TO DESIGN NEW QUALITY MODEL FOR EVALUATING COTS COMPONENTS

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to build an ISO 9126 based new quality model that describes quality characteristics for the successful assessment of COTS software and to guide the industries that are making COTS-based systems. Some new features are added as well as some dropped in existing model ISO 9126 for better evaluation of COTS components. In the proposed model, some new sub-characteristic such as availability, resource utilization, and capacity associated with high-level characteristic efficiency (performance) are included. Some new sub-characteristics are also added such as scalability, reconfigurability, stability, and self-contained.Keywords: COTS, Quality model, ISO 9126, Component-Based Software Development (CBSD)

ESTIMATING LEAF AREA INDEX FOR AN ARID REGION USING SPECTRAL DATA

Leaf Area Index (LAI) is one of the important crop parameters that can be used to assess crop conditions or drought severity. Estimating LAI for arid regions presents challenge due to the high spatial variability in precipitation and in crop canopies found in such regions. In this study, spectral reflectance of pearl millet was computed at various wavelengths and at different times during the cropping season, using a spectroradiometer. Three main indices (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, Ratio Vegetation Index, and Perpendicular Vegetation Index) were derived from the spectral data. These indices were then correlated with the leaf area index in order to identify the index that gave the strongest relationship. A polynomial relationship, with the coefficient of correlation of 0.70, was found between LAI and NDVI indicating that NDVI is a potential index for estimating LAI for arid regions.L\u2019indice de la surface foliaire (ISF) est une d\u2019importants param\ue8tres culturaux pouvant \ueatre utilis\ue9 pour \ue9valuer les conditions des cultures ou la s\ue9v\ue9rit\ue9 de la s\ue8cheresse. L\u2019estimation de ISF en r\ue9gions arides pr\ue9sente une contrainte due \ue0 la variabilit\ue9 spatiale dans la pr\ue9cipitation et la canop\ue9e des cultures dans de telles r\ue9gions. Dans cette \ue9tude, la reflectance spectrale du mil ( Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br.) \ue9tait calcul\ue9e \ue0 des longueurs d\u2019onde vari\ue9es et \ue0 des moments diff\ue9rents durant la saison culturale utilisant un spectroradiom\ue8tre. Trois indices principaux (l\u2019Indice de diff\ue9rence de v\ue9g\ue9tation normalis\ue9e, le Rapport d\u2019indice de v\ue9g\ue9tation, et, l\u2019Indice perpendiculaire de v\ue9g\ue9tation) \ue9taient d\ue9duits des donn\ue9es spectrales. Ces indices \ue9taient ainsi corr\ue9l\ue9s avec l\u2019indice de la surface foliaire afin d\u2019identifier l\u2019indice ayant une plus forte relation. Une relation polynomiale avec le coefficient de corr\ue9lation de 0.70 \ue9tait trouv\ue9e entre ISF et NDVI indiquant que NDVI est un indice potentiel pour l\u2019estimation d\u2019ISF dans des r\ue9gions aride

The Comparative Analysis of Kazakh and Polish Dramatic Works

The article compares the dramatic works of the famous writers Slawomir Mrozek, Tadeusz Rozewicz and Sadykbek Adambekov, Kaltay Mukhamedzhanov in the aspect of Kazakh-Polish literary ties that have had a long history. The analysis is conducted taking into account the socio-political situation, which was formed in the 1960s-1980s and found its reflection in the plays written by these authors. The authors emphasise that the influence of historical and social problems on the personality, moral-humanistic principles, etc. are interpreted not only by the course of action of the drama (conflicts of characters) but implemented by the psychology of the characters. The role of the characters' language is taken into account, the similarity and difference in the thematic, artistic-ideological, compositional, and plot structure of the plays of Kazakh and Polish playwrights are determined, and their artistic skills in creating the system of images are identified. Separate provisions of the article are reasoned by the conclusions and statements of well-known Anglo-American, Polish, Russian and Kazakh scientists, which can be found in their scientific-theoretical and scientific-methodical works concerning the problems of the study of artistic ties in the history of world literature

Drought and food security – Improving decision-support via new technologies and innovative collaboration

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Community networks and trade

