Evidence in Requirements Engineering: A Systematic Literature Review Protocol

Requirements Engineering (RE) is recognized as one of the critical phases in software development. RE has its own journals and conferences where lots of work has been published. As the area is maturing, increasingly large numbers of empirically supported studies have been reported in RE. There is a need to synthesize evidence based RE literature. We plan to systematically investigate evidence based RE studies to see and report state of the art in evidence based RE reported research. This paper aims at providing a systematic literature review (SLR) protocol to describe a process for synthesizing the empirically supported work in the area of RE that will eventually present a state of the art of the field. This SLR intends to not only summarize the empirical data regarding RE but will also be helpful for various practitioners in this field to find out areas of RE rich in terms of tools, techniques, frameworks, models and guidelines to aid in their work. It will also facilitate RE researchers to identify knowledge gaps to recognize needs and chances for future research directions in this field

Characterization and photocatalytic study of tantalum oxide nanoparticles prepared by the hydrolysis of tantalum oxo-ethoxide Ta₈(μ₃-O)₂(μ-O)₈(μ-OEt)₆(OEt)₁₄

Ta-8(mu(3)-O)(2)(mu-O)(8)(mu-OEt)(6)(OEt)(14) (1) was obtained by the controlled hydrolysis of tantalum ethoxide Ta(OEt)(5) in the presence of ammonia. Compound 1 is considered as the intermediate building block in the sol-gel polymerization of Ta(OEt)(5). Further hydrolysis of compound 1 yielded nanoparticles of Ta2O5, which were characterized by various techniques such as TGA-DTA-DSC, UV-vis DRS, XRD, SEM, TEM, particle size analyzer (DLS) and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method. The band gap of the particles was calculated by using the Tauc plot. The photocatalytic activity of Ta2O5 nanoparticles was tested by the degradation of the organic dye rhodamine B

Extraction and quantification of polyphenols from kinnow (Citrus reticulate L.) peel using ultrasound and maceration techniques

AbstractAn investigation was carried out to extract polyphenols from the peel of kinnow (Citrus reticulate L.) by maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) techniques. The antioxidant potential of these polyphenols was evaluated using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and superoxide radical scavenging assays; and their antimicrobial activity was assessed against bacterial strains Staphyloccoccus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Salmonella typhimurium. The highest extraction yield was obtained through the solvent ethanol at 80% concentration level, whereas UAE was a more efficient technique and yielded comparatively higher polyphenol contents than maceration. Maximum polyphenols were extracted with 80% methanol [32.48 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g extract] using UAE, whereas minimum phenolics (8.64 mg GAE/g extract) were obtained with 80% ethyl acetate through the maceration technique. Elevated antioxidant activity of kinnow peel extracts was exhibited in three antioxidant assays, where 80% methanolic extracts showed the highest antioxidant activity (27.67±1.11mM/100 g for FRAP) and the highest scavenging activity, 72.83±0.65% and 64.80±0.91% for DPPH and superoxide anion radical assays, respectively. Strong correlations between total polyphenols and antioxidant activity were recorded. Eleven phenolic compounds—including five phenolic acids and six flavonoids—were identified and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. Ferulic acid and hesperidin were the most abundant compounds whereas caffeic acid was the least abundant phenolic compound in kinnow peel extracts. Maximum inhibition zone was recorded against S. aureus (16.00±0.58 mm) whereas minimum inhibition zone was noted against S. typhimurium (9.00±1.16 mm). It was concluded that kinnow mandarin peels, being a potential source of phenolic compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, may be used as an ingredient for the preparation of functional foods

Outcome of thyroid lobectomies undergone with and without drains

Background: Thyroid lobectomy is a common operative technique of management of benign solitary thyroid nodules in which drains are used routinely. Objective of this study to compare the outcome of thyroid lobectomies undergone with and without drains in patients of benign solitary thyroid nodules.Methods: A comparative cross-sectional research was completed on 98 patients of benign solitary thyroid nodules at surgery department of Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro. Patients having age of 18-60 years underwent thyroid lobectomies were included and distributed in two groups A and B. Group A includes thyroid lobectomies with drain and Group B without drain. Postoperative outcomes including pain score assessed via visual analog score (VAS), hospital stay and complications including wound infection, seroma and hematoma.Results: Out of 98 cases, 49 underwent thyroid lobectomy with drain and 49 without a drain. Females patients were in majority in group A 42 (85.7%) and also in group B 47 (95.9%). No significant difference (p-value=0.674) was in mean age of group A 30.8±10.2 years and group B 31.8±12.2 years. Higher mean with significant difference (p-value=0.001) was in pain score of group A 5.61±1.25 as compared to group B 3.55±0.70. No significant difference was in complications; seroma 1 (2.04%) vs 5 (10.20%), hematoma 1 (2.04%) vs 1 (2.04%) and infection 3 (6.12%) vs 0 (0.0%) in group A and B respectively. Higher mean with significant difference (p-value=0.001) was in hospital stay of group A 2.40±1.57 days as compared to group B 1.42±0.54 days. No significant difference (p-value=0.748) was in overall rate of complications in group A 5 (10.20%) and B 6 (12.24%).Conclusions: Thyroid lobectomy with drain is not effective in lowering the postoperative complications whereas enhanced the risk of postoperative pain, wound infection and duration of hospital stay as compared to thyroid lobectomy without a drain

