Blueprints for success: Guidelines for building multidisciplinary collaboration teams

From the International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence. J.Filipe and A.L.N.Fred. Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal, SciTePress. 1: 387-393.Finding collaborators to engage in academic research is a challenging task, especially when the collaboration is multidisciplinary in nature and collaborators are needed from different disciplines. This paper uses evidence of successful multidisciplinary collaborations, funded proposals, in a novel way: as an input for a method of recommendation of multidisciplinary collaboration teams. We attempt to answer two questions posed by a collaboration seeker: what disciplines provide collaboration opportunities and what combinations of characteristics of collaborators have been successful in the past? We describe a two-step recommendation framework where the first step recommends potential disciplines with collaboration potential based on current trends in funding. The second step recommends characteristics for a collaboration team that are consistent with past instances of successful collaborations. We examine how this information source can be used in a case-based recommender system and present a preliminary validation of the system using statistical methods

Flexibility in highway noise management

The problem of noise management was taken as a key element of our life comfort. An adequate noise mitigation plan must be elaborated and implemented for a number of potential noise sources. The general idea of FLENO‐MA2 (FLExibility NOise MAnagement for A2 POZNAN BY‐PASS) advisory system was based on flexibility options situated on different management levels. In the recent years, two significant noise sources have been established in Poznan agglomeration: POZNAN BY‐PASS A2 as a part of A2 highway (BERLIN‐MOSCOW) and the NATO aircraft base in Krzesiny. Both are situated in the urban area of Poznan city. Special emphasis will be placed on flexibility noise mitigation options as an example of operational decision‐aid. However, finding a compromise solution based on diffused (using the Internet) information about the noise map (will be present in the near future) is the second goal of this system. First published online: 27 Oct 201

Case-based reasoning approach for decision-making in building retrofit: A review

The rapid development of computer science has brought inspirations to building retrofit. Artificial intelligence (AI) provides more possibilities in decision-making for building retrofit, could be regarded as an alternative strategy compared to the abundant research time spent in the early decision-making stage of traditional retrofit approaches. This paper reviews the application of the statistic algorithm and AI approach, including CBR, in building retrofit decision-making, and the essential process of CBR, such as workflow, similarity degree calculation method, weight factors correction manner, and input or output content using building design to provide a synthetic overview of CBR utilisation in the building retrofit realm. Among those different models, Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) is valuable in providing references and avoiding possible failures, which is a promising approach for building retrofit. Yet, current research mainly focused on its utilisation to solve specific issues. There is still a lack of systematically summarised research on Case-Based Reasoning solution. Therefore, this study analyses the methods used for CBR approach in the field of building retrofit decision-making process, aiming to find the characteristics of internal commonness. It concludes that CBR has two significant impact factors: similarity attribute type and similarity calculation manner, which determines the judgement process. The results show that the CBR solution has great application potential in further building retrofit design

Water Management Plan for the Town of Perenjori

The Rural Towns – Liquid Assets (RT–LA) project was established with the aim of integrating salinity, waterlogging and flooding control with development of new water supplies in wheatbelt towns, and where possible, finding ways of putting the excess water to commercial use. Following the identification of effective integrated water management strategies, these have been applied to the 15 Shires participating in the DAFWA led RT–LA project. This report summarises the outcomes from all scientific investigations undertaken for Perenjori. In addition it presents the water management options, a preliminary analysis of those options and the priority recommended ones. Due to the decline in rainfall over the past 10 years, Perenjori groundwater levels have shown a declining trend below the townsite since 2000, when groundwater monitoring by DAFWA in the townsite commenced. Hydrogeological studies identified groundwater pumping was not an effective solution for Perenjori to control watertable levels in the high salinity risk areas of the townsite. The studies demonstrated that only limited volumes of groundwater could be abstracted by pumping because the drawdown affects would be constrained by the geological properties. It is concluded that salinity control or water production from under the townsite via groundwater pumping is not a technically viable option. Instead, the RT–LA project has focused on surface water management options that will enable new water supplies to be developed which will also alleviate salinity, watertable, waterlogging and flooding problems. An integrated scheme such as this will provide cost effective solutions to the annual problem of irrigation water shortages. Over time, the proposed surface water diversion and harvesting schemes will reduce salinity risk by diverting and utilising runoff water which would otherwise have contributed to local recharge. Option 1, construction of a new 30ML dam in the paddock east of town belonging to Mr Jim Gilmour, is recommended as the first priority action. Along with the other options outlined in this Water Management Plan, Option 1 offers a combination of surface water engineering solutions to capture the town’s runoff and provide up to an additional 31 ML/yr, or 155 per cent of the total existing demand