Software Process Research Articles

The Effect of Market Orientation, HR Competence, Knowledge Management on Competitive Advantage, Mediated by Company Performance

Purpose: The condition of competition between coal mining contractors causes the company leaders to manage the company and try as optimally as possible to get a competitive advantage compared to other similar companies. This study discusses the relationship of Competitive Advantage built from Market Orientation variables, HR Competence, and Knowledge Management to the performance of coal mining contractors in a comprehensive manner. It explains the transformation process of Company Performance to Competitive Advantage. Research implications: A research population is a number of 37 Coal mining contractors in Indonesia, including employees who are directly involved in strategic decision making in the company, namely the Project Head, Head Office Manager, and Director as respondents. Based on these data, Smart PLS 4 software processes structural parameter estimates according to the relational model described in the study's conceptual framework. Results and conclusion: The results showed that Market Orientation, Knowledge Management and Company Performance have a significant effect on Competitive Advantage, Quality of Human Resources, Market Orientation and Knowledge Management also has a direct effect on Company Performance, but Quality of Human Resources has no significant effect on Competitive Advantage. While the Company's Performance is a Full Mediation of the Quality of Human Resources on Competitive Advantage. Originality/value: This research contributes to the development of RBV theory, especially the study of company performance on competitive advantage in a resource-based view perspective through market orientation, HR competence, knowledge management, and the practice of applying SECI knowledge to this research object, which is proven to be able to increase competitive advantage. Theoretical reference: The originality of the theoretical model in this study contributes to the development of the RBV theory, the implementation of the concept of Competitive Advantage regarding the integration of internal key resources between intangible and capability aspects of coal mining contractors.

A Mobile Application Prototype Designed to Support Physical Therapy Assessment Learning Processes

The present work is the result of applied research, which describes how the physical therapy program at the Universidad Santiago de Cali approached the support of the learning processes from the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice issued by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) from a teaching perspective using information technologies with an emphasis on mobile devices (D-Learning). The implementation process was conducted using the PSP (Personal Software Process) methodology, condensing its six characteristic moments to address the problem in four stages: planning, design, development, and validation, corresponding to phases 2 and 3 of the interdisciplinary project developed by and between the Schools of Engineering and Health Sciences, thereby understanding that the remaining phases exceed the scope of this paper (these phases include a systematic review, an analysis, and feedback from the academic community). A preliminary assessment describes the knowledge gathering and idea conception processes, as well as the solution design process in Enterprise Architect. Subsequently, the prototype was implemented, the corresponding documentation was prepared, and its usability was validated by the academic community at the university. Therefore, a supporting tool was generated, focusing specifically on learning about the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice.

Classroom Energy-saving Control System Design

With the continuous development of science and technology, the degree of automation of various products in life is increasing. However, the impact on energy consumption and environment is getting bigger and bigger, and energy saving and emission reduction is gradually becoming a hot topic in the society. The huge loss of electrical energy in colleges and universities makes the development of energy-saving control technology particularly important. In this paper, we design an energy-saving control system for college classrooms based on STM32 main controller, which mainly collects the light intensity and personnel distribution information of classrooms through photoresistor sensors and infrared pyroelectric sensors, and combines software programming to realize effective and group control of classroom lights, so as to achieve the purpose of energy saving. On this basis, a simple upper computer monitoring interface is built to display the collected information, which facilitates real-time monitoring and management of the classroom. The system is analyzed and introduced in detail in three main aspects in the paper. Firstly, the selection of the main controller and its main hardware circuit modules are introduced; secondly, the software process design is centered around the system; finally, using simulation, analysis and online debugging, the light intensity and personnel distribution information collected can be used to control the lamps and lanterns at the corresponding locations of the personnel to turn on. In summary, this paper designs a classroom energy-saving control system to meet the current situation of large energy consumption in college classrooms, which can realize the effective lighting of the corresponding positions according to the changes of natural light environment and different positions of the personnel in the classroom, and verifies the feasibility of this scheme. It provides an idea to effectively reduce the waste of power resources and achieve the purpose of energy saving and emission reduction in colleges and universities.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) – based strategies for point cloud data and digital twins

Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), is causing a paradigm shift in coding practices and software solutions across diverse fields. This study focuses on harnessing the potential of ML/DL strategies in the geospatial domain, where geodata possesses characteristics that align with the concept of a “lingual manuscript” in aesthetic theory. By employing ML/DL techniques, such as feature evaluation and extraction from 3D point clouds, we can derive concepts that are specific to software, geographical areas, and tasks. ML/DL-based interpretation of 3D point clouds extends geospatial modelling beyond implicit representations, enabling the resolution of complex heuristic-based reconstructions and abstract concepts. These advancements in artificial intelligence have the potential to optimize and expedite geodata computation and geographic information systems. However, ML/DL encounters notable challenges in this domain, including the need for abundant training data, advanced statistical methods, and the development of effective feature representations. Overcoming these challenges is essential to enhance the performance and efficacy of ML/DL systems. Additionally, ML/DL-based solutions can simplify software engineering processes by replacing certain aspects of current adoption and implementation practices, resulting in reduced complexities in development and management. Through the adoption of ML/DL, many of the existing explicitly coded GIS implementations may gradually be replaced in the long term. Overall, this research illustrates the transformative capabilities of ML/DL in geospatial applications and underscores the significance of addressing associated challenges to drive further advancements in the field.

A manifesto for applicable formal methods

Recently, formal methods have been used in large industrial organisations (including AWS, Facebook/Meta, and Microsoft) and have proved to be an effective part of a software engineering process finding important bugs. Perhaps because of that, practitioners are interested in using them more often. Nevertheless, formal methods are far less applied than expected, particularly for safety-critical systems where they are strongly recommended and have the most significant potential. We hypothesise that formal methods still seem not applicable enough or ready for their intended use in such areas. In critical software engineering, what do we mean when we speak of a formal method? And what does it mean for such a method to be applicable both from a scientific and practical viewpoint? Based on what the literature tells about the first question, with this manifesto, we identify key challenges and lay out a set of guiding principles that, when followed by a formal method, give rise to its mature applicability in a given scope. Rather than exercising criticism of past developments, this manifesto strives to foster increased use of formal methods in any appropriate context to the maximum benefit.

A Synthesis-Based Stateful Approach for Guiding Design Thinking in Embedded System Development

Embedded systems have attracted more attention and have become more critical due to the recent computer technology advancements and applications in various areas, such as healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing. Traditional software design approaches and the finite state machine cannot provide sufficient support due to two major reasons: the increasing need for more functions in designing an embedded system and sequential controls in the implementation. This deficiency particularly discourages inexperienced engineers who use conventional methods to design embedded software. Hence, we proposed a design method, the Synthesis-Based Stateful Software Design Approach (SSSDA), which synthesizes two existing methods, the Synthesis-Based Software Design Framework (SSDF) and Process and Artifact State Transition Abstraction (PASTA), to remedy the drawback of conventional methods. To show how to conduct our proposed design approach and investigate how it supports embedded system design, we studied an industrial project developed by a sophomore student team. Our results showed that our proposed approach could significantly help students lay out modules, improve testability, and reduce defects.

Applying User Experience and Usercentered Design Software Processes in Undergraduate Mobile Application Development Teaching

Agile methods in undergraduate courses have been explored by various authors looking to close the gap between industry and professional profiles. We have structured an Android application development course based on a tailored agile process for development of educational software tools. This process is based on both Scrum and Extreme Programming in combination with User Experience (UX) and User-Centered Design (UCD) approaches. The course is executed in two phases: the first half of the course’s semester presents theory on agile and mobile applications development, the latter half is managed as a workshop where students develop for an actual client. The introduction of UX and UCD exploiting the close relationship with stakeholders expected from an agile process can enhance Quality in Use features. Since 2019 two of the projects have been extended in agreement between the client and students. Students, clients and users have found value in the generated products.

