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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Computing and Artificial Intelligence".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 22973

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. José Antonio Calvo-Manzano

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Guest Editor

Languages and Computer Systems and Software Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Interests: software process improvement; software engineering; project management; IT service management

Dr. Jezreel Mejía-Miranda

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Guest Editor

Centro de Investigación en Matemáticas (CIMAT), Zacatecas 98160, Mexico
Interests: software engineering; quality; IT security; software process improvement
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Giner Alor-Hernández

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Guest Editor

Division of Research and Postgraduate Studies, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Orizaba 94320, Mexico
Interests: knowledge management; software engineering; artificial intelligence

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Information and Communication Technologies have become key components of any enterprise organization, offering remarkable improvement in the productivity and efficiency of production operations. For this reason, novel approaches and technologies for software engineering and IT service management are emerging, in order to improve certain products and services. Therefore, organizations have recognized that software engineering and its applications through IT service management allow for increased productivity, lower costs, and improved end-user satisfaction by providing optimized solutions, since this is a field that is constantly evolving due to the new challenges.

We welcome high-quality submissions to this Special Issue, and are seeking research articles that include original and relevant contributions from academics and the industry, in order to cover diverse topics and report state-of-the art advances, case studies, approaches, techniques, and industry experience.

Dr. José Antonio Calvo-Manzano
Dr. Jezreel Mejía-Miranda
Dr. Giner Alor-Hernández
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 2851 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Model for Semi-Automatic Serious Games Generation

by Pedro Omar Silva-Vásquez, Viviana Yarel Rosales-Morales, Edgard Benítez-Guerrero, Giner Alor-Hernández, Carmen Mezura-Godoy and Luis Gerardo Montané-Jiménez

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 5158; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13085158 - 20 Apr 2023

Viewed by 2063

Abstract

Serious games (SG), (video games with an educational purpose), provide teachers with tools to strengthen their students’ knowledge. Developing a SG requires knowledge, time, and effort. As a result, specialized tools to aid in the development process are needed. This work presents a model for the development of SG in the platformer genre. A tool implementing the model is introduced as a proof of concept. A SG was generated using this tool, which in turn was evaluated in terms of gameplay, mechanics, story, and usability. The evaluation results show that the SG has the minimum elements requested by an audience of students, who were expecting a game with both entertaining and educational value. Furthermore, the results are satisfactory in three out of four areas, showing that there are opportunities for improvement regarding the game’s story. Our work intends to improve the development times of new SG, as well as to make them easier to develop by both software engineers and teachers who wish to implement them in their classrooms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches and Technologies for Software Engineering and IT Management)

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18 pages, 4015 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Method Using Homotopic Iterative Functions Based on the via Point for the Joint-Space Trajectory Generation

by Yadira Quiñonez, Oscar Zatarain, Carmen Lizarraga, Raquel Aguayo and Jezreel Mejía

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 1142; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13021142 - 14 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1487

Abstract

In recent years, many methods have been developed to calculate the trajectory of a robotic arm in the joint-space. These methods have many advantages, such as a soft motion and infinite jerk avoidance. Nevertheless, these methods present other problems that must be avoided, such as an unnatural motion while generating the trajectory and producing unsafe planning. In this sense, this work presents a numerical method named iterative optimal solution trajectory via

{(ζ)}_{v}

-homotopy former (IOSTV

{(ζ)}_{v}

-HF). It is proposed to reduce and avoid oscillation while obtaining trajectories with different shapes to perform better, reliable, smooth, and long-life robotic systems. The algorithm with the proposed method is described, and examples of the trajectories obtained with different parameters are presented. In addition, these were mapped and a trajectory with a continuous velocity and a reduced oscillation and another trajectory with the same restrictions but with a continuous acceleration and zero oscillations were shown; the method is versatile since it allows for choosing and finding the most optimal solutions according to the application. Finally, the article ends with a critical discussion of the experimental results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches and Technologies for Software Engineering and IT Management)

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29 pages, 2159 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cybersecurity Risk Assessment: A Systematic Mapping Review, Proposal, and Validation

by Isaac Daniel Sánchez-García, Jezreel Mejía and Tomás San Feliu Gilabert

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(1), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13010395 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 8818

Abstract

Incorporating technologies across all sectors has meant that cybersecurity risk assessment is now a critical step in cybersecurity risk management. However, risk assessment can be a complicated process for organizations. Therefore, many authors have attempted to automate this step using qualitative and quantitative tools. The problems with the tools and the risk assessment stage in general are (1) not considering all the sub-steps of risk assessment and (2) not identifying the variables necessary for an accurate risk calculation. To address these issues, this article presents a systematic mapping review (SMR) of tools that automate the cybersecurity risk assessment stage based on studies published in the last decade. As a result, we identify and describe 35 tools from 40 primary studies. Most of the primary studies were published between 2012 and 2020, indicating an upward trend of cyber risk assessment tool publication in recent years. The main objectives of this paper are to: (I) identify the differences (reference models and applications) and coverage of the main qualitative and quantitative models, (II) identify relevant risk assessment variables, (III) propose a risk assessment model (qualitative and quantitative) that considers the main variables and sub-stages of risk assessment stage, and (IV) obtain an assessment of the proposed model by experts in the field of cybersecurity. The proposal was sent to a group of 28 cybersecurity experts who approved the proposed variables and their relevance in the cybersecurity risk assessment stage, identifying a majority use of qualitative tools but a preference of experts for quantitative tools. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches and Technologies for Software Engineering and IT Management)

