Some Findings Concerning Requirements in Agile Methodologies

gile methods have appeared as an attractive alternative to conventional methodologies. These methods try to reduce the time to market and, indirectly, the cost of the product through flexible development and deep customer involvement. The processes related to requirements have been extensively studied in literature, in most cases in the frame of conventional methods. However, conclusions of conventional methodologies could not be necessarily valid for Agile; in some issues, conventional and Agile processes are radically different. As recent surveys report, inadequate project requirements is one of the most conflictive issues in agile approaches and better understanding about this is needed. This paper describes some findings concerning requirements activities in a project developed under an agile methodology. The project intended to evolve an existing product and, therefore, some background information was available. The major difficulties encountered were related to non-functional needs and management of requirements dependencies

Magnetic Properties of Non-Stoichiometric UNiGa

Magnetization measurements of alloys based on the intermetallic compound UNiGa with deviation from the exact 1:1:1 stoichiometry, namely Ux(Ni0.5Ga0.5)3-x with 0.8 ≤ x ≤ 1.2 and UNi1.1Ga, have been performed. The obtained results suggest that the antiferromagnetic ground state of UNiGa can be easily transformed into a ferromagnetic one not only by external magnetic fields but also by changes of the composition. © 1995.The work was supported in part by the International Science Foundation (grant RG-1000) and by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (Project no. 202/93.0184)

Favorable Alteration of Tumor Microenvironment by Immunomodulatory Cytokines for Efficient T-Cell Therapy in Solid Tumors

Unfavorable ratios between the number and activation status of effector and suppressor immune cells infiltrating the tumor contribute to resistance of solid tumors to T-cell based therapies. Here, we studied the capacity of FDA and EMA approved recombinant cytokines to manipulate this balance in favor of efficient anti-tumor responses in B16. OVA melanoma bearing C57BL/6 mice. Intratumoral administration of IFN-alpha 2, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-2 significantly enhanced the anti-tumor effect of ovalbumin-specific CD8+ T-cell (OT-I) therapy, whereas GM-CSF increased tumor growth in association with an increase in immunosuppressive cell populations. None of the cytokines augmented tumor trafficking of OT-I cells significantly, but injections of IFN-alpha 2, IFN-gamma and IL-2 increased intratumoral cytokine secretion and recruitment of endogenous immune cells capable of stimulating T-cells, such as natural killer and maturated CD11c+ antigen-presenting cells. Moreover, IFN-alpha 2 and IL-2 increased the levels of activated tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T-cells concomitant with reduction in the CD8+ T-cell expression of anergy markers CTLA-4 and PD-1. In conclusion, intratumoral administration of IFN-alpha 2, IFN-gamma and IL-2 can lead to immune sensitization of the established tumor, whereas GM-CSF may contribute to tumor-associated immunosuppression. The results described here provide rationale for including local administration of immunostimulatory cytokines into T-cell therapy regimens. One appealing embodiment of this would be vectored delivery which could be advantageous over direct injection of recombinant molecules with regard to efficacy, cost, persistence and convenience.Peer reviewe

Creative and knowledge-intensive teleworkers' relation to e-capital in the Helsinki metropolitan area

This paper examines the extent to which teleworkers in the Helsinki metropolitan area (HMA) fit the profile of knowledge or creative workers. Furthermore, the concept of electronic capital (e-capital), referring to the use of ICT, electronic services and social media, is redefined and applied in relation to teleworkers. The data were gathered through a stratified postal survey (n = 971) conducted in the HMA in 2010. Statistical testing indicated no difference in terms of knowledge intensity, creativity and e-capital between 'home-anchored' workers and mobile or part-time teleworkers. However, a significant difference was noted between teleworkers and non-teleworkers. The results reveal the complexity of telework in both a theoretical and empirical context. The paper also points to the significance of e-capital in relation to telework, networking and the creating and maintaining of social relations, supporting the theoretical proposition of e-capital. Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd

Creative and knowledge-intensive teleworkers' relation to e-capital in the Helsinki metropolitan area

This paper examines the extent to which teleworkers in the Helsinki metropolitan area (HMA) fit the profile of knowledge or creative workers. Furthermore, the concept of electronic capital (e-capital), referring to the use of ICT, electronic services and social media, is redefined and applied in relation to teleworkers. The data were gathered through a stratified postal survey (n = 971) conducted in the HMA in 2010. Statistical testing indicated no difference in terms of knowledge intensity, creativity and e-capital between 'home-anchored' workers and mobile or part-time teleworkers. However, a significant difference was noted between teleworkers and non-teleworkers. The results reveal the complexity of telework in both a theoretical and empirical context. The paper also points to the significance of e-capital in relation to telework, networking and the creating and maintaining of social relations, supporting the theoretical proposition of e-capital. Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd

Evolution paths of stakeholder-oriented smart transportation systems based on 5G

Abstract Societies are experiencing large-scale transformation through digitalization programs covering all private and public sectors. Digitalization advances also the growing demands of sustainable development, in which nations and cities all over the world have set ambitious targets. Transportation is one the cornerstone verticals of cities and has attracted wide attention from various stakeholders developing services and solutions for digitalization. In general, ICT solutions are in the core of digitalization and trailblazing technologies have been developed to enable modern transportation services. 5G technology covering wireless connectivity, IoT sensor technology, distributed edge computing, artificial intelligence, high power computing and service platforms offers numerous opportunities to the development of sophisticated smart transportation services. However, to adopt a pervasive approach for the evolvement of digital transportation services, it is important to examine the system level point of view. Developing occasional services for various transport modes without targeted inter-operability of services, the result of digitalization of transportation can be extremely fragmented. This paper aims to highlight the top-down angle of research and development of the smart transportation system. The development requires seamless co-operation of researchers and specialists of transport systems, urban design and planning and wireless technologies to integrate transport infrastructure, 5G wireless communication infrastructure and traffic management systems to enable advanced digital services for all transport modes. Moreover, this article introduces the stakeholders recognized from transport systems, urban design and planning and wireless technologies. The role of each stakeholder is described a like