1. A product quality impacts of a mobile software product line : an empirical studyLuka Pavlič, Tina Beranič, Marjan Heričko, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Background: The software product lines (SPL) enable development teams to fully address a systematic reuse of shared assets to deliver a family of similar software products. Mobile applications are an obvious candidate for employing an SPL approach. This paper presents our research outcomes, based on empirical data from an industry-level development project. Two development teams were confronted with the same functionalities set to be delivered through a family of native mobile applications for Android and iOS.
Methods: Empirical data was gathered before, during and after a year of full-time development. The data demonstrate the impact of a SPL approach by comparing the SPL and non-SPL multiple edition development. One family of products (Android apps) was developed using an SPL approach, while another (iOS apps), functionally the same, was developed without employing an SPL approach. The project generated a volume of raw and aggregated empirical data to support our research questions.
Results: The paper reports a positive impact of an SPL approach on product quality (internal and external) and feature output per week. As data shows, it also increases the delivery of functionalities (240% in 6 more editions), while investing the same amount of effort needed for a single-edition development. As a result of system-supported separation of development and production code, developers had a high confidence in further development. On the other hand, the second team delivered less new functionalities, only two new application editions, and lower software quality than the team that manages multi-edition development by employing an SPL approach. Keywords: software product line, Android, simultaneous development, iOS, Software quality, software product editions Published in DKUM: 17.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 0
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2. A HepG2 cell-based biosensor that uses stainless steel electrodes for hepatotoxin detectionMartin Rozman, Zala Štukovnik, Ajda Sušnik, Amirhossein Pakseresht, Matej Hočevar, Damjana Drobne, Urban Bren, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Humans are frequently exposed to environmental hepatotoxins, which can lead to liver
failure. Biosensors may be the best candidate for the detection of hepatotoxins because of their high
sensitivity and specificity, convenience, time-saving, low cost, and extremely low detection limit. To
investigate suitability of HepG2 cells for biosensor use, different methods of adhesion on stainless
steel surfaces were investigated, with three groups of experiments performed in vitro. Cytotoxicity
assays, which include the resazurin assay, the neutral red assay (NR), and the Coomassie Brilliant Blue
(CBB) assay, were used to determine the viability of HepG2 cells exposed to various concentrations of
aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and isoniazid (INH) in parallel. The viability of the HepG2 cells on the stainless
steel surface was quantitatively and qualitatively examined with different microscopy techniques. A
simple cell-based electrochemical biosensor was developed by evaluating the viability of the HepG2
cells on the stainless steel surface when exposed to various concentrations of AFB1 and INH by using
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that HepG2 cells can adhere to the
metal surface and could be used as part of the biosensor to determine simple hepatotoxic samples. Keywords: HepG2 cell line, impedance biosensor, adhesion, hepatotoxins, stainless steel Published in DKUM: 10.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 3
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3. On-line foreign object detection using double DD coils in an inductive wireless power transfer systemNataša Prosen, Miro Milanovič, Jure Domajnko, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: This paper proposes an on-line method for foreign object detection in a double DD coil
system. The foreign object is detected by real-time measurement of the mutual inductance between
the transfer pads. Measurement of the mutual inductance between coils can be performed at the
start, during initialisation, or during the wireless power transfer. The coils in the double DD coil
structure can be used separately; one coil can be used for power transfer and the other can be used
for the mutual inductance measurement. The mutual inductance measurement is based on the
voltage measurement across the open circuit receiver coil. The measured value of mutual inductance
between the transmitter and the receiver pad can be used in a control algorithm and in a foreign
object detection algorithm. Additionally, a 2DDq coil structure can be used as a replacement for the
double DD coil structure, which increases the power transfer density. The DD coils in the double DD
coil structure can also be driven using two phase-shifted voltages, which enables better location and
detection of foreign objects. The method also helps to differentiate the mutual inductance change due
to the distance change from the mutual inductance change due to the presence of a foreign object. Keywords: WPT, double DD coil structure, mutual inductance measurement, coupling coefficient measurement, FOD, on-line measurement Published in DKUM: 01.04.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 2
