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A theory on human factors in DevOps adoption
Get PDFContext:DevOps is a software engineering paradigm that enables faster deliveries and higher quality products. However, DevOps adoption is a complex process that is still insufficiently supported by research. In addition, human factors are the main difficulty for a successful DevOps adoption, although very few studies address this topic.Objective:This paper addresses two research gaps identified in literature, namely: (1) the characterization of DevOps from the perspective of human factors, i.e. the description of DevOps’ human characteristics to better define it, and (2) the identification and analysis of human factors’ effect in the adoption of DevOps.Method:We employed a hybrid methodology that included a Systematic Mapping Study followed by the application of a clustering technique. A questionnaire for DevOps practitioners (n = 15) was employed as an evaluation method.Results:A total of 59 human factors related to DevOps were identified, described, and synthesized. The results were used to build a theory on DevOps human factors.Conclusion:The main contribution of this paper is a theory proposal regarding human factors in DevOps adoption. The evaluation results show that almost every human factor identified in the mapping study was found relevant in DevOps adoption. The results of the study represent an extension of DevOps characterization and a first approximation to human factors in DevOps adoption
Media Format Matters: User Engagement with Audio, Text and Video Tweets
Get PDFA dataset of shortform audio-only tweets with video and text controls is used to analyze whether a tweet’s media format and topic influence user engagement with the tweet. Audio tweets were more engaging than text or video tweets by the same users, linking engagement to media format. Highly engaging audio tweets may have had different topics than highly engaging text or video tweets and different content characteristics than low engaging audio tweets. This suggests audio-based social media networks lead to higher user engagement than text and identifies content categories that users can profitably focus on to attract and engage followers
A linear dissipativity approach to incremental input-to-state stability for a class of positive Lur’e systems
Get PDFIncremental stability properties are considered for certain systems of forced, nonlinear differential equations with a particular positivity structure. An incremental stability estimate is derived for pairs of input/state/output trajectories of the Lur'e systems under consideration, from which a number of consequences are obtained, including the incremental exponential input-to-state stability property and certain input-output stability concepts with linear gain. Our results show that an incremental version of the real Aizerman conjecture is true for positive Lur'e systems when an incremental gain condition is imposed on the nonlinear term, as we describe. Our argumentation is underpinned by linear dissipativity theory --- a property of positive linear control systems
Beyond the Monoplot: How to Write Unconventional Films (and Why We Should)
No full textThis book provides a toolkit for unconventional practice-a comprehensive list of unconventional story shapes and the meanings they create, with accompanying case studies, including: one-act structure; two-act structure; passive protagonists; untimely death of the protagonist, and more.Formed from Aristotelian principles and a three-act shape brought to Hollywood by Broadway playwrights after the advent of sync sound, Conventional Monoplot has come to dominate screen storytelling practice throughout the Western world. For the experimental, rule-suspicious, unconventional screenwriter, alternative storytelling models are available. Beyond the Monoplot offers screenwriters and screenwriting students a new way of approaching and quantifying conventional practice, whilst equipping them with the skills and tools to subvert convention and expectation in dynamic and innovative ways.Where the revolutionary New Hollywood period of the '60s and '70s saw strikingly iconoclastic, original, rule-breaking narratives attracting enormous audiences and making indelible cultural imprints, today's most widely seen films stick rigidly to the Conventional Monoplot model. Shaped and solidified by best-selling screenwriting handbooks of the '80s and 90s, this model proved incredibly useful for a rapidly industrialising consumerist approach to screen entertainment, pushing unconventional and innovative storytelling practices to the cultural fringe. Whilst bold, daring films are still made, their impact is muted: Moonlight, despite winning Best Picture, was only the 92nd highest grossing film of its year. And whilst great strides are made towards diversity and representation, story shapes remain cloistered within a consumerist and highly conventionalised form, against which this book pushes back
A Secure Authentication Framework for Consumer Mobile Crowdsourcing Networks
No full textThe Mobile crowdsourcing network (MCN) leverages collaborative intelligence to solve complex tasks through group cooperation. It comprises three main components: the end-user, the service provider, and the mobile user. The end-user requests crowd-sensing and computing services from the service provider, who handles task decomposition, distribution, re-composition, and recommendation. Mobile users perform the crowd sensing and computing tasks. Despite its benefits, MCN faces significant security and privacy challenges. Communications between the service provider and the end-user involve sensitive data, and mobile users and service providers communicate over open channels, making them vulnerable to security threats. To address these concerns, we propose a secure authentication framework for MCN, called SAF-MCN. This framework combines the lightweight cryptographic primitive “ ASCON” with elliptic curve cryptography. SAF-MCN allows the service provider to authenticate mobile users before they join the MCN. Once authenticated, a secure channel is established for encrypted communication over the public Internet. The security of SAFMCN is validated using both formal and informal methods, demonstrating its resilience against potential attacks. The use of Scyther further ensures the security of SAF-MCN. Comparative analysis shows that SAF-MCN is superior in terms of security features, computational efficiency, and communication cost
