Software maintainability depends both on qualitative and quantitative data. Existing maintainability models aggregate data into hierarchies of characteristics with given dependencies. However, data used to score the characteristics can be uncertain or even completely unknown. Therefore, it would be meaningful to evaluate sensitivity of the aggregated result, i.e. the maintainability, with respe...

Recent studies of heavy r–process elements in low [Fe/H] halo stars have suggested that an initial population of metal-free very massive stars (VMSs) may be required to provide early Fe enrichment without coproducing heavy r nuclei. We find similar abundance trends in α–elements (which should be copiously produced by VMSs), but not in other elements such as carbon (which should not), in agreeme...

The decrease in costs of semi-professional digital cameras has led to the possibility for everyone to acquire a very detailed description of a scene in a very short time. Unfortunately, the interpretation of the images is usually quite hard, due to the amount of data and the lack of robust and generic image analysis methods. Nevertheless, if a geometric description of the depicted scene is avai...

Agent-based computer simulations use agents on landscapes to investigate epidemics, social phenomena, decision making, supply networks, the behavior of biological systems, and physical and chemical processes, among other things. This essay examines how agents and landscapes are oriented in time and this orientation’s relevance to observing and interpreting findings. I argue that the proposed te...

Computer Supported Collaborative learning (CSCL) is nowadays well mature and it is able to set guide-lines to enrich e-learning. On its side, e-learning does not fully exploit its potentialities yet. Suggestions from CSCL could be useful to empower the presence on the elearning on the market and would foster a vision of learning as not a simple further “commercial product”. The European Commiss...

A systematic analysis of stakeholders could enrich the systems thinking and modelling methodology. Among the five phases of the systems thinking and modelling framework, namely, problem structuring, causal loop modelling, dynamic modelling, scenario planning & modelling, and implementation & organisational learning, the importance of stakeholder analysis in the problem structuring and scenario ...

Alpine glaciers have receded substantially over the last century in many regions of the world. Resulting changes in glacial runoff not only affect the hydrological cycle, but can also alter the physical (i.e., turbidity from glacial flour) and biogeochemical properties of downstream ecosystems. Here we compare nutrient concentrations, transparency gradients, algal biomass, and fossil diatom spe...

In publication driven domains such as the scienti c community the availability of topic information in the form of a taxonomy and associated publications is essential. State-of-the-art methods for topic extraction in the Semantic Web community either need high manual effort (e.g. when using categorization) or rely on error prone techniques such as hierarchical clustering. We present an alternat...

This study identified five distinct types of married couples from a sample of 6,267 couples, using the marital inventory ENRICH. Profiles were derived using a three-stage cluster analytic procedure, including an exploratory cluster analysis, a replication of the exploratory results, and a crossvalidation. The five-cluster solution was robust. “Vitalized” couples (12%) reported high relationship...

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