A framework to assist in the assessment and tailoring of agile software development methods

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.The innovative well-known agile methods offer many powerful agile software development practices and have received considerable attention from both practitioners as well as the research community. While many organizations are interested in adopting agile methods suitable to their local circumstances, there is little guidance available on how to do so. Organizations, especially on the large-scale, currently lack systematic support for adopting agile methods in their complex software development settings. To address this important issue, this research proposes an agile software solution framework (ASSF) to both assistance in the assessment of the capability of the organization or team and tailoring of agile method in order to support the systematic adoption and improvement of agility in both agile and, incidentally, non-agile software development environments - especially formal and large environments. The ASSF has been incrementally developed by the iterative application of build, review and adjust research activities, which is called here a “qualitative empirical” research method. The ASSF is intended for use by agile coaches and consultants as a comprehensive information guide. The ASSF has two main components: framework characteristics and lifecycle management. The framework characteristics component incorporates 10 main elements or attributes to describe the agile-hybrid software development methodologies: (1) people (2) process, (3) product, (4) tools, (5) agility, (6) abstraction, (7) business value, (8) policy (9) rules and (10) legal. The framework lifecycle management component specifies the stages, practices and resources in order to support the systematic adoption and improvement of agility. The framework stages refer to an agility adoption and improvement lifecycle, its practices refer to an agility adoption and improvement process, and its resources refer to models, templates and toolkit that can be used during the agility adoption and improvement process such as the contextual analysis model, a key agility indicators index, an agility adoption and improvement model, an agility adoption and improvement scorecard, and an agile toolkit. The components of this framework have been empirically analysed and reviewed by experts from industry as well as the research community, and updated based on the feedback received. The results of this research indicated that the proposed ASSF framework may be considered reasonable for a gradual successful transition or adoption of agile practices in formal and large software development environments

Crystallization of agility: Back to basics

There are a number of agile and traditional methodologies for software development. Agilists provide agile principles and agile values to characterize the agile methods but there is no clear and inclusive definition of agile methods; subsequently it is not feasible to draw a clear distinction between traditional and agile software development methods in practice. The purpose of this paper is to explain the concept of agility in detail; and then to suggest a definition of agile methods that would help in the ranking or differentiation of agile methods from other available methods

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Effective energy consumption prediction is important for determining the demand and supply of energy. The challenge is how to predict energy consumption? This study presents an energy consumption analytical regression model and process based on the project conducted in an Australian company. This study involved the analysis of household and energy consumption datasets in the residential sector. The analytical model generation process is organised into four major stages: prepared the household and energy consumption data or data cleansing, household energy consumption clustering (segmentation or groups) using k-means clustering algorithm for similarity measure in their characteristics, stepwise multiple regression for variables selection to determine the final model's predictors, and filter the final regression model to identify the influential observations using Cook's distance and Q-Q (quantile-quantile) normal plot for improvement in the model. The final filtered regression model represents 64 percent variation to the dependent variable is explained by independent variables with correlation 0.8 between energy consumption observed and predicted values. The abovementioned process and resultant regression model seem useful for developing household energy consumptions models for managing the demand and supply of energy

Improving agile software development by the application of method engineering practices

Despite the vast attention and wide acceptance of the newly engineered agile methods for software development, those methods are seldom linked to the goals of software process improvement (SPI), an approach that aims to provide support for significant improvement of both the quality of those methods as well as the resultant software products. In this paper, we propose an extension to agile methods by adding extra characteristics in order for agile methods to better support SPI. We explain how agile methods can gain those extra attributes through the application of a method engineering approach along with our new tool (4-DAT) that assists method engineers and managers in selecting the most appropriate method fragments for their needed agile methods. Finally, we summarize a number of industrial case studies carried out over several years in order to test and improve the efficiency of our theory of adding SPI to an agile methodological approach

An Initial Review of the Copyright Concerns of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) heralds a new era of creativity and technological advancement. Despite its promising benefits, GAI raises concerns about its trustworthiness and associated challenges. This study employs a digital trust framework to examine the nuanced issues surrounding GAI\u27s interaction with copyright law, delving into pivotal legal cases and uncovering complexities. From the ambiguity of GAI regulations to questions of authorship, the research underscores the urgent need for dedicated legal and trust frameworks tailored to GAI. The sustainability of GAI systems is also a critical consideration, given the potential long-term impact of GAI systems on society and the environment. Findings from this preliminary review underscore the central role of human creativity in copyright protection, illuminating the constraints of AI-generated content. As GAI technology progresses, it becomes paramount to embed comprehensive copyright considerations into regulations to ensure the trustworthiness of GAI systems, striking a delicate balance between innovation, legal and ethical standards. Consequently, accountability, fairness, safeguarding intellectual property rights, promoting responsible data usage, and fostering harmonious coexistence between technology and creativity are recommended for the development of trusted GAI systems. Future research should focus on developing specific legal frameworks for GAI and exploring the impact of GAI on creative industries

Digital Capability Dissected

There is a growing interest in digital innovation and transformation among the researchers and practitioners. It has been recognised that being “digital” is not all about digital data and information technologies. The notion of “digital capability” has been increasingly embraced, but definitions of this concept have remained vague and elusive. A salient research question remains: what is digital capability? This question is explored in this paper from theoretical and practical perspectives in the form of a conceptual construct: the Digital Capability Framework (D-CaF). The framework distinguishes six levels and seven dimensions of digital capability. It is intended to provide a foundation to plan and execute digital capability driven innovation and transformation initiatives. Further, it helps identify and prioritise the research areas of high impact for further studies

