Use Of Software Tools Research Articles

Cutting-edge techniques in 3D modeling and animation: Leveraging mathematical models and advanced software tools

Abstract. This paper explores the advancements in computer animation technology, focusing on 3D modeling and animation. It delves into the core aspects of character design, environment modeling, and animation rigging, emphasizing the mathematical models and algorithms that enhance realism and efficiency. Key techniques discussed include Bezier curves and spline interpolation for anatomy and proportions, Perlin noise and fractal algorithms for texturing, and Inverse Kinematics (IK) and Forward Kinematics (FK) for rigging. Additionally, the paper examines procedural generation and fluid dynamics simulations for environment modeling and the integration of motion capture data. The use of software tools like Blender, Autodesk Maya, and Houdini is highlighted. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of 3D animation technology and its future directions.

THE IMPORTANCE OF USING SOFTWARE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES OF FUTURE ROAD ENGINEERS

Road engineers play a crucial role in designing, constructing, and maintaining the infrastructure that connects communities and facilitates transportation. In order to excel in this field, future road engineers must possess a combination of technical skills and interpersonal abilities known as professional competencies. One key aspect that can greatly enhance the development of these competencies is the use of software tools. This article will explore the importance of utilizing software in the education and training of future road engineers to enhance their professional competencies. By leveraging software in their learning and practice, road engineers can hone their technical abilities, improve efficiency in project management, and cultivate essential soft skills for effective collaboration and communication in the workplace. Ultimately, incorporating software into the development of professional competencies is essential for preparing future road engineers to succeed in the ever-evolving field of transportation engineering.

DATA PROCESSING IN PYTHON: FOURIER-JACOBI SUMS AND THEIR DERIVATIVES

The use of software tools like SciPy abstracts the complexity of computational implementations. By importing specific functions from this library, users can efficiently perform operations such as polynomial evaluation, differentiation, and series expansion without delving into the intricate algorithmic details. The abstraction continues with the application of Clenshaw’s algorithm, a strategy used across different polynomial types to optimize the computation of series coefficients and derivatives efficiently. This algorithm serves as a universal tool in the computational toolkit, abstracting away from the specifics of the polynomial type while providing a method applicable in various contexts.

Impact of digital advancements on accounting, auditing and reporting literature: insights, practice implications and future research directions

Purpose The study aims to use bibliometric and scientometric analysis to conduct a detailed investigation on the impact of disruptive technologies in accounting and reporting literature. To draw both academics and practitioners through accelerated research activities, the study also aims to look into the significance of these disruptive technologies, their potential and the opportunities they present for the accounting profession. Design/methodology/approach With the use of the Scopus database and a combination of accounting, reporting, auditing and technology-related keywords, 1660 research articles published between 2008 and 2023 were included in the sample. To provide graphical analysis of bibliometric data and visualize research findings such as bibliographic coupling, co-citation and keyword co-occurrence, this study used the R-biblioshiny and VOSViewer tools. Findings The findings demonstrate a growth in scholarly interest in the study’s area, particularly in recent years. The bibliometric analysis focuses on three key uses and applications of technology in the accounting and auditing professions: the adoption of continuous auditing and monitoring in the audit profession, the use of software tools in the audit and accounting professions and the connections between information systems and audit. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by examining current research trends on the use of technology in the accounting and reporting professions, identifying gaps in the literature and, most importantly, proposing a research agenda for the field. This study’s data came entirely from English-language articles and reviews in the Scopus database. It also considers studies that are directly relevant to the use of technology in accounting and reporting.

Performance Evaluation of Computer Vision Algorithms in a Programmable Logic Controller: An Industrial Case Study

This work evaluates the use of a programmable logic controller (PLC) from Phoenix Contact’s PLCnext ecosystem as an image processing platform. PLCnext controllers provide the functions of “classical” industrial controllers, but they are based on the Linux operating system, also allowing for the use of software tools usually associated with computers. Visual processing applications in the Python programming language using the OpenCV library are implemented in the PLC using this feature. This research is focused on evaluating the use of this PLC as an image processing platform, particularly for industrial machine vision applications. The methodology is based on comparing the PLC’s performance against a computer using standard image processing algorithms. In addition, a demonstration application based on a real-world scenario for quality control by visual inspection is presented. It is concluded that despite significant limitations in processing power, the simultaneous use of the PLC as an industrial controller and image processing platform is feasible for applications of low complexity and undemanding cycle times, providing valuable insights and benchmarks for the scientific community interested in the convergence of industrial automation and computer vision technologies.

