Model-Based Testing of GUI-Driven Applications

While thorough testing of reactive systems is essential to ensure device safety, few testing methods center on GUI-driven applications. In this paper we present one approach for the model-based testing of such systems. Using the AHLTA-Mobile case study to demonstrate our approach, we first introduce a high-level method of modeling the expected behavior of GUI-driven applications. We show how to use the NModel tool to generate test cases from this model and present a way to execute these tests within the application, highlighting the challenges of using an API-geared tool in a GUI-based setting. Finally we present the results of our case study

Rehtoreiden näkemyksiä lukiolaisten fyysisen aktiivisuuden edistämisestä Liikkuva opiskelu -ohjelman alkutaipaleelta

Tiivistelmä. Suomalaisten lasten ja nuorten fyysinen aktiivisuus vähenee ja paikallaanolon määrä lisääntyy siirryttäessä lapsuudesta nuoruuteen. Nuorten vähentynyt fyysinen aktiivisuus uhkaa tulevien työikäistemme työkykyä tulevaisuudessa. Tämän takia toisen asteen koulutuksen toimintakulttuuria tulisi kehittää entistä aktiivisemmaksi ja opiskelijoiden hyvinvointia tukevammaksi. Oppilaitosten liikuntamyönteisemmän toimintakulttuurin kehittämiseen ja tukemiseen pyritään vaikuttamaan esimerkiksi Liikkuva opiskelu -ohjelman ja hyvinvointia korostavan uudistuvan Lukion opetussuunnitelman perusteiden 2019 avulla. Liikkuva koulu -toiminta laajeni vuonna 2019 Liikkuva opiskelu -ohjelmaksi. Ohjelman tavoitteena on lisätä fyysistä aktiivisuutta ja opiskelukykyä toisen asteen koulutuksiin ja korkeakouluihin. Toimintakulttuurin kehittämisessä rehtoreilla on keskeinen asema, sillä rehtorin tulee toimia muutoksen käynnistäjänä. Liikuntamyönteisen toimintakulttuurin kehittäminen on mahdollista oppilaitoksen strategisen johtamisen avulla. Tässä pro gradu -tutkielmassa tarkastellaan rehtoreiden näkemyksiä lukiolaisten fyysisen aktiivisuuden edistämisestä Liikkuva opiskelu -ohjelman alkutaipaleelta. Tutkielmassa kuvaillaan lukiorehtoreiden roolia fyysisen aktiivisuuden edistämisessä Liikkuva opiskelu -ohjelmassa. Tutkielman tarkoitus oli selvittää rehtoreiden näkemyksiä Liikkuva opiskelu -ohjelman toteuttamisedellytyksistä. Lisäksi tutkielmassa kuvataan, miten Liikkuva opiskelu -toimintaa jo toteutetaan lukioissa. Tutkimusaineisto koostui Liikkuva opiskelu -toiminnan käynnistämisvaiheen koulutustapahtumassa äänitetyistä lukiorehtoreiden parikeskusteluista (n=8). Tämän laadullisen tapaustutkimuksen aineisto analysoitiin teoriaohjaavan sisällönanalyysin periaatteita hyödyntäen. Tutkimustulokset osoittivat, että lukiorehtoreiden mielestä Liikkuva opiskelu -ohjelman toteuttamisessa erityisen tärkeänä pidettiin opettajille ja rehtoreille suunnatun koulutuksen merkitystä ja rehtoreiden roolia organisoijana. Liikkuva opiskelu -toiminnan toteuttamisedellytyksinä olivat rehtoreiden käsitysten mukaan ulkoiset tekijät, erityisesti rahoitus ja aikaresurssit. Rehtoreiden mukaan Liikkuva opiskelu -ohjelman toteuttamiseen vaikuttaa myös oppilaitoksen sisäinen rakenne ja toimintakulttuuri. Tutkimus osoitti, että lukioissa toteutetaan jo fyysistä aktiivisuutta lisäävää toimintaa opiskelupäivien aikana. Rehtoreiden mielestä hyvinvointi ja osallisuus olivat keskeisiä asioita Liikkuva opiskelu -ohjelman toteuttamisessa. Lisäksi tutkimustulokset antavat suuntaa sille, että rehtorin tulee toimia kannustajana ja mahdollistajana Liikkuva opiskelu -toiminnassa