Outcomes of surgical management of liver trauma at LUMHS Jamshoro

Background: Mortality from liver trauma remains high despite surgical advancements. The objective of this study was to determine the outcomes of surgical management of liver trauma at LUMHS Jamshoro.Methods: A cross-sectional observational study using non-probability convenient sampling technique was done at department of surgery LUMHS Jamshoro for 18 months. Patients between 14 to 50 years with blunt hepatic trauma presenting to the E.R. within 04 hours of incident were included and hepatic trauma patients managed conservatively, having multiple trauma and hemo-dynamically stable were excluded. SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis with mean and SD reported for qualitative and frequency and percentages for quantitative variables. Chi-square test was applied keeping p-value of < 0.05 as statistically significant.Results: From 136 patients with mean age of 32.33±1.23 years, 120 (88%) were male. 122 (89.7%) were admitted due to blunt trauma and 14 (10.3%) due to penetrating trauma. Peri-hepatic packing was performed in 116 (85.2%) and suture hepatorrhaphy in 20 (14.8%). Intra-abdominal sepsis was seen in 41 (30%) of patients followed by recurrent hemorrhage in 33 (24%) while 30 (22%) of patients died. Substantial differences (p < 0.001) were observed in terms of surgical technique and each of the complication i.e. sepsis, bile leak and recurrent hemorrhage among alive patientsConclusions: The most common post-operative complication was intra-abdominal sepsis followed by recurrent haemorrhage and bile leak. Significant mortality was observed in between type of complication as well as surgical technique

Characterization and photocatalytic study of tantalum oxide nanoparticles prepared by the hydrolysis of tantalum oxo-ethoxide Ta₈(μ₃-O)₂(μ-O)₈(μ-OEt)₆(OEt)₁₄

Ta-8(mu(3)-O)(2)(mu-O)(8)(mu-OEt)(6)(OEt)(14) (1) was obtained by the controlled hydrolysis of tantalum ethoxide Ta(OEt)(5) in the presence of ammonia. Compound 1 is considered as the intermediate building block in the sol-gel polymerization of Ta(OEt)(5). Further hydrolysis of compound 1 yielded nanoparticles of Ta2O5, which were characterized by various techniques such as TGA-DTA-DSC, UV-vis DRS, XRD, SEM, TEM, particle size analyzer (DLS) and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method. The band gap of the particles was calculated by using the Tauc plot. The photocatalytic activity of Ta2O5 nanoparticles was tested by the degradation of the organic dye rhodamine B

Etiological spectrum and treatment outcome of Obstructive jaundice at a University teaching Hospital in northwestern Tanzania: A diagnostic and therapeutic challenges

Obstructive jaundice poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to general surgeons practicing in resource-limited countries. This study was undertaken to highlight the etiological spectrum, treatment outcome of obstructive jaundice in our setting and to identify prognostic factors for morbidity and mortality. This was a descriptive prospective study which was conducted at Bugando Medical Centre between July 2006 and June 2010. All patients with a clinical diagnosis of obstructive jaundice were, after informed consent for the study, consecutively enrolled into the study. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS computer software version 11.5. A total of 116 patients were studied. Females outnumbered males by a ratio of 1.3:1. Patients with malignant obstructive jaundice were older than those of benign type. Ca head of pancreas was the commonest malignant cause of jaundice where as choledocholithiasis was the commonest benign cause. Abdominal ultrasound was the only diagnostic imaging done in all patients and revealed dilated intra and extra-hepatic ducts, common bile stones and abdominal masses in 56.2%, 78.9%, 58.1% and 72.4% of the cases respectively. A total of 110 (94.8%) patients underwent surgical treatment and the remaining 6 (5.2%) patients were unfit for surgery. The complication rate was 22.4% mainly surgical site infections. The mean hospital stay and mortality rate were 14.54 days and 15.5% respectively. A low haematocrit and presence of postoperative sepsis were the main predictors of the hospital stay (P < 0.001), whereas age > 60 years, prolonged duration of jaundice, malignant causes and presence of postoperative complications mainly sepsis significantly predicted mortality (P < 0.001). Obstructive jaundice in our setting is more prevalent in females and the cause is mostly malignant. The result of this study suggests that early diagnosis and treatment plays an important role in the prognosis of patients with obstructive jaundice

