A systematic mapping study on technical debt definition

The goal of this study was to explore and understand the definition of technical debt. Technical debt refers to situation in a software development, where shortcuts or workarounds are taken in technical decision. However, the original definition has been applied to other parts of software development and it is currently difficult to define technical debt. We used mapping study process as a research methodology to collect literature related to the research topic. We collected 159 papers that referred to original definition of technical debt, which were retrieved from scientific literature databases to conduct the search process. We retrieved 107 definitions that were split into keywords. The keyword map is one of the main results of this work. Apart from that, resulting synonyms and different types of technical debt were analyzed and added to the map as branches. Overall, 33 keywords or phrases, 6 synonyms and 17 types of technical debt were distinguished.

Study of the advancement of innovations in communications industry. Case study: Russian Post Company

This study attempted to provide a project based on the already tested and successful results of foreign business which can help to contain the final price of innovation on desired levels. The research will attempt to dig out most of available information related to aforementioned definitions and thus completing theoretical background. Next author will explain used methodology and the process of evidence collection. After that the study will show the analysis of collected data in order to obtain results which are going to be compared with stated objectives in the final part. The conclusion of the research and proposed possibilities for additional work will be given in the last part. For this study author has chosen the qualitative model because it performs very well for analysis of small scale of data. The case study method was used because it gave author an opportunity to make an in-depth analysis of the collected information about particular organization so it became possible to analyze system's details in comparison. The results have been early considered valid and applicable to other studies. As the result thesis has proposed undertakings which reflect researches aimed on solving problems with provision of services and development of communications. In addition thesis has proposed formulation of database of postal service for Russian Post when (by request) customer possess an account where he or she can access postal services via PC or info table in postal office and order delivery of postal products which will be given private identification code. Project's payoff period has been calculated as well.

Sponsor Satisfaction in a Regional Charity Sport Event

The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to study sponsor satisfaction in charity sport events. Lack of research in regional charity sport events, emergence of corporate social responsibility and increasing popularity of charity sport events have created a research gap to be further explored. Theoretical part of the thesis focuses in development of sponsorships, charity sport event sponsorships and sponsorship as a marketing tool. Concept of satisfaction is discussed by implementing marketing theories to weight options on measuring sponsor satisfaction as a part of sponsorship evaluation process. Empirical analysis of the thesis was conducted in a regional charity sport event – Maailman Pisin Salibandyottelu. Evidences were collected in qualitative research method through semi-structured theme interviews. Altogether 12 major and minor sponsors were selected for the primary source of data. The data was analyzed by comparing sponsors’ expectations and experiences, and by displaying sponsors’ perceived satisfaction. The results indicated that sponsors were involved by partly altruistic and partly selfish motives as suggested by previous research. Respondents expressed very few, mainly non-financial expectations, yet were hoping to gain positive image association via event exposure. Negative experiences appear to have relatively small impact in overall satisfaction. Exceeding or fulfilling expectations appears to increase perceived satisfaction which was mainly driven by contribution towards the goodwill, perceived success of the event (successful record attempt, visibility (on- and off-line) and event execution.

Highly sensitive C-reactive protein and male gender are independently related to the severity of coronary disease in patients with metabolic syndrome and an acute coronary event

Patients with metabolic syndrome are at high-risk for development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events. The objective of this study was to examine the major determinants of coronary disease severity, including those coronary risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome, during the early period after an acute coronary episode. We tested the hypothesis that inflammatory markers, especially highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), are related to coronary atherosclerosis, in addition to traditional coronary risk factors. Subjects of both genders aged 30 to 75 years (N = 116) were prospectively included if they had suffered a recent acute coronary syndrome (acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina pectoris requiring hospitalization) and if they had metabolic syndrome diagnosed according to the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III. Patients were submitted to a coronary angiography and the burden of atherosclerosis was estimated by the Gensini score. The severity of coronary disease was correlated (Spearman’s or Pearson’s coefficient) with gender (r = 0.291, P = 0.008), age (r = 0.218, P = 0.048), hsCRP (r = 0.256, P = 0.020), ApoB/ApoA ratio (r = 0.233, P = 0.041), and carotid intima-media thickness (r = 0.236, P = 0.041). After multiple linear regression, only male gender (P = 0.046) and hsCRP (P = 0.012) remained independently associated with the Gensini score. In this high-risk population, male gender and high levels of hsCRP, two variables that can be easily obtained, were associated with more extensive coronary disease, identifying patients with the highest potential of developing new coronary events.

