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On the Impact of State-based Model-Driven Development on Maintainability: A Family of Experiments using UniMod
No full textContext: Model-driven approaches are well-known in the academia but one possible showstopper to a wider adoption in the industry is the lim- ited empirical evidence for their claimed advantages and benefits, that could convince the decision makers. Objective: The aim of this work is gauging one of the claimed benefits of model-driven approaches, namely improvement in maintainability, with re- spect to a code-centric approach. Method: We conducted a family of five experiments involving 100 students that possessed different levels of education (64 Bachelor, 25 Master, and 11 PhD students; in groups sized 11 to 26 per individual experiment). In these ex- periments, UniMod - a State-based tool for Model-Driven Development using the Unified Modeling Language - is compared with Java-based code-centric programming, for a software maintenance scenario, with the goal of analysing the effect on the time to perform the maintenance tasks, the correctness of the modified artefacts, and the efficiency. Results: The results show a reduction in time to accomplish the tasks and no impact on correctness. The adoption of the UniMod-MDD approach al- most doubles the developers'efficiency, and in presence of a higher software engineering experience the efficiency is even three times higher. Conclusions: We found that the usage of the UniMod-MDD approach in a software maintenance scenario provides benefits over a pure code-centric approach. The benefits deriving from the UniMod-MDD approach are appre- ciable for all the categories of students, although with differences
Classification and benchmark of City Logistics measures: an empirical analysis
No full textUrban freight distribution accounts for a significant share of pollution and congestion in urban areas. To reduce these negative impacts, municipalities have implemented several City Logistics (CL) measures. This paper presents the empirical analysis of a dataset of 70 European cities that have been piloting or rolling out a CL measure, to provide an updated indication of the status of CL initiatives and analyse the diffusion of CL internationally. The research objective is also to help understand the contextual factors might explain their introduction. To this end, a set of City Logistics Indices (CLI) is used as indicators of the breadth and number of CL measures implemented in a city. A statistical correlation of these CLIs with respect to a set of independent variables, namely the contextual factors, is also performed. Results reveal that the level of pollution, the diffusion of e-commerce and GDP are important drivers of CL deployment
Modeling of waste engine oil treatment by means of inorganic membranes
No full textToday, the possibility of waste engine oil in-situ treatment on engine has found its attraction due to issues such as environmental concern, alternative technology for conventional waste oil treatment approaches but with less impact to the environment and potential to decrease carcinogenic effect on human health. Parallel evolution of cutting edge technology, precisely nanotechnology and information technologies allowed us to take wider control over process design, construction and their quality control. Such that, multidisciplinary research become more fascinating and promising. This work attempts to cover the problem of waste engine oil purification by individual treatment of them at the place of origination. Hence, its further draining, transportation, collection, blending with other waste in order to regenerate them together would be not necessary. The study is focused on modeling of the process of the waste engine oil treatment by means of membrane technologies in-situ on engine using operational condition of the lubrication system. This was done thanks to contemporary microscopy tools, image processing capabilities, computational engineering abilities, software to integrate them together and of course bright minds to adopt these tool for specific needs. Literature review revealed the real picture of the situation of lubricant and lubrication system along with separation technologies of today and their application. Following the review, appropriate tools were applied on obtained from previously research membrane made of ceramic-metal material. The membrane was acquired using sintering and therefore had irregular structure. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), emission dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS), image processing and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were used for membrane assessment. The results showed good agreement of reconstructed 3d morphology of the membrane which was obtained thanks to image processing following the image acquisition with SEM. The morphology further has been subjected to viscous fluid flow where one could notice fluid streamlines. Successful test results and validation results obtained with 9% of difference showed satisfying Reynolds number convergence being laminar flow after so-called relaxation time. This fact allowed us to model (simulate) the process of waste oil permeation through the porous media of the membrane of the study. Consequent results of the simulation were used to estimate the flow rate and velocity of the fluid under investigatio
Analysis of tapered composite structures using a refined beam theory
No full textThis work presents some static analyses on reinforced thin-walled tapered structures made of composite material. These applications are performed through a refined one-dimensional model based on the Carrera Unified Formulation. This formulation uses polynomial expansions to describe the displacement field over the cross-section of the beam. In this way, a quasi three-dimensional solution can be obtained. In the present work the cross-sectional kinematic has been described using the Lagrange polynomials. The use of such models allows any component of the structure to be modelled separately and then the complex structure can be obtained thanks to the so-called component-wise approach. Different aeronautical structural components, gradually more complex, have been studied. The stress and displacement fields due to simple loads have been obtained. The results have been compared with those obtained by means of a commercial FEM tools using one-, two- and three-dimensional elements. The results obtained show how the present approach can deal with complex structures such as tapered aeronautical components. The use of refined beam models allows complex stress fields to be accurately evaluated that is composite materials can be investigated
Holo-BLSD: an Augmented Reality self-directed learning and evaluation system for effective Basic Life Support Defibrillation training
