While producing the highest power output of any vertebrate, hovering hummingbirds must also precisely modulate the activity of their primary flight muscles to vary wingbeat kinematics and modulate lift production. By examining how electromyograms (EMGs) and wingbeat kinematics of hummingbirds change in response to varying aerodynamic power requirements during load lifting trials and air density reduction trials, we can better understand how aerodynamic power output is modulated via neuromuscular control. During both treatments increased lift was achieved through increased stroke amplitude, but wingbeat frequency only increased during air density reduction trials. These changes in wingbeat kinematics were matched by increased EMG intensities as aerodynamic power output requirements increased. Despite the relative symmetry of the hovering downstroke and upstroke, the timing of activation and number of spikes per EMG burst were consistently different in the supracoracoideus compared to the pectoralis, likely reflecting differences in muscle morphology.

While producing the highest power output of any vertebrate, hovering hummingbirds must also precisely modulate the activity of their primary flight muscles to vary wingbeat kinematics and modulate lift production. By examining how electromyograms (EMGs) and wingbeat kinematics of hummingbirds change in response to varying aerodynamic power requirements during load lifting trials and air density reduction trials, we can better understand how aerodynamic power output is modulated via neuromuscular control. During both treatments increased lift was achieved through increased stroke amplitude, but wingbeat frequency only increased during air density reduction trials. These changes in wingbeat kinematics were matched by increased EMG intensities as aerodynamic power output requirements increased. Despite the relative symmetry of the hovering downstroke and upstroke, the timing of activation and number of spikes per EMG burst were consistently different in the supracoracoideus compared to the pectoralis, likely reflecting differences in muscle morphology.

Thesis (M.S.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (ℓ. 69-74)

This work focuses on automatic translation of code written in Ruby programming language into Python 3. First part investigates principles of computer programming languages translation as is described in the literature. Second part compares elements of these two programming languages and suggests ways how these elements can be translated. Based on this theory I developed Ruby-to-Python translator. Its working is demonstrated on the translation of the Prawn library for generating PDF files.

Evolução de software é uma das atividades mais desafiadoras do processo de desenvolvimento de software. Uma importante questão associada à essa atividade é a correta compreensão do código fonte e outros artefatos que necessitam ser mantidos e evoluídos. Visando auxiliar desenvolvedores na manutenção de código, Integrated Development Environments (IDE’s) proporcionam ferramentas que informam desenvolvedores sobre as dependências e as particularidades do código a ser modificado. No entanto, linguagens dinamicamente tipadas não definem tipos explicitamente no código fonte, o que dificulta a análise estática do código e consequentemente a contrução dessas ferramentas. Como exemplo, a construção de call graphs (grafos de chamadas), utilizados pelas IDE’s para criar ferramentas de navegação de código, é prejudicada pela ausência da definição de tipos. Para abordar o problema da criação de call graphs para linguagens dinamicamente tipadas, propomos uma técnica dividida em passos para a construção de um call graph baseado em informações extraídas da execução de testes. A técnica é dividida em 3 passos, o Passo #1 cria um call graph conservativo e estático que resolve chamadas de métodos baseado apenas em nomes dos métodos, ainda no primeiro passo, testes são executados e seu traço de execução é armazenado para posterior análise. O Passo #2 combina a informação armazenada da execução dos testes e o call graph construído no primeiro passo, o Passo #2 também é responsável pela criação de um conjunto de regras de associação que servirão para guiar desenvolvedores durante a criação de novas partes do código. Nossa avaliação em uma aplicação real de porte grande mostrou que a técnica melhora a precisão do call graph criado removendo arestas desnecessárias (70%), e mostrou-se apta a auxiliar desenvolvedores definindo pontos de navegação no código baseada na análise de regras de associação extraídas do test-case-based call graph. / Evolving enterprise software systems is one of the most challenging activities of the software development process. An important issue associated with this activity is to properly comprehend the source code and other software assets that must be evolved. To assist developers on these evolution tasks, Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) build tools that provides information about the source code and its dependencies. However, dynamically typed languages do not define types explicitly in the source code, which difficult source code analysis and therefore the construction of these tools. As an example, the call graph construction, used by IDE’s to build source code navigation tools, is hampered by the absence of type definition. To address the problem of constructing call graphs for dynamic languages, we propose a technique based on steps to build a call graph based on test runtime information, called test-case-based call graph. The technique is divided in three steps; Step #1 creates a conservative and static call graph that decides target nodes based on method names, and the first step also run tests profiling its execution; Step #2 combines the test runtime information and the conservative call graph built in the first step to create the test-case-based call graph, it also creates a set of association rules to guide developers in the maintenance while creating new pieces of code; Finally, Step #3 uses the test-case-based call graph and the association rules to assist developers in source code navigation tasks. Our evaluation on a large-size real-world software shows that the technique increases call graph precision removing several unnecessary conservative edges ( %70), and assist developers filtering target nodes of method calls based on association rules extracted from the call graph.

