Early Online (Volume - 4 | Issue - 2) at IgMin Research

Purpose: Urban areas in hyper-arid regions face a dual threat of water scarcity and urban heat islands, exacerbated by conventional infrastructure and climate change, which reduces groundwater recharge and amplifies energy demands for cooling. This study addresses the research problem of adapting Sponge City principles to hyper-arid climates, where existing models from humid regions fail to account for low rainfall and high evaporation.Aim: The aim is to evaluate the "Sponge Park" concept—a decentralized, nature-based system of permeable ...surfaces and subsurface storage—as a replicable model for integrated water management and climate adaptation in arid cities, hypothesizing that it can achieve >90% infiltration and significant microclimate cooling. Methodology: A novel multi-model computational framework was developed, coupling Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for process-level subsurface hydrology and heat transfer, the EPA HELP model for long-term water balance, and TR-55/HydroCAD for extreme storm event routing. The system, designed for a 13-ha site in Abu Dhabi, integrates high-infiltration silica-sand pavers and breathable aquicludes (APAC). A comprehensive Monte Carlo analysis (n = 1,000) quantified uncertainties in key parameters. Findings: Simulations under local climatic inputs (80 mm/yr rainfall) project >93.6 ± 3.8% annual rainfall infiltration, <0.1% runoff for 50 mm/24h storms, and pollutant removal efficiencies of 98.0 ± 2.1% (SS) and 93.9 ± 4.2% (COD). The system harvests 5,240 ± 520 m³/yr of water for reuse. The latent heat flux from evaporation (9.32 ± 0.93 GJ/yr per 1,000 m²) translates to a microclimate cooling of 0.4 °C – 0.6 °C. A life-cycle cost analysis confirms economic viability with a net present value of +$0.42 million. Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis, demonstrating the Sponge Park's projected viability for hyper-arid urban sustainability, though limited by simulation-only validation. Research Implication: This provides policy-ready metrics for GCC replication, enhancing water security and resilience. Originality/Novelty and Value: This is the first integrated multi-model framework for arid Sponge City applications with a water-energy nexus focus, offering a benchmark for water-stressed regions and advancing SDG 6 and 13.Read more

In today’s fast-paced software development landscape, Agile and DevOps methodologies emphasize rapid delivery and continuous integration, demanding a reimagining of Quality Assurance (QA) processes. This paper explores the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing end-to-end QA, focusing on two critical areas: test case design and test data generation. Traditional QA methods struggle to keep pace with dynamic Agile/DevOps environments, leading to inefficiencies and potential quality lapses. AI technologies have emer...ged as powerful tools to automate and optimize these processes, enabling teams to generate test cases and realistic test data more efficiently. We examine the evolution of test case design, highlighting limitations of conventional approaches and the advantages of AI-driven techniques that leverage requirements and user stories for automated test generation. We then delve into the significance of test data generation, where AI can create diverse synthetic data while addressing challenges such as data privacy through masking and anonymization. The integration of AI into Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines is also discussed, demonstrating how AI enhances testing efficiency and accuracy in deployment workflows. Furthermore, we explore how AI fosters collaboration among team members through Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools that streamline requirement analysis and communication. Despite significant benefits, challenges remain – including ethical considerations, the need for human oversight, and ensuring the quality of AI-generated outputs. We conclude by discussing future trends in AI and QA, such as predictive analytics and autonomous testing, which promise to further elevate QA practices. This comprehensive analysis underscores the imperative for organizations to adopt AI technologies in their QA processes, paving the way for higher software quality, faster delivery cycles, and improved performance in Agile and DevOps environments.Read more

7-Iodo-8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid (Ferron, HIQSA, Chiniofon) is a multifunctional chelating agent whose utility is significantly enhanced through immobilization onto solid supports. This comprehensive review details the chemical structure and key properties of Ferron, emphasizing it’s tridentate chelating ability derived from its hydroxyl, sulfonic acid, and iodine functional groups. The primary rationale for immobilization—improved reusability, enhanced stability, facilitated separation, and the enablement of solid-phase ap...plications—is thoroughly discussed. The review systematically examines the three main immobilization strategies: covalent bonding (e.g., using silane coupling agents on silica or functionalized polymers), physical adsorption (e.g., on anion-exchange resins like Dowex and Purolite), and encapsulation/entrapment (e.g., in sol-gel matrices or electrospun polymer nanofibers). Each technique's principles, advantages, disadvantages, and typical supports are analyzed. The diverse applications of immobilized Ferron are then explored, spanning analytical chemistry (optical oxygen and metal ion sensors, electrochemical detection, flow injection analysis), environmental remediation (heavy metal removal from wastewater, soil stabilization), and emerging biomedical uses (antimicrobial wound dressings, drug delivery scaffolds). The article concludes with a historical perspective and an outlook on recent advancements, highlighting the potential of nanomaterial-based supports, multi-functional hybrid platforms, and novel biomedical applications, while also addressing ongoing challenges such as long-term stability and selectivity.Read more