A Prompt-based Few-shot Learning Approach to Software Conflict Detection

A software requirement specification (SRS) document is an essential part of the software development life cycle which outlines the requirements that a software program in development must satisfy. This document is often specified by a diverse group of stakeholders and is subject to continual change, making the process of maintaining the document and detecting conflicts between requirements an essential task in software development. Notably, projects that do not address conflicts in the SRS document early on face considerable problems later in the development life cycle. These problems incur substantial costs in terms of time and money, and these costs often become insurmountable barriers that ultimately result in the termination of a software project altogether. As a result, early detection of SRS conflicts is critical to project sustainability. The conflict detection task is approached in numerous ways, many of which require a significant amount of manual intervention from developers, or require access to a large amount of labeled, task-specific training data. In this work, we propose using a prompt-based learning approach to perform few-shot learning for conflict detection. We compare our results to supervised learning approaches that use pretrained language models, such as BERT and its variants. Our results show that prompting with just 32 labeled examples can achieve a similar level of performance in many key metrics to that of supervised learning on training sets that are magnitudes larger in size. In contrast to many other conflict detection approaches, we make no assumptions about the type of underlying requirements, allowing us to analyze pairings of both functional and non-functional requirements. This allows us to omit the potentially expensive task of filtering out non-functional requirements from our dataset.Comment: 9 pages; 4 figures. To be published In Proceedings of 32nd Annual International Conference on Computer Science and Software Engineering (CASCON '22

Exact and heuristic approaches based on noninterfering transmissions for joint gateway selection, time slot allocation, routing and power control for wireless mesh networks

Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) provide cost-effective alternatives for extending wireless communication over larger geographical areas. In this paper, given a WMN with its nodes and possible wireless links, we consider the problem of gateway node selection for connecting the network to the Internet along with operational problems such as routing, wireless transmission capacity allocation, and transmission power control for efficient use of wired and wireless resources. Under the assumption that each node of the WMN has a fixed traffic rate, our goal is to allocate capacities to the nodes in proportion to their traffic rates so as to maximize the minimum capacity-to-demand ratio, referred to as the service level. We adopt a time division multiple access (TDMA) scheme, in which a time frame on the same frequency channel is divided into several time slots and each node can transmit in one or more time slots. We propose two mixed integer linear programming formulations. The first formulation, which is based on individual transmissions in each time slot, is a straightforward extension of a previous formulation developed by the authors for a related problem under a different set of assumptions. The alternative formulation, on the other hand, is based on sets of noninterfering wireless transmissions. In contrast with the first formulation, the size of the alternative formulation is independent of the number of time slots in a frame. We identify simple necessary and sufficient conditions for simultaneous transmissions on different links of the network in the same time slot without any significant interference. Our characterization, as a byproduct, prescribes a power level for each of the transmitting nodes. Motivated by this characterization, we propose a simple scheme to enumerate all sets of noninterfering transmissions, which is used as an input for the alternative formulation. We also introduce a set of valid inequalities for both formulations. For large instances, we propose a three-stage heuristic approach. In the first stage, we solve a partial relaxation of our alternative optimization model and determine the gateway locations. This stage also provides an upper bound on the optimal service level. In the second stage, a routing tree is constructed for each gateway node computed in the first stage. Finally, in the third stage, the alternative optimization model is solved by fixing the resulting gateway locations and the routing trees from the previous two stages. For even larger networks, we propose a heuristic approach for solving the partial relaxation in the first stage using a neighborhood search on gateway locations. Our computational results demonstrate the promising performance of our exact and heuristic approaches and the valid inequalities © 2016 Elsevier Lt

Correlating charge and thermoelectric transport to paracrystallinity in conducting polymers.

The conceptual understanding of charge transport in conducting polymers is still ambiguous due to a wide range of paracrystallinity (disorder). Here, we advance this understanding by presenting the relationship between transport, electronic density of states and scattering parameter in conducting polymers. We show that the tail of the density of states possesses a Gaussian form confirmed by two-dimensional tight-binding model supported by Density Functional Theory and Molecular Dynamics simulations. Furthermore, by using the Boltzmann Transport Equation, we find that transport can be understood by the scattering parameter and the effective density of states. Our model aligns well with the experimental transport properties of a variety of conducting polymers; the scattering parameter affects electrical conductivity, carrier mobility, and Seebeck coefficient, while the effective density of states only affects the electrical conductivity. We hope our results advance the fundamental understanding of charge transport in conducting polymers to further enhance their performance in electronic applications