AEC Research and Development Report

Technical report describing that voids were measured in a ½-inch by 1-3/4-inch channel with the S-1 insert (B(0)/B(1) = 0.4, L(0) = 0.1 inch), at 2 inches ahead of the insert (position A), ½-inch past the insert (position B), 5 inches past (position C), and 12 inches past (position D). The conditions were: P – 1000 psia, G = 1.00 x 10(6) lb/h-ft(2), and x = 18.8 percent. Average void and void distribution at position A are the same as for flow in a straight channel. Void distribution at position B shows that the stagnation region downstream of the inserts contains a high fraction of voids. Average void and void distribution at positions C and d show that the two-phase mixture becomes strongly mixed (homogenized) as a result of passing through he contraction-expansion inserts. Distribution at position D approaches the distribution at position A; i.e., the straight channel distribution

No behavioural response to kin competition in a lekking species

The processes of kin selection and competition may occur simultaneously if limited individual dispersal i.e. population viscosity, is the only cause of the interactions between kin. Therefore, the net indirect benefits of a specific behaviour may largely depend on the existence of mechanisms dampening the fitness costs of competing with kin. In lekking species, males may increase the mating success of their close relatives (and hence gain indirect fitness benefits) because female prefer large leks. At the same time, kin selection may also lead to the evolution of mechanisms that dampen the costs of kin competition. As this mechanism has largely been ignored to date, we used detailed behavioural and genetic data collected in the black grouse Lyrurus tetrix to test whether males mitigate the costs of kin competition through the modulation of their fighting behaviours according to kinship and the avoidance of close relatives when establishing a lek territory. We found that neighbouring males’ fighting behaviour was unrelated to kinship and males did not avoid settling down with close relatives on leks. As males’ current and future mating success are strongly related to their behaviour on the lek (including fighting behaviour and territory position), the costs of kin competition may be negligible relative to the direct benefits of successful male-male contests. As we previously showed that the indirect fitness benefits of group membership were very limited in this black grouse population, these behavioural data support the idea that direct fitness benefits gained by successful male-male encounters likely outbalance any indirect fitness benefits

Simultaneous age-dependent and age-independent sexual selection in the lekking black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix)

1. Individuals' reproductive success is often strongly associated with their 18 age, with typical patterns of early life reproductive improvement and late 19 life senescence. These age-related patterns are due to the inherent trade-20 offs between life history traits competing for a limited amount of resources 21 available to the organisms. In males, such trade-offs are exacerbated by the 22 resource requirements associated with the expression of costly sexual 23 2 traits, leading to dynamic changes in trait expression throughout their 24 lifespan. 25 2. Due to the age-dependency of male phenotypes, the relationship between 26 the expression of male traits and mating success can also vary with male 27 age. Hence, using longitudinal data in a lekking species with strong sexual 28 selection – the black grouse Lyrurus tetrix – we quantified the effects of 29 age, lifespan and age of first lek attendance (AFL) on male annual mating 30 success (AMS) to separate the effects of within-individual improvement 31 and senescence on AMS from selective (dis)appearance of certain 32 phenotypes. Then, we used male AMS to quantify univariate and 33 multivariate sexual selection gradients on male morphological and 34 behavioural traits with and without accounting for age and age-related 35 effects of other traits. 36 3. Male AMS increased with age and there was no significant reproductive 37 senescence. Most males never copulated and of the ones that did, the 38 majority had only one successful year. Lifespan was unrelated to AMS, but 39 early AFL tended to lead to higher AMS at ages 1 to 3. AMS was related 40 to morphological and behavioural traits when male age was ignored. 41 Accounting for age and age-specific trait effects (i.e. the interaction 42 between a trait and age) reduced the magnitude of the selection gradients 43 and revealed that behavioural traits are under consistent sexual selection, 44 while sexual selection on morphological traits is stronger in old males. 45 4. Therefore, sexual selection in black grouse operates primarily on male 46 behaviour and morphological traits may act as additional cues to 47 supplement female choice. These results demonstrate the multifaceted 48 3 influence of age on both fitness and sexual traits and highlight the 49 importance of accounting for such effects when quantifying sexual 50 selection

