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George K. Thiruvathukal

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Tests As Maintainable Assets Via Auto-Generated Spies: A Case Study Involving The Scala Collections Library's Iterator Trait, Konstantin Läufer, John O'Sullivan, George K. Thiruvathukal Jun 2019

Tests As Maintainable Assets Via Auto-Generated Spies: A Case Study Involving The Scala Collections Library's Iterator Trait, Konstantin Läufer, John O'Sullivan, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

In testing stateful abstractions, it is often necessary to record interactions, such as method invocations, and express assertions over these interactions. Following the Test Spy design pattern, we can reify such interactions programmatically through additional mutable state. Alternatively, a mocking framework, such as Mockito, can automatically generate test spies that allow us to record the interactions and express our expectations in a declarative domain-specific language. According to our study of the test code for Scala’s Iterator trait, the latter approach can lead to a significant reduction of test code complexity in terms of metrics such as code size (in some …


Use Of Software Process In Research Software Development:A Survey, Nasir U. Eisty, George K. Thiruvathukal, Jeffrey C. Carver Apr 2019

Use Of Software Process In Research Software Development:A Survey, Nasir U. Eisty, George K. Thiruvathukal, Jeffrey C. Carver

George K. Thiruvathukal

Background: Developers face challenges in building high-quality research software due to its inherent complexity. These challenges can reduce the confidence users have in the quality of the result produced by the software. Use of a defined software development process, which divides the development into distinct phases, results in improved design, more trustworthy results, and better project management. Aims: This paper focuses on gaining a better understanding of the use of software development process for research software. Method: We surveyed research software developers to collect information about their use of software development processes. We analyze whether and demographic factors influence the …


A Comparison Of Machine Learning Techniques For Taxonomic Classification Of Teeth From The Family Bovidae, Gregory J. Matthews, Juliet K. Brophy, Maxwell Luetkemeier, Hongie Gu, George K. Thiruvathukal Apr 2019

A Comparison Of Machine Learning Techniques For Taxonomic Classification Of Teeth From The Family Bovidae, Gregory J. Matthews, Juliet K. Brophy, Maxwell Luetkemeier, Hongie Gu, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

This study explores the performance of machine learning algorithms on the classification of fossil teeth in the Family Bovidae. Isolated bovid teeth are typically the most common fossils found in southern Africa and they often constitute the basis for paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Taxonomic identification of fossil bovid teeth, however, is often imprecise and subjective. Using modern teeth with known taxons, machine learning algorithms can be trained to classify fossils. Previous work by Brophy et al. [Quantitative morphological analysis of bovid teeth and implications for paleoenvironmental reconstruction of plovers lake, Gauteng Province, South Africa, J. Archaeol. Sci. 41 (2014), pp. …


Integrating Mathematics And Educational Robotics: Simple Motion Planning, Ronald I. Greenberg, George K. Thiruvathukal, Sara T. Greenberg Apr 2019

Integrating Mathematics And Educational Robotics: Simple Motion Planning, Ronald I. Greenberg, George K. Thiruvathukal, Sara T. Greenberg

George K. Thiruvathukal

This paper shows how students can be guided to integrate elementary mathematical analyses with motion planning for typical educational robots. Rather than using calculus as in comprehensive works on motion planning, we show students can achieve interesting results using just simple linear regression tools and trigonometric analyses. Experiments with one robotics platform show that use of these tools can lead to passable navigation through dead reckoning even if students have limited experience with use of sensors, programming, and mathematics.


A Survey Of Software Metric Use In Research Software Development, Nasir U. Eisty, George K. Thiruvathukal, Jeffrey C. Carver Jan 2019

A Survey Of Software Metric Use In Research Software Development, Nasir U. Eisty, George K. Thiruvathukal, Jeffrey C. Carver

George K. Thiruvathukal

Background: Breakthroughs in research increasingly depend on complex software libraries, tools, and applications aimed at supporting specific science, engineering, business, or humanities disciplines. The complexity and criticality of this software motivate the need for ensuring quality and reliability. Software metrics are a key tool for assessing, measuring, and understanding software quality and reliability. Aims: The goal of this work is to better understand how research software developers use traditional software engineering concepts, like metrics, to support and evaluate both the software and the software development process. One key aspect of this goal is to identify how the set of metrics …