Evolução de software é uma das atividades mais desafiadoras do processo de desenvolvimento de software. Uma importante questão associada à essa atividade é a correta compreensão do código fonte e outros artefatos que necessitam ser mantidos e evoluídos. Visando auxiliar desenvolvedores na manutenção de código, Integrated Development Environments (IDE’s) proporcionam ferramentas que informam desenvolvedores sobre as dependências e as particularidades do código a ser modificado. No entanto, linguagens dinamicamente tipadas não definem tipos explicitamente no código fonte, o que dificulta a análise estática do código e consequentemente a contrução dessas ferramentas. Como exemplo, a construção de call graphs (grafos de chamadas), utilizados pelas IDE’s para criar ferramentas de navegação de código, é prejudicada pela ausência da definição de tipos. Para abordar o problema da criação de call graphs para linguagens dinamicamente tipadas, propomos uma técnica dividida em passos para a construção de um call graph baseado em informações extraídas da execução de testes. A técnica é dividida em 3 passos, o Passo #1 cria um call graph conservativo e estático que resolve chamadas de métodos baseado apenas em nomes dos métodos, ainda no primeiro passo, testes são executados e seu traço de execução é armazenado para posterior análise. O Passo #2 combina a informação armazenada da execução dos testes e o call graph construído no primeiro passo, o Passo #2 também é responsável pela criação de um conjunto de regras de associação que servirão para guiar desenvolvedores durante a criação de novas partes do código. Nossa avaliação em uma aplicação real de porte grande mostrou que a técnica melhora a precisão do call graph criado removendo arestas desnecessárias (70%), e mostrou-se apta a auxiliar desenvolvedores definindo pontos de navegação no código baseada na análise de regras de associação extraídas do test-case-based call graph. / Evolving enterprise software systems is one of the most challenging activities of the software development process. An important issue associated with this activity is to properly comprehend the source code and other software assets that must be evolved. To assist developers on these evolution tasks, Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) build tools that provides information about the source code and its dependencies. However, dynamically typed languages do not define types explicitly in the source code, which difficult source code analysis and therefore the construction of these tools. As an example, the call graph construction, used by IDE’s to build source code navigation tools, is hampered by the absence of type definition. To address the problem of constructing call graphs for dynamic languages, we propose a technique based on steps to build a call graph based on test runtime information, called test-case-based call graph. The technique is divided in three steps; Step #1 creates a conservative and static call graph that decides target nodes based on method names, and the first step also run tests profiling its execution; Step #2 combines the test runtime information and the conservative call graph built in the first step to create the test-case-based call graph, it also creates a set of association rules to guide developers in the maintenance while creating new pieces of code; Finally, Step #3 uses the test-case-based call graph and the association rules to assist developers in source code navigation tasks. Our evaluation on a large-size real-world software shows that the technique increases call graph precision removing several unnecessary conservative edges ( %70), and assist developers filtering target nodes of method calls based on association rules extracted from the call graph.