Information Management Practices and Job Performance of Secretaries in Public Polytechnics in South-west, Nigeria

Information explosion has become the order of the day in every organization. With the emergence of ever dynamic technologies, secretaries are expected to upgrade their skills of information management practices to enrich their performance. This necessitates enquiry into influence of information management practices on job performance of secretaries in public polytechnics in South-west, Nigeria. The descriptive research design was adopted in the study and the population comprised 648 secretaries from both federal and state polytechnics in six states of South-west, Nigeria. The sample size was 242 which was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan sample size determination table. A stratified proportionate sampling technique was used to determine the number of questionnaires that was given in each of the institutions. Results showed that the level of information management practices of secretaries under examination is moderate with a mean of 3.32. There was a significant influence of information management practices on job performance of secretaries in public polytechnics in South-west Nigeria (Adj.R2 = 0.328, F(5.212)=22.191,p< 0.05). The study concluded that information management practices have significant influence on job performance of secretaries in public polytechnics in South-west Nigeria. It was therefore, recommended that management of polytechnics in South-west Nigeria should provide training sessions for secretaries to enhance their information management skills. Workshops should be mounted on the use of software tools, managing emails, and organizing digital files efficiently among others.

A user-friendly toolkit to select and design multi-purpose grippers for modular robotic systems

Robotic grasping is a billion-dollar industry with significant growth potential for the next decade. Unsurprisingly, technology providers and integrators are increasingly assisting in optimising production efficiency by implementing industrial robots and the necessary end-effectors into production lines. However, still too often in today’s robotic applications, dedicated grippers are designed to perform single tasks therewith adversely increasing cycle times and robot cell spaces due to constantly switching grippers from a tool magazine. In order to reduce handling costs and to cope with mass customisation, versatile grasping of various objects with multi-purpose grippers is key in evolving to modular assembly systems.Nowadays, thoughtful selection and design of robotic grippers is still mainly restricted to expert knowledge due its ad hoc and multi-objective nature. However, gripper selection and design should be tailored to the properties of the objects to be grasped, and the tasks to be executed. As a result, current solutions often end up being partly appropriate and/or over-dimensioned. The use of software tools to support this complex decision-making process is needed but limited so far.This paper presents a user-friendly toolkit that assists in selecting appropriate robotic grippers for grasping pre-specified ranges of objects. For this, a web API has been established for accessing the available gripper database and selection methodology. Additionally, this toolkit assists in designing multi-functional jaws for impactive grippers, and lay-outing individually positioned astrictive grippers. The underlying optimiser will try to find the most ideal grasping points on each object in accordance with quality metrics and constraints, and this for each of the selected grippers. To demonstrate the functionality of the presented toolkit, two case studies on impactive and astrictive gripper designs have been worked out involving 3D mechatronic and 2D sheet metal parts.

Application of Software Tools in the Identification of Robotic Workplace Cooperation in the Design Phase

Creating design solutions for robotic workplaces is a complex issue of a multidisciplinary nature, which requires expert knowledge and experience of several scientific disciplines, primarily focused on technical sciences. The continuously developing field of software solutions helps in the process of creating robotic workplaces. Currently, there are several software tools on the market that simplify and speed up the creation of robotic workplace models. Through these software applications, it is possible to create 2D and 3D model solutions, as well as structural strength calculations, optimization, functional tests and, in some cases, virtual commissioning. This contribution describes the possibilities of applying software tools within the design of a robotic workplace. The introductory part of the article is focused on a theoretical analysis of the design of a robotic workplace, with a focus on the characteristics of the possibilities of conceptual solutions and safety. In the next part of the article, the tools that are most often used in technical practice when setting up robotic workplaces are identified. The given software tools are also specified from the point of view of the possibility of basic work and the creation of model solutions. The result of the work determines the areas of use of software tools and the creation of model solutions of robotic workplaces on a practical example. In the conclusion of the article, the findings are summarized in the context of developing design cooperation of robotic workplaces using industrial software tools.

