TOWARDS A CONSENSUS DEFINITION OF FULL-STACK DEVELOPMENT

Full-stack development is a new concept systems development. Full-stack developers have broad knowledge across all aspects of a given technology stack. They have the ability to rapidly transform a concept into a functional solution. Their big-picture visibility allows them to anticipate problems early-on and steer projects around them. Many organizations actively recruit full-stack developers. Many programmers are styling themselves as full-stack developers. However, there is some disagreement regarding the meaning of full-stack development. The disagreement primarily concerns the developer’s expected breadth and depth of stack knowledge. The purpose of this research is to develop a consensus definition of full-stack development. A content analysis of articles which discuss full-stack development is performed. The results are synthesized to form a conceptual definition which clarifies the role of full-stack developers. This definition alleviates confusion and provides clarity. The results have implications for research and practice

Three Meta-Phases of a Project

This paper proposes three high-level project meta-phases to enhance the understanding of how projects are created and their long-term impacts after completion. It extends the traditional view of the projects to include activities which occur before the initiation of the project and after the closeout phase. These meta-phases are project conception, project execution, and deliverable use. These meta-phases are described and explained in terms of their usefulness for project management research

Using Experts for Improving Project Cybersecurity Risk Scenarios

This study implemented an expert panel to assess the content validity of hypothetical scenarios to be used in a survey of cybersecurity risk across project meta-phases. Six out of 10 experts solicited completed the expert panel exercise. Results indicate that although experts often disagreed with each other and on the expected mapping of scenario to project meta-phase, the experts generally found risk present in the scenarios and across all three project meta-phases, as hypothesized

Phycomyces

This monographic review on a fungus is not addressed to mycologists. None of the authors has been trained or has otherwise acquired a general proficiency in mycology. They are motivated by a common interest in the performances of signal handling exhibited by the sense organs of all organisms and by the desire to attack these as yet totally obscure aspects of molecular biology by the study of a microorganism with certain desirable properties. The sporangiophore of the fungus Phycomyces is a gigantic, single-celled, erect, cylindrical, aerial hypha. It is sensitive to at least four distinct stimuli: light, gravity, stretch, and some unknown stimulus by which it avoids solid objects. These stimuli control a common output, the growth rate, producing either temporal changes in growth rate or tropic responses. We are interested in the output because it gives us information about the reception of the various signals. In the absence of external stimuli, the growth rate is controlled by internal signals keeping the network of biochemical processes in balance. The external stimuli interact with the internal signals. We wish to inquire into the early steps of this interaction. For light, for instance, the cell must have a receptor pigment as the first mediator. What kind of a molecule is this pigment? Which organelle contains it? What chemical reaction happens after a light quantum has been absorbed? And how is the information introduced by this primary photochemical event amplified in a controlled manner and processed in the next step? How do a few quanta or a few molecules trigger macroscopic responses? Will we find ourselves confronted with devices wholly distinct from anything now known in biology

Central contracts in Test cricket: a model of best practice?

Across the last two decades, management of international cricket players has changed substantially, with the main Test playing nations using central contracts to guide their team selection. Increased management control over player workload has been a key focus of this. This paper aims to analyse selection in relation to performance for eight Test playing nations in 1,135 matches over thirty years (1985-2015), particularly in relation to the introduction of central contracts. The results demonstrated a relationship between selection stability (i.e. changes made) and performance (overall results and win ratio). The improvement was more pronounced immediately following the introduction of a contract system, as the competitive advantage appears to be at its highest in the two years following their introduction. The data presented argues that the implementation of central contracts as a best practice model has been a beneficial addition to nations' performance in Test matches. Despite this, team managers, coaches and selectors should focus their work on developing an organisational culture where the elite environment has long term stability as its focus. This is particularly pertinent as selection uncertainty can be a de-stabilising factor, as suggested in this paper and in previous research

Prevention of immunodeficiency virus induced CD4+ T-cell depletion by prior infection with a non-pathogenic virus

