SEON: a pyramid of ontologies for software evolution and its applications

The Semantic Web provides a standardized, well-established framework to define and work with ontologies. It is especially apt for machine processing. However, researchers in the field of software evolution have not really taken advantage of that so far. In this paper, we address the potential of representing software evolution knowledge with ontologies and Semantic Web technology, such as Linked Data and automated reasoning. We present Seon, a pyramid of ontologies for software evolution, which describes stakeholders, their activities, artifacts they create, and the relations among all of them. We show the use of evolution-specific ontologies for establishing a shared taxonomy of software analysis services, for defining extensible meta-models, for explicitly describing relationships among artifacts, and for linking data such as code structures, issues (change requests), bugs, and basically any changes made to a system over time. For validation, we discuss three different approaches, which are backed by Seon and enable semantically enriched software evolution analysis. These techniques have been fully implemented as tools and cover software analysis with web services, a natural language query interface for developers, and large-scale software visualization.     

Supervisory control of multiple robots in dynamic tasking environments

A military targeting environment was simulated to examine the effects of an intelligent route-planning agent RoboLeader, which could support dynamic robot re-tasking based on battlefield developments, on the performance of robotics operators. We manipulated the level of assistance (LOAs) provided by RoboLeader as well as the presence of a visualisation tool that provided feedback to the participants on their primary task (target encapsulation) performance. Results showed that the participants' primary task benefited from RoboLeader on all LOAs conditions compared to manual performance; however, visualisation had little effect. Frequent video gamers demonstrated significantly better situation awareness of the mission environment than did infrequent gamers. Those participants with higher spatial ability performed better on a secondary target detection task than did those with lower spatial ability. Finally, participants' workload assessments were significantly lower when they were assisted by RoboLeader than when they performed the target entrapment task manually. Practitioner Summary: This study demonstrated the utility of an intelligent agent for enhancing robotics operators' supervisory control performance as well as reducing their workload during a complex urban scenario involving moving targets. The results furthered the understanding of the interplay among level-of-autonomy, multitasking performance and individual differences in military tasking environments.     

Fracture of crazes by the propagation of interfacial stress waves

Fracture of crazes in glassy polymers can occur by a quasi-brittle separation at the interface between the craze and the adjacent bulk. In some grades of polystyrene this type of fracture can take the form of a very regular pattern, the so-called mackerel pattern, of parallel or concentric craze strips as fracture alternates from one side of the craze layer to the other. The alternating pattern of fracture is determined by the coupling between stress waves propagating along the craze—bulk boundaries.     

The influence of skin depth on crack measurement by the ac field technique

A general solution is given to describe the ac field around surface-breaking cracks for arbitrary values of the ratio of skin depth δ to crack depthd. This solution allows accurate interpretation of crack depth from voltage readings taken by a Crack Microgauge instrument in cases where δ andd are comparable. It is shown to agree with asymptotic formulae obtained for the cases where δ/d is very small and very large. Provided that the probe length Δ is large compared with δ, the calculations show that a very good approximation to the crack depth may be obtained, irrespective of the ratio δ/d, by using the thin-skin asymptotic formula $$d = \frac{1}{2}\Delta (V_2 - V_1 )/V_1 $$ whereV ₁ andV ₂ are probe voltages registered at positions just off and across the crack, respectively. The problem is solved for a crack of infinite aspect ratio which has no opening, but it can be applied with confidence at the centerline of cracks of fairly large aspect ratio.     

Environmental life-cycle inventory of detergent-grade surfactant sourcing and production

Life-cycle inventories were compiled to characterize natural resource requirements and environmental emissions associated with the sourcing and production of selected, detergent-grade surfactants and surfactant feedstocks. Petrochemical surfactant types examined were linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, alcohol sulfate (AS), alcohol ethoxylate (AE) and alcohol ethoxylate sulfate (AES). Oleochemical surfactants derived from palm oil, palm kernel oil and inedible tallow were AS, AE, AES and (for palm oil and tallow) methyl ester sulfonate. It was determined that natural resource requirements were primarily related to the source of feedstock and secondarily to surfactant type. Likewise, the composition and mass of atmospheric, aqueous and solid emissions were principally determined by feedstock source. Energy requirements varied as a function of both feedstock and surfactant type. The inventories do not support fundamental shifts in surfactant usage or feedstock sourcing on the basis of environmental concerns, as no single surfactant or feedstock was identified as superior across all resource and emissions criteria examined. The data provide baselines for evaluating opportunities for resource optimization, pollution prevention and waste minimization within each production technology surveyed.     

