On the Effect of Semantically Enriched Context Models on Software Modularization

Many of the existing approaches for program comprehension rely on the linguistic information found in source code, such as identifier names and comments. Semantic clustering is one such technique for modularization of the system that relies on the informal semantics of the program, encoded in the vocabulary used in the source code. Treating the source code as a collection of tokens loses the semantic information embedded within the identifiers. We try to overcome this problem by introducing context models for source code identifiers to obtain a semantic kernel, which can be used for both deriving the topics that run through the system as well as their clustering. In the first model, we abstract an identifier to its type representation and build on this notion of context to construct contextual vector representation of the source code. The second notion of context is defined based on the flow of data between identifiers to represent a module as a dependency graph where the nodes correspond to identifiers and the edges represent the data dependencies between pairs of identifiers. We have applied our approach to 10 medium-sized open source Java projects, and show that by introducing contexts for identifiers, the quality of the modularization of the software systems is improved. Both of the context models give results that are superior to the plain vector representation of documents. In some cases, the authoritativeness of decompositions is improved by 67%. Furthermore, a more detailed evaluation of our approach on JEdit, an open source editor, demonstrates that inferred topics through performing topic analysis on the contextual representations are more meaningful compared to the plain representation of the documents. The proposed approach in introducing a context model for source code identifiers paves the way for building tools that support developers in program comprehension tasks such as application and domain concept location, software modularization and topic analysis

Applications of Multi-view Learning Approaches for Software Comprehension

Program comprehension concerns the ability of an individual to make an understanding of an existing software system to extend or transform it. Software systems comprise of data that are noisy and missing, which makes program understanding even more difficult. A software system consists of various views including the module dependency graph, execution logs, evolutionary information and the vocabulary used in the source code, that collectively defines the software system. Each of these views contain unique and complementary information; together which can more accurately describe the data. In this paper, we investigate various techniques for combining different sources of information to improve the performance of a program comprehension task. We employ state-of-the-art techniques from learning to 1) find a suitable similarity function for each view, and 2) compare different multi-view learning techniques to decompose a software system into high-level units and give component-level recommendations for refactoring of the system, as well as cross-view source code search. The experiments conducted on 10 relatively large Java software systems show that by fusing knowledge from different views, we can guarantee a lower bound on the quality of the modularization and even improve upon it. We proceed by integrating different sources of information to give a set of high-level recommendations as to how to refactor the software system. Furthermore, we demonstrate how learning a joint subspace allows for performing cross-modal retrieval across views, yielding results that are more aligned with what the user intends by the query. The multi-view approaches outlined in this paper can be employed for addressing problems in software engineering that can be encoded in terms of a learning problem, such as software bug prediction and feature location

An Evaluation Of Service Frameworks For The Management Of Service Ecosystems

A service ecosystem is a marketplace for trading services in which services are developed, published, sold and used. Service ecosystems have changed the way of service delivery and service consumption among actors/parties, who perform specific roles for the operation of the ecosystems. Such actors, being service providers, consumers, mediators and intermediaries, ensure the livelihood of the ecosystem. However, the role of the service infrastructure provider, one of the actors of the service ecosystem, is still not being explored sufficiently. The service infrastructure provider provides service infrastructures/frameworks upon which other actors of the service ecosystem operate. In this paper, an evaluation framework for the service framework is defined, which is based on the features that are required for a service ecosystem to thrive. The evaluation framework is used to evaluate three opensource service frameworks. The evaluation framework facilities the selection process of a service framework among the largely available ones

Migrating a Large Scale Legacy Application to SOA: Challenges and Lessons Learned

Abstract—This paper presents the findings of a case study of a large scale legacy to service-oriented architecture migration process in the payments domain of a Dutch bank. The paper presents the business drivers that initiated the migration, and describes a 4-phase migration process. For each phase, the paper details benefits of using the techniques, best practices that contribute to the success, and possible challenges that are faced during migration. Based on these observations, the findings are discussed as lessons learned, including the implications of using reverse engineering techniques to facilitate the migration process, adopting a pragmatic migration realization approach, emphasizing the organizational and business perspectives, and harvesting knowledge of the system throughout the system’s life cycle. I

