112 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Designing and Testing Controls to Mitigate Tower Dynamic Loads in the Controls Advanced Research Turbine: Preprint
This report describes NREL's efforts to design, implement, and test advanced controls for maximizing energy extraction and reducing structural dynamic loads in wind turbines
In search of the origins and enduring impact of agile software development
The Agile Manifesto is a philosophical touchpoint for all agile
software development (ASD) methods. We examine the manifesto
and some of its associated agile methods in an effort to identify
the major impacts of ASD. We have encountered some difficulty
in delineating agile and non-agile software processes, which is
partially the result of terminological confusion. It is clear from the
volume of published research that ASD has made a significant
contribution, and we have identified two lasting and important
impacts. Firstly, the reduction in iteration durations and secondly,
the push for reduced levels of documentation (especially in
relation to software requirements). Other aspects of the Agile
Manifesto may not have exerted a significant impact; for example,
the use of tooling to automate processes has become central to
continuous software engineering (CSE) and may not be wholly
congruent with the manifesto. Furthermore, many organisations
may still rely on business contracts despite calls in the manifesto
for greater levels of informal customer collaboration
An Empirical Study of Bots in Software Development -- Characteristics and Challenges from a Practitioner's Perspective
Software engineering bots - automated tools that handle tedious tasks - are
increasingly used by industrial and open source projects to improve developer
productivity. Current research in this area is held back by a lack of consensus
of what software engineering bots (DevBots) actually are, what characteristics
distinguish them from other tools, and what benefits and challenges are
associated with DevBot usage. In this paper we report on a mixed-method
empirical study of DevBot usage in industrial practice. We report on findings
from interviewing 21 and surveying a total of 111 developers. We identify three
different personas among DevBot users (focusing on autonomy, chat interfaces,
and "smartness"), each with different definitions of what a DevBot is, why
developers use them, and what they struggle with. We conclude that future
DevBot research should situate their work within our framework, to clearly
identify what type of bot the work targets, and what advantages practitioners
can expect. Further, we find that there currently is a lack of general purpose
"smart" bots that go beyond simple automation tools or chat interfaces. This is
problematic, as we have seen that such bots, if available, can have a
transformative effect on the projects that use them.Comment: To be published at the ACM Joint European Software Engineering
Conference and Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering
(ESEC/FSE
Limitations and pitfalls of using family letters to communicate genetic risk: a qualitative study with patients and healthcare professionals
European genetic testing guidelines recommend that healthcare professionals (HCPs) discuss the familial implications of any test with a patient and offer written material to help them share the information with family members. Giving patients these “family letters” to alert any relatives of their risk has become part of standard practice and has gone relatively unquestioned over the years. Communication with at-risk relatives will become an increasingly pressing issue as mainstream and routine practice incorporates broad genome tests and as the number of findings potentially relevant to relatives increases. This study therefore explores problems around the use of family letters to communicate about genetic risk. We conducted 16 focus groups with 80 HCPs, and 35 interviews with patients, recruited from across the UK. Data were analyzed thematically and we constructed four themes: 1) HCPs writing family letters: how to write them and why?, 2) Patients’ issues with handing out family letters, 3) Dissemination becomes an uncontrolled form of communication, and 4) When the relative has the letter, is the patient’s and HCP’s duty discharged? We conclude by suggesting alternative and supplementary methods of communication, for example through digital tools, and propose that in comparison to communication by family letter, direct contact by HCPs might be a more appropriate and successful option
How communication of genetic information within the family is addressed in genetic counselling: a systematic review of research evidence
Supporting consultands to communicate risk information with their relatives is key to obtaining the full benefits of genetic health care. To understand how health-care professionals address this issue in clinical practice and what interventions are used specifically to assist consultands in their communication of genetic information to appropriate relatives, we conducted a systematic review. Four electronic databases and four subject-specific journals were searched for papers published, in English, between January 1997 and May 2014. Of 2926 papers identified initially, 14 papers met the inclusion criteria for the review and were heterogeneous in design, setting and methods. Thematic data analysis has shown that dissemination of information within families is actively encouraged and supported by professionals. Three overarching themes emerged: (1) direct contact from genetic services: sending letters to relatives of mutation carriers; (2) professionals' encouragement of initially reluctant consultands to share relevant information with at-risk relatives and (3) assisting consultands in communicating genetic information to their at-risk relatives, which included as subthemes (i) psychoeducational guidance and (ii) written information aids. Findings suggest that professionals' practice and interventions are predicated on the need to proactively encourage family communication. We discuss this in the context of what guidance of consultands by professionals might be appropriate, as best practices to facilitate family communication, and of the limits to non-directiveness in genetic counselling
Challenges in Survey Research
While being an important and often used research method, survey research has
been less often discussed on a methodological level in empirical software
engineering than other types of research. This chapter compiles a set of
important and challenging issues in survey research based on experiences with
several large-scale international surveys. The chapter covers theory building,
sampling, invitation and follow-up, statistical as well as qualitative analysis
of survey data and the usage of psychometrics in software engineering surveys.Comment: Accepted version of chapter in the upcoming book on Contemporary
Empirical Methods in Software Engineering. Update includes revision of typos
and additional figures. Last update includes fixing two small issues and
typo
Conceptual design of a winged hybrid airship
The present study focuses on the sizing and aerodynamic contour design of a two-seater
1000 kg gross take-off mass winged hybrid airship. Unlike the conventional hybrid airships,
which stay aloft and takeoff with the help of VTOL propulsion systems, a winged hybrid
airship requires a certain speed to takeoff by utilizing lift coming from its aerodynamic
surfaces. Heaviness fraction and takeoff ground roll are considered as measure of merit in
initial sizing. Based on the design requirement of Malaysian inter-island tourism and
transportation of agricultural products, range is set to 450 km and ground roll for take-off
about 150 m. For the airship to be heavy enough for ground handling, the ratio of
hydrostatic to hydrodynamic lift is set equal to 49:51. Summary of the results to be obtained
in early design phase will give a baseline start to study the aerodynamics and stability
characteristics of such airships in future
Termite sensitivity to temperature affects global wood decay rates.
Deadwood is a large global carbon store with its store size partially determined by biotic decay. Microbial wood decay rates are known to respond to changing temperature and precipitation. Termites are also important decomposers in the tropics but are less well studied. An understanding of their climate sensitivities is needed to estimate climate change effects on wood carbon pools. Using data from 133 sites spanning six continents, we found that termite wood discovery and consumption were highly sensitive to temperature (with decay increasing >6.8 times per 10°C increase in temperature)-even more so than microbes. Termite decay effects were greatest in tropical seasonal forests, tropical savannas, and subtropical deserts. With tropicalization (i.e., warming shifts to tropical climates), termite wood decay will likely increase as termites access more of Earth's surface
- …