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...     

Preliminary Investigations On The Reactivity Of Ozone Considering Energy Supplied To Ozone Generators

A simplified engineering analysis developed by investigations of the energy levels and the data of ozone decomposition is presented. Experiments have been conducted by generating ozone from the same ozone generator by two ways and keeping the hydrodynamic conditions identical during ozonation. Ozonation conducted in various media such as gas, gas-liquid and gas-solid supports the assumptions of the presence of excited ozone species and variation in reactivity. The variation in reactivity linked with ozone generation shows an increase in the case of sawdust bleaching. The reactivity is the same for the removal of total organic carbon from water, and a higher ozone decomposition without significant reaction with methyl red solutions and coliform inactivation is observed.     

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.

     

Theoretical Investigation of Cubic BaVO<Subscript>3</Subscript> and LaVO<Subscript>3</Subscript> Perovskites via Tran–Blaha-Modified Becke–Johnson Exchange Potential Approach

The full potential linearized augmented plane wave method of density functional theory has been used to investigate the structural, electronic, magnetic and thermoelectric properties of cubic perovskites BaVO₃ and LaVO₃. The ferromagnetic ground state has been found to be stable by comparing the total energies of non-spin-polarized and spin-polarized calculations performed for optimized unit cells. For both compounds, the bond length and tolerance factor are also measured. From the band structures and density of states plots, it is found that both compounds are half-metallic. We found that the presence of V at the octahedral site of these perovskites develops exchange splitting through p-d hybridization, which results in a stable ferromagnetic state. The observed exchange splitting is further clarified from the magnetic moment, charge and spin of the anion and cations. Finally, we also presented the calculated thermoelectric properties of these materials, which show that half-metallic BaVO₃ and LaVO₃ materials are potential contenders for thermoelectric applications.     

Biofilm reduction,cell proliferation,anthelmintic and cytotoxicity effect of green synthesised silver nanoparticle using Artemisia vulgaris extract

Infectious diseases are caused by etiological agents. Nanotechnology has been used to minimise the effect of clinical pathogens which have resistance to antibiotics. In current research synthesis, characterisation and biological activities of green synthesised nanoparticles using Artemisia vulgaris extract have been done. The characterisation of AgNPs was carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV‐Vis spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy. Anti‐biofilm, cell viability, antibacterial, brine shrimp lethality, and deoxyribonucleic acid protection effects have been screened. UV‐Vis spectra showed the absorption peak of synthesised nanoparticles at 400 nm. FT‐IR indicated the involvement of the functional group in the preparation of AgNPs. SEM showed the spherical shape of AgNPs with 30 nm diameter. Biological screening results revealed the antibacterial effect against clinical bacterial pathogens. Biofilm reduction and cell viability assay also supported the antibacterial effect. Cytotoxicity effect was recorded as 100% at 200 μg/ml through brine shrimp lethality assay. Protein kinase inhibition zones recorded for AgNPs (16 mm bald) compared with A. vulgaris extract (11 mm bald). It has been concluded that green synthesised AgNPs are more effective against infectious pathogens and could be used as a potential source for therapeutic drugs.Inspec keywords: cellular biophysics, toxicology, silver, nanoparticles, nanomedicine, diseases, microorganisms, ultraviolet spectra, visible spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectra, enzymes, molecular biophysicsOther keywords: biofilm reduction, cell proliferation, anthelmintic effect, cytotoxicity effect, green synthesised silver nanoparticle, Artemisia vulgaris extract, infectious diseases, aetiological agents, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV‐Vis spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy, SEM, antibiofilm, cell viability, brine shrimp lethality, deoxyribonucleic acid protection effects, AgNP, cytotoxicity, protein kinase inhibition zones, therapeutic drugs     

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.     

Probiotics for cure of Helicobacter pylori infection: A review

Human physiology normally contains pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal flora. Disturbance of these microorganism balance results in the formation of infection. Extensive use of antibiotics for cure of these disturbances like Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection leads to patient discomfort and associated side-effects. There is a need to adopt adjunct or alternative approach in order to minimize such conditions. Probiotics is one of the potential therapies to cure gastrointestinal discomforts especially associated with H. pylori. It competes through non-immune and immune systems. This review article concludes that probiotics are used to eradicate the infection at increased rate, and decreased associated side-effects are caused by triple therapy. A proper evaluation of these probiotics is demanded before their use in future as a commercial product. Furthermore, their effect on immune system requires more research work so that their usage for other chronic disorders can also be considered.     

Silicon Seed Priming Combined with Foliar Spray of Sulfur Regulates Photosynthetic and Antioxidant Systems to Confer Drought Tolerance in Maize (Zea mays L.)

Silicon - The present study evaluated the effect of silicon (Si) seed priming and sulfur (S) foliar spray on drought tolerance of two contrasting maize hybrids viz. drought tolerant Hi-Corn 11 and...     

The enhanced photocatalytic activity of Na0.9Mg0.45Ti3.55O8 co‐loaded with silver and platinum

Noble metals Ag and Pt were loaded on Na_0.9Mg_0.45Ti_3.55O₈ (NMTO) by chemical bath deposition method, which was synthesized firstly in our recent work. The scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy results show that Ag and Pt nanoparticles were distributed on the different surfaces of NMTO. NMTO loaded with Ag and Pt can efficiently enhance the separation of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs, exhibiting much higher photodegradative ability for methylene blue and rhodamine B than the pure NMTO. The best weight concentrations of Ag and Pt are 9.00% and 3.70%, respectively. The electrostatic field is built in the Schottky barrier between NMTO and noble metals, leading to the energy band bending. Then, photogenerated electrons and holes are efficiently separated to enhance the photocatalytic activity.     

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.