Assessing the Impact of Real-Time Machine Translation on Multilingual Meetings in Global Software Projects

Communication in global software development is hindered by language differences in countries with a lack of English speaking professionals. Machine translation is a technology that uses software to translate from one natural language to another. The progress of machine translation systems has been steady in the last decade. As for now, machine translation technology is particularly appealing because it might be used, in the form of cross-language chat services, in countries that are entering into global software projects. However, despite the recent progress of the technology, we still lack a thorough understanding of how real-time machine translation affects communication. In this paper, we present a set of empirical studies with the goal of assessing to what extent real-time machine translation can be used in distributed, multilingual requirements meetings instead of English. Results suggest that, despite far from 100% accurate, real-time machine translation is not disruptive of the conversation flow and, therefore, is accepted with favor by participants. However, stronger effects can be expected to emerge when language barriers are more critical. Our findings add to the evidence about the recent advances of machine translation technology and provide some guidance to global software engineering practitioners in regarding the losses and gains of using English as a lingua franca in multilingual group communication, as in the case of computer-mediated requirements meetings

Investigating Reading Techniques for Framework Learning

The empirical study described in this paper addresses software reading for construction: how application developers obtain an understanding of a software artifact for use in new system development. This study focuses on the processes developers would engage in when learning and using object-oriented frameworks. We analyzed 15 student software development projects using both qualitative and quantitative methods to gain insight into what processes occurred during framework usage. The contribution of the study is not to test predefined hypotheses but to generate well-supported hypotheses for further investigation. The main hypotheses we produce are that example-based techniques are well suited to use by beginning learners while hierarchy-based techniques are not because of a larger learning curve. Other more specific hypotheses are proposed and discussed. (Also cross-referenced as UMIACS-TR-98-26

Cell death induced by mycotoxin fumonisin B1 is accompanied by oxidative stress and transcriptional modulation in Arabidopsis cell culture

Key message: Fumonisin B1 induces rapid programmed cell death in Arabidopsis cells, oxidative and nitrosative bursts, and differentially modulates cell death responsive genes. Glutathione is the main antioxidant involved in the stress response. Abstract: Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a fungal toxin produced by Fusarium spp. able to exert pleiotropic toxicity in plants. FB1 is known to be a strong inducer of the programmed cell death (PCD); however, the exact mechanism underling the plant–toxin interactions and the molecular events that lead to PCD are still unclear. Therefore, in this work, we provided a comprehensive investigation of the response of the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana at the nuclear, transcriptional, and biochemical level after the treatment with FB1 at two different concentrations, namely 1 and 5 µM during a time-course of 96 h. FB1 induced oxidative and nitrosative bursts and a rapid cell death in Arabidopsis cell cultures, which resembled a HR-like PCD event. Different genes involved in the regulation of PCD, antioxidant metabolism, photosynthesis, pathogenesis, and sugar transport were upregulated, especially during the late treatment time and with higher FB1 concentration. Among the antioxidant enzymes and compounds studied, only glutathione appeared to be highly induced in both treatments, suggesting that it might be an important stress molecule induced during FB1 exposure. Collectively, these findings highlight the complexity of the signaling network of A. thaliana and provide information for the understanding of the physiological, molecular, and biochemical responses to counteract FB1-induced toxicity

Oxylipins from both pathogen and host antagonize jasmonic acid-mediated defence via the 9-lipoxygenase pathway in Fusarium verticillioides infection of maize

Oxylipins are a newly emerging group of signals that serve defence roles or promote virulence. To identify specific host and fungal genes and oxylipins governing the interactions between maize and Fusarium verticillioides, maize wild-type and lipoxygenase3 (lox3) mutant were inoculated with either F. verticillioides wild-type or linoleate-diol-synthase 1-deleted mutant (DFvlds1D). The results howed that lox3 mutants were more resistant to F. verticillioides. The reduced colonization on lox3 was associated with reduced fumonisin production and with a stronger and earlier induction of ZmLOX4, mLOX5 and ZmLOX12. In addition to the reported defence function of ZmLOX12, we showed that lox4 and lox5 mutants were more susceptible to F. verticillioides and possessed decreased jasmonate levels during infection, suggesting that these genes are essential for jasmonic acid (JA)-mediated defence. Oxylipin profiling revealed a dramatic reduction in fungal linoleate diol synthase 1 (LDS1)-derived oxylipins, especially 8-HpODE (8-hydroperoxyoctadecenoic acid), in infected lox3 kernels, indicating the importance of this molecule in virulence. Collectively, we make the following conclusions: (1) LOX3 is a major susceptibility factor induced by fungal LDS1-derived oxylipins to suppress JA-stimulating 9-LOXs; (2) LOX3-mediated signalling promotes the biosynthesis of virulence-promoting oxylipins in the fungus; and (3) both fungal LDS1- and host LOX3-produced oxylipins are essential for the normal infection and colonization processes of maize seed by F. verticillioides