Designing and Introducing a New Artificial Feeding Apparatus for Sand Fly Rearing

Background: Due to strict ethical rules, the risk of accidental disease transmission and the most importantly, inconven­ience regarding using of live animals, artificial feeding apparatus has been developed for colonization of haematophagous insects. Rearing of sandfly is more difficult than other haematophagous insects. Methods: In the current study, a new apparatus for membrane feeding of Phlebotomus papatasi was designed, made and compared with available apparatus in Sand Fly Insectary, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in 2014. Results: In comparison to other apparatus designed for artificial feeding of other arthropods, our designed apparatus had the highest performance which after up to 1h, the majority of sand flies landed and took blood and among tested membranes, chicken skin was proved the most efficient membrane. Conclusion: Sand fly artificial feeding apparatus can be used at least for rearing of Ph. papatasi

Content Validity, Factor Structure and Gender Invariance of Belongingness Orientation Scale

The purpose of present study was to investigate the psychometric characteristics of Belongingness Orientation scale (Lavigne et al, 2011). The research method of this study was correlation and test validation. The statistical population of the study consisted of students of Birjand University (6657 girls and 5691 boys). A total of 292 people (147 women, 145 men) were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. Participants completed Belongingness Orientation Scale (BOS), Subjective Vitality Scale (SVS-IDL) and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory and intergroup factor analysis, and multiple regression using SPSS.16, and Amos.20 software. Results showed that the structure of two factors that explain 54.34% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis also confirmed this structure. The factor structure of the scale was invariant by gender. The internal consistency of the scale was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha and split-half coefficients. Predictive validity in relation to subjective vitality and psychological distress was confirmed. In general, it can be concluded that the belongingness orientation scale has a good validity and reliability in students and can be used as a precise instrument in this regard

Evaluation of susceptibility status of Phlebotomus papatasi, the main vector of zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, to different WHO recommended insecticides in an endemic focus, Central Iran

Background: Among neglected zoonotic diseases, leishmaniases caused by Leishmania parasite through infected female sand fly bite, are a group of diseases found in 98 countries and territories representing a critical burden of disease worldwide. Vector management plays a crucial role in reducing the burden of vector-borne diseases by WHO’s global plan. The objective of the current study was to assess the susceptibility status of wild phlebotomine sand flies from Esfahan Prov- ince, central Iran, to the recommended insecticides by WHO. Methods: Sand flies were collected by mouth aspirator in Matin Abad desert Eco-resort and were tested using WHO adult mosquito test kit against Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) 4%, Deltamethrin 0.05%, Malathion 5% and Propoxur 0.1%. The number of knockdown sand flies were recorded during exposure time in ten minutes interval for DDT and Deltamethrin and they were allowed to recover for 24 hours. Knockdown Time50 (KD50) and KD90 were generated for them using Probit software. They were mounted and identified by valid keys. Results: Among the tested insecticides against female Phlebotomus papatasi, DDT, Deltame- thrin, and Malathion recorded the highest mortality rate of 100%, followed by Propoxur with 92.2% mortality for a one-hour exposure. For DDT, KD50 and KD90 were calculated 21.87 and 42.93 and for Deltamethrin, they were 23.74 and 56.50 minutes respectively. Total sand flies ex-posed with DDT and Deltamethrin shed their leg(s). Conclusion: It is concluded that Ph. papatasi from central Iran is susceptible to DDT, Deltame- thrin, Malathion, and Propoxur

Susceptibility of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) against DDT and Deltamethrin in an Endemic Focus of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Iran

