Survey and Evaluation of Automated Model Generation Techniques for High Level Modeling and High Level Fault Modeling

It is known that automated model generation (AMG) techniques for linear systems are sufficiently mature to handle linear systems during high level modeling (HLM). Other AMG techniques have been developed for various levels of nonlinear behavior and to focus on specific issues such as high level fault modeling (HLFM). However, no single nonlinear AMG technique exists which can be confidently adapted for any nonlinear system. In this paper, a survey on AMG techniques over the last two decades is conducted. The techniques are classified into two main areas: system identification (SI) based AMG and model order reduction (MOR) based AMG. Overall, the survey reveals that more advanced research for AMG techniques is required to handle strongly nonlinear systems during HLFM.     

Organizational research in the field of Green IT: A systematic literature review from 2007 to 2016

The environmental effects of Information Technology (IT) and business sustainability have been a catalyst for the growth of Green IT. This growth has resulted in a considerable amount of attention from business practitioners, Information System (IS) researchers and politicians in the field. Many researchers from different academic backgrounds have attempted to investigate and understand the concepts of Green IT, from both the individual and the organizational perspectives. However, few attempts have been made to incorporate the findings of previous surveys and to assess the current state of research in this field. In this research, we conduct a literature review to examine Green IT research to gain a better understanding of the Green IT field between 2007 and 2016. We categorize the published papers and present some novel research opportunities and areas that need to be developed. To provide extensive quantitative and qualitative results, we follow a review protocol integrating two different stages (automatic and manual) and cover all of the studies from this period. Accordingly, from the review study, we identify 131 papers addressing Green IT that were reviewed to extract relevant information on a set of research questions. We observe that the current studies cover numerous research themes under Green IT research, particularly initiation, approaches and strategies, the adoption framework, and benefits, with other themes gaining scarce attention. By presenting research questions, we aid scholars in determining rigorous academic research directions for studying this phenomenon. The results of this study provide a roadmap to guide future studies on Green IT and highlight directions for the successful implementation of Green IT in organizations.     

Structural and physical properties of $$\hbox {Sm}^{3+}$$ doped magnesium zinc sulfophosphate glass

Samarium (\(\hbox {Sm}^{3+})\) doped magnesium zinc sulfophosphate glass system of composition (60–\(x)\hbox {P}_{2}\hbox {O}_{5}\)–20MgO–20ZnSO\(_{4}\)–\(x\hbox {Sm}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}\) (\(x =\) 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mol%) were synthesized using melt-quenching technique. The structure and physical properties of prepared glass samples were characterized. The X-ray diffraction pattern verified their amorphous nature. The physical properties such as density, refractive index, molar volume, rare earth ion concentration, etc. were calculated. The decrease in the optical bandgap energy with increasing \(\hbox {Sm}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}\) contents was attributed to the alteration in the glass network structures. Fourier transformed infrared spectra and Raman analyses manifested the depolymerization of \(\hbox {ZnSO}_{4}\) in the phosphate host matrix. The present findings may be beneficial for the advancement of functional glasses.     

A Comparative Study on the Expression, Purification and Functional Characterization of Human Adiponectin in Pichia pastoris and Escherichia coli

Adiponectin is one of the most bioactive substances secreted by adipose tissue and is involved in the protection against metabolic syndrome, artherosclerosis and type II diabetes. Research into the use of adiponectin as a promising drug for metabolic syndromes requires production of this hormone in high quantities considering its molecular isoforms. The objective of this study is to produce recombinant human adiponectin by Pichia pastoris (P-ADP) as a cheap and convenient eukaryotic expression system for potential application in pharmaceutical therapy. For comparison, adiponectin was also expressed using the Escherichia coli (E-ADP) expression system. Adiponectin was constructed by overlap-extension PCR, and cloned in standard cloning vector and hosts. Recombinant expression vectors were cloned in the P. pastoris and E. coli host strains, respectively. SDS-PAGE and western blotting were used to detect and analyse expressed recombinant protein in both systems. Adiponectin was purified by affinity chromatography and quantified using the Bradford Assay. The results of this study indicated that P-ADP quantity (0.111 mg/mL) was higher than that of E-ADP (0.04 mg/mL) and both were produced in soluble form. However, P-ADP was able to form high molecular weights of adiponectin molecules, whilst E-ADP was not able to form isoforms higher than trimer. In addition, P-ADP was more active in lowering blood glucose compared with E-ADP. The two types of proteins were equally efficient and significantly decreased blood triglyceride and increased high density lipoprotein. We conclude that P. pastoris is able to produce high quantity of bioactive adiponectin for potential use in treatment of metabolic syndromes.