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4. Application and comparison of non-contact vibration monitoring methods for concrete railway sleepersBoštjan Kovačič, Sebastian Toplak, Rinaldo Paar, Samo Lubej, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: This paper describes the non-contact vibration monitoring of prestressed reinforced concrete railway sleepers. The monitoring was carried out using physical measuring equipment consisting of a seismograph and geophones, a robotic total station (RTS) and scanning laser Doppler vibrometry (SLDV) equipment. Measurements of the dynamic response of sleepers to the dynamic loading induced by the running of train sets provides data that give an insight into the actual state of the sleeper structure at the moment when it is most stressed. The main objective of the study was to identify the most appropriate form of monitoring to monitor events related to the occurrence of cracks in the rail sill, which can also be caused by the impact of vibration. As is well-known, monitoring the dynamic response of railway sleepers is very important for the sustainable management and maintenance of railway lines. The vibration analysis was carried out in the field on the Ormož–Ptuj section of the railway line, in Velika Nedelja and in the laboratory of the UM FGPA, where the vibration was simulated using a hydraulic kit with a static and pulsed force of 100 kN. Several cycles of measurement were carried out and the results were compared with the results of the field monitoring. The vibration parameters measured for the concrete sleepers are necessary to develop a realistic dynamic model of the railway line, which will be able to predict its response to impact loads and the possible occurrence of damage, as has recently been observed for concrete sleepers in several European Union countries. Keywords: monitoring, measurement equipment, railway line, displacements, deformations Published in DKUM: 12.03.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 5
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5. Effect of Lactobacillus spp. on adhesion, invasion, and translocation of Campylobacter jejuni in chicken and pig small-intestinal epithelial cell linesMaja Šikić Pogačar, Tomaž Langerholc, Dušanka Mičetić-Turk, Sonja Smole Možina, Anja Klančnik, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: Background : Campylobacter spp. are a major cause of bacterial food-borne diarrhoeal disease. This mainly arises through contamination of meat products during processing. For infection, Campylobacter spp. must adhere to epithelial cells of the mucus layer, survive conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, and colonise the intestine of the host. Addition of probiotic bacteria might promote competitive a dhesion to epithelial cells, consequently reducing Campylobacter jejuni colonisation. Effect of Lactobacillus spp. (PCS20, PCS22, PCS25, LGG, PCK9) on C. jejuni adhesion, invasion and translocation in pig (PSI cl.1) and chicken (B1OXI) small-intestine cell lines, as well as pig enterocytes (CLAB) was investigated.
Results : Overall, in competitive adhesion assays with PSI cl.1 and CLAB cell monolayers, the addition of Lactobacillus spp. reduced C. jejuni adherence to the cell surface, and negatively affected the C. jejuni invasion. Interestingly, Lactobacillus spp. significantly impaired C. jejuni adhesion in three-dimensional functional PSI cl.1 and B1OXI cell models. Also, C. jejuni did not translocate across PSI cl.1 and B1OXI cell monolayers when co-incubated with probiotics. Among selected probiotics, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG was the strain that reduced adhesion efficacy of C. jejuni most significantly under co-culture conditions.
Conclusion : The addition of Lactobacillus spp. to feed additives in livestock nutrition might be an effective novel strategy that targets Campylobacter adhesion to epithelial cells, and thus prevents colonisation, reduces the transmission, and finally lowers the incidence of human campylobacteriosis. Keywords: Campylobacter jejuni, Lactobacillus spp., chicken and pig cell line, adhesion, invasion, translocation Published in DKUM: 06.02.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 2
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6. Simulating and verifying a 2D/3D laser line sensor measurement algorithm on CAD models and real objectsRok Belšak, Janez Gotlih, Timi Karner, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: The increasing adoption of 2D/3D laser line sensors in industrial and research applications necessitates accurate and efficient simulation tools for tasks such as surface inspection, dimensional verification, and quality control. This paper presents a novel algorithm developed in MATLAB for simulating the measurements of any 2D/3D laser line sensor on STL CAD models. The algorithm uses a modified fast-ray triangular intersection method, addressing challenges such as overlapping triangles in assembly models and incorporating sensor resolution to ensure realistic simulations. Quantitative analysis shows a significant reduction in computation time, enhancing the practical utility of the algorithm. The simulation results exhibit a mean deviation of 0.42 mm when compared to real-world measurements. Notably, the algorithm effectively handles complex geometric features, such as holes and grooves, and offers flexibility in generating point cloud data in both local and global coordinate systems. This work not only reduces the need for physical prototyping, thereby contributing to sustainability, but also supports AI training by generating accurate synthetic data. Future work should aim to further optimize the simulation speed and explore noise modeling to enhance the realism of simulated measurements. Keywords: 2D/3D laser line sensor, profilometry, simulation, point cloud, measurement generation, STL, Matlab Published in DKUM: 10.01.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 10
