A study of the Scrum Master’s role

Scrum is an increasingly common approach to software development adopted by organizations around the world. However, as organizations transition from traditional plan-driven development to agile development with Scrum, the question arises as to which Scrum role (Product Owner, Scrum Master, or Scrum Team Member) corresponds to a Project Manager, or conversely which Scrum role should the Project Managers adopt? In an attempt to answer this question, we adopted a mixed-method research approach comprising a systematic literature review and embedded case study of a commercial software development team. Our research has identified activities that comprise the Scrum Master role, and which additional roles are actually performed by Scrum Masters in practice. We found nine activities that are performed by Scrum Masters. In addition, we found that Scrum Masters also perform other roles, most importantly as Project Managers. This latter situation results in tension and conflict of interest that could have a negative impact on the performance of the team as a whole. These results point to the need to re-assess the role of Project Managers in organizations that adopt Scrum as a development approach. We hypothesize that it might be better for Project Managers to become Product Owners, as aspects of this latter role are more consistent with the traditional responsibilities of a Project Manager

Common garden experiments in the genomic era : new perspectives and opportunities

PdV was supported by a doctoral studentship from the French Ministère de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur. OEG was supported by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS)The study of local adaptation is rendered difficult by many evolutionary confounding phenomena (e.g. genetic drift and demographic history). When complex traits are involved in local adaptation, phenomena such as phenotypic plasticity further hamper evolutionary biologists to study the complex relationships between phenotype, genotype and environment. In this perspective paper, we suggest that the common garden experiment, specifically designed to deal with phenotypic plasticity has a clear role to play in the study of local adaptation, even (if not specifically) in the genomic era. After a quick review of some high-throughput genotyping protocols relevant in the context of a common garden, we explore how to improve common garden analyses with dense marker panel data and recent statistical methods. We then show how combining approaches from population genomics and genome-wide association studies with the settings of a common garden can yield to a very efficient, thorough and integrative study of local adaptation. Especially, evidence from genomic (e.g. genome scan) and phenotypic origins constitute independent insights into the possibility of local adaptation scenarios, and genome-wide association studies in the context of a common garden experiment allow to decipher the genetic bases of adaptive traits.PostprintPeer reviewe

Floral morphology and reproductive success in the orchid Epipactis helleborine: regional and local across-habitat variation. Plant Systematics and Evolution 236

Abstract. The terrestrial orchid Epipactis helleborine is a morphologically variable species with a wide distribution in Europe. It is pollinated by social wasps, and most populations show the morphological characteristics of outcrossing species. However, local predominantly selfing subspecies and varieties have been documented from drier habitats. To document geographic variation in floral morphology, ability to produce seeds through autogamy, and reproductive success in E. helleborine, we sampled 13 populations from three geographic regions along a latitudinal gradient of c. 1000 km from northern to southern Sweden. In the southernmost region, populations in dry and mesic habitats were compared. Supplemental handpollination was conducted to determine whether among-population variation in fruit set could be explained by differences in the natural level of pollination, and whether any relationship between floral morphology and fruit production could be explained by interactions with pollinators. Bagging experiments showed no evidence of autogamy in any of the study populations. Number of flowers, pollinia removal and fruit set varied significantly among populations but did not differ among regions. Pollinia removal was positively correlated with population size and both pollinia removal and fruit set were lower in dry than in mesic habitats. At the level of the individual plant, the number of pollinia removed increased more rapidly with flower number than did number of fruits produced. The hand-pollination experiment indicated that the positive relationship between number of flowers and fruit production was due to a higher degree of pollen limitation in plants with few flowers than in plants with many flowers. The experiment also showed that variation in the level of pollen limitation could only partly explain variation in fruit set among populations

The baltic environmental information dissemination system: using environmental informatics as a tool for sustainable development in the Baltic Sea region O sistema báltico de disseminação de informação ambiental: o uso de informática ambiental como uma ferramenta para o desenvolvimento sustentável na região do Mar Báltico

