Meier. Meier sits behind his office door like the godfather of computer gaming, working on what is currently described only as a \"secret project.\

Stratego: a programming language for program manipulation

Abstract: Programming languages have a dual role in the construction of software. The language is both our substrate (the stuff we make software from), and our tool (what we use to construct software). Program transformation (PT) deals with the analysis, manipulation and generation of software. Therefore a close relationship exists between program transformation and programming languages, to the point where the PT field has produced many domain-specific languages for manipulating programs. In this article, I will show you some interesting aspects from one of these languages : Stratego.

Architecting trust-enabled peer-to-peer file-sharing applications

Abstract: Decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) resource sharing applications lack a centralized authority that can facilitate peer and resource look-ups and coordinate resource sharing between peers. Instead, peers directly interact and exchange resources with other peers. These systems are often open and do not regulate the entry of peers into the system. Thus, there can be malicious peers in the system who threaten others by offering Trojan horses and viruses disguised as seemingly innocent resources. Several trust-based solutions exist to address such threats; unfortunately there is a lack of design guidance on how these solutions can be integrated into a resource sharing application. In this paper, we describe how two teams of undergraduate students separately integrated XREP, a third-party reputation-based protocol for file-sharing applications, with PACE, our software architecture-based approach for decentralized trust management. This was done in order to construct trust-enabled P2P file-sharing application prototypes. Our observations have revealed that using an architecture-based approach in incorporating trust into P2P resource-sharing applications is not only feasible, but also significantly beneficial. Our efforts also demonstrate both the ease of adoption and ease of use of the PACE-based approach in constructing such trust-enabled decentralized applications.

Aligning DNA sequences using dynamic programming

Abstract: DNA can be thought of as a four-letter alphabet with the symbols A, C, G, and T representing the four possible nucleotides: adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine. The genome of an organism is composed of a linear sequence of A, C, G, and T that can be decoded from an individual's chromosomes. For the human genome, this is on the order of 3.2 billion bases. Within a genome, special sets of instructions known as genes code for proteins that provide structural and functional properties. Inside of a gene-coding region, every three bases codes for an amino acid. Since there are four possibilities for each position (A, C, G, or T), there are 4 * 4 * 4 = 64 potential three-base patterns, or codons.

Becoming a virtual organism to learn about genetics

Abstract: Bioinformatics is the interdisciplinary intersection of computing and the life sciences. The National Institute of Health [6] defines bioinformatics as the use of computer techniques to explore biological problems. As computers have become more mobile -evolving from mainframes to desktop workstations to laptop computers to personal digital assistants (PDAs) [3] such as Palm Pilots and Pocket PCs -so too has bioinformatics. Recently, Riikonen and colleagues [10] wrote a client-server interface reminiscent of a thin client application that enables Internet-connected PDAs to search bioinformatics databases. Advances in technology have also led to advances in the teaching of bioinformatics, which is now supported by mobile platforms including the \"thinking tag\" and the Palm Pilot [4, 7]. In this paper, we explore the use of a Pocket PC genetics participatory simulation, an activity that embeds the investigator in a life-size simulation, in studying computational evolutionary biology, with particular emphasis on its value as a teaching tool.

At a crossroads: plagiarism

Abstract: Studying long hard hours, working hard for grades, and cramming for exams are all part of being a student. For a lot of us, we have been students for most of our lives now, which makes it incredibly ironic that most of us have a very shaky understanding of what plagiarism is and what the ramifications of committing it are. The reality is that plagiarism is one of the few things that you can be expelled outright for at a university. Most students get brief lectures about plagiarism in the first class of any course they take. If they want more information, they are usually directed to the course syllabus. That generally does not get through to students; they have many other things to worry about, and they believe that as long as they do not copy and paste someone else's work, they are fine. That is where a lot of students get into trouble. The definition of plagiarism is simply to take credit for someone else's work. As such, a lot of common study practices that students engage in could get them into trouble: working with other students, if done improperly, could lead to plagiarism. Below are some quick tips to help you avoid plagiarism. a course where you are not allowed to means you are submitting work that is not entirely your own. ● If you work in groups, list who you worked with: If you are allowed to work in groups, great. Just remember to credit your partners. Add an acknowledgments section to your paper or the header of your program and describe how they helped you.

Preparing for a job in the games industry: an interview with ensemble studio's Colt McAnlis

Abstract: In 2004, Colt McAnlis worked as an intern for Petroglyph Games while completing a BS in Computer Science at Texas Christian University. In the first quarter of 2005, he became a graphics programmer at TKO Software. In the fourth quarter of the same year, he accepted a position at Microsoft's Ensemble Studios. In addition to his programming duties, McAnlis is a lecturer at the Guildhall at SMU, a graduate program that specializes in video game development.