Privacy of IoT-Enabled Smart Home Systems

Digital ecosystems are going through a period of change due to the advancement in technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) as well as proliferation of less expensive hardware sensors. Through this chapter, we present current emerging trends in IoT in different industry sectors as well as discuss the key privacy challenges impeding the growth of IoT to reach its potential in the smart home context. The majority of the existing literature on IoT smart home platforms focuses on functionalities provided by smarter connected devices; however, it does not address the concerns from a consumer’s viewpoint. Thus, the key questions are: What are the privacy concerns related to IoT, particularly from a “smart home device” consumer viewpoint? What are the existing remedial approaches for privacy management? This chapter proposes a framework to assist smart home user and IoT device manufacturer to make informed privacy management decisions. The findings of this research intend to help practitioners and researchers interested in the privacy of IoT-enabled smart systems

Irradiation Maintains Functional Components of Dry Hot Peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) under Ambient Storage

Hot peppers used as natural flavoring and coloring agents are usually irradiated in prepacked form for decontamination. The effects of gamma radiation on the stability of functional components such as capsaicinoids and antioxidant compounds (carotenoids, ascorbic acid and total phenolics) were investigated in hot peppers (Capsicum annuum). Whole dried peppers packed in polyethylene bags were gamma irradiated at 0 (control), 2, 4, and 6 kGy and subsequently stored at 25 °C for 90 days. The irradiation dose did not substantially affect the initial contents of capsaicinoids, ascorbic acid and total phenolics, though the concentration of carotenoids declined by 8% from the control (76.9 mg/100 g) to 6 kGy radiation dose (70.7 mg/100 g). Similarly, during storage for 90 days at ambient temperature the concentrations of capsaicinoids and total phenolics remained fairly stable with mean percent reductions from 3.3% to 4.2%, while the levels of total carotenoids and ascorbic acid significantly (p < 0.05) declined by 12% and 14%, respectively. Overall, neither irradiation nor subsequent ambient storage could appreciably influence the contents of functional components in hot peppers. These results revealed that gamma irradiation up to 6 kGy can be safely used for decontamination to meet the needs for overseas markets without compromising product quality

Stability of Capsaicinoids and Antioxidants in Dry Hot Peppers under Different Packaging and Storage Temperatures

The maintenance of the quality and storage life of perishable fruits and vegetables is a major challenge for the food industry. In this study, the effects of different temperatures, packaging materials and storage time on the stability of capsaicinoids and antioxidants, such as total carotenoids, ascorbic acid and total phenolic compounds, were studied in three commercially cultivated hot pepper hybrids, namely Sky Red, Maha and Wonder King. For this purpose, dry whole pods were packed in jute bags and low-density polyethylene bags (LDPE), stored for five months under controlled conditions at 20, 25 or 30 ¿C and analyzed on Day 0 and at 50-day intervals until Day 150. The three hot pepper hybrids differed significantly with respect to their capsaicinoids and antioxidant concentrations, but the results indicated that with the increase in storage temperature and time, a gradual and steady decrease in these levels was equally observed for all hybrids. Overall, mean concentrations after five months were significantly reduced by 22.6% for ascorbic acid, 19.0% for phenolic compounds, 17% for carotenoids and 12.7% for capsaicinoids. The trends of capsaicinoids and antioxidants evolution were decreasing gradually during storage until Day 150, this effect being more pronounced at higher temperature. Furthermore, the disappearance rates of capsaicinoids and antioxidants were higher in peppers packed in jute bags than in those wrapped with LDPE. In conclusion, despite the sensitivity of capsaicinoids and antioxidants to oxygen, light and moisture, the packaging in natural jute or synthetic LDPE plastic bags, as well as the storage at ambient temperature preserved between 77.4% and 87.3% of the initial amounts of these health- and nutrition-promoting compounds during five months’ storage

Phytochemicals in Daucus carota and their health benefits-Review article

Carrots are a multi-nutritional food source. They are an important root vegetable, rich in natural bioactive compounds, which are recognised for their nutraceutical effects and health benefits. This review summarises the occurrence, biosynthesis, factors affecting concentration, and health benefits of phytochemicals found in Daucus carota. Two hundred and fifty-five articles including original research papers, books, and book chapters were analysed, of which one hundred and thirty articles (most relevant to the topic) were selected for writing the review article. The four types of phytochemicals found in carrots, namely phenolics, carotenoids, polyacetylenes, and ascorbic acid, were summarised. These chemicals aid in the risk reduction of cancer and cardiovascular diseases due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, plasma lipid modification, and anti-tumour properties. Numerous factors influence the amount and type of phytochemicals present in carrots. Genotype (colour differences) plays an important role; high contents of a and ß-carotene are present in orange carrots, lutein in yellow carrots, lycopene in red carrots, anthocyanins in the root of purple carrots, and phenolic compounds abound in black carrots. Carotenoids range between 3.2 mg/kg and 170 mg/kg, while vitamin C varies from 21 mg/kg to 775 mg/kg between cultivars. Growth temperatures of carrots influence the level of the sugars, carotenoids, and volatile compounds, so that growing in cool conditions results in a higher yield and quality of carrots, while higher temperatures would increase terpene synthesis, resulting in carrots with a bitter taste. It is worthwhile to investigate the cultivation of different genotypes under various environmental conditions to increase levels of phytochemicals and enhance the nutritional value of carrot, along with the valorisation of carrot by-products