Application of Particle Swarm Optimization to Formative E-Assessment in Project Management

The current paper describes the application of Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm to the formative e-assessment problem in project management. The proposed approach resolves the issue of personalization, by taking into account, when selecting the item tests in an e-assessment, the following elements: the ability level of the user, the targeted difficulty of the test and the learning objectives, represented by project management concepts which have to be checked. The e-assessment tool in which the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm is integrated is also presented. Experimental results and comparison with other algorithms used in item tests selection prove the suitability of the proposed approach to the formative e-assessment domain. The study is presented in the framework of other evolutionary and genetic algorithms applied in e-education.Particle Swarm Optimization, Genetic Algorithms, Evolutionary Algorithms, Formative E-assessment, E-education

A Training Software Platform for the Research Projects Evaluation

The paper presents a training software platform which can be used by the evaluators for learning how to perform the research project evaluation and how to document the whole process, writing consistent comments. For the moment, the platform is ready for use on the proposals evaluation phase, but it can be easier extended in order to also cover the interim and the final evaluations of the research projects.services; goods; industrial society; knowledge-based society.

Exploratory Study on Social and Environmental Reporting of European Companies in Crises Period

The present study promotes arguments for reporting improvement to support stakeholders’ confidence and proposes possible policies and strategies for social and environmental reporting, resulting from European companies’ activity. We examined the information disclosed in annual reports and corporate social responsibility reports from a sample of the companies listed on the Euronext Stock Exchange over a three-year period. The purpose of the research is to support the idea that the quality of social and environmental information provided by companies is increasing as time passes and in relation to the present economic conditions. We conducted an exploratory study whose results are analysed and discussed in terms of financial and economic evolution within the present world crisis. They give us the possibility to design a new facet of the overall framework for reporting social and environmental information by combining theoretical requirements of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards with their implementation in the reporting practice of European companies.social, environmental, reporting, corporate responsibility, companies’ practice

INNOVATIONS IN SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING BASED ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF STAKEHOLDERS’ INFORMATION NEEDS

Starting form the accounting status as a social and institutional practice and the economic role of financial reporting, the paper addresses the issue of social and environmental accounting and reporting regulation.We propose an analysis of the main repsocial and environmental reporting, voluntary disclosure, regulation, shareholder value, stakeholder value, risk

Public Pensions Reform in Romania. How Affect the Public Finance Sustainability?

This paper deals with the problem of the public pension system’s sustainability in Romania and its impact upon the sustainability of the public finance. Thus, the public pension deficit increased in the last three years, caused by the unsustainable increase of pensions during expansionary years and by decrease of number of taxpayers in the economy. Unfortunately, the pressure on public pension system will continue in the next decades due to decline of the total population and of the working age population and to increasing share of the older people. The first part of the paper is an explanation for the factors which affect the public pension system, and it presents this system’s vulnerabilities. The second part is a brief presentation of the effects of the reforms made after December ’89, with reference to the public pension system. The third part outlines the impact of the unitary pension law upon the improvement of the balancing position of the public pension system. The last part makes an analysis for the budget impact of the unitary pension law, outlining the comparison between the basic scenario – keeping the current system and the alternative scenario, which provides a rich package of reforms with reference to this field.public pensions system, private pensions system, finance sustainability, reforms, ageing problem

Flexible Virtual Reality System for Neurorehabilitation and Quality of Life Improvement

As life expectancy is mostly increasing, the incidence of many neurological disorders is also constantly growing. For improving the physical functions affected by a neurological disorder, rehabilitation procedures are mandatory, and they must be performed regularly. Unfortunately, neurorehabilitation procedures have disadvantages in terms of costs, accessibility and a lack of therapists. This paper presents Immersive Neurorehabilitation Exercises Using Virtual Reality (INREX-VR), our innovative immersive neurorehabilitation system using virtual reality. The system is based on a thorough research methodology and is able to capture real-time user movements and evaluate joint mobility for both upper and lower limbs, record training sessions and save electromyography data. The use of the first-person perspective increases immersion, and the joint range of motion is calculated with the help of both the HTC Vive system and inverse kinematics principles applied on skeleton rigs. Tutorial exercises are demonstrated by a virtual therapist, as they were recorded with real-life physicians, and sessions can be monitored and configured through tele-medicine. Complex movements are practiced in gamified settings, encouraging self-improvement and competition. Finally, we proposed a training plan and preliminary tests which show promising results in terms of accuracy and user feedback. As future developments, we plan to improve the system's accuracy and investigate a wireless alternative based on neural networks.Comment: 47 pages, 20 figures, 17 tables (including annexes), part of the MDPI Sesnsors "Special Issue Smart Sensors and Measurements Methods for Quality of Life and Ambient Assisted Living