Second hand Rose

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Intra-Class Testing of Abstract Class Features

One of the characteristics of the increasingly widespread use of object-oriented libraries and the resulting intensive use of inheritance is the proliferation of dependencies on abstract classes. Such classes defer the implementation of some features, and are typically used as a specification or design tool. However, since their features are not fully implemented,abstract classes cannot be instantiated, and thus pose challenges for execution-based testing strategies. This paper presents a structured approach that supports the testing of features in abstract classes. Core to the approach is a series of static analysis steps that build a comprehensive view of the inter-class dependencies in the system under test. We then leveraged this information to define a test order for the methods in an abstract class that minimizes the number of stubs required during testing, and clearly identifies the required functionality of these stubs. Our approach is based on a comprehensive taxonomy of object-oriented classes that provides a framework for our analysis. First we describe the algorithms to calculate the inter-class dependencies and the test-order that minimizes stub creation. Then we give an overview of our tool, AbstractTestJ that implements our approach by generating a test order for the methods in an abstract Java class. Finally, we harness this tool to provide an analysis of 12 substantial Java applications that demonstrates both the feasibility of our approach and the importance of this technique

A Testing Strategy for Abstract Classes [Draft]

One of the characteristics of the increasingly widespread use of object-oriented libraries and the resulting intensive use of inheritance is the proliferation of dependencies on abstract classes. Since abstract classes cannot be instantiated, they cannot be tested in isolation using standard execution-based testing strategies. A standard approach to testing abstract classes is to instantiate a concrete descendant class and test the features that are inherited. This paper presents a structured approach that supports the testing of features in abstract classes, paying particular attention to ensuring that the features tested are those defined in the abstract class. Two empirical studies are performed on a suite of large Java programs and the results presented. The first study analyzes the role of abstract classes from a testing perspective. The second study investigates the impact of the testing strategy on the programs in this suite to demonstrate its feasibility and to comment on the pragmatics of its use

Oral dosing for antenatal corticosteroids in the Rhesus macaque.

Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) are standard of care for women at risk of preterm delivery, although choice of drug, dose or route have not been systematically evaluated. Further, ACS are infrequently used in low resource environments where most of the mortality from prematurity occurs. We report proof of principle experiments to test betamethasone-phosphate (Beta-P) or dexamethasone-phosphate (Dex-P) given orally in comparison to the clinical treatment with the intramuscular combination drug beta-phosphate plus beta-acetate in a Rhesus Macaque model. First, we performed pharmacokinetic studies in non-pregnant monkeys to compare blood levels of the steroids using oral dosing with Beta-P, Dex-P and an effective maternal intramuscular dose of the beta-acetate component of the clinical treatment. We then evaluated maternal and fetal blood steroid levels with limited fetal sampling under ultrasound guidance in pregnant macaques. We found that oral Beta is more slowly cleared from plasma than oral Dex. The blood levels of both drugs were lower in maternal plasma of pregnant than in non-pregnant macaques. Using the pharmacokinetic data, we treated groups of 6-8 pregnant monkeys with oral Beta-P, oral Dex-P, or the maternal intramuscular clinical treatment and saline controls and measured pressure-volume curves to assess corticosteroid effects on lung maturation at 5d. Oral Beta-P improved the pressure-volume curves similarly to the clinical treatment. Oral Dex-P gave more variable and nonsignificant responses. We then compared gene expression in the fetal lung, liver and hippocampus between oral Beta-P and the clinical treatment by RNA-sequencing. The transcriptomes were largely similar with small gene expression differences in the lung and liver, and no differences in the hippocampus between the groups. As proof of principle, ACS therapy can be effective using inexpensive and widely available oral drugs. Clinical dosing strategies must carefully consider the pharmacokinetics of oral Beta-P or Dex-P to minimize fetal exposure while achieving the desired treatment responses