The on-going economic development of EU-countries as well of the countries in the C&E European region has been leading to a significant use of a great deal of natural resources as well as to noticeable environmental problems. The lack of a wide-spread environmental awareness from the side of those acting in various sectors (industry, public administration, users) sometimes inhibit the implementation of legislation already available as well as the introduction of new technologies deriving, from example, from marine research. An example of this state of affairs is seen in respect of the implementation of the recommendations deriving from Baltic 21 and VASAB 2010, which illustrate the advantages from a cross-sectorial, open mechanism for the dissemination of environmental information in the region. There are various organisations today which act as suppliers of environmental information in the Baltic Sea Region. However, few, if any, are providers concerned with the various ways in which information on matters related to sustainable development is being used by various groups and audiences. This state of affairs makes it necessary to enhance the current mechanisms and approaches in place, so as to enable the wide-range of environmental information available today from areas such as marine research, to be more widely used. It is equally important that the didactic or educational potential of such information be exploited, so as to not only inform, but also to educate various groups and the general public on matters concerned with the environment in European closed seas and give information to planners and politicians to prepare decisions. In order to address such needs, the project "Baltic Environmental Information Dissemination System (BEIDS)" was set in motion. BEIDS has been taking advantage of the most modern information technologies and has been acting as a focal point for the circulation of intelligent information on aspects of the marine environment, but also emphasising related areas such as transport and sustainable development issues, among a sample of six BSR countries: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden (EU) and Lithuania and Poland (non-EU), contributing to networking and know-how exchange, complementing efforts towards transregional cooperation in sustainable spatial planning on the basis of Baltic 21. The results reached to date include: increased awareness of matters related to sustainable development in the six participant countries; enhanced communication exchange and networking among the sample nations; improved information flow and increased participation in events, activities and programmes across the Baltic Sea Region. BEIDS is a prime example of the feasibility of using environmental informatics as a tool for sustainable development.<br>O atual desenvolvimento econômico da Comunidade Européia, bem como a região C&E Européia, tem levado a um uso intenso de muitos recursos naturais e a um reconhecimento de problemas ambientais. A falta de uma ampla consciência por parte daqueles que atuam em vários setores (indústria, administração pública, usuários) as vezes inibe a implementação de legislação já disponível, como também a implementação de novas tecnologias provenientes, por exemplo, da pesquisa marinha. Um exemplo deste estado de fato ser visto em relação a implementação das recomendações saídas do "Baltic 21" e VASAB 2010, que ilustram as vantagens de um mecanismo aberto, trans-setorial para a disseminação de informação ambiental na região. Hoje estão presentes várias organizações que atuam como fornecedoras de informação ambiental na região do Mar Báltico. Entretanto, apenas algumas, ou nenhuma são provedoras conscientes com os vários modos em que a informação a respeito de desenvolvimento sustentável está sendo utilizada pelos vários grupos e audiências. O estado atual da questão torna necessário impulsionar os mecanismos existentes em seu lugar, de tal forma a propiciar que o amplo espectro de informação ambiental disponível hoje nas áreas tais como a pesquisa marinha, sejam utilizadas com mais intensidade. É igualmente importante que o potencial didático e educacional de tais informações sejam exploradas, de tal forma a não só informar, mas também educar vários grupos e o público em geral, sobre matérias relacionadas com o ambiente em mares europeus fechados, e dar informações para planejadores e políticos para preparação de decisões. Para levar em conta estas necessidades, o projeto "Sistema Báltico de Disseminação de Informação Báltica (BEIDS)" foi colocado em movimento. BEIDS tem se aproveitado das tecnologias mais modernas de informação e atua com um ponto focal para a circulação de informação inteligente sobre aspectos do ambiente marinho, e também dando ênfase à áreas correlatas como as do transporte e desenvolvimento sustentável, entre uma amostra de seis países bálticos: Dinamarca, Finlândia, Alemanha, Suécia (EU), Lituânia e Polônia (não-EU), contribuindo para uma troca de "know-how" em rede, complementando esforços para uma cooperação transregional no planejamento espacial sustentável, dentro das bases do "Baltic 21". Os resultados obtidos até o momento incluem: uma consciência ampliada sobre matérias relacionadas ao desenvolvimento sustentável dentro dos seis países participantes; troca de informações ampliadas e estabelecimento de redes entre as nações; fluxo melhorado de informações e um aumento na participação de eventos, atividades e programas que envolvem a região do Mar Báltico. BEIDS é um excelente exemplo de viabilidade do uso de informática ambiental como uma ferramenta para o desenvolvimento sustentável