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Abstract: Concept location, the problem of associating human oriented concepts with their counterpart solution domain concepts, is a fundamental problem that lies at the heart of software comprehension. Recent research has attempted to alleviate the impact of the concept location problem through the application of methods drawn from the information retrieval (IR) community. Here we present a new approach based on a complimentary IR method which also has a sound basis in cognitive theory. We compare our approach to related work through an experiment and present our conclusions. This research adapts and expands upon existing language modelling frameworks in IR for use in concept location, in software systems. In doing so it is novel in that it leverages implicit information available in system documentation. Surprisingly, empirical evaluation of this approach showed little performance benefit overall and several possible explanations are forwarded for this finding.

Microservices architecture has gained significant traction, in part owing to its potential to deliver scalable, robust, agile, and failure-resilient software products. Consequently, many companies that use large and complex software systems are actively looking for automated solutions to decompose their monolith applications into microservices. This paper rigorously examines 35 research papers selected from well-known databases using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) protocol and snowballing method, extracting data to answer the research questions, and presents the following four contributions. First, the Monolith to Microservices Decomposition Framework (M2MDF) which identifies the major phases and key elements of decomposition. Second, a detailed analysis of existing decomposition approaches, tools and methods. Third, we identify the metrics and datasets used to evaluate and validate monolith to microservice decomposition processes. Fourth, we propose areas for future research. Overall, the findings suggest that monolith decomposition into microservices remains at an early stage and there is an absence of methods for combining static, dynamic, and evolutionary data. Insufficient tool support is also in evidence. Furthermore, standardised metrics, datasets, and baselines have yet to be established. These findings can assist practitioners seeking to understand the various dimensions of monolith decomposition and the community's current capabilities in that endeavour. The findings are also of value to researchers looking to identify areas to further extend research in the monolith decomposition space.

•Dominant ways of considering responsibility in software engineering can create injustice and deflect and diffuse responsibility.•Infrastructural injustice illustrates the harms that are sometimes (unwittingly) created by software enabled structures and creates oppression and domination.•Unpacking the infrastructural processes that lead to injustice is an important process for software engineers and the public to consider as we face entanglement of software and technologies that impact our daily lives.•Collective action to address infrastructural justice is necessary and involves software engineering becoming engaged with new alliances for responsibility.•Open-source communities and freelance software platforms are new spaces where software mediated injustice can occur, which extends the remit of RSE into new spaces.

Background The unprecedented increase in critically ill patients due to the COVID-19 pandemic mandated rapid training in critical care for redeployed staff to work safely in intensive care units (ICU).Methods The COVID-19 ICU Remote-Learning Course (CIRLC) is a remote delivery course developed in response to the pandemic. This was a one-day course focused on the fundamentals of Intensive Care. The course used blended learning with recorded lectures and interactive tutorials delivered by shielding and frontline ICU trained professionals. The course was developed within one week and piloted at three NHS Trusts. It was then made publicly available free of charge to redeployed healthcare professionals across the UK and Ireland. An iterative cycle of improvement was used to update the course content weekly. A course confidence questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative questions was used to evaluate effectiveness. Data is reported as n (%), means (SD) and thematic analysis was used for the open questions.Results 1,269 candidates from 171 organisations completed the course, with 99 volunteer trainers. 96% of respondents rated the course as very or extremely useful. 86% rated the online platform as excellent. Overall confidence improved from 2.7/5 to 3.9/5. Qualitative data showed that the course was pitched at the appropriate level, accessible and built clinicians confidence to work in intensive care.Conclusion This model of educational delivery with a rapid iteration cycle was a pragmatic, effective solution to knowledge-based training under social distancing measures. Whilst full course evaluation was not possible, we believe that this work demonstrates practical guidance on educational response in a pandemic as well as highlighting the altruistic nature of the critical care community.

