Some new models of software testing with performance comparisons

Two models of software testing, developed previously by T. Downs (see IEEE Trans. Software Eng., vol.SE-11, no.4, p.375-86, 1985, and IEEE Trans. Software Eng., vol.SE-12, no.9, p.979-87, 1986), are generalized to incorporate a greater degree of realism. This generalization leads to three new models. A fourth model, which has been developed using a different line of reasoning, is also presented. The performance of these models as reliability predictors is assessed by applying them to 16 sets of failure data collected from various software development projects. Comparisons of performance are made with the two earlier models and with two variants of the model of B. Littlewood and L. Verall (1973). Three distinct measurers of performance are employed. The performance of the new models is generally superior to that of the older models with one model showing outstanding performance under all three measures     

A survey of clinical psychology training in Canadian federal corrections: Implications for psychologist recruitment and retention.

Although survey results seem to indicate an abundant interest among Canadian psychology graduate students in pursuing training in criminal justice psychology, the recruitment and retention of psychologists in the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has been of some concern. The present study is a 2008 survey of sites within CSC that provide opportunities for clinical psychology training with offender clientele. Survey findings demonstrated that a broad range of clinical psychology training opportunities were available across 16 sites. The most frequently cited barrier to providing training was lack of time by prospective trainers, and sites reported retaining relatively few of their trainees for subsequent psychologist positions. Information was also obtained regarding vacant psychologist positions across CSC regions. In light of survey findings, substantive discussion is devoted toward the issues of psychologist recruitment and retention in Canadian federal corrections, including a discussion of both potential and existing training initiatives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Enzymatic de-glycosylation of rutin improves its antioxidant and antiproliferative activities

Bioavailability and biological properties of flavonoid glycosides can be improved after the enzymatic hydrolysis of specific glycosyl groups. In this study, we evaluate the antioxidant and antiproliferative potential of rutin after enzymatic hydrolysis performed by α-l-rhamnosidases (hesperidinase from Penicillium sp. and naringinase from Penicillium decumbens) previously heated at 70 °C for 30 min to inactivate the undesirable β-d-glucosidase activity. The highest in vitro antioxidant activity determined by DPPH radical scavenging was achieved with rutin hydrolyzed by hesperidinase. Rutin was predominantly bioconverted into quercetin-3-glucoside. There was no statistical difference between xanthine oxidase inhibition by rutin before and after hydrolysis. However, in vitro inhibitory activity against ten human tumor cell lines showed that hydrolyzed rutin exerted a more potent antiproliferative effect than quercetin and rutin on various cancer cell lines, specially glioma, and ovarian and breast adenocarcinomas. These results indicate that quercetin-3-glucoside could be a promising functional derivative obtained by rutin hydrolysis.     

U.S. Food safety and Inspection Service testing for Salmonella in selected raw meat and poultry products in the United States, 1998 through 2003: an establishment-level analysis

The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) pathogen reduction-hazard analysis critical control point systems final rule, published in 1996, established Salmonella performance standards for broiler chicken, cow and bull, market hog, and steer and heifer carcasses and for ground beef, chicken, and turkey meat. In 1998, the FSIS began testing to verify that establishments are meeting performance standards. Samples are collected in sets in which the number of samples is defined but varies according to product class. A sample set fails when the number of positive Salmonella samples exceeds the maximum number of positive samples allowed under the performance standard. Salmonella sample sets collected at 1,584 establishments from 1998 through 2003 were examined to identify factors associated with failure of one or more sets. Overall, 1,282 (80.9%) of establishments never had failed sets. In establishments that did experience set failure(s), generally the failed sets were collected early in the establishment testing history, with the exception of broiler establishments where failure(s) occurred both early and late in the course of testing. Small establishments were more likely to have experienced a set failure than were large or very small establishments, and broiler establishments were more likely to have failed than were ground beef, market hog, or steer-heifer establishments. Agency response to failed Salmonella sample sets in the form of in-depth verification reviews and related establishment-initiated corrective actions have likely contributed to declines in the number of establishments that failed sets. A focus on food safety measures in small establishments and broiler processing establishments should further reduce the number of sample sets that fail to meet the Salmonella performance standard.     

Extraction of phenolic compounds from fresh leaves: A comparison of methods

The conventional sonicator/shaker bath method for phenolic extraction was compared with a less traditional one using a homogenizer. The homogenizer proved to be both more efficient and consistent in extracting phenolics from tender, as well as tough, leaves. We propose that adoption of the homogenizer technique will increase phenolic yield and efficiency.     

