Enabling the evolution of J2EE applications through reverse engineering and quality assurance

Enterprise Applications are complex software systems that manipulate much persistent data and interact with the user through a vast and complex user interface. In particular applications written for the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) are composed using various technologies such as Enterprise Java Beans (EJB) or Java Server Pages (JSP) that in turn rely on languages other than Java, such as XML or SQL. In this heterogeneous context applying existing reverse engineering and quality assurance techniques developed for object-oriented systems is not enough. Because those techniques have been created to measure quality or provide information about one aspect of J2EE applications, they cannot properly measure the quality of the entire system. We intend to devise techniques and metrics to measure quality in J2EE applications considering all their aspects and to aid their evolution. Using software visualization we also intend to inspect to structure of J2EE applications and all other aspects that can be investigate through this technique. In order to do that we also need to create a unified meta-model including all elements composing a J2EE application.

Clinical benefit and quality of life in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer receiving gemcitabine plus capecitabine versus gemcitabine alone: a randomized multicenter phase III clinical trial--SAKK 44/00-CECOG/PAN.1.3.001

To compare clinical benefit response (CBR) and quality of life (QOL) in patients receiving gemcitabine (Gem) plus capecitabine (Cap) versus single-agent Gem for advanced/metastatic pancreatic cancer.

A multi-center retrospective analysis of treatment effects and quality of life in adult patients with cranial ependymomas

Long term quality of life data of adult patients harboring intracranial ependymomas have not been reported. The role of adjuvant radiation therapy in Grade II ependymomas is unclear and differs from study to study. We therefore sought to retrospectively analyze outcome and quality of life of adult patients that were operated on intracranial ependymomas at four different surgical centers in two countries. All patients were attempted to be contacted via telephone to assess quality of life (QoL) at the time of the telephone interview. The standard EORTC QoL Questionnaire C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the EORTC QLQ-Brain Cancer Module (QLQ-BN20) were used. 64 adult patients with intracranial ependymomas were included in the study. The only factor that was associated with increased survival was age <55 years (p < 0.001). Supratentorial location was correlated with shorter progression free survival than infratentorial location (PFS; p = 0.048). In WHO Grade II tumors local irradiation did not lead to increased PFS (p = 0.888) or overall survival (p = 0.801). Even for incompletely resected Grade II tumors local irradiation did not lead to a benefit in PFS (p = 0.911). In a multivariate analysis of QoL, irradiated patients had significantly worse scores in the item "fatigue" (p = 0.037) than non-irradiated patients. Here we present QoL data of adult patients with intracranial ependymomas. Our data show that local radiation therapy may have long-term effects on patients' QoL. Since in the incompletely resected Grade II tumors local irradiation did not lead to a benefit in PFS in this retrospective study, prospective randomized studies are necessary. In addition to age, supratentorial tumor location is associated with a worse prognosis in adult ependymoma patients.

A genome-to-genome analysis of associations between human genetic variation, HIV-1 sequence diversity, and viral control

HIV-1 sequence diversity is affected by selection pressures arising from host genomic factors. Using paired human and viral data from 1071 individuals, we ran >3000 genome-wide scans, testing for associations between host DNA polymorphisms, HIV-1 sequence variation and plasma viral load (VL), while considering human and viral population structure. We observed significant human SNP associations to a total of 48 HIV-1 amino acid variants (p<2.4 × 10−12). All associated SNPs mapped to the HLA class I region. Clinical relevance of host and pathogen variation was assessed using VL results. We identified two critical advantages to the use of viral variation for identifying host factors: (1) association signals are much stronger for HIV-1 sequence variants than VL, reflecting the ‘intermediate phenotype’ nature of viral variation; (2) association testing can be run without any clinical data. The proposed genome-to-genome approach highlights sites of genomic conflict and is a strategy generally applicable to studies of host–pathogen interaction.

Determination of Ethyl glucuronide and Ethyl sulfate from dried blood spots

BACKGROUND: Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS) are non-oxidative minor metabolites of ethanol. They are detectable in various body fluids shortly after initial consumption of ethanol and have a longer detection time frame than the parent compound. They are regarded highly sensitive and specific markers of recent alcohol uptake. This study evaluates the determination of EtG and EtS from dried blood spots (DBS), a simple and cost-effective sampling method that would shorten the time gap between offense and blood sampling and lead to a better reflectance of the actual impairment. METHODS: For method validation, EtG and EtS standard and quality control samples were prepared in fresh human heparinized blood and spotted on DBS cards, then extracted and measured by an LC-ESI-MS/MS method. Additionally, 76 heparinized blood samples from traffic offense cases were analyzed for EtG and EtS as whole blood and as DBS specimens. The results from these measurements were then compared by calculating the respective mean values, by a matched-paired t test, by a Wilcoxon test, and by Bland-Altman and Mountain plots. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Calibrations for EtG and EtS in DBS were linear over the studied calibration range. The precision and accuracy of the method met the requirements of the validation guidelines that were employed in the study. The stability of the biomarkers stored as DBS was demonstrated under different storage conditions. The t test showed no significant difference between whole blood and DBS in the determination of EtG and EtS. In addition, the Bland-Altman analysis and Mountain plot confirmed that the concentration differences that were measured in DBS specimens were not relevant.

