XP customer practices: A grounded theory

The Customer is a critical role in XP, but almost all XP practices are presented for developers by developers. While XP calls for Real Customer Involvement, it does not explain what XP Customers should do, nor how they should do it. Using Grounded Theory, we discovered eight customer practices used by successful XP teams: Customer Boot Camp, Customer’s Apprentice, Customer Pairing, and Programmer’s Holiday support the well-being and effectiveness of customers; Programmer On-site and Road shows support team and organization interactions; and Big Picture Up Front and Re-calibration support Customers steering the whole project. By adopting these processes, XP Customers and teams can work faster and more sustainably

The XP customer team: A grounded theory

The initial definition of XP resulted in many people interpreting the on-site customer to be a single person. We have conducted extensive qualitative research studying XP teams, and one of our research questions was “who is the customer”? We found that, rather than a single person, a customer team always exists. In this paper we outline the different roles that were typically on the team, which range from the recognized “Acceptance Tester” role to the less recognized roles of “Political Advisor” and “Super-Secretary”

The moral implications of human and animal vulnerability

In this open access book, Angela K. Martin thoroughly addresses what human and animal vulnerability are, how and why they matter from a moral point of view, and how they compare to each other. By first defining universal and situational human vulnerability, Martin lays the groundwork for investigating whether sentient nonhuman animals can also qualify as vulnerable beings. She then takes a closer look at three different contexts of animal vulnerability: animals used as a source of food, animals used in research, and the fate of wild animals

Animal Research that Respects Animal Rights: Extending Requirements for Research with Humans to Animals

The purpose of this article is to show that animal rights are not necessarily at odds with the use of animals for research. If animals hold basic moral rights similar to those of humans, then we should consequently extend the ethical requirements guiding research with humans to research with animals. The article spells out how this can be done in practice by applying the seven requirements for ethical research with humans proposed by Ezekiel Emanuel, David Wendler, and Christine Grady to animal research. These requirements are (1) social value, (2) scientific validity, (3) independent review, (4) fair subject selection, (5) favorable risk-benefit ratio, (6) informed consent, and (7) respect for research subjects. In practice, this means that we must reform the practice of animal research to make it more similar to research with humans, rather than completely abolish the former. Indeed, if we ban animal research altogether, then we would also deprive animals of its potential benefits-which would be ethically problematic

Influence of ability to identify criteria on feedback acceptance, The

2013 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.The criteria used in selection methods such as interviews, integrity tests and assessment centers are often unknown to candidates seeking employment. The individual difference variable of ability to identify criteria (ATIC) represents the degree to which some candidates are better able to correctly identify the situational demands in an ambiguous situation (Kleinman, 1993). Prior research has shown that ATIC is related to performance in the selection method and cognitive ability (Melchers et al., 2009). I tested whether two measures of candidates' ability to identify criteria (ATIC) in an assessment center exercise were related to cognitive ability, social intelligence, self-monitoring and feedback acceptance. Contrary to prediction, we found minimal relationships among measures, raising interesting questions regarding the nomological net and construct validity of ATIC measures

A note on non-homogeneous deformations with homogeneous Cauchy stress for a strictly rank-one convex energy in isotropic hyperelasticity

It has recently been shown that for a Cauchy stress response induced by a strictly rank-one convex hyperelastic energy potential, a homogeneous Cauchy stress tensor field cannot correspond to a non-homogeneous deformation if the deformation gradient has discrete values, i.e. if the deformation is piecewise affine linear and satisfies the Hadamard jump condition. In this note, we expand upon these results and show that they do not hold for arbitrary deformations by explicitly giving an example of a strictly rank-one convex energy and a non-homogeneous deformation such that the induced Cauchy stress tensor is constant. In the planar case, our example is related to another previous result concerning criteria for generalized convexity properties of conformally invariant energy functions, which we extend to the case of strict rank-one convexity

An evaluation of the adult weight management programme - "Weight no more"

The aim of this study is to provide an evaluation of the “Weight No More”, adult weight management programme which is part of the “Active Lifestyles” service. This evaluation is a retrospective study, analysing before and after data of male and female participants (n = 154) who took part in the “Weight No More” programme during January 2011 to August 2013. Participants attended circuit based exercise classes and received additional weight management support. Height, weight and BMI were all recorded at the participant’s initial visit and then weight and BMI repeated frequently. Sessions were open access and participants chose which venue to attend, attendance ranged from one to 66 weeks, however for the purpose of this study repeat measurements were investigated at 4 (n = 30), 8 (n = 20) and 12 (n = 13) weeks. There were statistically significant decreases in weight at baseline and 4 weeks (P= 0.010) of -1.2kg, baseline and 8 weeks (P= 0.003) of -1.88kg and baseline and 12 weeks of -2.9kg (P= 0.010). Those involved in the programme were predominantly of white ethnicity (64.9%), female (94%) with a mean age of 47 years. 8.9% of the participants involved were from the top 10% most deprived wards in Manchester. Providing a physical opportunity for weight management in Manchester can attract those who are overweight and obese and is effective at reducing weight. Further support is available for participants to continue to be active and maintain weight loss by accessing further physical activity sessions through the “Active Lifestyles” service

Interventions designed to reduce implicit prejudices and implicit stereotypes in real world contexts: a systematic review

Background Implicit biases are present in the general population and among professionals in various domains, where they can lead to discrimination. Many interventions are used to reduce implicit bias. However, uncertainties remain as to their effectiveness. Methods We conducted a systematic review by searching ERIC, PUBMED and PSYCHINFO for peer-reviewed studies conducted on adults between May 2005 and April 2015, testing interventions designed to reduce implicit bias, with results measured using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) or sufficiently similar methods. Results 30 articles were identified as eligible. Some techniques, such as engaging with others’ perspective, appear unfruitful, at least in short term implicit bias reduction, while other techniques, such as exposure to counterstereotypical exemplars, are more promising. Robust data is lacking for many of these interventions. Conclusions Caution is thus advised when it comes to programs aiming at reducing biases. This does not weaken the case for implementing widespread structural and institutional changes that are multiply justified