Motivational intensity and willingness to communicate in L2 learning: A moderated mediation model of enjoyment, boredom, and shyness

An expanding body of research has shed light on the predictive effect of non-cognitive factors on language learners’ willingness to communicate (WTC). However, little is known about how motivation, personality strength, and a constellation of emotions predict WTC in the underlying mechanism of second language/L2 Chinese learning, particularly in the field of positive psychology. Therefore, the current study aims to fill the gap by investigating their roles in a moderated mediation model through the responses from 251 L2 Chinese students in New Zealand using the robust statistical software PROCESS macro. The findings indicated that L2 enjoyment mediated the association between L2 motivational intensity and L2 WTC. Additionally, both shyness and L2 boredom moderated the slope between L2 enjoyment and L2 WTC. Further, these two variables also concurrently moderated the direct association between L2 motivational intensity and L2 WTC. This study theoretically extends previous psychological measurements and the conceptual frameworks of L2 WTC from English language learning to L2 Chinese learning. Notable pedagogical implications are provided for L2 Chinese educators to stimulate the communication readiness of L2 Chinese students.

Design a Website-Based Building Materials Inventory Information System At Tb.Gilang Putra

TB. Gilang Putra is a business engaged in the sale of building materials. In the processing of building material supplies, Tb.Gilang Putra uses manual processing. Then Tb.Gilang Putra needs an optimal program to improve its performance. Design a building material inventory information system is a system that will be built to reduce problems contained in the building material inventory information system. The loss and destruction of some data that prevents the data from being inputted. The method used in this building material inventory information system is object orientation (OOAD) and uses the Rational Unified Processes (RUP) model and is supported by Unified Modeling Language (UML) for software engineering processes with good structure. The author draws the conclusion that the system in this design can be useful and alleviate the process of supplying building materials and is able to solve problems that occur so that the system that is run can be used anytime and anywhere.

Plant medicine usage of people living with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Belize: A qualitative exploratory study.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a primary cause of death in Belize, a low-income country with the highest rates in Central and South America. As many people in Belize cannot consistently access biomedical treatment, a reality that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, plant medicine usage is estimated to have increased in recent years. This exploratory study seeks to understand which plants are being used, patterns of usage, and the state of patient-provider communication around this phenomenon. Implementing a Constructivist Grounded Theory qualitative design, the research team conducted 35 semi-structured interviews with adults living with T2DM, 25 informant discussions, and participant observation with field notes between February 2020 and September 2021. Data analysis followed systematized thematic coding procedures using Dedoose analytic software and iterative verification processes. The findings revealed that 85.7% of participants used plants in their T2DM self-management. There were three main usage patterns, namely, exclusive plant use (31.4%), complementary plant use (42.9%), and minimal plant use (11.4%), related to factors impacting pharmaceutical usage. Almost none of participants discussed their plant medicine usage with their health care providers. Plant species are outlined, as are patients' reasons for not disclosing usage to providers. There are implications for the advancement of understanding ethnobotanical medicine use for T2DM self-management and treatment in Belize and beyond.

An accurate and universal protein-small molecule batch docking solution using Autodock Vina

As an important theoretical computation method in computer-aided drug design, molecular docking has significantly shifted the paradigm of drug discovery. As one of the open-source docking software, Autodock Vina (Vina) is widely popular, but the lack of relevant experience and inappropriate docking parameters make it unable to perform optimally in practical application scenarios, which leads to potential failure risks in the early stage of drug discovery. In order to simplify the docking steps and determine the most appropriate docking parameters, a universal solution for rigid receptor docking using Vina has been proposed in this paper, and a user-friendly software for the entire process of molecular docking using Vina is developed. The case studies show that our docking solution is able to be applied to different docking scenarios to facilitate a more accurate, faster, and more convenient new drug discovery process.

Ultra-wide band antipodal Vivaldi antenna design using target detection algorithm for detection application

This work presents a technique for detecting targets between two walls using ultra-wide band (UWB) modified antipodal Vivaldi antenna (MAVA). The detection system works on principle of time domain reflectrometry (TDR) using through wall imaging (TWI). This technique utilized a vector network analyzer (VNA) to produced short and small pluses to irradiate through an antenna array system onto the wall under study. The purposed detection system operated in UWB frequency spectrum (3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz). Furthermore, an algorithm for hidden target detection has been developed. The results of the simulation of the designed antenna revealed a significant level of penetration, demonstrating a smart advancement in detecting and imaging system, to locate hidden metallic targets with good accuracy. A signal processing technique have been employed to improve the resolution of the target image. Using computer simulation technology (CST) software, the development and optimization process of an antenna is carried out, and the parametric performance of return loss, directivity and radiation pattern is evaluated.

