Search
Search results for: PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES
-
Roadmap on dynamics of molecules and clusters in the gas phase
PublicationThis roadmap article highlights recent advances, challenges and future prospects in studies of the dynamics of molecules and clusters in the gas phase. It comprises nineteen contributions by scientists with leading expertise in complementary experimental and theoretical techniques to probe the dynamics on timescales spanning twenty orders of magnitudes, from attoseconds to minutes and beyond, and for systems ranging in complexity...
-
Ordinal pattern statistics for the assessment of heart rate variability
PublicationThe recognition of all main features of a healthy heart rhythm (the so-called sinus rhythm) is still one of the biggest challenges in contemporary cardiology. Recently the interesting physiological phenomenon of heart rate asymmetry has been observed. This phenomenon is related to unbalanced contributions of heart rate decelerations and accelerations to heart rate variability. In this paper we apply methods based on the concept...
-
Modeling of Performance, Reliability and Energy Efficiency in Large-Scale Computational Environments
PublicationLarge scale of complexity of distributed computational systems imposes special challenges for prediction of quality in such systems. Existing quality models for lower-scale systems include functionality, performance, reliability, flexibility and usability. Among these attributes, performance and reliability have a particular significance to the large-scale systems computing quality modeling due to their strong dependence on the...
-
Vocalic Segments Classification Assisted by Mouth Motion Capture
PublicationVisual features convey important information for automatic speech recognition (ASR), especially in noisy environment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate to what extent visual data (i.e. lip reading) can enhance recognition accuracy in the multi-modal approach. For that purpose motion capture markers were placed on speakers' faces to obtain lips tracking data during speaking. Different parameterizations strategies were tested...
-
A novel hybrid adaptive framework for support vector machine-based reliability analysis: A comparative study
PublicationThis study presents an innovative hybrid Adaptive Support Vector Machine - Monte Carlo Simulation (ASVM-MCS) framework for reliability analysis in complex engineering structures. These structures often involve highly nonlinear implicit functions, making traditional gradient-based first or second order reliability algorithms and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) time-consuming. The application of surrogate models has proven effective...
-
Enhancing the bioconversion rate and end products of black soldier fly (BSF) treatment – A comprehensive review
PublicationFood security remains a pressing concern in the face of an increasing world population and environmental challenges. As climate change, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity continue to impact agricultural productivity, traditional livestock farming faces limitations in meeting the growing global demand for meat and dairy products. In this context, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) have emerged as a promising alternative for sustainable...
-
Melanoma skin cancer detection using mask-RCNN with modified GRU model
PublicationIntroduction: Melanoma Skin Cancer (MSC) is a type of cancer in the human body; therefore, early disease diagnosis is essential for reducing the mortality rate. However, dermoscopic image analysis poses challenges due to factors such as color illumination, light reflections, and the varying sizes and shapes of lesions. To overcome these challenges, an automated framework is proposed in this manuscript. Methods: Initially, dermoscopic...
-
Chitosan-based inks for 3D printing and bioprinting
PublicationThe advent of 3D-printing/additive manufacturing in biomedical engineering field has introduced great potential for the preparation of 3D structures that can mimic native tissues. This technology has accelerated the progress in numerous areas of regenerative medicine, especially led to a big wave of biomimetic functional scaffold developments for tissue engineering demands. In recent years, the introduction of smart bio-inks has...
-
Greencoin – educational information system for ecoinclusion and empowering urban adaptability.
PublicationThe SARS-CoV19 pandemic exposed a broad spectrum of challenges for modern cities, societies and the environment at large. The post-Covid transformation requires new social, ecological and educational solutions, adjusted to modern challenges, but also equipped with technological advances that allow for digital inclusion and sustainable urban development to benefit the local economy and society. Many information systems designed...
-
PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL AND CHALLENGE APPRAISAL FOSTER THRIVING IN THE GLOBALIZED MULTICULTURAL WORKPLACE
PublicationThe purpose of the study was to examine the psychological resources which foster thriving in multicultural work settings of multinational corporations (MNCs) - the companies that are evident manifestation of globalization. Although globalized multicultural workplace creates specific job demands that pose unique occupational stress to individuals, some personal resources enable them to deal with these demands and to thrive. Thriving...
