Research Article Software Component Selection Based on Quality Criteria Using the Analytic Network Process

Component based software development (CBSD) endeavors to deliver cost-effective and quality software systems through the selection and integration of commercially available software components. CBSD emphasizes the design and development of software systems using preexisting components. Software component reusability is an indispensable part of component based software development life cycle (CBSDLC),which consumes a significant amount of organization’s resources, that is, time and effort. It is convenient in component based software system (CBSS) to select the most suitable and appropriate software components that provide all the required functionalities. Selecting the most appropriate components is crucial for the success of the entire system. However, decisions regarding software component reusability are often made in an ad hoc manner, which ultimately results in schedule delay and lowers the entire quality system. In this paper, we have discussed the analytic network process (ANP) method for software component selection. The methodology is explained and assessed using a real life case study

Future of ammonium nitrate after Beirut (Lebanon) explosion

Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) is a chemical compound that is mostly found as a colorless and/or white to gray crystalline solid, odorless beads, and easily soluble in water. The molecular weight, specific gravity, melting, and boiling point of NH4NO3 are 80.06, 1.725, 169.51 °C, and 210 °C, respectively (Rao, 2014). Higher temperature (>210 °C) easily decomposes NH4NO3 and producing toxic gasses, especially nitrogen oxides, and may also cause an explosion (Han et al., 2015). At room temperature, pure NH4NO3 neither flammable or combustible, but when heated, normally, it is decomposed into non-explosive gases such as oxygen. Nevertheless, it can also be decomposed into explosive material by detonation (Xia et al., 2019). Ammonium nitrate is strongly oxidant that easily detonates under certain circumstances, which include higher temperature (>210 °C), confinement, and impurities (Health Safety Executive, 2004).The authors would like to appreciate the valuable comments from the editors and anonymous reviewers to improve the quality of this study. The authors confirm that no funding was received for his work

Cryptanalysis for Secure and Efficient Smart-Card-Based Remote User Authentication Scheme for Multi-server Environment

Multi-server authentication is going to be an integral part of remote authentication with the passage of time. The remote authentication has been part and parcel of internet based communication. In the last decade several multi-server authentication techniques has been presented. However there is still a need of more efficient and robust techniques. Lately, Saraswathi et al., presented a multi-server authentication scheme that has been found under much vulnerability like stolen card attack, misrepresentation attack, and forward secrecy attacks. This paper presents the cryptanalysis for Saraswathi et al. scheme and shows the review analysis

Structural and Economic Analysis of Meyal Oil Field in the Northern Potwar Deformed Zone, Upper Indus Basin, Pakistan

Potwar sub-basin is famous for its structural style, hydrocarbon exploration and production activities from Cambrian to Pliocene rocks. Foreland basin related subsurface structures, in the presence of source and seal rocks offer a variety of traps to host hydrocarbons. Meyal Oil field, situated in the NW Potwar sub-basin, is a hydrocarbon resource for the country. Subsurface structures of Meyal area were outlined by interpreting two strike and four dip lines in IHS Kingdom suite. Borehole data of MYL-10, MYL-12 and MYL-13 exploratory wells were incorporated to improve the subsurface understanding. A total five prominent reflectors of Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Paleocene and Eocene rocks were marked on the seismic sections. The seismic interpretation shows a post Eocene pop-up structure flanked by a back thrust and a fore thrust. Moreover, the time structure maps for Meyal area display a doubly plunging and faulted anticline as a result of south directed compression. Four isochron maps show thickness variation in Permian to Eocene sediments in the study area. The results of interpretation show favorable structural trap for economic hydrocarbon exploration

Development and characterization of efficient k-solubilizing rhizobacteria and mesorhizobial inoculants for chickpea

The use of mineral fertilizers has long been associated with the improved growth of crop plants as well as increased yield potential per unit area. However, the incessant practice of imbalanced fertilizers application has increased the economic and environmental costs for the agricultural sector. The deficiency of potassium (K) has been identified as a primary crop production challenge in certain semi-arid regions where soil-K reserves are increasingly being depleted. This study aimed to isolate and characterize K-solubilizing bacterial strains from the rhizosphere and root nodules of chickpea. Initially, 50 rhizobacterial strains and 50 rhizobial strains were isolated using Aleksandrov’s medium. Each of these collections was narrowed down to 25 strains, following a rigorous qualitative screening based on different physiological, morphological and biochemical tests. From these, five strains each of rhizosphere and nodule origins were selected based on qualitative as well quantitative determination of various growth promoting traits. In addition to efficient potassium and phosphate solubilization, the selected strains displayed better growth conditions, as evident by glucose substrate use at 25◦C and pH 7. In this study, we found that strains SKB3 (rhizosphere) and JKR7 (rhizobia) were the most efficient K-solubilizers. Additionally, they possessed diverse plant growth promoting traits such as root colonization, the synthesis of siderophores, exopolysaccharides, chitinase activity, indole-acetic acid production and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity. Overall, our results suggest that the application of bacterial K-solubilizers could be employed as a useful K-supplement in K-limited agroecosystems. Moreover, the use of these K-solubilizers may help lead in alleviating the negative environmental impacts associated with chemical fertilizer.I am very grateful to all of those with whom I have had the pleasure to work during this project, especially the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan, the Soil & Water Sciences Department (SWD), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), University of Florida, USA, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad, Pakistan. Each of the members of the SWD, IFAS, University of Florida, USA, specifically L.Q. Ma, Letuzia Maria De Oliveira and Evandro Da Silva have provided me with extensive personal and professional guidance and have taught me a great deal about both scientific research and life in general during my six months stay there under International Research Support Initiative Program (IRSIP), HEC, Pakistan. The authors would also like to extend their sincere appreciation to the acknowledgment of the research supporting project (RSP-2021/95, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

