Use of Qualitative Research to Generate a Function for Finding the Unit Cost of Software Test Cases

In this article, we demonstrate a novel use of case research to generate an empirical function through qualitative generalization. This innovative technique applies interpretive case analysis to the problem of defining and generalizing an empirical cost function for test cases through qualitative interaction with an industry cohort of subject matter experts involved in software testing at leading technology companies. While the technique is fully generalizable, this article demonstrates this technique with an example taken from the important field of software testing. The huge amount of software development conducted in today's world makes taking its cost into account imperative. While software testing is a critical aspect of the software development process, little attention has been paid to the cost of testing code, and specifically to the cost of test cases, in comparison to the cost of developing code. Our research fills the gap by providing a function for estimating the cost of test cases.

Aristotle’s Mixture in its Medical and Philosophical Background: The Hippocratic De victu and the Aristotelian De generatione et corruptione

Aristotle’s notion of qualitative interaction ruling both the process of mixture and the process of reciprocal elemental transmutation is based upon the idea of a physical contrariety endowed with two extremes and a wide central area where the opposite forces reach different equilibrium points (i.e., the so-called mixtures) or can be present to the fullest degree (in this case we do not have a mixture, but an element). Differently from previous scholarship which attributes this notion specifically to Aristotle, we have found, in a text which Aristotle seems to have been acquainted with, the Hippocratic De victu, an incipient structure of a contrariety endowed with extremes and a central area where opposite forces meet and yield respective equilibrium points, mixtures, which, as in Aristotle, give an account of the variety of beings existing in the world. In this article, we suggest the possibility that in the development of the Aristotelian thinking about elemental and qualitative dynamics, the Hippocratic De victu may have contributed to suggesting to Aristotle a way of envisioning the structure of his basic physical contrarieties.

Investigating Origins of Ventricular Arrhythmia Arising From Right Ventricular Outflow Tract and Comparing Initial Ablation Strategies

Background: The origin distribution in right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) ventricular arrhythmias (VAs), as well as the initial ablation effectiveness of reversed U-curve method and antegrade method, remains unclear.Objectives: To investigate the origin distribution of RVOT-type VAs and compare the initial ablation effectiveness of the two methods.Method: Consecutive patients who had idiopathic RVOT-type VAs were prospectively enrolled. After activation mapping, patients were randomly assigned to supravalvular strategy using the reversed U-curve or subvalvular strategy using the antegrade method. The primary outcome was initial ablation (IA) success, defined as the successful ablation within the first three attempts.Results: Sixty-one patients were enrolled from November 2018 to June 2020. Activation mapping revealed that 34/61 (55.7%) of the earliest ventricular activating (EVA) sites were above the pulmonary valves (PVs). The IA success rate was 25/33 (75.8%) in the patients assigned to supravalvular strategy as compared with 16/28 (57.1%) in those assigned to subvalvular strategy (p = 0.172). Multivariate analysis revealed a substantial and qualitative interaction between the EVA sites and IA strategies (pinteraction < 0.001). Either strategy had a remarkably higher IA success rate in treating its ipsilateral EVA sites than contralateral ones (p < 0.0083).Conclusion: Of the idiopathic RVOT-type VA origins, half were located above the PV. The supravalvular and subvalvular strategies did not differ in IA success rates. However, they were complementary to reveal the EVA sites and facilitate ipsilateral ablation, which produces a significantly higher IA success rate.Clinical Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry number, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=45623, ChiCTR2000029331.

Research on Contactless Bio-Signal Measurement Technology for Improving Social Awareness of Individuals with Communication Challenges

Youth and adults with autism spectrum disorder have poor skills such as communication, qualitative interaction, and emotional expression resulting in low social awareness. In this paper, we propose and explore a contactless bio-signal measurement and functional contents for improving social awareness of individuals with communication challenges. We implemented four individual methods for collecting and analyzing the bio data of the individuals without requiring their attention: (1) heart rate, (2) respiration, (3) facial expression, and (4) interaction. The four techniques are all based on image data received and analyzed from a normal web camera. The data were analyzed in a real-time, fully functional algorithm: implementing the algorithm on a mobile device will require future work. However, we have evaluated our method by developing a functional content including the four methods. Based on the analysis of the collected data from the content and qualitative responses from the field, the contactless bio-signal measurement technology combined with friendly designed user interfaces for the individuals with communication challenges could train them to improve their social awareness.

Investigating Origins of Ventricular Arrhythmia Arising from Right Ventricular Outflow Tract and Comparing Initial Ablation Strategies

Background The origin distribution of right-ventricular-outflow-tract (RVOT) ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) remains unclear. There is limited data on the ablation effectiveness of the reversed U-curve method compared with the antegrade method. Objectives To investigate the origin distribution of RVOT-type VAs and compare the ablation effectiveness of the two methods. Method Consecutive patients who had idiopathic RVOT-type VAs were prospectively enrolled. After activation mapping, patients were randomly assigned to supravalvular strategy using the reversed U-curve or subvalvular strategy using the antegrade method. The primary outcome was initial ablation (IA) success, defining as the successful ablation within the first three attempts. Results 61 patients were enrolled from November 2018 to June 2020. Activation mapping revealed 34/61 (55.7%) of the earliest ventricular activating (EVA) sites were above the pulmonary valves (PVs). The IA success rate was 25/33(75.8%) in the patients assigned to supravalvular strategy as compared with 16/28(57.1%) in those assigned to subvalvular strategy (P=0.172). Logistic regression revealed a substantial and qualitative interaction between the EVA sites and IA strategies (Pinteraction<0.001). For multiple-comparison, either strategy had a remarkably higher IA success rate in treating its ipsilateral EVA sites than contralateral ones (P<0.0083). Conclusion Of the idiopathic RVOT-type VA origins, half were located above the PV. The two strategies did not differ in the primary outcomes. However, they complement locating the EVA sites and facilitate ipsilateral ablation, which produces a significantly higher IA success rate. (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry number, ChiCTR2000029331)

