The maintainability of the system deteriorates since wide use of class-based components. Theoretically, researchers have dedicated their work on addressing the common problems of Class Components as: Huge components, Duplicated logic and Complex patterns. Recently, replacing the Class Components by converting to Functions is expected as a solution to eradicate such problems.  In fact, we still lack the practical paradigm to guide the conversion projects. Furthermore, the adoption of the solution is based on the code quality improvements assessed on the newly generated functional codebase in a practical environment.   Based on their Web platform, Glodon company provided the codebase conversion from Class to Functions with support of React-Hooks techniques. Thereafter, in this research, a design science study was employed as the main methodology to build a set of guidelines to conduct the conversion project. By application of the guideline and observing the data output from the Glodon project, the researcher studied the feasibility and effectiveness of the conversion from Class to Functions in a practical environment.      Aslo, other methodologies were conducted to help collect the data and understand the research questions: an interview was used to identify the pain points of the class-based code; the code review and open discussion with the developers were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the code conversion. In the end, the examples and the consideration output in the project were analyzed and summarized for optimizing the conversion guideline which was evaluated by a survey and will contribute to other developers for their future conversion practice.

This thesis deals with component software, software frameworks for the Eclipse platform and the creation of a graphical editor for designing component systems with the usage of the Eclipse platform. After introducing the conception of UML component diagram, it describes the overview of component software, components and component technologies of major players on ground of component software: OMG, Sun, Microsoft. A significant part is dedicated to software frameworks for the Eclipse platform for manipulating with meta models. EMF, GEF and GMF are described in more detail. The main part presents the design, implementation and evaluation of a graphical editor for designing component systems with emphasis on understandability and good arrangement.

Background: In today's society, the rapid growth of online shopping among consumers has resulted in the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence powered chatbots by businesses. Despite this, previous research has not focused on where customers place their attitudes towards AI-powered chatbots in e-commerce. The ABC model of attitudes, which includes affective, behavioral, and cognitive components was used to examine how attitudes are formed towards AI-powered chatbots. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore consumers' attitudes towards AI-powered chatbots utilized in e-commerce. Methodology: Because the study has an exploratory and inductive approach, a qualitative research strategy was selected. It was determined to use a generic purposive sampling in which ten participants were chosen as part of Generation Z. A semi-structured interview was conducted in which questions were posed regarding the ABC model and the characteristics of AI-powered chatbots. To analyze how attitudes are formed and what they are, grounded theory was used to code the interviews to established consumer attitudes categories. Findings: The findings demonstrate that consumers' attitudes towards AI-powered chatbots used in e-commerce varied from being positive, negative, or mixed. This is due to the factors that contributed to the formation of attitudes.

