124 research outputs found
A Generic method for assembling software product line components
Software product lines (SPL) facilitate the industrialization of software development. The main goal is to create a set of reusable software components for the rapid production of a software systems family. Many authors propose different approaches to implement and assemble the reusable components of an SPL. However, the construction and assembly of these components continue to be a complex and time-consuming process. This thesis analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the current approaches to implement and assemble the reusable components of an SPL. Taking advantage of these elements and with the goal of developing a generic method (which can be applied to several software components developed in different software languages), we develop Fragment-oriented programming (FragOP), a framework to design, implement and reuse SPL domain components. FragOP is based on: (i) domain components, (ii) domain files, (iii) fragmentation points, (iv) fragments, (v) customization points, and (vi) customization files. FragOP was implemented in an open-source tool called VariaMos, and we also carried out three evaluations: (i) we created a clothing stores SPL, derived five different products, and discussed the results. (ii) We developed a discussion about the comparison between FragOP and other approaches. And (iii) we designed and executed a usability test of VariaMos to support the FragOP approach. The results show preliminary evidence that the use of FragOP reduces the manual intervention when assembling SPL domain components and it can be used as a generic method for assembling assets and SPL components developed in different software languages.Las líneas de productos de software (LPS) promueven la industrialización del desarrollo de software mediante la definición y ensamblaje de componentes reutilizables de software. Actualmente existen diferentes propuestas para implementar y ensamblar estos componentes. Sin embargo, su construcción y ensamblaje continúa siendo un proceso complejo y que requiere mucho tiempo. Esta tesis analiza las ventajas y desventajas de las diferentes estrategias actuales para implementación y ensamblaje de componentes de LPS. Con base en esto y con el objetivo de desarrollar un método genérico (el cual se pueda aplicar a múltiples componentes de software desarrollados en diferentes lenguajes), esta tesis desarrolla la programación orientada a fragmentos (FragOP), la cual define un marco de trabajo para diseñar, implementar y reutilizar componentes de dominio de LPS. FragOP se basa en: (i) componentes de dominio, (ii) archivos de dominio, (iii) puntos de fragmentación, (iv) fragmentos, (v) puntos de personalización, y (vi) archivos de personalización. Además, se realizó una implementación de FragOP en una herramienta llamada VariaMos, y se llevaron a cabo tres evaluaciones: (i) se creó una LPS de tiendas de ropa, se derivaron cinco productos y se discutieron los resultados. (ii) Se realizó una discusión acerca de la comparación de FragOP y otras propuestas actuales. Y (iii) se diseñó una prueba de usabilidad acerca del soporte de VariaMos para FragOP. Los resultados muestran evidencia preliminar de que el uso de FragOP reduce la intervención manual cuando se ensamblan componentes, y que FragOP puede usarse como un método genérico para el ensamblaje de componentes.Doctorad
Studies of the infections of wild bird populations in north west England
Little is known about the epidemiology of infection in wild birds. However, such infections can be zoonotic, transmitted to domestic livestock or both. Previous studies have resulted in conflicting evidence and views as to the role played by wild birds in the epidemiology of infectious diseases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of a range of bacterial and viral pathogens in wild birds, over appropriate temporal and spatial scales, in order to begin to understand the (potential) role that birds play in the ecology of infectious diseases; in particular, to determine if wild birds act as sources and/or reservoirs of infection for human beings and/or domestic animals. This was achieved by carrying out a series of cross-sectional studies of wild bird populations in north-west England over a two year period. Samples collected from wild birds were examined for bacterial and viral agents including Campylobacter spp., verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., influenza A virus, avian paramyxovirus type-I, avian metapneumovirus, coronavirus and West Nile virus. Microorganisms were characterised using an array of microbiological and molecular techniques. Phylogenetic and epidemiological analyses were carried out to investigate host-pathogen ecology and evolution and to determine risk factors for the carriage of these agents by wild birds. Salmonellosis in wild passerines was found to be caused by a narrow range of possibly host-adapted S. Typhimurium strains, which were capable of invading and persisting in avian cells, susceptible to antimicrobials and contained a range of virulence genes, but lacked a gene that has been associated with some epidemic strains of S. Typhimurium in humans and livestock. It is suggested that S. Typhimurium infection in wild passerines is maintained within wild bird populations and it is unlikely that these strains represent a large zoonotic risk
A Scalable Design Framework for Variability Management in Large-Scale Software Product Lines
Variability management is one of the major challenges in software product line adoption, since it needs to be efficiently managed at various levels of the software product line development process (e.g., requirement analysis, design, implementation, etc.).
One of the main challenges within variability management is the handling and effective visualization of large-scale (industry-size) models, which in many projects, can reach the order of thousands, along with the dependency relationships that exist among them. These have raised many concerns regarding the scalability of current variability management tools and techniques and their lack of industrial adoption.
To address the scalability issues, this work employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods to identify the reasons behind the limited scalability of existing variability management tools and techniques. In addition to producing a comprehensive catalogue of existing tools, the outcome form this stage helped understand the major limitations of existing tools.
Based on the findings, a novel approach was created for managing variability that employed two main principles for supporting scalability. First, the separation-of-concerns principle was employed by creating multiple views of variability models to alleviate information overload. Second, hyperbolic trees were used to visualise models (compared to Euclidian space trees traditionally used). The result was an approach that can represent models encompassing hundreds of variability points and complex relationships. These concepts were demonstrated by implementing them in an existing variability management tool and using it to model a real-life product line with over a thousand variability points.
Finally, in order to assess the work, an evaluation framework was designed based on various established usability assessment best practices and standards. The framework was then used with several case studies to benchmark the performance of this work against other existing tools
The feasibility of miniaturizing the versatile portable speech prosthesis: A market survey of commercial products
The feasibility of a miniature versatile portable speech prosthesis (VPSP) was analyzed and information on its potential users and on other similar devices was collected. The VPSP is a device that incorporates speech synthesis technology. The objective is to provide sufficient information to decide whether there is valuable technology to contribute to the miniaturization of the VPSP. The needs of potential users are identified, the development status of technologies similar or related to those used in the VPSP are evaluated. The VPSP, a computer based speech synthesis system fits on a wheelchair. The purpose was to produce a device that provides communication assistance in educational, vocational, and social situations to speech impaired individuals. It is expected that the VPSP can be a valuable aid for persons who are also motor impaired, which explains the placement of the system on a wheelchair
Reducing Exposures to Mercury
Mercury is an environmental contaminant affecting neurological development, the immune system and cardiac health. Air emissions become environmental pollutants impacting air, water and land. Consumption of mercury-contaminated fish can create public health concerns, primarily to pregnant women and their fetuses. New York State\u27s public policy response addresses incidental exposures with annual fish advisories and restrictions on mercury emissions and products sold or used. Additional public policy responses to the mercury problem can include: direct notification of advisories to fish consumers, enhanced public health notification of benefits and risks of consuming fish, labeling requirements on mercury-containing products, and expanded scientific data collection to track mercury interactions in the atmosphere to determine confounding factors contributing to mercury exposures
The Hilltop 2-19-1988
This document created through a generous donation of Mr. Paul Cottonhttps://dh.howard.edu/hilltop_198090/1191/thumbnail.jp
Bulloch Times (Statesboro News-Statesboro Eagle)
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/bulloch-news-issues/2401/thumbnail.jp
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