MELD-DNA: A new tool for capturing protein-DNA binding

Herein we present MELD-DNA, a novel computational approach to address the problem of protein-DNA structure prediction. This method addresses well-known issues hampering current computational approaches to bridge the gap between structural and sequence knowledge, such as large conformational changes in DNA and highly charged electrostatic interaction during binding. MELD- DNA is able to: i) sample multiple binding modes, ii) identify the preferred binding mode from the ensembles, and iii) provide qualitative binding preferences between DNA sequences. We expect the results presented herein will have impact in the field of biophysics (through new software development), structural biology (by complementing DNA structural databases) and supramolecular chemistry (by bringing new insights into protein-DNA interactions).

Development metrics measurement level for component reusability evaluation approach (CREA)

The study of software component reuse is rising in software development field and one of the methods used to reduce the production cost and time. Among the problems faced by software developers in component reuse, is the difficulty to determine which set of components are suitable to use in new software development. Thus, this study was conducted with the purpose; to define the characteristics of software component reusability evaluation approach (CREA) based on experienced software developer’s feedback, and to estimate the measurement level for each of the predefined metric. Three characteristics and sub characteristics, namely understandability (documentation level and observality), adaptability (customizability), and portability (external dependency) were identified that have been used to develop the metrics for CREA. The result for all metrics will be used as an input to the fuzzy inference system (FIS) for measuring the reusability level of the component.

The Application of a New Secure Software Development Life Cycle (S-SDLC) with Agile Methodologies

The software development environment is focused on reaching functional products in the shortest period by making use of the least amount of resources possible. In this scenario, crucial elements such as software quality or software security are not considered at all, and in most cases, the high value offered to the projects is not taken into account. Nowadays, agile models are booming. They are defined by the way they achieve the interaction and integration of everyone involved in the software life cycle, the advantages of the quick reaction to change, and the implementation of artifacts or deliverables which display the level of progress reached at any time. In this context, it seems clearly necessary to define a new software development model, which prioritizes security aspects at any phase of the software life cycle and takes advantage of the benefits of the agile models. The proposed methodology shows that if security is considered from the beginning, vulnerabilities are easily detected and solved during the time planned for the project, with no extra time nor costs for the client and it increases the possibilities of reaching success in terms of not only functionality but also quality.