Evaluation of Frame- and Feature-based Software Product Line Tools from the Viewpoint of Mass Customization by End Users

Customers expect Information and Communications Technology (ICT) platforms and applications to deliver services customized to their needs. Software product line (SPL) paradigm uses platforms and variability management to develop mass-customizable software applications. The paradigm necessitates effective software tools to manage platform and application artifacts and traceability and variability information. This paper constructs a comprehensive but lightweight tool evaluation framework and uses it to evaluate two tools, XML-based variant configuration language (XVCL) and FeaturePlugin – a feature modeling plug-in for Eclipse Integrated Development Environment. The paper analyzes the capabilities of the tools for enabling the mass customization of software applications by the end users performing complex workflows. Both the XVCL and FeaturePlugin tool envisage more efficient software system development by means of reusability, support for abstraction, and configuration mechanisms. Future research is needed to refine and validate the evaluation framework in the context of other types of SPL tools

Tectonic geodesy revealing geodynamic complexity of the Indo-Burmese arc region, North East India

The plate boundary between India and Sunda plates across the Indo-Burmese arc (IBA) region is probably the most neglected domain as far as the plate motion, crustal deformation and earthquake occurrence processes are concerned. Because of the limited or no geodetic measurements across the IBA region, debate continues on the most appropriate plate boundary model for the region. Subduction along this boundary occurred in geological past, but whether it is still active is a debatable issue. It is believed that the predominantly northward India–Sunda relative plate motion of about 36 mm/year is partitioned between the Indo-Burmese wedge (IBW) and the Sagaing Fault (SF). However, it is not clear how relative plate motion between India and Sunda plates is accommodated across the IBA region – whether localized, partitioned or distributed, and in particular what is the slip rate and mode of slip accommodation across faults in the region? In such cases, Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements of crustal deformation have proved to be the best and probably the only tool. Our detailed seismo-tectonic study, crustal deformation study using high precision GPS measurements of eight years, strain rate estimates, field studies, analytical and finite element modelling of GPS data from the IBW region in North East India provide evidence for present-day active deformation front (or the plate boundary fault) between the India and Burma plates. On the basis of our extensive studies, it is now suggested that the Churachandpur–Mao Fault (CMF), a geologically older thrust fault, accommodates motion of about 16 mm/year through dextral strike–slip manner. The motion across the CMF constitutes about 43% of the relative plate motion of 36 mm/year between the India and Sunda plates. The remaining motion is accommodated at SF. On the basis of modelling, which suggests low friction along the CMF, absence of low-magnitude seismicity along the CMF, lack of historic and great and major earthquakes on the CMF and regions around it, and field studies, it is proposed that the motion across the CMF occurs predominantly in an aseismic manner. Such behaviour of the CMF significantly lowers the seismic hazard in the region

Seismicity modulation due to hydrological loading in a stable continental region: A case study from the Jektvik swarm sequence in Northern Norway

Seismic swarms have been observed for more than 40 yr along the coast of Nordland, Northern Norway. However, the detailed spatio-temporal evolution and mechanisms of these swarms have not yet been resolved due to the historically sparse seismic station coverage. An increased number of seismic stations now allows us to study a nearly decade-long sequence of swarms in the Jektvik area during the 2013–2021 time window. Our analysis resolves four major groups of seismic events, each consisting of several spatial clusters, that have distinct spatial and temporal behaviours. Computed focal mechanism solutions are predominantly normal with NNE–SSW strike direction reflecting a near-vertical maximum principal stress and a NW–SE near-horizontal minimum principal stress, which are controlled by local NW–SE extension. We attribute the swarms to fluid-saturated fracture zones that are reactivated due to this local extension. Over the time period, the activity tends to increase between February and May, which coincides with the late winter and beginning of spring time in Norway. We hypothesize that the seismicity is modulated seasonally by hydrological loading from snow accumulation. This transient hydrological load results in elastic deformation that is observed at local Global Navigation Satellite System stations. The loading is shown to promote failure in a critically stressed normal faulting system. Once a segment is activated, it can then also trigger neighboring segments via stress transfer. Our new results point to a close link between lithosphere and hydrosphere contributing to the occurrence of seismic swarm activity in northern Norway.publishedVersio

Dynamic Relationship Study between the Observed Seismicity and Spatiotemporal Pattern of Lineament Changes in Palghar, North Maharashtra (India)