Do community networks shape firm-to-firm trade in emerging economies? We study the role of communities in facilitating firm-to-firm trade and firm outcomes using data on firm-to-firm transactions and firm owners’ community (castes) affiliations for the universe of medium- and large- sized firms in West Bengal, India. We find that firms are substantially more likely to trade, and trade more, with firms from their own caste. Studying the mechanisms underlying this effect, we find evidence consistent both with castes alleviating trade frictions and taste-based discrimination by firms against those outside their community. Guided by these stylized facts, we develop a model of firm- to- firm trade in which communities affect pair productivity and matching costs and estimate the model using our reduced-form estimates. A counterfactual extending the positive effects of castes on trade to all potential supplier-client pairs would increase the number of network links by 60% and increase average firm-to-firm sales by 20%

Impact of local weather variability on irrigation water use in Georgia

Irrigation is often used to offset the impact of rainfall variability on crop yield and to reduce the risk associated with weather variability. However, especially for the state of Georgia, how much water is required and how much water is actually being used for irrigation is largely unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between farmers' irrigation applications, crop types, and local weather conditions. Farmers' monthly irrigation applications for three major crops in Georgia, i.e., cotton, peanut and maize, were obtained from selected sites of the Agricultural Water Pumping program. Significant relationships between monthly irrigation depth and monthly water deficit were obtained for only two of seven months for cotton, five of seven months for peanut, and only one of six months for maize. Individual differences among farmers on how much water they applied contributed to the lack of correlation between monthly irrigation depth and monthly water deficit. Future efforts should focus on a better understanding of the factors that contribute to the farmer's decisions related to when to irrigate and how much water to apply.Sponsored by: Georgia Environmental Protection Division U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Water Resources Institute The University of Georgia, Water Resources Facult

The Effect of Skinfold on the Assessment of the Mean Power Frequency at the Fatigue Threshold

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(4): 376-383, 2016. The purpose of this study was to determine if the amount of subcutaneous tissue over the quadriceps affects the assessment of mean power frequency at the fatigue threshold (MPFFT). It was hypothesized that greater skinfold values will result in lower power outputs associated to the MPFFT. Fourteen adults (Mean ± SD age = 20.7 ± 0.99; body weight = 72.8 ± 12.6 kg) performed an incremental cycle ergometry test to exhaustion while surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were measured from the vastus lateralis. The skinfold thickness of each leg was taken prior to the test, and skinfold thicknesses were separated into a larger and a smaller groups. The independent t-test showed a significant difference (p = 0.01) between the power outputs associated to the MPFFT of groups with high (Mean ± SD 130.4 ± 34.5 W) versus low skinfold (212.5 ± 61.2 W) values. The results suggested that higher subcutaneous fat may have affected the assessment of MPFFT during cycle ergometry

High carriage rate of high-level penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in a Taiwan kindergarten associated with a case of pneumococcal meningitis

BACKGROUND: The Taiwan(19F)-14 Streptococcus pneumoniae clone and its variants are being found with increasing frequency in the Asia-Pacific region. A 5-year old child with S. pneumoniae meningitis caused by a high-level penicillin resistant strain (MIC = 4 μg/ml) was admitted to a hospital in southern Taiwan. We carried out a study to determine the potential source of this strain. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal cultures were obtained from all children attending the same kindergarten as the index case. To determine their relatedness all isolates were compared by serotype, antimicrobial susceptibility profile and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). RESULTS: A high proportion of the children including the index case (32/78, 41.0%) carried S. pneumoniae in their nasopharynx (NP). The most common serotype was 19F (13/32, 40.6%). The PFGE types of the 19F serotype isolates obtained from the patient's blood, CSF and NP were identical and were related to 11 other serotype 19F NP isolates including 10 that were indistinguishable from the Taiwan(19F)-14 clone. All 14 isolates had similar high-level penicillin and multi-drug resistance. The serotypes of the other 19 NP isolates included 6A (2), 6B (10), 23F (5), 9V (1) and 3 (1). The overall rate of penicillin resistance in these S. pneumoniae from these children was 87.5% (28/32), with an MIC(50 )of 2 and MIC(90 )of 4 ug/ml. In addition, multi-drug resistant-isolates (isolates resistant to 3 different classes of antimicrobials) accounted for 87.5% (28/32) of all isolates. CONCLUSION: The high carriage rate of high-level penicillin- and multi-drug- resistant S. pneumoniae in a kindergarten associated with a case of pneumococcal meningitis emphasizes the need for restraint in antibiotic use and consideration of childhood immunization with conjugate pneumococcal vaccine to prevent the further spread of resistant S. pneumoniae in Taiwan