Measuring the impact of object-oriented techniques in grande applications: a method-level analysis

In this work we seek to provide a foundation for the study of the level of use of object-oriented techniques in Java programs in general, and scientific applications in particular. Specifically, we focus on the use of small methods, and the frequency with which they are called, since this forms the basis for the study of method inlining, an important optimisation technique. We compare the Grande and SPEC benchmark suites, and note a significant difference in the nature and composition of these suites

Applying Software Engineering Techniques to Parser Design: The Development of a C# Parser

In this paper we describe the development of a parser for the C# programming language. We outline the development process used, detail its application to the development of a C# parser and present a number of metrics that describe the parser’s evolution. This paper presents and reinforces an argument for the application of software engineering techniques in the area of parser design. The development of a parser for the C# programming language is in itself important to software engineering, since parsers form the basis for tools such as metrics generators, refactoring tools, pretty-printers and reverse engineering tools

Applying Software Engineering Techniques to Parser Design: The Development of a C# Parser

In this paper we describe the development of a parser for the C# programming language. We outline the development process used, detail its application to the development of a C# parser and present a number of metrics that describe the parser’s evolution. This paper presents and reinforces an argument for the application of software engineering techniques in the area of parser design. The development of a parser for the C# programming language is in itself important to software engineering, since parsers form the basis for tools such as metrics generators, refactoring tools, pretty-printers and reverse engineering tools

RNA:protein ratio of the unicellular organism as a characteristic of phosphorous and nitrogen stoichiometry and of the cellular requirement of ribosomes for protein synthesis

Background Mean phosphorous:nitrogen (P:N) ratios and relationships of P:N ratios with the growth rate of organisms indicate a surprising similarity among and within microbial species, plants, and insect herbivores. To reveal the cellular mechanisms underling this similarity, the macromolecular composition of seven microorganisms and the effect of specific growth rate (SGR) on RNA:protein ratio, the number of ribosomes, and peptide elongation rate (PER) were analyzed under different conditions of exponential growth. Results It was found that P:N ratios calculated from RNA and protein contents in these particular organisms were in the same range as the mean ratios reported for diverse organisms and had similar positive relationships with growth rate, consistent with the growth-rate hypothesis. The efficiency of protein synthesis in microorganisms is estimated as the number of active ribosomes required for the incorporation of one amino acid into the synthesized protein. This parameter is calculated as the SGR:PER ratio. Experimental and theoretical evidence indicated that the requirement of ribosomes for protein synthesis is proportional to the RNA:protein ratio. The constant of proportionality had the same values for all organisms, and was derived mechanistically from the characteristics of the protein-synthesis machinery of the cell (the number of nucleotides per ribosome, the average masses of nucleotides and amino acids, the fraction of ribosomal RNA in the total RNA, and the fraction of active ribosomes). Impairment of the growth conditions decreased the RNA:protein ratio and increased the overall efficiency of protein synthesis in the microorganisms. Conclusion Our results suggest that the decrease in RNA:protein and estimated P:N ratios with decrease in the growth rate of the microorganism is a consequence of an increased overall efficiency of protein synthesis in the cell resulting from activation of the general stress response and increased transcription of cellular maintenance genes at the expense of growth related genes. The strong link between P:N stoichiometry, RNA:protein ratio, ribosomal requirement for protein synthesis, and growth rate of microorganisms indicated by the study could be used to characterize the N and P economy of complex ecosystems such as soils and the oceans

Evaluation of production of Cheddar cheese from micellar casein concentrate

peer-reviewedThe production of Cheddar cheese using micellar casein concentrate (MCC), a novel milk ingredient powder with a high casein content (∼92%), was evaluated. Four types of Cheddar cheese were manufactured and ripened for 180 days from the following starting materials: standardised control milk (control), skim milk with cream (SC), reconstituted MCC with cream (MC) and reconstituted low-heat skim milk powder with cream (PC). Only minor differences were found in composition between treatments, but MC cheese showed higher levels of proteolysis compared with other treatments, linked to significantly higher plasmin and chymosin activities. No differences were observed in hardness between treatments (60, 120 and 180 days), but the springiness and cohesiveness of MC and PC cheeses were significantly higher than that of the control and SC cheeses at 60, 120 and 180 days. The use of casein-dominant dairy streams thus has the potential for production of Cheddar cheese with tailored functionality.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Irelan

