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The integration of knowledge sharing is significant for software process improvement (SPI). However, very few empirical studies have evaluated how and to what extent knowledge sharing affects the different aspects of SPI. Drawing upon the resource‐based view and the knowledge‐based view of software development organizations, we have explored the antecedents and consequences of knowledge sharing for SPI success. This study develops and empirically validates a model presenting how knowledge sharing impacts SPI success, how organizational factors (leadership and trust) and an individual factor (motivation) affect knowledge sharing and how the use of information technology facilitates explicitly the relation between knowledge sharing and SPI success. The empirical testing of the model has been carried out using the statistical technique of structural equation modelling (SEM) by analysing the dataset of 556 respondents collected from Indian software development organizations. The outcomes reveal that knowledge sharing enhances SPI in terms of design effectiveness, lesser fault density and improved software development competence. Also, the results show that the use of information technology moderates the relation of knowledge sharing and SPI. The conclusions also contribute to improving our knowledge about how leadership, trust and motivation drive efficient knowledge sharing on the path to SPI success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The software development industry is characterised by swift innovation and competition. To survive, software engineering (SE) organisations need to develop high-quality software products in a timely fashion and at low cost. Knowledge-based approaches to software development are extremely supportive to acquiring new knowledge and leveraging existing knowledge from software projects; this enables constant improvement of software development practices. In this empirical study of Indian SE organisations, we study the impact of managing knowledge for perceived software process improvement (PSPI) and its effect on software product quality. Information technology (IT) in knowledge management (KM) is an important facilitator for any SE organisation desiring to exploit evolving technologies for management of their knowledge assets and for carrying out various KM processes of knowledge capture, storage, retrieval and sharing. Surveys collected from Indian SE organisations were analysed to propose a model using a structured equation modelling (SEM) technique. Our findings reveal that the relation between KM and quality of software product is positively mediated by PSPI. These findings reinforce an arena that is of growing importance to researchers and practitioners and which has seen only a limited number of empirical studies to date in the context of Indian SE organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Internet use has become an indispensable part of our lives. Adolescents are the ones who are particularly vulnerable to internet addiction. Problematic Internet use (PIU) or internet addiction is that manner of using internet which can lead to psychological, social, educational, or vocational problems in one’s life. In today’s world as computer and Internet use has become a staple of everyday life, there runs a risk of overuse and dependence, which has lead to addiction and moreover, may lead to personality problems and other psychopathologies. Method: A non-experimental study was conducted among adolescents between the age of 15-17 years having access to internet facility in daily routine(n=100). Big Five Personality Inventory was administered to assess the personality and Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT: Young, 1998) was self-administered by the students after being briefed with the instructions. Subjects were classified into mild users, moderate users and addicts for comparison. It was hypothesized that a significant negative correlation will exists between Internet addiction and Big Five Personality Traits. Result: Approximately 40% of the students were found to be addicted, 25% were moderate users and 35% were mild users. Users found addicted scored poorly on the Big Five Personality Traits as hypothesized indicating negative correlation. Conclusion: The findings from this study identified varied levels of internet usage among adolescents which could serve as a crucial factor in understanding its effects on the personality. The findings further imply that there is a need for early interventions such as setting boundaries or professional help in addition to detecting early warning signs of underlying psychopathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper is an explicit effort to understand the effect of financial autonomy and society on investment decision of individual. Society is a major factor which influences our living standard, thought process and objectives. It is well popular proverb that "Society makes a Man perfect". Society has a greater influence on our decision making procedure, whether the decisions are taken for personal consumption or for investment decision. Financial autonomy has a grave importance in investment decision making. The current paper is an effort to establish the relation among the different factors, which influences the investment decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium membranes are considered ideal for high purity hydrogen separation owing to their infinite selectivity to hydrogen. The key to such selectivity depends on the dense surface of the membrane that suggests absolute non-porous surface morphology. However, preparation of dense palladium membranes irrespective of any deposition technique leads to pit formation which makes synthesis of dense palladium membrane challenging. The current study illustrates the application of electroless plating assisted with novel catalytic sol pre-coating to prepare dense Pd membranes. The surface characterization using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were performed to identify the gaps between dip coating and electroless plating. It was observed that with the use of a dip coated catalytic sol, thinner and well dispersed Pd deposits could be prepared. The porosity of deposited Pd layers does not affect the essential densification property as sol surface underneath dispersed Pd remains dense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports hydrodynamics of a laboratory-scale fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) stripper. The laboratory-scale stripper was designed by geometrically and dynamically scaling down an industrial-scale FCC stripper that had a disk and donut baffle. The solids holdup was measured using a γ-ray densitometry technique with a 3-μCi-strength Cs-137 radioactive source. Measurements were taken at different elevations and chordal positions. The effect of operating conditions on the solids holdup profiles was investigated in detail. For example, the particle flow rate was varied from 0.025 kg/s to 0.042 kg/s, and the superficial air velocity between 0.74 m/s and 1.1 m/s. It was observed that the shape of baffles played an important role in the hydrodynamics of the stripper. Several dead zones were noticed under the baffle regions indicating unused areas in the stripper. The measured solid holdup radial profiles were of asymmetric nature underlying the need for three-dimensional (3D) simulations. At low superficial gas velocities, there was a widespread segregation in the solid phase, which along with the solid holdup decreased on increasing the air superficial velocity. However, the change in solid flow rates did not have any effect on the solids holdup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carboxylic acids are regenerated from their corresponding allyl or cinnamyl esters by H-β zeolite under environmentally safe, heterogeneous reaction conditions in excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Behavior of mono and binary dispersed gas-solid conical bed are investigated using RPT. • Time series analysis and chaos of RPT data is performed. • Better solid mixing is observed in conical fluidized bed even at lower gas velocity. • Flow regime transition is observed above 5.7 m/s gas inlet velocity. • Particle-particle interaction plays a crucial role at the top section of the bed. In current work, the radioactive particle tracking (RPT) technique has been used to investigate the behavior of gas-solid conical mono and binary fluidized bed. The dynamics of the bed has been analyzed using both time-averaged and fluctuation quantities at different gas inlet velocities and bed compositions. The binary bed was composed of glass beads of two different diameters 1 mm and 0.6 mm. The bed of 0:100, 50:50 and 100:0 by wt % of both the particles were investigated. Time-averaged quantities like mean axial velocities, RMS velocities, and granular temperature indicate that behavior of conical bed at the top and bottom sections are significantly different. Gas-solid interactions mainly dominate the bottom section while particle-particle interaction plays a critical role at the top section. Further, time series and chaos analysis of RPT data were performed. Hurst exponent, autocorrelation coefficient, and mixing index were calculated through time series analysis. The results indicate that better mixing is observed in conical bed even at low velocity compared to cylindrical fluidized-bed. It also reveals a regime transition around 5.7 m/s gas inlet velocity. Finally, Kolmogorov entropy and correlation dimension calculated through chaos analysis of RPT data confirm flow regime transition at gas inlet velocity around 5.7 m/s, for all the examined bed compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic edema is caused by decreased hepatic protein synthesis, a consequence of decompensated liver cirrhosis. Fluid accumulation occurs when there is an increase in hydrostatic pressure in the hepatic sinusoids and splanchnic capillaries, as well as low albumin. The first-line treatment for cirrhosis-related ascites is an aldosterone antagonist (spironolactone); however, in severe and recurring ascites, a combination of aldosterone antagonists and loop diuretics (torsemide, furosemide, and bumetanide) is preferable. Torsemide outperformed furosemide in terms of natriuretic and diuretic effects at an equivalent dose. Pharmacological features of torsemide, such as lesser hypokalemia effect, longer duration of action, higher bioavailability, and extended half-life, make it a better alternative than furosemide. In clinical studies, it is considered a safer and more acceptable choice with fewer complications., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2024.)

