Creative trans-border cooperation in the field of operations research and sustainable development in civil engineering

The paper presents an overview of the history and achievements of trans-border cooperation in the Lithuania-Germany-Poland triangle in planning instruments in Construction Management, decision-making theory, application of Operational Research, and Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods in Civil Engineering and sustainable development. The cooperation and results of the Colloquiums with 35 years of tradition, their multidimensional nature is underlined. The research instruments, methods, studied phenomena are reviewed and characteristic applications in engineering and economics are presented. The knowledge and combined efforts of three academic centers have created a synergy which set in motion many original methods and spectacular implementations. The Colloquium calendar and the evolution of organizational forms are presented along with the inclusion of the informal EURO Working Group on Operations Research in Sustainable Development and Civil Engineering

Preface

DAMSS-2018 is the jubilee 10th international workshop on data analysis methods for software systems, organized in Druskininkai, Lithuania, at the end of the year. The same place and the same time every year. Ten years passed from the first workshop. History of the workshop starts from 2009 with 16 presentations. The idea of such workshop came up at the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics. Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and the Lithuanian Computer Society supported this idea. This idea got approval both in the Lithuanian research community and abroad. The number of this year presentations is 81. The number of registered participants is 113 from 13 countries. In 2010, the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics became a member of Vilnius University, the largest university of Lithuania. In 2017, the institute changes its name into the Institute of Data Science and Digital Technologies. This name reflects recent activities of the institute. The renewed institute has eight research groups: Cognitive Computing, Image and Signal Analysis, Cyber-Social Systems Engineering, Statistics and Probability, Global Optimization, Intelligent Technologies, Education Systems, Blockchain Technologies. The main goal of the workshop is to introduce the research undertaken at Lithuanian and foreign universities in the fields of data science and software engineering. Annual organization of the workshop allows the fast interchanging of new ideas among the research community. Even 11 companies supported the workshop this year. This means that the topics of the workshop are actual for business, too. Topics of the workshop cover big data, bioinformatics, data science, blockchain technologies, deep learning, digital technologies, high-performance computing, visualization methods for multidimensional data, machine learning, medical informatics, ontological engineering, optimization in data science, business rules, and software engineering. Seeking to facilitate relations between science and business, a special session and panel discussion is organized this year about topical business problems that may be solved together with the research community. This book gives an overview of all presentations of DAMSS-2018.DAMSS-2018 is the jubilee 10th international workshop on data analysis methods for software systems, organized in Druskininkai, Lithuania, at the end of the year. The same place and the same time every year. Ten years passed from the first workshop. History of the workshop starts from 2009 with 16 presentations. The idea of such workshop came up at the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics. Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and the Lithuanian Computer Society supported this idea. This idea got approval both in the Lithuanian research community and abroad. The number of this year presentations is 81. The number of registered participants is 113 from 13 countries. In 2010, the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics became a member of Vilnius University, the largest university of Lithuania. In 2017, the institute changes its name into the Institute of Data Science and Digital Technologies. This name reflects recent activities of the institute. The renewed institute has eight research groups: Cognitive Computing, Image and Signal Analysis, Cyber-Social Systems Engineering, Statistics and Probability, Global Optimization, Intelligent Technologies, Education Systems, Blockchain Technologies. The main goal of the workshop is to introduce the research undertaken at Lithuanian and foreign universities in the fields of data science and software engineering. Annual organization of the workshop allows the fast interchanging of new ideas among the research community. Even 11 companies supported the workshop this year. This means that the topics of the workshop are actual for business, too. Topics of the workshop cover big data, bioinformatics, data science, blockchain technologies, deep learning, digital technologies, high-performance computing, visualization methods for multidimensional data, machine learning, medical informatics, ontological engineering, optimization in data science, business rules, and software engineering. Seeking to facilitate relations between science and business, a special session and panel discussion is organized this year about topical business problems that may be solved together with the research community. This book gives an overview of all presentations of DAMSS-2018

New group decision-making ARCAS approach based on the integration of the SWARA and the ARAS methods adapted for negotiations

Groups are generally considered to be more effective as compared to single individuals. The practical implementation of Operation Research methods in group negotiations needs simple contexts and clear cause-and-effect relationships easily discernible by everyone. This paper proposes a multi-criteria group decision-making approach allowing decision makers/experts involved in a negotiation process to better express and defend their preferences in the selection of the best alternative. In the proposed approach, the most appropriate alternative is the alternative with the largest number of appearances in the first position or in ranking lists, or the one determined based on negotiations of decision makers/experts. The proposed ARCAS approach is based on the use of the ARAS method, a new normalization procedure, and the SWARA method. In the proposed approach, each decision maker/expert involved in evaluation has an opportunity to set the preferred level of rating for each criterion used in such evaluation. Finally, a case study is presented in order to highlight the proposed approach. The obtained results confirm the usability and efficiency of the proposed approach

