Toward Reverse Engineering of VBA Based Excel Spreadsheet Applications

Modern spreadsheet systems can be used to implement complex spreadsheet applications including data sheets, customized user forms and executable procedures written in a scripting language. These applications are often developed by practitioners that do not follow any software engineering practice and do not produce any design documentation. Thus, spreadsheet applications may be very difficult to be maintained or restructured. In this position paper we present in a nutshell two reverse engineering techniques and a tool that we are currently realizing for the abstraction of conceptual data models and business logic models.Comment: In Proceedings of the 2nd Workshop on Software Engineering Methods in Spreadsheets (http://spreadsheetlab.org/sems15/

Towards CFD guidelines for planing hull simulations based on the naples systematic series

Due to their higher motion amplitudes and instabilities, numerical simulations of planing hulls using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes are more difficult than that of displacement ships. Indeed, for an accurate evaluation of the hydrodynamic performances of planing craft, the high-fidelity estimation of the pressure field around the hull is crucial. For this reason, validations and comparisons with experimental data are still important to identify the guidelines for both simulation settings and mesh generation. In this paper, two commercial packages will be compared focusing on a resistance case for the parent hull model (C1 hull) from the Naples Systematic Series (NSS) at four Froude numbers (Fr). The NSS is a new systematic series of hard chine hulls intensively tested in planing and semiplaning speed range, De Luca et al. [1]. It has been chosen for the hull form: it is characterized by a warped bottom and a sectional area curve significantly different from the prismatic hulls. These differences amplify the difficulties in finding out the exact pressure distribution on the bottom and, consequently, make the evaluation more stringent. The Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes flow solvers results are validated using these benchmark experimental data. Also, grid independence, iteration, and time-step convergence analysis for response variables (resistance coefficients, wetted surfaces, and dynamic trim angles) follow the recommendations published in the verification and validation (V&V) study from De Luca et al. [2]. Hence, the two software are more compared on different features such as the mesh deformation, the overset method, and the correction of numerical ventilation classically observed below the hull. The results show that both software can provide consistent values and that new guidelines are now identified to improve the reliability of the simulations

The kinesin Eg5 inhibitor K858 induces apoptosis but also survivin-related chemoresistance in breast cancer cells

Inhibitors of kinesin spindle protein Eg5 are characterized by pronounced antitumor activity. Our group has recently synthesized and screened a library of 1,3,4-thiadiazoline analogues with the pharmacophoric structure of K858, an Eg5 inhibitor. We herein report the effects of K858 on four different breast cancer cell lines: MCF7 (luminal A), BT474 (luminal B), SKBR3 (HER2 like) and MDA-MB231 (basal like). We demonstrated that K858 displayed anti-proliferative activity on every analyzed breast cancer cell line by inducing apoptosis. However, at the same time, we showed that K858 up-regulated survivin, an anti-apoptotic molecule. We then performed a negative regulation of survivin expression, with the utilization of wortmannin, an AKT inhibitor, and obtained a significant increase of K858-dependent apoptosis. These data demonstrate that K858 is a potent inhibitor of replication and induces apoptosis in breast tumor cells, independently from the tumor phenotype. This anti-proliferative response of tumor cells to K858 can be limited by the contemporaneous over-expression of survivin; consequently, the reduction of survivin levels, obtained with AKT inhibitors, can sensitize tumor cells to K858-induced apoptosis

Not only a problem of fatigue and sleepiness: Changes in psychomotor performance in Italian nurses across 8-h rapidly rotating shifts

Although many studies have detailed the consequences of shift work in nurses concerning health, fatigue, sleepiness, or medical errors, no study has been carried out trying to disentangle the contribution of sleepiness and fatigue associated to shift work from the attentional performance. The aim of this pilot study is (A) to investigate the effects of an 8-h rapidly rotating shift on fatigue and sleepiness among staff nurses and (B) how these factors affect their psychomotor performance. Fourteen nurses were selected for a within-subject cross-sectional study according to this sequence of shifts: morning–afternoon–night, which were compared as function of tiredness, sleepiness, and performance at the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT). Subsequently, a within-subject Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) evaluated if the observed differences between shifts persist when the contribution of sleepiness is controlled. Our results clearly indicate that night shifts are associated with significant greater sleepiness and tiredness, and worsened performance at the PVT. As hypothesized, ANCOVA showed that these differences disappear when the contribution of sleepiness is controlled. Results point to a lower psychomotor performance in night compared to day shifts that depends on sleepiness. Hence, interventions to minimize the consequences of the night shift should consider a reduction of sleepiness

