Exemplary Product Research Articles

Formulating a quality model for cloud-native software architectures: conceptual and methodological considerations

Interest in cloud computing is steadily increasing and the range of offerings is evolving due to continuous technological innovation. Hence, cloud-native has been established as a term for building applications in a way that maximally exploits benefits of modern cloud computing concepts. However, cloud-native as a topic is broad and the variety in cloud computing technologies is large. Thus, we identify a need in supporting developers and software architects who want to benefit from cloud-native concepts. We provide this support in the form of a quality model for cloud-native software architectures that explains how architectural characteristics impact different quality aspects. Our focus is on the design time and the aim is that architectural models of applications can be evaluated according to cloud-native characteristics and corresponding quality aspects. In this work we present our approach for formulating and validating the quality model for cloud-native software architectures as well as its current state. This presentation is based on previous work, especially a recently conducted validation survey that focused on the impacts of architectural characteristics on quality aspects. The new contribution of this work is the integrated presentation of our approach in a larger context of conceptual and methodological considerations. Further, revision of the quality model based on a repeated literature search for architectural measures is presented. We provide a more detailed look on the quality model, explaining exemplary product factors and their relevance within the topic of cloud-native. Our results provide a qualitative overview of characteristics associated with cloud native software architectures and lay the foundation for quantitative quality evaluations based on architectural models of applications.

The Application of Handheld Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Raman Spectroscopic Imaging for the Identification and Quality Control of Food Products.

The following investigations describe the potential of handheld NIR spectroscopy and Raman imaging measurements for the identification and authentication of food products. On the one hand, during the last decade, handheld NIR spectroscopy has made the greatest progress among vibrational spectroscopic methods in terms of miniaturization and price/performance ratio, and on the other hand, the Raman spectroscopic imaging method can achieve the best lateral resolution when examining the heterogeneous composition of samples. The utilization of both methods is further enhanced via the combination with chemometric evaluation methods with respect to the detection, identification, and discrimination of illegal counterfeiting of food products. To demonstrate the solution to practical problems with these two spectroscopic techniques, the results of our recent investigations obtained for various industrial processes and customer-relevant product examples have been discussed in this article. Specifically, the monitoring of food extraction processes (e.g., ethanol extraction of clove and water extraction of wolfberry) and the identification of food quality (e.g., differentiation of cocoa nibs and cocoa beans) via handheld NIR spectroscopy, and the detection and quantification of adulterations in powdered dairy products via Raman imaging were outlined in some detail. Although the present work only demonstrates exemplary product and process examples, the applications provide a balanced overview of materials with different physical properties and manufacturing processes in order to be able to derive modified applications for other products or production processes.

Roll-to-roll fabrication of superhydrophobic pads covered with nanofur for the efficient clean-up of oil spills.

Superhydrophobic surfaces, which self-clean through rinsing with water, have gained significant importance during the last decades. A method to fabricate such a surface featuring the lotus effect, solely through structuring, is hot pulling of a polymer surface. This technique provides the so-called nanofur, which consists of a polymer surface densely covered with a polymeric fur of extremely thin hair-like structures. Here, we present a continuous roll-to-roll process for the fabrication of a thin polymeric film covered with nanofur from polypropylene. Our process enables structuring of large areas of the order of square meters using industry standard machinery. This opens up many possible applications for nanofur that could previously not be realized because of the limitations of conventional hot embossing regarding structurable area. The structured film is subsequently processed into an exemplary product, that is, so-called nanopads; polymeric sandwiches of polypropylene film covered with nanofur and filled with an oil-absorbing material. These are well-suited for the cleanup of small oil spills.