Can Different Salt Formulations Revert the Depressing Effect of Salinity on Maize by Modulating Plant Biochemical Attributes and Activating Stress Regulators through Improved N Supply?

Salinity is a major constraint in improving agricultural productivity due to its adverse impact on various physiological and biochemical attributes of plants, and its effect on reducing nitrogen (N) use efficiency due to ion toxicity. To understand the relationship between sodium chloride (NaCl) and increased N application rates, a pot study was performed in which the ammonical (NH4+) form of N was applied as urea to maize crops at different rates (control, 160, 186, 240, 267, 293, and 320 kg N ha−1) using two salinity levels (control and 10 dS m−1 NaCl). The results indicate that all biochemical and physiological attributes of the maize plant improved with increased concentration of N up to 293 kg ha−1, compared to those in the control treatment. Similarly, the optimal N concentration regulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes, i.e., catalase activity (CAT), peroxidase activity (POD), and superoxide dismutases (SOD), and also increased the N use efficiencies of the maize crop up to 293 kg N ha−1. Overall, our results show that the optimum level of N (293 kg ha−1) improved the salinity tolerance in the maize plant by activating stress coping physiological and biochemical mechanisms. This may have been due to the major role of N in the metabolic activity of plants and N assimilation enzymes activity such as nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrite reductase (NiR)

Nitrous oxide emission from agricultural soils: Application of animal manure or biochar? A global meta-analysis

Organic amendments (animal manure and biochar) to agricultural soils may enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) contents, improve soil fertility and crop productivity but also contribute to global warming through nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. However, the effects of organic amendments on N2O emissions from agricultural soils seem variable among numerous research studies and remains uncertain. Here, eighty-five publications (peer-reviewed) were selected to perform a meta-analysis study. The results of this meta-analysis study show that the application of animal manure enhanced N2O emissions by 17.7%, whereas, biochar amendment significantly mitigated N2O emissions by 19.7%. Moreover, coarse textured soils increased [ = 182.6%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 151.4%, 217.7%] N2O emission after animal manure, in contrast, N2O emission mitigated by 7.0% from coarse textured soils after biochar amendment. In addition, this study found that 121–320 kg N ha−1 and ⩽ 30 T ha−1 application rates of animal manure and biochar mitigated N2O emissions by 72.3% and 22.5%, respectively. Soil pH also played a vital role in regulating the N2O emissions after organic amendments. Furthermore, > 10 soil C: N ratios increased N2O emissions by 121.4% and 27.6% after animal and biochar amendments, respectively. Overall, animal manure C: N ratios significantly enhanced N2O emissions, while, biochar C: N ratio had not shown any effect on N2O emissions. Overall, average N2O emission factors (EFs) for animal manure and biochar amendments were 0.46% and −0.08%, respectively. Thus, the results of this meta-analysis study provide scientific evidence about how organic amendments such as animal manure and biochar regulating the N2O emission from agricultural soils.The part of work contributed by Muhammad Aammar Tufail, has received funding form the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program under the Maria Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 722642 (project INTER-FUTUR

Effect of animal manure, crop type, climate zone, and soil attributes on greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils A global meta-analysis

Agricultural lands, because of their large area and exhaustive management practices, have a substantial impact on the earth's carbon and nitrogen cycles, and agricultural activities consequence in discharges of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Globally, greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions especially carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from the agricultural sector are increasing due to anthropogenic activities. Although, the application of animal manure to the agricultural soil as an organic fertilizer not only improves soil health and agricultural production but also has a significant impact on GHGs emissions. But the extent of GHGs emissions in response to manure application under diverse environmental conditions is still uncertain. Here, a meta-analysis study was conducted using field data (48 peer-reviewed publications) published from 1989 to 2019. Meta-analysis results showed that poultry manure considerably increased CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions than pig and cattle manure. Furthermore, application of poultry manure also increased (¯(〖lnRR〗^ ) =0.141, 95% CI =0.526-0.356) GWP (global warming potential) of total soil GHGs emissions. While, the significant effects on CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions also occurred at manure rate > 320 kg N ha-1 and > 60% water filled pore space. The maximum concentrations of CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions were observed in neutral soils (¯(〖lnRR〗^ ) =3.375, 95% CI =3.323-3.428), alkaline soils (¯(〖lnRR〗^ ) =1.468, 95% CI =1.403-1.532), and acidic soils (¯(〖lnRR〗^ ) =2.355, 95% CI =2.390-2.400), respectively. Soil texture, climate zone and crop type were also found significant factors to increase GHGs emissions. Thus, this meta-analysis revealed a knowledge gap concerning the consequences of animal manure application and rate, climate zone, and physicochemical properties of soil on GHGs emissions from agricultural soils.Awais Shakoor would like to express his gratitude for the grant provided by the University of Lleida, Spain. The authors would like to appreciate the valuable comments from the editors and anonymous reviewers to improve the quality of this study

