317 research outputs found
A framework for understanding the factors influencing pair programming success
Pair programming is one of the more controversial aspects of several Agile system development methods, in particular eXtreme Programming (XP). Various studies have assessed factors that either drive the success or suggest advantages (and disadvantages) of pair programming.
In this exploratory study the literature on pair programming is examined and factors distilled. These factors are then compared and contrasted with those discovered in our recent Delphi study of pair programming.
Gallis et al. (2003) have proposed an initial framework aimed at providing a comprehensive identification of the major factors impacting team programming situations including pair programming. However, this
study demonstrates that the framework should be extended to include an additional category of factors that relate to organizational matters. These factors will be further refined, and used to develop and empirically evaluate a conceptual model of pair programming (success)
Amenability of groups and -sets
This text surveys classical and recent results in the field of amenability of
groups, from a combinatorial standpoint. It has served as the support of
courses at the University of G\"ottingen and the \'Ecole Normale Sup\'erieure.
The goals of the text are (1) to be as self-contained as possible, so as to
serve as a good introduction for newcomers to the field; (2) to stress the use
of combinatorial tools, in collaboration with functional analysis, probability
etc., with discrete groups in focus; (3) to consider from the beginning the
more general notion of amenable actions; (4) to describe recent classes of
examples, and in particular groups acting on Cantor sets and topological full
groups
Pulsar-wind nebulae and magnetar outflows: observations at radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths
We review observations of several classes of neutron-star-powered outflows:
pulsar-wind nebulae (PWNe) inside shell supernova remnants (SNRs), PWNe
interacting directly with interstellar medium (ISM), and magnetar-powered
outflows. We describe radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray observations of PWNe,
focusing first on integrated spectral-energy distributions (SEDs) and global
spectral properties. High-resolution X-ray imaging of PWNe shows a bewildering
array of morphologies, with jets, trails, and other structures. Several of the
23 so far identified magnetars show evidence for continuous or sporadic
emission of material, sometimes associated with giant flares, and a few
possible "magnetar-wind nebulae" have been recently identified.Comment: 61 pages, 44 figures (reduced in quality for size reasons). Published
in Space Science Reviews, "Jets and Winds in Pulsar Wind Nebulae, Gamma-ray
Bursts and Blazars: Physics of Extreme Energy Release
Phenomenology of the Lense-Thirring effect in the Solar System
Recent years have seen increasing efforts to directly measure some aspects of
the general relativistic gravitomagnetic interaction in several astronomical
scenarios in the solar system. After briefly overviewing the concept of
gravitomagnetism from a theoretical point of view, we review the performed or
proposed attempts to detect the Lense-Thirring effect affecting the orbital
motions of natural and artificial bodies in the gravitational fields of the
Sun, Earth, Mars and Jupiter. In particular, we will focus on the evaluation of
the impact of several sources of systematic uncertainties of dynamical origin
to realistically elucidate the present and future perspectives in directly
measuring such an elusive relativistic effect.Comment: LaTex, 51 pages, 14 figures, 22 tables. Invited review, to appear in
Astrophysics and Space Science (ApSS). Some uncited references in the text
now correctly quoted. One reference added. A footnote adde
Improvement in yield and fruit size and quality of the main Italian table olive cultivar 'Nocellara del Belice'
Report from the fifth international consensus meeting to harmonize core outcome measures for atopic eczema/dermatitis clinical trials (HOME initiative)
This is the report from the fifth meeting of the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema initiative (HOME V). The meeting was held on 12â14 June 2017 in Nantes, France, with 81 participants. The main aims of the meeting were (i) to achieve consensus over the definition of the core domain of long-term control and how to measure it and (ii) to prioritize future areas of research for the measurement of the core domain of quality of life (QoL) in children. Moderated whole-group and small-group consensus discussions were informed by presentations of qualitative studies, systematic reviews and validation studies. Small-group allocations were performed a priori to ensure that each group included different stakeholders from a variety of geographical regions. Anonymous whole-group voting was carried out using handheld electronic voting pads according to predefined consensus rules. It was agreed by consensus that the long-term control domain should include signs, symptoms, quality of life and a patient global instrument. The group agreed that itch intensity should be measured when assessing long-term control of eczema in addition to the frequency of itch captured by the symptoms domain. There was no recommendation of an instrument for the core outcome domain of quality of life in children, but existing instruments were assessed for face validity and feasibility, and future work that will facilitate the recommendation of an instrument was agreed upon.
The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative is an international group working together to develop a core outcome set (COS) for clinical trials in eczema (synonymous with atopic eczema and atopic dermatitis). HOME is coordinated from the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology, University of Nottingham, U.K. Participation in HOME is open to anyone with an interest in outcomes for eczema. A COS is the agreed upon minimum set of instruments that should be included in all clinical trials for a particular condition. Use of a COS does not preclude using other instruments; other domains and instruments can also be included to meet the specific requirements of individual trials. COS initiatives are active across many fields of medicine and should enable better synthesis of trial data and reduce selective outcome reporting bias.
The HOME initiative follows the best current guidance on developing a COS. Four core domains have been identified: clinician-reported signs; patient-reported symptoms; quality of life; and long-term control. The core outcome measurement instruments for clinician-reported signs and patient-reported symptoms have been established: the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) for measuring clinician reported signs was agreed on at the HOME III meeting, and the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) was chosen to measure patient-reported symptoms at the HOME IV meeting.
This is a report from the fifth consensus meeting of the HOME initiative (HOME V), which was held on 12â14 June 2017 in Nantes, France. The local organizers were Sebastien Barbarot and Jean-Francois Stalder of Nantes University Hospital, France
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