Artificial intelligence as a catalyst for sustainable tourism growth and economic cycles
Get PDFWe investigate the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in promoting sustainable tourism growth and its implications for the next technological and economic cycle. Focusing on the top ten global tourist destinations from 2010 to 2022, we investigate the interplay between AI adoption, gross domestic product (GDP), foreign direct investment (FDI), inflation (INF), and urbanization (UB). Utilizing a multi-method approach that integrates artificial neural network (ANN) analysis with traditional econometric models, the findings highlight that AI is a critical driver of tourism efficiency and smart tourism capabilities, significantly enhancing tourism sustainability. The study reveals substantial contributions from GDP, INF, FDI, and UB as well. AI's role as a pivotal technological catalyst in sustainable tourism development underscores its importance in shaping the next economic cycle. These insights provide essential guidance for policymakers and industry stakeholders on leveraging AI to propel tourism growth, aligning with broader goals of economic and environmental sustainability
Insights into the effects of sex and tissue location on the evolution of adipocyte dysfunction in an ovine model of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Get PDFAdipose tissue dysfunction is one of the features of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) with dysregulated adipogenesis, altered functional pathways and increased inflammation. It is increasingly clear that there are also male correlates of the hormonal and metabolic features of PCOS. We hypothesised that the effects of adipose tissue dysfunction are not sex-specific but rather fat depot-specific and independent of obesity. We used a clinically realistic ovine model of PCOS where pregnant sheep are injected with 100mg of testosterone propionate twice weekly from day 62 to day 102 of gestation. We studied control and prenatally androgenised (PA) female and male offspring during adolescence and weight-matched control and PA female sheep during adulthood. We examined subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and in adult female sheep bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT). Adipogenesis related gene expression in SAT was similar in adolescent female and male controls and the reduction in adipogenesis related gene expression by PA in female adipose tissue was not observed in males. Differences in expression of genes associated with adipose tissue function in adolescence in SAT driven by PA were found in both sexes. In adulthood, the changes seen in adolescent females were absent or reversed but there was an increase in inflammatory markers that was weight independent. In addition, BMAT showed increased inflammatory markers. Adipose dysfunction evolves with time and is focussed on SAT rather than VAT and is generally sex-specific although there are also effects of prenatal androgenisation on male SAT. In female adults, the inflammation seen in SAT is also present in BMAT and the development of blood cells in an inflammatory environment may have systemic implications
Corporate carbon footprint and market valuation of restructuring announcements
Get PDFThe call for greener and more sustainable corporate practices triggered a surge in corporate restructuring. In this study, we investigate the impact of carbon emissions on the market reaction to announcements of corporate restructuring activities. Using a sample of US firms, we find that investors discount the value of corporate restructuring announcements when firms have higher levels of carbon emissions. Our results indicate that emissions are negatively associated with cumulative abnormal returns (CAR), cumulative total returns (CTR), and buy and hold abnormal returns (BHAR) around announcements. This effect is more pronounced for firms with a lower risk of bankruptcy, those financially constrained, and those with lower growth opportunities. We also find that high emissions at announcements are negatively associated with post-restructuring financial and market performance. Overall, our results highlight the growing implications of firm-level carbon emissions for corporate market valuations, especially amongst firms undertaking restructuring
Invasiveness risks of the shimofuri goby (Tridentiger bifasciatus) in Great Britain
Get PDFInvasive species risk assessment tools are a vital means of identifying taxa likely to be introduced and cause adverse effects within a specified area, allowing for the preparation of targeted management strategies. Following the first report of the shimofuri goby (Tridentiger bifasciatus) in Europe, a risk assessment was undertaken for this species for Great Britain using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK). This was achieved by the completion of two risk screenings, one undertaken for England and Wales, and another for Scotland. The results of this assessment place the shimofuri goby in a category of medium risk for both assessed areas. The shimofuri goby’s adaptable nature and ability to change its reproductive strategy in response to climatic conditions increase the likelihood of the species persisting and proliferating within the area after introduction. However, the species’ inability to survive in marine salinities reduced the score for likelihood of its introduction, and its small size and generalist nature coupled with a lack of available evidence made the prediction of specific impacts difficult. In addition, the extent of suitable habitat for this species is likely to expand throughout Great Britain under predicted climate change, thus increasing the risk of its establishment and potential impacts.
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