The electroactive species in the catalysis of cyclohexadiene to benzene by Rh2(TM4) 4 +2 (TM4=2,5-diisocyano-2,5-dimethylhexane)

Upon further investigation of the recently reported electrocatalytic oxidation of 1,4-cyclohexadiene to benzene by Rh₂(TM4) ₄ ⁺² (TM4=2,5-diisocyano-2,5-dimethylhexane), we have obtained data which strongly implicates the 2e^– oxidized d⁷-d⁷ complex as the electroactive species. This contrasts with the original report which suggested that the le^– oxidized d⁷-d⁸ radical acted as the key species via hydrogen atom abstraction from 1,4-cyclohexadiene. A possible mechanism for the catalysis is proposed.     

Many-impurity effects in a weakly interacting Kondo system: Comparison of theory with experiment

The theory of the many-impurity Kondo system developed in a previous paper is coupled with a statistical model, using a phenomenological relationship between the magnetic susceptibility and the effective Kondo temperature, to obtain the magnetic susceptibility of a very dilute Kondo system well below the single-impurity Kondo temperature. We find that the magnetic susceptibility can be represented as arising from a single-impurity effect proportional to the impurity concentration c, another term proportional to c ², as well as a much smaller c ³ contribution. The coefficient of the c ² term in has an approximate Curie law behavior at sufficiently low temperatures. The detailed temperature and concentration dependence of is in very good quantitative agreement with experiment, and is the first theoretical explanation of the anomalous magnetic susceptibility for Cu-Fe below T _K. The modification of the susceptibility arises in the theory from the inhibition of the spin-compensated state by the impurity-impurity interaction. The latter renormalizes the ln T term even in the region of temperature where the system is magnetically completely disordered.Part of this work was supported by USAFOR, under contract 73-2430 during a summer visit at Yeshiva University.     

Directed evolution for the development of conformation-specific affinity reagents using yeast display

Yeast display is a powerful tool for increasing the affinity and thermal stability of scFv antibodies through directed evolution. Mammalian calmodulin (CaM) is a highly conserved signaling protein that undergoes structural changes upon Ca(2+) binding. In an attempt to generate conformation-specific antibodies for proteomic applications, a selection against CaM was undertaken. Flow cytometry-based screening strategies to isolate easily scFv recognizing CaM in either the Ca(2+)-bound (Ca(2+)-CaM) or Ca(2+)-free (apo-CaM) states are presented. Both full-length scFv and single-domain VH only clones were isolated. One scFv clone having very high affinity (K(d) = 0.8 nM) and specificity (>1000-fold) for Ca(2+)-CaM was obtained from de novo selections. Subsequent directed evolution allowed the development of antibodies with higher affinity (K(d) = 1 nM) and specificity (>300-fold) for apo-CaM from a parental single-domain clone with both a modest affinity and specificity for that particular isoform. CaM-binding activity was unexpectedly lost upon conversion of both conformation-specific clones into soluble fragments. However, these results demonstrate that conformation-specific antibodies can be quickly and easily isolated by directed evolution using the yeast display platform.     

A Computer-Based Brain Stimulation System to Investigate Sensory Prostheses for the Blind and Deaf

Electrical stimulation of the visual cortex of the brain results in punctate photic sensations called ``phosphenes.' This suggests the concept of producing artificial vision for the blind by implanting arrays of electrodes, producing scoreboard-like displays. Electrical stimulation of the cochlea, VIIIth nerve, and auditory cortex produces analogous auditory sensations called ``audenes,' which might be used to provide artificial hearing for the deaf.