The component-driven approach in software development has become a favored approach when developing web applications. Developing and maintaining components are central when using the component-driven approach and it has a lot of advantages. On the other hand, developing and maintaining the components within an Integrated Development Environment can be challenging due to the lack of a visual overview of the components in extensive projects. A component playground could address this issue through its features such as implementing components in isolation that could make the development more efficient and productive in different areas. With that said, it can improve the Developer Experience which is also an understudied area.  This project aims to investigate how a component playground affects the Developer Experience focusing on component creation, development workflow, and overview of the component library. Furthermore, how the integration of a component playground in the Software Development Life Cycle affects the Developer Experience. The chosen methodology was primarily user tests of an implemented web application with the component playground Storybook integrated into it. Besides the user tests, a literature review and interviews were made to support the results of the user tests. The data from the user test were used to answer the research question and the four hypotheses of this project. The results from the user test showed that the overall Developer Experience and the overview of the component library were improved using a component playground, especially for less experienced developers. It also showed a strong indication of improved component creation and more efficient development workflow.  To conclude the Developer Experience is improved by using a component playground. However, it is important to analyze each project and developer's needs. Future research could explore a component playground's long-term effects in real projects. Furthermore, there is a lack of how to measure Developer Experience which could also be investigated.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty is used as the treatment for arthritic rotator cuff deficient shoulders. Some of the most common complications of a reverse shoulder arthroplasty are scapular notching, glenoid dissociations, glenohumeral dislocation, loosening or dissociation of the humeral component and nerve injury. Clinical outcomes are dependent on the preoperative diagnosis, the function of the deltoid and remaining rotator cuff muscles, biomechanical design of the prosthesis, and the orientation and placement of the reverse shoulder component. This study aims to optimize the patient-specific placement of a reverse shoulder component. A simulation software package was developed that can be used to determine the optimal placement of the reverse shoulder prosthesis for a specific patient. This is achieved by maximizing the humerothoracic range of motion and minimizing the adduction deficit. The motion of the simulation model is driven by shoulder complex motion equations adjusted for each patient. This data was obtained from literature with the motion of the arm fixed to the coronal, scapular and sagittal elevation planes. The influence of the various components of the Tornier Aequalis® - Reversed II system, together with changing the glenoid component inclination and humeral component retroversion, was investigated. This allowed the simulation software to be verified and validated, as well as applying the insight and knowledge gained to a case study. Further simulations evaluated a design change of the humeral component neck-shaft angle from the standard 155 ° to 145 ° or 165 °. The reverse shoulder simulation software provides accurate patient-specific Three Dimensional (3D) pre-operative planning and shoulder complex motion simulation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Omgekeerde volledige skouerartoplastie word as behandeling van ontsteking in gewrigsomhulsel-aangetaste skouers gebruik. Onder die algemeenste komplikasies van 'n omgekeerde skouergewrig-operasie is kepe in die skouerblad (skapulier), lostrekkings of onthegting van die gewrigskom (glenoïede), ontwrigting van die boarm/skouergewrig, die loskom of onthegting van die boarmbeen en beskadiging van senuwees. Mediese resultate is afhanklik van diagnose voor die operasie, die werking van die driehoekspier (deltoïede) en oorblywende draaispiere, die biomeganiese ontwerp van die prostese en die oriëntasie en plasing van die omgekeerde skouerkomponent. Hierdie studie is gemik op die beste pasiënt-spesifieke plasing van die omgekeerde skouerkomponent. Die simulasie-sagtewarepakket wat ontwikkel is, kan gebruik word om die optimale plasing van die omgekeerde skouerprostese in die geval van 'n spesifieke pasiënt te bepaal. Dit word gedoen deur die bewegingsvermoë van die bo-armbeen te maksimaliseer en die gebrekkige werking van die trekspiere te minimaliseer. Die werking van die simulasiemodel word gedryf deur die beweging van skouerkomponente te vergelyk, aangepas vir elke pasiënt. Hierdie data is verkry uit literatuur en die koppeling van die arm se beweging aan die belangrikste, skouerblad- en sagittale elevasievlakke. Die invloed van die onderskeie komponente van die Tornier Aequalis® - Reversed II-stelsel is saam met die verandering van die gewrigskom-komponent se helling en bo-armkomponent se terugstoting ondersoek. Sodoende kon die simulasie-sagteware nagegaan, bevestig en geldig verklaar word; en die insig en kennis wat verkry is op 'n gevallestudie toegepas word. Met verdere simulasies is 'n ontwerpwysiging ge- ëvalueer waar die skouerkomponent se beenpyphoek vanaf die standaard van 155° na 145° of 165° verander is. Die omgekeerde skouersimulasiesagteware maak akkurate pasiëntspesifieke driedimensionele (3D) beplanning voor 'n operasie en simulasie van die bewegings skouerdele moontlik.

In modern China, air pollution has become an essential environmental problem. Over the last 2 years, the air pollution problem, as measured by PM 2.5 (particulate matter) is getting worse. My report aims to carry out a longitudinal data analysis of the air quality index (AQI) in 3 main economic zones in China. Longitudinal data, or repeated measures data, can be viewed as multilevel data with repeated measurements nested within individuals. I arrive at some conclusions about why the 3 areas have different AQI, mainly attributed to factors like population, GDP, temperature, humidity, and other factors like whether the area is inland or by the sea. The residual variance is partitioned into a between-zone component (the variance of the zone-level residuals) and a within-zone component (the variance of the city-level residuals). The zone residuals represent unobserved zone characteristics that affect AQI. In this report, the model building is mainly according to the sequence described by West et al (2007) with respect to the bottom-up procedures and the reference by Singer, J. D., & Willett, J. B (2003) which includes the non-linear situations. This report also compares the quartic curve model with piecewise growth model with respect to this data. The final model I reached is a piece wise model with time-level and zone-level predictors and also with temperature by time interactions. / text

一如個人電腦(PC)、筆記型電腦(NB)等硬體產業走向分工製造模式之際，近年來，台灣的軟體產業也試圖建置起一個完善的分工體系，以收專業化的實效；故現階段大型軟體專案的開發漸以多人、異地的團隊，在共同的軟體基礎架構上來進行。軟體業者分工的想法和硬體業者如出一轍，但在發展成果尚有一段的差距；透過Web Service技術，現階段之研究已能初步建立起以軟體元件為基礎之軟體產業的水平分工整合模式，然而在軟體元件的管理上（如元件的儲存、搜尋及檢索等)，仍有很大的改善空間。 採行軟體元件分工模式來組裝、開發資訊系統，意味著系統整合廠商需能方便地取得符合其功能需求之軟體元件。基於此，若能建置一元件儲存庫，並提供完善的儲存、搜尋及檢索機制以提供系統整合廠商找尋其所需元件，應能提升軟體元件分工的成效。而一個良好的元件儲存庫應具備一系列完善的綱要(Schema)，用來進行元件分類，並詳述儲存於元件庫內之元件的特性。 本研究之目的即在於發展出一個能支援軟體產業分工的軟體元件管理模式；以元件式軟體供應鏈水平整合為基礎，提出一軟體元件之分類綱要，及知識導向之元件儲存庫架構來儲存、搜尋、並檢索適用的軟體元件，同時，也期望透過元件知識推論專家系統的發展，來提升元件檢索之效益。另一方面，元件選擇流程中的元件評估階段也是本研究所要探討的主題。 / In recent years, the software industry in Taiwan attempts to build a complete system of division of labor to obtain the effectiveness of specialization as the computer hardware industry did in implementing the mechanism of supply chain management successfully. The idea of software component supply chain is similar to the concept of supply chain model of hardware industry. Although some models of horizontal integration of software industry have already been proposed, management mechanisms of software components are seldom considered in these models (ex: storage, searching, and retrieval). To effectively adopt the software component supply chain to achieve the horizontal division of labor, the system integration (SI) companies should be able to access software components, which conform to their functional requirements, conveniently. Therefore, if we can develop a component repository and a mechanism for storing, searching and retrieving the components in the repository. The purpose of this research is to develop a software component management model, which can support the division of labor in software component supply chain, based on the component-based software industry horizontal integration. Firstly, we will propose a descriptive schema to describe and to classify the software components. Secondly, we will use this schema to design a knowledge-based component repository, which is used for storing, searching and retrieving suitable software components. Also, we develop an expert system for inferring component knowledge in order to improve the performance of component retrieving. Finally, the component evaluation in the process of component selection will be important subjects to be addressed in this research.