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12 pages, 1215 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dichotomization of Multilevel Variables to Detect Hidden Associations

by Asdrúbal López-Chau, Lisbeth Rodriguez-Mazahua, Farid García-Lamont, Maricela Quintana-López and Carlos A. Rojas-Hernández

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(24), 12929; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122412929 - 16 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1516

Abstract

A test of independence is commonly used to determine differences (or associations) between samples in a nominal level measurement. Fisher’s exact test and Chi-square test are two of the most widely applied tests of independence used in the data analyses in different areas such as information technologies, biostatistics, psychology and health sciences. In some cases, contingency tables with null entries (also called random zeros) arise, particularly if the number of samples is small, and the variables analyzed are multilevel. This situation becomes a problem because if one or more entries in a contingency table are zero or have small values, then the tests of independence produce unreliable results. In this paper, we propose a method to address that issue. The method merges one or more levels of the variables analyzed to create contingency tables with only one degree of freedom, avoiding applying a test of independence on contingency tables with random zeros. The source code (Python) of the method is publicly available for use. The results obtained using our method give a complete panorama of the associations between the variables of a data set. To show the effectiveness of our approach to find dependencies between variables, we use four data sets publicly available on the Internet. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches and Technologies for Software Engineering and IT Management)

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21 pages, 5638 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decision-Tree-Based Horizontal Fragmentation Method for Data Warehouses

by Nidia Rodríguez-Mazahua, Lisbeth Rodríguez-Mazahua, Asdrúbal López-Chau, Giner Alor-Hernández and Isaac Machorro-Cano

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(21), 10942; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122110942 - 28 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2041

Abstract

Data warehousing gives frameworks and means for enterprise administrators to methodically prepare, comprehend, and utilize the data to improve strategic decision-making skills. One of the principal challenges to data warehouse designers is fragmentation. Currently, several fragmentation approaches for data warehouses have been developed since this technique can decrease the OLAP (online analytical processing) query response time and it provides considerable benefits in table loading and maintenance tasks. In this paper, a horizontal fragmentation method, called FTree, that uses decision trees to fragment data warehouses is presented to take advantage of the effectiveness that this technique provides in classification. FTree determines the OLAP queries with major relevance, evaluates the predicates found in the workload, and according to this, builds the decision tree to select the horizontal fragmentation scheme. To verify that the design is correct, the SSB (star schema benchmark) was used in the first instance; later, a tourist data warehouse was built, and the fragmentation method was tested on it. The results of the experiments proved the efficacy of the method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches and Technologies for Software Engineering and IT Management)

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28 pages, 13868 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study on Finding Partners through Patent Network Analysis of UAM (Urban Air Mobility)

by ChangHan Ryu, SeongKi Kim and SungRyong Do

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(21), 10705; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122110705 - 22 Oct 2022

Viewed by 2936

Abstract

This paper presents an open innovation strategy by identifying the patent impact index and cooperation network through patent analysis for leading companies developing technology in the UAM field. Among companies developing UAM technology, patent analysis was conducted on the leading companies with active patent activities, technology classification was used to match companies by parts, and a technical capability index was utilized to identify the companies. When developing UAM technology in the future, this can help companies seek effective partners to improve competitiveness in technology development. To the best of our knowledge, the work done in this paper is unprecedented, as it suggests methods for patent analysis and verifies them by analyzing the UAM patents with the proposed method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches and Technologies for Software Engineering and IT Management)

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15 pages, 378 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Approach to Aid Decision-Making by Solving Complex Optimization Problems Using SQL Queries

by Jose Torres-Jimenez, Nelson Rangel-Valdez, Miguel De-la-Torre and Himer Avila-George

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4569; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094569 - 30 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2460

Abstract

In combinatorial optimization, the more complex a problem is, the more challenging it becomes, usually causing most research to focus on creating solvers for larger cases. However, real-life situations also contain small-sized instances that deserve a researcher’s attention. For example, within a web development context, a developer might face small combinatorial optimization cases that fall in the following situations to solve them: (1) the development of an ad hoc specialized strategy is not justified; (2) the developer could lack the time, or skills, to create the solution; (3) the efficiency of naive brute force strategies might be compromised due to the programming paradigm use. Similar situations in this context, combined with a recent increasing interest in optimization information from databases, open a research area to develop easy-to-implement strategies that compete with those naive approaches and do not require specialized knowledge. Therefore, this work revises Structured Query Language (SQL) approaches and proposes new methods to tackle combinatorial optimization problems such as the Portfolio Selection Problem, Maximum Clique Problem, and Graph Coloring Problem. The performance of the resulting queries is compared against naive approaches; its potential to extend to other optimization problems is studied. The presented examples demonstrate the simplicity and versatility of using a SQL approach to solve small optimization problem instances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Approaches and Technologies for Software Engineering and IT Management)

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