A survey on current use of software tools for systematic literature reviews

Adoption of the EU Medical Devices Regulations and In Vitro Diagnostics Regulations has led to increased demand for systematic literature reviews. This article reports on a survey investigating the current use of software platforms and tools by regulatory medical writers and others involved in conducting systematic literature reviews. The survey was completed by 125 respondents from 31 countries, evenly spread across different levels of experience. Most respondents use a partially automated (35%) or fully manual process (59%). Familiarity with specific software to conduct systematic literature reviews was low, with most respondents (61%–84%) indicating they were unfamiliar with five software applications and tools. Data extraction was named as both the most time-consuming and error-prone step in the process. Process improvement, improvement of data extraction, and time saving were seen as topics where systematic literature review software could make the most valuable contribution.

Estimation of Covid-19 lungs damage based on computer tomography images analysis

Modern treatment is based on reproducible quantitative analysis of available data. The Covid-19 pandemic did accelerate development and research in several multidisciplinary areas. One of them is the use of software tools for faster and reproducible patient data evaluation. A CT scan can be invaluable for a search of details, but it is not always easy to see the big picture in 3D data. Even in the visual analysis of CT slice by slice can inter and intra variability makes a big difference. We present an ImageJ tool developed together with the radiology center of Faculty hospital Královské Vinohrady for CT evaluation of patients with COVID-19. The tool was developed to help estimate the percentage of lungs affected by the infection. The patients can be divided into five groups based on percentage score and proper treatment can be applied

Concepts to support dynamic updating processes of guidelines and their practical implementation-Systematic literature review

Clinical practice guidelines (CPG), which are crucial for evidence-based healthcare, should be kept up to date, especially on topics where emerging evidence could modify one of the recommendations with implications for the healthcare service; however, an updating process, which is practicable for guideline developers as well as users represents a challenge. This article provides an overview of the currently discussed methodological approaches for the dynamic updating of guidelines and systematic reviews. As part of ascoping review, aliterature search was conducted in the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE (via Ovid), Scopus, Epistemonikos, medRxiv, as well as in study and guideline registers. Concepts on the dynamic updating of guidelines and systematic reviews or dynamically updated guidelines and systematic reviews or their protocols published in English or German were included. The publications included most frequently described the following main processes that must be adapted in dynamic updating processes 1)the establishment of continuously working guideline groups, 2)networking between guidelines, 3)the formulation and application of prioritization criteria, 4)the adaptation of the systematic literature search and 5)the use of software tools for increased efficiency and digitalization of the guidelines. The transformation to living guidelines requires achange in the needs for temporal, personnel and structural resources. The digitalization of guidelines and the use of software to increase efficiency are necessary instruments, but alone do not guarantee the realization of living guidelines. Aprocess in which dissemination and implementation must also be integrated is necessary. Standardized best practice recommendations on the updating process are still lacking.

Existing tools used in the framework of environmental performance

The monitoring and assessment of Environmental Performance constitutes a critical yet complex area of interest in today's world. The exploration of environmental performance is often not understandable to non-experts, as the challenges, barriers, and data collection to monitor environmental performance are often limited by knowledge, acceptance, involvement of the individual as well as from the use of scattered and non-user-friendly monitoring techniques. Since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, the European Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan a catalytic pathway has been provided for the world's economy and sustainability to harmonize. To provide an even easier pathway regarding the monitoring of these incentives, different assessment tools are being used including Key Performance Indicators, software tools and predictive models, management system and Environmental Standards (ISO 14001, ISO 14031, ISO 37101, ISO 37120, EMAS, Ecolab etc.), providing clear, reliable guidelines and steps concerning the environmental performance of a chosen institution (i.e. Business, city, country etc.). At the same time, the use of software tools for recording and assessing data regarding aspects of environmental performance, can be very beneficial regarding the direct access to data, monitoring of current practice efficiency and effectiveness (i.e. Mobility schedules and air pollution), the extraction and storage of specific historical data, capability of data processing and the creation of reports to be used for the monitoring of the obligations of the country or organization to EU regulations. In this paper, the existing tools for the evaluation and assessment of environmental performance are reviewed, showcasing the plethora of current pathways for choosing valid and reliable monitoring methods for decision-making, in regard to European and local legislations and evaluated using Analytical Hierarchy Process and SWOT analysis.

