Exploring the eradication of code smells: An empirical and theoretical perspective

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund - Copyright @ 2010 Hindawi Publishing CorporationCode smells reflect code decay, and, as such, developers should seek to eradicate such smells through application of “deodorant” in the form of one or more refactorings. However, a relative lack of studies exploring code smells either theoretically or empirically when compared with literature on refactoring suggests that there are reasons why smell eradication is neither being applied in anger, nor the subject of significant research. In this paper, we present three studies as supporting evidence for this stance. The first is an analysis of a set of five, open-source Java systems in which we show very little tendency for smells to be eradicated by developers; the second is an empirical study of a subsystem of a proprietary, C# web-based application where practical problems arise in smell identification and the third, a theoretical enumeration of smell-related refactorings to suggest why smells may be left alone from an effort perspective. Key findings of the study were that first, smells requiring application of simple refactorings were eradicated in favour of smells requiring more complex refactorings; second, a wide range of conflicts and anomalies soon emerged when trying to identify smelly code; an interesting result with respect to comment lines was also observed. Finally, perceived (estimated) effort to eradicate a smell may be a key factor in explaining why smell eradication is avoided by developers. The study thus highlights the need for a clearer research strategy on the issue of code smells and all aspects of their identification and measurement.The research in this paper was supported by a grant from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (Grant no: EP/G031126/1

The Generalised Raychaudhuri Equations : Examples

Specific examples of the generalized Raychaudhuri Equations for the evolution of deformations along families of $D$ dimensional surfaces embedded in a background $N$ dimensional spacetime are discussed. These include string worldsheets embedded in four dimensional spacetimes and two dimensional timelike hypersurfaces in a three dimensional curved background. The issue of focussing of families of surfaces is introduced and analysed in some detail.Comment: 8 pages (Revtex, Twocolumn format). Corrected(see section on string worldsheets), reorganised and shortened slightl

Risk factors for heat illness among British soldiers in the hot Collective Training Environment.

BACKGROUND: Heat illness is a preventable disorder in military populations. Measures that protect vulnerable individuals and contribute to effective Immediate Treatment may reduce the impact of heat illness, but depend upon adequate understanding and awareness among Commanders and their troops. OBJECTIVE: To assess risk factors for heat illness in British soldiers deployed to the hot Collective Training Environment (CTE) and to explore awareness of Immediate Treatment responses. METHODS: An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to British soldiers deployed in the hot CTEs of Kenya and Canada. Responses were analysed to determine the prevalence of individual (Intrinsic) and Command-practice (Extrinsic) risk factors for heat illness and the self-reported awareness of key Immediate Treatment priorities (recognition, first aid and casualty evacuation). RESULTS: The prevalence of Intrinsic risk factors was relatively low in comparison with Extrinsic risk factors. The majority of respondents were aware of key Immediate Treatment responses. The most frequently reported factors in each domain were increased risk by body composition scoring, inadequate time for heat acclimatisation and insufficient briefing about casualty evacuation. CONCLUSIONS: Novel data on the distribution and scale of risk factors for heat illness are presented. A collective approach to risk reduction by the accumulation of 'marginal gains' is proposed for the UK military. This should focus on limiting Intrinsic risk factors before deployment, reducing Extrinsic factors during training and promoting timely Immediate Treatment responses within the hot CTE

Development of a remotely supervised digitally facilitated multibehavioural prehabilitation intervention for patients approaching major surgery

Improving outcomes following major surgery is a pressing public health challenge. Postoperative complications drive surgical mortality and a range of poorer outcomes for the individual patient (e.g., quality of life) and wider healthcare system (e.g., length of stay and cost). Preoperative improvement of physical and mental health enhancing readiness for major surgery is known as prehabilitation. Patients may experience fewer postoperative complications and overcome them more easily. Multiple prehabilitation models now exist. Delivery has been predominantly face to face, yet demand is growing for robustly developed, remotely supervised alternatives. The need is now acute following the Covid-19 pandemic. Little is known regarding patient preferences for remotely supervised prehabilitation. Equally, few systematically designed interventions currently exist. This thesis addresses these gaps. A discrete choice experiment undertaken in 164 patients preparing for major surgery across 10 NHS centres explored patient preferences for delivery of support. This work highlighted both appetite for remotely supervised models and strong views regarding their delivery. In particular, demand for a digitally facilitated option. This informed the application of a systematic co-design process utilising the Behaviour Change Wheel to develop a novel, multibehavioural, digitally facilitated prehabilitation programme prototype (iPREPWELL). This work aligned to the Medical Research Council framework for complex intervention development and encompassed structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and workshops involving patients preparing for major surgery and perioperative healthcare professionals. These data were combined with the existing evidence base and the input of a multidisciplinary design team. iPREPWELL is the first comprehensively theory and evidence informed intervention of its kind. The programme is poised and approved for feasibility testing in patients approaching major surgery at two NHS centres. If successful, it may offer services a route to improved uptake of prehabilitation support, with potential for flexible and cost-effective implementation across a range of surgical pathways