Cloud Resource Optimization For Processing Multiple Streams Of Visual Data, Zohar Kapach, Andrew Ulmer, Daniel Merrick, Arshad Alikhan, Yung-Hsiang Lu, Anup Mohan, Ahmed S. Kaseb, George K. Thiruvathukal Jan 2019

Cloud Resource Optimization For Processing Multiple Streams Of Visual Data, Zohar Kapach, Andrew Ulmer, Daniel Merrick, Arshad Alikhan, Yung-Hsiang Lu, Anup Mohan, Ahmed S. Kaseb, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

Hundreds of millions of network cameras have been installed throughout the world. Each is capable of providing a vast amount of real-time data. Analyzing the massive data generated by these cameras requires significant computational resources and the demands may vary over time. Cloud computing shows the most promise to provide the needed resources on demand. In this article, we investigate how to allocate cloud resources when analyzing real-time data streams from network cameras. A resource manager considers many factors that affect its decisions, including the types of analysis, the number of data streams, and the locations of the cameras. The …


Cross-Referencing Social Media And Public Surveillance Camera Data For Disaster Response, Chittayong Surakitbanharn,, Calvin Yau, Guizhen Wang, Aniesh Chawla, Yinuo Pan, Zhaoya Sun, Sam Yellin, David Ebert, Yung-Hsiang Lu, George K. Thiruvathukal Oct 2018

Cross-Referencing Social Media And Public Surveillance Camera Data For Disaster Response, Chittayong Surakitbanharn,, Calvin Yau, Guizhen Wang, Aniesh Chawla, Yinuo Pan, Zhaoya Sun, Sam Yellin, David Ebert, Yung-Hsiang Lu, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

Physical media (like surveillance cameras) and social media (like Instagram and Twitter) may both be useful in attaining on-the-ground information during an emergency or disaster situation. However, the intersection and reliability of both surveillance cameras and social media during a natural disaster are not fully understood. To address this gap, we tested whether social media is of utility when physical surveillance cameras went off-line during Hurricane Irma in 2017. Specifically, we collected and compared geo-tagged Instagram and Twitter posts in the state of Florida during times and in areas where public surveillance cameras went off-line. We report social media content …


Separating Markup From Text, Ronald I. Greenberg, George K. Thiruvathukal Oct 2018

Separating Markup From Text, Ronald I. Greenberg, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

As more and more online versions of Humanities texts are created, it is becoming commonplace to embed elaborate formatting, for example, through the use of HTML. But this can interfere with computerized analyses of the original text. While it may seem, at first, straightforward to simply strip markup from text, this is not the reality. Many digital texts add things that appear to be legitimate content according to the markup syntax, for example, line numbers, and even apart from this issue, existing tools for stripping markup produce inconsistent results. Apart from adopting and enforcing strict conventions for adding markup to …


The Graph Database: Jack Of All Trades Or Just Not Sql?, George F. Hurlburt, Maria R. Lee, George K. Thiruvathukal Jan 2018

The Graph Database: Jack Of All Trades Or Just Not Sql?, George F. Hurlburt, Maria R. Lee, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

This special issue of IT Professional focuses on the graph database. The graph database, a relatively new phenomenon, is well suited to the burgeoning information era in which we are increasingly becoming immersed. Here, the guest editors briefly explain how a graph database works, its relation to the relational database management system (RDBMS), and its quantitative and qualitative pros and cons, including how graph databases can be harnessed in a hybrid environment. They also survey the excellent articles submitted for this special issue.