The teaching by competences week: the school as a laboratory forge

This paper aims to describe a pilot experience about teaching by competences that was carried out in a school. Particularly, the purpose of this experience with primary school pupils is to highlight the importance of the experiential teaching promoting global development of children. As a matter of fact, working in real and challenging situations shall facilitate meaningful learning with a strong social feature by linking responsibly every action to the real community as well as by teaching everyone to play his/her own part democratically and complying, inclusively, with their own ‘idiosyncratic generativity.   La settimana della didattica per competenze: il plesso come fucina laboratoriale Nel presente lavoro viene descritta l’esperienza pilota di didattica per competenze realizzata in un plesso scolastico. In particolare, attraverso la narrazione di tale percorso, nello specifico degli alunni della primaria, si è voluta sottolineare l’importanza di una didattica esperienziale grazie alla quale promuovere lo sviluppo globale dei bambini e delle bambine. Infatti lavorare in situazioni reali e sfidanti facilita apprendimenti significativi a forte connotazione sociale, legando, responsabilmente, ogni singola azione alla comunità reale nella quale si è inseriti, in questo caso scolastica, insegnando a ciascuno, democraticamente, a fare la propria parte, nel rispetto inclusivo della propria idiosincrasica generatività

The teaching by competences week: the school as a laboratory forge

This paper aims to describe a pilot experience about teaching by competences that was carried out in a school. Particularly, the purpose of this experience with primary school pupils is to highlight the importance of the experiential teaching promoting global development of children. As a matter of fact, working in real and challenging situations shall facilitate meaningful learning with a strong social feature by linking responsibly every action to the real community as well as by teaching everyone to play his/her own part democratically and complying, inclusively, with their own ‘idiosyncratic generativity. La settimana della didattica per competenze: il plesso come fucina laboratorialeNel presente lavoro viene descritta l’esperienza pilota di didattica per competenze realizzata in un plesso scolastico. In particolare, attraverso la narrazione di tale percorso, nello specifico degli alunni della primaria, si è voluta sottolineare l’importanza di una didattica esperienziale grazie alla quale promuovere lo sviluppo globale dei bambini e delle bambine. Infatti lavorare in situazioni reali e sfidanti facilita apprendimenti significativi a forte connotazione sociale, legando, responsabilmente, ogni singola azione alla comunità reale nella quale si è inseriti, in questo caso scolastica, insegnando a ciascuno, democraticamente, a fare la propria parte, nel rispetto inclusivo della propria idiosincrasica generatività

Middle latency auditory evoked potential in child population

Introduction: The middle-latency auditory evoked potential is used to evaluate any abnormality that might impair the central auditory pathways, which are situated between the brain stem and the primary auditory cortex. Objective: To analyse the middle-latency auditory evoked potentials in children. Methods: This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. Pure-tone audiometry was performed, and if no change was detected, Biologic’s portable Evoked Potential System (EP) was used to measure auditory evoked potentials. The identification of the responses was performed using electrodes positioned at C3 and C4 (left and right hemispheres) in reference to ears A1 and A2 (left and right earlobe). These were ipsilaterally and contralaterally paired and landed at Fpz (forehead), in two steps, with alternating stimulation of the right and left ears. Results: In this study, there was 100% detectability of the Na, Pa, and Nb components and interamplitude Na–Pa. This study compared different electrode leads, and there was no significant difference between the different electrode positions studied for the right and left ears in the studied population. Conclusion: It was concluded that the examination of middle-latency evoked potential is steady and feasible for the studied age group regardless of electrode position