Effect of self-regulating fatigue on health-related quality of life of middle-aged and elderly patients with recurrent stroke: a moderated sequential mediation model

ABSTRACT Although the association between self-regulation of fatigue and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been confirmed, the potential mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the role of health literacy, health behavior, and exercise frequency in the relationship among middle-aged and elderly patients with recurrent stroke. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A total of 176 patients completed the survey, in which self-regulation of fatigue, HRQoL, health literacy and health behavior were measured by questionnaires. Based on Bootstrap analyses, a moderating sequential mediation model using PROCESS software was constructed with health literacy and health behavior as mediators and exercise frequency as the moderator. Of the participants, the mean age was 65.44 ± 12.43 years. Self-regulation of fatigue was found to affect HRQoL indirectly through two significant mediation pathways: (1) health literacy (β=-0.11, 95%CI = −0.20, −0.03), which accounted for 28.79% of the total effect, and (2) health literacy and health behavior (β=-0.02, 95%CI = −0.05, −0.00), which accounted for 4.80% of the total effect. Exercise frequency moderated the relationship between self-regulating fatigue and HRQoL. Specifically, the interaction term between self-regulating fatigue and exercise frequency significantly predicted HRQoL (β = 0. 25, t = 2.55, p < 0.05). These findings highlight the role of health literacy and health behavior as sequential mediators of the relationship between self-regulating fatigue and HRQoL. Moreover, exercise frequency moderated the relationship between self-regulating fatigue and HRQoL. Encouraging patients with recurrent stroke to increase exercise frequency appropriately might improve HRQoL for patients with poor health literacy and health behavior.

DETERMINING THE KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF PUPILS IN THE INFORMATION SYSTEM OF "SMART SCHOOL"

At a time when current information technologies are rapidly developing, the effectiveness of the quality of education in secondary schools, the transparency of the teacher evaluation system and the analysis of several other indicators with the help of artificial intelligence are the urgent issues of the day. In this method of analysis, initially the value is entered by school experts. This value consists of a pupil in a certain category among pupils and his grades. The term category refers to various criteria, such as pupils with different levels of mental activity, pupils who are learning poorly, who are missing a lot of lessons, and the level of learning is high or low within the specified subjects or topics. The "Smart School" information system forms arrays consisting of the number of grades and grades of pupils according to the criteria entered by experts, and has the ability to sort the values that are similar to the entered value. The solution to the problem posed in this article is explained mathematically and practically. Based on the proposed mathematical models, the business process was modeled, a business process software product was developed, and statistical data was obtained.

The Association Between Group Identity and Post-Traumatic Growth in the Post COVID-19 Era: The Mediating Effect of Social-Emotional Competence.

To investigate the impact of human-society relationships on individual post-traumatic growth (PTG) in the post COVID-19 era, this study examined the association between group identity (GI) and PTG, and explored the mediating role of social-emotional competence (SEC). In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 1203 high school students in an eastern region of China using the GI Scale, the SEC Scale, and the PTG Scale. We conducted correlation and mediation analyses using SPSS 23.0 and PROCESS software. The results indicated that GI was a significant positive predictor of PTG (β=0.219, p<0.001), and that the pathway between GI and PTG was partially mediated by SEC (Effect=0.074, 95% CI= [0.045,0.104]). GI can have both direct and indirect effects on PTG, with the latter mediated by SEC. These findings hold important theoretical and practical implications for promoting PTG and enhancing mental health in the post COVID-19 era.

Falsification of Cyber-Physical Systems Using PDDL+ Planning

This work explores the capabilities of current planning technologies to tackle the falsification of safety requirements for cyber-physical systems. Cyber-physical systems are systems where software and physical processes interact over time, and their requirements are commonly specified in temporal logic with time bounds. Roughly, falsification is the process of finding a trajectory of the cyber-physical system that violates the safety requirements, and it is a task typically tackled with black-box algorithms. We analyse the challenges posed by industry-driven falsification benchmarks taken from the ARCH-COMP competition, and propose a first attempt to deal with these problems through PDDL+ planning instead. Our experimental analysis on a selection of these problems provides empirical evidence on the feasibility and effectiveness of planning-based approaches, whilst also identifying the main areas of improvement.

