DeltaImpactFinder: Assessing Semantic Merge Conflicts with Dependency Analysis

In software development, version control systems (VCS) provide branching and merging support tools. Such tools are popular among developers to concurrently change a code-base in separate lines and reconcile their changes automatically afterwards. However, two changes that are correct independently can introduce bugs when merged together. We call semantic merge conflicts this kind of bugs. Change impact analysis (CIA) aims at estimating the effects of a change in a codebase. In this paper, we propose to detect semantic merge conflicts using CIA. On a merge, DELTAIMPACTFINDER analyzes and compares the impact of a change in its origin and destination branches. We call the difference between these two impacts the delta-impact. If the delta-impact is empty, then there is no indicator of a semantic merge conflict and the merge can continue automatically. Otherwise, the delta-impact contains what are the sources of possible conflicts.Comment: International Workshop on Smalltalk Technologies 2015, Jul 2015, Brescia, Ital

Rocking ratchets in 2D Josephson networks: collective effects and current reversal

A detailed numerical study on the directed motion of ac-driven vortices and antivortices in 2D Josephson junction arrays (JJA) with an asymmetric periodic pinning potential is reported. Dc-voltage rectification shows a strong dependence on vortex density as well as an inversion of the vortex flow direction with ac amplitude for a wide range of vortex density around $f$=1/2 ($f$=$Ha^2 / \Phi_0$), in good agreement with recent experiments by Shal\'om and Pastoriza [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 94}, 177001 (2005)]. The study of vortex structures, spatial and temporal correlations, and vortex-antivortex pairs formation gives insight into a purely collective mechanism behind the current reversal effect.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Entre la incertidumbre y el continuismo: las elecciones en Estados Unidos y su impacto en México

El 8 de noviembre de 2016 se realizan elecciones presidenciales en Estados Unidos. En este texto se analizan las propuestas de los candidatos a la presidencia de ese país y el impacto que su posible triunfo podría tener en México.ITESO, A.C

The relationship of telomere length to baseline corticosterone levels in nestlings of an altricial passerine bird in natural populations.

BackgroundEnvironmental stressors increase the secretion of glucocorticoids that in turn can shorten telomeres via oxidative damage. Modification of telomere length, as a result of adversity faced early in life, can modify an individual's phenotype. Studies in captivity have suggested a relationship between glucocorticoids and telomere length in developing individuals, however less is known about that relationship in natural populations.MethodsIn order to evaluate the effect of early environmental stressors on telomere length in natural populations, we compared baseline corticosterone (CORT) levels and telomere length in nestlings of the same age. We collected blood samples for hormone assay and telomere determination from two geographically distinct populations of the Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) that differed in brood size; nestlings body mass and primary productivity. Within each population we used path analysis to evaluate the relationship between brood size, body mass, baseline CORT and telomere length.ResultsWithin each distinct population, path coefficients showed a positive relationship between brood size and baseline CORT and a strong and negative correlation between baseline CORT and telomere length. In general, nestlings that presented higher baseline CORT levels tended to present shorter telomeres. When comparing populations it was the low latitude population that presented higher levels of baseline CORT and shorter telomere length.ConclusionsTaken together our results reveal the importance of the condition experienced early in life in affecting telomere length, and the relevance of integrative studies carried out in natural conditions

Electrochemical behavior of Sn-Zn alloys with different grain structures in chloride-containing solutions

In the present research the electrochemical behavior of the Sn-Zn alloys (Sn-1 wt.%Zn, Sn-4 wt.%Zn and 8.9 wt.%Zn) in 3% NaCl solution is analyzed using potentiodynamic cyclic polarization measurements and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) technique. Specimens were longitudinally solidified with simultaneous heat extraction in two opposite directions. Working electrodes were constructed using longitudinal and cross sections of the specimens with both types of structure: columnar and equiaxed. Results obtained from the polarization curves indicated that the two types of grain structures of Sn-Zn alloys (Sn-1 wt.%Zn, Sn-4 wt.%Zn and Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn) corresponding to longitudinal section present a pseudo passive zone. In the case of specimens from cross sections of the samples, the columnar and equiaxed zones of Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn are the only ones that do not have this pseudo passive region. In addition, the interdendritic zone of alloys is susceptible to corrosion by dealloying because this phase is zinc-rich. This type of corrosion also occurs in the zinc rich lamellar structure present in the eutectic. The percentage of zinc in the alloy increases with increasing susceptibility to pitting corrosion. The EIS values obtained revealed that the susceptibility to corrosion increases with increasing zinc content in alloys, for both the columnar and equiaxed zones. In addition, the columnar zones of Sn-4 wt.%Zn and Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn specimens are more resistant to corrosion than the equiaxed grain specimens. However, the equiaxed zone of Sn-1 wt.%Zn alloy is less susceptible to corrosion than the columnar zone. After adjustment by equivalent circuits it is revealed that the equiaxed zone of Sn-8.9 wt.%Zn alloy has a second porous layer composed of corrosion products on the electrode surface.Fil: Mendez, Claudia Marcela. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Scheiber, Verónica L.. Provincia de Misiones. Comité de Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica. Centro de Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica; ArgentinaFil: Rozicki, Roberto S.. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Kociubczyk, Alex Iván. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Ares, Alicia Esther. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; Argentin

