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Issue tracking systems enable users and developers to comment on problems plaguing a software system. Empirical Software Engineering (ESE) researchers study (open-source) project issues and the comments and threads within to discover---among others---challenges developers face when, e.g., incorporating new technologies, platforms, and programming language constructs. However, issue discussion threads accumulate over time and thus can become unwieldy, hindering any insight that researchers may gain. While existing approaches alleviate this burden by classifying issue thread comments, there is a gap between searching popular open-source software repositories (e.g., those on GitHub) for issues containing particular keywords and feeding the results into a classification model. In this paper, we demonstrate a research infrastructure tool called QuerTCI that bridges this gap by integrating the GitHub issue comment search API with the classification models found in existing approaches. Using queries, ESE researchers can retrieve GitHub issues containing particular keywords, e.g., those related to a certain programming language construct, and subsequently classify the kinds of discussions occurring in those issues. Using our tool, our hope is that ESE researchers can uncover challenges related to particular technologies using certain keywords through popular open-source repositories more seamlessly than previously possible. A tool demonstration video may be found at: https://youtu.be/fADKSxn0QUk.</p>
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This content will become publicly available on January 1, 2027
MorphoCloud: Democratizing Access to High-Performance Computing for Morphological Data Analysis
Background The digitization of biological specimens has revolutionized morphology, generating massive 3D datasets such as microCT scans. While open-source platforms like 3D Slicer and SlicerMorph have democratized access to advanced visualization and analysis software, a significant “compute gap” persists. Processing high-resolution 3D data requires high-end GPUs and substantial RAM, resources that are frequently unavailable at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) and other educational settings. This “digital divide” prevents many researchers and students from utilizing the very data and software that have been made open to them. Methods We present MorphoCloud, a platform designed to bridge this hardware barrier by providing on-demand, research-grade computing environments via a web browser. MorphoCloud utilizes an “IssuesOps” architecture, where users manage their remote workstations entirely through GitHub Issues using natural-language commands (e.g., /create, /unshelve). The technology stack leverages GitHub Issues and Actions for front-end and orchestration respectively, JetStream2 for backend compute, and Apache Guacamole to deliver a high-performance, GPU-accelerated desktop experience to any modern browser. Results The platform enables a streamlined lifecycle for remote instances, which come pre-configured with the SlicerMorph ecosystem, R/RStudio, and AI-assisted segmentation tools like NNInteractive and MEMOs. Users have access to a persistent storage volume that is decoupled from the instance. For educational purposes, MorphoCloud supports “Workshop” instances that allow for bulk provisioning and stay online continuously for short-term events. This identical environment ensures that instructors can conduct complex 3D workflows without the typical troubleshooting delays caused by heterogeneous student hardware. Conclusion MorphoCloud demonstrates that true scientific accessibility requires not just open data and software, but also open infrastructure. By abstracting the complexities of cloud administration into a simple, command-driven interface, MorphoCloud empowers researchers at under-resourced institutions to engage in high-performance morphological analysis and AI-assisted segmentation.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2301405
- PAR ID:
- 10659532
- Publisher / Repository:
- F1000 Research Ltd
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- F1000Research
- Volume:
- 15
- ISSN:
- 2046-1402
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 53
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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