Use and evaluation of simulation for software process education: a case study

Software Engineering is an applied discipline and concepts are difficult to grasp only at a theoretical level alone. In the context of a project management course, we introduced and evaluated the use of software process simulation (SPS) based games for improving students' understanding of software development processes. The effects of the intervention were measured by evaluating the students' arguments for choosing a particular development process. The arguments were assessed with the Evidence-Based Reasoning framework, which was extended to assess the strength of an argument. The results indicate that students generally have difficulty providing strong arguments for their choice of process models. Nevertheless, the assessment indicates that the intervention of the SPS game had a positive impact on the students' arguments. Even though the illustrated argument assessment approach can be used to provide formative feedback to students, its use is rather costly and cannot be considered a replacement for traditional assessments.Comment: European Conference Software Engineering Education (ECSEE), pp. 1-15, Seeon Monastery, Germany (2014

Ranging with Synthetic Aperture RADAR

RADAR is an acoustic mechanism for the identification and place, reflecting the message, of destination items such as planes, vessels, satellites, cars, individuals and nature. The radio waves are used for the electromagnetic measurement of the perspective, variety or speed of items. Before and during the Second World War, RADAR was created in numerous countries. The RADAR system uses many specific aspects of electrical engineering technology such as image handling, data processing, waveform structure, electromagnetic dispersion, tracking, data parameter estimation, information collection, antennas, propagation stations, and receivers. Only 110 years earlier the first radar was invented. In the meantime, there were countless apps and scheme ideas were used for the accessible techniques. Speed control, aerial traffic control, synthetic opening radar, aerial and space missions, militaries and remote sensing are the typical apps. Medical radar research is well underway in the identification of breast cancer and in the localization of tumors. Automotive radar is now generated in millions per year to save and autonomous driving. The modern radar scheme ideas will almost encounter a revolution in the next few years. Although the radar systems have progressed considerably, they have not developed over the past 20 years, like communication or other techniques. In a few years, certain fresh techniques will enter the radar structure and revolutionize ideas of the radar scheme. New radar characteristics and methods to signal processing are then possible. 2 | P a g e Si

Lisfranc’s dislocation and fracture in the Charcot Foot

AbstractDiabetic patients may present with Lisfranc’s Fracture Dislocation which may be confused with osteomyelitis. Rapid diagnosis and early intervention can prevent deformity. We suggest that the diagnosis of Charcot’s foot should be considered in any diabetic patient with unilateral swelling of lower extremity and/or foot

What Defines Counterfeiting? A Timeline Analysis of the Definition

Though addressed widely by academicians and researchers across the globe, the subject of counterfeiting dates back to historical times of 27BC. In academic literature, the discussion on counterfeit(ing) began a century back when researchers started to define its boundaries through their understanding. Ranging from the classical descriptions on counterfeit, counterfeiting, counterfeit trade and counterfeit product(s), this article intends to use text analysis technique to provide the reader with a summary of the existing academic literature on the aforementioned subjects. It summarizes key definitions from the respective area with a broader aim to bridge the gap in the existing counterfeiting and counterfeit product-related literature by providing a brief (yet ample) list on counterfeit(ing). Moreover, it also identifies the key similarities exiting in the definition set. The article concludes with authors own definition of counterfeiting and counterfeit product(s) based on the conceptualization developed through the understanding of combined definitions from the literature