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of socio-economic systems: a systematic review

Today, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of Socio-Economic Systems exists in micro, meso and macro environments. A complicated process is required to find a rational solution that would include a large number of problems and criteria. Therefore, existing MCDM methods must be used as well as new ones developed. Notwithstanding SEA of Analysis of Socio-Economic Processes, there is little research examining factors of use of MCDM methods; thus, a more in-depth analysis should be undertaken. This study applied a systematic search of literature. A total of 73 papers from the academic literature containing such terms as ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)’, ‘Socio-Economic Processes (SEP)’, ‘Socio-Economic Systems (SES)’, ‘Social Systems (SS)’, ‘Economical Systems (ES)’, ‘Decision-Making (DM)’ and ‘Multi Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM)’ were identified and reviewed. As to the eligibility problem in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), criteria included studies on both Social and Economic Systems & Processes that examined development and trends related to SEA of Socio-Economic Processes. MCDM methods, assessment processes, data extraction and analysis were completed in all relevant studies. General activity fields in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of Socio-Economic Systems were analysed. The key issues of SEA in micro, meso and macro environment, Socio-Economic Systems and Socio-Economic Processes factors were prominent across all researched categories. As far as the analysis of Socio-Economic Systems & Processes, decision makers should be aware of the problem in its complexity and undertake multi-stage decision-making. To honour the contribution made by Prof Valentinas Podvezko contribution in the field of Decision-Making (DM) to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of Socio-Economic Systems using MCDM methods, and to commemorate his 70th anniversary, this article also highlights his academic career and research

Assessment and comparison of likely density distributions in the cases of thickness measurement of skin tumours by ultrasound examination and histological analysis

Ultrasonic diagnostic methods are used to estimate the structural changes and to measure parameters of lesions of the human tissue. Nowadays, the special algorithms of medical data analysis are able to perform diagnosis and monitor the progress of treatment, efficiency of treatment methods, also to estimate the health status and to make prognosis of the diseases evolution. The aim of the presented research is to check the goodness of fit test for thicknesses of the skin tumours measured in two different ways (ultrasound examination and histological analysis) and to compare the compatibility of likely density of histological thicknesses distribution of the skin tumours and density of Normal distribution. As a result, the study has showed that thicknesses of the skin tumours measured by ultrasonic method are strongly similar to histological values, which means that the density of ultrasonic thicknesses distribution and density of Normal distribution are closely interconnected. Therefore, the obtained results show the sufficient level of reliability in the case of application of non-invasive ultrasonic thickness measurement comparing with reference invasive technique based on biopsy and histological thickness evaluation

Technologijų perdavimo proceso aukštojo mokslo institucijose efektyvumo vertinimas

Higher education institutions (HEIs) play the key role as the link to encourage science and business partnerships within innovation systems worldwide. Notwithstanding one of the most important issue is to increase Lithuanian innovation potential. This dissertation analyses the problems of inefficient technology transfer (TT) and commercialization process, financial and human resource allocation at universities. The object of the research is the efficiency of technology transfer process (TTP) in higher education institutions. The analysis of technology transfer offices (TTOs) within the TTP allows the best model to be suggested for the evaluation of TTP as well as the improvement of TT results in the future perspective. This model is designed to assess the performance of the HEIs, to identify key indicators that demonstrate the efficiency of TTP, allowing to design future strategies to improve the efficiency of HEIs TTP financial and human capital. The goal of the dissertation is to examine TT process, propose and empirically test the efficiency evaluation model of the technology transfer process at HEIs. It is important to assess how the institutional (TTO employees, tasks, PhD-share) and regional (industry concentration, startups, patent applications) factors of TTO influence TT performance and commercialization. This research work resolves a few key tasks: 1. To conduct a theoretical analysis of the TTP (discussing the concept of the TTP and the key attributes, reviewing the foreign TT models, discussing factors encouraging the improvement of the TTP); 2. To perform a theoretical analysis of the efficiency of the TTP activities; 3. To create an original TTP efficiency evaluation model based on a comparative analysis of multicriteria research methods suitable to perform evaluation of TT activities of HEIs; 4. To conduct an empirical research and to validate the efficiency evaluation model of TTP using multicriteria research tools (FARE, TOPSIS, MULTIMOORA, COPRAS and DEA), to gather and aggregate the research data needed to evaluate the efficiency of the TTP, and to create a database for empirical research; 5. To analyse and discuss the research results of TTP, to formulate final conclusions to assess HEIs’ TTP efficiency, which would help to im-prove the performance of economic and other indicators through a more efficient allocation of financial and human resources. Analysis of research results shows that the number of employees working in TTO correlates with the number of intellectual (inventions) products that are being developed during the research and development (R&D) process.Dissertatio