The Sims 2: open for business: lessons learned about business and life

Abstract: The Sims, the creation of game designer Will Wright, is the best selling computer video game series of all time. A recent addition to the franchise (produced by Maxis and Electronic Arts) is an expansion pack to The Sims 2 entitled Open for Business. For those not familiar with the concept of The Sims, it is a life simulator. You control a variety of simulated people (Sims) as they live, love, work, relax, and even go to the bathroom.

Achieving I/O improvements in a mass spectral database

Abstract: Research in proteomics has created two significant needs: the need for an accurate public database of empirically derived mass spectrum information and the need for managing the I/O and organization of mass spectrometry data in the form of files and structures. Lack of an empirically derived database limits the ability of proteomic researchers to identify and study proteins. Managing the I/O and organization of mass spectrometry data is often time-consuming due to the many fields that need to be set and retrieved. As a result, incompatibilities and inefficiencies are created by each programmer handling this in his or her own way. Until recently, storage space and computing power has been the limiting factor in developing tools to handle the vast amount of mass spectrometry information. Now the resources are available to store, organize, and analyze mass spectrometry information.The Illinois Bio-Grid Mass Spectrometry Database is a database of empirically derived tandem mass spectra of peptides created to provide researchers with an organized and searchable database of curated spectrum information to allow more accurate protein identification. The Mass Spectrometry I/O Project creates a framework that handles mass spectrometry data I/O and data organization, allowing researchers to concentrate on data analysis rather than I/O. In addition, the Mass Spectrometry I/O Project leverages several cross-platform and portability-enhancing technologies, allowing it to be utilized on a variety of hardware and operating systems.

TigerEvents: an online event calendar system for students by students

Abstract: Over the past couple of years, members of the Dalhousie Student Chapter of the ACM, DalACM, have been active in developing and maintaining open source software used by students. Consequently, Dal-ACM has become a well known student society at Dalhousie University for providing computer solutions to improve student life. Developing software for students is a good way for members of any ACM Student Chapter to get involved in their respective campus while gaining practical software development and project management experience. TigerEvents is one such software project organized by Dal-ACM members; it helps students find out about events that they would be interested in on campus.

Ultimate car entertainment systems: the carputer

Abstract: So you want to play DVDs in your car, listen to thousands of songs without changing a CD, play Half-Life 2, browse the Internet, and you want a navigation system; but, you don't want to pay more than $400? Well, then you are just like me and what you need is a carputer! A carputer is reasonably simple to make; the hardest part is finding the motivation to start. My project began as a result of boredom in my high school automotives class, and a really great sale on power inverters at Wal-Mart. To start, I purchased a 5.6\" LCD screen on eBay and a 350 watt power inverter. I installed the power inverter in the car, designed a custom in-dash plate to hold the screen (see Figure 1), and tested the setup with a Playstation 2. To my delight, everything worked flawlessly.

Jump-starting your bioinformatics career as an undergraduate: one student's approach

Abstract: In this article, we will see how an undergraduate student with computer science and engineering background may jump-start his or her training in the field and contribute to the advancement of science, as well as open the door to even bigger contributions in the future. To illustrate this, I will describe my own bioinformatics research experience over a one year period of time. During that time, I developed software to graphically represent gene regulatory networks for biomedical scientists.

At a crossroads: video game addiction

Abstract: If you thought video game addiction was a joke, you need a wake-up call. Video game addiction is a form of non-substance abuse like gambling. Fisher [2], in 1994, reported on a study of addiction to arcade machines. Adolescents surveyed in the study were from a small community that relied on tourism, and arcade machines available for tourists were easily accessible to these teenagers. The researchers used pathological measures that were adapted from those used to identify gambling addiction in adults. The results of the study identified some adolescents that were \"pathological players\" and found that not only did they play a lot more, but also that they were spending their lunch money, borrowing, stealing, and selling their possessions to play.

Modeling protein dependency networks using CoCoA

Abstract: In an interdisciplinary effort to model protein dependency networks, biologists measure signals from certain proteins within cells over a given interval of time. Using this time series data, the goal is to deduce protein dependency relationships. The mathematical challenges is to statistically measure correlations between given proteins over time in order to conjecture probable relationships. Biologists can then consider these relationships with more scrutiny, in order to confirm their conjectures. One algorithm for finding such relationships makes use of interpolation of the data to produce next-state functions for each protein and the Deegan-Packel Index of Power voting method to measure the strength of correlations between pairs of proteins. The algorithm was previously implemented, but limitations associated with the original language required the algorithm to be re-implemented in a more computationally efficient language. Because of the algebraic focus of the Computational Commutative Algebra language, or CoCoA, the algorithm was re-implemented in this language, and results have been produced much more efficiently. In this paper I discuss the algorithm, the CoCoA language, the implementation of the algorithm in CoCoA, and the quality of the results.