Integrating agile software development into stage-gate managed product development

Agile methods have evolved as a bottom-up approach to software development. However, as the software in embedded products is only one part of development projects, agile methods must coexist with project management models typically of the stage-gate type. This paper presents a qualitative case study of two large independent software system projects that have used eXtreme Programming (XP) for software development within contexts of stage-gate project management models. The study is comprised of open ended interviews with managers as well as practitioners, followed by a structured, fully traceable, qualitative analysis. We conclude that it is possible to integrate XP in a gate model context. Key issues for success are the interfaces towards the agile subproject and management attitudes towards the agile approach

Diplomats or Defendants? Defining the Future of Head-of-State Immunity

Fluorescence nanoscopy provides means to discernthe finer details of protein localization and interaction in cells by offeringan order of magnitude higher resolution than conventional optical imagingtechniques. However, these super resolution techniques put higher demands onthe optical system as well as on the fluorescent probes, making multicolorfluorescence nanoscopy a challenging task. Here we present a new and simpleprocedure which exploits the photostability and excitation spectra of dyes toincrease the number of simultaneous recordable targets in STED nanoscopy. Weuse this procedure to demonstrate four color STED imaging of platelets with ≤40 nm resolution and low crosstalk. Platelets can selectively store, sequesterand release a multitude of different proteins, and in a manner specific fordifferent physiological and disease states. By applying multicolor nanoscopy tostudy platelets, we can achieve spatial mapping of the protein organizationwith a high resolution, for multiple proteins at the same time and in the samecell. This provides a means to identify specific platelet activation states fordiagnostic purposes and to understand the underlying protein storage andrelease mechanisms. We studied the organization of the pro- and anti-angiogenicproteins VEGF and PF-4 together with fibrinogen and filamentous actin, andfound distinct features in their respective protein localization. Further,colocalization analysis revealed only minor overlap between the proteins VEGFand PF-4 indicating that they have separate storage and release mechanisms,corresponding well with their opposite rules as pro- and anti-angiogenicproteins, respectively.Updated from "Submitted" to "Published". QC 20140630</p

Including time in a travel demand model using dynamic discrete choice

Activity based travel demand models are based on the idea that travel is derived from the demand to participate in different activities. Predicting travel demand should therefore include the prediction of demand for activity participation. Time-space constraints, such as working hours, restricts when and where different activities can be conducted, and plays an important role in determining how people choose to travel. Travelling is seen as a possibly costly link between different activities, that also implicitly leads to missed opportunities for activity participation. With a microeconomic foundation, activity based models can further be used for appraisal and for accessibility measures. However, most models up to date lack some dynamic consistency that, e.g., might make it hard to capture the trade-off between activity decisions at different times of the day. In this paper, we show how dynamic discrete choice theory can be used to formulate a travel demand model which includes choice of departure time for all trips, as well as number of trips, location, purpose and mode of transport. We estimate the model on travel diaries and show that the it is able to reproduce the distribution of, e.g., number of trips per day, departure times and travel time distributions

Возникновение первых аптек в восточной части территории Республики Беларусь в дореволюционный период (12-19 вв.)

АПТЕКИИСТОРИЯ МЕДИЦИН

Identification of powdery mildew resistance QTL in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa)

Key Message: Powdery mildew resistance in two strawberry mapping populations is controlled by both stable and transient novel QTL of moderate effect. Some low transferability of QTL across wider germplasm was observed. Abstract: The obligate biotrophic fungus Podosphaera aphanis is the causative agent of powdery mildew on cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa). Genotypes from two bi-parental mapping populations ‘Emily’ × ‘Fenella’ and ‘Redgaunt- let’ × ‘Hapil’ were phenotyped for powdery mildew disease severity in a series of field trials. Here, we report multiple QTL associated with resistance to powdery mildew, identified in ten phenotyping events conducted across different years and locations. Six QTL show a level of stable resistance across multiple phenotyping events; however, many other QTL were represented in a single phenotyping event and therefore must be considered transient. Subsequent screening of identified QTL across a validation set determined whether identified QTL remained closely linked to the associated resistance gene in the wider germplasm. Furthermore, a preliminary association analysis identified a novel conserved locus for further investigation. Our data suggest that resistance is highly complex and that multiple, primarily additive, sources of quantitative resistance to powdery mildew exist across strawberry germplasm. Utilisation of the reported markers in marker-assisted breeding or genomic selection would lead to improved powdery mildew-resistant strawberry cultivars, particularly where the studied parents, progeny and close pedigree material are included in breeding germplasm

