Towards a conceptualisation of quality in information technology projects

Quality has been extensively studied in repetitive operations, but it remains under-researched in projects. The uncertainty and dynamics of projects challenge the principles of quality developed for repetitive operations, and call for project-tailored solutions. This article explores the attributes of quality in projects, based on interviews conducted within a large IT-services company. An adapted repertory grid was used to investigate the understanding of quality by comparing concrete examples of projects considered as high or low quality. Eight attributes of quality were identified, which indicate a tension between a mechanistic standpoint of quality, and the need to incorporate less tangible aspects.     

Addition of cashew tree gum to maltodextrin-based carriers for spray drying of cashew apple juice

This study involved an attempt to totally or partially replace maltodextrin DE10 (MD10) by cashew tree gum (CTG) as a drying aid agent in spray drying of cashew apple juice. The objective was to evaluate the impact of drying aid/cashew apple juice dry weight ratio (D/C, ranging from 3 to 5) and degree of replacement of MD10 with CTG (CTG_R, ranging from 0% to 100%) on ascorbic acid retention (AAR), hygroscopicity, flowability and water solubility of spray dried cashew apple juice powder. AAR was increased from 72.90% to 95.46% by increasing D/C from 3 to 5. CTG was shown as a promising maltodextrin replacer, being more effective than the latter to decrease powder hygroscopicity. The most adequate drying conditions (D/C = 5, CTG_R≥50%) resulted in more than 90% of AAR, and produced a powder with good flowing properties and water solubility.     

Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of staphylococci isolated from the skin surface of clinically normal cats

We evaluated the impact of the November 1994 ban on smoking on school property in Ontario. Telephone interviews were conducted at the end of the 1995-96 school year with 213 high school administrators. Almost all high schools (96%) prohibit smoking on school property. Although some smoking still occurs on school property, the location of smoking by students has changed, giving rise to perceptions of both benefits and risks, as well as varying complaints from parents, students, neighbours, and nearby businesses. Most of the problems arising from the ban are viewed as minor. Local conditions, particularly the geographic environment of the school, appear to be important determinants of complaints and problems. While sizeable minorities of school administrators felt the ban had favourable effects, the majority perceived little effect on either smoking behaviour or attitudes towards smoking.     

Evaluation of a bacteriocin-producing strain of Pediococcus acidilactici as a biopreservative for “Alheira”, a fermented meat sausage

This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of Pediococcus acidilactici HA-6111-2, a PA-1 bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacterium (LAB), isolated from “Alheira” to inhibit a cocktail of Listeria innocua strains during production and shelf-life of these products. The bacteriocinogenic culture reduced the Listeria population below the detection limit (1.5log CFU/g) and had no effect on the growth of the natural LAB flora or on the pH. Pathogenic organisms were not detected in any sample. The presence of some virulence factors and antibiotic resistances of the strain to be used as a bioprotective culture were investigated. P. acidilactici HA-6111-2 did not produce any of the biogenic amines tested; no formation of biofilms was observed; more l(+)lactic acid was produced than its isomer d(?); no gelatinase, DNase or lipase activity was recorded; no structural genes for the haemolysin, enterococcal surface protein, hydrolytic compounds, aggregation protein and cell-wall adhesins were detected, no significant antibiotic resistances were found. P. acidilactici HA-6111-2 appears to have potential as a bioprotective culture during “Alheira” fermentation. Moreover, a trained panel considered the protected product to be sensorially acceptable.     

The effect of lens wear on refractive index of conventional hydrogel and silicone-hydrogel contact lenses: a comparative study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the ability of four silicone-hydrogel contact lenses (galyfilcon A, balafilcon A, lotrafilcon A and lotrafilcon B) to retain their equilibrium water content before and after wear, through measurements of refractive index and compare with that of a conventional disposable hydrogel contact lens (etafilcon A). METHODS: The refractive indices of 115 contact lenses were measured using an automated refractometer (CLR 12-70, Index Instruments, Cambridge, U.K.) before and after a schedule of daily wear by 58 patients for 30 days in the case of silicone-hydrogel lenses and 15 days for the conventional contact lenses. RESULTS: In the silicone-hydrogel contact lenses the changes on the refractive indices were not statistically significant, however after being worn the refractive index of the conventional etalfilcon A hydrogel contact lens increased significantly (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The results presented here show that after being worn the silicone-hydrogel contact lens, show more capacity to retain or to reach their initial equilibrium water content than conventional hydrogel contact lenses. This suggests that the silicone-hydrogel contact lenses are less susceptible to spoilation over time maintaining its biocompatibility and contributing to the clinical success of lens performance.     

