Using contextual goal models for constructing situational methods

Situation and intention are two fundamental notions in situational method engineering (SME). They are used to assess the context of an ISD project and to specify method requirements in this context. They also allow defining the goals of the method chunks and the conditions under which they can be applied. In this way, the selection and assembly of method chunks for a particular ISD project is driven by matching situational method requirements to method chunks’ goals and context descriptions. In this paper we propose the use of contextual goal models for supporting all SME steps. Our approach is based on iStar2.0 modeling language that we extend with contextual annotations.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Storage Solutions for Big Data Systems: A Qualitative Study and Comparison

Big data systems development is full of challenges in view of the variety of application areas and domains that this technology promises to serve. Typically, fundamental design decisions involved in big data systems design include choosing appropriate storage and computing infrastructures. In this age of heterogeneous systems that integrate different technologies for optimized solution to a specific real world problem, big data system are not an exception to any such rule. As far as the storage aspect of any big data system is concerned, the primary facet in this regard is a storage infrastructure and NoSQL seems to be the right technology that fulfills its requirements. However, every big data application has variable data characteristics and thus, the corresponding data fits into a different data model. This paper presents feature and use case analysis and comparison of the four main data models namely document oriented, key value, graph and wide column. Moreover, a feature analysis of 80 NoSQL solutions has been provided, elaborating on the criteria and points that a developer must consider while making a possible choice. Typically, big data storage needs to communicate with the execution engine and other processing and visualization technologies to create a comprehensive solution. This brings forth second facet of big data storage, big data file formats, into picture. The second half of the research paper compares the advantages, shortcomings and possible use cases of available big data file formats for Hadoop, which is the foundation for most big data computing technologies. Decentralized storage and blockchain are seen as the next generation of big data storage and its challenges and future prospects have also been discussed

The sounds on the Silk Road from Xi'an to Urumqi. Soundscape, recording and exposition of the sound

