Implementing Industry 4.0 in SMEs

This open access book addresses the practical challenges that Industry 4.0 presents for SMEs. While large companies are already responding to the changes resulting from the fourth industrial revolution , small businesses are in danger of falling behind due to the lack of examples, best practices and established methods and tools. Following on from the publication of the previous book ‘Industry 4.0 for SMEs: Challenges, Opportunities and Requirements’, the authors offer in this new book innovative results from research on smart manufacturing, smart logistics and managerial models for SMEs. Based on a large scale EU-funded research project involving seven academic institutions from three continents and a network of over fifty small and medium sized enterprises, the book reveals the methods and tools required to support the successful implementation of Industry 4.0 along with practical examples

Optimization Methods Applied to Power Systems Ⅱ

Electrical power systems are complex networks that include a set of electrical components that allow distributing the electricity generated in the conventional and renewable power plants to distribution systems so it can be received by final consumers (businesses and homes). In practice, power system management requires solving different design, operation, and control problems. Bearing in mind that computers are used to solve these complex optimization problems, this book includes some recent contributions to this field that cover a large variety of problems. More specifically, the book includes contributions about topics such as controllers for the frequency response of microgrids, post-contingency overflow analysis, line overloads after line and generation contingences, power quality disturbances, earthing system touch voltages, security-constrained optimal power flow, voltage regulation planning, intermittent generation in power systems, location of partial discharge source in gas-insulated switchgear, electric vehicle charging stations, optimal power flow with photovoltaic generation, hydroelectric plant location selection, cold-thermal-electric integrated energy systems, high-efficiency resonant devices for microwave power generation, security-constrained unit commitment, and economic dispatch problems

Unapređenje procesiranja medicinskih digitalnih slika pomocu algoritama inteligencije rojeva

Medicina je jedna od nauka gde je omogucen znacajan napredak pojavom digitalnih slika i obrade digitalnih slika. Racunarska obrada digitalnih medicinskih slika može drasticno ubrzati proces dijagnostike pri tome otkrivajuci i najsitnije promene na tkivima koje nisu vidljive ljudskom oku. Obrada medicinskih slika ukljucuje slike generisane razlicitim izvorima kao što su rendgen, ultrazvuk, magnetna rezonanca, i snimljene razlicitim urđajima kao što su skeneri, mikroskopske slike, endoskopske kapsule i drugi. Stalni napredak u medicinskoj tehnologiji snimanja doveo je do slika visokih rezolucija, trodimenzionalnih anatomskih i fizioloških slika. Sa druge strane, ovi napreci doveli su do novih problema i izazova u procesiranju medicinskih slika. Mnogi od ovih problema predstavljaju teške optimizacione probleme za cije se rešavanje u poslednje dve decenije uspešno koriste algoritmi inspirisani prirodom, posebno algoritmi inteligencije rojeva. Da bi se ovi algoritmi primenili na probleme optimizacije u obradi medicinskih digitalnih slika, neohodno je da se posebno prilagode konkretnom problemu. Ova tema predstavlja aktivnu oblast naucnog istraživanja što se može zakljuciti na osnovu velikog broja naucnih i strucnih radova, knjiga, casopisa i konferencija koji su joj posveceni. U ovoj tezi predstavljeno je nekoliko algoritma inteligencije rojeva i njihova primena na razlicite optimizacione probleme obrade medicinskih digitalnih slika. Konkretno, algoritam slepog miša, algoritam vatrometa i algoritam svica korišceni su za registraciju slika retine, segmentaciju MRI slika mozga, detekciju krvarenja na slikama endoskopske kapsule, kompresiju slika, detekciju leukemije na mikroskopskim slikama i detekciju emfisema na CT slikama pluca. Svaki od razmatranih problema je specifican i za njihovo rešavanje prilagođeni su algoritmi inteligencije rojeva. Modifikovani i prilagođeni algoritmi inteligencije rojeva za primenu u obradi medicinskih digitalnih slika testirani su na standardnim skupovima test slika prikupljenim za razmatrane probleme. Poređenjem predloženih metoda unapređenja obrade medicinskih digitalnih slika pomocu algoritama inteligencije rojeva sa drugim savremenim algoritmima iz literature, pokazano je da su dobijeni bolji rezultati, što dovodi do zakljucka da je moguce pronaci bolje metode i tehnike za rešavanje problema optimizacije koji se pojavljuju prilikom analize i obrade medicinskih digitalnih slika prilagođavanjem i primenom algoritama inteligencije rojeva