Sustainability issues along the coffee chain: From the field to the cup

The coffee industry is one of the most important commercial value chains worldwide. Nonetheless, it is also associated to several social, economic, and environmental concerns that impair its sustainability. The present review is focused on these main sustainability concerns from the field to the coffee cup, as well as on the strategies that are being developed and/or implemented to attain sustainability and circular economy principles in the different chain segments. In this context, distinct approaches have been applied, such as sustainable certifications (e.g., voluntary sustainability standards), corporate sustainability initiatives, direct trade, relationship coffee concepts, geographical indication, legislations, waste management, and byproducts valorization, among others. These strategies are addressed and discussed throughout this review, as well as their recognized advantages and limitations. Overall, there is still a long way to go to attain the much-desired sustainability in the coffee chain, being essential to join the efforts of all actors and entities directly or indirectly involved, namely, producers, retailers, roasters, governments, educational institutions (such as universities and scientific research institutes), and organizations.     

Box-Behnken Design a Key Tool to Achieve Optimized PCL/Gelatin Electrospun Mesh

Hybrid electrospun nanofibers of polycaprolactone (PCL)/gelatin are considered as drug-delivery systems for increasing the treatment efficacy in superficial (skin) wounds. Continuous delivery of therapeutic agents, skin extracellular matrix similarity, management of wound exudate, and antimicrobial barrier effect are the major advantages of electrospun nanofibers in skin applications. Additionally, combining the favorable properties of PCL and gelatin, regarding their biocompatibility, biodegradability and mechanical performance have been revealed promising parameters to be considered for blend in hybrid structures. However, the usual optimization protocol of nanofibers’ production in electrospinning is based on the observation of one-variable-at-time being this methodology expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, in this research work, a statistical model based on four input variables namely, the flow rate, the needle-working distance, the applied voltage, and the ratio of PCL in the solution, is developed to predict the behavior of nanofibers. The performance of nanofibers is monitored by measurements of fiber's diameter, mesh's thickness, and mesh's permeability. Overall, the model showed to be statistically significant (p-value < 0.05) and an independent analysis validated the predicted response for optimal condition. Finally, a delivery study is performed to evaluate the electrospun mesh performance as a drug carrier.     

Loliolide,a New Therapeutic Option for Neurological Diseases? In Vitro Neuroprotective and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of a Monoterpenoid Lactone Isolated from Codium tomentosum

Parkinsons Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide, and is characterized by a progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Without an effective treatment, it is crucial to find new therapeutic options to fight the neurodegenerative process, which may arise from marine resources. Accordingly, the goal of the present work was to evaluate the ability of the monoterpenoid lactone Loliolide, isolated from the green seaweed Codium tomentosum, to prevent neurological cell death mediated by the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on SH-SY5Y cells and their anti-inflammatory effects in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Loliolide was obtained from the diethyl ether extract, purified through column chromatography and identified by NMR spectroscopy. The neuroprotective effects were evaluated by the MTT method. Cells’ exposure to 6-OHDA in the presence of Loliolide led to an increase of cells’ viability in 40%, and this effect was mediated by mitochondrial protection, reduction of oxidative stress condition and apoptosis, and inhibition of the NF-kB pathway. Additionally, Loliolide also suppressed nitric oxide production and inhibited the production of TNF-α and IL-6 pro-inflammatory cytokines. The results suggest that Loliolide can inspire the development of new neuroprotective therapeutic agents and thus, more detailed studies should be considered to validate its pharmacological potential.     

Rheokinematics for product development—Formulation screening in rotational rheometers

Product formulations for industrial processes are typically developed at laboratory scale. However, the mixing conditions are not easily mimicked in the laboratory. A rotational device is proposed in this study as a fast laboratory-scale formulation development, which enables mimicking the mixing conditions in the industrial process. The geometrical configurations of the rotational device are from rheometry devices (plate-plate and cone-plate). The main advantages of this method are the small amounts of raw materials and shorter testing times. This methodology is applied to an industrial case study, the reaction injection molding (RIM) process. The mixing length scales evolution in the rotational rheometer were matched to those in RIM machines. The main novelty of this study is the introduction of a protocol that bridges the processing conditions at laboratory using small amounts of raw materials to high throughput continuous flow reactors.     

Effect of Heavy Metals in Plants of the Genus Brassica

Several species from the Brassica genus are very important agricultural crops in different parts of the world and are also known to be heavy metal accumulators. There have been a large number of studies regarding the tolerance, uptake and defense mechanism in several of these species, notably Brassica juncea and B. napus, against the stress induced by heavy metals. Numerous studies have also been published about the capacity of these species to be used for phytoremediation purposes but with mixed results. This review will focus on the latest developments in the study of the uptake capacity, oxidative damage and biochemical and physiological tolerance and defense mechanisms to heavy metal toxicity on six economically important species: B. juncea, B. napus, B. oleracea, B. carinata, B. rapa and B. nigra.