Implementation av datainsamlingsverktyg med NetFlow på ISP-nivå för statistisk analys av datatrafik

Defending against Dos- and DDoS attacks is difficult to accomplish; finding and filtering out illegitimate traffic from the legitimate flow is near impossible. Taking steps to mitigate or even block the traffic can only be done once the IP addresses of the attackers are known. This is achievable by monitoring the flows to- and from the target and identifying the attacker's IP addresses, allowing the company or their ISP to block the addresses itself by blackholing them (also known as a null route). Using the IP accounting and monitoring tool “pmacct”, this thesis aims to investigate whether or not the pmacct suite is suited for larger installations when tracking and mitigating DDoS-attacks, such at an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Potential problems are the amount of traffic that need to be analyzed and the computational power required to do it. This thesis also provide information about the pmacct suite at large. The conclusions are positive, indicating it does scale up to handle larger installations when given careful consideration and planning.Att försvara sig mot DoS-och DDoS-attacker är svårt att åstadkomma; att hitta och filtrera ut illegitim trafik från det legitima flödet är nästan omöjligt. Att vidta åtgärder när en sådan attack upptäcks kan endast göras när IP-adresserna från angriparna är kända. Detta kan uppnås genom att man övervakar trafikflödet mellan målet för attacken och angriparna och ser vilka som sänder mest data och på så sätt identifierar angriparna.. Detta tillåter företaget eller dess ISP att blockera trafiken ifrån dessa IP-adresser genom att sända trafiken vidare till ingenstans. Detta kallas blackhole-routing eller null-routing. Genom att använda redovisnings- och övervakningsprogrammet pmacct syftar denna uppsats på att undersöka hurvida pmacct-sviten är lämpad för större installationer när det gäller att spåra och förhindra DDoS-attacker, såsom hos en Internetleverantör eller dylikt. Potentialla problem som kan uppstå är att mängden trafik som måste analyserar blir för stor och för krävande. Denna avhandling går även igenom pmacct-verktyget i sig. Slutsatserna är lovande, vilket indikerar att den har potential av att kunna hantera sådana stora miljöer med noggrann planering

Integrating Management and Engineering Processes in Software Product Development

The intangible nature of software means that traditional processes for managing product development are not sufficiently effective. This, in combination with the increasing share of software in technical products, has had the effect of making it difficult to identify improvement proposals for engineering processes in many cases. This thesis uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods to investigate methods that involve the entire development organisation in software process improvement. The research is performed in cooperation with several companies developing software products in different countries. The studied organisations range from small development companies, using light, informal methodologies, to large corporations, with thousands of developers, using large frameworks of formal process models. The need for organisations to use both local experience as well as generally accepted best practice in process improvement is addressed. A method that uses input from the whole organisation for strategic software process improvement is created and evaluated. The introduction of one agile methodology, Extreme Programming, is studied in a small team and a decision support method is evaluated for introducing the methodology. Also, a framework based approach to process improvement is applied to testing practices. The approach allows a small, rapidly evolving, company to introduce suitable practices that solve problems apparent in the current state of the company. This allows the processes to evolve in small steps without introducing formal practices too early in the company’s evolution. An integration of agile methods and high-level product management processes is proposed and evaluated on both the engineering level and the product management level of organisations. The integration allows contrasting elements of the processes to remain effective within each respective domain and in some instances even perform synergetically