Feature Location (FL) is a core software maintenance activity that aims to locate observable functionalities in the source code. Given its key role in software change, a vast array of Feature Location Techniques (FLTs) have been proposed but, as more and more FLTs are introduced, the selection of an appropriate FLT is an increasingly difficult problem. One consideration is the characteristics of the features being sought. For example, in the code associated with the feature, programmers may have named identifiers consistently, and with meaningful naming conventions, or not, and this may impact on the suitability of different FLTs. The suggestion that such characteristics matter has implicit support in the literature: An analysis of existing FLT empirical studies reveals that the system under study can often have a stronger impact on FLT performance than differing FLTs themselves. To understand this interaction between feature characteristics and FLTs better, this paper proposes a suite of feature-characteristic metrics that are postulated to control FLTs’ performance, holistically across FLTs and impacting on individual FLTs to different degrees. To evaluate the suite, a controlled experiment is performed, using 878 features, to probe the relationship between the metrics and the performance of four FTL techniques: three commonly-used techniques and one state-of-the-art technique. The evaluation is performed using four commonly used evaluation measures and extended by employing 41 other established source-code metrics as extraneous variables. Results of the empirical evaluation suggest that the feature-metric suite presented impacts FLT performance holistically, and impacts different FLTs to different degrees. Thus, this paper moves towards the more standard selection of appropriate FLTs, with respect to the prominent feature characteristics in the software systems under study, and more rigorous consideration of the features selected to compare FLTs.

Large-scale software development is a sociotechnical activity only bounded by human imagination, ingenuity, and creativity. It involves teams of developers progressing by coordinating their activities and communicating their bottlenecks, goals, and advancements toward the wider goal of creating large, high-quality software systems. The stakeholders they serve are diverse (for example, clients, infrastructure providers, open source communities, project managers, and regulatory authorities), and often they have many competing, implicit requirements. But, as the political and legal implications of algorithms and data (https://harvardmagazine.com/2000/01/code-is-law-html) increasingly affect society, it is imperative that the systems the developers build are high quality in terms of accurately embodying all of those requirements.

Necessity has been the mother of invention in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, triggering many an innovation, often without the luxury of time to test these makeshift solutions to pressing problems. But there is much to be learned from times of crisis for times of plenty.

Spreadsheets are commonly used to inform decision making across many business sectors, despite the fact that research performed in the financial sector has shown that they are quite error-prone. However, few studies have investigated spreadsheet errors and their impact in other domains, like the healthcare sector. This article derives a lifecycle-stage classification scheme of spreadsheet error types based on an aggregation of, and extension of, existing classifications. Based on these classifications, a case study is then presented, performed to investigate the prevalence of these spreadsheet error types in an Irish healthcare setting. Results reveal that more than 90% of the spreadsheets studied contained ‘bottom-line' errors and the average cell-error rate was 13%. There was also a correlation between increased perceived impact of the spreadsheets and the number of errors identified. Recommendations from this research include providing spreadsheet training and guidelines for developers and users, and systematically managing and auditing spreadsheet development and use.

Patients with tuberculosis admitted to the intensive care unit represent a small (1–3%) yet significant subset of the global tuberculosis burden. This article reviews current evidence supporting the diagnosis and management of patients with tuberculosis admitted to an intensive care unit from a combination of cohort studies and national and international tuberculosis guidelines. This review considers admission, diagnosis, mechanical ventilation, infection control, treatment and prognosis of patients with tuberculosis admitted to an intensive care unit. It highlights both diagnostic and management challenges and areas where ambiguity remains and further evidence is required.

For the last several years, VAF has been the very fortunate beneficiary of significant financial support from a wonderful anonymous donor. If you haven't "friended" VAF yet on your favorite social media sites, be sure to do so to see the terrific #VAF work being done by Melanie Fuechsel, with support from Paula Mohr and Margaret Grubiak. The board conversations have also indicated a desire to help VAF members promulgate new findings through both traditional and newer digital media. [Extracted from the article]

As always, there are many things happening at VAF, and thislong-awaited newsletter will give you just a hint at ouractivity. Instructors Michael (a faculty member from nearby WashingtonCollege) and Janet (who has completed significant work onmaritime and African American landscapes near Delaware Bay)were ideal leaders of the project. I had a great visit to the location of our first researchproject, led by VAF veterans Michael Chiarappa and JanetSheridan, which took place in July in the tiny hamlet ofBellevue on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. [Extracted from the article]