The role of cavity residue leucine 95 and channel residues glutamine 204, aspartic acid 211, and phenylalanine 269 on toluene o-xylene monooxygenase activity and regiospecificity

The biocatalyst toluene-o-xylene monooxygenase (ToMO) of Pseudomonas sp. OX1 belongs to a remarkable family of bacterial multicomponent monooxygenases and has been shown to have a great potential for biotechnological and environmental applications. Structural analysis of ToMO hydroxylase revealed the presence of three hydrophobic cavities, a channel, and a pore leading from the protein surface to the active site. A structural study with the related enzyme toluene-4-monooxygenase (T4MO) hydroxylase with its respective regulatory protein confirmed that the channel undergoes extensive structural changes upon binding of the regulatory protein and transiently opens and closes during catalysis (Figure 1). Here, saturation mutagenesis was used to investigate the catalytic roles of alpha-subunit (TouA) second cavity residue L95 and TouA channel residues Q204, D211, and F269. By testing the substrates toluene, phenol, nitrobenzene, and/or naphthalene, these positions were found to influence the catalytic activity of ToMO. Several regiospecific variants were identified from TouA positions Q204, F269, and L95. For example, TouA variant Q204H had the regiospecificity of nitrobenzene changed significantly from 30 to 61 % p-nitrophenol. Interestingly, a combination of mutations at Q204H and A106V altered the regiospecificity of nitrobenzene back to 27 % p-nitrophenol. TouA variants F269Y, F269P, Q204E, and L95D improved the meta-hydroxylating capability of nitrobenzene by producing 87, 85, 82, and 77 % m-nitrophenol, respectively. Here, two additional TouA residues, S222 and A106, were also identified that may have important roles in catalysis. Most of the isolated variants from D211 remained active, whereas having a hydrophobic residue at this position appeared to diminish the catalytic activity toward naphthalene. The mutational effects on the ToMO regiospecificity described here suggest that it is possible to further fine tune and engineer the reactivity of multicomponent diiron monooxygenases toward different substrates at positions that are relatively distant from the active site. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Maturity and Challenges Post COVID-19

Digital transformation in higher education, especially after COVID-19 is inevitable. This research explores digital transformation maturity and challenges post COVID-19. The significance of the study does not only stem from the critical role of higher education in building the workforce and knowledge economy. This study triangulates the findings of multiple research instruments, including survey, interviews, case study, and direct observation. The research findings show a significant variance between the respondents’ perception of digital transformations maturity levels, and the core requirements of digital transformation maturity. The findings also show the lack of holistic vision, digital transformation competency, and data structure and processing as the leading challenges of digital transformation

Synthesis of uniformly distributed single- and double-sided zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocombs

Uniformly distributed single- and double-sided zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomb structures have been prepared by a vapor-liquid-solid technique from a mixture of ZnO nanoparticles and graphene nanoplatelets. The ZnO seed nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple precipitation method. The structure of the ZnO nanocombs could easily be controlled by tuning the carrier-gas flow rate during growth. Higher flow rate resulted in the formation of uniformly-distributed single-sided comb structures with nanonail-shaped teeth, as a result of the self-catalysis effect of the catalytically active Zn-terminated polar (0001) surface. Lower gas flow rate was favorable for production of double-sided comb structures with the two sets of teeth at an angle of similar to 110 degrees to each other along the comb ribbon, which was attributed to the formation of a bicrystal nanocomb ribbon. The formation of such a double-sided structure with nanonail-shaped teeth has not previously been reported.Publisher's Versio

Relationship among expression of basic-fibroblast growth factor, MTDH/Astrocyte elevated gene-1, adenomatous polyposis coli, matrix metalloproteinase 9,and COX-2 markers with prognostic factors in prostate carcinomas