[eng] The main objective of the doctoral thesis is to study the Soundscape in the Chinese route of the Silk Road based on the premises issued in 2003 by the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. In China, no application of this agreement has been used. The research proposed by the doctoral thesis is an important precedent in applying the guidelines concerning the study and preservation of intangible cultural heritage. The Silk Road represents the exchange and integration of Chinese and Western cultures, and its mysterious and remote atmosphere is fascinating. I have longed for the Silk Road since I was young. I was exposed to sound media art, soundscape maps, and sound sculpture research in the laboratory of Dr. Josep Cerda at the University of Barcelona. Finally, it presented the idea of applying sound media art to data analysis of the sound on the Silk Road and archival records. The General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO, at its 32nd meeting, held in Paris from September 29 to October 17, 2003. Approved the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage Intangible, the intergovernmental agreement that Recognizes that communities, groups, and individuals play an important role in the production, safeguarding, maintenance, and recreation of intangible cultural heritage, thereby contributing to enriching cultural diversity and human creativity. It considers the importance of the Soundscape as an exponent of cultural diversity. The General objective of this doctoral dissertation is to apply the intangible cultural heritage protection formulated by UNESCO to "Using sound media art to record and protect the sound landscape of typical areas on the Silk Road." Through a literature review of Western sound research and the current sound landscape research status in China, China is currently conducting sound landscape research and research on a certain designated area. Quantitative analysis exists, but there is no study on "The sounds on the Silk Road from Xi'an to Urumqi." The Silk Road is a vast area and has many research limitations in terms of geography. This research uses ethnographic research as the main research methodology, and finally determines the research site in China from Xi'an to Urumqi in Six specific regions. In Chinese history, the Silk Road started from Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, and ended in Xinjiang Province, the last region connecting China with Eurasia. I passed through the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan Province, the surround-ing areas of Mogao Grottoes in Gansu Province, and the surrounding regions of Qin- ghai Lake in Xining City Qinghai Province. As the gathering area of ethnic minorities in the southwest of China's Silk Road, Yunnan Province also includes this doctoral thesis research. Try to find the voices on the Silk Road that are most worthy of investigation and preservation, and conduct field investigations and quantitative analysis. The purpose of the research is to use a sound media library, soundscape map, and sound art museum display to reflect the ecological landscape environment of the Silk Road, the urban human environment, and the status quo of historical relics. Based on this, establish a sound landscape database. To form a digital map of the Soundscape, making it an important carrier for the protection and inheritance of the sound landscape on the Silk Road, as a basis for academic and theoretical research on protecting intangible cultural heritage on the Silk Road. The second objective of the research is to establish a sound media art laboratory and a sound documentation center in Shanghai Donghua University and Shanghai Arts & Design Academy, to supplement the current lack of sound media art as a research direction in design education in China. The third research goal is to apply future sound media art combined with big data artificial intelligence to serve society. Apply intelligent sound design as an essential means of exhibition and display and demonstrate in Chinese museums. In terms of research conclusions and social influence, this doctoral thesis puts forward for the first time "the application of sound media art to protect and inherit the soundscape of the Silk Road". First of all, a set of core methodology and research techniques in the research of this doctoral dissertation applied to the academic study of soundscape protection on the Silk Road. Due to the limitations of the research funding and time of the doctoral thesis, only investigate six important areas. I will not terminate this research because of the end of this paper. Researchers will continue to study some other sub-important regions of the Silk Road in China. This doctoral thesis will lay a theoretical foundation for China and the world to study the "Silk Road" soundscape research. Introduce the establishment method of sound media library into the design art education of Chinese colleges and universities. To make up for the lack of research in Chinese universities that specifically focus on sound art design instead of music theory research under art design research. The third is to create a sound media library and make an interactive multimedia map to be applied to the soundscape guide of the future cultural journey. Use digital media technology and sound media art principles to design a virtual interactive sound museum. Establish a complete set of sound expressions, protect and Inheriting the Soundscape of the Silk Road while driving the richness of cultural tourism in the southwest and northwest regions of China. The audience can understand the history and culture of the Silk Road through acoustic sensory experience in multiple dimensions.[spa] La finalidad de esta investigación es establecer un archivo sonoro de la Ruta de la Seda, en su recorrido en China, aplicando las directrices de la UNESCO, establecidas en la Convención para la Salvaguarda del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial, a partir de una metodología teorico-práctica de recogida de datos mediante grabaciones de campo y geolocalizadas mediante mapas sonoros. A lo largo de los 5 años de investigación, se ha podido constatar la transformación cultural de la zona de estudio debido a la irrupción de las nuevas tecnologías y la creciente industrialización, aspectos que constatan la necesidad de este tipo de investigaciones que hemos llevado a cabo, ya que los sonidos tradicionales del paisaje sonoro de la Ruta de la Seda están en vías de desaparición, por lo tanto es muy importante preservarlos para el futuro mediante la creación de un archivo sonoro.. En la investigación se han introducido elementos tecnológicos importantes, sobre todo en lo que hace referencia en la exposición de los sonidos del paisaje sonoro y en el diseño de un espacio expositivo interactivo especialmente diseñado para presentar estos sonidos y demás aspectos de la tradición cultural y artesana de la Ruta de la seda. Se ha partido de los estudios realizados por el investigador canadiense R. Murray-Schafer que se desarrollaron en la década de los años 70 del siglo pasado en la Universidad Simon Fraser de Canadá, y que han ido evolucionando hasta la actualidad por las aportaciones sucesivas de I. Westercamp y B. Truaux, que dieron como resultado el Word Sounscape Project, que es el origen del trabajo de investigación que hemos llevado a cabo. Toda la investigación se ha llevado a cabo en el mismo lugar de estudio de la Ruta de la Seda, en su tramo Chino. La gran mayoría de las grabaciones de campo y las imágenes fotográficas, así como las entrevistas y diseño expositivo han sido llevadas a cabo por la autora. Así mismo cabe remarcar que el estudio de las fuentes bibliográficas se han realizado en la mayoría de las veces a partir de libros y artículos redactados en el idioma mandarín, por lo que la accesibilidad a las fuentes primarias, hacen de esta tesis un trabajo de investigación muy importante

Method Engineering as Design Science

In this paper, we motivate, devise, demonstrate, and evaluate an approach for the research-based development of information systems development methods (ISDMs). This approach, termed “method engineering as design science” (ME-DS), emerged from the identified need for scholars to develop ISDMs using proper research methods that meet the standards of both rigor and relevance. ISDMs occupy a position of central importance to information systems development and scholars have therefore invested extensive resources over the years in developing such methods. The method engineering (ME) discipline has developed different frameworks and methods to guide such development work and, for that purpose, they are well-suited. Still, there remains a need for applications and evaluations of ISDMs based on the demands for knowledge justification. Unfortunately, in many cases, scholars come up short with regard to how ISDMs are generated and empirically validated. While design science (DS) stresses knowledge justification, prominent DS approaches seem to be biased toward the development of IT artifacts, making this approach ill-suited for the development of method artifacts. We therefore propose eight principles that marry ME and DS, resulting in a process model with six activities to support research-based development of ISDMs. We demonstrate and evaluate ME-DS by assessing three existing research papers that propose ISDMs. These retrospectives show how ME-DS directs attention to certain aspects of the research process and provides support for future ISDM development

Consolidated cold chain design for fresh fruit supply chains in developing countries: A simulation study