Nature Tourism in Muar River Valley

Sungai Muar or Muar River is special. Passing through three states of Peninsular Malaysia, it originates in Negeri Sembilan, passes briefly in Malacca, into Johor and ends into the Straits of Malacca. Though laden with history and presently undergoing much socio-economic development, the importance of this river remains inconspicuous, as it is simply known as Sungai Muar. This paper proposes that a geographical official entity be recognized for this river and its surrounding areas as Muar River Valley (MRV) or in Malay, Lembangan Sungai Muar to enhance any future planning and development which would be site-based, thus giving due recognition to the river. Essential data was researched. The geophysical information of MRV is gathered, which forms the first objective of the research. To realistically prove its importance as an official entity, the tourism development was chosen. This research examined previous and potentially new nature tourism research. These are then marked on the map and thus a simple visual appreciation to understand the potential of nature tourism of MRV is easily seen. Hence, a map is produced for existing tourism activities and potential tourism destinations and products in MRV. This forms the second objective. To further enhance, a venture such as nature tourism, that could increase the appreciation to the importance of MRV, a nature tourism product development was done and described, forming the third objective. The exemplary product development is based on a newly recognized oyster species, endemic to MRV named as Crassostrea (Magallana) saidii sp. nov.. All data for the three objectives were obtained through literature search using search engine like Google. Additional methods include interviewing through phone calls, face-to-face, and also Google Meet to obtain information related to land use, drainage and irrigation systems around Bandar Maharani, along with the topography around the extent of Muar District, as basic requirement for the proposal of MRV. Finally, the newly recognized oyster is developed into a tourism product of which the proposed 3 hours package include activities such as observing traditional harvesting of the oysters and tasting of oyster dishes. To complete the nature tourism product development, prototypes of souvenirs are made from shells of the new oysters. For conservation purpose, souvenirs are also made from common species. This recommendation to officiate the designation of MRV would be made to the state government of Johore, through the Muar District Office.

Taking Off the Neoliberal Lens: The Politics of the Economy, the MIT School of Economics, and the Strange Career of Lawrence Klein

Over the last decade, a narrative centered around the rise of neoliberalism has become the dominant framework for explaining recent US, and often global, history. Although this neoliberal lens has repeatedly proven its value, it also obscures major continuities running across the twentieth century. This article highlights one striking example of continuity that becomes easier to see after taking off the neoliberal lens—namely the commitment to discretionary management of the macroeconomy, often short-handed as Keynesianism. It begins with a survey linking the development of a politics centered around managing the economy to the making of what Karen Orren and Stephen Skowronek have termed a “policy state.” Next it considers the role of economists within the policy state, paying particular attention to what it calls the MIT school of economics. Then it uses the career of Lawrence Klein, an exemplary product of the MIT school, to illuminate the politics of the economy in a supposedly neoliberal age.

Metal Nanoparticles: Ligand-Free Approach Towards Coupling Reactions

: Catalysis is a multidisciplinary field involving areas of organometallic chemistry, material science and engineering. It finds use in the synthesis of various industrially applicable compounds, such as fuels and fine chemicals. The activity and selectivity are fundamental issues to be dealt with in catalysis, which are associated with the high surface area. Current research activities primarily deal with homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Although homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis have been well researched, they have certain drawbacks that need to be overthrown for their wider applications. Therefore, it is imperative to find a catalytic protocol that would lead to higher selectivity and exemplary product yield with quick and easy retrieval. Along with being an alternative to conventional bulk materials, nanomaterials have further established their caliber into various industrial and scientific applications. Nanocatalysis has emerged as an advanced substitute for conventional homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. The nanomaterials are accountable for intensifying the surface area of a catalyst, ultimately resulting in an increase in the catalyst reactants' contacts. Furthermore, it enacts as a robust component providing high surface area like a heterogeneous catalyst. Nanoparticles can be yielded out of a reaction medium due to their insoluble behaviour, and thus, as catalysts, they can be retracted easily from the product. Hence, it has been proven that nanocatalysts enact as both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, functioning as a bridge between the conventional catalytic systems. Considering these merits, researchers have tried to intensively study the applications of nanocatalysts in numerous organic reactions. This review article focuses on the catalytic applications of metal nanoparticles (MNPs), such as Pd, Ag, Au, Cu, Pt, in ligand-free coupling reactions. Also, it covers the applications of bimetallic and multimetallic nanoparticles in ligand-free coupling reactions.

Structural characterization of phospholipids and sphingolipids by in-source fragmentation MALDI/TOF mass spectrometry.

Phospholipids (PLs) and sphingolipids (SLs) performcritical structural and biological functions in cells. The structure of these lipids, including the stereospecificity and double-bond position of fatty acyl (FA) chains, is critical in decoding lipid biology. In this study, we presented a simple in-source fragmentation (ISF) MALDI/TOF mass spectrometry method that affords complete structural characterization of PL and SL molecules. We analyzed several representative unsaturated lipid species including phosphatidylcholine (PC), plasmalogen PC (pPC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), cardiolipin (CL), sphingomyelin (SM), and ceramide (Cer). Fragment ions reflecting the FA chains at sn-1 and sn-2 position, and those characteristics of the head groups of different PL classes, are readily identified. Specific fragment ions from cleavages of the C-C bond immediately adjacent to the cis C=C double-bond position(s) of FA chains and the trans C=C double bond of the sphingosine constituents allow precise localization of double bonds. The identities of the exemplary product ions from vinylic, allylic, and double-bond cleavages were also verified by LIFT-TOF/TOF. Identification of individual PL species in the lipid mixture was also carried out with ISF-MALDI/TOF. Together, this approach provides a simple yet effective method for structural characterization of PLs and SLs without the additional modification on the instrument hardware, and serves as a simple tool forthe identification of lipids.