-
ICT and social development. Conceptual considerations.
PublicationThis chapter is intended to provide basic ideas and concepts related to technology, technological progress and society. It explains how and why technology and society are interrelated, forming a dynamic, complex and interdependent evolutionary system. It introduces the terms Digital (ICT) Revolution and information and communication technologies (ICTs), showing elementary features of new technologies. The chapter explains why ICTs...
-
Deterioration and Protection of Concrete Elements Embedded in Contaminated Soil: A Review
PublicationCoating materials are considered one of the most antique materials of human civilization; they have been used for decoration and the protection of surfaces for millennia. Concrete structures—due to their permanent exposure to different types of environments and contaminants—require the use of coatings that contribute to its preservation by reducing the corrosion of its components (steel and aggregates). This article intends to...
-
Coastal Cliffs Monitoring and Prediction of Displacements Using Terrestial Laser Scanning
PublicationCoastal cliffs are very sensitive to degradation caused by erosion and abrasion. Thus, it is very important to monitor susceptibility of the cliffs in terms of slope angles and ground fall resulting from vertical morphology of the cliffs. The results could be used for example to establish the boundaries of the safe investments zone or retreat infrastructure buildings in case of real threat such as degradation of the objects of...
-
Definition of urban regeneration projects in Russian cities
PublicationUrban regeneration is extremely important process for Russian cities, which faced to the challenges of post-industrial economy. In an attempt, to explain needs of urban regeneration in Russian megacities author analyzed the social and economic trends and some historic features of Russian cities development. The article identified the key areas for regeneration such as the regeneration of historic core, the regeneration of the urban...
-
UWB-Based Indoor Navigation in a Flexible Manufacturing System Using a Custom Quadrotor UAV
PublicationA novel solution for indoor navigation of a transportation drone in flexible manufacturing is presented in this paper. To address the challenges of accurate and robust drone navigation in occluded environments, an ultra-wideband (UWB) navigation system has been integrated with a commercially available open source control platform. The system offers high accuracy (± 20 mm), low power consumption, resistance to electronic interference,...
-
Public spaces connecting cities. Green and Blue Infrastructures potential.
PublicationA city fragmentation causes a lot of negative effects in urban environment such as: disconnecting the environmental, functional and compositional relations, a loss of urban compactness, chaotic development, visual chaos, a domination of technical landscape, reduction of security. This is why one of main challenges for urban planners is to connect the fragmented structures by creating friendly, attractive and safe public space....
-
On the Importance of Resilience Engineering for Networked Systems in a Changing World
PublicationResilience is featured increasingly often in the media, usually applied to society when faced, for example, with disasters such as flooding and the enormous challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic posed. There are now many resilience-related discussion groups worldwide, and some standards initiatives devoted in particular to city resilience. However, there is relatively little explicit interest in resilience engineering for communication...
-
Dataset Characteristics and Their Impact on Offline Policy Learning of Contextual Multi-Armed Bandits
PublicationThe Contextual Multi-Armed Bandits (CMAB) framework is pivotal for learning to make decisions. However, due to challenges in deploying online algorithms, there is a shift towards offline policy learning, which relies on pre-existing datasets. This study examines the relationship between the quality of these datasets and the performance of offline policy learning algorithms, specifically, Neural Greedy and NeuraLCB. Our results...
-
The role of governance to support smart community development: a systematic literature review
PublicationThis paper studies the interaction between the smart community and smart governance concepts to elaborate on the role of governance to support local governments in developing smart communities’ strategies and solutions. We perform a systematic literature review to analyse how the concept of smart community has advanced in terms of its definitions, context, benefits, challenges, and enablers and propose a unified term with a focus...
-
Membranes for toxic- and heavy-metal removal
PublicationSince time ago, membranes have greatly attracted the attention of researchers for different types of water-treatment applications, such as wastewater treatment, water purification, removal of microorganisms, chemical compounds, and heavy metals. Nowadays, one of the current challenges of research community definitely deals with the removal of toxic and heavy metals from water. In this regard, the current chapter provides enough...