Strategic feedback control of pharmaceutical crystallization systems

Crystallization is a widely used purification and separation technique in the pharmaceutical industry. More than 90 % of the active pharmaceutical ingredients are produced in the crystalline form. The quality of the crystalline product greatly affects the downstream processing and bioavailability of the drug. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated in 2004 the use and implementation of process analytical technology (PAT) in the pharmaceutical development and production and encourages the pharmaceutical industry to adopt quality by design (QBD) approaches. The prime objective of this initiative has been to optimize the drug development and manufacturing process by reducing cost, improving product quality and reducing the number of failed batches. The work presented in this thesis focuses on expanding the use of two PAT tools, namely attenuated total reflection ultra violet/visible spectroscopy (ATR-UV/Vis spectroscopy) and focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM). ATR-UV/Vis spectroscopy and FRBM are mostly used for process monitoring. The aim here was to develop sophisticated control approaches using these in situ tools for enhancing the product quality. Chemometrics is an integral part of PAT, and can provide valuable information about the system. This tool has also been used in this study for calibration model development and monitoring the cooling and antisolvent crystallization processes for single and muticomponent crystallisations. The development of an accurate and robust calibration model is necessary for qualitative and quantitative analysis of a system using spectroscopy. A systematic methodology was therefore presented for the selection of a suitable calibration model for ATR-UV/Vis spectroscopy. The developed model was then used as part of supersaturation control approach (SSC). SSC uses information from ATR-UV/Vis spectroscopy in a feedback control loop to keep the system at desired supersaturation. The developed approach resulted in the production of crystals of uniform size and can represent the bases for a model-free direct design approach for crystallization systems.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Prevalence and determinants of mental health issues among the university students and its impact on their academic performance and well-being in Punjab, Pakistan