In our study we identify dominant hydroclimatic variables and large-scale patterns that lead to high streamflow events in the Santa Cruz, Salt, and Verde River in Arizona for the period 1979-2009 using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). We used winter (Nov - March) data from the USGS daily streamflow database and 11 variables from the North American Reanalysis (NARR) database, in addition to weather maps from the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (HPC). Using streamflow data, we identify precipitation events that led to the highest 98th percentile of daily streamflow events and find dominant hydroclimatic variables associated with these events. We find that upper level winds and moisture fluxes are dominant variables that characterize events. The dominant mode for all three basins is associated with frontal systems, while the second mode is associated with cut-off upper level low pressure systems. Our goal is to provide forecasting agencies with tools to improve flood forecasting practices.

Methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins MCPs can bind one or more receptor- specific ligands. In the case of the Tar MCP of Escherichia coli (TarEc), a primary attractant ligand is aspartate. Its binding to the periplasmic domain of Tar generates a conformational change that is transmitted via helix 4 transmembrane helix 2 (TM2). An inward movement of TM2 initiates a transmembrane signal to the cytoplasmic HAMP (histidine kinases, adenyl cyclases, methyl-accepting proteins, phosphatases) domain. Baseline CheA kinase-stimulating activity and ligand-induced responses are both strongly influenced by residues at the C-terminus of transmembrane helix 2 (TM2). The cytoplasmic aromatic anchor, composed of residues Trp-209 and Tyr-210 in TarEc, is of particular importance. These residues are not highly conserved among transmembrane receptors having a HAMP domain, although there are almost always some aromatic residues in this region. The question thus becomes what properties of this aromatic anchor are necessary for proper signal transduction. In this dissertation, I studied the effect on TarEc function by substituting all possible combinations of Ala, Phe, Tyr, and Trp at positions 209 and 210. This library of TarEc variants allowed the direct assessment of the effect of the residue composition of the aromatic anchor and led to a model of how the wild-type anchor maintains the base-line signaling state in TarEc. Additional receptor variants containing double aromatic tandems and Ala substitutions for the periplasmic Trp residue were created, and the aromatic residues were also shifted in position within the six residues 207-212. Trp, Tyr, and Phe, in that order, had the greatest effect on function when they were moved to novel positions. It was also discovered that Gly-211 plays a critical role in maintaining receptor function. A model was generated that proposes that Gly-211 plays a role in maintaining the flexibility of the TM2-HAMP domain connector. The results suggest that the signaling properties of the transmembrane sensor kinases of two-component systems can be predicted by the nature of their TM2-HAMP connections. It may also be possible to modulate their activity in a controlled way by manipulating the amino acid sequences that comprise those connections.

Industrial control systems are applied in many areas e.g., motion control for industrial robotics, process control of large plants such as in the area of oil and gas, and in large national power grids. Since the last decade with advancement and adoption of virtualization and multicore technology (e.g., Virtual Monitoring Machine, cloud computing, server virtualization, application virtualization), IT systems, automation industries have benefited from low investment, effective system management and high service availability. However, virtualization and multicore technologies have posed a serious challenge to real-time systems, which is violating timeliness and predictability of real-time application running on control systems. To address the challenge, we have extended a real-time component-based framework with virtual nodes; and evaluated the framework in the context of virtualized multicore environment. The evaluation is demonstrated by modeling and implementing an orchestra application with QoS for CPU, memory and network bandwidth. The orchestra application is a real-time and distributed application deployed on virtualized multicore PCs connected with speakers. The result shows undistorted orchestra performance played through speakers connected to physical computer nodes. The contribution of the thesis can be considered: 1) extending a real-time component-based framework, Future Automation Software Architecture (FASA) with virtual nodes using Virtual Computation Resource (VCR) and 2) design and installation of reusable test environment for development, debugging and testing of real-time application on a network of virtualized multicore environment. / Vinnova project “AUTOSAR for Multi-Core in Automotive and Automation Industries “