Algorithms and Results of Eye Tissues Differentiation Based on RF Ultrasound

Algorithms and software were developed for analysis of B-scan ultrasonic signals acquired from commercial diagnostic ultrasound system. The algorithms process raw ultrasonic signals in backscattered spectrum domain, which is obtained using two time-frequency methods: short-time Fourier and Hilbert-Huang transformations. The signals from selected regions of eye tissues are characterized by parameters: B-scan envelope amplitude, approximated spectral slope, approximated spectral intercept, mean instantaneous frequency, mean instantaneous bandwidth, and parameters of Nakagami distribution characterizing Hilbert-Huang transformation output. The backscattered ultrasound signal parameters characterizing intraocular and orbit tissues were processed by decision tree data mining algorithm. The pilot trial proved that applied methods are able to correctly classify signals from corpus vitreum blood, extraocular muscle, and orbit tissues. In 26 cases of ocular tissues classification, one error occurred, when tissues were classified into classes of corpus vitreum blood, extraocular muscle, and orbit tissue. In this pilot classification parameters of spectral intercept and Nakagami parameter for instantaneous frequencies distribution of the 1st intrinsic mode function were found specific for corpus vitreum blood, orbit and extraocular muscle tissues. We conclude that ultrasound data should be further collected in clinical database to establish background for decision support system for ocular tissue noninvasive differentiation

The Encyclopedia of Neutrosophic Researchers - vol. 1

This is the first volume of the Encyclopedia of Neutrosophic Researchers, edited from materials offered by the authors who responded to the editor’s invitation. The authors are listed alphabetically. The introduction contains a short history of neutrosophics, together with links to the main papers and books. Neutrosophic set, neutrosophic logic, neutrosophic probability, neutrosophic statistics, neutrosophic measure, neutrosophic precalculus, neutrosophic calculus and so on are gaining significant attention in solving many real life problems that involve uncertainty, impreciseness, vagueness, incompleteness, inconsistent, and indeterminacy. In the past years the fields of neutrosophics have been extended and applied in various fields, such as: artificial intelligence, data mining, soft computing, decision making in incomplete / indeterminate / inconsistent information systems, image processing, computational modelling, robotics, medical diagnosis, biomedical engineering, investment problems, economic forecasting, social science, humanistic and practical achievements

Quantitative economics as a scientific approach to the solution of problems of a complex nature – in honor of Professor Willem Karel M. Brauers on the occasion of his 90th birthday

In the previous century Quantitative Economics substantially evolved in the direction of Mathematical Economics, Econometrics and Operational Research. Professor Willem Karel M. Brauers sees it mainly as a scientific approach to the solutions of problems of a complex nature by Methods such as Input-Output Analysis and Multi-Objective Optimization. At the occasion of his 90th birthday this article highlights the research of Professor Willem Karel M. Brauers, presents a review of his extensive scientific work and lists some of his publications

New MCEQLS AHP method for evaluating quality of learning scenarios

The aim of the paper is to present a new MCEQLS AHP method for the expert evaluation of quality of learning scenarios. A special attention is paid to suitability of scenarios to particular learner groups (styles). Solution of learning scenarios quality evaluation and optimisation problem could help educational institutions to select suitable scenarios for particular learning styles. The research results will be implemented in iTEC – a four-year, largest pan-European e-learning R&D project focused on the design of the future classroom funded by 7th Framework Programme. A novel method of consecutive triple application of AHP is explored in more detail. Suitability of several iTEC scenarios to particular learner groups is also analysed in the paper. A number of multiple criteria decision analysis principles are applied to create a comprehensive quality model (criteria tree) for evaluating quality of scenarios. Several optimisation methods are explored and applied to optimise learning scenarios in conformity with particular learning style. Several practical examples of iTEC learning scenarios alternatives have been evaluated against the proposed MCEQLS AHP method. The research results have shown that the proposed MCEQLS AHP method is quite objective, exact and simple to use for selecting qualitative scenarios alternatives for particular learner groups