Study protocol to investigate the effect of a lifestyle intervention on body weight, psychological health status and risk factors associated with disease recurrence in women recovering from breast cancer treatment

Background Breast cancer survivors often encounter physiological and psychological problems related to their diagnosis and treatment that can influence long-term prognosis. The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of a lifestyle intervention on body weight and psychological well-being in women recovering from breast cancer treatment, and to determine the relationship between changes in these variables and biomarkers associated with disease recurrence and survival. Methods/design Following ethical approval, a total of 100 patients will be randomly assigned to a lifestyle intervention (incorporating dietary energy restriction in conjunction with aerobic exercise training) or normal care control group. Patients randomised to the dietary and exercise intervention will be given individualised healthy eating dietary advice and written information and attend moderate intensity aerobic exercise sessions on three to five days per week for a period of 24 weeks. The aim of this strategy is to induce a steady weight loss of up to 0.5 Kg each week. In addition, the overall quality of the diet will be examined with a view to (i) reducing the dietary intake of fat to ~25% of the total calories, (ii) eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, (iii) increasing the intake of fibre and reducing refined carbohydrates, and (iv) taking moderate amounts of alcohol. Outcome measures will include body weight and body composition, psychological health status (stress and depression), cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life. In addition, biomarkers associated with disease recurrence, including stress hormones, estrogen status, inflammatory markers and indices of innate and adaptive immune function will be monitored. Discussion This research will provide valuable information on the effectiveness of a practical, easily implemented lifestyle intervention for evoking positive effects on body weight and psychological well-being, two important factors that can influence long-term prognosis in breast cancer survivors. However, the added value of the study is that it will also evaluate the effects of the lifestyle intervention on a range of biomarkers associated with disease recurrence and survival. Considered together, the results should improve our understanding of the potential role that lifestyle-modifiable factors could play in saving or prolonging lives

PDB_REDO: automated re-refinement of X-ray structure models in the PDB

The majority of previously deposited X-ray structures can be improved by applying current refinement methods

The effect of bone marrow microenvironment on the functional properties of the therapeutic bone marrow-derived cells in patients with acute myocardial infarction

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Treatment of acute myocardial infarction with stem cell transplantation has achieved beneficial effects in many clinical trials. The bone marrow microenvironment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients has never been studied even though myocardial infarction is known to cause an imbalance in the acid-base status of these patients. The aim of this study was to assess if the blood gas levels in the bone marrow of STEMI patients affect the characteristics of the bone marrow cells (BMCs) and, furthermore, do they influence the change in cardiac function after autologous BMC transplantation. The arterial, venous and bone marrow blood gas concentrations were also compared.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Blood gas analysis of the bone marrow aspirate and peripheral blood was performed for 27 STEMI patients receiving autologous stem cell therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention. Cells from the bone marrow aspirate were further cultured and the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) proliferation rate was determined by MTT assay and the MSC osteogenic differentiation capacity by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay. All the patients underwent a 2D-echocardiography at baseline and 4 months after STEMI.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>As expected, the levels of pO₂, pCO₂, base excess and HCO₃were similar in venous blood and bone marrow. Surprisingly, bone marrow showed significantly lower pH and Na⁺and elevated K⁺levels compared to arterial and venous blood. There was a positive correlation between the bone marrow pCO₂and HCO₃levels and MSC osteogenic differentiation capacity. In contrast, bone marrow pCO₂and HCO₃levels displayed a negative correlation with the proliferation rate of MSCs. Patients with the HCO₃level below the median value exhibited a more marked change in LVEF after BMC treatment than patients with HCO₃level above the median (11.13 ± 8.07% vs. 2.67 ± 11.89%, P = 0.014).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Low bone marrow pCO₂and HCO₃levels may represent the optimal environment for BMCs in terms of their efficacy in autologous stem cell therapy in STEMI patients.</p