Antiplatelets in patients with atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Dr. Benz reports a personal research grant from the German Heart Foundation (Deutsche Herzstiftung e.V.). Dr. Johansson reports personal unrestricted research grants from Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation (Hjärt-Lungfonden) and from Stockholm County Council (Region Stockholm). Dr. McIntyre holds a fellowship award from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR). Dr. Shoamanesh reports funding support from the Marta and Owen Boris Foundation and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Background/Introduction: There is an ongoing controversy surrounding the efficacy and safety of antiplatelet agents in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Purpose We aimed to systematically assess the effects of antiplatelets on stroke and other outcomes in patients with AF, both receiving oral anticoagulation or not. Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase and CENTRAL up until September 2020 to identify randomized trials allocating patients with AF to aspirin or a P2Y12 inhibitor, versus control. Where applicable, we obtained unpublished data from study authors. Random-effects models were applied for meta-analysis. Results Based on 21,518 patients from 18 randomized trials, there was no reduction in stroke with antiplatelet therapy (risk ratio [RR] 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76-1.04). There was a significant qualitative interaction according to whether patients were receiving concomitant oral anticoagulation or not (p &lt; 0.001). Without concomitant anticoagulation, antiplatelets reduced stroke (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.69-0.86), while they appeared to increase stroke with it (RR 1.33, 95% CI 0.98-1.79). A similar pattern emerged for ischaemic stroke. Antiplatelets increased major bleeding (RR 1.54, 95% CI 1.35-1.77) and intracranial haemorrhage (RR 1.64, 95% CI 1.20-2.24), and reduced myocardial infarction (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.65-0.94), consistently and irrespective of concomitant anticoagulation. Antiplatelets had a neutral effect on mortality (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.89-1.17). Conclusions Antiplatelet therapy did not reduce stroke and increased major bleeding in patients with AF. Antiplatelets did not affect mortality. Subgroup analysis suggests a reduction in stroke with antiplatelets in patients without concomitant oral anticoagulation, and a corresponding signal for harm in those with it. Abstract Figure.

Joint attention behaviour in remote collaborative problem solving: exploring different attentional levels in dyadic interaction

The current article describes an exploratory study that focussed on joint attention behaviour—the basis of interaction predicting productive collaboration—to better understand collaborative problem solving, particularly its social aspects during remote dyadic interaction. The study considered joint attention behaviour as a socio-linguistic phenomenon and relied on detailed qualitative interaction analysis on event-related measures of multiple observational data (i.e. log files, eye-tracking data). The aim was to illustrate and exemplify how the diverse attentional levels of joint attention behaviour (i.e. monitoring, common, mutual and shared attention) delineated by Siposova and Carpenter (Cognition 89:260–274, 2019) were achieved in remote collaborative problem solving in dyads, including the underlying basis of joint attention behaviour (i.e. individual attention experience). The results made visible the complex functioning of the social aspects of remote collaborative problem solving and provided preliminary insights into how the hierarchical and nested levels of ‘jointness’ and common knowledge were achieved in this context. The analysis reproduced all the theorised attentional levels as both isolated and parallel individualistic attention experiences whilst acknowledging the restrictions of the remote interaction environment and the specific task structures.

Assessing the predation function via quantitative and qualitative interaction components

Interactions among organisms can be defined by two main features: a quantitative component (i.e. frequency of occurrence) and a qualitative component (i.e. success of the interaction).Measuring properly these two components at the community level, can provide a good estimate of the ecosystem functions mediated by biotic interactions. Although this approach has been frequently applied to evaluate the eco-evolutionary consequences of mutualistic relationships, it has never been extended to the predation function and the associated pest control ecosystem service.Here, we introduce a simple measure that accounts for the quantitative and the qualitative components of predation interactions, and facilitates a precise characterization of this ecosystem function at the community level, while accounting for variations at species and individual levels.This measure arises as a fine indicator of predation pressure, and provides great opportunities to better understand how different components of predation and pest control potential vary across environmental gradients.

Use of Qualitative Research to Generate a Function for Finding the Unit Cost of Software Test Cases

In this article, we demonstrate a novel use of case research to generate an empirical function through qualitative generalization. This innovative technique applies interpretive case analysis to the problem of defining and generalizing an empirical cost function for test cases through qualitative interaction with an industry cohort of subject matter experts involved in software testing at leading technology companies. While the technique is fully generalizable, this article demonstrates this technique with an example taken from the important field of software testing. The huge amount of software development conducted in today's world makes taking its cost into account imperative. While software testing is a critical aspect of the software development process, little attention has been paid to the cost of testing code, and specifically to the cost of test cases, in comparison to the cost of developing code. Our research fills the gap by providing a function for estimating the cost of test cases.