Chaudary NA. Prevalence and determinants of mental health issues among the university students and its impact on their academic performance and well-being in Punjab, Pakistan. Bielefeld: Universität Bielefeld; 2017.### Background Mental illnesses constitute a significant portion of the global burden of disease (World Health Organization, 2016). However, the scale of their impact on populations is frequently not reflected in governmental spending and policy concerns. Mental health issues have been, and remain, less of a priority in a number of countries across the world (Patel et al., 2016; Whiteford et al., 2013). The limited focus on mental health issues appears to be more profound when viewed from the perspective of inequality of wealth among countries. Developing countries tend to spend lesser on mental health issues than developed countries, even when accounted for their comparative spending on physical health issues (Gadit, 2007; Saraceno et al., 2007). This owes much to the perception that mental illnesses are not life threatening and therefore do not generally gain the political momentum required to direct resources towards their management. It is only recent that the burden of mental health issues has been measured in terms which reveal the scale of their social as well as economic burden not only in health sector but in other spheres of social activity (Bloom et al., 2011; Centre for Mental Health, 2010; Patel et al., 2016). The introduction of concepts such as Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) have highlighted the gravity of mental health issues and their relative importance in relation to other more established concerns such as cancer and HIV/AIDS (Murray et al., 2012; Whiteford et al., 2013). Still, the share of mental health issues in the global burden of disease cannot be adequately gauged due to indirect impacts it causes on the progression of physical health conditions. Mental health issues are not evenly spread across population segments and research suggests that youth are more vulnerable to mental health issues than other age groups (Erskine et al., 2015; Patel, Flisher, Hetrick, & McGorry, 2007).Within the youth segment, students have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to mental illnesses. The reason for this could be that mental health issues are largely dependent on social conditions and students are exposed to stressful conditions not only in wider society but also to those associated with the academic environment. In view of the above, the present study is conducted in Pakistan which has a 57 million population aged 15 to 29 years. Among these, 1.8 million young people are studying in universities (Government of Pakistan, 2015). Despite challenges at several fronts, Pakistan boasts of its young population and envisions its youth as a driver of socioeconomic development in foreseeable future. However, investment in the development of young population has been minimal which is evident from Pakistan’s dismal literacy rate and rates of transition from schools to universities (Nasir & Nazli, 2010). If any, there is very limited coordination between education and health sector nor are there any robust structures which could cater to the health needs of students (Khan, 2013). The lack of institutional structures for health within universities most adversely affects subtle mental health issues which are less likely to be self-diagnosed. ### Objectives of the Study This study is intended to measure the determinants, prevalence and outcomes of mental health issues among the university students of Pakistan. It considers the influence of health-related behaviors, academic and non-academic stressors on mental health issues. The academic and demographic characteristics of students are taken as confounding variables and their impacts on stressors and mental health issues have been examined. Thereafter, the impacts of mental health issues on academic performance and subjective well-being of students have been measured. Finally, this study describes the coping strategies used by students to mitigate mental health issues and discusses how these are related with their demographic characteristics. ### Theoretical Framework This study is theoretically embedded in stress theory introduced by Selye (Selye, 1950; 1956). The stress theory presents an elaborate process wherein it is argued that the accumulation of stressors might result in stress depending on the context of the occurrence of stress. The stress experienced by an individual may or may not lead to distress depending on the nature and scope of coping resources embodied by that individual. In the context of present study, the university students are assumed to be confronted with several academic and non-academic stressors which may lead to stress. The effect of these stressors may be increased or decreased due to personal circumstances of individual students. However, mental health is also affected by issues which are intrinsic to an individual. These issues include health behaviors, self-rated physical health, psychosomatic complaints and chronic illnesses. In this study, these internal factors are dealt parallel to the stressors explained above. This distinction is based on the effort in this study to independently assess the impact of university related factors and personal factors on mental health issues. The stress theory further states that coping resources of an individual are a mitigating factor in the transition from stress to distress. While, this study has attempted to investigate how the students cope with stress, it has also tried to figure out the coping strategies used by students suffering from distress. Finally, as hypothesized by stress theory, this study examined the outcomes of distress for the students. Given the wide range of outcomes which may arise from distress, these outcomes were limited to students’ academic performance and subjective well-being. ### Methods and Materials This quantitative study adopted a cross sectional design to guide data collection. Using multi-stage cluster sampling technique, the data were collected from 1308 randomly selected students of age (15-29) from three selected public universities in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. The data were collected through a pre-coded self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of six distinct sections. The first section of the questionnaire dealt with the demographic details and academic background of the respondents. The second section included questions about self-rated health status, health related behaviors and Psychosomatic Health Complaints (PHCs) of the students. The third section measured academic and non-academic stressors faced by the students. The fourth section comprised of standardized tools to measure perceived stress, depressive symptoms and psychological well-being of students. The fifth segment measured the academic performance and level of satisfaction with the different areas of life whereas the sixth section dealt with coping strategies used by students to mitigate stress. Findings based on the collected data are presented in two sections. Descriptive statistics section includes results presented in the form of frequencies and percentages whereas in the inferential statistics section, simple, binary and multinomial logistic regression analyses are used for hypothesis testing. ### Key Findings The response rate was 91.4%, excluding partially filled questionnaires. The findings revealed that an overwhelming majority of students at the universities were 20-24 years of age with the mean age of 21.5 years. The proportion of male and female students was almost equal and most the respondents (61.5%) in the sample belonged to urban areas. The study sample represented students from diverse family backgrounds in terms of parents’ education, family income etc. A major finding was that gender and income insufficiency were associated with all three types of mental health issues considered in this study. Students living home and those enrolled in Bachelors programs were more affected with mental health issues than their counterparts. General health and health related behaviors had a significant impact on mental health of students across all the selected universities. Academic stressors such as examinations were considered by students as severe stressors. However, in terms of impact, non-academic stressors such as family expectations and problems in interaction with fellow students had a more profound impact on mental health. The prevalence of perceived stress and depressive symptoms were high at 54.1% and 44.2% respectively across the study sample. Students suffering from high levels of distress and depression had poor objective and subjective academic performance. Even students with higher grades were likely to report their subjective academic performance as poor if they were suffering from mental health issues. Depressive symptoms had more impact on subjective well-being of students than perceived stress. Few students used problem focused strategies to cope with mental health issues. The use of religious coping strategies was high in the study sample. ### Discussion The prevalence of distress and depression in this study was like most research conducted elsewhere. However, this study also highlighted those determinants of mental health issues which were rooted in peculiar conditions of the study area. These determinants such as English language as the medium of instruction or interaction with opposite gender were not reported in the studies consulted by the author. Financial dependency of students on their families was significantly higher than what is reported in studies from Western countries. Furthermore, the amount of physical activity undertaken by the students was substantially lower than what most previous studies elsewhere have reported. Consistent with most previous studies, academic performance and subjective well-being were adversely affected by distress and depression. Similarly, some of the coping strategies reported in this study, especially those grounded in religious beliefs, were a novelty in view of previous research. ### Conclusion This study was the first attempt of its kind to measure the prevalence of mental health issues in public sector universities of Pakistan. The high prevalence of mental health issues reported in this study was not matched by the scant health services available at the universities. Students were dissatisfied with the facilities at their universities, and there seemed to be a disconnect between students’ needs and policies devised by universities’ administrations. It is suggested that similar studies may be conducted to inform mental health policies at the university level, which would focus on mental health promotion and disease prevention

