BOBMEX: the Bay of Bengal monsoon experiment

The first observational experiment under the Indian Climate Research Programme, called the Bay of Bengal Monsoon Experiment (BOBMEX), was carried out during July-August 1999. BOBMEX was aimed at measurements of important variables of the atmosphere, ocean, and their interface to gain deeper insight into some of the processes that govern the variability of organized convection over the bay. Simultaneous time series observations were carried out in the northern and southern Bay of Bengal from ships and moored buoys. About 80 scientists from 15 different institutions in India collaborated during BOBMEX to make observations in most-hostile conditions of the raging monsoon. In this paper, the objectives and the design of BOBMEX are described and some initial results presented. During the BOBMEX field phase there were several active spells of convection over the bay, separated by weak spells. Observation with high-resolution radiosondes, launched for the first time over the northern bay, showed that the magnitudes of the convective available potential energy (CAPE) and the convective inhibition energy were comparable to those for the atmosphere over the west Pacific warm pool. CAPE decreased by 2-3 kJ kg-1 following convection, and recovered in a time period of 1-2 days. The surface wind speed was generally higher than 8 m s-1. The thermohaline structure as well as its time evolution during the BOBMEX field phase were found to be different in the northern bay than in the southern bay. Over both the regions, the SST decreased during rain events and increased in cloud-free conditions. Over the season as a whole, the upper-layer salinity decreased for the north bay and increased for the south bay. The variation in SST during 1999 was found to be of smaller amplitude than in 1998. Further analysis of the surface fluxes and currents is expected to give insight into the nature of coupling

Implementing metrics for process improvement

There is increasing interest in the use of metrics to control the software development process, to demonstrate productivity and value, and to identify areas for process improvement. Research work completed to date is based on the implementation of metrics in a 'standard' software development environment, and follows either a top-down or bottom-up approach. With the advent of further European unity, many companies are producing localised products, ie products which are translated and adapted to suit each European country. Metrics systems need to be customised to the processes and environment of each company. This thesis describes a 12-step process for metrics implementation, using an optimum approach which is a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches, with a set of applicable metrics, covering the software development process, which can be adapted for any development environment. For the case study, a software localisation company, the suggested implementation process is followed, and relevant measures are adapted to suit the different environment, with a particular emphasis on quality metrics. This thesis also demonstrates that a metrics system is itself subject to continuous improvement, and rather than being a once-off implementation, it is an evolutionary process, changing as the software development process comes under control

Development of a framework for the education of software measurement in software engineering undergraduate programs

Software measurement programs are hardly adopted in organizations and there is a lack of attention to software measurement in higher education. This research work aims at creating the basis for the enhancement of software measurement education in universities, specifically in software engineering programs at the undergraduate level. The ultimate goal of this work is to facilitate the adoption of software measurement programs in software related organizations. This research project tackles this issue by identifying the software measurement topics that should be prioritized for undergraduate students and developing an educational Framework on the basis of the constructivist approach and the Bloom`s taxonomy to provide guidelines to university teachers. By doing so, university teachers will be provided with tools and approaches to pursue the achievement of learning outcomes by students being introduced to software measurement tasks. This research project required a number of investigations: a comprehensive literature review and a web survey to identify current practices in the teaching of software measurement; a Delphi study to identify priorities in software measurement education for undergraduate students; and an evaluation of the proposed educational framework by university teachers to determine the extent to which it can be adopted. The key results are: • Experts in the field agreed in identifying five essential software measurement topics (priorities) that should be taught to undergraduate students: basic concepts of software measurement; the measurement process; software measurement techniques; software management measures; and measures for the requirement phase. For each of these topics, the participating experts also identified the levels of learning expected to be reached by students, according to the Bloom's taxonomy. Moreover, they suggested the need for instilling in students the development of four important skills during their university studies, including: critical thinking; oral and written communication; and team work. These skills are aimed at complementing the students’ knowledge and practice of software measurement. • The design of an educational framework for the teaching of software measurement. • University teachers evaluating the proposed framework gave favorable opinions regarding its usefulness for teaching software measurement and for facilitating the achievement of learning outcomes by undergraduate students. • A website designed to promote the education on software measurement http://software-measurement-education.espol.edu.ec

LORDS OF THE MONGOLIAN TAIGA: An Ethnohistory of the Dukha Reindeer Herders

Tucked away in the northernmost district of Mongolia is a small group of approximately thirty reindeer-herding families who call themselves the Dukha. For centuries unknown to the Western world, the history and culture of the Dukha have remained largely a mystery. Significant works on the Dukha's history are rare at best in Western literature and basically nonexistent in English. According to the Finnish ethnographer and linguist Juha Janhunen's brief description, the Dukha "can probably be regarded as the most 'primitive' reindeer people presently living." Moreover, "creating a maximally complete recording of their life, as it still continues today, is one of the most urgent tasks of North Asian ethnography" (1983: 76). While a "maximally complete" record of the Dukha's life is beyond the scope of this thesis, the aim here is to provide a concise ethnohistory of the Dukha with a specific focus on their reindeer-herding populace so as to create a basis for future research