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7. Electric field driven reconfigurable multistable topological defect patternsSaša Harkai, Bryce S. Murray, Charles Rosenblatt, Samo Kralj, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: Topological defects appear in symmetry breaking phase transitions and are ubiquitous throughout Nature. As an ideal testbed for their study, defect configurations in nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) could be exploited in a rich variety of technological applications. Here we report on robust theoretical and experimental investigations in which an external electric field is used to switch between predetermined stable chargeless disclination patterns in a nematic cell, where the cell is sufficiently thick that the disclinations start and terminate at the same surface. The different defect configurations are stabilized by a master substrate that enforces a lattice of surface defects exhibiting zero total topological charge value. Theoretically, we model disclination configurations using a Landau-de Gennes phenomenological model. Experimentally, we enable diverse defect patterns by implementing an in-house-developed atomic force measurement scribing method, where NLC configurations are monitored via polarized optical microscopy. We show numerically and experimentally that an “alphabet” of up to 18 unique line defect configurations can be stabilized in a 4 × 4 lattice of alternating �=±1 surface defects, which can be “rewired” multistably using appropriate field manipulation. Our proof-of-concept mechanism may lead to a variety of applications, such as multistable optical displays and rewirable nanowires. Our studies also are of interest from a fundamental perspective. We demonstrate that a chargeless line could simultaneously exhibit defect-antidefect properties. Consequently, a pair of such antiparallel disclinations exhibits an attractive interaction. For a sufficiently closely spaced pair of substrate-pinned defects, this interaction could trigger rewiring, or annihilation if defects are depinned. Keywords: line defects, topological defects, nematic liquid crystals, electric field, atomic force microscopy, numerical techniques, polarized optical microscopy Published in DKUM: 18.11.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 5
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8. Reflection symmetry detection in earth observation dataDavid Podgorelec, Luka Lukač, Borut Žalik, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: The paper presents a new algorithm for reflection symmetry detection, which is specialized to detect maximal symmetric patterns in an Earth observation (EO) dataset. First, we stress the particularities that make symmetry detection in EO data different from detection in other geometric sets. The EO data acquisition cannot provide exact pairs of symmetric elements and, therefore, the approximate symmetry must be addressed, which is accomplished by voxelization. Besides this, the EO data symmetric patterns in the top view usually contain the most useful information for further processing and, thus, it suffices to detect symmetries with vertical symmetry planes. The algorithm first extracts the so-called interesting voxels and then finds symmetric pairs of line segments, separately for each horizontal voxel slice. The results with the same symmetry plane are then merged, first in individual slices and then through all the slices. The detected maximal symmetric patterns represent the so-called partial symmetries, which can be further processed to identify global and local symmetries. LiDAR datasets of six urban and natural attractions in Slovenia of different scales and in different voxel resolutions were analyzed in this paper, demonstrating high detection speed and quality of solutions. Keywords: computer science, approximate symmetry, partial symmetry, local symmetry, point cloud, voxel, line segment Published in DKUM: 28.09.2023; Views: 438; Downloads: 37
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9. A microfluidic, flow-through, liquid reagent fluorescence sensor applied to oxygen concentration measurementDominik Gril, Denis Đonlagić, 2023, original scientific article Keywords: microfluidic, microfluidic sensing systems, capillary-based fluorescent chemical sensor system, fluorescent sensors, oxygen sensing, fluorescent decay time measurements, on-line liquid analysis, optical fibers, capillaries, liquid reagent Published in DKUM: 31.05.2023; Views: 550; Downloads: 76
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10. Assembly line optimization using MTM time standard and simulation modeling—A case studyMatic Breznik, Borut Buchmeister, Nataša Vujica-Herzog, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: This study presents an approach to solving the assembly line balancing problem (ALBP) using the Methods-Time Measurement (MTM) time standard and simulation software. ALBP is a common problem in manufacturing where a set of tasks with fixed times must be assigned to a series of sequential workstations in order to minimize the total idle time and reduce the assembly cost per product. This study uses MTM, a widely used production process scheduling method, to create a new time analysis of an assembly process that was previously balanced using the Work-Factor method and time study. This literature review shows that there are a lack of combinations of updated time analyses with newer simulation approaches in the current literature, and this was the motivation for the present work. An assembly line simulation was performed using Simio software to evaluate different design options and operating scenarios. The results show that the use of MTM and simulation can help minimize idle time and improve assembly line performance, thereby reducing costs and increasing efficiency. This study shows that the approach of using MTM and simulation is effective in solving ALBP and is a useful tool for manufacturing companies to improve the performance of their assembly lines and reduce costs. Keywords: optimization, production planning, assembly line, MTM time standard, simulation, industry 4.0 Published in DKUM: 23.05.2023; Views: 533; Downloads: 112
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