A dynamic variability management approach working with agile product line engineering practices for reusing features

The Journal of Supercomputing - Agile software development (ASD) and software product line (SPL) have shown significant benefits for software engineering processes and practices. Although both...     

Role of situational method engineering to improve visual information systems in agile distributed environment

Software product prone to continuous evolution due to increase in the use of technology. Therefore, more stakeholders are involved in software evolution increases the cost and complexity. This required optimization of resources and cost to handle evolution with Global Software Development (GSD) to utilize time zones efficiently. The significance challenge of GSD reports: time zone difference, geographical location, communication delays, knowledge sharing, control among stakeholders and development team. Because of these challenges, the requirements for development in GSD environment are also challenge as compared to on site development. Different requirement engineering methods have been used to improve the requirements analysis to deal with ambiguities and inconsistency in large set of requirements. The customization and tailoring of requirements according to changing project’s situations required to improve project development with reusing existing agile methods during requirement engineering phase. Moreover, complex information systems where heterogeneity is inevitable that implies the involvement of divergent stakeholders and necessitate a comprehensive framework to capture multidimensional viewpoints and fulfill aforementioned issues. Therefore, a situational multi-dimensional agile requirement engineering method has been proposed to support team and stakeholders’ viewpoints. The schema of the proposed method is based on challenges recognized by performing Literature Review. Then proposed method has been evaluated via experimental approach and statistical analysis conducted to validated reliability of data collected. This result is significant approved both practically and statistically that the proposed approach ease to use, implement, trained and increased productivity and performance. Hence, the experimental study for the evaluation of the proposed approach results concluded that, proposed approach is the important multimedia tool for supporting organization and distributed development team for information sharing, collaboration, product development.

     

Long‐Range Nanoparticle Surface‐Energy‐Transfer Ruler for Monitoring Photothermal Therapy Response

A recent gold nanotechnology‐driven approach opens up a new possibility for the destruction of cancer cells through photothermal therapy. Ultimately, photothermal therapy may enter into clinical therapy and, as a result, there is an urgent need for techniques to monitor the tumor response to therapy. Driven by this need, a nanoparticle surface‐energy‐transfer (NSET) approach to monitor the photothermal therapy process by measuring a simple fluorescence intensity change is reported. The fluorescence intensity change is due to the light‐controlled photothermal release of single‐stranded DNA/RNA via dehybridization during the therapy process. Time‐dependent results show that just by measuring the fluorescence intensity change, the photothermal therapy response during the therapy process can be monitored. The possible mechanism and operating principle of the NSET assay are discussed. Ultimately, this NSET assay could have enormous potential applications in rapid, on‐site monitoring of the photothermal therapy process, which is critical to providing effective treatment of cancer and multidrug‐resistant bacterial infections.     

A Novel Sprague-Dawley Rat Model Presents Improved NASH/NAFLD Symptoms with PEG Coated Vitexin Liposomes

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a global threat to the human population, with manifestations resulting from alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD, if not treated, may progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Furthermore, inflammation leads to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Vitexin, a natural flavonoid, has been recently reported for inhibiting NAFLD. It is a lipogenesis inhibitor and activates lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation. In addition, owing to its antioxidant properties, it appeared as a hepatoprotective candidate. However, it exhibits low bioavailability and low efficacy due to its hydrophobic nature. A novel rat model for liver cirrhosis was developed by CCL4/Urethane co-administration. Vitexin encapsulated liposomes were synthesized by the ‘thin-film hydration’ method. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was coated on liposomes to enhance stability and stealth effect. The diseased rats were then treated with vitexin and PEGylated vitexin liposomes, administered intravenously and orally. Results ascertained the liposomal encapsulation of vitexin and subsequent PEG coating to be a substantial strategy for treating liver cirrhosis through oral drug delivery.     