Background: The etiopathogenesis of prostate cancer (PC) is still not clear, but hormonal, genetic, and environmental factors are thought to play a role in the tumor pathogenesis. Astrocyte elevated gene-1(AEG-1) as a novel transmembrane protein is predominantly located in the perinuclear region and endoplasmic reticulum. It has been found that AEG-1 upregulation increases the invasive ability of glioma and prostate cancer. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), cyclooxygenases-2 (COX-2), and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) are very important in tumor progression as well. Materials and Methods: This study included 97 radical prostatectomy specimens. IHC stains for bFGF, MMP-9, COX-2, APC, and AEG-1 were performed on the tissue microarray using standard procedures. For each patient, the age, Gleason score, tumor volume, lymphovascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, surgical margin, and the invasion of vesiculoseminalis areas were assessed. Analyses were performed using the statistical PASW (ver. 18). Results: Statistically significant positive relationships were found MMP-9 and COX-2 (r = 0.242 and P = 0.017), between MMP-9 and APC (r = 0.207 and P = 0.043), and between bFGF and AEG-1 (r = 0.295 and P = 0.004). However, the relationships between age and staining results and tumor volume and staining results were not found to be significant. Although a positive correlation was found between the Gleason score and tumor volume and the Gleason score and age (r = 0.415 and P = 0.0001; r = 0.246 and P = 0.015, respectively), we did not find a statistically significant relationship between other stains and other prognostic parameters (lymphovascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, surgical margin, or vesiculoseminalis invasion). Conclusion:The relationships we found between MMP-9 and COX-2, between MMP-9, and APC and between bFGF and AEG-1 as independent prognostic parameters could be helpful in the development of new therapeutic procedures.Keywords: Adenomatous polyposis coli, astrocyte elevated gene‑1, basic fibroblast growth factor, cyclooxygenases‑2, matrix metalloproteinase‑9, prognostic parameters, prostate adenocarcinomasNigerian Journal of Clinical Practice • Oct-Dec 2013 • Vol 16 • Issue

The Mediterranean Island Wetlands (MedIsWet) inventory: strengths and shortfalls of the currently available floristic data

MedIsWet (Conservation of the island wetlands of the Mediterranean Basin) is a MAVA funded project which aims at investigating all seasonal or permanent island wetlands both natural and artificial, with a minimum extent of 0.1 hectares. More than 16,000 wetlands from almost all the Mediterranean, including islands from France, Italy, Malta, Croatia, Cyprus, Tunisia, Turkey, Greece and Spain were mapped. Over 2,500 of them were inventoried in the field and more than 500 scientific contributions catalogued. In total, more than 35,000 plant occurrences were uploaded, in a standardised and comparable way, on the national open-source web portals. These can be related to the recorded threats, uses and other spatially retrievable information. Here, we show strengths and shortfalls of the already available information about the floristic records. Although further improvements are needed, we discuss how these data can be used for research and policy actions and to develop conservation projects

State stigmatization in urban Turkey : Managing the 'insurgent' squatter dwellers in Dikmen Valley

This paper contributes to the accounts of territorial stigmatisation by examining the state role in it in the case of Turkey, a country that suffers from growing state power. The existing debates are mainly restricted to its function as an economic strategy paving the way for capital accumulation through devaluing working‐class people and places. Drawing on textual analysis of political speeches, local newsletters and mainstream national newspapers and fieldwork material that include interviews and observations in Dikmen Valley where some squatter communities mobilised against the state‐imposed urban transformation project, I demonstrate that state conceptualisation of “problem people” targets the “insurgent” rather than the “unprofitable” groups. Stigma in urban settings functions in inciting the desire to meet the patterns deemed appropriate by the state, rather than the market. Moving from that, I argue that stigma is used as a state‐led political strategy, which is integral to the growing authoritarianism in Turkey

A global view of drug-therapy interactions

Network science is already making an impact on the study of complex systems and offers a promising variety of tools to understand their formation and evolution (1-4) in many disparate fields from large communication networks (5,6), transportation infrastructures (7) and social communities (8,9) to biological systems (1,10,11). Even though new highthroughput technologies have rapidly been generating large amounts of genomic data, drug design has not followed the same development, and it is still complicated and expensive to develop new single-target drugs. Nevertheless, recent approaches suggest that multi-target drug design combined with a network-dependent approach and large-scale systems-oriented strategies (12-14) create a promising framework to combat complex multigenetic disorders like cancer or diabetes. Here, we investigate the human network corresponding to the interactions between all US approved drugs and human therapies, defined by known drug-therapy relationships. Our results show that the key paths in this network are shorter than three steps, indicating that distant therapies are separated by a surprisingly low number of chemical compounds. We also identify a sub-network composed by drugs with high centrality measures (15), which represent the structural back-bone of the drug-therapy system and act as hubs routing information between distant parts of the network. These findings provide for the first time a global map of the largescale organization of all known drugs and associated therapies, bringing new insights on possible strategies for future drug development. Special attention should be given to drugs which combine the two properties of (a) having a high centrality value and (b) acting on multiple targets.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures. It was submitted to peer review on August 15, 200