Carrier Status of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

To investigate nasal carriage of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among dental healthcare workers (HCWs) , as the carriers could be the potential risk factor for the transmission of nosocomial infection when exposed to hospital setting during clinical posting. Methods: One hundred HCWs including postgraduate trainees, house physicians, staff nurses and technicians participated in the study. Nasal specimens were obtained by using cotton swabs moistened in sterile saline. The nasal specimens collected were processed as per (CLSI, 2008). Specimens were inoculated on blood agar to look for β-hemolysis of Staphylococcus aureus. Nutrient agar was used for the direct colony identification of Staphylococcus aureus. Mannitol salt agar (MSA) and DNAse were used as selective media for the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus and incubated at 35˚C for 48 hrs.Resistance to methicillin was detected with cefoxitin(30 μg) through Disk Diffusion Test and interpreted according to (CLSI, 2009). A diameter of ≥22 mm was considered as susceptible and ≤21 mm as resistant as per (CLSI, 2010).Results: Out of 100 nasal swabs collected, 71 nasal swabs were from the dental surgeons and 29 were from the nursing staff, 35 (35%) showed a growth of Staphylococcus aureus. Among those who were positive for Staphylococcus aureus 62.85%were positive for MRSA. Overall 22 (22%) out of a 100 individuals came out to be positive for MRSA.Conclusion: Health care workers (HCWs) were the potential colonizers of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and may serve as reservoirs or disseminators of MRSA

Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is the most severe form of drug-induced skin reaction and includes denudation of >30% of total body surface area. The mechanism of disease is not completely understood, but immunologic mechanisms, cytotoxic reactions, and delayed hypersensitivity seem to be involved. Drug-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis (TENS), also known as Lyell’s syndrome, remains one of the most dramatic dermatological emergencies characterized by extensive destruction of epidermis and mucosal epithelia that often can be caused by drugs. TEN affects between 0.4 and 1.5 cases per million people every year with a mortality rate between 15% to 40%, with a large portion of patients dying from infections or multi-organ failure.1-4 The pathogenesis of drug-induced TEN is unknown, although several theories have been developed. Recent discoveries have shown that keratinocytes in TEN undergo apoptosis, not simply necrosis.5,6 Further research has elucidated that this apoptosis can be induced by interactions between cell surface death receptor Fas and its ligand, FasL or CD95L. The management of these patients is primarily supportive, although the use of corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy has been widely used with controversy. We report a case of risperidone induced toxic epidermal necrolysis with excellent response to corticosteroid

Guidelines for conducting interactive rapid reviews in software engineering -- from a focus on technology transfer to knowledge exchange

Evidence-based software engineering (EBSE) aims to improve research utilization in practice. It relies on systematic methods (like systematic literature reviews, systematic mapping studies, and rapid reviews) to identify, appraise, and synthesize existing research findings to answer questions of interest. However, the lack of practitioners' involvement in the design, execution, and reporting of these methods indicates a lack of appreciation for knowledge exchange between researchers and practitioners. Within EBSE, the main reason for conducting these systematic studies is to answer the practitioner's questions and impact practice. However, in many cases, academics have undertaken these studies without any direct involvement of practitioners.This report focuses on the rapid review guidelines and presents practical advice on conducting these with practitioner involvement to facilitate knowledge co-creation.Based on a literature review of rapid reviews and stakeholders engagement in medicine and our experience of using secondary studies in software engineering, we propose extensions to an existing proposal for rapid reviews in software engineering to increase researchers-practitioners knowledge exchange. We refer to the extended method as an interactive rapid review.An interactive rapid review is a streamlined approach to conduct agile literature reviews in close collaboration between researchers and practitioners in software engineering. This report describes the process and discusses possible usage scenarios and some reflections from the proposal's ongoing evaluation.The proposed guidelines will potentially boost knowledge co-creation through active researcher-practitioner interaction by streamlining practitioners' involvement and recognizing the need for an agile process