The order in which user stories are implemented can have a significant influence on the overall development cost. The total cost of developing a system is non commutative because of dependencies between user stories. This paper presents a systematic and lightweight method to identify dependencies between user stories, aiding in the reduction of their impact on the overall project cost. Initial ...

In this paper, necessary and sufficient conditions are stated for the Craig-Sakamoto equation det(I − sA − tB) = det(I − sA)det(I − tB) to hold for all scalars s, t ∈ C. Moreover, spectral properties for matrices A and B that satisfy this equation are investigated.

The concept of development as freedom can be seen as an expansion process of real freedoms people enjoy, associated with their freedom of choices in social, political and economical spheres. Certain international agencies propose that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) allow this development to be reached more efficiently and quickly. While there are success stories galore, there is...

When was the last time you read a newspaper and was bombarded with articles you would rather not see? Current news media shows massive number of news every day. But from tragedies to happy stories, people might want to choose to read only those articles that fit their current mood. The purpose of this project is to present the Magnet News, a Web tool in which users can choose if they want to se...

Two new cobalt(II) complexes with an unsymmetrical bidentate ligand, 2-(1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-yl)-6-methoxyphenol (H2mthp), were synthesized and crystallographically characterized. Tetra- hexa-coordinate mononuclear selectively obtained by adjusting the stoichiometry of base. The coordination geometry hexa-coordinated complex was severely distorted from ideal octahedron, due to NO5 envi...

The title compound, C(20)H(14)Cl(4)O, was prepared by the reaction of 2,6-dichloro-benzaldehyde and cyclo-hexa-none. In the mol-ecule, the central cyclo-hexa-none ring adopts an envelope conformation, while the terminal benzene rings make a dihedral angle of 57.87 (9)°.

A library of 14-helical hexa β(3)-peptides was synthesized in order to determine the influence of sequence variation as well as staple size and location on conformational stability. From this study we show that appropriately stapled hexa-β(3)-peptides can allow for a number of variations without significant perturbation of the 14-helix.

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (PEA) protein requires furin-mediated cleavage for manifestation of toxicity. We show here that the small stable furin inhibitor hexa-D-arginine amide effectively blocks PEA-induced cell lysis and is itself noncytotoxic. Administration of hexa-D-arginine to PEA-treated mice significantly improves their survival rate and also decreases circulating levels of ...

In this paper we sketch a multi-step scenario of a teacher and her classroom, who uses a few computer-based learning tools and their attached teaching analytics views. The tools that are described are extensions of the toolset of the authors (ComIn-M and SMALA) and others; the scenarios should thus serve as user-story in the design of future analytical softwares that support the teacher’s manag...

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet starts out as a classic love story: boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy and girl get married. Of course, it turns into a tragedy when they realize that their relationship is destined to fail. Surprisingly, many offices in corporate America follow a similar-though less morbid--trend. A 2005 survey revealed that 58% of employees had dated someone at wor...