Blending Scrum practices and CMMI project management process areas

Software development organizations that have been employing capability maturity models, such as SW-CMM or CMMI for improving their processes are now increasingly interested in the possibility of adopting agile development methods. In the context of project management, what can we say about Scrum’s alignment with CMMI? The aim of our paper is to present the mapping between CMMI and the agile method Scrum, showing major gaps between them and identifying how organizations are adopting complementary practices in their projects to make these two approaches more compliant. This is useful for organizations that have a plan-driven process based on the CMMI model and are planning to improve the agility of processes or to help organizations to define a new project management framework based on both CMMI and Scrum practices.     

Combined Assessment of Climate Change and Socio-Economic Development as Drivers of Freshwater Availability in the South of Portugal

A combined assessment of the potential impacts from climate change (CC) and socio-economic development (SED) on water resources is presented for the most important aquifer in the south of Portugal. The goal is to understand how CC and SED affect the currently large pressures from water consuming and contaminating activities, predominantly agriculture. Short-term (2020–2050) and long-term (2070–2100) CC scenarios were developed and used to build aquifer recharge and crop water demand scenarios, using different methods to account for uncertainty. SED scenarios were developed using bottom-up and top-down methods, and discussed at workshops with farmers and institutional stakeholders in the water sector. Groundwater use was quantified for each scenario. Together with the recharge scenarios, these were run through a calibrated groundwater flow model, to study their individual and joint impacts on groundwater levels and discharge rates into a coastal estuary. Recharge scenarios show clear negative long-term trends and short-term increase in temporal variability of recharge, though short-term model uncertainties are higher. SED scenario 1 (SED1), predicting intensification and decline of small farms, considered the most likely by all workshop participants, shows a large drop in agricultural area and water demand. SED2, a most desired scenario by farmers, foresees growth and modernization of agriculture, but proves unsustainable in combination with predicted CC without efficient adaptation measures. The results thus reveal that CC in the region will dynamically interact with economic factors, and going one step beyond, CC could be directly integrated as a constraint in the development of SED scenarios. Exercises involving the integration of CC and SED regionally based scenarios, constructed in both bottom-up and top- down fashion and discussed in participatory contexts are still rarely used for adaptation, and specifically adaptation of agriculture to water scarcity. The joint analysis of CC and SED revealed challenging, as it involved the use of different methods across the border between natural and social sciences. In our view this method contributes in an encouraging manner to a more holistic and transdisciplinary water management, by allowing a more plausible identification of what (and if) adaptation measures are needed.     

Etude de la réaction de réduction électrochimique de l'aluminium dans les mélanges de chlorures alcalins et de chlorures-fluorures alcalins fondus à 450°C

Résumé La réduction électrochimique de AlCl₃ dans les mélanges NaCl-KCl-LiCl et NaCl-KCl-LiCl-LiF fondus à 450°C, a été étudiée par chronopotentiométrie et chronoamperométrie sur électrode d'argent. Les chronopotentiogrammes et les chronoamperogrammes obtenus, sont interpretés comme un processus simple, regi par la diffusion, entre espèces solubles qui met en jeu l'échange d'un nombre apparentn d'électrons dont la valeur décroit, tout en restant cependant voisine de 2, au fur et a mesure que la densité du courant imposé diminue.Nous avons également étudié le profil de diffusion du dépôt formé à l'intérieur de l'électrode d'argent à l'aide de la microsonde électronique et calculé en utilisant les courbes chronoamperométriquesI = f(t), une valeur approximative du coefficient de diffusion de l'aluminium, , réduit sur cette même électrode, qui est du même ordre de grandeur dans les deux électrolytes étudiés. 10 × 10^–12 cm²s^–1 pourn=3.

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The electrochemical reduction of AlCl₃ in the molten electrolytes NaCl-KCl-LiCl and NaCl-KCl-LiCl-LiF at 450°C was studied by means of chronopotentiometry and chronoamperometry on a silver electrode. We interpreted the obtained chronopotentiometric and chronoamperometric curves by means of a simple, diffusion-controlled reaction between soluble species involving the exchange ofn electrons. The calculated apparent value ofn decreased as the applied current density was reduced, but it remained always approximately equal to 2.We also investigated the diffusion profile of the deposit in the bulk of the silver electrode by means of a microprobe analyser and calculated, using theI=f(t) curves, an approximate value of the diffusion coefficient , of aluminium reduced on this electrode. This value is approximately the same for both electrolytic melts used, i.e. 10×10^–12 cm²s^–1, assuming thatn=3.

     

Block-simultaneous direction method of multipliers: a proximal primal-dual splitting algorithm for nonconvex problems with multiple constraints

We introduce a generalization of the linearized Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers to optimize a real-valued function f of multiple arguments with potentially multiple constraints \(g_\circ\) on each of them. The function f may be nonconvex as long as it is convex in every argument, while the constraints \(g_\circ\) need to be convex but not smooth. If f is smooth, the proposed Block-Simultaneous Direction Method of Multipliers (bSDMM) can be interpreted as a proximal analog to inexact coordinate descent methods under constraints. Unlike alternative approaches for joint solvers of multiple-constraint problems, we do not require linear operators \({{\mathsf {L}}}\) of a constraint function \(g({{\mathsf {L}}}\ \cdot )\) to be invertible or linked between each other. bSDMM is well-suited for a range of optimization problems, in particular for data analysis, where f is the likelihood function of a model and \({{\mathsf {L}}}\) could be a transformation matrix describing e.g. finite differences or basis transforms. We apply bSDMM to the Non-negative Matrix Factorization task of a hyperspectral unmixing problem and demonstrate convergence and effectiveness of multiple constraints on both matrix factors. The algorithms are implemented in python and released as an open-source package.     

