Miroslav Bojovic

mobilePDR : a mobile medical information system featuring update via Internet

This paper presents an analysis of usability of mobile prescription reference systems in medical practice, and presents implementation of mobilePDR (Physicians Desk Reference). Various aspects of mobilePDR are discussed: main functions, information content, performance and design issues, independent evaluation with other similar tools, and lessons learned from the system development.

Chapter One - A Systematic Approach to Generation of New Ideas for PhD Research in Computing

Abstract This article represents an effort to help PhD students in computer science and engineering to generate good original ideas for their PhD research. Our effort is motivated by the fact that most PhD programs nowadays include several courses, as well as the research component, that should result in journal publications and the PhD thesis, all in a timeframe of 3–6 years. In order to help PhD students in computing disciplines to get focused on generating ideas and finding appropriate subject for their PhD research, we have analyzed some state-of-the-art inventions in the area of computing, as well as the PhD thesis research of faculty members of our department, and came up with a proposal of 10 methods that could be implemented to derive new ideas, based on the existing body of knowledge in the research field. This systematic approach provides guidance for PhD students, in order to improve their efficiency and reduce the dropout rate, especially in the area of computing.

An educational environment for teaching a course in computer architecture and organization

The paper presents an educational environment for teaching a course in Computer architecture and organization. It is made up of an educational computer system, a reference manual, a software package and a set of laboratory experiments. The educational computer system is devised in such a way that it covers the basic structure of a computer system: processor, memory, input/output subsystem and bus. The reference manual provides all implementation details with the appropriate circuits drawings and detailed descriptions. For the devised educational computer system a software package is developed which includes the program development tools and the graphic simulator. They make it possible to develop programs for it and execute them under the graphic simulator. The simulator allows to execute programs at the clock, instruction and program levels and to examine, at any time, the values of all signals of the educational computer system down to the register transfer level. In the paper is also given a set of laboratory experiments that the students must carry out successfully using the reference manual and the software package as a prerequisite for taking an exam in Computer architecture and organization.

ADVICE—Educational System for Teaching Database Courses

This paper presents a Web-based educational system, ADVICE, that helps students to bridge the gap between database management system (DBMS) theory and practice. The usage of ADVICE is presented through a set of laboratory exercises developed to teach students conceptual and logical modeling, SQL, formal query languages, and normalization. While working on the exercises, students use the system to access real databases, and the system provides them with feedback about their solutions. From the perspective of an instructor, the system allows easy exercise management and continual progress monitoring. The paper also describes a practical experience with the use of ADVICE on a database course over a three-year period.

An Overview of Selected Heterogeneous and Reconfigurable Architectures

Abstract Node level heterogeneous architectures are gaining popularity because of their excellent performance exhibited in real world applications from various domains. The main advantages of these architectures are better price-performance and power–performance ratios compared to traditional symmetric CPU architectures. This article presents an overview of most interesting node level heterogeneous architectures, focusing on some common architectures, such as the NVIDIA and the ATI graphics processing units, the Cell Broadband Engine Architecture, the ClearSpeed processor, the field programmable gate array accelerator solutions from Maxeler MaxNodes, the SGI systems (RASC), and the Convey Hybrid-Core Computer. The presentation encompasses hardware resources and available software development tools for each of the mentioned architectures with both qualitative and quantitative comparisons. Toward the conclusion, the authors express their viewpoint on the future of heterogeneous computing.

An overview of selected hybrid and reconfigurable architectures

Node level heterogeneous architectures have become attractive during the last decade for several reasons: Compared to traditional symmetric CPUs, they offer high real-application performance and can be energy and/or cost efficient. In this paper, we give an overview of the state-of-the-art in heterogeneous computing, focusing on commonly found architectures: The Cell Broadband Engine Architecture (CBEA), NVidia graphics processing units (GPUs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) accelerators solutions from Maxeler MaxNodes (MAX) and SGI systems (RASC). We present a review of hardware, available software tools for each solution, a quantitative and a qualitative comparison of the architectures, and give our view on the future of heterogeneous computing.

Chapter Three - Dataflow-Based Parallelization of Control-Flow Algorithms.

Abstract Compared to control-flow architectures, dataflow architectures usually offer better performances in high performance computing. Moreover, dataflow architectures consume less electrical power. However, only since recently, the technology enables the development of dataflow architectures that are competitive with control-flow architectures. From a programming perspective, there are a relatively small number of experienced dataflow programmers. As a result, there is a need of translating control-flow algorithms into the dataflow environment. This chapter focuses on extracting methods from various fields, which could be applied on translating control-flow algorithms to dataflow environment, comparing available programming tools for dataflow architectures with respect to the previously established methods, and finally, evaluating speedups and reductions in power consumption on a dataflow implementation of the Lattice–Boltzmann method, implemented using a specific tool and method. Results show a remarkable speedup (one to two orders of magnitude), and, at the same time, a considerable reduction in power consumption.

Effect of ICT on the Social Dimension of Short-Term and Long-Term Alignment of the Participants in the Construction of a Knowledge Society

Information and communication technologies are also facilitating a rapid globalization of economic activity. In an increasingly global economy, where knowledge about how to excel competitively and information about who excels are both more readily available, the effective creation, use and dissemination of knowledge is increasingly the key to success, and thus to sustainable economic and social development that benefits us all. Innovation, which fuels new job creation and economic growth, is quickly becoming the key factor in global competitiveness. In order to realize the goals stated, a modelling method was used by setting causal models derived by applying the PATH analysis, as viewed from the aspect of the social dimension of short-term and long-term alignment, which were obtained by conducting research on a sample composed of 45 institutions from the higher education system of the Republic of Croatia and their managers in permanent (finance director, secretary) and elective positions (chancellor, vice-chancellor, dean, vice-dean). Research results abstract the conclusion which expresses a novel premise that strategic planning of the integrated business and information system significantly depends on long-term management alignment, directly influenced by common knowledge on domain and financing. The propounded premise represents a possible impulse for further in-depth research that should be undertaken longitudinally in this author’s view, using as large sample of international character as possible.

Principal risk in implementation of a sophisticated ERP system at a higher education institutions

Implementation of a sophisticated ERP system into a heterogeneous academic environment like universities is far from being a trivial task. The question of integration as a serious risk factor should not be neglected. That is why strategic planning of the integrated business-information system (IBIS) have a crucial importance as a link between academic strategy and business strategy.

A hardware implementation of the mechanism of multiprocessing

Abstract The mechanism of multiprocessing (MMP) has been developed and implemented as an enhancement of a standard operating system (OS ES) to support efficient execution of fine-grained parallel activities. The MMP mechanism is presented through the description of its primitives, associated data structures and its interface with the OS ES. Further efficiency enhancement of the MMP mechanism has been achieved by the hardware implementation of the MMP primitives in the specially designed processor, named the MMP processor. The details of its architecture and organisation are given in the paper. Special emphasis is put on the design of the efficient pipelined control, which resulted from the precise timing analysis of the considered design choices.