Generalising feature interactions in email

We report on a property-based approach to feature interaction analysis for a client-server email system. The model is based upon Hall's email model presented at FIW'00, but the implementation is at a lower level of abstraction, employing non-determinism and asynchronous communication; it is a challenge to avoid deadlock and race conditions. The analysis is more extensive in two ways: interaction analysis is fully automated, based on model-checking the entire state-space, and results are scalable, that is they generalise to email systems consisting of any number of email clients. Abstraction techniques are used to prove general results. The key idea is to model-check a system consisting of a constant number (m) of client processes, in parallel with a mailer process and an ``abstract'' process which represents the product of any number of other (unfeatured, isomorphic) client processes. We give a lower bound for the value of m. All of the models -- for any specified set of client processes and selected features -- are generated automatically using Perl scripts

Barriers and attitudes influencing non-engagement in a peer feedback model to inform evidence for GP appraisal

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The UK general practitioner (GP) appraisal system is deemed to be an inadequate source of performance evidence to inform a future medical revalidation process. A long-running voluntary model of external peer review in the west of Scotland provides feedback by trained peers on the standard of GP colleagues' core appraisal activities and may 'add value' in strengthening the robustness of the current system in support of revalidation. A significant minority of GPs has participated in the peer feedback model, but a clear majority has yet to engage with it. We aimed to explore the views of non-participants to identify barriers to engagement and attitudes to external peer review as a means to inform the current appraisal system.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted semi-structured interviews with a sample of west of Scotland GPs who had yet to participate in the peer review model. A thematic analysis of the interview transcriptions was conducted using a constant comparative approach.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>13 GPs were interviewed of whom nine were males. Four core themes were identified in relation to the perceived and experienced 'value' placed on the topics discussed and their relevance to routine clinical practice and professional appraisal: 1. Value of the appraisal improvement activity. 2. Value of external peer review. 3. Value of the external peer review model and host organisation and 4. Attitudes to external peer review.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>GPs in this study questioned the 'value' of participation in the external peer review model and the national appraisal system over the standard of internal feedback received from immediate work colleagues. There was a limited understanding of the concept, context and purpose of external peer review and some distrust of the host educational provider. Future engagement with the model by these GPs is likely to be influenced by policy to improve the standard of appraisal and contractual related activities, rather than a self-directed recognition of learning needs.</p

Democratic Nationalism in Scotland: Inclusion in Political and National Collectives

Scotland's quest for statehood is a paradigmatic case of democratic nationalism. The author highlights the crucial role of inclusion in this sentiment, distinguishing the political collective based on place of residence and the national collective based on identity. Case studies on national symbols such as anthem, language, and parliament show how to maintain national identity while integrating newcomers. Furthermore, the impact of religion, education, and the economy on Scotland's quest for autonomy links the functional differentiation of world society with nationalism - offering insights for anyone seeking to understand the interplay of democracy and nationalism in world society

Testing Autonomous Cars for Feature Interaction Failures using Many-Objective Search

Complex systems such as autonomous cars are typically built as a composition of features that are independent units of functionality. Features tend to interact and impact one another’s behavior in unknown ways. A challenge is to detect and manage feature interactions, in particular, those that violate system requirements, hence leading to failures. In this paper, we propose a technique to detect feature interaction failures by casting our approach into a search-based test generation problem. We define a set of hybrid test objectives (distance functions) that combine traditional coverage-based heuristics with new heuristics specifically aimed at revealing feature interaction failures. We develop a new search-based test generation algorithm, called FITEST, that is guided by our hybrid test objectives. FITEST extends recently proposed many-objective evolutionary algorithms to reduce the time required to compute fitness values. We evaluate our approach using two versions of an industrial self-driving system. Our results show that our hybrid test objectives are able to identify more than twice as many feature interaction failures as two baseline test objectives used in the software testing literature (i.e., coverage-based and failure-based test objectives). Further, the feedback from domain experts indicates that the detected feature interaction failures represent real faults in their systems that were not previously identified based on analysis of the system features and their requirements

Meta-Analysis, Spatial, and Temporal Models to Analyze the Possible Association between Childhood Leukemia in Proximity to Nuclear Facilities

The purpose of this dissertation was to gain a better understanding of the possible association between childhood leukemia and nuclear facilities by conducting a meta-analysis and by the use of spatial and temporal models with respect to Pickering Nuclear Generator (PNG) in Ontario, Canada. The meta-analysis was conducted to combine and statistically analyze the many studies of childhood leukemia in the vicinity of nuclear facilities. Our focus was on studies that calculated SMRs or SIRs for individual nuclear sites. Due to variability between studies in defining age and geographic zones, eight separate analyses were performed based on age and zone stratification levels. One hundred and forty-six sites were used in at least one analysis. Unadjusted models, fixed effects models, and random effects models were used for each of the eight analyses. Meta-rates greater than one were found in all models at all stratification levels. Further, statistical significance at 95% confidence intervals was often achieved. Within geographic zones (as established by the meta-analysis), the 0-9 age group experienced higher rates than the 0-25 age group. There does not appear to be publication bias in the meta-analysis. To better understand the temporal and spatial relationship between radiation from PNG and childhood leukemia, smoothed moving rates through time and a spatial model (Score Test of Lawson and Waller) were used that allowed for a more comprehensive description of disease patterns. No apparent relationship between childhood leukemia and PNG was detected. In the temporal analysis, moving SIRs remained near one for the entire time-period for the census subdivisions of Pickering and Ajax (which contain PNG). Zones based on distance from PNG were created for the spatial analysis. The highest rates were found in the innermost and outermost zones, with the highest population in the outer zones. No significant results were found with the Score Test of Lawson and Waller

Financial Crisis - U.K. Policy and Regulatory Response

WOS: 000405283200015PubMed ID: 2875201

Financial exclusion and inclusion : credit union development in Kingston upon Hull

Within the flourishing area of new economic geography, increased attention is currently being paid to a variety of 'alternative' sources of credit and finance. As one of these forms, British credit unions are currently particularly 'sexy'. One reason for this status relates to increasing interest (both within the academy and outside) in the role(s) credit unions can play in relieving the effects of financial exclusion and poverty throughout Britain. In the context of the growing concerns of 'New Labour' about these issues, credit unions are progressively being posited as one route to a more inclusive society, both in social and economic terms. However, through an analysis that positions credit unions as 'civil', embodied, institutions in the specific context of their development in Kingston upon Hull, this thesis proposes that the achievement of such a goal is not a straightforward issue. This work questions the extent to which British credit unions have historically contributed towards financial inclusion, finding that such evidence remains partial and somewhat underlain by a 'faith' in the merits of the credit union model. As a consequence, it emphasises that in taking the route to a more financially included society through increased usage of credit unions, a number of barriers to their development and growth will have to be surmounted. These barriers are highlighted within this work through an exploration of a prevailing credit union discourse, which draws attention to the linkages between the structural features of the British credit union environment, and the manifestations of these features within localities such as Hull. In so doing, it concludes by outlining a number of challenges and changes facing the British movement that are reflective of a growing awareness of these barriers and their effects. It is argued that these features will broadly affect (and effect) the contribution made by credit unions within a more (financially) inclusive society in the years to come