The management of edema requires a systematic approach to screening, diagnosis, and treatment, with an essential initial assessment to differentiate between generalized and localized edema. The Association of Physicians of India (API) aimed to develop the first Indian Edema Consensus (Edema India), offering tailored recommendations for screening, diagnosing, and managing edema based on the insights from the expert panel. The panel suggested when evaluating edema symptoms, important factors to consider include the patient's current illness, medical history, risk factors, family history, and medications. Key diagnostic investigations for edema include complete blood count, cardiovascular imaging and markers, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) assessment, along with renal, hepatic, and thyroid function tests. Edema management involves a combination of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions, including limb elevation, physiotherapy, compression therapy, fluid removal, diuretics (loop diuretics: first-line therapy), and a sodium-restricted diet. The panel believed that educating patients could foster a preventive mindset, helping to prevent the worsening of edema., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2024.)

The Indian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association (INMA), earlier named the Indian Motility and Functional Diseases Association developed this evidence-based practice guidelines for the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A modified Delphi process was used to develop this consensus containing 28 statements, which were concerning diagnostic criteria, epidemiology, etiopathogenesis and comorbidities, investigations, lifestyle modifications and treatments. Owing to the Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, lockdowns and mobility restrictions, web-based meetings and electronic voting were the major tools used to develop this consensus. A statement was regarded as accepted when the sum of "completely accepted" and "accepted with minor reservation" voted responses were 80% or higher. Finally, the consensus was achieved on all 28 statements. The consensus team members are of the view that this work may find use in teaching, patient care, and research on IBS in India and other nations., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

