On opportunistic software reuse

The availability of open source assets for almost all imaginable domains has led the software industry toopportunistic design-an approach in which people develop new software systems in an ad hoc fashion by reusing and combining components that were not designed to be used together. In this paper we investigate this emerging approach. We demonstrate the approach with an industrial example in whichNode.jsmodules and various subsystems are used in an opportunistic way. Furthermore, to study opportunistic reuse as a phenomenon, we present the results of three contextual interviews and a survey with reuse practitioners to understand to what extent opportunistic reuse offers improvements over traditional systematic reuse approaches.Peer reviewe

[Performance by cytology and hybrid capture II in screening for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in women with HIV].

HIV-infected women are at increased risk of developing high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), the precursor lesions for cervical cancer. This study estimated and compared the performance of cytology and hybrid capture II in screening for precursor lesions of cervical cancer among HIV-infected women. The study population consisted of women from the open prospective cohort at the Evandro Chagas Clinical Research Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IPEC/Fiocruz). Colposcopy and histology were considered jointly in defining the gold standard. Cytology showed 31.8% sensitivity and 95.5% specificity, while hybrid capture II showed higher sensitivity (100%) and lower specificity (52%). The positive likelihood ratio was 7.1 for cytology and 2.1 for hybrid capture II, while the negative likelihood ratio was 0.7 for cytology and 0.0 for hybrid capture II

Dynamic aspects of individual design activities -- A cognitive ergonomics viewpoint

This paper focuses on the use of knowledge possessed by designers. Data collection was based on observations (by the cognitive ergonomics researcher) and simultaneous verbalisations (by the designers) in empirical studies conducted in the context of industrial design projects. The contribution of this research is typical of cognitive ergonomics, in that it provides data on actual activities implemented by designers in their actual work situation (rather than on prescribed and/or idealised processes and methods). Data presented concern global strategies (the way in which designers actually organise their activity) and local strategies (reuse in design). Results from cognitive ergonomics and other research that challenges the way in which people are supposed to work with existing systems are generally not received warmly. Abundant corroboration of such results is required before industry may consider taking them into account. The opportunistic organisation of design activity is taken here as an example of this reluctance. The results concerning this aspect of design have been verified repeatedly, but only prototypes and experimental systems implementing some of the requirements formulated on their basis, are under development