Generating Effective Test Suites for Model Transformations Using Classifying Terms

Generating sample models for testing a model transformation is no easy task. This paper explores the use of classifying terms and stratified sampling for developing richer test cases for model transformations. Classifying terms are used to define the equivalence classes that characterize the relevant subgroups for the test cases. From each equivalence class of object models, several representative models are chosen depending on the required sample size. We compare our results with test suites developed using random sampling, and conclude that by using an ordered and stratified approach the coverage and effectiveness of the test suite can be significantly improved.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

UNH Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Monitoring Program for 2010-2014: Quality Assurance Project Plan

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is essential to estuarine ecology because it filters nutrients and suspended particles from water, stabilizes sediments, provides food for wintering waterfowl, and provides habitat for juvenile fish and shellfish, as well as being the basis of an important estuarine food web. Healthy eelgrass both depends on and contributes to good water quality. The UNH Seagrass Ecology Lab, has mapped the distribution of eelgrass every year from 1986 through 2009 in the Great Bay. The entire Great Bay Estuary (Great Bay, Little Bay, tidal tributaries, Piscataqua River, Little Harbor, and Portsmouth Harbor) was mapped by these researchers in 1996 and from 1999 through 2009. In 1989, there was a dramatic crash of the eelgrass beds in the Great Bay itself down to 300 acres (15% of normal levels). The cause of this crash was an infestation of a slime mold, Labryrinthula zosterae, commonly called “wasting disease” (Muehlstein et al., 1991). The eelgrass beds recovered following the infestation but have experienced a slow, steady decline since their initial recovery. Between 1990 and 2008, the eelgrass acreage in Great Bay and Little Bay has declined by 37 and 87 percent, respectively. In 2007 and 2008, no eelgrass was found in Little Bay and the Piscataqua River; in Portsmouth Harbor, eelgrass cover has also been declining. All of the eelgrass in the Winnicut River was lost between 1990 and 2008. Eelgrass seedlings and young plants have been occasionally detected at low levels in the other tributaries to Great Bay and Little Bay. However, historical maps indicate that eelgrass formerly existed in these rivers (DES, 2008). The Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) coordinates environmental monitoring in the Great Bay Estuary and Hampton-Seabrook Harbor. Maps of eelgrass distribution in the Great Bay Estuary provide useful information on water quality and critical habitats within the estuary and the environmental quality of the system. The PREP has developed a series of environmental indicators to track trends and to evaluate progress toward management goals. Eelgrass distribution is part of the PREP Monitoring Plan to gather data on these indicators (PREP, 2008). PREP intends to contract with UNH-JEL to continue this monitoring program in 2010 through 2014 to ensure that the record of annual eelgrass assessments will be unbroken. The methods used in this study do not include georectified imagery due to cost constraints. PREP intends to collect georectified imagery approximately every 10 years. Eelgrass was mapped using georectified imagery in 1996 and 2007. After this QAPP expires, PREP intends to establish a new contract with UNH-JEL to collect georectified imagery in 2015 using the protocols from NOAA C-CAP (NOAA, 1995) or its successor guidance. Maps of eelgrass in the estuary will be used by PREP, the NH Department of Environmental Services, UNH, and other coastal resource managers to evaluate trends in eelgrass populations over time

How are higher education institutions dealing with openness?. A survey of practices, beliefs, and strategies in five European countries

Open Education is on the agenda of half of the surveyed Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. For the other half of HEIs, Open Education does not seem to be an issue, at least at the time of the data collection of the survey (spring 2015). This report presents results of a representative a survey of Higher Education institutions in five European countries (France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom) to enquire about their Open Education (OE) practices, beliefs and strategies (e.g MOOCs). It aims to provide evidence for the further development of OE to support the supports the Opening Up Communication (European Commission, 2013) and the renewed priority on Open Education, enabled by digital technologies, of ET2020

Matagorda Bay and Nearby Coastal Waters Dissolved Oxygen and pH TMDL Assessment Report

This project provides technical support to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The TCEQ will lead an effort to assess the causes and sources of the following water quality problems identified in the 2002 Texas Water Quality Inventory and 303(d) List for Matagorda Bay/Powderhorn Lake (Segment 2451), which only partially supports the aquatic life use due to exceedence of the dissolved oxygen (DO) standard on the east half of the main bay; Tres Palacios/Turtle Bay (Segment 2452),which only partially supports the aquatic life use due to exceedance of the dissolved oxygen standard in the Palacios area assessment unit and Carancahua Bay (Segment 2456); which only partially supports the general use due to high pH in 9.2 square miles at the north end of the bay; and Carancahua Creek and Conn Brown Harbor (Segment 2483A), which does not support the aquatic life use in the entire harbor due to depressed dissolved oxygen. The goals of the current project were to develop a Quality Assurance Project Plan, to develop and implement a monitoring program to assess the DO conditions in Matagorda Bay, Tres Palacios Bay, and Conn Brown Harbor and the pH conditions in Carancahua Bay, and to assess the data collected from the monitoring plan and determine the cause of impairments that result in exceedence of the water quality criteria.Project Title: Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) AssessmentFinal Report Submitted To: Texas Commission On Environmental QualityUmbrella Contract No. 582-1-30479 (UTMSI) Total Maximum Daily Load Research Support Work Order No. 582-1-30479-07Marine Scienc

Video Game Development in a Rush: A Survey of the Global Game Jam Participants

Video game development is a complex endeavor, often involving complex software, large organizations, and aggressive release deadlines. Several studies have reported that periods of "crunch time" are prevalent in the video game industry, but there are few studies on the effects of time pressure. We conducted a survey with participants of the Global Game Jam (GGJ), a 48-hour hackathon. Based on 198 responses, the results suggest that: (1) iterative brainstorming is the most popular method for conceptualizing initial requirements; (2) continuous integration, minimum viable product, scope management, version control, and stand-up meetings are frequently applied development practices; (3) regular communication, internal playtesting, and dynamic and proactive planning are the most common quality assurance activities; and (4) familiarity with agile development has a weak correlation with perception of success in GGJ. We conclude that GGJ teams rely on ad hoc approaches to development and face-to-face communication, and recommend some complementary practices with limited overhead. Furthermore, as our findings are similar to recommendations for software startups, we posit that game jams and the startup scene share contextual similarities. Finally, we discuss the drawbacks of systemic "crunch time" and argue that game jam organizers are in a good position to problematize the phenomenon.Comment: Accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Game

KB-WOT Quality assurance acoustics: overview and protocols 2008 version

The quality of IMARES' acoustic surveys proved quite unstable in recent years despite extra effort in this field to bring this instability down. The amount of involved scientists in acoustics has been small compared to demersal survey work. Therefore scientific standards of acoustic surveys are relatively low compared resulting in poor standardisation and minimal transparency. Highly specialised technical work made it even more difficult to exchange scientists within IMARES and the quality of acoustic surveys proved to be very sensitive to loss or change in personnel. This situation improved drastically in 2008 when more scientists got involved in acoustic projects and more effort was put in standardisation