Database Systems Journal

Database Systems Journal, Vol. XIV, 2023

1. Prediction Model for Soybean Productivity (p. 1-15)

Ion GANEA, Moldova State University, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

This paper presents a holistic approach to biological and agricultural research focused on the use of interconnected technologies in the context of climate change. Researchers from different countries have analyzed how smart technologies can help agriculture adapt to these changes. The most representative works in the field are analyzed. Among these tech-nologies are graph database systems such as Neo4j, which have demonstrated success in predicting the studied phenomena. The paper describes the development of a soybean crop productivity prediction model using monthly and annual data of meteorological phenomena such as precipitation, air temperature, hydrothermal coefficient, soil moisture and others. Some of the results of this promising research are also presented.
Keywords: Holistic, Knowledge, Models, Prediction, Graph, Neo4j, Graph Data Science

2. Image search engine for furniture recommendations (p. 16-23)

Mariana SERBAN-PREDA, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made enormous strides in recent years, transitioning from science fiction to a technology that is revolutionizing every sector of the global economy. Thanks to advances in machine learning, natural language processing and computer vision, artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic dream, but a reality today. Once optimised and integrated into everyday life, artificial intelligence will substantially enhance human capabilities and contribute to the betterment of society. This paper will embrace the opportunities offered by computer vision, as part of artificial intelligence, by showcasing the FurnishMe application, an image search engine for furniture recommendations. Buying furniture online, as well as offline, is an overwhelming process given the quantity and diversity of furniture products available. The FurnishMe software solution allows users to easily explore the furniture of the three largest furniture retailers in Romania: Ikea, Jysk, and Dedeman. The system analyses user-uploaded interior design images in order to identify furniture items and provide aesthetically similar products from the three big retailers mentioned above. Both consumers and traders benefit from this solution. Clients benefit from a quick and easy way to choose the product they desire which integrates various features such as design, texture and colour. Moreover, businesses gain from greater sales by luring clients and saving time on in-person consultations.
Keywords: Deep Learning, Convolutional Neural Networks, Object Detection, Furniture recommendations, Web Scraping, Computer Vision, Visual Search Engine

3. Data Science Driven Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 (p. 24-32)

Serban Gabriel TIMOFTE, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Ioana Ruxandra STROE, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Daniel TASCU, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Raluca Cristina TERTES, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Radu Ioan MOGOS, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania

In the context of a pandemic that emerged with lightning speed, data science has become a cornerstone for governments decision-making processes. By analyzing numerous centralized databases, researchers have been able to identify trends, the spread of the virus, and run artificial intelligence (AI) simulations to anticipate crucial points of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data warehouses created during this period offer real-time monitoring of the global effects of the virus. The health databases are already common in national systems, but their usefulness rises above storing medical histories. The cross-disciplinary nature of the COVID-19 pandemic accentuates the need for collaboration between doctors, medical specialists and data analysts, data engineers, and Artificial Intelligence engineers. This article provides a comprehensive overview of how databases and data warehouses can offer different scenarios for citizens and health specialists alike.
Keywords: Data Science, Data Warehouses, COVID-19, Data Analytics

4. Internet of Things - Overview (p. 33-51)

Andreea MIHAI, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Stefania Codruta MANAILA, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Antonio Sebastian DUMITRASCU, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania

The Internet of Things (IOT) is a paradigm that has changed the traditional way of living into one in step with technology. IoT has brought great changes in several fields such as agriculture, energy, healthcare, transportation and infrastructure. A lot has been done to improve IoT technology, but there are still study challenges (technical, political) that need to be solved to reach its full potential. The main purpose of this article is to provide an overview of what IoT means, its evolution and applicability in day-to-day life. This article discusses several aspects such as IoT architecture, IoT challenges, IoT applicability areas, importance of Big Data analytics in IoT and its evolution in the last few years. Furthermore, programming languages that can be used to create IoT-type software and small examples are presented, comparisons between them. This article will help the readers to better understand IoT, real-life applicability, evolution and overview of how to develop an IoT program using Arduino or Raspberry PI.
Keywords: Internet of Things (IoT), IoT architecture, IoT challenges, IoT applicability areas, importance of Big Data analytics in IoT, IoT evolution, Arduino, Raspberry PI

5. The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and the ChatGPT Tool on Society. A Case Study on Employees Working in Corporations in Romania (p. 52-66)

Elena COSTIN, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Elena Daniela DUMITRASCU, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Andreea Georgiana ENE, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Florinela Georgiana PREDA, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania

This paper aims to study the evolution of artificial intelligence, its impact on education and the job market, and the attitude of a sample of the population towards its potential effects. The study also focuses on the newly emerged chatbot, ChatGPT. For a full perspective on the topic, a survey was conducted to capture the perspective of Romanian employees in corporations regarding the impact of artificial intelligence.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Education, Job Market, Corporate Environment

6. Insights and proposals for RPA implementations (p. 67-82)

Andreea Izabela BOSTAN, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Ana Ramona BOLOGA, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania

This article presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research articles focused on Robotic Process Automation (RPA) project management. By analyzing a large dataset of scientific papers, this study aims to identify trends and gaps of this subject. To better understand the real-life implications, this study also analyzes different opinions coming from people actively working with this technology. The bibliometric analysis aims at identifying several key themes often addressed in scientific papers and correlations, while also understanding the interest in this field among re-searchers. The analysis is based on a correspondence between Intelligent Automation concepts and methodologies for projects’ development. The analysis continues with the results of a survey completed by a more detailed series of interviews at the beginning of 2023 that focuses on a real-life perspective, with the objective to identify project phases where teams are often experiencing challenges.
Implementation of Robotic Process Automation initiatives depends heavily on the project lifecycles, however RPA in the context of project methodologies is a topic not sufficiently researched at the moment. RPA teams are expressing different preferences regarding implementations, Agile developments being one of them, as it seems that Agile principles are closely matching RPA criteria. Furthermore, based on the findings, this article proposes a set of practical suggestions to enhance the success of RPA implementations in different project phases. The originality of this paper is reflected in the methodology adopted, that includes different techniques, in the attempt to complete each other: the literature overview and current perspectives.
Keywords: RPA, Intelligent Automation, Lightweight IT, software lifecycles, Agile