SEPARATION OF SATURED AND UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS FROM PALM FATTY ACIDS DISTILLATES IN CONTINUOUS MULTISTAGE COUNTERCURRENT COLUMNS WITH SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE AS SOLVENT: A PROCESS DESIGN METHODOLOGY

In this work the separation of multicomponent mixtures in counter-current columns with supercritical carbon dioxide has been investigated using a process design methodology. First the separation task must be defined, then phase equilibria experiments are carried out, and the data obtained are correlated with thermodynamic models or empirical functions. Mutual solubilities, Ki-values, and separation factors aij are determined. Based on this data possible operating conditions for further extraction experiments can be determined. Separation analysis using graphical methods are performed to optimize the process parameters. Hydrodynamic experiments are carried out to determine the flow capacity diagram. Extraction experiments in laboratory scale are planned and carried out in order to determine HETP values, to validate the simulation results, and to provide new materials for additional phase equilibria experiments, needed to determine the dependence of separation factors on concetration. Numerical simulation of the separation process and auxiliary systems is carried out to optimize the number of stages, solvent-to-feed ratio, product purity, yield, and energy consumption. Scale-up and cost analysis close the process design. The separation of palmitic acid and (oleic+linoleic) acids from PFAD-Palm Fatty Acids Distillates was used as a case study.

Value added KPI service delivery with quality function deployment: Multiple case study in asset & real estate management

The aim of this study is to investigate value added service concept for an asset and real estate management case company. The initial purpose was to recognize the most value adding key performance indicators (KPIs) information delivered for its customers, real estate investors with value added service. The multiple case study strategy included two focus group interviews with five case interviews in total. Additionally, quality function deployment (QFD) was used in order to form up the service process. The study starts with introduction and methodology explaining the demand for the thesis study. The subsequent chapter presents the theoretical background on real estate management KPIs in four main points of views and quality function deployment from the service development point of view. The chapter also defines research gap for the case study. According to the case study interviews, the most favored KPIs to deliver for the clients are income maturity of lease agreements and leasing activity. These KPIs and quality characteristics are translated into the QFD. In total, the service QFD explains the service planning, process control, and action plan phases.

Study of clarification process of sugar cane juice for consumption

Sugar cane juice or garapa darkens quickly after extraction due to the oxidation of some of its constituents harming its commercialization thus requiring rapid consumption. The objective of this study was to develop a mild process for sugar cane clarification, obtaining a cloudy, greenish-yellow beverage. The following parameters were combined to aiming at this objective: heat treatment at 65 ºC/50 minutes; pH change (to 7.0, 7.5, and 8.0); addition of flocculant (0, 30, and 60 ppm Aluminum polychloride or APC - "Panclar P-1010"), and clarifier aid (0, 2, or 4 ppm of positively charged polyelectrolyte - "Magnafloc LT-27"). The decantation time was 45 minutes and the supernatant liquid was removed with a vacuum pump. The treatments were defined using the Response Surface Methodology and were submitted to physicochemical analysis for turbidity (%), total polysaccharide content (µg.mL-1), dextran content (µg.mL-1), and sensory analysis (acceptance test) for the attributes of color, appearance, and turbidity. It was concluded that the addition of 60 ppm APC, pH 8, and 0 ppm polyelectrolyte represented the best treatment to obtain a low polysaccharide content, 90% turbidity, and high scores for color, appearance, and turbidity. The beverage was sensorially well accepted by consumers.