E-learning is evolving as the paradigm of modern-day education. Globally, e-learning has seen a rise; however, failures happen. There is a dearth of studies that discuss why a lot of learners quit e-learning after a preliminary experience. Preceding research studies carried out under diverse task settings have proposed an assortment of factors impacting learners' satisfaction with e-Learning. This study developed an integrated conceptual model with the instructor, course, and learners' dimensions and then empirically validates it. The technology acceptance model (TAM) has been employed for testing the acceptance of various technologies and software within an e-learning context. This study intends to examine the salient factors of effective e-learning acceptance by learners. A survey investigates the critical factors using a self-administered questionnaire influencing the satisfaction of learners in the e-Learning system/platform. The study uses quantitative methodology and data were collected from 348 learners. On performing the structured equation modeling for testing the hypothesized model, outcomes reveal the significant factors influencing learners' perceived satisfaction studied in three dimensions of the instructor, course, and learner. It will facilitate educational institutes and provide directions on improving learners' satisfaction and additionally improve e-Learning implementation., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd 2023, Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Covid-19 has emerged as a global pandemic with significant morbidity and mortality. Although it is predominantly a respiratory disorder, the gastrointestinal involvement in Covid 19 infection has been extensively documented. We report two cases of acute pancreatitis in severe Covid pneumonia. Detailed history taking, physical examination, laboratory and radiological investigations were used to rule out common causes of acute pancreatitis in these cases. This case report aims to highlight SARS CoV-2 virus as an important etiological factor of acute pancreatitis, in line with few reports from around the world. There is a scarcity of data regarding acute pancreatitis in Covid infection from India., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.)

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) with a high therapeutic index have strong evidence to support their efficacy in the management of common gastrointestinal (GI) conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), peptic ulcer diseases, H. pyloriinfection etc. Despite this, the list of adverse effects being cited across literature with chronic use of these drugs is on an upward trend. Studies and published literature have associated PPI use with risk of bone fractures, various micronutrient deficiencies, gastro-intestinal infection, pneumonia, cardiac complications, dementia, kidney disease, intestinal bacterial overgrowth and drug interactions. It is however of clinical interest to note that in most of the studies published, the risk association reported with PPIs is weak. Unfortunately, widespread media publicity around these studies has prompted discontinuation of the drug in patients in whom it is indicated and created generalized anxiety among its users 20 years later since their introduction. The primary objective is to review the literature for an unbiased translation of the knowledge to appropriately guide decision in clinical practice., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.)

Radioactive particle tracking (RPT) technique is a relatively newer technique for the characterization of flow of process materials (liquids, solids) in laboratory- and pilot-scale industrial systems. The technique uses a single particle labelled with a suitable radioisotope having similar physical properties to that of the bulk of the process material. The preparation of a representative radioactive microparticle is a challenging task in the implementation of the technique. There are no standard methods available for the preparation of radioactive microparticles. This paper discusses some of the methods of preparation of radioactive microparticles for RPT studies. A few examples of RPT applications using the prepared microparticles are also discussed., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common problem in the community. The Indian Society of Gastroenterology and Association of Physicians of India have developed this evidence-based practice guideline for management of GERD in adults. A modified Delphi process was used to develop this consensus containing 43 statements, which were generated by electronic voting iteration as well as face-to-face meeting, and review of the supporting literature primarily from India. These statements include 4 on epidemiology, 9 on clinical presentation, 11 on investigations, 18 on treatment (including medical, endoscopic, and surgical modalities), and one on complications of GERD. The statement was regarded as accepted when the proportion of those who voted either to accept completely or with minor reservation was 80% or higher. The prevalence of GERD in large population-based studies in India is approximately 10% and is probably increasing due to lifestyle changes and increase in obesity. The diagnosis of GERD in the community should be mainly based on presence of classical symptoms like heartburn and sour regurgitation, and empiric treatment with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or H2 receptor antagonist should be given. All PPIs in equipotent doses are similar in their efficacy in the management of symptoms. Patients in whom symptoms do not respond adequately to PPI are regarded as having PPIrefractory GERD. Invasive investigations should be limited to patients with alarm symptoms and those with refractory GERD., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.)

In recent years, radioactive particle tracking (RPT) has emerged as a powerful noninvasive technique for characterization and visualization of flow in opaque multiphase flow reactors. This technique has been applied to a variety of multiphase flow reactors largely based on the theoretical framework for optimal design and performance parameters. No systematic evaluation and validation of the design and performance parameters of the RPT technique has been reported in the literature thus far. Consequently, the theoretical framework for the design of RPT experiments has had limited scalability and application to a wide variety of flow systems. Thus far, design of a "good" RPT experiment continues to be an art, no matter how much the richness of flow of information that the experimental method brings. The present work reports systematic experimental evaluation of design parameters for an optimal RPT experiment and validation of the theoretical results reported in literature. The experiments were performed in a carefully designed setup in which precise positioning of the tracer particle was made possible. The experiments assess the effect of various parameters on the performance of the RPT experiment, such as the choice of radioactive isotope, activity, gamma-ray energy, size of the detector, and relative positioning of detectors. Finally, a set of recommendations based on experimental work are provided to "optimally" perform the RPT experiment in any single or multiphase reactor., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)