Project Management Tools in Agile Embedded Systems Development

Agile methods have become increasingly popular in the field of software engineering. While agile methods are now generally considered applicable to software projects of many different kinds, they have not been widely adopted in embedded systems development. This is partly due to the natural constraints that are present in embedded systems development (e.g. hardware–software interdependencies) that challenge the utilization of agile values, principles and practices. The research in agile embedded systems development has been very limited, and this thesis tackles an even less researched theme related to it: the suitability of different project management tools in agile embedded systems development. The thesis covers the basic aspects of many different agile tool types from physical tools, such as task boards and cards, to web-based agile tools that offer all-round solutions for application lifecycle management. In addition to these two extremities, there is also a wide range of lighter agile tools that focus on the core agile practices, such as backlog management. Also other non-agile tools, such as bug trackers, can be used to support agile development, for instance, with plug-ins. To investigate the special tool requirements in agile embedded development, the author observed tool related issues and solutions in a case study involving three different companies operating in the field of embedded systems development. All three companies had a distinct situation in the beginning of the case and thus the tool solutions varied from a backlog spreadsheet built from scratch to plug-in development for an already existing agile software tool. Detailed reports are presented of all three tool cases. Based on the knowledge gathered from agile tools and the case study experiences, it is concluded that there are tool related issues in the pilot phase, such as backlog management and user motivation. These can be overcome in various ways epending on the type of a team in question. Finally, five principles are formed to give guidelines for tool selection and usage in agile embedded systems development.

Host suitability of weeds and forage species to root-knot nematode meloidogyne graminicola as a funcion of irrigation management

The irrigated rice production can be limited by various phytopathogenic agents, including root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.). Thus, the aim of this research was to check the host suitability of plant species most often found off-season and during rice cultivation, to root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola, under two irrigation managements. Two experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design. In the first experiment seven plant species that occur in an area of rice cultivation, in fallow, off-season were evaluated. For the second experiment nine weed species infesting the irrigated rice culture were tested in rainfed and flooding conditions. The sixteen species, kept individually in pots with sterilized substrate, were inoculated with 5,000 eggs and second stage juveniles (J2) of nematode. BRS 410 IRGA rice plants inoculated with M.graminicola were used as control. Two months after inoculation, the root system of each plant was evaluated for number of galls and nematode reproduction factor. It was verified that the species of off-season of rice cultivation Sida rhombifolia, Raphanus raphanistrum, Spergula arvensis, Lotus corniculatus and Trifolium repens, and, during the cycle of rice cultivation, Aeschynomene denticulata, Leersia hexandra, are immune to nematode. The plant species off-season, Avena strigosa and Lolium multiflorum and of cultivation, Alternanthera philoxeroides, red rice, Echinochloa crusgalli, Cyperus difformis, Cyperus esculentus, Cyperus iria and Fimbristylis miliacea would behave as hosts of M.graminicola, mostly under rainfed conditions.

Task Force on Librarians’ Competencies in Support of E-Research and Scholarly Communication

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Open research data policies, what makes the difference?

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014