Model-based gamification design with Web-Agon: an automated analysis tool for gamification

Designing effective gamified solutions is a difficult and highly complex task. Supporting tools for requirements analyst are very rare, while most existing tools provide automation for reasoning over complex knowledge models. Drawing from our involvement in EU Projects and extensive analyst feedback, this paper presents crucial lessons learned on automating gamification analysis and design. We employed these lessons to guide the development of Web-Agon, a web-based solution that automates reasoning over models to support the analyst. Web-Agon, based on the Acceptance/Gamification Requirements Agon Framework, facilitates systematic gamification analysis of software systems. This approach, driven by acceptance (psychological, sociological, behavioral) requirements, has proven effective in designing systems that positively engage users. Based on models and gamification principles, Web-Agon contributes to building user-centered, engaging software systems. We have evaluated the effectiveness of our tool through a case study on Participatory Architectural Change Management in Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems with the use of Web-Agon for system gamification. We obtained positive results in terms of supporting analyst in a structured, systematic and automated way, reducing potential errors, thanks to automated functionalities, as well as speeding up the gamification process

Gamification of E-Learning apps via acceptance requirements analysis

In the last few years, and particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, E-Learning has become a very important and strategic asset for our society, relevant both for academic and industry settings, involving participants ranging from students to professionals. Different applications have been developed to support E-Learning to be an effective tool, particularly in relation to the software engineering and programming areas. However, in order to be effective, in particular within academic settings, such tools require students to be continuously engaged and motivated to learn both practical and theoretical aspects. The integration of gamification in educational environments has gained considerable prominence as a potential mean to augment students’ motivation and involvement, providing them with immediate feedback and reinforcement, bolstering their sense of accomplishment and motivation to persist in their studies. However, to design gamified applications that can effectively engage and motivate users, as the literature has demonstrated, it is required to consider psychological, sociological, and human behavioural aspects, often referred to as Acceptance Requirements. This study presents a case study, where a Goal Modeling-based, Systematic, Acceptance Requirements Analysis and Gamification Design process, has been applied, by using the Agon framework, to prototype a gamified tool, aiming at engaging students towards learning both theory and practice related to a “Web-Based Mobile App Development” university module. To evaluate our proposed prototype, students were involved to use our proposed gamified prototype. The results show that our gamification solution can engage and motivate students towards learning both theoretical and practical aspects of the module

Confis: a tool for privacy and security analysis and conflict resolution for supporting GDPR compliance through privacy-by-design

Privacy and security requirements, and their potential conflicts, are increasingly having more and more importance. It is becoming a necessary part to be considered, starting from the very early stages of requirements engineering, and in the entire software engineering cycle, for the design of any software system. In the last few years, this has been even more emphasized and required by the law. A relevant example is the case of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires organizations, and their software engineers, to enforce and guarantee privacy-by-design to make their platforms compliant with the regulation. In this context, complex activities related to privacy and security requirements elicitation, analysis, mapping and identification of potential conflicts, and the individuation of their resolution, become crucial. In the literature, there is not available a comprehensive requirement engineering oriented tool for supporting the requirements analyst. In this p aper, we propose ConfIs, a tool for supporting the analyst in performing a process covering these phases in a systematic and interactive way. We present ConfIs and its process with a realistic example from DEFeND, an EU project aiming at supporting organizations in achieving GDPR compliance. In this context, we evaluated ConfIs by involving privacy/security requirements experts, which recognized our tool and method as supportive, concerning these complex activities

A framework for privacy and security requirements analysis and conflict resolution for supporting GDPR compliance through privacy-by-design

Requirements elicitation, analysis, and, above all, early detection of conflicts and resolution, are among the most important, strategic, complex and crucial activities for preventing software system failures, and reducing costs related to reengineering/fixing actions. This is especially important when critical Requirements Classes are involved, such as Privacy and Security Requirements. Recently, organisations have been heavily fined for lack of compliance with data protection regulations, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). GDPR requires organisations to enforce privacy-by-design activities from the early stages and for the entire software engineering cycle. Accordingly, requirements engineers need methods and tools for systematically identifying privacy and security requirements, detecting and solving related conflicts. Existing techniques support requirements identification without detecting or mitigating conflicts. The framework and tool we propose in this paper, called ConfIs, fills this gap by supporting engineers and organisations in these complex activities, with its systematic and interactive process. We applied ConfIs to a realistic GDPR example from the DEFeND EU Project, and evaluated its supportiveness, with positive results, by involving privacy and security requirements experts (This research is an extension of the study conducted by Alkubaisy et al. [1] – which itself is a continuation of earlier studies [2, 3] and aims to aid the reader in comprehensively grasping the concepts laid out)

Population‐based cohort study of outcomes following cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder diseases

Background The aim was to describe the management of benign gallbladder disease and identify characteristics associated with all‐cause 30‐day readmissions and complications in a prospective population‐based cohort. Methods Data were collected on consecutive patients undergoing cholecystectomy in acute UK and Irish hospitals between 1 March and 1 May 2014. Potential explanatory variables influencing all‐cause 30‐day readmissions and complications were analysed by means of multilevel, multivariable logistic regression modelling using a two‐level hierarchical structure with patients (level 1) nested within hospitals (level 2). Results Data were collected on 8909 patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 167 hospitals. Some 1451 cholecystectomies (16·3 per cent) were performed as an emergency, 4165 (46·8 per cent) as elective operations, and 3293 patients (37·0 per cent) had had at least one previous emergency admission, but had surgery on a delayed basis. The readmission and complication rates at 30 days were 7·1 per cent (633 of 8909) and 10·8 per cent (962 of 8909) respectively. Both readmissions and complications were independently associated with increasing ASA fitness grade, duration of surgery, and increasing numbers of emergency admissions with gallbladder disease before cholecystectomy. No identifiable hospital characteristics were linked to readmissions and complications. Conclusion Readmissions and complications following cholecystectomy are common and associated with patient and disease characteristics