Bridging the Gap From Concrete Building Construction to Flexible Software Process—Way of Working

Bridging the Gap From Concrete Building Construction to Flexible Software Process—Way of Working

A Study of Software Defect Prediction Using Artificial Intelligent and Business Risk Management Approach

Abstract: The usage of several artificial intelligence algorithms in the area of software defect prediction is reviewed in the literature in this paper, it review the use of various techniques for artificial intelligence in the field of software defect prediction. Software system flaws remain a significant issue, and modern software development now faces many difficulties. Identification, estimation, and evaluation of the risks are crucial steps in order to avoid, minimize, and monitor the risks and their effects.This literature review is quite helpful because it improves understanding of the studied area. A software fault is a flaw in an executable product that results in software failure. Saving money, time, and effort may be accomplished by identifying general software process areas that may require attention from the start of a project and understanding the potential causes of problems. Planning, managing, and carrying out software development activities could be aided by the ability for early fault estimation. In order to study how many prediction approaches have been developed over this time to address the problems linked to software defect, this research conducts a literature review of works from the previous many years.In the field of software development, the study also discusses software risk management. This study makes a significant contribution by proposing a method for analyzing, organizing, and utilizing information technology initiatives in the context of software defect prediction and risk management.

A systematic mapping study on group work research in computing education projects

Context:For developing students’ group- and teamwork skills needed in the team-oriented work environments of the software industry, the role of project-based learning is considered central. Yet there does not appear to be a proper mapping of the current group work research in the computer science project education literature. Thus, the current state of group work research in the research area is somewhat unknown. Objective:This study aims to form an overview of how research has addressed students’ group work in the field of computer science (CS) and software engineering (SE) to identify research gaps as well as suitable topics for more detailed literature reviews. Methods:A systematic mapping study was used to investigate how group work in tertiary education has been undertaken in the literature during the past decade. Results:Based on the selected papers, the most investigated group work areas were related to the assessment of groups, group formation, communication, and cooperation. The research appeared to be quite narrowly focused on a few areas. Most of the papers were experience or evaluation research. A case study using interviews or questionnaires to gather data from a single course was the most representative type of study. The papers were mainly published in scientific conferences. The use of theoretical frameworks was limited, with a focus on a few established frameworks. Tuckman’s group development theory was the predominant framework, while other commonly used concepts and theories include social loafing, Kolb’s learning style theory, and the Big Five personality traits model. Conclusion:Out of 7515 papers screened, 225 were deemed eligible and analyzed. We conclude a need for more focused group work research in CS/SE student projects, in which education is inspected from particular perspectives. This would create identifiable lines of research and structure the research area. Relatedly, we suggest that the underused theoretical frameworks can inspire important research: group interventions would benefit from a socially shared regulated learning perspective, explicit use of justice theories would improve theoretical understandings of group behavior, and transactional distance would help analyze how students adopt a software process. Moreover, the research area could be precipitated by novel theoretical perspectives. For practitioners, those implementing a group project course can benefit from a large amount of literature on assessment and group formation, which are issues on which the teacher must take a position. We also include a lessons-learned summary for teachers. Generally, the present results outlining the field in a structured way can facilitate research-based teaching.

Integration of numerical models to simulate 2D hydrodynamic/water quality model of contaminant concentration in Shatt Al-Arab River with WRDB calibration tools

Abstract The hydrodynamic model is essential for building a water quality model for rivers, lakes, estuaries, and other water systems. Most model software, such as HEC-RAS, can perform a complex hydrodynamic surface water body and limitations to represent water quality for the corresponding area. In contrast, other models, like WASP, can simulate a wide range of contaminants in a multidimensional geometry of rivers, estuaries, lakes, and reservoirs. Still, it requires flow information from separate hydrodynamic models. This article aims to develop a comprehensive water quality model of the Shatt Al Arab River south of Iraq by linking HEC-RAS with WASP. A variety of software techniques has sequentially been used. This software includes GIS for DEM modification, HEC-RAS for the hydrodynamic model, Python code with PyCharm to run the external coupler, WASP software for advective and dispersive contaminant transport, and finally, WRDB software for full calibration process and results display. The results showed successful transportation of flow information had been achieved. Moreover, the article described an effective calibration process by plotting comparison graphs and statistical summaries to make the appropriate decision. Another goal of this work is to collect the equations and associated reaction rates of source/sink kinetic for eutrophication’s state variables.