New Measurements of the Motion of the Zodiacal Dust

Using the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper (WHAM), we have measured at high spectral resolution and high signal-to-noise the profile of the scattered solar Mg I 5184 absorption line in the zodiacal light. The observations were carried out toward 49 directions that sampled the ecliptic equator from solar elongations of 48\dg (evening sky) to 334\dg (morning sky) plus observations near +47\dg and +90\dg ecliptic latitude. The spectra show a clear prograde kinematic signature that is inconsistent with dust confined to the ecliptic plane and in circular orbits influenced only by the sun's gravity. In particular, the broadened widths of the profiles, together with large amplitude variations in the centroid velocity with elongation angle, indicate that a significant population of dust is on eccentric orbits. In addition, the wide, flat-bottomed line profile toward the ecliptic pole indicates a broad distribution of orbital inclinations extending up to about 30\dg - 40\dg with respect to the ecliptic plane. The absence of pronounced asymmetries in the shape of the profiles limits the retrograde population to less than 10% of the prograde population and also places constraints on the scattering phase function of the particles. These results do not show the radial outflow or evening--morning velocity amplitude asymmetry reported in some earlier investigations. The reduction of the spectra included the discovery and removal of extremely faint, unidentified terrestrial emission lines that contaminate and distort the underlying Mg I profile. This atmospheric emission is too weak to have been seen in earlier, lower signal-to-noise observations, but it probably affected the line centroid measurements of previous investigations.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, 1 table, to appear in ApJ v612; figures appear low-res only on scree

Real time imaging, forecasting and management of human-induced seismicity at Preston New Road, Lancashire, England

Earthquakes induced by subsurface fluid injection pose a significant issue across a range of industries. Debate continues as to the most effective methods to mitigate the resulting seismic hazard. Observations of induced seismicity indicate that the rate of seismicity scales with the injection volume and that events follow the Gutenberg-Richter distribution. These two inferences permit us to populate statistical models of the seismicity and extrapolate them to make forecasts of the expected event magnitudes as injection continues. Here, we describe a shale gas site where this approach was used in real time to make operational decisions during hydraulic fracturing operations. Microseismic observations revealed the intersection between hydraulic fracturing and a pre-existing fault or fracture network that became seismically active. Although "red light" events, requiring a pause to the injection program, occurred on several occasions, the observed event magnitudes fell within expected levels based on the extrapolated statistical models, and the levels of seismicity remained within acceptable limits as defined by the regulator. To date, induced seismicity has typically been regulated using retroactive traffic light schemes. This study shows that the use of high-quality microseismic observations to populate statistical models that forecast expected event magnitudes can provide a more effective approach

Alteration of p53 conformation and induction of apoptosis in a murine erythroleukemia cell line by dimethylsulfoxide

Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, may play an important role in the regulation of hematopoiesis. The tumor suppressor protein p53 has been identified as a key regulator of apoptosis in both normal and malignant hematopoietic cells. Modulation of p53 function is of interest, therefore, both in understanding the control of apoptosis and as a potential therapeutic intervention. In this study we describe the effect on murine erythroleukemia cells, transfected with a temperature-sensitive mutant p53, of exposure to the differentiating agent dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Rather than terminally differentiating, these cells are induced to undergo apoptosis. Interestingly, exposure to DMSO leads to an alteration of the protein conformation of the p53 mutant to one recognized by a wild-type specific monoclonal antibody. This is accompanied by a translocation of the p53 protein from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. These results suggest that the activity of some mutant p53 proteins can be functionally modified by exogenous compounds.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/31421/1/0000338.pd

Utilization of Eucalyptus Trees by Free-Roaming Koalas, 'Phascolarctos cinereus' (Goldfuss), near Nowendoc

Koalas have long been considered difficult to maintain in captivity. This has frequently been alleged to be the result of their fastidious leaf choice. An initial literature search of surveys about koala food trees located sixty nine species of 'Eucalyptus' reliably recorded. An examination of the success of maintaining koalas in four Australian states was conducted using a structured interview based upon a questionnaire. This questionnaire had five parameters of success in maintaining the animals. In terms of these parameters, the koalas could not accurately be described as "difficult to maintain". Local preferences in food choice were evident among the twenty five species of 'Eucalyptus' eaten by the sanctuary animals. Where previous attempts to understand koala food preferences have focussed upon chemical constituents of preferred or rejected leaf, this investigation attempted to examine other attributes of such 'Eucalyptus' as were utilised by koalas free-roaming in a 'Eucalyptus' mosaic near Nowendoc, New South Wales, during a two year period. A method was developed for identifying individual koalas from observed features substantiated by telephotographic records and multiple scaled projection of 35 mm colour slides. Using this identification procedure it was possible to make a comprehensive record of which trees from the 1,370 'Eucalyptus' trees on the 11.18 ha. site were used by particular koalas during the systematic observation period. The species, height and location of those trees used, or re-used were considered as possible non-chemical factors which might be significant in the selection of trees by the koalas