Real world evaluation of aspect-oriented software development : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Software development has improved over the past decade with the rise in the popularity of the Object-Oriented (OO) development approach. However, software projects continue to grow in complexity and continue to have alarmingly low rates of success. Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) is touted to be one solution to this software development problem. It shows promise of reducing programming complexity, making software more flexible and more amenable to change. The central concept introduced by AOP is the aspect. An aspect is used to modularise crosscutting concerns in a similar fashion to the way classes modularise business concerns. A crosscutting concern cannot be modularised in approaches such as OO because the code to realise the concern must be spread throughout the module (e.g. a tracing concent is implemented by adding code to every method in a system). AOP also introduces join points, pointcuts, and advice which are used with aspects to capture crosscutting concerns so they can be localised in a modular unit. OO took approximately 20 years to become a mainstream development approach. AOP was only invented in 1997. This project considers whether AOP is ready for commercial adoption. This requires analysis of the AOP implementations available, tool support, design processes, testing tools, standards, and support infrastructure. Only when AOP is evaluated across all these criteria can it be established whether it is ready to be used in commercial projects. Moreover, if companies are to invest time and money into adopting AOP, they must be aware of the benefits and risks associated with its adoption. This project attempts to quantify the potential benefits in adopting AOP, as well as identifying areas of risk. SolNet Solutions Ltd, an Information Technology (IT) company in Wellington, New Zealand, is used in this study as a target environment for integration of aspects into a commercial development process. SolNet is in the business of delivering large scale enterprise Java applications. To assist in this process they have developed a Common Services Architecture (CSA) containing components that can be reused to reduce risk and cost to clients. However, the CSA is complicated and SolNet have identified aspects as a potential solution to decrease the complexity. Aspects were found to bring substantial improvement to the Service Layer of SolNet. applications, including substantial reductions in complexity and size. This reduces the cost and time of development, as well as the risk associated with the projects. Moreover, the CSA was used in a more consistent fashion making the system easier to understand and maintain, and several crosscutting concerns were modularised as part of a reusable aspect library which could eventually form part of their CSA. It was found that AOP is approaching commercial readiness. However, more work is needed on defining standards for aspect languages and modelling of design elements. The current solutions in this area are commercially viable, but would greatly benefit from a standardised approach. Aspect systems can be difficult to test and the effect of the weaving process on Java serialisation requires further investigation

Deconstruct the soup - cuticular hydrocarbon signals of Australian meat ants

Trabalho final de mestrado integrado em Medicina (Pediatria), apresentado á Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de CoimbraO tempo de utilização de videojogos tem sido relacionado com Perturbação de Hiperatividade e Défice de Atenção (PHDA) em adolescentes. Está por explorar a possibilidade de uma associação similar com outros fatores relacionados com a exposição a videojogos. No nosso estudo, investigámos o padrão de utilização de videojogos numa amostra de adolescentes e a sua relação com sintomatologia de PHDA. O estudo baseou-se em questionários realizados a estudantes com 11 a 18 anos de idade e a seus pais (n = 430 adolescentes, 430 pais). A análise estatística foi realizada aplicando o teste de Kruskal-Wallis, tendo como variáveis dependentes as subescalas da Conners' Parent Rating Scale – Revised: Short Form, preenchidas pelos pais. As variáveis independentes investigadas foram: tempo de utilização e evolução da utilização de videojogos, internet e televisão; número e tipo de videojogos; plataforma utilizada; número de modos de jogo; jogo em modo singleplayer ou multiplayer; tipo de multiplayer e evolução dos resultados escolares. Verificámos um aumento, ao fim de semana, dos adolescentes com tempo de utilização superior a duas horas diárias de videojogos (12,3% em dias de semana para 30,7% ao fim de semana), internet (19,5% para 40,5%) e televisão (24,9% para 51,7%). Observámos diferenças nos padrões de utilização entre rapazes e raparigas: os rapazes apresentaram tendência para jogar mais videojogos, mais modos de jogo e mais videojogos em modo multiplayer, assim como preferência por videojogos de desporto e ação-aventura/role-playing games (as raparigas preferiram casual games e videojogos de ação). O resultado mais relevante deste estudo foi o aumento da sintomatologia de PHDA dos adolescentes com tempo de utilização diário de videojogos ou de televisão superior a duas horas, que jogavam casual games, que utilizavam PC ou smartphones/tablets ou que tinham preferência por multiplayer. 2 Para além da esperada relação com o tempo de utilização de videojogos, a sintomatologia de PHDA apresentou associação com outros fatores do padrão de utilização de videojogos. A investigação futura focada nos videojogos como potenciais fatores de risco da PHDA em adolescentes deve ser alargada para incluir o tipo de videojogo, a plataforma e os modos de jogo.Video game exposure time has been associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adolescents. The possibility of a similar association between ADHD and other factors related to video game use has not been explored. In this study, we analyzed the video game usage pattern of a sample of adolescents and its association with ADHD symptoms. The study was based on questionnaires given to students 11 to 18 years old and their parents (n = 430 adolescents, 430 parents). The statistical analysis was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis test, considering the Conners' Parent Rating Scale – Revised: Short Form subscales, answered by parents, as the dependent variables. The assessed independent variables were: video game, internet and television exposure time and evolution of exposure time; number of video games; video game genre; gaming platform; number of game modes; singleplayer or multiplayer game mode; type of multiplayer and evolution of academic performance. We reported an increase, on weekends, in adolescents with an exposure time lasting more than two daily hours of video games (12,3% on workweek to 30,7% on weekend), internet (19,5% to 40,5%) and television (24,9% to 51,7%). We identified differences in the usage patterns of males and females: boys had a tendency to play an increased number of video games, game modes and multiplayer video games, and favored sports video games and action-adventure/role-playing games (girls’ favorites were casual games and action video games). The most relevant finding of this study was the increase of ADHD symptoms in adolescents with a daily video game or television exposure time greater than two hours, who played casual games, used PC or smartphones/tablets or had a preference for multiplayer mode. 4 In addition to the anticipated connection with video game exposure time, ADHD symptoms were also associated with several usage pattern factors. Future research focused on video games as a potential risk factor for ADHD should be expanded to include video game genre, gaming platform and video game mode