The Palghar region (north Maharashtra, India), located in the northwestern part of the stable continental region of India, experienced a low magnitude earthquake swarm, which was initiated in September 2018 and is continuing to date (as of October 2021). From December 2018 to December 2020, ~5000 earthquakes with magnitudes from M1.2 to M3.8 occurred in a small region of 20 × 10 km2. These earthquakes were probably triggered by fluid migration during seasonal rainfall. In this study, we have used multi-temporal Landsat satellite data of the year 2000, 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020, extracted lineaments, and studied the changes in frequency and pattern of lineaments before and after the initiation of the swarm in the Palghar region. An increase in the lineament density and amount of rainfall are found to be associated with the increasing frequency of earthquakes

Preparations for future great earthquakes seen in levelling observations along two lines across the outer Himalaya

An important set of levelling observations across Central Nepal have been reported in the literature recently. We infer from these observations that recoverable elastic strains are accumulating in the upper crust of the region and will lead to a great earthquake in course of time. Limited levelling data from the Dehradun region in northwestern Himalaya show remarkable similarities to the Nepalese data and require a similar interpretation regarding preparation for the next great earthquake in the region

Gravity, GPS and geomagnetic data in India

Gravity, Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geomagnetic data sets in India are acquired by different research, academic and government institutions, under various projects. These data sets have extensively been utilized for natural resources and lithopsheric explorations, earthquake studies, atmospheric and ionospheric studies, control surveys, aircraft navigation, etc. The data are archived at individual institutions and have different modes of procurement considering some of the data, e.g., gravity data are classified in nature. Some of these data sets are contributed to the international observational network for example IGS and INTERMAGNET and are available as open source for the scientific communities. Present article provides information about different types of available Gravity, GPS and Geomagnetic data, their archival and mode of availability to the user community

Study - A study of skin disorders in patients with primary psychiatric conditions

BACKGROUND: The skin occupies a powerful position as an organ of communication and plays an important role in socialization throughout life. The interface between dermatology and psychiatry is complex and of clinical importance. AIMS: To document the incidence of cutaneous disorders in patients with primary psychiatric conditions. METHODS: Three hundred patients with a primary psychiatric condition who had cutaneous disease were entered into the study group. The patients were classified appropriately based on the classification of psychocutaneous disorders. The control group included 300 patients presenting with a skin disorder and without any known psychiatric complaint. RESULTS: The majority of the cases in the study group were in the 3rd-5th decade. In this study, the most common primary psychiatric conditions were manic depressive psychosis (53.33%), depression (36.33%), schizophrenia (8.33%) and anxiety (2%). Of the study group, 68.66% patients had infective dermatoses and the rest had non-infective dermatoses. A high incidence of pityriasis versicolor and dermatophyte infections was noted in males from the study group. Among non-infective dermatoses, 8% had eczema, and psychogenic skin disorders were seen in 4.67% of the study group. Of these, delusions of parasitosis were the commonest (2%) followed by venereophobia (1%). CONCLUSIONS: A statistically significant higher incidence of tinea versicolor and dermatophyte infections was seen in the study group. Delusion of parasitosis was the most common psychogenic skin disorder seen in the study group, followed by venereophobia

A glimpse of earthquake cycle in the Sumatra region

We analyse temporal variation of crustal deformation derived from Global Positioning System (GPS) measurement at SAMP, a permanent GPS site in Sumatra, Indonesia. The site is located at about 300 km from the epicentres of the giant 26 December 2004 Sumatra–Andaman (Mw 9.0–9.3) and the great 28 March 2005 Sumatra (Mw 8.6) earthquakes. It experienced an interseismic displacement at a rate of about 2 cm/yr towards east in the preceding four months of the 2004 earthquake. The 2004 and 2005 earthquakes caused coseismic displacements of about 15 cm towards west and about 18 cm towards southwest respectively. In the period between the two earthquakes and after the 2005 earthquake, slow transients arising due to postseismic deformation are clearly recorded at this site. The postseismic deformation is in the opposite sense to that of the interseismic deformation, indicating either relaxation of the lower crust and upper mantle or afterslip on the subduction interface that lies further downdip of the ruptured part of the subducting interface. The site also recorded probably a slow earthquake that occurred on 9 June 2005, which caused a westward movement of about 2 cm at SAMP. However, more data from other sites are required to further confirm and analyse this event. Together, these displacements provide a glimpse of crustal movement during the earthquake cycle in the region