Logic programming and database schema in reverse engineering: Analysis and documentation for existing code in a multilanguage environment

This paper presents the experience that has been acquired over a period of three years during the Ph.D. dissertation of the first author This experience has been characterised by three fundamental phases. The first of these produced art earlier paper [Eltantawi and Maresca, 1994] and dealt with the first experience of the application of logic programming (LP) to programming language analysis. This consisted of defining a methodology, and setting up a tool for the analysis of a few programming languages and for the representation of the main low-level design documents. The second phase stemmed from a second paper [Giannone and Maresca, 1995], which focused an the way in which useful documents were to be extracted during the System Comprehension activity, primarily in the reverse engineering phase. In this connection, applying LP techniques made it possible to define a methodology and set up a tool for generalising the extraction and abstraction of information to help in the building of the above documents, making them independent of the programming language. Phase three, this paper; represents the logical continuation of the first two, and tackles the application of LP techniques to RE activities and, in particular; the construction of low- and high-level design documents in a multilanguage environment. Specifically this experience is concerned with the analysis of programming languages for reverse engineering (RE) topics using two approaches: a main approach based on logic, and a complementary approach based on database manipulation. The authors describe methodologies far the analysis of code belonging to a multilanguage environment, and discuss the motivations that made it possible to achieve the specific design and implementation of a software tool called ''Multilanguage Analyser'' (M-Lan-An). This tool can synthesise the candidate methodologies for the construction of low-level design documentation (such as the algebraic form), and high-level design documentation (such as the code structure-tree, the call-tree, the declaration-tree, and so forth). All the documents can be visualised and browsed using user-friendly interfaces, while the tool can determine some important objective metrics such as McCabe's number Halstead's dimensional metrics, number of knots and their density, which are important indicators of the complexity of the analysed code. Currently, M-Lan-An can analyse several programming languages such as ANSI C/Turbo C, FORTRAN 77 and PI/1. The tool operates on PC (IBM-DOS) and is built in Turbo PROLOG V. 2.0 and CLIPPER V.5.2. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Lt

Applications of Logic Programming In Language Analysis - Document Reconstruction From Existing Code

This paper describes the experience of researchers at the University of Naples, over many years, in the application of Logic Programming (LP), to software engineering topics. In particular, the authors have experimented with LP in order to facilitate the activities related to the reconstruction of part(s) of documentation, from existing code. For this reason, a tool called ''Language Analyser'' (Lan}An) has been implemented, which is able to analyse different programming languages. This tool is supported by a methodology based on logic and is able to analyse existing code, by extracting and abstracting information useful for building up documentation. Currently, Lan}An can reconstruct low-level documentation design such as nesting trees, algebraic forms, and high-level documentation design such as structure charts. These documents represent a basis on which to deal with the activities of comprehension, reuse, reengineering, and maintenance of existing code. Moreover, all documents can be seen in a graphical way by the use of a browsing tool, which enables a user to go through the reconstructed documentation. Lan}An has been implemented in Turbo PROLOG V.2.0. The latest version of Lan}An works on a PC (IBM-DOS), and analyses programming languages such as FORTRAN 77, ANSI C/Turbo C and PL/1