Associations Between Australian Pseudoscorpions and Ants

The distribution of three species of pseudoscorpions, found under the bark of blue gum Eucalyptus globulus, is closely correlated with the presence of three species of ants. Marachernes bellus is never found on trees without Anonychomyrma sp. near foetens, and Protochelifer victorianus and Paraustrochernes victorianus are more commonly found on trees with Technomyrmex jocosus and/or Tapinoma minutum. The distribution of another pseudoscorpion, Conicochernes sp., is not influenced by the presence of these ants. Observations of the behavior of these pseudoscorpions indicate that at least some species may be specialist predators of ants

Dual pathways in social evolution: Population genetic structure of group-living and solitary species of kleptoparasitic spiders (Argyrodinae: Theridiidae)

Group-living behavior is taxonomically widespread but rare in spiders. The conventional view is that the main pathways to group-living in spiders are either sub-social, where extended maternal care leads to prolonged sibling association; or communal living, where individuals aggregate to exploit a common resource. Female egg-sac guarding behavior occurs throughout kleptoparasitic spiders in the subfamily Argyrodinae (Theridiidae), while individuals in group-living species cohabit in the resource rich webs of their host spiders. These attributes fit both sub-social and communal routes to group-living, which offers new insights to study the early stages of social evolution. We investigated whether members of kleptoparasitic groups in natural populations comprise related individuals by comparing the population structure of two group-living species, Argyrodes miniaceus and A. cf. fissifrons, and two solitary species, A. fasciatus and Neospintharus trigonum. We found that: (1) genetic-spatial autocorrelation in group-living species was highest among spiders sharing the same host web and declined steeply with increasing distance, but no significant autocorrelation at any scale for solitary species; (2) there was high relatedness among group members in two cases of group-living species, which indicated relatedness was not an adhesive agent in most of the groups, but no high relatedness in solitary species; and (3) the host web boundary was not the sole predictor of genetic structures in group-living species. These results suggest that population genetic structure in the group-living species is caused by limited dispersal of group members that is favored by ecological conditions, including the nature and size of resources. In contrast, the absence of genetic structuring in populations of solitary species indicates a high level of dispersal with individual interactions unlikely to have fitness benefits.2006353KMU-Q107006MOST107-2621- B-037-001-MY

The evolution of body size, antennal size and host use in parasitoid wasps (hymenoptera: chalcidoidea): a phylogenetic comparative analysis

Chalcidoid wasps represent one of the most speciose superfamilies of animals known, with ca. 23,000 species described of which many are parasitoids. They are extremely diverse in body size, morphology and, among the parasitoids, insect hosts. Parasitic chalcidoids utilise a range of behavioural adaptations to facilitate exploitation of their diverse insect hosts, but how host use might influence the evolution of body size and morphology is not known in this group. We used a phylogenetic comparative analysis of 126 chalcidoid species to examine whether body size and antennal size showed evolutionary correlations with aspects of host use, including host breadth (specificity), host identity (orders of insects parasitized) and number of plant associates. Both morphological features and identity of exploited host orders show strong phylogenetic signal, but host breadth does not. Larger body size in these wasps was weakly associated with few plant genera, and with more specialised host use, and chalcidoid wasps that parasitize coleopteran hosts tend to be larger. Intriguingly, chalcidoid wasps that parasitize hemipteran hosts are both smaller in size in the case of those parasitizing the suborder Sternorrhyncha and have relatively larger antennae, particularly in those that parasitize other hemipteran suborders. These results suggest there are adaptations in chalcidoid wasps that are specifically associated with host detection and exploitation

Artificial Light at Night as a Driver of Evolution Across Urban–Rural Landscapes

Light is fundamental to biological systems, affecting the daily rhythms of bacteria, plants, and animals. Artificial light at night ( ALAN ), a ubiquitous feature of urbanization, interferes with these rhythms and has the potential to exert strong selection pressures on organisms living in urban environments. ALAN also fragments landscapes, altering the movement of animals into and out of artificially lit habitats. Although research has documented phenotypic and genetic differentiation between urban and rural organisms, ALAN has rarely been considered as a driver of evolution. We argue that the fundamental importance of light to biological systems, and the capacity for ALAN to influence multiple processes contributing to evolution, makes this an important driver of evolutionary change, one with the potential to explain broad patterns of population differentiation across urban–rural landscapes. Integrating ALAN ’ s evolutionary potential into urban ecology is a targeted and powerful approach to understanding the capacity for life to adapt to an increasingly urbanized world