Arbeit an Schnittstellen für den Transfer aus schulischen Forschungs- und Entwicklungsprojekten in das Regelsystem. Ein Praxisbericht aus dem Projekt Ganz In

The paper deals with the practical work at interfaces between science, administration and school within the research and development project Ganz In. On the basis of an exemplary product and its transfer, the article discusses the benefi ts that emerged for schools within the regular schooling system.

The role of community: CSA member retention

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to better understand motivations for CSA participation with an emphasis on membership retention. Food-related and community-related motivations for participation were examined.Design/methodology/approachCurrent and former CSA members across Wisconsin completed an online survey. Participants were grouped based on their CSA membership status. The four groups were as follows: Keepers (current members planning to renew their membership with their current farm); Switchers (current members planning to switch their membership to a new farm); Stoppers (current members planning to stop purchasing a CSA share from any farm) and Formers (former CSA members). The groups were compared through ANOVA.FindingsKeepers had stronger community-related motivations, and they had more favorable perceptions about communication with their CSA farm. Food-related motivations were reduced among Stoppers but were similar among Keepers and Switchers.Research limitations/implicationsThis study used online purposive sampling; thus, generalizability of results is limited. Switchers were identified as a distinct group that trends younger and appears more willing to change CSA farms but is committed to CSA because of food-related motivations.Practical implicationsInvestment by CSA farmers in community building may improve member retention. They may achieve this, in part, through communication with members that taps into factors related to community, such as offering support and making emotional connections. Offering exemplary product is broadly important to keep individuals committed to CSA, but it does not uniquely keep individuals invested in a particular CSA farm the way community-related motivations may.Originality/valueThis is the first analysis to highlight differences between individuals who plan to renew their membership with their current CSA farm, those who plan to switch CSA farms and those who plan to stop purchasing CSA.

An exploratory study on computer-aided affective product design based on crowdsourcing

This research investigates the possibility of incorporating affective factors in 3D model creation using handbags as an exemplary product. We demonstrate a crowd-based experimental approach that establishes the correlations between human emotional responses described by bi-polar adjectives and design factors of a bag. A factorial experiment is conducted to understand which design factors independently and/or interactively influence the responses by systematically varying 3D bag models. In-depth statistical analysis of the experimental results indicates that increasing the bag height makes it look more casual; a black bag tends to look luxurious and formal; a bag made of linen feels more classic and sophisticated. Those insights provide a basis for implementing a prototyping design tool that enables users to create 3D bag models with certain affective features using free-form deformation. The proposed approach demonstrates the preliminary feasibility of improving Kansei Engineering applications with big data obtained from crowdsourcing.

Examination of the attitude and assessment of new, used and overhauled products and the influence on the purchase decision- a survey

Abstract Products can only exist on the market if a demand exists. Especially in the Business to Customer market, the demand is not only created by needs but also by desires, which are stimulated by information provided. In this market, remanufacturing, even though often discussed as an ecological and economical promising manufacturing solution accounts only a minor share of total sales of remanufactured products. The demand for remanufactured products is analysed often with the focus on the lower willingness to pay or the perception of sustainability aspects. Multiple studies state that remanufactured products always have to be offered at a lower price than new ones. However, the cause is not fully understood. On the other hand, other studies assume that a typical positive information for remanufacturing “as good as new”, cause a negative reaction of the customer, as it reminds that the product is not new anymore. The attitude towards products depends strongly, among other things, on product groups itself. Examples of manufactured goods, as electrical or electronic devices are seldom examples of studies on the attitude towards products. The survey presented in this paper aims to analyse the influence factors for the choice of an exemplary product, as for example the misunderstanding of the treatment method of a used product. A smartphone and a washing machine are used as examples of products, with different characteristics. In the survey, two options of one device type, described with selected properties, are offered to the customer in several iterations. The perception of used and remanufactured products is more negative compared to new devices. Other aspect as sustainability seems to have no importance for the product choice. The results are analysed with the focus on challenges for a successful distribution of remanufactured goods.