Study of the flash drying of the residue from soymilk processing - "okara"

The objective of this research project was to study the drying of soymilk residue in a pneumatic flash dryer, using response Surface Methodology (RSM), and to evaluate the quality of the dried residue. Soymilk residue, also known as okara, was provided by a Brazilian soymilk factory. RSM showed that for a 120 second drying cycle, the lower the residue moisture contents (y) obtained, the higher the recirculation rates (x1), regardless of the air drying temperature (x2), and it could be expressed by the equation y = 7.072 - 7.92x1, with R² = 92,92%. It is possible to obtain okara with 10% of moisture (dwb) under the condition x1=1.25, equivalent to RR = 61%, with air drying temperatures ranging from 252 °C to 308 °C. The dried okara obtained through Central Compound Rotational Design (CCRD) presented a centesimal composition similar to the okara dried in a tray dryer, known as the original okara. There were significant variations (p < 0.05) in the Emulsifying Capacity (EC), Emulsion Stability (ES) and Protein Solubility (PS) between the dehydrated residues obtained. It was concluded that the flash drying of okara is technically feasible and that the physicochemical composition of the residue was not altered; on the contrary, the process promoted a positive effect on the technological functional properties.

Assessment of lettuce quality during storage at low relative humidity using Global Stability Index methodology

During postharvest, lettuce is usually exposed to adverse conditions (e.g. low relative humidity) that reduce the vegetable quality. In order to evaluate its shelf life, a great number of quality attributes must be analyzed, which requires careful experimental design, and it is time consuming. In this study, the modified Global Stability Index method was applied to estimate the quality of butter lettuce at low relative humidity during storage discriminating three lettuce zones (internal, middle, and external). The results indicated that the most relevant attributes were: the external zone - relative water content, water content , ascorbic acid, and total mesophilic counts; middle zone - relative water content, water content, total chlorophyll, and ascorbic acid; internal zone - relative water content, bound water, water content, and total mesophilic counts. A mathematical model that takes into account the Global Stability Index and overall visual quality for each lettuce zone was proposed. Moreover, the Weibull distribution was applied to estimate the maximum vegetable storage time which was 5, 4, and 3 days for the internal, middle, and external zone, respectively. When analyzing the effect of storage time for each lettuce zone, all the indices evaluated in the external zone of lettuce presented significant differences (p < 0.05). For both, internal and middle zones, the attributes presented significant differences (p < 0.05), except for water content and total chlorophyll.

Optimization of the extraction of carrageenan from Kappaphycus alvarezii using response surface methodology

This study aims to optimize an alternative method of extraction of carrageenan without previous alkaline treatment and ethanol precipitation using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). In order to introduce an innovation in the isolation step, atomization drying was used reducing the time for obtaining dry carrageenan powder. The effects of extraction time and temperature on yield, gel strength, and viscosity were evaluated. Furthermore, the extracted material was submitted to structural analysis, by infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-NMR), and chemical composition analysis. Results showed that the generated regression models adequately explained the data variation. Carrageenan yield and gel viscosity were influenced only by the extraction temperature. However, gel strength was influenced by both, extraction time and extraction temperature. Optimal extraction conditions were 74 ºC and 4 hours. In these conditions, the carrageenan extract properties determined by the polynomial model were 31.17%, 158.27 g.cm-2, and 29.5 cP for yield, gel strength, and viscosity, respectively, while under the experimental conditions they were 35.8 ± 4.68%, 112.50 ± 4.96 g.cm-2, and 16.01 ± 1.03 cP, respectively. The chemical composition, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy analyses showed that the crude carrageenan extracted is composed mainly of κ-carrageenan.

Prevention of enzymatic browning of yacon flour by the combined use of anti-browning agents and the study of its chemical composition

Yacon roots present functional properties because of the high levels of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which are considered as prebiotic fibers. In addition, yacon roots are rich in phenolic compounds. During the processing of yacon, the freshly cut surface undergoes rapid enzymatic browning. Control of enzymatic browning during processing is very important to preserve the appearance of yacon flour. In this study, it was evaluated the combined effect of anti-browning agents (ascorbic acid, citric acid and L-cysteine) on the inhibition of enzymatic browning of yacon, using Response Surface Methodology. The yacon pre-treated with anti-browning agents in concentrations of 15.0 mM for ascorbic acid, 7.5 mM for citric acid and 10.0 mM for L-cysteine was used for the processing of flour. Yacon flour presented an attractive color and good sensory properties, without residual aroma. The contents of FOS and phenolic compounds obtained in yacon flour were 28.60 g.100 g- 1 and 1.35 g.100 g- 1. Yacon flour can be considered as a potential functional food, especially due to high levels of FOS, which allows for its use in formulation of various foods.

