Refactoring Legacy JavaScript Code to Use Classes: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

JavaScript systems are becoming increasingly complex and large. To tackle the challenges involved in implementing these systems, the language is evolving to include several constructions for programming- in-the-large. For example, although the language is prototype-based, the latest JavaScript standard, named ECMAScript 6 (ES6), provides native support for implementing classes. Even though most modern web browsers support ES6, only a very few applications use the class syntax. In this paper, we analyze the process of migrating structures that emulate classes in legacy JavaScript code to adopt the new syntax for classes introduced by ES6. We apply a set of migration rules on eight legacy JavaScript systems. In our study, we document: (a) cases that are straightforward to migrate (the good parts); (b) cases that require manual and ad-hoc migration (the bad parts); and (c) cases that cannot be migrated due to limitations and restrictions of ES6 (the ugly parts). Six out of eight systems (75%) contain instances of bad and/or ugly cases. We also collect the perceptions of JavaScript developers about migrating their code to use the new syntax for classes.Comment: Paper accepted at 16th International Conference on Software Reuse (ICSR), 2017; 16 page

Integrated Social-sector Macroeconometric Model for Pakistan

While the traditional neoclassical production model postulates that it is the physical inputs such as private capital, labour, land, and technology that are the key determinants of output and economic development, in recent years, however, the social sector variables are also considered to be critical, particularly for the long-run sustainable growth of the economy. If fact, what has been argued in the form of “new growth theories” is that social variables (e.g., education, health, knowledge, etc.) generate “positive externalities” and, thus, may facilitate and foster the process of economic growth and development. Recently, the World Bank, based on a broad cross-country study, found some very interesting results in the above context. According to the World Development Report (1991): about fifty percent of the factor productivity contribution to output growth comes not from traditional physical inputs (capital, labour and land) but is a residual factor.

What Explains the Current High Rate of Inflation in Pakistan?

One of the most significant developments in the current economic scene in Pakistan has been the sharp increase in the rate of inflation. The annual average rate of increase in the wholesale price index (WPI) during the first seven months (July-January 1994-95) of the current fiscal year has been about 19 percent as opposed to 11.3 percent during the same period last year. A similar increase was also witnessed in the consumer price index (CPI) which accelerated to 13 percent as opposed to 11.1 percent during the previous period. Such a sharp increase in prices in recent months has not only caused alarm in the academic circles but has equally disturbed the country’s chief executive, the Prime Minister. The recent surge of inflation is a matter of serious concern for a variety of reasons. First, Pakistan has been a low-inflation country as it has experienced price stability during the last three decades. The rate of inflation, as measured by an increase in the WPI, averaged 2.6 percent during the 1960s. The components of the WPI, i.e., food, raw materials, manufactures, and fuel and lubricants, also grew by an average rate ranging from 2.0 to 3.4 percent p.a. during then 1960s (see Table 1 for relevant statistics). The rate of inflation crossed the single-digit threshold during the 1970s. The WPI and its components increased at an annual average rate ranging from 12 to 18 percent. The double-digit inflation during the 1970s has been the result of two major oil shocks, a massive devaluation of currency, and devastating floods destroying agricultural crops. Pakistan returned to the fold of the single-digit inflation during the 1980s. The rate of inflation remained at the single-digit level during the first three years of the 1990s with the exception of 1990-91, when the rate of inflation increased to 11.7 percent as a result of the Gulf War. It is only during the outgoing fiscal year and in the current year that the rising inflation is posing a major threat to macroeconomic stability.

Functional characterization of Genlisea aurea (S8E8K3) protein

This work predicts the functions of Genlisea aurea (S8E8K3) protein. Identification of corresponding proteins, conserved domains, functions and pedigree tree of target and corresponding proteins was obtained. Uniprot database, Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and Clustal Omega were used in this study. Results indicated that proteins from Sesamum indicum (XP011073982.1), Erythranthe guttate (XP012836557.1), Handroanthus impetiginosus (PIN05468.1) and Olea europaea var. sylvestris (XP022874946.1) showed 91%, 90%, 89% and 87% similarity, respectively, to S8E8K3. Model proteins all possessed WD40 domain. All model proteins functioned as ribonucleoprotein and phylogenetic tree showed that all proteins had eukaryotic origin. Therefore, S8E8K3 is and performs the role of a ribonucleoprotein

Functional characterization of Genlisea aurea (S8E8K3) protein

This work predicts the functions of Genlisea aurea (S8E8K3) protein. Identification of corresponding proteins, conserved domains, functions and pedigree tree of target and corresponding proteins was obtained. Uniprot database, Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and Clustal Omega were used in this study. Results indicated that proteins from Sesamum indicum (XP011073982.1), Erythranthe guttate (XP012836557.1), Handroanthus impetiginosus (PIN05468.1) and Olea europaea var. sylvestris (XP022874946.1) showed 91%, 90%, 89% and 87% similarity, respectively, to S8E8K3. Model proteins all possessed WD40 domain. All model proteins functioned as ribonucleoprotein and phylogenetic tree showed that all proteins had eukaryotic origin. Therefore, S8E8K3 is and performs the role of a ribonucleoprotein

Effects of sand-shale anisotropy on amplitude variation with angle (AVA) modelling: The Sawan Gas Field (Pakistan) as a key case-study for South Asia's sedimentary basins

Amplitude variation with angle (AVA) is a technique widely used in the characterisation of hydrocarbon reservoirs and assumes the Earth’s crust to be an isotropic medium. Yet, anisotropy is ubiquitous in stratigraphic sequences and has first-order effects on seismic AVA responses when investigating subsurface prospects. This work analyses the effects of anisotropic strata on AVA responses using the Lower Goru Formation, middle Indus basin (Pakistan) as a case study. In the study area, shale intervals are interbedded with reservoir sands of the Sawan gas field. Shales in this field form laminae or are dispersed within reservoir sands, making the Lower Goru Formation an example of a vertically transversely isotropic (VTI) medium. In this work, we calculate the effective (saturated) mechanical properties of the Lower Goru Formation based on rock physics templates; the Backus (1962) average typically designed for layered media, combined with the empirical relations of Brown and Korringa (1975) and Wood (1955). The input data used in our rock physics modelling is based on detailed petrophysical analyses of well data. Using the saturated effective mechanical properties of the Lower Goru Formation, we generate angle-dependent reflection coefficient curves (and seismic AVA responses) based on exact and approximate solutions, for both isotropic and anisotropic reservoir scenarios. Our results suggest that the effects of lithological anisotropy are more pronounced in places with thick shale beds within reservoir sands. Conversely, angle-dependent reflection curves, and seismic AVA responses based on isotropic or anisotropic cases, give similar solutions in the presence of thin shale beds. As a corollary of this work, we present a Bayesian inversion method for the estimation of porosity in VTI media

Prediction of surface roughness in hard milling of AISI D2 tool steel

This paper presents a study of the development of a surface roughness model in end milling of hardened steel AISI D2 using PVD TiAIN coated carbide cutting tool. The hardness of AISI D2 tool lies within the range of 56-58 HRe. The independent variables or the primary machining parameters selected for this experiment were the cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut. First and second order models were developed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Experiments were conducted within specified ranges of the parameters. Design-Expert 6.0 software was used to develop the surface roughness equations as the predictive models. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with 95% confidence interval has indicated that the models are valid in predicting the surface roughness of the part machined under specified condition