Premarin Reduces Neurodegeneration and Promotes Improvement of Function in an Animal Model of Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes significant mortality and morbidity. Currently, no FDA-approved pharmacotherapy is available for treating SCI. Previously, low doses of estrogen (17β-estradiol, E2) were shown to improve the post-injury outcome in a rat SCI model. However, the range of associated side effects makes advocating its therapeutic use difficult. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the therapeutic efficacy of Premarin (PRM) in SCI. PRM is an FDA-approved E2 (10%) formulation, which is used for hormone replacement therapy with minimal risk of serious side effects. The effects of PRM on SCI were examined by magnetic resonance imaging, immunofluorescent staining, and western blot analysis in a rat model. SCI animals treated with vehicle alone, PRM, E2 receptor antagonist (ICI), or PRM + ICI were graded in a blinded way for locomotor function by using the Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor scale. PRM treatment for 7 days decreased post-SCI lesion volume and attenuated neuronal cell death, inflammation, and axonal damage. PRM also altered the balance of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins in favor of cell survival and improved angiogenesis and microvascular growth. Increased expression of estrogen receptors (ERs) ERα and ERβ following PRM treatment and their inhibition by ER inhibitor indicated that the neuroprotection associated with PRM treatment might be E2-receptor mediated. The attenuation of glial activation with decreased inflammation and cell death, and increased angiogenesis by PRM led to improved functional outcome as determined by the BBB locomotor scale. These results suggest that PRM treatment has significant therapeutic implications for the improvement of post-SCI outcome.     

Targeting Endothelial Connexin37 Reduces Angiogenesis and Decreases Tumor Growth

Connexin37 (Cx37) and Cx40 form intercellular channels between endothelial cells (EC), which contribute to the regulation of the functions of vessels. We previously documented the participation of both Cx in developmental angiogenesis and have further shown that loss of Cx40 decreases the growth of different tumors. Here, we report that loss of Cx37 reduces (1) the in vitro proliferation of primary human EC; (2) the vascularization of subcutaneously implanted matrigel plugs in Cx37−/− mice or in WT using matrigel plugs supplemented with a peptide targeting Cx37 channels; (3) tumor angiogenesis; and (4) the growth of TC-1 and B16 tumors, resulting in a longer mice survival. We further document that Cx37 and Cx40 function in a collaborative manner to promote tumor growth, inasmuch as the injection of a peptide targeting Cx40 into Cx37−/− mice decreased the growth of TC-1 tumors to a larger extent than after loss of Cx37. This loss did not alter vessel perfusion, mural cells coverage and tumor hypoxia compared to tumors grown in WT mice. The data show that Cx37 is relevant for the control of EC proliferation and growth in different tumor models, suggesting that it may be a target, alone or in combination with Cx40, in the development of anti-tumoral treatments.     

Exploring the biomechanics of walking and crowd “flow”

Crowd movement simulation models are generally based on aggregated speed and flow data collected more than 50 years ago. There appears to be no validated modelling capability to include the impact of recent and future changes in population demographics, resulting from an ageing population and increasing obesity rates. New analytical approaches and data gathering are required to successfully model crowd movement and safety for current and future generations. This study carried out (a) a review of the primary components of crowd movement, demographics and analytical techniques, (b) prototype experiments to investigate age-related aspects of space and potential points of contact and (c) a new predictive model for crowd flow analysis based on pedestrian biomechanics and anthropometric data. The model uses the physical space taken up by the biomechanical walking process and the spatial buffer between points of potential contact with other pedestrians to predict the speed of movement at different levels of congestion. The new analytical model was used to predict single file speeds (for people with different demographics in congested space), which compared well with published experimental data. The next steps for model development for wider “flows” and additional experiments to provide data sets for wider demographics are also proposed.     

Zinc supplementation of Friesian cows: Effect on chemical-nutritional composition and aromatic profile of dairy products

Zinc represents an essential microelement for several biochemical mechanisms. The body's inability to store zinc necessarily requires a constant dietary supply to avoid alteration of physiological functions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary enrichment with zinc on chemical-nutritional and aromatic properties of milk and cheese. Thirty commercial dairy cows, balanced for parity, milk production, and days in milk, were randomly assigned to 2 groups. The control group was fed with a conventional complete diet (22 kg of dry matter/animal per day), whereas the experimental group received a daily zinc supplementation of 60 mg per kg of dry complete feed. During the experimental period, the milk yield was monitored and samples of milk and caciotta cheese were collected to obtain information about the chemical-nutritional composition and aromatic profile. Dietary zinc integration did not influence milk yield and composition, but induced a marked reduction of somatic cell count and improved the oxidative stability of ripened caciotta cheese. In both milk and cheese, the experimental group samples were characterized by a lower concentration of saturated fatty acids and an increase in oleic acid, vaccenic acid, and rumenic acid. The aromatic profile of dairy products was also positively affected by dietary zinc intake, with an increase in concentration of carboxylic acids, aldehydes, and esters. The present results suggest a positive role of zinc in improving animal health and nutraceutical properties of milk and corresponding cheese. Taking into account the analysis of volatile compounds, zinc dietary supplementation of dairy cows should contribute to the production of cheeses with interesting organoleptic properties, although more studies are necessary to confirm the consumer acceptability of these changes.     

Rheological Properties of Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice (FCOJ) as a Function of Concentration and Subzero Temperatures

Data on flow properties of Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice (FCOJ) produced from oranges cv. Pera-Rio (65.04 °Brix, 8.8% w/w pulp content, 2.5% w/w pectin, 3.84% citric acid, 1.293 g cm^?3) from ?18 to 0°C were fitted with appropriate predictive models. The power law model was found to be the most appropriate to fit the flow curves obtained for FCOJ between 46.56 and 65.04 °Brix. In higher concentrations, thixotropy was observed and showed more temperature dependence. A single equation combining Arrhenius and exponential relationships was applied to describe the temperature effect and shear rate on the quantity of breakdown of FCOJ.