A study of the Scrum Master’s role

Scrum is an increasingly common approach to software development adopted by organizations around the world. However, as organizations transition from traditional plan-driven development to agile development with Scrum, the question arises as to which Scrum role (Product Owner, Scrum Master, or Scrum Team Member) corresponds to a Project Manager, or conversely which Scrum role should the Project Managers adopt? In an attempt to answer this question, we adopted a mixed-method research approach comprising a systematic literature review and embedded case study of a commercial software development team. Our research has identified activities that comprise the Scrum Master role, and which additional roles are actually performed by Scrum Masters in practice. We found nine activities that are performed by Scrum Masters. In addition, we found that Scrum Masters also perform other roles, most importantly as Project Managers. This latter situation results in tension and conflict of interest that could have a negative impact on the performance of the team as a whole. These results point to the need to re-assess the role of Project Managers in organizations that adopt Scrum as a development approach. We hypothesize that it might be better for Project Managers to become Product Owners, as aspects of this latter role are more consistent with the traditional responsibilities of a Project Manager

Microfluidic analysis techniques for safety assessment of pharmaceutical nano- and microsystems

This chapter reviews the evolution of microfabrication methods and materials, applicable to manufacturing of micro total analysis systems (or lab‐on‐a‐chip), from a general perspective. It discusses the possibilities and limitations associated with microfluidic cell culturing, or so called organ‐on‐a‐chip technology, together with selected examples of their exploitation to characterization of pharmaceutical nano‐ and microsystems. Materials selection plays a pivotal role in terms of ensuring the cell adhesion and viability as well as defining the prevailing culture conditions inside the microfluidic channels. The chapter focuses on the hepatic safety assessment of nanoparticles and gives an overview of the development of microfluidic immobilized enzyme reactors that could facilitate examination of the hepatic effects of nanomedicines under physiologically relevant conditions. It also provides an overview of the future prospects regarding system‐level integration possibilities facilitated by microfabrication of miniaturized separation and sample preparation systems as integral parts of microfluidic in vitro models.Non peer reviewe

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Use of sidestream based MgSO₄ as chemical coagulant in the simultaneous removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewaters

Abstract Phosphorus as phosphate and nitrogen as ammonium or nitrate are the main nutrients in wastewaters and agricultural sludges. They runoff easily to waterways and cause eutrophication in water bodies. However, ammonium and phosphate could be precipitated simultaneously and used as recycled nutrients. In this research, MgSO₄ solution obtained by treating fly ash or dolomite with sulfuric acid was used as a coagulant for simultaneous phosphorus and nitrogen removal from synthetic (NH₄)₂HPO₄ solution. Precipitation experiments were performed at room temperature (20 ± 2 °C) using different molar ratios Mg:P:N (1.1–1.6:1–2:1–2) and precipitation times (6–24 h). The pH was adjusted to 9.0 and kept constant. In all cases, there was only a minor changes in the removal of both ammonium and phosphate after 4 hours of reaction time. Highest ammonium removal percentages (75.5 %) were achieved for fly ash based MgSO₄ solution using molar ratios Mg:P:N 1.6:1:1 and 1.1:2:2. Also the highest phosphate removal percentages was achieved with these two molar ratios (84.5 % for 1.6:1:1 and 82.5 % for 1.1:2:2). Struvite was the only formed precipitation product in all cases as was confirmed by XRD. Results indicate that fly ash and dolomite based MgSO₄ solutions have great potential in the ammonium and phosphate precipitation from synthetic samples

Preparation of sludge-based recycled fertilizer

Abstract Phosphorus and nitrogen are the main nutrients in agricultural and municipal sludges. They runoff easily to waterways especially when sludges are used as fertilizers. The main goal of this study was to create a slow-release sludge-based recycled fertilizer that is stable and easy to handle and spread. The production of recycled fertilizer contained four steps: 1) adjusting and decreasing the pH of the sludge to prevent ammonium evaporating as ammonia, 2) drying the sludge to a suitable moisture content to enable granulation and pelleting, 3) granulating or pelleting the sludge with some additives to improve the quality of the fertilizer, 4) drying the produced fertilizers at room temperature. Additives in the granulation or pelleting process were biocarbon, calcium hydroxide or ammoniumsulfate. Elemental analysis and leaching tests of mixed recycled fertilizer product provided information about the mechanical strength and the total and soluble nutrient contents

Precipitation of struvite using MgSO₄ solution prepared from sidestream dolomite or fly ash

Abstract Struvite (NH₄MgPO₄∗6H₂O) is a slow-release fertilizer produced from phosphorus and nitrogen-containing wastewater in the presence of Mg salts. Commercial Mg salts are the single most significant cost of struvite precipitation. In this study, H₂SO₄ formed as an industrial sidestream was used to prepare MgSO₄ solution from waste dolomite (DOL) and fly ash (FA). MgSO₄ solution was then used to precipitate struvite from a synthetic (NH₄)₂HPO₄ solution and from actual industrial process waters. The best results were obtained with real process waters where over 99% of phosphate and about 80% ammonium removals were achieved with both MgSO4 solutions after 30 min of reaction time. A higher molar ratio between Mg and P improved the phosphate removal efficiency, especially with DOL-based MgSO4 solutions; however, it had no practical effect on ammonium removal. The struvite content of precipitates was 75.49% with an FA-based chemical and 60.93% with a DOL-based chemical; other valuable nutrients (Ca, K, S, Fe, Mn, and Cl) were captured in the precipitates. The results indicate that both sidestream-based reagents perform well in struvite precipitation and that the formed precipitates could be used as fertilizers

Usage of phosphoric acid plant’s circulate pond waters in struvite precipitation:effect of conditions

Abstract Struvite is a suitable fertilizer, and electrochemical precipitation of nutrients from industrial waters provides one answer to the circular economy. Molar ratio between ammonium and phosphate is crucial: Water suitable for the precipitation includes more or at least the same amount ammonium than phosphate. That kind of water typically does not exist in industry. Therefore, ammonium-rich industrial water was mixed with phosphorus-rich water to obtain a suitable molar ratio for struvite precipitation. Parameters were studied to determine their effect on removal-% and struvite yield. 100% struvite yield was obtained under several conditions even without pH control with pH 7–9. The highest phosphate removal (99.7%) was occurred with the molar ratio 1.7:2:1 for Mg:NH₄:PO₄ (pH 9.0). Waters dilution prevents magnesium anode corrosion. Formed struvite has potential as recycled fertilizer due to low bioavailability of metals and high leachability of nutrients studied by four-stage sequential leaching