Ethanol combined with heparin as a locking solution for the prevention of catheter related blood stream infections in hemodialysis patients: A prospective randomized study

Introduction: Ethanol lock solution has been mainly administered in paediatric and home parenteral nutrition patients in order to prevent catheter related blood stream infections (CRBSI). Its utility in hemodialysis (HD) patients with non‐tunneled‐uncuffed catheter (NTC) has been poorly explored. Methods: We conducted a prospective randomized study in chronic HD patients requiring a newly inserted NTC‐while awaiting for the maturation of an already established arteriovenous fistula (AVF) or arteriovenous graft (AVG) or tunneled‐cuffed catheter insertion. Patients were randomized in two groups: Group A, where the lock solution was ethanol 70% + unfractionated heparin 2000 U/mL and group B, that received only unfractionated heparin 2000 U/mL. Primary end point was CRBSIs whereas exit site infections, thrombotic and bleeding episodes were the secondary end points. Findings: One hundred three HD patients were enrolled in the study (group A, n = 52; group B, n = 51). The median number of catheter days was 32 for group A (range: 23–39) and 34 (range: 27–40) for group B with no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Group A (ethanol + heparin) demonstrated 4/52 episodes (7.69%) of CRBSI whereas Group B (heparin) 11/51 episodes (21.57%) (P = 0.04). CRBSI rates per 1000 catheter days were 2.53/1000 catheter days for group A and 6.7/1000 catheter days for group B (P = 0.04). Mean cumulative infection‐free catheter survival in the ethanol group did not differ significantly compared to the heparin group (log‐rank test = 2.99, P = 0.08). Thrombotic episodes did not differ between the two groups. Discussion: Locking of NTCs in HD patients with ethanol 70% + unfractionated heparin reduces CRBSI rates without increasing the thrombotic episodes.     

Actuation of Three-Dimensional-Printed Nanocolloidal Hydrogel with Structural Anisotropy

Polymer hydrogels exhibit actuation properties that result in reversible shape transformations and have promising applications in soft robotics, drug delivery systems, sensors, and microfluidic devices. Actuation occurs due to differential hydrogel swelling and is generally achieved by modulating hydrogel composition. Here a different approach to hydrogel actuation that originates solely from its structural anisotropy is reported. For 3D-printed single-layer hydrogels formed by cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and gelatin methacryloyl it is shown that shear-induced orientation of CNCs results in anisotropic mechanical and swelling properties of the hydrogel. Upon swelling in water, planar hydrogels acquire multiple complex 3D shapes that are achieved by i) varying CNC orientation with respect to the shape on the hydrogel sheet and ii) patterning the hydrogel with the regions of shear-mediated and random CNC orientation. This study shows the capability to generate multiple shapes from the same hydrogel actuator based on the degree of its structural anisotropy. In addition, it introduces a biocompatible nanocolloidal ink with shear-thinning and self-healing properties for additive manufacturing of hydrogel actuators.     

General self-imaging properties in N × N multimode interference couplers including phase relations

Self-imaging properties of generalized N × N multimode interference couplers are derived. Positions, amplitudes, and phases of the self-images are directly related to the lengths and widths of the coupler by solving the eigenmode superposition equation analytically for any arbitrary length. Devices of length (M/N) 3L(c), where M is the multiple occurrence of the N self-images, are analyzed in detail. The general formalism is applied to practical N × N couplers used in integrated optics, and simple phase relations are obtained.     

Apolipoprotein A-I metabolism in cholesteryl ester transfer protein transgenic mice. Insights into the mechanisms responsible for low plasma high density lipoprotein levels

Expression of simian cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) in C57BL/6 mice causes the animals' high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels to decrease. The purpose of these studies was to determine how CETP expression caused that reduction. Chemical analysis showed that the HDL of the CETP transgenic mice had about twice as much triglyceride and only about 60% as much cholesteryl ester as the HDL from the C57BL/6 mice. Both strains of mouse had high levels of a circulating lipase. When plasma from the mice was incubated at 37 degrees C for 5 h, the triglycerides in the HDL were hydrolyzed, and apoA-I was shed from the particle. However, apoA-I was shed from the CETP HDL more rapidly than it was shed from the C57BL/6 HDL. Because "free" apoA-I is rapidly cleared by the kidney, increased production of free apoA-I would be expected to shorten the average life span of apoA-I in the mouse. Kinetic analyses indicated that the life span of apoA-I was significantly reduced in the CETP transgenic mice. It was concluded that CETP expression enriched the core of the HDL with triglyceride, which rendered it vulnerable to lipolysis, causing apoA-I to be shed from the particle. That shortened the life span of apoA-I in the CETP mice, which led to lower plasma levels of the protein.     

Cybersecurity investments with nonlinear budget constraints and conservation laws: variational equilibrium,marginal expected utilities,and Lagrange multipliers

In this paper, we propose a new cybersecurity investment supply chain game theory model, assuming that the demands for the product are known and fixed and, hence, the conservation law of each demand market is fulfilled. The model is a generalized Nash equilibrium model with nonlinear budget constraints for which we define the variational equilibrium, which provides us with a variational inequality formulation. We construct an equivalent formulation, enabling the analysis of the influence of the conservation laws and the importance of the associated Lagrange multipliers. We find that the marginal expected transaction utility of each retailer depends on this Lagrange multiplier and its sign. Finally, numerical examples with reported equilibrium product flows, cybersecurity investment levels, and Lagrange multipliers, along with individual firm vulnerability and network vulnerability, illustrate the obtained results.