Aprendizaje multi-agente utilizando trial and error para la nivelación de recursos durante el (re)scheduling de múltiples proyectos

In a multi-project context within enterprise networks, reaching feasible solutions to the (re)scheduling problem represents a major challenge, mainly when scarce resources are shared among projects. Thus, the multi-project (re)scheduling must achieve the most efficient possible resource usage without increasing the prescribed project constraints, considering the Resource Leveling Problem (RLP), whose objective is to level the consumption of resources shared in order to minimize their idle times and to avoid overallocation conflicts. In this work, a multi-agent solution that allows solving the Resource Constrained Multi-project Scheduling Problem (RCMPSP) and the Resource Investment Problem (RIP) is extended to incorporate indicators on agents’ payoff functions to address the Resource Leveling Problem in a decentralized and autonomous way, through decoupled rules based on Trial-and-Error approach. The proposed agent-based simulation model is tested through a set of project instances that vary in their structure, parameters, number of resources shared, etc. Results obtained are assessed through different scheduling goals, such as project total duration, project total cost and leveling resource usage. Our results are far better compared to the ones obtained with alternative approaches. This proposal shows that the interacting agents that implement decoupled learning rules find a solution which can be understood as a Nash equilibrium.En un contexto de múltiples proyectos dentro de redes empresariales, alcanzar soluciones factibles al problema de (re)scheduling representa un gran desafío, principalmente al compartir recursos escasos entre proyectos. Así, el (re)scheduling de múltiples proyectos debe lograr el uso de recursos más eficiente posible sin incrementar las restricciones de proyecto planteadas, considerando el Problema de Nivelación de Recursos, cuyo objetivo es nivelar el consumo de recursos compartidos para minimizar tiempos ociosos y evitar conflictos de sobre-asignaciones. En este trabajo, una solución multi-agente para resolver el Problema de Scheduling de Múltiples Proyectos con Restricción de Recursos y el Problema de Inversión de Recursos es extendida para incorporar indicadores en las funciones de recompensa de los agentes para abordar el Problema de Nivelación de Recursos de manera autónoma y descentralizada a través de reglas desacopladas basadas en el enfoque de Aprendizaje por prueba y error. El Modelo de Simulación basado en agentes propuesto es verificado mediante un conjunto de instancias de proyecto que varían en estructura, parámetros, número de recursos compartidos, etc. Los resultados obtenidos se evalúan mediante diferentes objetivos de scheduling, como duración total del proyecto, costo total del proyecto y nivelación en el uso de recursos. Nuestros resultados presentan mejoras en comparación a los obtenidos en enfoques alternativos. Esta propuesta muestra que los agentes interactuantes que implementan reglas de aprendizaje desacopladas encuentran una solución que puede entenderse como un equilibrio de Nash.Facultad de Informátic

Aprendizaje multi-agente utilizando trial and error para la nivelación de recursos durante el (re)scheduling de múltiples proyectos

In a multi-project context within enterprise networks, reaching feasible solutions to the (re)scheduling problem represents a major challenge, mainly when scarce resources are shared among projects. Thus, the multi-project (re)scheduling must achieve the most efficient possible resource usage without increasing the prescribed project constraints, considering the Resource Leveling Problem (RLP), whose objective is to level the consumption of resources shared in order to minimize their idle times and to avoid overallocation conflicts. In this work, a multi-agent solution that allows solving the Resource Constrained Multi-project Scheduling Problem (RCMPSP) and the Resource Investment Problem (RIP) is extended to incorporate indicators on agents’ payoff functions to address the Resource Leveling Problem in a decentralized and autonomous way, through decoupled rules based on Trial-and-Error approach. The proposed agent-based simulation model is tested through a set of project instances that vary in their structure, parameters, number of resources shared, etc. Results obtained are assessed through different scheduling goals, such as project total duration, project total cost and leveling resource usage. Our results are far better compared to the ones obtained with alternative approaches. This proposal shows that the interacting agents that implement decoupled learning rules find a solution which can be understood as a Nash equilibrium.En un contexto de múltiples proyectos dentro de redes empresariales, alcanzar soluciones factibles al problema de (re)scheduling representa un gran desafío, principalmente al compartir recursos escasos entre proyectos. Así, el (re)scheduling de múltiples proyectos debe lograr el uso de recursos más eficiente posible sin incrementar las restricciones de proyecto planteadas, considerando el Problema de Nivelación de Recursos, cuyo objetivo es nivelar el consumo de recursos compartidos para minimizar tiempos ociosos y evitar conflictos de sobre-asignaciones. En este trabajo, una solución multi-agente para resolver el Problema de Scheduling de Múltiples Proyectos con Restricción de Recursos y el Problema de Inversión de Recursos es extendida para incorporar indicadores en las funciones de recompensa de los agentes para abordar el Problema de Nivelación de Recursos de manera autónoma y descentralizada a través de reglas desacopladas basadas en el enfoque de Aprendizaje por prueba y error. El Modelo de Simulación basado en agentes propuesto es verificado mediante un conjunto de instancias de proyecto que varían en estructura, parámetros, número de recursos compartidos, etc. Los resultados obtenidos se evalúan mediante diferentes objetivos de scheduling, como duración total del proyecto, costo total del proyecto y nivelación en el uso de recursos. Nuestros resultados presentan mejoras en comparación a los obtenidos en enfoques alternativos. Esta propuesta muestra que los agentes interactuantes que implementan reglas de aprendizaje desacopladas encuentran una solución que puede entenderse como un equilibrio de Nash.Facultad de Informátic

