Guiding Random Graphical and Natural User Interface Testing Through Domain Knowledge

Users have access to a diverse set of interfaces that can be used to interact with software. Tools exist for automatically generating test data for an application, but the data required by each user interface is complex. Generating realistic data similar to that of a user is difficult. The environment which an application is running inside may also limit the data available, or updates to an operating system can break support for tools that generate test data. Consequently, applications exist for which there are no automated methods of generating test data similar to that which a user would provide through real usage of a user interface. With no automated method of generating data, the cost of testing increases and there is an increased chance of bugs being released into production code. In this thesis, we investigate techniques which aim to mimic users, observing how stored user interactions can be split to generate data targeted at specific states of an application, or to generate different subareas of the data structure provided by a user interface. To reduce the cost of gathering and labelling graphical user interface data, we look at generating randomised screen shots of applications, which can be automatically labelled and used in the training stage of a machine learning model. These trained models could guide a randomised approach at generating tests, achieving a significantly higher branch coverage than an unguided random approach. However, for natural user interfaces, which allow interaction through body tracking, we could not learn such a model through generated data. We find that models derived from real user data can generate tests with a significantly higher branch coverage than a purely random tester for both natural and graphical user interfaces. Our approaches use no feedback from an application during test generation. Consequently, the models are “generating data in the dark”. Despite this, these models can still generate tests with a higher coverage than random testing, but there may be a benefit to inferring the current state of an application and using this to guide data generation

Autumn and Winter Breeding Records for the American Robin, Turdus migratorius

We report autumn and winter breeding records for the American Robin (Turdus migratorius). We located a nest on the campus of the University of Columbia at Missouri, USA, active 12 to 15 October 1999. This late nesting record prompted us to consult the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Nest Record Program and Bird Studies Canada’s Project NestWatch. Of the 11 113 American Robin nest records in Cornell’s database, 15 were active in September and three were active later than September. Of the over 23 000 nest records available from Bird Studies Canada one was active in September and one in October. All four of the latest nests contained nestlings and were active on 3 October 1964 in Massachusetts, 13 October 1932 in Manitoba, 18 November 1964 in West Virginia, and 8 January 1966 in Ohio. Eight of the ten nests monitored until outcome could be determined fledged young successfully

Asphalt Mix Design and performance

Premature flexible pavement distress became a major concern in Indiana. As a result, a study was conducted investigating the major underlying factors. Pavement sections were investigated based on a factorial study with four factors comprised of climate, truck traffic, pavement base type, and wheel path. The distresses evaluated were rutting, thermal cracking and stripping. All were evaluated against control sections with zero distress. The pavement condition of each section was determined. Laboratory tests of field sample included physical properties, dynamic creep and recompaction. Results of the study indicate that the Asphalt Institute mix design criteria identify an asphalt content that is too high. In place densities were found to be inadequate and a recommendation was made to use higher field compactive effort. The USAE Gyratory Testing Machine (GTM) was used in laboratory studies to recompact density and air voids. Testing confirm that the in situ asphalt content was too high. Gap graded gradations were found to be prone to rutting. Benefit is shown in using dynamic modulus to evaluate mixtures. A statistical analysis method, discriminate analysis, was used to accurately predict mixture field performance using laboratory data

Direct oral anticoagulants‐Remove versus Taipan snake venom time for detection of a lupus anticoagulant in patients taking oral direct factor Xa inhibitors

Background: The optimal method of detecting a lupus anticoagulant (LA) for patients taking direct factor Xa inhibitor (DFXaI) direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) remains controversial. Methods include charcoal adsorption of the DOACs to allow testing with the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and dilute Russell viper venom time (dRVVT), or use of the DFXaI‐insensitive Taipan snake venom time (TSVT) and Ecarin time (ET) assays on neat plasma. Objectives: The objective was to compare the utility of APTT and dRVVT analysis following DOAC Remove against TSVT/ET on untreated plasma for LA detection in spiked plasmas and routine clinical samples for patients on DFXaIs. Patients/methods: Various LA‐negative and LA‐positive samples were assayed by APTT, dRVVT, and TSVT/ET, and then separately spiked with rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban calibrators to a concentration of ~190 ng/ml and the assays repeated on spiked plasma before and after DOAC Remove treatment. Testing of 284 consecutive samples from DFXaI‐anticoagulated patients by APTT/dRVVT and TSVT/ET before and after DOAC Remove treatment was undertaken. Results: In the spiking model, we found that both TSVT/ET and DOAC Remove strategies generally distinguished LA‐negative and LA‐positive samples, but some false‐positive LA results occurred. In the investigation of 284 consecutive patient samples on DFXaIs, the percentage agreement for LA detection in neat samples tested by TSVT/ET versus APTT and dRVVT after DOAC Remove treatment was 90% (Cohen kappa 0.12). Conclusion: Our data highlight uncertainty and disagreement for testing LA in patients on DFXaI. Further studies are required