Information technologies and E-commerce in education in the sphere of tourism and hospitality

The country's economy can be focused on the development of primary industries or innovation, the growth of which is based on the development of knowledge-intensive industries using information technology. The large-scale development of Internet technologies has made it possible to develop a model of network management of the economy. This also applies to the business of companies in the field of tourism and service. The widespread use of information technology will improve the competitiveness of companies and reach a new level of development. The article identified a range of issues for management in the organization of tourism and hospitality for the effective use of Internet technologies and e-commerce. The article deals with the use of software tools for analyzing incoming information, multimedia content and infrastructural public networks HTML, JavaScript, WWW, information-distributed infrastructure EDI, E-mail, HTTP, architecture of the e-commerce system, the scheme of automated formation of the educational process. The professional competencies of students of secondary vocational education, higher education and the system of additional professional training in the field of tourism and service should include knowledge, skills and abilities in organizing e-commerce using modern information technologies. The article considers the stages of using Internet technologies and e-commerce technologies, approaches to organizing these processes in tourist organizations and hotels. Continuous education in the field of e-commerce using information technology will allow developing the modern tourism and hospitality market at a high information level, improve the information literacy of sales specialists and managers of tourist organizations and hotels.

METHODOLOGICAL FEATURES OF USING IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER TRAINING

The article discusses the features of using immersive technologies in the educational process of primary school. In the context of distance and blended learning, in addition to the use of various digital technologies, Internet resources and interactive tools in the educational process, it is effective to use special software tools to visualize, demonstrate and reproduce various phenomena. The need to train future teachers to use immersive technologies and the lack of methodological support for teachers proves the relevance of the chosen research topic. In the article, the authors demonstrate the advantages of using immersive technologies (virtual and augmented reality), virtual laboratories and mobile applications in the training of future primary school teachers in the integrated course "Art". The article presents a sample of existing immersive applications that educators most often use in art classes. Based on the analysis of modern online resources, it is proposed to systematize them in terms of their use in the educational process of higher education institutions under martial law for the training of future primary school teachers. In the conditions of the real educational process, the study was conducted on the basis of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University and during the internship of students in the secondary school of Kyiv. Kyiv, which made it possible to identify the best software tools for use in primary education institutions and during the training of students majoring in 013 "Primary Education": information and reference (electronic encyclopedias, virtual tours, 360° museums), simulation programs (Crayola Art-Studio multimedia graphic editor, Crello online tool, PaperOne training program), laboratories (Chrome Music Lab (Oscillators, Kandinsky, Sound Waves, etc.) Toyteatre). Ensuring that future primary school teachers are properly trained in the use of immersive technologies is a key to successful informatization of education, which will ensure quality and effective education for future generations.

Effect of innovative practices on the growth of quantity surveying firms in Nigeria

Purpose Although the overall impacts of innovation and innovative practices have been emphasized in recent years, the effect on the growth of firms in Nigeria have not been proven. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of innovative practices on the growth of quantity surveying firms (QSFs) in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted the quantitative correlational research design in which a well-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from QSFs in South-West, Nigeria. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis to investigate the effect of innovative practices on the growth of QSFs. Findings The study reveals that there is a significant increase in the growth indices used for assessing QSFs, while all the innovation variables were found to be reliable. Based on the result of multiple regression analysis, the relationships were identified as follows: quantity surveying (QS) software influenced the size growth of QSFs; QS software and services affected client growth and profit growth; and all innovation practices impacted asset growth of QSFs. Practical implications Although the use of software tools has been found to negatively affect the size of QSFs and other growth indices, there is need for them to embrace innovative software applications for more quality service delivery. In addition, QSFs should formulate strategic objectives that will guide them in taking informed decisions for diversification. Originality/value The outcome of this study provides information and direction for innovation practices required to bring about the growth of QSFs.

Goal-Setting Behavior of Workers on Crowdsourcing Platforms: An Exploratory Study on MTurk and Prolific

A wealth of evidence across several domains indicates that goal setting improves performance and learning by enabling individuals to commit their thoughts and actions to goal achievement. Recently, researchers have begun studying the effects of goal setting in paid crowdsourcing to improve the quality and quantity of contributions, increase learning gains, and hold participants accountable for contributing more effectively. However, there is a lack of research addressing crowd workers' goal-setting practices, how they are currently pursuing them, and the challenges that they face. This information is essential for researchers and developers to create tools that assist crowd workers in pursuing their goals more effectively, thereby improving the quality of their contributions. This paper addresses these gaps by conducting mixed-method research in which we surveyed 205 workers from two crowdsourcing platforms -- Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and Prolific -- about their goal-setting practices. Through a 14-item survey, we asked workers regarding the types of goals they create, their goal achievement strategies, potential barriers that impede goal attainment, and their use of software tools for effective goal management. We discovered that (a) workers actively create intrinsic and extrinsic goals; (b) use a combination of tools for goal management; (c) medical issues and a busy lifestyle are some obstacles to their goal achievement; and (d) we gathered novel features for future goal management tools. Our findings shed light on the broader implications of developing goal management tools to improve workers' well-being.