Aprendizaje multi-agente utilizando trial and error para la nivelación de recursos durante el (re)scheduling de múltiples proyectos

In a multi-project context within enterprise networks, reaching feasible solutions to the (re)scheduling problem represents a major challenge, mainly when scarce resources are shared among projects. Thus, the multi-project (re)scheduling must achieve the most efficient possible resource usage without increasing the prescribed project constraints, considering the Resource Leveling Problem (RLP), whose objective is to level the consumption of resources shared in order to minimize their idle times and to avoid overallocation conflicts. In this work, a multi-agent solution that allows solving the Resource Constrained Multi-project Scheduling Problem (RCMPSP) and the Resource Investment Problem (RIP) is extended to incorporate indicators on agents’ payoff functions to address the Resource Leveling Problem in a decentralized and autonomous way, through decoupled rules based on Trial-and-Error approach. The proposed agent-based simulation model is tested through a set of project instances that vary in their structure, parameters, number of resources shared, etc. Results obtained are assessed through different scheduling goals, such as project total duration, project total cost and leveling resource usage. Our results are far better compared to the ones obtained with alternative approaches. This proposal shows that the interacting agents that implement decoupled learning rules find a solution which can be understood as a Nash equilibrium.En un contexto de múltiples proyectos dentro de redes empresariales, alcanzar soluciones factibles al problema de (re)scheduling representa un gran desafío, principalmente al compartir recursos escasos entre proyectos. Así, el (re)scheduling de múltiples proyectos debe lograr el uso de recursos más eficiente posible sin incrementar las restricciones de proyecto planteadas, considerando el Problema de Nivelación de Recursos, cuyo objetivo es nivelar el consumo de recursos compartidos para minimizar tiempos ociosos y evitar conflictos de sobre-asignaciones. En este trabajo, una solución multi-agente para resolver el Problema de Scheduling de Múltiples Proyectos con Restricción de Recursos y el Problema de Inversión de Recursos es extendida para incorporar indicadores en las funciones de recompensa de los agentes para abordar el Problema de Nivelación de Recursos de manera autónoma y descentralizada a través de reglas desacopladas basadas en el enfoque de Aprendizaje por prueba y error. El Modelo de Simulación basado en agentes propuesto es verificado mediante un conjunto de instancias de proyecto que varían en estructura, parámetros, número de recursos compartidos, etc. Los resultados obtenidos se evalúan mediante diferentes objetivos de scheduling, como duración total del proyecto, costo total del proyecto y nivelación en el uso de recursos. Nuestros resultados presentan mejoras en comparación a los obtenidos en enfoques alternativos. Esta propuesta muestra que los agentes interactuantes que implementan reglas de aprendizaje desacopladas encuentran una solución que puede entenderse como un equilibrio de Nash.Facultad de Informátic

Monoaminergic integration of diet and social signals in the brains of juvenile spadefoot toads

ABSTRACT Social behavior often includes the production of species-specific signals (e.g. mating calls or visual displays) that evoke context-dependent behavioral responses from conspecifics. Monoamines are important neuromodulators that have been implicated in context-dependent social behavior, yet we know little about the development of monoaminergic systems and whether they mediate the effects of early life experiences on adult behavior. We examined the effects of diet and social signals on monoamines early in development in the plains spadefoot toad (Spea bombifrons), a species in which diet affects the developmental emergence of species recognition and body condition affects the expression of adult mating preferences. To do so, we manipulated the diet of juveniles for 6 weeks following metamorphosis and collected their brains 40 min following the presentation of either a conspecific or a heterospecific call. We measured levels of monoamines and their metabolites using high pressure liquid chromatography from tissue punches of the auditory midbrain (i.e. torus semicircularis), hypothalamus and preoptic area. We found that call type affected dopamine and noradrenaline signaling in the auditory midbrain and that diet affected dopamine and serotonin in the hypothalamus. In the preoptic area, we detected an interaction between diet and call type, indicating that diet modulates how the preoptic area integrates social information. Our results suggest that the responsiveness of monoamine systems varies across the brain and highlight preoptic dopamine and noradrenaline as candidates for mediating effects of early diet experience on later expression of social preferences