An industrial case study on variability handling in large enterprise software systems

ContextEnterprise software systems (e.g., enterprise resource planning software) are often deployed in different contexts (e.g., different organizations or different business units or branches of one organization). However, even though organizations, business units or branches have the same or similar business goals, they may differ in how they achieve these goals. Thus, many enterprise software systems are subject to variability and adapted depending on the context in which they are used.ObjectiveOur goal is to provide a snapshot of variability in large scale enterprise software systems. We aim at understanding the types of variability that occur in large industrial enterprise software systems. Furthermore, we aim at identifying how variability is handled in such systems.MethodWe performed an exploratory case study in two large software organizations, involving two large enterprise software systems. Data were collected through interviews and document analysis. Data were analyzed following a grounded theory approach.ResultsWe identified seven types of variability (e.g., functionality, infrastructure) and eight mechanisms to handle variability (e.g., add-ons, code switches).ConclusionsWe provide generic types for classifying variability in enterprise software systems, and reusable mechanisms for handling such variability. Some variability types and handling mechanisms for enterprise software systems found in the real world extend existing concepts and theories. Others confirm findings from previous research literature on variability in software in general and are therefore not specific to enterprise software systems. Our findings also offer a theoretical foundation for describing variability handling in practice. Future work needs to provide more evaluations of the theoretical foundations, and refine variability handling mechanisms into more detailed practices.     

Twin screw granulation – review of current progress

Twin screw granulation (TSG) is a new process of interest to the pharmaceutical community that can continuously wet granulate powders, doing so at lower liquid concentrations and with better product consistency than found by a high shear batch mixer. A considerable body of research has evolved over the short time since this process was introduced but generally with little comparison of results. A certain degree of confidence has been developed through these studies related to how process variables and many attributes of machinery configuration will affect granulation but some major challenges still lay ahead related to scalability, variations in the processing regimes related to degree of channel fill and the impact of wetting and granulation of complex powder formulations. This review examines the current literature for wet granulation processes studied in twin screw extrusion machinery, summarizing the influences of operational and system parameters affecting granule properties as well as strives to provide some practical observations to newly interested users of the technique.     

Predictors of job seekers’ self-disclosure on social media

Social media-based screening is a well-known practice to both recruiters and job seekers. Little is known, however, about how job seekers present themselves on social media, i.e. ‘self-disclosure’, for employment purposes. This study builds on the theories of hyperpersonal computer-mediated communication, self-efficacy and social exchange to examine job seekers’ professional online image concerns, social media self-efficacy, and perceptions of social media effectiveness in the job search as predictors of inappropriate and career-oriented self-disclosures on these media. Findings from a sample of 3374 Italian respondents showed that career-oriented self-disclosure was predicted by all three factors, whereas inappropriate self-disclosure was only predicted by social media self-efficacy. Furthermore, the relationship between professional online image concerns and inappropriate self-disclosure was moderated by age, education and work experience, but not by gender. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.     

Theoretical study of the structural,elastic and thermodynamic properties of chalcopyrite ZnGeP2

The structural, elastic, and thermodynamic properties of ZnGeP₂ with chalcopyrite structure are investigated using the pseudo-potentials plane wave method based on the density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation. The lattice parameters (a, c and u) are directly calculated and agree well with previous experimental and theoretical results. The obtained negative formation enthalpy shows that ZnGeP₂ crystal has strong structural stability. We have also calculated the bulk modulus B and the elastic parameters (C₁₁, C₁₂, C₁₃, C₃₃, C₄₄, and C₆₆) which have not been measured yet. The accuracy and reliability of the calculated elastic constants of ZnGeP₂ crystal are discussed. In addition, the pressure and temperature dependencies of the lattice parameters, bulk modulus, Debye temperature, Grüneisen parameter, entropy, volume thermal expansion coefficient, and specific heat capacity are obtained in the ranges of 0–20 GPa and 0–1200 K using the quasi-harmonic Debye model. To our knowledge this is the first quantitative theoretical prediction of the thermodynamic properties for ZnGeP₂ compound and still awaits experimental confirmations.     

The effect of baking time,fillet radius,and hardness on the lifecycles of pole fastening screws in an electric motor with hydrogen embrittlement

In order to protect bolts from corrosion, electroplating such as zinc plating is widely used. However, hydrogen can easily penetrate or diffuse into the vacancies and dislocations between the lattices of bolt steel during electroplating. As the diffused hydrogen defects inside the lattice are in gaseous form, small cracks can easily be produced due to high pressure from the hydrogen gas. In this research, in order to determine the root cause of the fracture in pole fastening screws resulting from hydrogen embrittlement in typical electric motors, additional factors that accelerate hydrogen embrittlement fracture were selectively applied, including a small fillet in the head–shank transition and excessive hardness, and parametric study was performed experimentally.     

p-Median and p-dispersion problems: A bi-criteria analysis

Given a collection of n locations and a symmetric measure of distance (difference) between each pair of locations, we seek to identify (select) a subset of p locations so as to achieve two distinct objectives. The first objective is to use the selected locations as centers (medians) of p groups that would partition the entire collection and minimize the total distance between the locations and their respective group medians. The second objective is to maximize the minimum distance (diversity) among the selected locations themselves. We study this problem as a multi-objective optimization problem and propose an iterative algorithm to obtain its non-dominated frontier. At each iteration we construct and solve a 0–1 integer programming problem. Through a computational experiment we show that this algorithm is computationally effective for small to medium size instances of the problem. We also propose a Lagrangian heuristic algorithm for solving larger instances of this problem.     

A Constitutive Equation of Thermoelasticity for Solid Materials

A new constitutive equation of thermoelasticity for crystals is presented based on the interatomic potential and solid mechanics at finite temperature. Using the new constitutive equation, the calculations for crystal copper and graphene are carried out under different loading paths at different temperatures. The calculated results are in good agreement with those of the previous thermoelasticity constitutive equation based on quantum mechanics, which clearly indicates that our new constitutive equation of thermoelasticity is correct. A lot of comparisons also show that the present theory is more concise and efficient than the previous thermal stress theory in the practical application.     

A model for semiconductor quantum dot molecule based on the current spin density functional theory

Based on the current spin density functional theory, a theoretical model of three vertically aligned semiconductor quantum dots is proposed and numerically studied. This quantum dot molecule (QDM) model is treated with realistic hard-wall confinement potential and external magnetic field in three-dimensional setting. Using the effective-mass approximation with band nonparabolicity, the many-body Hamiltonian results in a cubic eigenvalue problem from a finite difference discretization. A self-consistent algorithm for solving the Schrödinger-Poisson system by using the Jacobi-Davidson method and GMRES is given to illustrate the Kohn-Sham orbitals and energies of six electrons in the molecule with some magnetic fields. It is shown that the six electrons residing in the central dot at zero magnetic field can be changed to such that each dot contains two electrons with some feasible magnetic field. The Förster-Dexter resonant energy transfer may therefore be generated by two individual QDMs. This may motivate a new paradigm of Fermionic qubits for quantum computing in solid-state systems.     

高分辨率阵列感应测井仪在河南油田的应用

文章介绍了美国Baker-Atlas公司研制生产的高分辨率阵列感应成像测井仪（HDIL）,简述了该仪器的工作原理和技术性能指标及主要应用范围,并介绍了高分辨率阵列感应测井（HDIL）资料在河南南阳油田的具体应用实例.