No full textProviding an effective cognitive aid to both lay people and healthcare providers in Basic Life Support and Defibrillation (BLSD) procedures is a relevant educational goal in resuscitation. A self-instruction learning simulation program was developed to maximize learning results, helping to enhance motor skills and the retention of cognitive knowledge, reduce instructor intervention and cost. Microsoft HoloLens technology was used, enabling users to interact with high definition holograms. Holo-BLSD was developed as a mixed reality (MR) self-instruction training environment allowing also assessment, using a standard low-cost CPR manikin to deliver tactile information. The manikin was "augmented" by an interactive virtual environment reproducing realistic scenarios. Learners used natural gestures, body movements and spoken commands to perform their tasks, with virtual 3D objects anchored to the manikin and to the environment. We believe such a project is the first in the domain of BLSD
Centralized and decentralized utilization of organic residues for lactic acid production
No full textDepending on the source, the composition of organic waste can be heterogeneous. A mixture of organic waste and food waste appearing in urban areas was estimated to contain in average 550 kg t1 carbohydrates (including 400 kg t1 starch), 119.1 kg t1 lipids and 54 kg t1 proteins. Contrarily, the organic waste produced by fruits and vegetables processing industry is predictable in quality and quantity. This study considers the production of lactic acid from waste organic material using one-step or two-step approaches. One-step approaches are based on simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation, while in two-step approaches both are carried out sequentially. It is recommended to implement one-step and two-step processes for an on- and off-site utilization of organic waste, respectively. The scenarios sketched are based on organic waste produced by hotels and in urban areas, and organic waste produced by fruits and vegetables processing industries. It is argued that a decentralized one-step process is appropriate at locations, such as food and vegetables processing industries, where sufficient organic waste is formed and interest in using the bio-based products exists. While two-step processes are to implement at locations where organic and inorganic waste streams are mixed and quality and quantity vary. It is further argued that a decentralized utilization may not end with a final product, but with an easy transportable solution containing either convertible nutrients or the lactic acid containing fermentation broth serving as feedstock to relevant industries. The sketched scenarios are not limited to lactic acid, but can be considered for other biobased products whose production contributes to sustainability and bioeconomy
Uncertainty propagation in aeolian processes: From threshold shear velocity to sand transport rate
No full textGlobal vibrational modes in proteins: Raman spectroscopy and numerical modeling
No full textProtein biological functions are made possible by folding, a quick change in shape through which the protein reaches its functional three-dimensional structure. Understanding the mechanisms behind this complex phenomenon and how to direct it, will have an enormous influence in biology and medicine. Recent studies have attributed to mechanical vibrations that extend through the protein a crucial role in controlling structural conformational changes. For example, underdamped low-frequency (∼1011-1012 Hz) collective vibrational modes have been proposed as being responsible for efficiently directing biochemical reactions and biological energy transport. In this contribution we present the results of broad-range Raman spectroscopy measurements made on proteins in different forms, namely crystallized, powdered, and in solution. The use of ultra low frequency (ULF) filters allowed to observe vibrations around 1 THz (30 cm−1), as well as other peaks in the range 0-500 cm−1, that seem to be unassigned in the current literature. Those peaks could be associated to global and/or delocalized vibrational modes. Normal mode numerical calculations were performed on lattice models to investigate on such a possible correlation
Multipurpose Design of the Flow-Control System of a Steep Water Main
No full textThis work presents the technical characteristics and the regulation system of a complex water supply system (WSS) in an Italian Alpine valley. The WSS faced multiple challenges: water supply over a large area, hydropower generation, and coordination among multiple local sources and networks. The development of an optimal feedback-control algorithm for the supervisory control system was key to guaranteeing the operation of this modern WSS. This regulation scheme and the rationale for its development are described in this paper. A customized numerical model of the WSS was developed in order to test the operating rules through suitable numerical simulations. Results show that the proposed algorithm satisfies the objectives of the WSS and respects its tight constraints. The analysis of the case study evidences the advantages of the coordination among the municipal water networks, quantifies the hydropower generation potential in the WSS, and highlights the key roles of automation and remote control in modern water systems. Finally, the case study presented here provides an efficient technical solution for the hydraulic regulation of a high-pressure water main connecting a cascade of small tanks in mountainous regions
Functionalization of Cotton Fabrics with Polycaprolactone Nanoparticles for Transdermal Release of Melatonin
No full textDrug delivery by means of transdermal patches raised great interest as a non-invasive and sustained therapy. The present research aimed to design a patch for transdermal delivery of melatonin, which was encapsulated in polycaprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles (NPs) by employing flash nanoprecipitation (FNP) technique. Melatonin-loaded PCL nanoparticles were successfully prepared with precise control of the particle size by effectively tuning process parameters. The effect of process parameters on the particle size was assessed by dynamic light scattering for producing particles with suitable size for transdermal applications. Quantification of encapsulated melatonin was performed by mean of UV spectrophotometry, obtaining the estimation of encapsulation efficiency (EE%) and loading capacity (LC%). An EE% higher than 80% was obtained. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of NPs was performed to confirm effective encapsulation in the solid phase. Cotton fabrics, functionalized by imbibition with the nano-suspension, were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy to check morphology, adhesion and distribution of the NPs on the surface; melatonin transdermal release from the functionalized fabric was performed via Franz's cells by using a synthetic membrane. NPs were uniformly distributed on cotton fibres, as confirmed by SEM observations; the release test showed a continuous and controlled release whose kinetics were satisfactorily described by Baker-Lonsdale model