CHARACTERIZATION AND CONSERVATION OF EMILIA ROMAGNA MAIZE LANDRACES

The project aims at the characterization and conservation of regional maize landraces. Genetic material, consisting of 32 accessions, was retrieved both from recent surveys in Emilia Romagna, 11 accessions, and from the germplasm bank of CREA-MAC (Bergamo), 21 accessions. In particular, these last samples derive from the whole Italian collection of maize landraces carried out in the 50\u2019s by Brandolini and Fenaroli. In the first two years of the project, we carried out the landrace census and field characterization of the different materials according to UPOV guidelines and prepared, for each accession, a descriptive sheet. For each landrace, 100 seeds were sown and, from each plant, leaf samples were collected for DNA analysis. Approximately 2,000 plants, around 60 plants per landrace, were sampled. Each landrace is maintained in field by controlled randomintermating. For genetic analyses, 80 SSR markers were tested to identify the 10 most polymorphic to be used for the genetic characterization of all samples. . In parallel to these activities, an agronomic trial has been set up with the 32 landraces on four replicates to investigate production potential and resistance to mycotoxigenic fungi, with a special focus on Fusarium verticillioides. Considering that landraces can be exploited in conditions of low input agriculture, one of the objectives of the project is the identification of the best performing landraces suitable for cultivation nowadays (with a particular interest at mountain and disadvantaged areas). With this purpose, seeds, obtained from the propagation carried out in the first year, were distributed to partner farms and fields have been set-up in different hilly and mountainous areas of the region Emilia Romagna. These fields are presently underway with the double aim to evaluate the landraces in low input conditions and to propagate seeds for the future cultivation. The work was supported by PSR 2014- 2020, Emilia Romagna Region

Groundwater numerical modeling as a complementary tool for designing hydraulic structures

The city of Parma (Italy) is characterized by a junction of two small rivers: Parma and Baganza. The city, since 2004, is served by a flood control reservoir on the Parma River with the aim at mitigating the flood risk in urban areas. Recently, in order to increase the safety of the city, a new flood control reservoir on Baganza River has been planned. The first carried out study has allowed to define the reservoir location and geometry, the storage area (1200 m x 700 m) and volume, and the maximum acceptable head stage inside the basin. The reservoir consists of a main structure that limits the flow rate downstream, 1700 m of levees and three check dam upstream. These allow to lower the river bed and the storage area with the aim at increasing the storage volume and simultaneously limiting the elevation of levees. Moreover, in order to avoid the piping, grout walls below the main structure and the levees have been planned. During the last year, the aquifer beneath and surrounding the study area has been investigated by means of 18 boreholes, 14 monitoring wells, geoelectrical and geophysical surveys and several pumping tests. The head levels inside the wells have been monitored in order to evaluate the seasonal fluctuations and the influence of the river on groundwater. The local stratigraphy could be simplified in: 0 – 28 m gravel-sand with a succession of thin clay lens, 28 – 35 m clay and 35 – 50 m gravel-sand. The monitoring wells have allowed to identify two different water tables that demonstrate the existence of two aquifers: a phreatic one (0- 28 m) connected to the river stage and a confined one (35-50 m). The phreatic aquifer extends in a wide region that covers not only the reservoir location but also a residential and an agricultural area; for this reason a great attention has been paid on the wells used for human activities and especially for irrigation. A numerical model of the aquifer has been developed by means of MODFLOW 2000. All available data have been analyzed with the goal of representing with high reliability the observed head levels and to forecast the two most soliciting cases: maximum stage reached during a flood event and minimum stage (empty basin) considering two different grout walls depth (15 m, 28 m). The numerical model represents only the phreatic aquifer and consists of 200 x 300 cells (each one of 10x10 m2) and three layers in order to describe also a thin clay deposit that is located below the main structure area at about 15 m. Constant head upstream and downstream, an impervious bottom and the river have been considered as boundary conditions. The model has been set up on observed values collected during spring 2013. The first results have estimated that the grout walls should fully penetrate the phreatic aquifer in order to prevent piping and an excessive variation of the aquifer levels. This condition will preserve the area surrounding the basin to too high head levels during flood events; but on the downside, during empty periods, an excessive withdrawal could cause a dewatering of the aquifer. In fact the river, in the basin area, will no longer drain or recharge the beneath aquifer