-
State of the art in sample preparation for human breast milk metabolomics—merits and limitations
PublicationHuman breast milk (HBM) contains metabolites that are diverse in chemical structure and concentration. These metabolites range from high-abundance to low-abundance compounds and from polar to nonpolar. This complex nature of HBM makes HBM samples difficult to analyze, especially in global metabolomic studies for the determination and characterization of complete sets of metabolites. In this review, the state of the art in sample...
-
Enzyme-conjugated MXene nanocomposites for biosensing and biocatalysis acuities
PublicationEngineered two-dimensional (2-D) MXenes-based materials with tunable characteristics and multi-functionalities have brought up new paradigms in the biosensing and catalysis of chemical compounds. The profusion of electroactive functional moieties on the surface of few/multi-layer MXenes facilitates their ability to retain biomolecules such as enzymes resulting in unique dimensions for bioanalytical and biosensing applications....
-
Optimization-Based High-Frequency Circuit Miniaturization through Implicit and Explicit Constraint Handling: Recent Advances
PublicationMiniaturization trends in high-frequency electronics have led to accommodation challenges in the integration of the corresponding components. Size reduction thereof has become a practical necessity. At the same time, the increasing performance demands imposed on electronic systems remain in conflict with component miniaturization. On the practical side, the challenges related to handling design constraints are aggravated by the...
-
Fashion and Tourism: Parallel Stories of Two "Dream Marvels".
PublicationFashion and tourism are two social, cultural, and economic phenomena that have both numerous connections and surprising similarities. These are not new: they have been built and developed since the beginnings of tourism as a modern social phenomenon, emerged in Europe in the context of the industrial revolution. They consolidated in the first decades of the 21st century, in a context where both phenomena have completed their “mass”...
-
Affective computing and affective learning – methods, tools and prospects
PublicationEvery teacher knows that interest, active participation and motivation are important factors in the learning process. At the same time e-learning environments almost always address only the cognitive aspects of education. This paper provides a brief review of methods used for affect recognition, representation and processing as well as investigates how these methods may be used to address affective aspect of e-education. The paper...
-
Promising Nanoparticle-Based Heat Transfer Fluids—Environmental and Techno-Economic Analysis Compared to Conventional Fluids
PublicationProviding optimal operating conditions is one of the major challenges for effective heating or cooling systems. Moreover, proper adjustment of the heat transfer fluid is also important from the viewpoint of the correct operation, maintenance, and cost efficiency of these systems. Therefore, in this paper, a detailed review of recent work on the subject of conventional and novel heat transfer fluid applications is presented. Particular...
-
Mainstream shortcut N removal modeling current status and perspectives
PublicationThis work gives an overview of the state-of-the-art in modelling of short-cut processes for nitrogen removal in mainstream wastewater treatment and presents future perspectives for directing research efforts in line with the needs of practice. The modelling status for deammonification (i.e., anammox-based) and nitrite-shunt processes is presented with its challenges and limitations. The importance of mathematical models for considering...
-
Internationalization and Quality Assurance in Higher Education
PublicationInternationalization is an inevitable phenomenon among all contemporary higher education institutions (HEIs) in a globalizing world. It is the driving force for development and progress. In course of the last 30 years, it became an inevitable element of HE management. However, it carries along a number of risks, pitfalls, and organizational challenges. To hedge those, quality assurance (QA) is called to the stage. HEIs therefore...
-
Digital Government as Implementation Means for Sustainable Development Goals
PublicationOne of the challenges for implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the measurement of indicators that represent progress towards such goals. Measuring such progress enables data-driven decision-making and management of SDG-relevant projects and strategies. The premise of this research is that measuring such indicators depends on measuring so-called means of implementation, i.e. activities that directly contribute to...
-
Knowledge-based functional safety management using ProSIL software
PublicationIn the article the ProSIL software for computer aided functional safety management is presented. The software consists of three modules for the determination of the required SIL level (ProSILen) and verification of the SIL level (ProSILver). In the ProSIL the calibrated knowledge-based risk graph method for determining the required safety integrity level (SIL) of the safety functions identified in hazard analysis is implemented....
