Survival estimation for singly type one censored sample based on generalized Rayleigh distribution

This paper interest to estimation the unknown parameters for generalized Rayleigh distribution model based on censored samples of singly type one . In this paper the probability density function for generalized Rayleigh is defined with its properties . The maximum likelihood estimator method is used to derive the point estimation for all unknown parameters based on iterative method , as Newton – Raphson method , then derive confidence interval estimation which based on Fisher information matrix . Finally , testing whether the current model ( GRD ) fits to a set of real data , then compute the survival function and hazard function for this real data

Process change projects: a study of Norwegian practice

Process change, in various incarnations, has been a central topic in the IS field for several decades. This paper presents an overview of Norwegian model-supported process-change practice, based on in-depth interviews of 33 informants, each describing a different process-change effort in one of 30 Norwegian enterprises. The overview focusses on use of process models, present versus future focus, ICT as enabler of change, participation, resistance to change and process ownership. Norwegian practice is then compared with the predominantly North-American process-change literature from a national-culture perspective. In particular, we find that stakeholder participation is high in Norwegian process-change projects and that resistance tends to be low, a finding consistent with theory on national-culture differences. The paper presents the first results from a larger project that aims to contribute towards a theory of model-based process change

DevOps Adoption Benefits and Challenges in Practice: A Case Study

DevOps is an approach in which traditional software engineering roles are merged and communication is enhanced to improve the production release frequency and maintain software quality. There seem to be benefits in adopting DevOps but practical industry experiences have seldom been reported. We conducted a qualitative multiple-case study and interviewed the representatives of three software development organizations in Finland. The responses indicate that with DevOps, practitioners can increase the frequency of releases and improve test automation practices. DevOps was seen to encourage collaboration between departments which boosts communication and employee welfare. Continuous releases enable a more experimental approach and rapid feedback collection. The challenges include communication structures that hinder cross-department collaboration and having to address the cultural shift. Dissimilar development and production environments were mentioned as some of the technical barriers. DevOps might not also be suitable for all industries. Ambiguity in the definition of DevOps makes adoption difficult since organizations might not know which practices they should implement for DevOps.Peer reviewe

Behavioural response of brown trout (Salmo trutta) to total dissolved gas supersaturation in a regulated river

Total dissolved gas supersaturation from dams and power stations is a chronic freshwater pollutant that is toxic to animals with aquatic respiration. Laboratory ecotoxicology experiments have revealed capacity for captive fishes to saturoregulate by moving deeper, but field ecotoxicology research is largely lacking. We instrumented 94 brown trout in the Rysstad basin of the Otra River, Norway, with depth sensor acoustic transmitters and monitored their movements for 10 months. We found that the depths used by the trout largely protected them from the effects of total dissolved gas supersaturation, which ranged from 96% to 133% total gas pressure during the study. The depth use of fish was affected by sun position, lunar phase and spatial position in the river (i.e., available depth), and there was an extremely weak effect of total dissolved gas supersaturation that was counterintuitive (i.e., positive slope, movement toward surface). Depth traces of the fish revealed that nine fish died during the study, mostly coinciding with the first wave of supersaturation, consistent with observations of untagged dead fish with signs of gas bubble trauma found on the river bottom during this period (May-June). Overall, tagged trout exposure to total dissolved gas supersaturation depended on their use of depth, but responses to waves of extreme supersaturation at supraphysiological levels were weak and biologically insignificant, with individual variation and spatial position in the river most important in the model. Exposure to total dissolved gas supersaturation was mediated by individual differences in habitat use, which may be linked to activity and other traits that determine overall vulnerability to exposure to total dissolved gas supersaturation.publishedVersio

Business process modelling to improve incident management process

Business process management (BPM) is an approach focused on the continuous improvement of business processes, providing for this a collection of best practices. These best practices enable the redesign of business processes to meet the desired performance. IT service management (ITSM) defines the management of IT operations as a service. There are several ITSM frameworks available, consisting in best practices that propose standardizing these pro- cesses for the respective operations. By adopting these frameworks, organisations can align IT with their business objectives. Therefore, the objective of this research is to understand how BPM can be used to improve of ITSM processes. An exploratory case study in a multinational company based in Lisbon, Portugal, is conducted for the improvement of the time performance of an inci- dent management process. Data were gained through documentation, archival records, interviews and focus groups with a team involved in IT support service. So far, the as-is process was elicited, and respective incongruences clarified. During the next months the authors intend to identify the main problems and simulate the appropriate BPM heuristics to understand the impact in the busi- ness organisation.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Regulation of polarized morphogenesis by protein kinase C iota in oncogenic epithelial spheroids.

Protein kinase C iota (PKCι), a serine/threonine kinase required for cell polarity, proliferation and migration, is commonly up- or downregulated in cancer. PKCι is a human oncogene but whether this is related to its role in cell polarity and what repertoire of oncogenes acts in concert with PKCι is not known. We developed a panel of candidate oncogene expressing Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and demonstrated that H-Ras, ErbB2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase transformation led to non-polar spheroid morphogenesis (dysplasia), whereas MDCK spheroids expressing c-Raf or v-Src were largely polarized. We show that small interfering RNA (siRNA)-targeting PKCι decreased the size of all spheroids tested and partially reversed the aberrant polarity phenotype in H-Ras and ErbB2 spheroids only. This indicates distinct requirements for PKCι and moreover that different thresholds of PKCι activity are required for these phenotypes. By manipulating PKCι function using mutant constructs, siRNA depletion or chemical inhibition, we have demonstrated that PKCι is required for polarization of parental MDCK epithelial cysts in a 3D matrix and that there is a threshold of PKCι activity above and below which, disorganized epithelial morphogenesis results. Furthermore, treatment with a novel PKCι inhibitor, CRT0066854, was able to restore polarized morphogenesis in the dysplastic H-Ras spheroids. These results show that tightly regulated PKCι is required for normal-polarized morphogenesis in mammalian cells and that H-Ras and ErbB2 cooperate with PKCι for loss of polarization and dysplasia. The identification of a PKCι inhibitor that can restore polarized morphogenesis has implications for the treatment of Ras and ErbB2 driven malignancies.Cancer Research UK; Royal Marsden/Institute of Cancer Research National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre (M.L.)

Positioning aquatic animals with acoustic transmitters

Geolocating aquatic animals with acoustic tags has been ongoing for decades, relying on the detection of acoustic signals at multiple receivers with known positions to calculate a 2D or 3D position, and ultimately recreate the path of an aquatic animal from detections at fixed stations.This method of underwater geolocation is evolving with new software and hardware options available to help investigators design studies and calculate positions using solvers based predominantly on time-difference-of-arrival and time-of-arrival.We provide an overview of the considerations necessary to implement positioning in aquatic acoustic telemetry studies, including how to design arrays of receivers, test performance, synchronize receiver clocks and calculate positions from the detection data. We additionally present some common positioning algorithms, including both the free open-source solvers and the 'black-box' methods provided by some manufacturers for calculating positions.This paper is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of methods and considerations for designing and implementing better positioning studies that will support users, and encourage further knowledge advances in aquatic systems