Emerging from the MIST: A Connector Tool for Supporting Programming by Non-programmers

Software development is an iterative process. As user re-quirements emerge software applications must be extended to support the new requirements. Typically, a programmer will add new code to an existing code base of an application to provide a new functionality. Previous research has shown that such extensions are easier when application logic is clearly separated from the user interface logic. Assuming that a programmer is already familiar with the existing code base, the task of writing the new code can be considered to be split into two sub-tasks: writing code for the application logic; that is, the actual functionality of the application; and writing code for the user interface that will expose the functionality to the end user. The goal of this research is to reduce the effort required to create a user interface once the application logic has been created, toward supporting scientists with minimal pro-gramming knowledge to be able to create and modify pro-grams. Using a Model View Controller based architecture, various model components which contain the application logic can be built and extended. The process of creating and extending the views (user interfaces) on these model components is simplified through the use of our Malleable Interactive Software Toolkit (MIST), a tool set an infrastructure intended to simplify the design and extension of dynamically reconfigurable interfaces. This paper focuses on one tool in the MIST suite, a connec-tor tool that enables the programmer to evolve the user interface as the application logic evolves by connecting related pieces of code together; either through simple drag-and-drop interactions or through the authoring of Python code. The connector tool exemplifies the types of tools in the MIST suite, which we expect will encourage collabora-tive development of applications by allowing users to inte-grate various components and minimizing the cost of de-veloping new user interfaces for the combined compo-nents

Scientists in the MIST: Simplifying Interface Design for End Users

We are building a Malleable Interactive Software Toolkit (MIST), a tool set and infrastructure to simplify the design and construction of dynamically-reconfigurable (malleable) interactive software. Malleable software offers the end-user powerful tools to reshape their interactive environment on the fly. We aim to make the construction of such software straightforward, and to make reconfiguration of the resulting systems approachable and manageable to an educated, but non-specialist, user. To do so, we draw on a diverse body of existing research on alternative approaches to user interface (UI) and interactive software construction, including declarative UI languages, constraint-based programming and UI management, reflection and data-driven programming, and visual programming techniques

On Some Optimal Multiple Root-Finding Methods and their Dynamics

Finding multiple zeros of nonlinear functions pose many difficulties for many of the iterative methods. In this paper, we present an improved optimal class of higher-order methods for multiple roots having quartic convergence. The present approach of deriving an optimal class is based on weight function approach. In terms of computational cost, all the proposed methods require three functional evaluations per full iteration, so that their efficiency indices are 1.587 and, are optimal in the sense of Kung-Traub conjecture. It is found by way of illustrations that they are useful in high precision computing enviroments. Moreover, basins of attraction of some of the higher-order methods in the complex plane are also given

Exponentially Fitted Variants of the Two-Step Adams-Bashforth Method for the Numerical Integration of Initial Problems

In this paper, we propose new variants of the two-step Adams-Bashforth and the one-step Adams-Moulton methods for the numerical integration of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The methods are constructed geometrically from an exponentially fitted osculating parabola. The accuracy and stability of the proposed variants is discussed and their applicability to some initial value problems is also considered. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the exponentially fitted variants of the two-step Adams-Bashforth and the one-step Adams-Moulton methods outperform the existing classical two-step Adams-Bashforth and one-step Adams- Moulton methods respectively

A common fixed point theorem for two weakly compatible pairs in G-metric spaces using the property E.A

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Antibiotic resistance pattern in intensive care unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital

Background: Antimicrobials are a major class of drugs prescribed in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Widespread use of empirical antibiotic therapy has facilitated the emergence of drug resistance, since empirical therapy is very often initiated at the outset, even before culture and sensitivity reports are available. The problem of drug resistance is on a rise, therefore, this study was planned to assess the drug resistance and sensitivity patterns of the blood isolates recovered from ICU.Methods: An observational- prospective study was conducted in the Tertiary care teaching hospital over a period of twelve months to assess antibiotic resistance and sensitivity pattern. A total of 104 consecutive patients receiving antibiotics in the ICU and having blood cultures with significant growth were included in the study. Blood sample was collected and after obtaining a culture growth, the identification and antimicrobial sensitivity testing was done.Results: Blood stream infection by Gram-negative bacteria (50.96%) was more common than Gram-positive bacteria (49.04%). Coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS) was the predominant single blood culture isolate (35.58%). Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.46%), Escherichia coli (12.50%), Acinetobacter baumannii complex (7.69%) were commonly isolated gram negative organisms. Gram positive isolates were resistant to beta lactams in maximum patients whereas Tigecycline, Linezolid, Daptomycin, Vancomycin, Nitrofurantoin and Teicoplanin were sensitive against them. Common gram negative isolates were sensitive to Colistin and Tigecycline but resistant to most of the antibiotics.Conclusions: A preponderance of gram negative bacteria over gram positive bacteria was noted with a higher degree of resistance to most of the first line antimicrobial agents.

Design and Analysis of Slit-cut Stacked Equilateral Triangular Microstrip Patch Antenna

In this paper, a novel structure of slit-cut stacked equilateral triangular microstrip antenna (ETMA) has been theoretically studied using cavity model and found in agreement with the stimulated result calculated by high frequency simulator structure (HFSS). The analysis of stacked ETMA and slit-cut ETMA is done. The theoretical and simulated results of stacked ETMA and slit-cut ETMA are presented and compared. The main concentration is to find the different results, i.e. input impedance and return loss of the slit-cut ETMA and slit-cut stacked ETMA.Defence Science Journal, Vol. 65, No. 3, May 2015, pp.240-244, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.65.797

Immunosuppressive and anti-cancer potential of aqueous extract of Solanum Xanthocarpum

451-457In this study whole plant aqueous extract of Solanum Xanthocarpum (HAESX) was investigated to assess its effect on humoral immune response along with interleukin-2 (IL-2) production and its expression in Wistar albino rats splenocytes culture. Anticancer potential of HAESX was investigated using rat lever hepatoma (N1S1 cancerous cell line). The effect of HAESX over humoral immune response was studied using four groups of five animals each (Group-I as control, Group -II orally fed with 125 mg/kg body weight, Group -III orally fed with 250 mg/kg body weight and Group -IV orally fed with 500 mg/kg body weight of HAESX). Quantification of IL-2 was done by sandwich ELISA and its expression was detected by the real time PCR. SRB assay (Sulforhodamine B) was done for detecting the effect of HAESX on N1S1 cell line. Dose dependent decrease in antibody titer was observed and production of IL-2 was also decreased significantly. Suppression of IL-2 production at 250 µg/mL and 500 µg/mL dose was also confirmed by the Real time PCR. Relative fold change in the expression of IL-2 gene was 592.22 and 10.77 at 250, 500 μg/mL HAESX concentrations respectively with respect to control. Dose dependent suppression of percent growth of N1S1 cells with increasing concentrations (10, 20, 40 and 80 µg/mL) of HAESX was found. It was concluded that S. xanthocarpum have the immunosuppressive, and anti cancer activity that can be further explore in treatment of various inflammatory and autoimmune disease