-
Intercultural Challenges in Virtual Teams
Publication: Virtual teams are usually geographically dispersed and consist of members from different countries and cultures. They influences internal communication processes and can cause personal conflicts, misunderstandings or lack of trust. Intercultural diversity is also significant for goal setting and team effectiveness. The aim of this article is to check if virtual team members appreciate the cultural diversity or rather suffer from lack...
-
Ionosphere variability II: Advances in theory and modeling
PublicationThis paper aims to provide an overview on recent advances in ionospheric modeling capabilities, with the emphasis in the efforts relevant to electron density variability. The discussion spans a wide range of model formulations (e.g., from purely empirical to physics-based ones and data-driven approaches) seeking for advances or gaps with regard to present challenges. This discussion is further supported by consideration of the...
-
Database for integration of information in distributed data exchange system elements of Border Guard
PublicationThe paper presents the database solution for integration of information in distributed data exchange system elements of the Polish Border Guard. The proposed database solution is described in the context of data exchange system elements which control position and store identification data of vessels (fishing, sports and sailing boats) and other suspicious objects on the territorial sea, sea-coast and the internal sea-waters controlled...
-
Understanding Sustainable Knowledge-Sharing in Agile Projects: Utilizing Follow-the-Sun Technique (FTS) in Virtual Teams
PublicationIn Agile IT projects, promoting effective knowledge sharing is essential not only for achieving success but also for supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, Companies using virtual teams may face challenges in coordinating work, particularly when teams are distributed across different time zones, ultimately hindering their ability to consistently share knowledge. This can lead to delays and inefficiencies, ultimately...
-
Practical Approach to IP Scheduled Throughput Measurements in Dual Connectivity Systems
PublicationIP scheduled throughput defined according to 3GPP TS 36.314 reflects user throughput regardless of traffic characteristics, and therefore has become one of the most important indicators for monitoring Quality of Service (QoS) of the end user in Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN). However, networks built on a distributed architecture make the above definition impossible to be applied directly due to the...
-
Polymeric porous membranes as solid support and protective material in microextraction processes: A review
PublicationPolymeric porous membranes have proven to be a versatile and efficient material for microextraction processes. In analytical practice, they are used both as a solid support and as a protective medium for improved sample preparation in various analytical applications. Polymeric porous membranes offer unique advantages in microextraction due to their large surface area and controllable pore size, eliminating interfering effects from...
-
Semi-definite programming and quantum information
PublicationThis paper presents a comprehensive exploration of semi-definite programming (SDP) techniques within the context of quantum information. It examines the mathematical foundations of convex optimization, duality, and SDP formulations, providing a solid theoretical framework for addressing optimization challenges in quantum systems. By leveraging these tools, researchers and practitioners can characterize classical and quantum correlations,...
-
E-Voting System Evaluation Based on the Council of Europe Recommendations: nVotes
PublicationE-voting implantation has been facing important challenges in recent years. Several incidents, together with a lack of evaluation methodologies social and cultural customs hinder a broader application. In this work, the authors aim to contribute to a safer introduction of e-voting tools by applying a practical evaluation framework strongly based on the security requirements issued by the Council of Europe (CoE) in 2017 to nvotes,...
-
Students’ soft urban planning skills and local development are the benefits from the Fair of Good Practice. Small cities - big challengesprogramme
PublicationThe urban planner in practice needs soft skills when dealing with public consultations connected to local development plans. To improve the abilities of architecture and urban planning students to discuss solutions and to support the development of local public spaces of small towns in the Pomeranian voivodeship ( province) in Poland, the Fair of Good Practice. Small cities - big challenges programme...
-
Computer-Aided Automated Greenery Design—Towards a Green BIM
PublicationContemporary climate challenges are changing the architect’s awareness, which results in a broader spectrum of interest. The available software enables the design of vegetation, but it is often very limited and requires specialist knowledge. The available software allows the creation of individual solutions based on visual algorithms or writing scripts; however, they are still not common methods used in architecture and urban planning....