Spatial distribution of carbon dynamics and nutrient enrichment capacity in different layers and tree tissues of Castanopsis eyeri natural forest ecosystem

Forest ecosystem carbon (C) storage primarily includes vegetation layers C storage, litter C storage, and soil C storage. The precise assessment of forest ecosystem C storage is a major concern that has drawn widespread attention in global climate change worldwide. This study explored the C storage of different layers of the forest ecosystem and the nutrient enrichment capacity of the vegetation layer to the soil in the Castanopsis eyeri natural forest ecosystem (CEF) present in the northeastern Hunan province, central China. The direct field measurements were used for the estimations. Results illustrate that trunk biomass distribution was 48.42% and 62.32% in younger and over-mature trees, respectively. The combined biomass of the understory shrub, herb, and litter layers was 10.46 t·hm−2, accounting for only 2.72% of the total forest biomass. On average, C content increased with the tree age increment. The C content of tree, shrub, and herb layers was 45.68%, 43.08%, and 35.76%, respectively. Litter C content was higher in the undecomposed litter (44.07 %). Soil C content continually decreased as the soil depth increased, and almost half of soil C was stored in the upper soil layer. Total C stored in CEF was 329.70 t·hm−2 and it follows the order: tree layer > soil layer > litter layer > shrub layer > herb layer, with C storage distribution of 51.07%, 47.80%, 0.78%, 0.25%, and 0.10%, respectively. Macronutrient enrichment capacity from vegetation layers to soil was highest in the herb layer and lowest in the tree layer, whereas no consistent patterns were observed for trace elements. This study will help understand the production mechanism and ecological process of the C. eyeri natural forest ecosystem and provide the basics for future research on climate mitigation, nutrient cycling, and energy exchange in developing and utilizing sub-tropical vegetationThis research was financially supported by research funding from Central South University of Forestry and Technology and the Hunan province finance department (No.70702-45200003

Role of fertilization regime on soil carbon sequestration and crop yield in a maize-cowpea intercropping system on low fertility soils

Achieving food security through intensive agricultural practices on low fertility soils is challenging as crop productivity is increasingly curtailed by the loss of soil structural stability and rapid depletion of soil organic carbon (SOC). As such, the conversion from traditional mono-cropping to legume-cereal intercropping, especially with integrated fertilization, may increase crop yields with the least ecological footprint. We set up a 2-year field experiment in a split-plot design with cowpea-maize monoculture and intercropping under different organic-inorganic fertilization regimes, including no fertilization (control), organic input only (compost), chemical input only (NPK), and multi-nutrient enriched compost (NPKEC). We observed that intercropped maize had a significantly higher biomass yield compared to the corresponding monoculture when fertilized with NPKEC fertilizer. However, cowpea biomass yield differences between monoculture and intercropped plots were comparable under all fertilization regimes. In contrast, the grain yield advantage of both maize and cowpea was significantly enhanced under the intercropping system compared to monoculture, with NPKEC showing the most significant effect among all fertilization regimes. When comparing the relative contribution of the fertilization regime to SOC, the NPKEC fertilizer provided the highest SOC-sequestration (0.30 Mg C/ha yr−1). At the same time, the effect of the cropping system on C-sequestration showed that intercropping provided the highest C-sequestration (0.17 Mg C/ha yr−1) compared to monocultures of both crops. Although compost application significantly increased mineral associated (MAOC) and particulate associated organic carbon (PAOC) concentrations compared to unfertilized control plots, NPKEC fertilization with intercropping system was the most effective combination causing the greatest increase of both soil C pools over time. Based on redundancy analysis (RDA), the positive association of MAOC and PAOC with C-sequestration suggests the importance of both organic fractions as primary C reservoirs conducting SOC storage. Importantly, although compost alone in association with intercropping had a lower C-sequestration, it was associated to a better soil structure as confirmed by its positive relationship with macro-and micro-aggregation, water stable aggregates (WSA), and mean weight diameter (MDA). Overall, our results indicate the importance of restoring soil structure in degraded soils through appropriate land management solutions, such as stoichiometrically balanced fertilization practices (NPKEC) and crop diversification (intercropping), in order to achieve significant gains in SOC storage and, ultimately, improve crop productivity