ABSTRACTSalmonella entericais a human pathogen with over 2,500 serovars characterized. S. entericaserovars Choleraesuis and Paratyphi C are two globally distributed serovars. We have developed a rapid molecular-typing method to detect serovars Choleraesuis and Paratyphi C in food samples by using a comparative-genomics approach to identify regions unique to each serovar from the sequenced genomes. A Salmonella-specific primer pair based on oriCwas designed as an internal control to establish accuracy, sensitivity, and reproducibility. Serovar-specific primer sets based on regions of difference between serovars Choleraesuis and Paratyphi C were designed for real-time PCR assays. Three primer sets were used to screen a collection of over 100 Salmonellastrains, and both serovars Choleraesuis and Paratyphi C gave unique amplification patterns. To develop the technique for practical use, its sensitivity for detection of Salmonellaspp. in a food matrix was determined by spiking experiments. The technique was also adapted for a real-time PCR rapid-detection assay for both serovars Choleraesuis and Paratyphi C that complements the current procedures for Salmonellasp. isolation and serotyping.

Continuing to develop software from scratch will not be feasible indefinitely. Reusing existing software would seem to be a viable solution to this problem. The paradigm of component-based development (CBD) explicitly accounts for reuse in its process. Unfortunately the majority of existing software systems are not implemented using CBD, thus reusing portions of this software using CBD becomes difficult. Reengineering and maintenance research contains a plethora of software analysis and restructuring techniques that could be used to help us exploit legacy applications for reuse. This thesis focuses on two such techniques and combines variations of them for the purpose of component recovery: A feature location technique called Software Reconnaissance and a design recovery technique called Software Reflexion Modelling. Their combination is called "Component Reconn-exion." We describe the technique, highlight results and evaluation to date and finally discuss further work necessary to complete our contribution as a PhD. thesis.

I am very excited aboutthis new opportunity to explore African American landscapes- many thanks to the members of the program committee and tothe many teams who worked to develop proposals for ourMellon African American Fieldwork Initiative! One of the most exciting chapters in VAF history is openingnow as we prepare to launch our VAF/UVa African Americanfieldwork program funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.VAF members have always been at the forefront ofinvestigating Black landscapes, particularly in theinterpretation of how enslaved Africans and theirdescendants lived in the American South. Louis says he discussed a wide range of proposals withprospective field schools, from the deep South to theMidwest and urban North, and on subjects that varied fromFreedom Communities negotiating new political realitiesafter the Civil War to early twentieth century sites inwhich African Americans were establishing a Black middleclass. [Extracted from the article]

The author relates his experience of curating the exhibition "The Art of Photography: From Plate Camera to Computer," featuring the works of Digital Imaging Group members. Royal Photographic Society president Rosemary Wilman approved the use of its Collection house at the National Media Museum in England. He admits that selecting images from the collection was not easy because of intellectual property. They choose the Robert Phillips gallery at Riverhouse because of its natural light and moveable screens.

During routine sampling of bulk raw milk on a dairy farm, the pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogeneswas found to be a contaminant, at numbers < 100 cfu/ml. A strain with an indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern was isolated from the bulk milk two months later. Environmental swabs taken at the dairy environment were negative for the presence of L. monocytogenes, indicating a possible case of excretion of the L. monocytogenesdirectly into the milk. Milk samples were collected from the individual cows and analysed, resulting in the identification of L. monocytogenesexcretion (at 280 cfu/ml) from one of the 4 mammary quarters of one dairy cow out of 180. When the infected cow was isolated from the herd, no L. monocytogeneswas detected from the remaining herd. The pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern of the strain from the individual cow was indistinguishable from that originally isolated from the bulk milk. The infected cow did not show any clinical signs of disease, nor did the appearance of the milk have any physical abnormalities. Antibiotic treatment of the infected mammary quarter was found to be ineffective. This study shows that there can be risks associated with direct contamination of raw milk with L. monocytogenes.