Recursive parser optimization by rewriting context-free grammars

The analysis of programming languages is a fundamental activity in the process of comprehending, maintaining, documenting and reengineering old software, However; the analysis may sometimes be inefficient because of the parsing methodology adopted. Prolog parsers, for instance, have two main drawbacks. the time spent on extracting information as a result of the backtracking mechanism, and the large memory occupation involved. This paper presents an algorithm that optimizes a top-down parser by imposing a set of rules on the grammar to be analyzed. A methodology is then defined for rewriting a context-free grammar (LL(n) n > = 1), and a tool that can achieve this is illustrated. This tool, called FACTOTUM, has been implemented in LPA Prolog, and works on a PC (IBM-MSDOS) through the Windows medium. FACTOTUM is composed of nearly 250 productions, and is an important part of another reverse engineering tool called RE_Tool (Giannone and Maresca, 1995) which can analyze codes in a multilanguage environment. RE_Tool has been implemented in the software engineering laboratories of DIS at the University of Naples Federico II, where it is currently under experimentation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Factors associated with COVID-19 pandemic induced post-traumatic stress symptoms among adults living with and without HIV in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Background Nigeria is a country with high risk for traumatic incidences, now aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify differences in COVID-19 related post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among people living and not living with HIV; to assess whether PTSS were associated with COVID-19 pandemic-related anger, loneliness, social isolation, and social support; and to determine the association between PTSS and use of COVID-19 prevention strategies. Methods The data of the 3761 respondents for this analysis was extracted from a cross-sectional online survey that collected information about mental health and wellness from a convenience sample of adults, 18 years and above, in Nigeria from July to December 2020. Information was collected on the study's dependent variable (PTSS), independent variables (self-reported COVID-19, HIV status, use of COVID-19 prevention strategies, perception of social isolation, access to emotional support, feelings of anger and loneliness), and potential confounder (age, sex at birth, employment status). A binary logistic regression model tested the associations between independent and dependent variables. Results Nearly half (47.5%) of the respondents had PTSS. People who had symptoms but were not tested (AOR = 2.20), felt socially isolated (AOR = 1.16), angry (AOR = 2.64), or lonely (AOR = 2.19) had significantly greater odds of reporting PTSS (p < 0.001). People living with HIV (AOR = 0.39), those who wore masks (AOR = 0.62) and those who had emotional support (AOR = 0.63), had lower odds of reporting PTSS (p < .05). Conclusion The present study identified some multifaceted relationships between post-traumatic stress, HIV status, facemask use, anger, loneliness, social isolation, and access to emotional support during this protracted COVID-19 pandemic. These findings have implications for the future health of those affected, particularly for individuals living in Nigeria. Public health education should be incorporated in programs targeting prevention and prompt diagnosis and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder at the community level

Identification of genetic risk loci and causal insights associated with Parkinson\u27s disease in African and African admixed populations: a genome-wide association study

\ua9 2023 Elsevier LtdBackground: An understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying diseases in ancestrally diverse populations is an important step towards development of targeted treatments. Research in African and African admixed populations can enable mapping of complex traits, because of their genetic diversity, extensive population substructure, and distinct linkage disequilibrium patterns. We aimed to do a comprehensive genome-wide assessment in African and African admixed individuals to better understand the genetic architecture of Parkinson\u27s disease in these underserved populations. Methods: We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in people of African and African admixed ancestry with and without Parkinson\u27s disease. Individuals were included from several cohorts that were available as a part of the Global Parkinson\u27s Genetics Program, the International Parkinson\u27s Disease Genomics Consortium Africa, and 23andMe. A diagnosis of Parkinson\u27s disease was confirmed clinically by a movement disorder specialist for every individual in each cohort, except for 23andMe, in which it was self-reported based on clinical diagnosis. We characterised ancestry-specific risk, differential haplotype structure and admixture, coding and structural genetic variation, and enzymatic activity. Findings: We included 197 918 individuals (1488 cases and 196 430 controls) in our genome-wide analysis. We identified a novel common risk factor for Parkinson\u27s disease (overall meta-analysis odds ratio for risk of Parkinson\u27s disease 1\ub758 [95% CI 1\ub737–1\ub780], p=2\ub7397 7 10−14) and age at onset at the GBA1 locus, rs3115534-G (age at onset β=–2\ub700 [SE=0\ub757], p=0\ub70005, for African ancestry; and β=–4\ub715 [0\ub758], p=0\ub7015, for African admixed ancestry), which was rare in non-African or non-African admixed populations. Downstream short-read and long-read whole-genome sequencing analyses did not reveal any coding or structural variant underlying the GWAS signal. The identified signal seems to be associated with decreased glucocerebrosidase activity. Interpretation: Our study identified a novel genetic risk factor in GBA1 in people of African ancestry, which has not been seen in European populations, and it could be a major mechanistic basis of Parkinson\u27s disease in African populations. This population-specific variant exerts substantial risk on Parkinson\u27s disease as compared with common variation identified through GWAS and it was found to be present in 39% of the cases assessed in this study. This finding highlights the importance of understanding ancestry-specific genetic risk in complex diseases, a particularly crucial point as the Parkinson\u27s disease field moves towards targeted treatments in clinical trials. The distinctive genetics of African populations highlights the need for equitable inclusion of ancestrally diverse groups in future trials, which will be a valuable step towards gaining insights into novel genetic determinants underlying the causes of Parkinson\u27s disease. This finding opens new avenues towards RNA-based and other therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing lifetime risk of Parkinson\u27s disease. Funding: The Global Parkinson\u27s Genetics Program, which is funded by the Aligning Science Across Parkinson\u27s initiative, and The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson\u27s Research