Em sólidos dopados com Cr+3, o efeito não-linear ocorre devido à população de íons dopantes no estado metaestável, o qual possui uma polarizabilidade diferente do estado fundamental. Nestes materiais, o índice de refração não-linear n2 é proporcional a Δα/Is , onde Δα é a diferença de polarizabilidade, entre os estados, excitado (metaestável) e o fundamental, e Is a intensidade de saturação da transição. A técnica conhecida como Z-Scan é na atualidade a mais popular para medidas de n2 e foi recentemente aplicada em cristais dopados com Cr+3. Nestes materiais, o tempo de resposta do meio não-linear é dado pelo longo tempo de vida espontâneo do estado excitado τ0 (usualmente τ0 > 100 µs) tornando possível medidas da resposta transiente do sinal. Isto torna possível a normalização do sinal pela medida em t =O (quando o efeito não-linear ainda não se manifestou) com o intuito de eliminar efeitos lineares parasíticos (devido a imperfeições da superfície da amostra, não paralelismo, etc.). Neste trabalho 7 nós usamos o método de Z-Scan resolvido no tempo para determinar não apenas n2, mas também a intensidade de saturação Is. Nós introduzimos um novo método para determinação de Is, através da medida de Z-Scan transiente. Os valores de n2 e Is, podem ser usados para calcular a seção de choque da absorção no estado fundamental σ1, Δα e Δσ (a diferença de seção de choque de absorção entre o estado excitado e metaestável). , Fizemos medidas em cristais de rubi e alexandrita usando um laser de Ar modulado por um \"chopper\". No caso da alexandrita, o Cr+3 pode ocupar dois sítios que apresentam propriedades bastante diferentes. A técnica resolvida no tempo permite que se diferencie estes dois sítios, e então se determine n2, Is, τ0, Δα e Δσ para o íon de Cr+3 em cada tipo de sítio (no caso do sítio de espelho os valores de n2 e Δα são inéditos). / In Cr+3 doped solids, the nonlinearity originates from the population of dopant íon metastable excited state, which has a polarizability different from that of ground state. In these materials, the non-linear refractive index n2 is proportional to a Δα/Is, where a Δα is polarizability difference between excited and ground states and Is is the transition saturation intensity. The thecnique known as Z-Scan is nowadays the most popular one for n2 measurements and was recently applied to Cr+3 doped solids. In this material, the nonlinearity response time is given by the excited state spontaneous lifetime τ0 (usually τ0 > 100 µs) permitting transient response measurements. This allows signal normalization at t=0 (when the nonlinear effect did not appear yet) in order to eliminate parasitic linear effects (due to nonparallel sample surfaces, surface imperfections, etc.). In the present work we used a time resolved Z-Scan method to determine not only n2 but also the saturation intensity Is and these values can be used to calculate the ground state absorption cross section σ1, Δα and Δσ (where Δσ is the absorption cross section difference between excited and ground states). We introduced a new method to measure Is through transient Z-Scan measurements. We performed measurements in ruby and alexandrite using a chopped Ar+ ion laser. In the alexandrite crystal the Cr+3 ion can occupied two different sites that have very different spectroscopy properties. The time resolved technique allowed us to distinguished these two sites and then determine n2, σ0, Δα , Δσ and Is for the Cr+3 ion each kind of site(our n2, Δα and Is results for the mirror site are original contributions of these work).

In the field of software engineering, software architecture plays an important role particularly in areas of critical and large-scale software system development and over the years it has evolved as an important sub-discipline within the field of software engineering. However, software architecture is still an emerging discipline mainly attributed by the lack of standardized way for architectural representation and also due to lack of analysis methods that can determine if the intended architecture translates into correct implementation during the software development [HNS00]. Architecture compliance checking [KP07] is a technique used to resolve latter part of the problem and Fraunhofer SAVE (Software Architecture Visualization and Evaluation) is a compliance-checking tool that uses fact extraction. This master’s thesis provides fact extraction support to Fraunhofer SAVE for a system developed using Ruby on Rail framework by developing a fact extractor. The fact extractor was developed as an eclipse plug-in in Java that was integrated with SAVE platform, it consists of a parser that parses Ruby source code and then generates an abstract syntax tree. The architectural facts are extracted by analyzing these abstract syntax trees using a visitor pattern from which architecture of the system are generated. It is represented using the internal model of the SAVE platform. The fact extractor was validated using two reference systems of differing sizes developed using Ruby on Rails framework. A reference system with smaller size, which contains all the relevant Ruby language constructs, was used to evaluate correctness and completeness of the fact extractor. The evaluation result showed the correctness value of 1.0 or 100% and completeness value of 1.0 or 100%. Afterwards, a larger application with more complex architecture was used to validate the performance and robustness of the fact extractor. It has successfully extracted, analyzed and build the SAVE model of this large system by taking 0.05 seconds per component without crashing. Based these computations, it was concluded that the performance of the fact extractor was acceptable as it performed better than C# fact extractor.

Mobile tourism service applications can be developed and successfully deployed with the rapid developments in mobile phones, communication technologies and tourism. In many situations, when travelers visit a country for a special event or just as travelers, it is obvious that they want to utilize the time and resources efficiently to enjoy the events and visit many places as possible. To achieve this, a traveler needs variety of information to make decisions and travel plans. Traditionally, this means purchasing tour guide books about a county or a city that refer them. At the same time, the 29th Olympic game is coming to the oldest civilized country China in 2008. The goal of our mobile service is to provide needed tourist information of the host country as well as event specific information. In the case of traveling for a special event, it is crucial to be informed about the last minute changes in the schedules. Our implementation tries to address these issues as much as possible.

Det här arbetet har gjorts på Infor, som idag har problem med krångliga och långsamma installationer av en produktsvit. Exjobbet beskriver en automatiserad installation av denna produktsvit med några få möjligheter till konfigurering. Skriptet som sköter installationen är skrivet i Ruby. Installationstiden kortades från 4-5 timmar till cirka 30 minuter.