A method for maintaining new software

This thesis describes a novel method for perfective maintenance of software which has been developed from specifications using formal transformations. The list of applied transformations provides a suitable derivation history to use when changes are made to the software. The method uses transformations which have been implemented in a tool called the Maintainer's Assistant for the purposes of restructuring code. The method uses these transformations for refinement. Comparisons are made between sequential transformations, refinement calculi and standard proof based refinement techniques for providing a suitable derivation history to use when changes are made in the requirements of a system. Two case studies are presented upon which these comparisons are based and on which the method is tested. Criteria such as saleability, speed, ease, design improvements and software quality is used to argue that transformations are a more favourable basis of refinement. Metrics are used to evaluate the complexity of the code developed using the method. Conclusions of how to develop different types of specifications into code and on how best to apply various changes are presented. An approach which is recommended is to use transformations for splitting the specification so that original refinement paths can still be used. Using transformations for refining a specification and recording this path produces software of a better structure and of higher maintainability. Having such a path improves the speed and ease of future alterations to the system. This is more cost effective than redeveloping the software from a new specification

Measuring The Effects Of A Mindfulness Intervention On Counselors’-In-Training Dispositions, Strength Of The Therapeutic Relationship, And Client Outcomes

Using a multiple baseline single case research design, the present study sought to measure the effects of a mindfulness intervention on counselors’-in-training facilitative dispositions of: (a) empathetic understanding, (b) level of regard, (c) unconditionality of regard, and (d) congruence (as observed through weekly in-session engagement with clients), and client outcomes (as measured by the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II; [Robitschek et al., 2012] and the Outcomes Questionnaire-45.2; [Lambert et al., 1996]). In addition, the investigation examined the influence of counselors-in-training participation in a brief mindfulness intervention on clients’ perception of the strength of the therapeutic alliance (as measured by the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory Form OS-40; [Barrett-Lennard, 1962, 2015]). More specifically, this study analyzed the effect of mindfulness education and engagement in mindfulness activities on the in-session occurrences of counselor-in-training expressions of additive empathetic understanding, subtractive empathetic understanding, positive regard, negative regard, the unconditionality of their regard, congruence, and incongruence, as well as the effect of counselor-in-training engagement in mindfulness education and mindfulness activities on client outcomes. The results support mindfulness as effective in increasing the dispositions of additive empathy and positive regard, while also demonstrating effectiveness in enhancing client outcomes. A discussion of the study procedures, results, limitations, and implications are provided

‘It's good to be able to talk’: An exploration of the complexities of participant and researcher relationships when conducting sensitive research

Drawing on qualitative data from a project on young women’s experiences of abortion, this paper considers the dual exchange of the research interview. It considers the view that researcher and participant ‘collude’ in the research process to meet their individual and differing needs. The paper explores the researcher’s active role in stimulating participants to talk about and disclose highly personal, and potentially stigmatising, experiences and interrogates the ways in which participants may use, or re-frame, research in a quasi-therapeutic capacity as a process of catharsis. This raises questions around whether the participant and researcher share common research goals, and the implications of this for informed consent. The paper concludes with a discussion of the problems of balancing the need of the researcher to ‘get the job done’ and to generate meaningful rich data, and the need to prioritise participant and researcher wellbeing throughout the research, suggesting that further consideration needs to be given to the post-consent process

Young women's experiences of unintended pregnancy and abortion: key findings

This document reports on the key findings of a mixed methods study to investigate different aspects of young women’s (aged 16-24) pregnancy experiences of one or more unintended pregnancies ending in abortion. Following an abortion at one of Marie Stopes’ main centres, a total of 430 women completed a quantitative telephone survey between June 2012 and May 2013. In addition, thirty six young women were interviewed qualitatively following their abortion. These interviews took place between February 2013 and April 2014. Seventeen of these participants were then interviewed for a second time approximately five to eight months later. Women were asked about their contraceptive use at the time of pregnancy, their experience of the abortion consultation and service, their post abortion contraception decision making, their attitudes towards pregnancy and abortion, and their perception of contraceptive risk taking. The women who had experienced a previous abortion were also asked about their contraceptive use between their two most recent abortions

"I thought i was protected" Abortion, contraceptive uptake and use among young women: a quantitative survey

In 2012, when this research study began, the total number of abortions in England and Wales was 185,122. This was 2.5% fewer than in 2011 (189,931) [1]. The latest government abortion statistics show that there was a total of 185,331 abortions in 2013 which is 0.1% more than in 2012 [1]. The percentage of women undergoing an abortion who have had one or more previous abortions is increasing, with more than one in three abortions in the UK (37%) being a subsequent episode, an increase from 34% in 2010 and 31% in 2002. Among women under 25 years, 27% had a previous abortion in 2012, a slight increase since the previous year (26%). This proportion was also the same for under-25 year old women in 2013. This increase may indicate a gap between provision of abortion care and effective post abortion contraception use among this population. Reasons for unintended pregnancy are well documented, and include non-use of contraception, failure of a contraceptive method, poor knowledge of methods, cultural or religious barriers, fear or misconceptions of side effects, and relationship changes [2-6]. Factors associated with why some women who have an abortion go on to have a subsequent abortion are less evidence based. It has been acknowledged that increasing access to contraceptive information and services is too simplistic a solution [7]. There are no known UK studies that provide quantitative data about post abortion contraceptive practices among young women. While post-abortion contraceptive services for young women have become a government policy priority, more needs to be understood about why some young women struggle to exercise reproductive control, and do not use contraception effectively; as well as about service provider and other factors that may influence its initiation and continuation. Marie Stopes International (MSI) is one of the UK’s leading reproductive health agencies and is the largest provider of abortion services. Given the lack of understanding regarding the complex interplay of factors that influence the incidence of successive episodes of abortion, MSI commissioned a mixed method study to investigate different aspects of young women's experiences of one or more unintended pregnancy ending in abortion. This paper reports on the second component of the study: a quantitative survey. It draws on the survey results to identify ways in which local sexual health strategies and services can support young women after abortion, helping them to improve their reproductive control and avoid further unintended pregnancies

Louise and Francis Newton to James Meredith (Undated)

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/mercorr_pro/1882/thumbnail.jp

Optimization of flux-surface density variation in stellarator plasmas with respect to the transport of collisional impurities

Avoiding impurity accumulation is a requirement for steady-state stellarator operation. The accumulation of impurities can be heavily affected by variations in their density on the flux-surface. Using recently derived semi-analytic expressions for the transport of a collisional impurity species with high-$Z$ and flux-surface density-variation in the presence of a low-collisionality bulk ion species, we numerically optimize the impurity density-variation on the flux-surface to minimize the radial peaking factor of the impurities. These optimized density-variations can reduce the core impurity density by $0.75^Z$ (with $Z$ the impurity charge number) in the Large Helical Device case considered here, and by $0.89^Z$ in a Wendelstein 7-X standard configuration case. On the other hand, when the same procedure is used to find density-variations that maximize the peaking factor, it is notably increased compared to the case with no density-variation. This highlights the potential importance of measuring and controlling these variations in experiments.Comment: 19 figures, 17 pages. Accepted into Nuclear Fusio