Bringing the SEED Approach to the Next Level: Generating IC Models for System ESD and Electrical Stress Simulation out of Design Data

System-level electrostatic discharge (ESD) robustness design according to ISO10605 or IEC 61000-4-2 on printed circuit board (PCB) level is still a challenge). The blocking point is often the lack of accurate models of complete integrated circuits (ICs). Previously published methodologies to generate ESD models for ICs are all based on measurements of the complete IC, showing the drawback of complex, difficult and time-consuming measurements. This paper proposes a novel methodology to generate ESD models for complete ICs out of their design data. The proposed approach requires no measurements with the complete IC and hence can reduce the effort significantly. Furthermore, the methodology offers the possibility for automation, which further reduces the number of needed resources. It is based on the approach of black box modeling. This means simplified behavioral models are used, which contain solely the characteristic behavior in case of disturbance pulses. The methodology focuses on the transient behavior as well as the physical destruction limits of smart power products. Behavioral model in this context means the transient response due to disturbance pulse in terms of voltage drops and current drain. The procedure is explained and verified step by step on an exemplary product. It can be easily transferred to other products. System designers receive a powerful model for targeting certain robustness of their system against transient disturbances. Further enhancements of the methodology can enable also the soft failure assessment by simulation.

Customer mobility signatures and financial indicators as predictors in product recommendation.

The rapid growth of mobile payment and geo-aware systems as well as the resulting emergence of Big Data present opportunities to explore individual consuming patterns across space and time. Here we analyze a one-year transaction dataset of a leading commercial bank to understand to what extent customer mobility behavior and financial indicators can predict the use of a target product, namely the Individual Consumer Loan product. After data preprocessing, we generate 13 datasets covering different time intervals and feature groups, and test combinations of 3 feature selection methods and 10 classification algorithms to determine, for each dataset, the best feature selection method and the most influential features, and the best classification algorithm. We observe the importance of spatio-temporal mobility features and financial features, in addition to demography, in predicting the use of this exemplary product with high accuracy (AUC = 0.942). Finally, we analyze the classification results and report on most interesting customer characteristics and product usage implications. Our findings can be used to potentially increase the success rates of product recommendation systems.

Consumer involvement and knowledge influence on wine choice cue utilisation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the utilisation of product choice cues in a retail environment and the impact of consumer involvement on this utilisation. It further investigates the impact of product knowledge on product choice cue utilisation and its moderating role on the impact of consumer involvement.Design/methodology/approachThe case of wine as an exemplary product category is considered, given the importance and variability of choice cues that have been found to affect product choice. Analysis is conducted on survey data from a sample of wine consumers in Ontario, Canada. Product choice cues are grouped into extrinsic, intrinsic and marketing mix. The importance of how these cues are influenced from different dimensions of consumer involvement is illustrated.FindingsThe results show that product knowledge has a positive impact on intrinsic product cue utilisation and further moderates this relationship improving the predictability of the hypothesised model. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed.Practical implicationsFrom an industry viewpoint, the focus in the past has mostly been on using packaging to attract attention/create awareness, create an image of desirability, etc., but not nearly as much on the functionality aspects thereof; for example alternative smaller packaging sizes to the standard 750 ml wine bottle.Originality/valueThe study uses a multi-dimensional approach to measure the impact of enduring involvement on utilisation of product choice cues.

Pricing-To-Market Analysis: The Case of EU Wheat Exports

The EU is a major player in the global wheat market. This paper examines the pricing behaviour of EU wheat exporters using a pricing-to-market (PTM) analysis. Wheat is an exemplary product for testing PTM theories as it is widely and frequently traded, and largely unbranded. We estimate the relationship between export unit values and exchange rates using quarterly panel data for 11 EU export destinations for 2000–2013. Results show that there is a meaningful long-run relationship between export unit values and exchange rates, but there is little evidence of differential mark-ups between EU export markets. Belarus and Iceland are exceptions where exporters from the EU appear to exercise local currency price stabilisation.