Prospective memory, executive functions and metacognitive control: An empirical approach to their structural interrelations in young elementary school children

Introduction Prospective memory (PM), the ability to remember to perform intended activities in the future (Kliegel & Jäger, 2007), is crucial to succeed in everyday life. PM seems to improve gradually over the childhood years (Zimmermann & Meier, 2006), but yet little is known about PM competences in young school children in general, and even less is known about factors influencing its development. Currently, a number of studies suggest that executive functions (EF) are potentially influencing processes (Ford, Driscoll, Shum & Macaulay, 2012; Mahy & Moses, 2011). Additionally, metacognitive processes (MC: monitoring and control) are assumed to be involved while optimizing one’s performance (Krebs & Roebers, 2010; 2012; Roebers, Schmid, & Roderer, 2009). Yet, the relations between PM, EF and MC remain relatively unspecified. We intend to empirically examine the structural relations between these constructs. Method A cross-sectional study including 119 2nd graders (mage = 95.03, sdage = 4.82) will be presented. Participants (n = 68 girls) completed three EF tasks (stroop, updating, shifting), a computerised event-based PM task and a MC spelling task. The latent variables PM, EF and MC that were represented by manifest variables deriving from the conducted tasks, were interrelated by structural equation modelling. Results Analyses revealed clear associations between the three cognitive constructs PM, EF and MC (rpm-EF = .45, rpm-MC = .23, ref-MC = .20). A three factor model, as opposed to one or two factor models, appeared to fit excellently to the data (chi2(17, 119) = 18.86, p = .34, remsea = .030, cfi = .990, tli = .978). Discussion The results indicate that already in young elementary school children, PM, EF and MC are empirically well distinguishable, but nevertheless substantially interrelated. PM and EF seem to share a substantial amount of variance while for MC, more unique processes may be assumed.

Social skills as predictors of communication, performance and quality of collaboration in project-based learning

The assumption that social skills are necessary ingredients of collaborative learning is well established but rarely empirically tested. In addition, most theories on collaborative learning focus on social skills only at the personal level, while the social skill configurations within a learning group might be of equal importance. Using the integrative framework, this study investigates which social skills at the personal level and at the group level are predictive of task-related e-mail communication, satisfaction with performance and perceived quality of collaboration. Data collection took place in a technology-enhanced long-term project-based learning setting for pre-service teachers. For data collection, two questionnaires were used, one at the beginning and one at the end of the learning cycle which lasted 3 months. During the project phase, the e-mail communication between group members was captured as well. The investigation of 60 project groups (N = 155 for the questionnaires; group size: two or three students) and 33 groups for the e-mail communication (N = 83) revealed that personal social skills played only a minor role compared to group level configurations of social skills in predicting satisfaction with performance, perceived quality of collaboration and communication behaviour. Members from groups that showed a high and/or homogeneous configuration of specific social skills (e.g., cooperation/compromising, leadership) usually were more satisfied and saw their group as more efficient than members from groups with a low and/or heterogeneous configuration of skills.

Reliability and quality of water isotope data collected with a lowbudget rain collector

RATIONALELow-budget rain collectors for water isotope analysis, such as the `ball-in-funnel type collector' (BiFC), are widely used in studies on stable water isotopes of rain. To date, however, an experimental quality assessment of such devices in relation to climatic factors does not exist. METHODSWe used Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometry (CRDS) to quantify the effects of evaporation on the O-18 values of reference water under controlled conditions as a function of the elapsed time between rainfall and collection for isotope analysis, the sample volume and the relative humidity (RH: 31% and 67%; 25 degrees C). The climate chamber conditions were chosen to reflect the warm and dry end of field conditions that favor evaporative enrichment (EE). We also tested the performance of the BiFC in the field, and compared our H-2/O-18 data obtained by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) with those from the Swiss National Network for the Observation of Isotopes in the Water Cycle (ISOT). RESULTSThe EE increased with time, with a 1 increase in the O-18 values after 10days (RH: 25%; 25 degrees C; 35mL (corresponding to a 5mm rain event); p <0.001). The sample volume strongly affected the EE (max. value +1.5 parts per thousand for 7mL samples (i.e., 1mm rain events) after 72h at 31% and 67% RH; p <0.001), whereas the relative humidity had no significant effect. Using the BiFC in the field, we obtained very tight relationships of the H-2/O-18 values (r(2) 0.95) for three sites along an elevational gradient, not significantly different from that of the next ISOT station. CONCLUSIONSSince the chosen experimental conditions were extreme compared with the field conditions, it was concluded that the BiFC is a highly reliable and inexpensive collector of rainwater for isotope analysis. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Differences in coping, self-efficacy, and external control beliefs between patients at-risk for psychosis and patients with first-episode psychosis

Patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) often show dysfunctional coping patterns, low self-efficacy, and external control beliefs that are considered to be risk factors for the development of psychosis. Therefore, these factors should already be present in patients at-risk for psychosis (AR). We compared frequencies of deficits in coping strategies (Stress-Coping-Questionnaires, SVF-120/SVF-KJ), self-efficacy, and control beliefs (Competence and Control Beliefs Questionnaire, FKK) between AR (n=21) and FEP (n=22) patients using a cross-sectional design. Correlations among coping, self-efficacy, and control beliefs were assessed in both groups. The majority of AR and FEP patients demonstrated deficits in coping skills, self-efficacy, and control beliefs. However, AR patients more frequently reported a lack of positive coping strategies, low self-efficacy, and a fatalistic externalizing bias. In contrast, FEP patients were characterized by being overly self-confident. These findings suggest that dysfunctional coping, self-efficacy, and control beliefs are already evident in AR patients, though different from those in FEP patients. The pattern of deficits in AR patients closely resembles that of depressive patients, which may reflect high levels of depressiveness in AR patients. Apart from being worthwhile treatment targets, these coping and belief patterns are promising candidates for predicting outcome in AR patients, including the conversion to psychosis

Genome-wide analysis of genetic and epigenetic control of programmed DNA deletion

During the development of the somatic genome from the Paramecium germline genome the bulk of the copies of ∼45 000 unique, internal eliminated sequences (IESs) are deleted. IES targeting is facilitated by two small RNA (sRNA) classes: scnRNAs, which relay epigenetic information from the parental nucleus to the developing nucleus, and iesRNAs, which are produced and used in the developing nucleus. Why only certain IESs require sRNAs for their removal has been enigmatic. By analyzing the silencing effects of three genes: PGM (responsible for DNA excision), DCL2/3 (scnRNA production) and DCL5 (iesRNA production), we identify key properties required for IES elimination. Based on these results, we propose that, depending on the exact combination of their lengths and end bases, some IESs are less efficiently recognized or excised and have a greater requirement for targeting by scnRNAs and iesRNAs. We suggest that the variation in IES retention following silencing of DCL2/3 is not primarily due to scnRNA density, which is comparatively uniform relative to IES retention, but rather the genetic properties of IESs. Taken together, our analyses demonstrate that in Paramecium the underlying genetic properties of developmentally deleted DNA sequences are essential in determining the sensitivity of these sequences to epigenetic control.

SwissScoring--a nationwide survey of NEMS assessing practices and its accuracy.

BACKGROUND The nine equivalents of nursing manpower use score (NEMS) is used to evaluate critical care nursing workload and occasionally to define hospital reimbursements. Little is known about the caregivers' accuracy in scoring, about factors affecting this accuracy and how validity of scoring is assured. METHODS Accuracy in NEMS scoring of Swiss critical care nurses was assessed using case vignettes. An online survey was performed to assess training and quality control of NEMS scoring and to collect structural and organizational data of participating intensive care units (ICUs). Aggregated structural and procedural data of the Swiss ICU Minimal Data Set were used for matching. RESULTS Nursing staff from 64 (82%) of the 78 certified adult ICUs participated in this survey. Training and quality control of scoring shows large variability between ICUs. A total of 1378 nurses scored one out of 20 case vignettes: accuracy ranged from 63.7% (intravenous medications) to 99.1% (basic monitoring). Erroneous scoring (8.7% of all items) was more frequent than omitted scoring (3.2%). Mean NEMS per case was 28.0 ± 11.8 points (reference score: 25.7 ± 14.2 points). Mean bias was 2.8 points (95% confidence interval: 1.0-4.7); scores below 37.1 points were generally overestimated. Data from units with a greater nursing management staff showed a higher bias. CONCLUSION Overall, nurses assess the NEMS score within a clinically acceptable range. Lower scores are generally overestimated. Inaccurate assessment was associated with a greater size of the nursing management staff. Swiss head nurses consider themselves motivated to assure appropriate scoring and its validation.