Epoxide functionalized γ-Al2O3/Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocomposite and comparative adsorption behavior of a model reactive azo dye

In this investigation, magnetic γ-Al₂O₃ nanocomposite polymer particles with epoxide functionality were prepared following a multistep process. The prepared nanocomposite polymer particle was named as γ-Al₂O₃/Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/poly(glycidyl methacrylate (PGMA). The surface property was evaluated by carrying out the adsorption study of Remazol Navy RGB (RN), a model reactive azo dye, on both γ-Al₂O₃/Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ and γ-Al₂O₃/Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/PGMA nanocomposite particles, that is, before and after epoxide functionalization. A contact time, temperature, adsorbent dose, and dye concentration dependent change in adsorption behavior was observed on both nanocomposite particles. The adsorption amount reached equilibrium (q_e) value within 5 minutes at the respective point of zero charge (PZC). The adsorption density of RN per unit specific surface area on epoxide functional γ-Al₂O₃/Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/PGMA nanocomposite polymer particles (1.30 mg/m²) was higher relative to that on γ-Al₂O₃/Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ nanocomposite particles (0.87 mg/m²). The optimum adsorbent dose for obtaining the maximum adsorption density was 0.01 g. Comparatively, Langmuir isotherm model was better to describe the adsorption process and the adsorption process was favorable at low temperature (283 K). Batch kinetic adsorption experiment suggested that a pseudo-second-order rate kinetic model is more appropriate. Nanocomposite polymer particles were used as adsorbent up to third cycle with almost 99% adsorption efficiency.     

Curing behavior and properties of benzoxazine‐co‐self‐promoted phthalonitrile polymers

A new high‐performance copolymer was successfully obtained via concerted catalysis polymerization of mono‐functional benzoxazine (P‐a) and self‐promoted 4‐aminophenoxy phthalonitrile (4‐APN) monomers. The FTIR and DSC curves of the P‐a/4‐APN in different blend ratios suggested that the monomer blends can be completely cured without the addition of curing additive. The P‐a/4‐APN copolymers were cured at relatively lower curing temperatures and time. The TGA curves revealed that the P‐a/4‐APN copolymers have good thermal stability in terms of T₅, T₁₀, and char yield. A gradual increase in the glass transition temperature (T_g) values and decline were seen in the storage modulus as the loading of 4‐APN was increased from 10 to 30 wt % in the copolymer. The SEM analyses showed that copolymer's fracture surface is dendritic, showing the stress has been dispersed to a certain extent. The study revealed that the poly(P‐a/4‐APN) copolymer have much better thermal stabilities than the poly(P‐a), and the prepared copolymer can be used as a high‐performance thermosetting resin. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46578.     

Experimental investigation on the stability of bride girder against tsunami forces

Bridges are the most useful part in the transportation network. Any disruption of the bridge structures may hamper the whole transportation system. In the last recent tsunamis, numerous number of bridges were structurally damaged by the tsunami waves. Lack of proper provisions of tsunami forces in the design guidelines also contributes to the augmentations of the damage level. Therefore, proper evaluation of the tsunami forces on the bridge girder should be introduced in the design promptly. In this study, laboratory experiments were carried out to reveal the damage mechanism of the bridge girder by assessing the exerted tsunami forces. Both broken and unbroken waves were considered for the analysis. The results showed that measured forces were larger for broken waves than those of unbroken waves. Maximum force of the broken waves was 4.59 times as large as the hydrostatic pressure. Also, waves reached the peak value more rapidly for larger wave heights than those of smaller ones. Additionally, a girder that is placed at a higher position is much vulnerable to tsunami hazard.     

Nanostructured materials with biomimetic recognition abilities for chemical sensing

Binding features found in biological systems can be implemented into man-made materials to design nanostructured artificial receptor matrices which are suitable, e.g., for chemical sensing applications. A range of different non-covalent interactions can be utilized based on the chemical properties of the respective analyte. One example is the formation of coordinative bonds between a polymerizable ligand (e.g., N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) and a metal ion (e.g., Cu(II)). Optimized molecularly imprinted sensor layers lead to selectivity factors of at least 2 compared to other bivalent ions. In the same way, H-bonds can be utilized for such sensing purposes, as shown in the case of Escherichia coli. The respective molecularly imprinted polymer leads to the selectivity factor of more than 5 between the W and B strains, respectively. Furthermore, nanoparticles with optimized Pearson hardness allow for designing sensors to detect organic thiols in air. The ‘harder’ MoS₂ yields only about 40% of the signals towards octane thiol as compared to the ‘softer’ Cu₂S. However, both materials strongly prefer molecules with -SH functionality over others, such as hydrocarbon chains. Finally, selectivity studies with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) reveal that artificial receptors yield selectivities between WGA and bovine serum albumin that are only about a factor of 2 which is smaller than natural ligands.