Examining The Use Of Amazon’S Mechanical Turk For Edge Extraction Of The Occlusal Surface Of Fossilized Bovid Teeth, George K. Thiruvathukal, Gregory J. Matthews, Maxwell P. Luetkemeier, Juliet K. Brophy Jan 2018

Examining The Use Of Amazon’S Mechanical Turk For Edge Extraction Of The Occlusal Surface Of Fossilized Bovid Teeth, George K. Thiruvathukal, Gregory J. Matthews, Maxwell P. Luetkemeier, Juliet K. Brophy

George K. Thiruvathukal

In order to reconstruct environments associated with Plio-Pleistocene hominins in southern Africa, researchers frequently rely upon the animals associated with the hominins, in particular, animals in the Family Bovidae. Bovids in southern Africa are typically identified by their teeth. However, identifying the taxon of a bovid tooth is challenging due to various biasing factors. Furthermore, inaccurate identification of fossil bovids can have significant consequences on the reconstructed paleoenvironment. Recent research on the classification of bovid fossil teeth has relied on using elliptical Fourier analysis to summarize the shape of the outline of the occlusal surface of the tooth and the …


Reproducible Research For Computing In Science & Engineering, Lorena A. Barba, George K. Thiruvathukal Jan 2018

Reproducible Research For Computing In Science & Engineering, Lorena A. Barba, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

The editors of the new track for reproducible research outline the parameters for future peer review, submission, and access, highlighting the magazine’s previous work in this field and some of the challenges still to come.


Computer Science And Cultural History: A Dialogue, David B. Dennis, George K. Thiruvathukal Jan 2018

Computer Science And Cultural History: A Dialogue, David B. Dennis, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

No abstract provided.


History Of Computing, George K. Thiruvathukal, David B. Dennis Sep 2017

History Of Computing, George K. Thiruvathukal, David B. Dennis

George K. Thiruvathukal

The social and organizational history of humanity is intricately entangled with the history of technology in general and the technology of information in particular. Advances in this area have often been closely involved in social and political transformations. While the contemporary period is often referred to by such names as the Computing and Information Age, this is the culmination of a series of historical transformations that have been centuries in the making. This course will provide a venue for students to learn about history through the evolution of number systems and arithmetic, calculating and computing machines, and advanced communication technology …


Experiences With Scala Across The College-Level Curriculum, Konstantin Läufer, George K. Thiruvathukal, Mark C. Lewis Jul 2017

Experiences With Scala Across The College-Level Curriculum, Konstantin Läufer, George K. Thiruvathukal, Mark C. Lewis

George K. Thiruvathukal

Various hybrid-functional languages, designed to balance compile-time error detection, conciseness, and performance, have emerged. Scala, e.g., is interoperable with Java and has become an early leader in adoption, especially in the start-up and open-source spaces. As educators, we have recognized Scala’s value as a teaching language across the CS curriculum. In CS1, the read-eval-print loop and simple, uniform syntax aid programming in the small. In CS2, higher-order methods allow concise, efficient manipulation of collections. In a programming languages course, advanced constructs facilitate the separation of concerns, program representation and interpretation, and concurrent programming. In advanced applied courses, language mechanisms and …


A Distributed Graph Approach For Pre-Processing Linked Rdf Data Using Supercomputers, Michael J. Lewis, George K. Thiruvathukal, Venkatram Vishwanath, Michael J. Papka, Andrew Johnson Jul 2017

A Distributed Graph Approach For Pre-Processing Linked Rdf Data Using Supercomputers, Michael J. Lewis, George K. Thiruvathukal, Venkatram Vishwanath, Michael J. Papka, Andrew Johnson

George K. Thiruvathukal

Efficient RDF, graph based queries are becoming more pertinent based on the increased interest in data analytics and its intersection with large, unstructured but connected data. Many commercial systems have adopted distributed RDF graph systems in order to handle increasing dataset sizes and complex queries. This paper introduces a distribute graph approach to pre-processing linked data. Instead of traversing the memory graph, our system indexes pre-processed join elements that are organized in a graph structure. We analyze the Dbpedia data-set (derived from the Wikipedia corpus) and compare our access method to the graph traversal access approach which we also devise. …


Comparison Of Visual Datasets For Machine Learning, Kent Gauen, Ryan Dailey, John Laiman, Yuxiang Zi, Nirmal Asokan, Yung-Hsiang Lu, George K. Thiruvathukal, Mei-Ling Shyu, Shu-Ching Chen Jul 2017

Comparison Of Visual Datasets For Machine Learning, Kent Gauen, Ryan Dailey, John Laiman, Yuxiang Zi, Nirmal Asokan, Yung-Hsiang Lu, George K. Thiruvathukal, Mei-Ling Shyu, Shu-Ching Chen