A team‐oriented course development experience in distance education for multidisciplinary engineering design

AbstractBased on the multidisciplinary needs of today's complex and innovative technology, accreditation bodies of engineering demand proof of multidisciplinary teamwork in undergraduate engineering curricula. This article reports the design and conduct of a Multidisciplinary Engineering Design (MED) course initiated as a result of accreditation process requirements. The course, which consists of multidisciplinary lectures, practice sessions, and various phases of a multidisciplinary team project, was conducted online because of the COVID‐19 pandemic by a multidisciplinary team of instructors using multiple software tools to enhance collaboration. In general, the course outcomes were satisfied under the current design, and several points for further improvement and elaboration were collected via quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Accordingly, the results show that the project‐based and team‐based MED course, in terms of multidisciplinary course management and its outcomes, can benefit from the use of software tools in creating a multidisciplinary team in distance education by means of enhanced cooperation and motivation among the participants.

Исследование обстоятельств выстрела с помощью метода трехмерной фотограмметрии

Introduction. A promising direction in forensic practice is the use of three-dimensional modeling of objects to establish the circumstances relevant to the criminal case. Theoretical analysis. Photographs taken during the investigation could be used as a source of information to derive a three-dimensional model. Photogrammetry is a method that allows for the automated construction of three-dimensional models from images. The main data in three-dimensional photogrammetry should be the elements of external and internal orientation, coordinates in the photograph, and spatial coordinates. Еmpirical analysis. To build a three-dimensional model, photos from the crime scene submitted for forensic firearm examination were used to determine whether the situation described by the accused, suspect, corresponded to the objective mechanism of the accident. The main stages of model building in 3D photogrammetry software Agisoft Metashape were reflected. Based on the procedural documents submitted for examination, the three-dimensional model reflected the alleged location of the shooter and the victim, and the direction of the shots from the defendant’s words, as well as the likely direction of the shots in accordance with the wound channels and the situation. Discussion of results. There are essential advantages of three-dimensional photogrammetry: it does not require expensive and complex equipment, operates with photographs obtained during the investigation, constructs the whole area of an object in the frame, and allows for synthesizing data from various sources. However, the quality of the resulting models depends on the number of photographs and compliance with the rules of measurement and panning of objects. It is also important that the researcher skilled in the use of software tools to build three-dimensional models from photographic images is able to make adjustments at each stage. Conclutions. The possibility of producing a three-dimensional reconstruction of the crime and solving problems not only within forensic firearm examination, but also those kinds, with which it can be combined, is reflected.

Application of Machine Learning Solutions to Optimize Parameter Prediction to Enhance Automatic NMR Metabolite Profiling.

The quality of automatic metabolite profiling in NMR datasets from complex matrices can be affected by the numerous sources of variability. These sources, as well as the presence of multiple low-intensity signals, cause uncertainty in the metabolite signal parameters. Lineshape fitting approaches often produce suboptimal resolutions to adapt them in a complex spectrum lineshape. As a result, the use of software tools for automatic profiling tends to be restricted to specific biological matrices and/or sample preparation protocols to obtain reliable results. However, the analysis and modelling of the signal parameters collected during initial iteration can be further optimized to reduce uncertainty by generating narrow and accurate predictions of the expected signal parameters. In this study, we show that, thanks to the predictions generated, better profiling quality indicators can be outputted, and the performance of automatic profiling can be maximized. Our proposed workflow can learn and model the sample properties; therefore, restrictions in the biological matrix, or sample preparation protocol, and limitations of lineshape fitting approaches can be overcome.

Estimation of Covid-19 lungs damage based on computer tomography images analysis

Modern treatment is based on reproducible quantitative analysis of available data. The Covid-19 pandemic did accelerate development and research in several multidisciplinary areas. One of them is the use of software tools for faster and reproducible patient data evaluation. A CT scan can be invaluable for a search of details, but it is not always easy to see the big picture in 3D data. Even in the visual analysis of CT slice by slice can inter and intra variability makes a big difference. We present an ImageJ tool developed together with the radiology center of Faculty hospital Královské Vinohrady for CT evaluation of patients with COVID-19. The tool was developed to help estimate the percentage of lungs affected by the infection. The patients can be divided into five groups based on percentage score and proper treatment can be applied