Holocene carbon accumulation in the peatlands of northern Scotland

The response of peatland carbon accumulation to climate can be complex, with internal feedbacks and processes that can dampen or amplify responses to external forcing. Records of carbon accumulation from peat cores provide a record of carbon which persists as peat over long periods of time, demonstrating the long-term response of peatland carbon stocks to climatic events. Numerous records of long-term carbon accumulation exist globally. However, peatlands from oceanic climates, and particularly blanket bog, remain under-represented. Scottish bogs, which collectively have more than 475 separate palaeoecological records, may prove to be a valuable resource for studying the impact of environmental change on past rates of carbon accumulation. Here we present 12 records of carbon accumulation from the north of Scotland. We support these results with a further 43 records where potential carbon accumulation is inferred from published ages. These reveal a trend of high carbon accumulation in the early Holocene, declining in the mid-to-late Holocene. The trend is consistent with accumulation profiles from other northern peatlands and is likely to have been caused by climatic cooling. Considerable variability in carbon accumulation rates between locations is apparent for the mid-to-late Holocene. We attribute to hydrologically induced changes in carbon accumulation which are likely to be inconsistent between sites

Oral steroids for hearing loss associated with otitis media with effusion in children aged 2–8 years: the OSTRICH RCT

Background Children with hearing loss associated with otitis media with effusion (OME) are commonly managed through surgical intervention, hearing aids or watchful waiting. A safe, inexpensive, effective medical treatment would enhance treatment options. Small, poorly conducted trials have found a short-term benefit from oral steroids. Objective To determine the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a 7-day course of oral steroids in improving hearing at 5 weeks in children with persistent OME symptoms and current bilateral OME and hearing loss demonstrated by audiometry. Design Double-blind, individually randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Setting Ear, nose and throat outpatient or paediatric audiology and audiovestibular medicine clinics in Wales and England. Participants Children aged 2–8 years, with symptoms of hearing loss attributable to OME for at least 3 months, a diagnosis of bilateral OME made on the day of recruitment and audiometry-confirmed hearing loss. Interventions A 7-day course of oral soluble prednisolone, as a single daily dose of 20 mg for children aged 2–5 years or 30 mg for 6- to 8-year-olds, or matched placebo. Main outcome measures Acceptable hearing at 5 weeks from randomisation. Secondary outcomes comprised acceptable hearing at 6 and 12 months, tympanometry, otoscopic findings, health-care consultations related to OME and other resource use, proportion of children who had ventilation tube (grommet) surgery at 6 and 12 months, adverse effects, symptoms, functional health status, health-related quality of life, short- and longer-term cost-effectiveness. Results A total of 389 children were randomised. Satisfactory hearing at 5 weeks was achieved by 39.9% and 32.8% in the oral steroid and placebo groups, respectively (absolute difference of 7.1%, 95% confidence interval –2.8% to 16.8%; number needed to treat = 14). This difference was not statistically significant. The secondary outcomes were consistent with the picture of a small or no benefit, and we found no subgroups that achieved a meaningful benefit from oral steroids. The economic analysis showed that treatment with oral steroids was more expensive and accrued fewer quality-adjusted life-years than treatment as usual. However, the differences were small and not statistically significant, and the sensitivity analyses demonstrated large variation in the results. Conclusions OME in children with documented hearing loss and attributable symptoms for at least 3 months has a high rate of spontaneous resolution. Discussions about watchful waiting and other interventions will be enhanced by this evidence. The findings of this study suggest that any benefit from a short course of oral steroids for OME is likely to be small and of questionable clinical significance, and that the treatment is unlikely to be cost-effective and, therefore, their use cannot be recommended