Development of the Food List for a Brazilian Total Diet Study

The objective of this paper is to establish a methodology for the Food List for the southeastern region of Brazil, according to the Total Diet Study (TDS) harmonized methodology at international level. The Food List can provide data for a further TDS with evaluation of essential and toxic element dietary intakes by food analysis in laboratories. The food consumption data source used was from 2008-2009 Household Budget Survey, by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The Food List was composed of 82 food items grouped into 19 food groups. It reflects 100% of the daily individual food consumption inside and outside Brazilian southeastern population households. According to the recommendation that each country should carry out their own TDS and the TDS methodology used, the Food List construction can contribute to the Food List of other Brazilian regions and other countries, besides allowing the TDS development. Additionally, the Food List showed the typical diet for the southeastern region of Brazil.

Evaluation of Petrifilm™ system compared with traditional methodology in count of indicators of sanitary-hygienic quality and pathogenic microorganisms in sheep milk

The objective of this study was to evaluate the applicability of the Petrifilm™ plates to enumerate microbial groups in sheep milk. Samples of sheep milk (n = 30) were plated simultaneously, to enumerate mesophilic aerobes, total coliforms, lactic acid bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, using convencional reference protocols and Petrifilm™ plates. The results were compared using McNemar's test, linear regression and ANOVA (p < 0,05). The results demonstrated good significant between conventional methodologies and Petrifilm™ plates. Further, the Petrifim™ STX for counting S. aureus had higher recoverability of bacteria compared with the conventional methodology. Based on the results obtained and in view of the ease and rapidity procedures results, Petrifim ™ plates may be considered as alternatives for microbiological testing in sheep milk.

Optimization of microwave drying conditions of two banana varieties using response surface methodology

AbstractOptimization of microwave drying conditions of Luvhele and Mabonde banana varieties were studied using response surface methodology. The drying was performed using a central composite rotatable design for two variables: microwave power level (100, 200 and 300 W) and drying time (40, 26, and 12 min.) for Luvhele; (100, 200 and 300 W) and (42, 27, and 12 min) for Mabonde. The colour and texture (hardness) data were analyzed using ANOVA and regression analysis. The fitness of the models obtained was good as the lack of fit for each of the models was not significant. The coefficient of determination R2 of the models was relatively high, hence the models obtained for the responses were adequate and acceptable. Drying conditions of 178.76 W, 12 min. drying time were found optimum for product quality at a desirability of 0.91 for Luvhele; while 127.67 W, 12 min. with a desirability of 0.86 was predicted for Mabonde. The result of this study could be used as a standard for microwave processing of Luvhele and Mabondebanana varieties.

Optimization of the HS-SPME-GC/MS technique for the analysis of volatile compounds in caprine Coalho cheese using response surface methodology

Abstract Caprine Coalho cheese presents great potential for a typical protected designation of origin, considering that this traditional Brazilian cheese presents a slightly salty and acid flavor, combined with a unique texture. This study optimized the HS-SPME-GC-MS methodology for volatile analysis of Coalho cheese, which can be used as a tool to help in the identification of the distinctive aroma profile of this cheese. The conditions of equilibrium time, extraction temperature and time were optimized using the statistical tool factorial experimental design 23, and applying the desirability function. After the evaluation, it was concluded that the optimum extraction conditions comprised equilibrium and extraction time of 20 and 40 minutes, respectively; and ideal extraction temperature of 45 °C. The optimum extraction of volatile compounds in goat Coalho cheese captured 32 volatile compounds: 5 alcohols, 5 esters, 3 ketones, 6 acids, 3 aldehydes, 3 terpenes, and 7 hydrocarbons.