Crosscutting, what is and what is not? A Formal definition based on a Crosscutting Pattern

Crosscutting is usually described in terms of scattering and tangling. However, the distinction between these concepts is vague, which could lead to ambiguous statements. Sometimes, precise definitions are required, e.g. for the formal identification of crosscutting concerns. We propose a conceptual framework for formalizing these concepts based on a crosscutting pattern that shows the mapping between elements at two levels, e.g. concerns and representations of concerns. The definitions of the concepts are formalized in terms of linear algebra, and visualized with matrices and matrix operations. In this way, crosscutting can be clearly distinguished from scattering and tangling. Using linear algebra, we demonstrate that our definition generalizes other definitions of crosscutting as described by Masuhara & Kiczales [21] and Tonella and Ceccato [28]. The framework can be applied across several refinement levels assuring traceability of crosscutting concerns. Usability of the framework is illustrated by means of applying it to several areas such as change impact analysis, identification of crosscutting at early phases of software development and in the area of model driven software development

Niche divergence and limits to expansion in the high polyploid Dianthus broteri complex

Niche evolution in plant polyploids remains controversial and evidence for alternative patterns has been reported. Using the autopolyploid Dianthus broteri complex (2×, 4×, 6× and 12×) as a model, we aimed to integrate three scenarios – competitive exclusion, recurrent origins of cytotypes and niche filling – into a single framework of polyploid niche evolution. We hypothesized that high polyploids would tend to evolve towards extreme niches when low ploidy cytotypes have nearly filled the niche space. We used several ecoinformatics and phylogenetic comparative analyses to quantify differences in the ecological niche of each cytotype and to evaluate alternative models of niche evolution. Each cytotype in this complex occupied a distinct ecological niche. The distributions were mainly constrained by soil characteristics, temperature and drought stress imposed by the Mediterranean climate. Tetraploids had the highest niche breadth and overlap due to their multiple origins, whereas the higher ploidy cytotypes were found in different, restricted, nonoverlapping niches. Niche evolution analyses suggested a scenario with one niche optimum for each ploidy, including the two independent tetraploid lineages.Our results suggest that the fate of nascent polyploids could not be predicted without accounting for phylogenetic relatedness, recurrent origins or the niche occupied by ancestors.Aridos La Melera S.L. (FIUS project 2234/0724

Eva

Relato seleccionado. Categoría Senior del Certamen

La soledad y la tristeza de Nathaniel Hawthorne: una especulación biográfica

Son muchas las leyendas surgidas en torno al carácter solitario y taciturno de Nathaniel Hawthorne. Su aversión al mundo, la muerte del padre cuando el novelista tenía sólo cuatro años, su invalidez a los nueve, su timidez y rechazo a todo contacto físico o la intensa, si bien algo fría, relación de la madre con los hijos han servido tradicionalmente de argumento para explicar la solitud de Hawthorne. Sin embargo, este artículo pretende destacar que la soledad y la tristeza del novelista estuvieron profundamente marcadas por su propia fantasía, don éste que el autor no consiguió ni entender ni aceptar completamente. Many legends have evolved as a result of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s solitary and melancholy nature. His aversion to the world, his father’s death when the author was only four, his invalidity at the age of nine, his shyness and dislike towards physical contact or the intense but somewhat cold bond of the mother to her children are some of the major points which have traditionally been used to account for Hawthorne’s solitude. In this article, however, I endeavour to highlight that the novelist’s isolation and melancholy were greatly influenced by his own fancy, a gift which he neither understood nor accepted completely

Transfers, Contracts and Strategic Games

This paper analyses the role of transfer payments and strategic con- tracting within two-person strategic form games with monetary pay- offs. First, it introduces the notion of transfer equilibrium as a strat- egy combination for which individual stability can be supported by allowing the possibility of transfers of the induced payoffs. Clearly, Nash equilibria are transfer equilibria, but under common regularity conditions the reverse is also true. This result typically does not hold for finite games without the possibility of randomisation, and transfer equilibria for this particular class are studied in some detail. The second part of the paper introduces, also within the setting of finite games, contracting on monetary transfers as an explicit strategic option, resulting in an associated two-stage contract game. In the first stage of the contract game each player has the option of proposing transfer schemes for an arbitrary collection of outcomes. Only if the players fully agree on the entire set of transfer proposals, the payoffs of the game to be played in the second stage are modified accordingly. The main results provide explicit characterisations of the sets of payoff vectors that are supported by Nash equilibrium and virtual subgame perfect equilibrium, respectively.monetary transfer scheme;transfer equilibrium;contract game;virtual subgame perfect equilibrium;Folk theorems

The influence of competitive pressure on manufacturer internal information integration

Research on competitive pressure plays an important part in understanding a firm’s behaviour in its changing environment. This paper provides an empirical contribution to the knowledge of the relationship between competitive pressure and internal information integration in this area by focusing on manufacturer internal information integration. The findings show that the degree of manufacturer internal information can be explained by the competitive strength of the largest firm in the industry. From a management perspective, the results indicate the need to regard the competitive landscape as an additional lever of manufacturer internal information sharing

Employee empowerment and HR flexibility in Information Technology SMEs

CAUL read and publish agreement 2023HR systems in IT organizations need to be flexible to enable them to adjust to the fast rate of technological change. Employee empowerment, often practiced at IT organizations under the banner of agile practices, has been highlighted as likely to enable HR flexibility. Based on a research panel based survey of top managers at 163 IT organizations in New Zealand and Australia, we confirmed positive effects of employee empowerment on four dimensions of HR flexibility: resource flexibility in employee skills and behaviors, coordination flexibility in employee skills and behaviors, resource flexibility in HR practices, and coordination flexibility in HR practices. The results are consistent with the view that, at IT organizations, employee empowerment both promotes employee ability and willingness to be flexible and facilitates the organizational structures and practices that enable flexible use of HR resources.fals