Evolution of X-ray cluster scaling relations in simulations with radiative cooling and non-gravitational heating

We investigate the redshift dependence of X-ray cluster scaling relations drawn from three hydrodynamic simulations of the LCDM cosmology: a Radiative model that incorporates radiative cooling of the gas, a Preheating model that additionally heats the gas uniformly at high redshift, and a Feedback model that self-consistently heats cold gas in proportion to its local star-formation rate. While all three models are capable of reproducing the observed local Lx-Tx relation, they predict substantially different results at high redshift (to z=1.5), with the Radiative, Preheating and Feedback models predicting strongly positive, mildly positive and mildly negative evolution, respectively. The physical explanation for these differences lies in the structure of the intracluster medium. All three models predict significant temperature fluctuations at any given radius due to the presence of cool subclumps and, in the case of the Feedback simulation, reheated gas. The mean gas temperature lies above the dynamical temperature of the halo for all models at z=0, but differs between models at higher redshift with the Radiative model having the lowest mean gas temperature at z=1.5. We have not attempted to model the scaling relations in a manner that mimics the observational selection effects, nor has a consistent observational picture yet emerged. Nevertheless, evolution of the scaling relations promises to be a powerful probe of the physics of entropy generation in clusters. First indications are that early, widespread heating is favored over an extended period of heating that is associated with galaxy formation.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Minor changes following referee's comment

Time-Dependence of the Mass Accretion Rate in Cluster Cooling Flows

We analyze two time-dependent cluster cooling flow models in spherical symmetry. The first assumes that the intracluster gas resides in a static external potential, and includes the effects of optically thin radiative cooling and mass deposition. This corresponds to previous steady-state cooling flow models calculated by White & Sarazin (1987). Detailed agreement is found between steady-state models and time-dependent models at fixed times in the simulations. The mass accretion rate is found either to increase or remain nearly constant once flows reach a steady state. The time rate of change of the accretion rate is strongly sensitive to the value of the mass deposition parameter q, but only mildly sensitive to the ratio beta of gravitational binding energy to gas temperature. We show that previous scaling arguments presented by Bertschinger (1988) and White (1988) are valid only for mature cooling flows with weak mass deposition (q ~< 1). The second set of models includes the effects of a secularly deepening cluster potential and secondary infall of gas from the Hubble flow. We find that such heating effects do not prevent the flows from reaching a steady state within an initial central cooling time.Comment: 22 pages (AASTeX) with 16 EPS figures; accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Seismic Performance Testing of Partially and Fully Anchored Wood-Frame Shear Walls

Earthquake performance of wood-frame shear walls was evaluated by comparing fully and partially anchored walls under monotonic, cyclic, and earthquake loads and comparing with code measures. Suitability of monotonic and cyclic testing to predict seismic performance was examined. Earthquake tests were conducted on 2440-mm-square walls with Douglas-fir studs. Two oriented strandboard panels were fastened to the frame with two gypsum wallboard panels on the opposite side. Partially anchored walls had two anchor bolts on the sill plate. Fully anchored walls had hold-downs at the ends. Four time histories were tested: three subduction zone ground motions and a strike-slip fault, all scaled to the Seattle design level. For fully anchored walls, subduction zone tests had capacities, energy dissipation, and failure modes most similar to cyclic tests. Wall displacement at maximum load was under-estimated by cyclic and overestimated by monotonic tests. For partially anchored walls, subduction zone and strike-slip earthquake tests had capacity, displacement at maximum load, initial stiffness, and ductility most similar to cyclic tests. Energy dissipation was most similar to monotonic tests, and failure modes were consistent with monotonic and cyclic tests. Partially anchored walls had lower capacity, displacement at maximum load, energy dissipation, and stiffness as compared with fully anchored walls