Outcome of the “Manchester Groin Repair” (Laparoscopic Totally Extraperitoneal Approach With Fibrin Sealant Mesh Fixation) in 434 Consecutive Inguinal Hernia Repairs

Introduction: This study looks at the outcome of 352 patients that underwent the “Manchester groin repair” in the period from 2007 to 2016. The effect of laterality on chronic groin pain and the reduction of pain scores post-surgery are evaluated as well as the rate of hernia recurrence for the inguinal hernia repairs.Methods: The “Manchester groin repair” is a modification of a laparoscopic totally extra-peritoneal approach with fibrin sealant mesh fixation. Data were collected prospectively. In addition to demographic data and the European Hernia Society classification grading of each hernia, pain scores were assessed prior to surgery and at 4–6 weeks post-operatively using a ten-point visual analog pain scale. Data were collected on a bespoke database and differences between time-points analyzed by non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank tests with Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test for three-group comparisons. Significance was at the P < 0.05 level. The study was undertaken as an institutional audit.Results: Three hundred and fifty two patients underwent TEP repair as per the “Manchester Groin Repair” modification during the period of interest with a median follow-up period of 109.5 (IQR 57.0–318.5) weeks. Of these 274 (77.8%) were for the repair of true hernias and 78 (22.2%) were for inguinal disruptions.All inguinal hernia repairs patients were evaluated (254 m, 20 f); median [interquartile range] age 50 (39–65) years. There were 75 right inguinal hernias (27.4%), 39 Left inguinal hernias (14.2%), and 160 bilateral inguinal hernias (58.4%), giving a total of 434 hernia repairs. During follow-up there were 6 recurrences (1.4%).Of the 274 patients evaluated, 145 (52.9%) had both pre and post-operative pain scores available. Median pre-operative pain score was 5 [IQR 4–7]. Median post-operative pain score was 1 [IQR 1–2]. This difference was significant (P < 0.001). Pre-operative pain scores were higher for those with a bilateral hernia (median 6 vs. 5 and 4, respectively; P = 0.005), but there was no difference in post-operative scores (P = 0.347). One patient (0.3%) presented with chronic groin pain (pain after 3 months).Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the “Manchester groin repair” provides an excellent repair with a low rate of recurrence and low incidence of chronic pain. Longer-term evaluation and larger patient series will add to the understanding of the role of this procedure in groin hernia repair

The development and validation of a scoring tool to predict the operative duration of elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Peer reviewe

The Cholecystectomy As A Day Case (CAAD) Score: A Validated Score of Preoperative Predictors of Successful Day-Case Cholecystectomy Using the CholeS Data Set

Background Day-case surgery is associated with significant patient and cost benefits. However, only 43% of cholecystectomy patients are discharged home the same day. One hypothesis is day-case cholecystectomy rates, defined as patients discharged the same day as their operation, may be improved by better assessment of patients using standard preoperative variables. Methods Data were extracted from a prospectively collected data set of cholecystectomy patients from 166 UK and Irish hospitals (CholeS). Cholecystectomies performed as elective procedures were divided into main (75%) and validation (25%) data sets. Preoperative predictors were identified, and a risk score of failed day case was devised using multivariate logistic regression. Receiver operating curve analysis was used to validate the score in the validation data set. Results Of the 7426 elective cholecystectomies performed, 49% of these were discharged home the same day. Same-day discharge following cholecystectomy was less likely with older patients (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.15–0.23), higher ASA scores (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.15–0.23), complicated cholelithiasis (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.48), male gender (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.58–0.74), previous acute gallstone-related admissions (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.48–0.60) and preoperative endoscopic intervention (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.34–0.47). The CAAD score was developed using these variables. When applied to the validation subgroup, a CAAD score of ≤5 was associated with 80.8% successful day-case cholecystectomy compared with 19.2% associated with a CAAD score >5 (p < 0.001). Conclusions The CAAD score which utilises data readily available from clinic letters and electronic sources can predict same-day discharges following cholecystectomy

The Cholecystectomy As A Day Case (CAAD) score: a validated score of preoperative predictors of successful day-case cholecystectomy using the CholeS data set

Background: Day-case surgery is associated with significant patient and cost benefits. However, only 43% of cholecystectomy patients are discharged home the same day. One hypothesis is day-case cholecystectomy rates, defined as patients discharged the same day as their operation, may be improved by better assessment of patients using standard preoperative variables. Methods: Data were extracted from a prospectively collected data set of cholecystectomy patients from 166 UK and Irish hospitals (CholeS). Cholecystectomies performed as elective procedures were divided into main (75%) and validation (25%) data sets. Preoperative predictors were identified, and a risk score of failed day case was devised using multivariate logistic regression. Receiver operating curve analysis was used to validate the score in the validation data set. Results: Of the 7426 elective cholecystectomies performed, 49% of these were discharged home the same day. Same-day discharge following cholecystectomy was less likely with older patients (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.15–0.23), higher ASA scores (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.15–0.23), complicated cholelithiasis (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.48), male gender (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.58–0.74), previous acute gallstone-related admissions (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.48–0.60) and preoperative endoscopic intervention (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.34–0.47). The CAAD score was developed using these variables. When applied to the validation subgroup, a CAAD score of ≤5 was associated with 80.8% successful day-case cholecystectomy compared with 19.2% associated with a CAAD score &gt;5 (p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: The CAAD score which utilises data readily available from clinic letters and electronic sources can predict same-day discharges following cholecystectomy