Securing information resources using web application firewalls

Petr A. Baranov - Associate Professor, Department of Innovations and Business in IT, National Research University Higher School of Economics Address: 20, Myasnitskaya Street, Moscow, 101000, Russian Federation. E-mail: pbaranov@hse.ruEldar R. Beybutov - MSc Program Student, Faculty of Business and Management, National Research University Higher School of Economics Address: 20, Myasnitskaya Street, Moscow, 101000, Russian Federation. E-mail: eldar.beybutov@gmail.com This paper provides an overview of core technologies implemented by comparably new products on the information security market - web application firewalls. Web applications are a very widely-used and convenient way of presenting remote users with access to corporate information resources. They can, however, become single point of failure rendering all the information infrastructure inaccessible to legitimate clients. To prevent malicious access attempts to endpoint information resources and, intermediately, to web servers, a new class of information security solutions has been created. Web application firewalls function at the highest, seventh layer of the ISO/OSI model and serve as a controlling tunnel for all the traffic heading to and from a company’s web application server(s). To ensure decent levels of traffic monitoring and intrusion prevention, web application firewalls are equipped with various mechanisms of data exchange session “normality” control. These mechanisms include protocol check routines, machine learning techniques, traffic signature analysis and more dedicated means, such as denial of service, XSS injection and CRRF attack prevention. The ability to research and add user rules to be processed along with vendor-provided ones is important, since every company has its own security policy and, therefore, the web application firewall should provide security engineers with ways to tweak its rules to reflect the security policy more precisely. This research is based on broad practical experience of integrating web application firewalls into the security landscape of various organizations, their administration and customization. We illustrate our research into available filtering mechanisms and their implementations with exemplary product features by market leaders, diagrams and screenshots from real web application firewall systems.

Reconstructing Periglacial Geomorphology: The Contribution of J. Ross Mackay

AbstractRoss Mackay's contributions to periglacial geomorphology are commonly regarded as the fruit of solo inspiration. In fact, his work is an exemplary product of its time. At the outset of his career, geomorphology was entering a radical transformation from interpretive study of landscape history towards quantitative study of landscape‐forming processes. Early periglacial geomorphology was concerned mainly with attempting to infer historical environmental conditions on the periphery of the great Pleistocene ice sheets and Mackay's earliest works are historically oriented accounts of regional geography. From 1960, however, his work, following the new perspective, was based on quantitative measurement of landforms and land‐forming processes, both in the field and on maps, and application of physical theory to interpret his observations. He focused attention on individual periglacial landforms that had hitherto been only superficially described. Outstanding aspects of Mackay's contributions are his genius for making critical field observations and his ability to use them to test geophysical theory. He was one of a very small number of pioneers who reconstructed periglacial geomorphology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A systematic adaptable platform architecture design methodology for early product development

ABSTRACTAdaptable product platforms, which express a platform's modular and scalable combinations, are well suited for representing the complex mechanical composition of series products. Current adaptable platform design methods, however, still have certain limitations, such as an insufficient basis for functional modules classification, unstable classified results due to experience-based thresholds, and limited scope because of a reliance on performance mathematical models. Given the hierarchical model of adaptable platform architecture, a two-stage methodology for adaptable platform design based on quantitative indices and fuzzy arithmetic is proposed in this paper. In the first stage, the variety index and change propagation class are applied to cluster the acquired modules into standardised and flexible ones using visualised fuzzy clustering. In the second stage, common and scalable indices based on product lifecycle factors are developed in order to subdivide the components within flexible modules into common and scalable types. Trapezoidal fuzzy arithmetic is introduced in these two stages to deal with the imprecise, approximate, or qualitative linguistic assessments. The proposed approach is demonstrated using the concrete spaying machine family as an exemplary product. Sensitivity analysis showed that the results were robust for the disturbance of design variables. Comparisons with other studies’ results point to a higher stability, lower requirements for basic data, and a general effectiveness of the proposed method.

Animal Images and Metaphors in Animal Farm

In literary works animal images are frequently used as the “source domain” of a metaphor to disclose the natures of the “target domain”, human beings. This is called “cross-domain mapping” or “conceptual metaphor” in cognitive linguistics, which is based on the similar qualities between animals and human beings. Thus the apparent descriptions of the animals are really the deep revelations of the human beings. Animal Farm is one exemplary product of this special expressing way. Diversified animal images are intelligently used by George Orwell to represent the people, so all the characters are animals in appearance, but humans in nature. Starting from the animal images and then the conceptual metaphors, readers can perceive a fresh understanding of this classical book. In this novel, three conceptual metaphors are identified and the special findings can be illustrated as the following: Firstly, the whole story of the animals represents the history and politics of the Soviet Union. Secondly, the pigs symbolize the authorities of the society. Thirdly, the names of the characters in the novel reveal their identities.

Information overload, navigation, and the geography of mediated markets

This article integrates arguments from the perspectives of the economics of information and of the economy of qualities to analyze the spatial consequences of digital technology and information overload on two exemplary product markets: quality wine and stock photography. It demonstrates how digital technology enhances information overload in product markets and how the geography of market relations is transformed along new intermediaries and new practices of navigation that account for two different geographical paradoxes.