Using linear mixed models to compare a self-assessed frailty score with clinician assessed scores in patients approaching major surgery

Frailty is a syndrome of reduced physiological and cognitive reserve resulting in vulnerability to physiological insult and delayed recovery. It is a recog-nised predictor of poor perioperative outcomes. The Rockwood clinical frailty score (CFS) is a validated frailty screening tool based on the appearance of the patient in clinics. A study sponsored by South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust investigated whether patients may be able to self-assess their frailty utilizing a modified Rockwood CFS, by benchmarking the self-assessed scores with a clinician-and a researcher-assessed CFS score. A linear mixed-effects model, involving covariates such as age and ASA scores, was used to compare the CFS frailty scores and to identify any differences in their agreement. Linear mixed-effect model trees were also used for a better understanding of interactions of covariates and scorer effects

Demonstration of a Heterogeneous Satellite Architecture During RIMPAC 2018

The Micro-Satellite Military Utility (MSMU) Project Arrangement (PA) is an agreement under the Responsive Space Capabilities (RSC) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) involving the Departments and Ministries of Defence of Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, United Kingdom and United States. MSMU’s charter is to inform a space enterprise that provides military users with reliable access to a broad spectrum of information in an opportunistic environment. The MSMU community participated on a non-interference basis in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise from 26 June to 2 August 2018. This provided an opportunity to explore the military utility of a heterogeneous space architecture of satellites including traditional government and commercial satellites, as well as micro-satellites and nanosatellites associated with the “new space” paradigm. The objective was to test the hypothesis that a heterogeneous space architecture, mostly composed of small satellites, can bring significant value to the operational theatre. This paper describes the results from the MSMU experiment, outlines the lessons learned in terms of the infrastructure required to support such an experiment, and offers insights into the military utility of the heterogeneous space architecture. It concludes that a cooperative heterogeneous space architecture does have advantages and value, and that micro-satellites and nanosatellites contribute significant capability

Community-based prehabilitation before elective major surgery: the PREP-WELL quality improvement project

Optimising health and well-being before elective major surgery via prehabilitation initiatives is important for good postoperative outcomes. In a busy tertiary centre in North East England, the lack of a formal prehabilitation service meant that opportunities were being missed to optimise patients for surgery. This quality improvement project aimed to implement and evaluate a community-based prehabilitation service for people awaiting elective major surgery: PREP-WELL. A multidisciplinary, cross-sector team introduced PREP-WELL in January 2018. PREP-WELL provided comprehensive assessment and management of perioperative risk factors in the weeks before surgery. During a 12-month pilot, patients were referred from five surgical specialties at James Cook University Hospital. Data were collected on participant characteristics, behavioural and health outcomes, intervention acceptability and costs, and process-related factors. By December 2018, 159 referrals had been received, with 75 patients (47%) agreeing to participate. Most participants opted for a supervised programme (72%) and were awaiting vascular (43%) or orthopaedic (35%) surgery. Median programme duration was 8 weeks. The service was delivered as intended with participants providing positive feedback. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL; EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D) utility) and functional capacity (6 min walk distance) increased on average from service entry to exit, with mean (95% CI) changes of 0.108 (−0.023 to 0.240) and 35 m (−5 to 76 m), respectively. Further increases in EQ5D utility were observed at 3 months post surgery. Substantially more participants were achieving recommended physical activity levels at exit and 3 months post surgery compared with at entry. The mean cost of the intervention was £405 per patient; £52 per week. The service was successfully implemented within existing preoperative pathways. Most participants were very satisfied and improved their risk profile preoperatively. Funding has been obtained to support service development and expansion for at least 2 more years. During this period, alternative pathways will be developed to facilitate wider access and greater uptake