Evolutionary Computation

This book presents several recent advances on Evolutionary Computation, specially evolution-based optimization methods and hybrid algorithms for several applications, from optimization and learning to pattern recognition and bioinformatics. This book also presents new algorithms based on several analogies and metafores, where one of them is based on philosophy, specifically on the philosophy of praxis and dialectics. In this book it is also presented interesting applications on bioinformatics, specially the use of particle swarms to discover gene expression patterns in DNA microarrays. Therefore, this book features representative work on the field of evolutionary computation and applied sciences. The intended audience is graduate, undergraduate, researchers, and anyone who wishes to become familiar with the latest research work on this field

Efficiency and Sustainability of the Distributed Renewable Hybrid Power Systems Based on the Energy Internet, Blockchain Technology and Smart Contracts

The climate changes that are visible today are a challenge for the global research community. In this context, renewable energy sources, fuel cell systems, and other energy generating sources must be optimally combined and connected to the grid system using advanced energy transaction methods. As this book presents the latest solutions in the implementation of fuel cell and renewable energy in mobile and stationary applications such as hybrid and microgrid power systems based on energy internet, blockchain technology, and smart contracts, we hope that they are of interest to readers working in the related fields mentioned above

Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction towards E-shopping in Malaysia

Online shopping or e-shopping has changed the world of business and quite a few people have decided to work with these features. What their primary concerns precisely and the responses from the globalisation are the competency of incorporation while doing their businesses. E-shopping has also increased substantially in Malaysia in recent years. The rapid increase in the e-commerce industry in Malaysia has created the demand to emphasize on how to increase customer satisfaction while operating in the e-retailing environment. It is very important that customers are satisfied with the website, or else, they would not return. Therefore, a crucial fact to look into is that companies must ensure that their customers are satisfied with their purchases that are really essential from the ecommerce’s point of view. With is in mind, this study aimed at investigating customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed among students randomly selected from various public and private universities located within Klang valley area. Total 369 questionnaires were returned, out of which 341 questionnaires were found usable for further analysis. Finally, SEM was employed to test the hypotheses. This study found that customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia is to a great extent influenced by ease of use, trust, design of the website, online security and e-service quality. Finally, recommendations and future study direction is provided. Keywords: E-shopping, Customer satisfaction, Trust, Online security, E-service quality, Malaysia

ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF MOBILE PHONES

Battery consumption in mobile applications development is a very important aspect and has to be considered by all the developers in their applications. This study will present an analysis of different relevant concepts and parameters that may have an impact on energy consumption of Windows Phone applications. This operating system was chosen because limited research related thereto has been conducted, even though there are related studies for Android and iOS operating systems. Furthermore, another reason is the increasing number of Windows Phone users. The objective of this research is to categorise the energy consumption parameters (e.g. use of one thread or several threads for the same output). The result for each group of experiments will be analysed and a rule will be derived. The set of derived rules will serve as a guide for developers who intend to develop energy efficient Windows Phone applications. For each experiment, one application is created for each concept and the results are presented in two ways; a table and a chart. The table presents the duration of the experiment, the battery consumed in the experiment, the expected battery lifetime, and the energy consumption, while the charts display the energy distribution based on the main threads: UI thread, application thread, and network thread

A WEB-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL TOOLKIT TO SUPPORT SMES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

With small and medium sized-enterprises (SMEs) taking up the majority of the global businesses, it is important they act in an environmentally responsible manner. Environmental management systems (EMS) help companies evaluate and improve their environmental impact but they often require human, financial, and temporary resources that not all SMEs can afford. This research encompasses interviews with representatives of two small enterprises in Germany to provide insights into their understanding, and knowledge of an EMS and how they perceive their responsibility towards the environment. Furthermore, it presents a toolkit created especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. It serves as a simplified version of an EMS based on the ISO 14001 standard and is evaluated by target users and appropriate representatives. Some of the findings are: while open to the idea of improving their environmental impact, SMEs do not always feel it is their responsibility to do so; they seem to lack the means to fully implement an EMS. The developed toolkit is considered useful and usable and recommendations are drawn for its future enhancement