ChimpCheck: Property-Based Randomized Test Generation for Interactive Apps

We consider the problem of generating relevant execution traces to test rich interactive applications. Rich interactive applications, such as apps on mobile platforms, are complex stateful and often distributed systems where sufficiently exercising the app with user-interaction (UI) event sequences to expose defects is both hard and time-consuming. In particular, there is a fundamental tension between brute-force random UI exercising tools, which are fully-automated but offer low relevance, and UI test scripts, which are manual but offer high relevance. In this paper, we consider a middle way---enabling a seamless fusion of scripted and randomized UI testing. This fusion is prototyped in a testing tool called ChimpCheck for programming, generating, and executing property-based randomized test cases for Android apps. Our approach realizes this fusion by offering a high-level, embedded domain-specific language for defining custom generators of simulated user-interaction event sequences. What follows is a combinator library built on industrial strength frameworks for property-based testing (ScalaCheck) and Android testing (Android JUnit and Espresso) to implement property-based randomized testing for Android development. Driven by real, reported issues in open source Android apps, we show, through case studies, how ChimpCheck enables expressing effective testing patterns in a compact manner.Comment: 20 pages, 21 figures, Symposium on New ideas, New Paradigms, and Reflections on Programming and Software (Onward!2017

Use of Mountain Pine Beetle Killed Wood to Produce Cement-Bonded Particleboard

This study investigated the properties of cement-bonded particleboards made with mountain pine beetle (MPB) (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins)-infected wood. Four different types of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm.) particles, from two different log sizes and two different years since tree death (3 and 5 yr), were considered in this study. Different formulations consisting of two cement types, two additives, various wood/cement/water ratios, and a range of additive conditions were studied. Mechanical and physical tests were conducted to examine the properties of the specimens. The results showed that wood particles from small logs (diameter < 28 cm) of 3 yr since tree death with either type of cement and calcium chloride or magnesium chloride as the additive are the best formulations. Other formulations also showed comparable mechanical and physical properties to published results of cement-bonded products. Based on the testing results, MPB woods may be used for the manufacture of the value-added wood—cement products

Feasibility of Using Mountain Pine Beetle-Attacked Wood to Produce Wood-Plastic Composites: Preliminary Work

This study investigates the feasibility of using mountain pine beetle (MPB) (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins)-killed lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm) to manufacture wood- plastic composites (WPCs). Preliminary formulations of various flour sizes (20, 40, 60, and 80 mesh), wood contents (40, 50, and 60%), and corresponding contents of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) without additives were used to make strip-like specimens. Extrusion and injection molding were performed to fabricate specimens for investigation of mechanical properties. A simple tensile experiment was conducted to select an appropriate formulation. The injection-molded MPB-wood-HDPE composites resulted in properties that were comparable with a commercial product and other similar studies. MPB wood showed great potential to be a raw material of WPC products

Combined diversity sequence estimation receiver for wideband digital mobile radio

An investigation is presented into the performance of a novel type of sequence estimation equalisation receiver. The receiver incorporates space diversity to further enhance the signal reception in multipath fading environments. It is shown that the receiver complexity is reduced by approx. 90% with virtually no performance loss compared to that of the MLSE.published_or_final_versio

Towards the use of Semi-structured Annotators for Automated Essay Grading

The amount of time teachers spend grading essays has increased over the past decade, prompting the development of systems that are able to lighten the workload. Many systems have thus far used linear regression or semisupervised methods towards this objective. This paper discusses some of the main Automated Essay Grading systems, highlighting some of their strengths and weaknesses, in addition to providing a brief overview of Text Mining and meta-data annotation techniques that could be used to facilitate the process of grading essays through an automated system

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B in a Chinese patient

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B syndrome is rarely reported in Chinese patients. A 25-year-old Chinese male presented with full-blown clinical features of this syndrome, including bilateral phaeochromocytomas, medullary thyroid carcinoma, and characteristic phenotypic features. One-stage surgical treatment was performed and subsequent genetic analysis confirmed a point mutation at codon 918 in exon 16 of the RET proto-oncogene. The mutation was arising de novo as there was no corresponding mutation found in both this parents or younger sister. Data published to date suggest there is no difference in the genetic and pathophysiologic basis, nor clinical characteristics of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B in Chinese patients. As the disease can be lethal, early diagnosis by prompt recognition of the characteristic phenotypic features followed by surgical treatment should improve the outcome. Family screening is essential to identify at-risk family members for prophylactic treatment.published_or_final_versio

Source localization using a sparse representation framework to achieve superresolution

We present a source localization approach using resampling within a sparse representation framework. In particular, the amplitude and phase information of the sparse solution is considered holistically to estimate the direction-of-arrival (DOA), where a resampling technique is developed to determine which information will give a more precise estimation. The simulation results confirm the efficacy of our proposed method. © 2010 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 01 Dec 201