George K. Thiruvathukal

One of the greatest technological improvements in recent years is the rapid progress using machine learning for processing visual data. Among all factors that contribute to this development, datasets with labels play crucial roles. Several datasets are widely reused for investigating and analyzing different solutions in machine learning. Many systems, such as autonomous vehicles, rely on components using machine learning for recognizing objects. This paper compares different visual datasets and frameworks for machine learning. The comparison is both qualitative and quantitative and investigates object detection labels with respect to size, location, and contextual information. This paper also presents a new …


Who Needs Tablets? We Do, George K. Thiruvathukal Jan 2017

Who Needs Tablets? We Do, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

What role do tablets play increasingly in our daily lives? Is it possible that they could revolutionize the future of publishing and education?


Productivity In The Cognitive Overload Era, George K. Thiruvathukal Jan 2017

Productivity In The Cognitive Overload Era, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

Could technologies that emphasize the concept of "we" rather than "me" help modern society overcome its information overload?


Computational Science, Demystified...The Future, Revealed...And Cise, 2013, George K. Thiruvathukal Jan 2017

Computational Science, Demystified...The Future, Revealed...And Cise, 2013, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

What are some of the exciting avenues that computational science is exploring, and how can we best give a voice to such emerging ideas?


Towards Sustainable Digital Humanities Software, George K. Thiruvathukal, Shilpika Shilpika, Nicholas J. Hayward, Saulo Aguiar, Konstantin Läufer Jan 2017

Towards Sustainable Digital Humanities Software, George K. Thiruvathukal, Shilpika Shilpika, Nicholas J. Hayward, Saulo Aguiar, Konstantin Läufer

George K. Thiruvathukal

Our work in software quality for digital humanities was borne of an effort to address sustainable practices in scientific software development, where the speaker (Thiruvathukal) co-authored a position paper on the case for software engineering in scientific software development as part of an all-encompassing strategy to create more sustainable scientific software (an example of a well-known scientific software package is LINPACK). In this position paper, we addressed how “progress in scientific research is dependent on the quality and accessibility of software at all levels". This progress depends on embracing the best traditional--and emergent--practices in software engineering, especially agile practices that …


Software Engineering For Science, Jeffrey C. Carver, Neil P. Chue Hong, George K. Thiruvathukal Jan 2017

Software Engineering For Science, Jeffrey C. Carver, Neil P. Chue Hong, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

Software Engineering for Science provides an in-depth collection of peer-reviewed chapters that describe experiences with applying software engineering practices to the development of scientific software. It provides a better understanding of how software engineering is and should be practiced, and which software engineering practices are effective for scientific software. The book starts with a detailed overview of the Scientific Software Lifecycle, and a general overview of the scientific software development process. It highlights key issues commonly arising during scientific software development, as well as solutions to these problems. The second part of the book provides examples of the use of …


Cloudy With A Chance Of Sunshine, Or The Future Of Magazine Publishing, George K. Thiruvathukal Jan 2017

Cloudy With A Chance Of Sunshine, Or The Future Of Magazine Publishing, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

EIC George K. Thiruvathukal describes how the cloud can revolutionize printing and how the publishing world in particular can benefit.


El Fin, George K. Thiruvathukal Jan 2017

El Fin, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

EIC George K. Thiruvathukal says farewell in his final "from the editors" message.


Guest Editors' Introduction: Research On Equity And Sustained Participation In Engineering, Computing, And Technology, Tiffany Barnes, Jamie Payton, George K. Thiruvathukal, Kristy Elizabeth Boyer, Jeff Forbes Jan 2017

Guest Editors' Introduction: Research On Equity And Sustained Participation In Engineering, Computing, And Technology, Tiffany Barnes, Jamie Payton, George K. Thiruvathukal, Kristy Elizabeth Boyer, Jeff Forbes

George K. Thiruvathukal

The guest editors introduce best papers on broadening participation in computing from the RESPECT'15 conference. The five articles presented here are part one of a two-part series representing research on broadening participation in computing at all levels of education: from K-12 schools through graduate school, with a focus on diversity with regard to gender, race, and ethnicity.