-
Limitations of Emotion Recognition in Software User Experience Evaluation Context
PublicationThis paper concerns how an affective-behavioural- cognitive approach applies to the evaluation of the software user experience. Although it may seem that affect recognition solutions are accurate in determining the user experience, there are several challenges in practice. This paper aims to explore the limitations of the automatic affect recognition applied in the usability context as well as...
-
Adopting collaborative games into Open Kanban
PublicationThe crucial element of any agile project is people. Not surprisingly, principles and values such as "Respect for people", "Communication and Collaboration", "Lead using a team approach", and "Learn and improve continuously" are an integral part of Open Kanban. However, Open Kanban has not provided any tools or techniques to aid the human side of software development. Moreover, as a Lean initiative, it is not as comprehensively...
-
Microwave treatment in waste rubber recycling – recent advances and limitations
PublicationEnvironmentally-friendly microwave heating is increasingly used in polymer chemistry and technology. The selectivity and highly efficiency in the heat transfer present a huge advantage in systems based on recycling, improving their productivity and economic competitiveness. In case of the industrial recycling of waste rubbers, especially end-of-life tires, microwave-induced devulcanization and pyrolysis are nowadays considered...
-
Redesigning Informal Beirut: Shaping the Sustainable Transformation Strategies
PublicationLebanon is distinguished by its strategic geographical location among the Arab countries. Beirut, as the capital city and the major commercial and cultural centre of the country, is a point of interest for migrants. The region has witnessed many changes since the end of World War II, which have resulted in internal and external conflicts, migrations, the centralization of the country’s economy, etc. Furthermore, the city has witnessed...
-
Algorithmic Human Resources Management - Perspectives and Challenges
PublicationTheoretical background: Technology – most notably processes of digitalisation, the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data and prevalence of remote work due to pandemic – changes the way organizations manage human resources. One of the increasing trends is the use of so-called “algorithmic management”. It is notably different than previous e-HRM or HRIS (human resources information systems) applications, as it...
-
Methodological issues of functional safety and reliability assessment of critical systems in industrial hazardous plants
PublicationThe aim of this article is to identify and discuss some methodological issues that are of interest among functional safety specialists and experts after publication of the second edition of international standards IEC 61508 and IEC 61511, including the design and implementing the safety-related functions of higher safety integrity levels and protection layers. The basic role of safety-related systems is to reduce effectively and...
-
Bridging the Gap Between Legitimacy and Neutralisation Strategies in Sustainability Reporting
PublicationAmid global sustainability challenges, such as climate change, companies operating in different industries face increasing demands for accountability and transparency. To meet these demands, sustainability reporting (SR) has become a mainstream business practice in communicating companies’ positive and negative sustainability impacts. This short paper aims to increase our understanding of how companies may release negative information...
-
Integrating modelling, simulation and data management tools to create a planning support system for the improvement of air quality by urban planning solutions
PublicationThe urbanization pressure requires urban planners, designers, and policy makers to be more responsive to the challenges related to improving the quality of the urban environment and the living conditions of the inhabitants. One of the many environmental issues that need to be taken into account is urban air pollution. As the process of urban ventilation and air pollution dis-persion is significantly affected by the urban layout,...
-
Graphene Production and Biomedical Applications: A Review
PublicationGraphene is a two-dimensional nanomaterial composed of carbon atoms with sp2 hybrid orbitals. Both graphene and graphene-based composite have gained broad interest among researchers because of their outstanding physiochemical, mechanical, and biological properties. Graphene production techniques are divided into top-down and bottom-up synthesis methods, of which chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is the most popular. The biomedical...
-
I, Robot: between angel and evil
PublicationThe boosting of most digital innovations within recent technology progress by artificial intelligence (AI) constitutes a growing topic of interest. Besides its technical aspects, increasing research activity may be observed in the domain of security challenges, and therefore of responsibility related to the controlled or hypothetically uncontrolled or autonomous emergence of AI solutions. Consequently, responsibility and ethics...