As the de facto industry standard for software modeling, the Unified Modeling Language (UML) is used widely across various IT domains. UML__s wide acceptance is partly because the language offers... Show moreAs the de facto industry standard for software modeling, the Unified Modeling Language (UML) is used widely across various IT domains. UML__s wide acceptance is partly because the language offers flexibility and freedom in modeling software systems: 1) UML provides an extensive set of modeling notations that can be used to model various concepts; 2) UML can be used both in a casual and formal manners. In the context of model-driven software development, the degree of freedom in which UML is used raises an important issue related to model quality. Different styles and rigors in using UML affect the quality of the resulting models. It is then logical to think that the level of quality of the UML model may affect the quality of the resulting software. This thesis reports on a series of empirical studies performed to address a pivotal question concerning the benefits of UML modeling in software development, particularly from a quality perspective. The results of these empirical studies show that the use of UML provides benefits in terms of increased quality and productivity in software development. The availability of UML models also allows early prediction of defects in software systems. Such prediction is potentially useful for identifying and fixing defects early during software development, and for prioritizing testing. Show less
Jong, M.C. de; Pramana, J.; Knegjens, J.L.; Balm, A.J.M.; Brekel, M.W.M. van den; Hauptmann, M.; ... ; Rasch, C.R.N. 2010
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to combine gene expression profiles and clinical factors to provide a better prediction model of local control after chemoradiotherapy for advanced head and... Show morePurpose: The purpose of this study was to combine gene expression profiles and clinical factors to provide a better prediction model of local control after chemoradiotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer.Material and methods: Gene expression data were available for a series of 92 advanced stage head and neck cancer patients treated with primary chemoradiotherapy. The effect of the Chung high-risk and Slebos HPV expression profiles on local control was analyzed in a model with age at diagnosis, gender, tumor site, tumor volume, T-stage and N-stage and HPV profile status.Results: Among 75 patients included in the study, the only factors significantly predicting local control were tumor site (oral cavity vs. Pharynx, hazard ratio 4.2 [95% CI 1.4-12.5]), Chung gene expression status (high vs. Low risk profile, hazard ratio 4.4 [95% CI 1.5-13.3]) and HPV profile (negative vs. Positive profile, hazard ratio 6.2 [95% CI 1.7-22.5]).Conclusions: Chung high-risk expression profile and a negative HPV expression profile were significantly associated with increased risk of local recurrence after chemoradiotherapy in advanced pharynx and oral cavity tumors, independent of clinical factors. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Radiotherapy and Oncology 95 (2010) 365-370 Show less