Fresh fruit has become a major consumption item for city dwellers and the demand has continuously increased in recent years. A significant proportion of fresh fruit globally is grown by developing countries in tropical regions, especially in Asia, and exported to other countries. This has become an important source of economic income for many developing countries, such as Thailand. Nevertheless, the fresh fruit industry in developing countries is experiencing critical issues, including short shelf life, high wastage, poor quality, and food safety, due to operations in high-temperature environment. Studies reveal that many developed countries have successfully solved these problems by using a cold supply chain with tight temperature control throughout the entire supply chain process. Cold supply chain adoption usually requires heavy investment in infrastructure and technology, as well as technical knowledge training for operational staff to ensure temperature compliance along the supply chain. In developing countries where capital resources are limited, this so-called high-tech high-cost approach has proven to be an obstacle to widespread cold supply chain adoption. As such, the design adopted by developed countries to implement a fresh fruit cold supply chain might not be directly applicable to developing countries, due to the lack of cold chain infrastructure and equipment and the low level of technical know-how. To address this issue, this study presents a proposal for adopting a low-tech low-cost approach by focusing more on available resources, such as cheap labour, and flexibility in work practices such as work shifts, than on infrastructure and technology in designing cold chain systems for developing countries. It is considered that this option would be more viable for developing countries with limited capital resources and know-how, and would thus enable widespread cold supply chain adoption. It could also play a vital role in the transition of cold supply chain implementation from a nascent stage to a mature development, whereby the high-tech high-cost approach of the developed countries would more readily be adopted. This study incorporates insights from multiple theoretical perspectives, including the theory of constraint (TOC) and network theory (NT), to underpin the low-tech low-cost approach proposed. Two alternative low-tech cold supply chain designs are investigated and developed based upon a comprehensive literature review of the state of the art in the field. Owing to the fact that fresh fruit cold chain adoption is still relatively rare in developing countries, this study explores different approaches to low-tech cold supply chain design for fresh fruits using simulation as a tool. A traditional fresh mango supply chain in Thailand, which involves five farms, three processors, one transporter and one middleman company, was used as a case study to facilitate the exploration. Discrete-event simulation was employed to evaluate the changes in performance of the typical mango supply chain before and after the adoption of the cold supply chain design. Key performance indicators, such as lead time, total operating cost, shelf life, wastage, and throughput, of the current supply chain and the different cold chain designs were compared. The findings reveal that cold supply chain design using the low-tech low-cost approach performs better in all aspects than the other design relying solely on infrastructure investment. Scenario tests also show that such a design is more robust than the other infrastructure-oriented design when facing fluctuations in demand and increases in labour cost in the long run. By proposing an innovative approach to cold chain design for developing countries and exploring its feasibility using computer simiultaion, this study makes a significant contribution to practice by showing the potential benefits of a low-tech low-cost approach to cold chain adoption in developing countries, thereby expeditng its implementation. It also contributes to knowledge by creating a new scope for research in cold chain design leveraging labour resource, change in work practices, and collaboration instead of merely infrastructure and technology

ICS Materials. Towards a re-Interpretation of material qualities through interactive, connected, and smart materials.

The domain of materials for design is changing under the influence of an increased technological advancement, miniaturization and democratization. Materials are becoming connected, augmented, computational, interactive, active, responsive, and dynamic. These are ICS Materials, an acronym that stands for Interactive, Connected and Smart. While labs around the world are experimenting with these new materials, there is the need to reflect on their potentials and impact on design. This paper is a first step in this direction: to interpret and describe the qualities of ICS materials, considering their experiential pattern, their expressive sensorial dimension, and their aesthetic of interaction. Through case studies, we analyse and classify these emerging ICS Materials and identified common characteristics, and challenges, e.g. the ability to change over time or their programmability by the designers and users. On that basis, we argue there is the need to reframe and redesign existing models to describe ICS materials, making their qualities emerge

Shortest Route at Dynamic Location with Node Combination-Dijkstra Algorithm

Abstract— Online transportation has become a basic requirement of the general public in support of all activities to go to work, school or vacation to the sights. Public transportation services compete to provide the best service so that consumers feel comfortable using the services offered, so that all activities are noticed, one of them is the search for the shortest route in picking the buyer or delivering to the destination. Node Combination method can minimize memory usage and this methode is more optimal when compared to A* and Ant Colony in the shortest route search like Dijkstra algorithm, but can’t store the history node that has been passed. Therefore, using node combination algorithm is very good in searching the shortest distance is not the shortest route. This paper is structured to modify the node combination algorithm to solve the problem of finding the shortest route at the dynamic location obtained from the transport fleet by displaying the nodes that have the shortest distance and will be implemented in the geographic information system in the form of map to facilitate the use of the system. Keywords— Shortest Path, Algorithm Dijkstra, Node Combination, Dynamic Location (key words