Background: Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) is the main vector of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in Iran. The nonstandard use of pesticides against pests, particularly in agriculture, indirectly has caused the de­velopment of resistance and, consequently, the threat of control measures in ZCL endemic areas. Up to 2023, several reports of resistance in Ph. papatasi have been declared in the old world. The purpose of this study was to measure the lethal time (LT50 and LT90) of Ph. papatasi sand flies in the ZCL endemic center of Esfahan to DDT and deltamethrin insecticides. Methods: Sand flies were collected in Borkhar and were tested using WHO adult mosquito test kit against DDT 4% and deltamethrin 0.0002%. The sand fly’s survival was recorded during exposure time in 225, 450|, 900, 1800, and 3600-seconds’ intervals for DDT and Deltamethrin and they were allowed to recover for 24 hours. Then LT50 and LT90 were analyzed using probit software. Phlebotomus papatasi were identified using morphological keys and other sand flies’ species were excluded from the analysis. Results: The insecticide against female Ph. papatasi revealed hundred percent mortality when exposed to DDT 4% and deltamethrin 0.0002%. The LT50 and LT90 were 19.32 and 22.74 minutes for DDT 4% and 39.92 and 51.33 minutes for deltamethrin 0.0002% respectively. Conclusion: Results of this study revealed that Ph. papatasi is still susceptible to DDT and deltamethrin. This data pro­vides valuable knowledge to implement effective control strategies against ZCL main vector and help to manage insec­ticide resistance in the region

Serologic Biomarkers in Pemphigus Monitoring: C-reactive Protein, Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor, and Prolactin Levels Versus Autoantibody Assays

Evaluation and monitoring of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) typically involve autoantibody detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence (IIF). We aimed to determine the levels of antipemphigus immunoglobulin (Ig) G autoantibodies using ELISA and IIF (as standard biomarkers), and compare it to prolactin, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), and C-reactive protein (CRP) (as nonstandard biomarkers) to determine which of these non-standard biomarkers is appropriate for PV monitoring. The experiment was performed before and during therapy. Anti-Dsg immunoglobulin G autoantibodies were measured using ELISA and IIF (as standard biomarkers) versus prolactin, MIF, and CRP (nonstandard), before 1 and 3 months after the treatment. Before beginning the treatment, the severity of the disease was determined using the pemphigus disease area Index (PDAI). We enrolled 60 newly diagnosed patients with PV (32 men and 28 women; mean age=43.8±14.2 years). Before treatment, the levels of anti-Dsg1, anti-Dsg3, and IIF were high and had a significant relationship with PDAI. PDAI also had a connection with the levels of CRP and prolactin. The anti-Dsg1, anti-Dsg3, IIF, and CRP titers decreased in patients treated with conventional (prednisolone plus azathioprine) and rituximab therapy during and after treatment. In conclusion, anti-Dsg1, anti-Dsg3, and IIF autoantibody titers remain standard biomarkers for assessing disease activity, severity, and PV monitoring. The trend of CRP was similar to that of anti-Dsg1, anti-Dsg3, and IIF. Thus, CRP may be used for PV monitoring

Design and Evaluation of a Button Sensor Antenna for On-Body Monitoring Activity in Healthcare Applications

A button sensor antenna for on-body monitoring in wireless body area network (WBAN) systems is presented. Due to the close coupling between the sensor antenna and the human body, it is highly challenging to design sensor antenna devices. In this paper, a mechanically robust system is proposed that integrates a dual-band button antenna with a wireless sensor module designed on a printed circuit board (PCB). The system features a small footprint and has good radiation characteristics and efficiency. This was fabricated, and the measured and simulated results are in good agreement. The design offers a wide range of omnidirectional radiation patterns in free space, with a reflection coefficient (S11) of −29.30 (−30.97) dB, a maximum gain of 1.75 (5.65) dBi, and radiation efficiency of 71.91 (92.51)% in the lower and upper bands, respectively. S11 reaches −23.07 (−27.07) dB and −30.76 (−31.12) dB, respectively, with a gain of 2.09 (6.70) dBi and 2.16 (5.67) dBi, and radiation efficiency of 65.12 (81.63)% and 75.00 (85.00)%, when located on the body for the lower and upper bands, respectively. The performance is minimally affected by bending, movement, and fabrication tolerances. The specific absorption rate (SAR) values are below the regulatory limitations for the spatial average over 1 g (1.6 W/Kg) and 10 g of tissues (2.0 W/Kg). For both indoor and outdoor conditions, experimental results of the range tests confirm the coverage of up to 40 m