AbstractImmune dysregulation initiated by a profound loss of CD4+ T-cells is fundamental to HIV-induced pathogenesis. Infection of domestic cats with a non-pathogenic lentivirus prevalent in the puma (puma lentivirus, PLV or FIVpco) prevented peripheral blood CD4+ T-cell depletion caused by subsequent virulent FIV infection. Maintenance of this critical population was not associated with a significant decrease in FIV viremia, lending support to the hypothesis that direct viral cytopathic effect is not the primary cause of immunodeficiency. Although this approach was analogous to immunization with a modified live vaccine, correlates of immunity such as a serum-neutralizing antibody or virus-specific T-cell proliferative response were not found in protected animals. Differences in cytokine transcription profile, most notably in interferon gamma, were observed between the protected and unprotected groups. These data provide support for the importance of non-adaptive enhancement of the immune response in the prevention of CD4+ T-cell loss

Cyber security fear appeals:unexpectedly complicated

Cyber security researchers are starting to experiment with fear appeals, with a wide variety of designs and reported efficaciousness. This makes it hard to derive recommendations for designing and deploying these interventions. We thus reviewed the wider fear appeal literature to arrive at a set of guidelines to assist cyber security researchers. Our review revealed a degree of dissent about whether or not fear appeals are indeed helpful and advisable. Our review also revealed a wide range of fear appeal experimental designs, in both cyber and other domains, which confirms the need for some standardized guidelines to inform practice in this respect. We propose a protocol for carrying out fear appeal experiments, and we review a sample of cyber security fear appeal studies, via this lens, to provide a snapshot of the current state of play. We hope the proposed experimental protocol will prove helpful to those who wish to engage in future cyber security fear appeal research

VISION -- A Dynamic Model of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

The Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative’s (AFCI) fundamental objective is to provide technology options that – if implemented – would enable long-term growth of nuclear power while improving sustainability and energy security. The AFCI organization structure consists of four areas; Systems Analysis, Fuels, Separations and Transmutations. The Systems Analysis Working Group is tasked with bridging the program technical areas and providing the models, tools, and analyses required to assess the feasibility of design and deploy¬ment options and inform key decision makers. An integral part of the Systems Analysis tool set is the development of a system level model that can be used to examine the implications of the different mixes of reactors, implications of fuel reprocessing, impact of deployment technologies, as well as potential “exit” or “off ramp” approaches to phase out technologies, waste management issues and long-term repository needs. The Verifiable Fuel Cycle Simulation Model (VISION) is a computer-based simulation model that allows performing dynamic simulations of fuel cycles to quantify infrastructure requirements and identify key trade-offs between alternatives. VISION is intended to serve as a broad systems analysis and study tool applicable to work conducted as part of the AFCI (including costs estimates) and Generation IV reactor development studies

Infrared spectroscopy of phytochrome and model pigments

Fourier-transform infrared difference spectra between the red-absorbing and far-red-absorbing forms of oat phytochrome have been measured in H2O and 2H2O. The difference spectra are compared with infrared spectra of model compounds, i.e. the (5Z,10Z,15Z)- and (5Z,10Z,15E)-isomers of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-bilindion (Et8-bilindion), 2,3-dihydro-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-bilindion (H2Et8-bilindion), and protonated H2Et8-bilindion in various solvents. The spectra of the model compounds show that only for the protonated forms can clear differences between the two isomers be detected. Since considerable differences are present between the spectra of Et8-bilindion and H2Et8-bilindion, it is concluded that only the latter compound can serve as a model system of phytochrome. The 2H2O effect on the difference spectrum of phytochrome supports the view that the chromophore in red-absorbing phytochrome is protonated and suggests, in addition, that it is also protonated in far-red-absorbing phytochrome. The spectra show that protonated carboxyl groups are influenced. The small amplitudes in the difference spectra exclude major changes of protein secondary structure