A Polyglot Approach To Bioinformatics Data Integration: A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Hiv-1, Steven Reisman, Thomas Hatzopoulous, Konstantin Läufer, George K. Thiruvathukal, Catherine Putonti Jan 2017

A Polyglot Approach To Bioinformatics Data Integration: A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Hiv-1, Steven Reisman, Thomas Hatzopoulous, Konstantin Läufer, George K. Thiruvathukal, Catherine Putonti

George K. Thiruvathukal

As sequencing technologies continue to drop in price and increase in throughput, new challenges emerge for the management and accessibility of genomic sequence data. We have developed a pipeline for facilitating the storage, retrieval, and subsequent analysis of molecular data, integrating both sequence and metadata. Taking a polyglot approach involving multiple languages, libraries, and persistence mechanisms, sequence data can be aggregated from publicly available and local repositories. Data are exposed in the form of a RESTful web service, formatted for easy querying, and retrieved for downstream analyses. As a proof of concept, we have developed a resource for annotated HIV-1 …


Guest Editors' Introduction: Best Of Respect, Part 2, Tiffany Barnes, Jamie Payton, George K. Thiruvathukal, Jeff Forbes, Kristy Elizabeth Boyer Jan 2017

Guest Editors' Introduction: Best Of Respect, Part 2, Tiffany Barnes, Jamie Payton, George K. Thiruvathukal, Jeff Forbes, Kristy Elizabeth Boyer

George K. Thiruvathukal

The guest editors introduce best papers on broadening participation in computing from the RESPECT'15 conference. The five articles presented here are part two of a two-part series representing research on broadening participation in computing. These articles study participation in intersectional ways, through the perceptions and experiences of African-American middle school girls, the sense of belonging in computing for LGBTQ students, the impact of a STEM scholarship and community development program for low-income and first-generation college students, a leadership development program, and how African-American women individually take leadership to enable their success in computing.


The Need For Research In Broadening Participation, Tiffany Barnes, George K. Thiruvathukal Jan 2017

The Need For Research In Broadening Participation, Tiffany Barnes, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

Underrepresentation in computing is a global problem, marked by a disturbing lack of access to computing resources and education among people underrepresented by race, ethnicity, gender, income, disability, and sexual-orientation status. It is urgent that we address this divide between those with and without the knowledge to create computational artifacts or even basic functional literacy. Important alliances for broadening participation (BP) are catalyzing efforts to engage more people in computing, but they are not enough. We need solid research as well.


Metrics Dashboard Services: A Framework For Analyzing Free/Open Source Team Repositories, Shilpika Shilpika, George K. Thiruvathukal, Nicholas Hayward, Konstantin Läufer Oct 2016

Metrics Dashboard Services: A Framework For Analyzing Free/Open Source Team Repositories, Shilpika Shilpika, George K. Thiruvathukal, Nicholas Hayward, Konstantin Läufer

George K. Thiruvathukal

No abstract provided.


A Mini-History Of Computing, George K. Thiruvathukal Oct 2016

A Mini-History Of Computing, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

This book was produced by George K. Thiruvathukal for the American Institute of Physics to promote interest in the interdisciplinary publication, Computing in Science and Engineering. It accompanied a limited edition set of playing cards that is no longer available (except in PDF). This book features a set of 54 significant computers by era/category, including ancient calculating instruments, pre-electronic mechanical calculators and computers, electronic era computers, and modern computing (minicomputers, maniframes, personal computers, devices, and gaming consoles).


Collaboration And Health Care Diagnostics: An Agent Based Model Simulation, Sebastian Linde, George K. Thiruvathukal Aug 2015

Collaboration And Health Care Diagnostics: An Agent Based Model Simulation, Sebastian Linde, George K. Thiruvathukal

George K. Thiruvathukal

This paper presents a simple ABM simulation that seeks to provide insight into the public health benefits that derive from greater collaboration among health care professionals. In particular, the paper compares the efficiency, delivery and timeliness of health care diagnostics under two contrasting paradigms–one in which collaboration is encouraged, and an- other where it is not. The preliminary results of this study suggest that while the effect of cooperation on aggregate public health depends on the patient search algorithm employed, its effect on overall efficiency and timeliness of health care diagnostics and treatment is significant and pos- itive. Since the …