CCL2/MCP-I Genotype-Phenotype Relationship in Latent Tuberculosis Infection

Among the known biomarkers, chemokines, secreted by activated macrophages and T cells, attract groups of immune cells to the site of infection and may determine the clinical outcome. Association studies of CCL-2/MCP-1 -2518 A/G functional SNP linked to high and low phenotypes with tuberculosis disease susceptibility have shown conflicting results in tuberculosis. Some of these differences could be due the variability of latent infection and recent exposure in the control groups. We have therefore carried out a detailed analysis of CCL-2 genotype SNP -2518 (A/G transition) with plasma CCL-2 levels and related these levels to tuberculin skin test positivity in asymptomatic community controls with no known exposure to tuberculosis and in recently exposed household contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis patients. TST positivity was linked to higher concentrations of plasma CCL2 (Mann Whitney U test; p = 0.004) and was more marked when the G allele was present in TST+ asymptomatic controls (A/G; p = 0.01). Recent exposure also had a significant effect on CCL-2 levels and was linked to the G allele (p = 0.007). Therefore association studies for susceptibility or protection from disease should take into consideration the PPD status as well as recent exposure of the controls group used for comparison. Our results also suggest a role for CCL-2 in maintaining the integrity of granuloma in asymptomatic individuals with latent infection in high TB burden settings. Therefore additional studies into the role of CCL-2 in disease reactivation and progression are warranted

Cytokine Gene Polymorphisms across Tuberculosis Clinical Spectrum in Pakistani Patients

BACKGROUND: Pakistan ranks 7(th) globally in terms of tuberculosis (TB) disease burden (incidence 181/100000 pop./yr; prevalence of 329/pop./yr). Reports from different populations show variable associations of TB susceptibility and severity with cytokine gene polymorphisms. Tuberculosis clinical severity is multi-factorial and cytokines play a pivotal role in the modulation of disease severity. We have recently reported that the ratio of two key cytokines (IFNgamma and IL10) show significant correlation with the severity spectrum of tuberculosis. The objective of the current study was to analyze the frequency of cytokine gene polymorphisms linked to high and low responder phenotypes (IFNgamma +874 T(hi)-->A(lo) and IL10 -1082 G(lo)-->A(hi)) in tuberculosis patients. METHODS AND FINDINGS: STUDY GROUPS WERE STRATIFIED ACCORDING TO DISEASE SITE AS WELL AS DISEASE SEVERITY: Pulmonary N = 111 (Minimal, PMN = 19; Moderate, PMD = 63; Advance, PAD = 29); Extra-pulmonary N = 67 (Disseminated DTB = 20, Localized LTB = 47) and compared with healthy controls (TBNA = 188). Genotype analyses were carried out using amplification refractory mutation system-PCR (ARMS-PCR) and stimulated whole blood (WB) culture assay was used for assessing cytokine profiles. Our results suggest that the IFNgamma +874 TT genotype and T allele was overrepresented in PMN (p = 0.01) and PMD (p = 0.02). IFNgamma +874 TT in combination with IL10 GG(lo) genotypes showed the highest association (chi(2) = 6.66, OR = 6.06, 95% CI = 1.31-28.07, p = 0.01). IFNgamma AA(lo) on the other hand in combination with IL10 GG(lo) increased the risk of PAD (OR = 5.26; p = 0.005) and DTB (OR = 3.59; p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: These findings are consistent with the role of IL10 in reducing collateral tissue damage and the protective role of IFNgamma in limiting disease in the lung

Benzodiazepine use among adults residing in the urban settlements of Karachi, Pakistan: A cross sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There are hardly any studies carried out in Pakistan on the usage of benzodiazepines at the level of community. This research was aimed to determine the frequency of benzodiazepine use, along with its associations with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics among community dwelling adults, residing in two urban settlements of Karachi, Pakistan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We performed a cross sectional study from August 2008 to December 2009, in 2 areas of Karachi, namely Garden and Sultanabad. We followed the systematic sampling strategy to randomly select the households, with an adult of either sex and of age 18 years or more. Data collection was carried out through interview, using a pre-tested questionnaire, with items on socio-demographic position, medical history and benzodiazepine use. Student's t-test and χ²test was employed to determine the associations between socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, and their relationship with benzodiazepine use was determined using applied logistic regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall percentage of benzodiazepine consumption was estimated to be 14%. There were significantly more benzodiazepine users in the peri-urban Sultanabad community to the urban community of Garden (p-value = 0.001). The mean age (± SD) for users was 51.3 (± 15.6) years compared to 37.1 (± 14.4) years among non-users. Bromazepam was the most widely used benzodiazepine (29%); followed by diazepam, with a median duration on primary use being 144 weeks (IQR = 48-240). The adjusted logistic regression model revealed that increasing age, location, female sex, unemployment and psychiatric consultation were associated with increased likelihood of benzodiazepine use.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We believe the unregulated over-the-counter sales of benzodiazepines and social conditions might be playing a role in this high consumption of benzodiazepines in the community.</p