Set Of Indicators For Assessment Research Articles

Оценка потенциала развития креативного бизнеса в городах второго эшелона

By declaring 2021 the year of creative industries, Russia highlighted the importance of this sector at the national level. However, various databases and existing tools are insufficient for a comprehensive assessment of the potential of creative industries. The study aims to establish a methodology for identifying the development potential of creative business and test it on the example of second-tier cities of Siberia and the Urals. The proposed methodology defined three elements of the development potential of creative business: creative potential, capitalisation potential and commercial potential. The study presented an algorithm and a set of assessment indicators, which were integrated with the database of second-tier cities to create a practice-oriented information and analytical tool to support management decision-making in the field of creative business development in cities. Testing of the algorithm in second-tier cities of the Urals and Siberia revealed cities with high potential (having all three elements), such as Berezovsky, Verkhny Ufaley, Verkhnyaya Pyshma (Sverdlovsk oblast), Belovo, Novokuznetsk, Yurga (Kemerovo oblast), and Kopeysk (Chelyabinsk oblast); cities with medium potential (having two elements), including Alapaevsk, Asbest, Zarechny, Sredneuralsk, Myski, Mariinsk, Katav-Ivanovsk, Trekhgorny, Zlatoust, Kyshtym, Biysk, Novoaltaysk, Seversk, Surgut, Uray, Yugorsk; cities with certain elements of the development potential of creative business. In general, a weak correlation between the elements of potential and a low diversity of the creative urban environment prevent cities from capitalizing and commercializing their creative potential. The study proposed to strengthen inter-municipal, intraregional and interregional interactions, as well as to create strategic development documents for creative business. The findings can be used by local authorities and the business community to identify cities with the greatest potential for the development of creative business.

AHP and TOPSIS as methods assessing the attractiveness of urban parks: The case of Lodz, Poland

Urban parks are significant elements that improve the quality of life in built-up areas. This research aims to identify the most attractive park in Lodz, Poland, using a set of assessment indicators. In our opinion, the decision-making process in assessing the attractiveness of urban parks may be assisted by Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). Two methods were chosen from the MCDA group, namely the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The research shows that the proposed methods reveal which park needs support and calls for investment.

Capabilities of a Periodic Containerised Railfreight System in Germany

Based on an analysis of the developments to date, this article originates from and then substantiates long-discussed approaches of a fast, periodic unaccompanied combined rail freight transport network for Germany that corresponds to the target modal split. A four-stage scenario of a market entry is developed. The presented solution incorporates potentially novel aspects such as a network design based on the Deutschlandtakt Cargo integrated periodic timetable framework, the prospective quantity structures as of 2030, and a segmentation for a route-specific mix of two major shipping container types. The set of assessment indicators derived by the model allows to gain insights on the achievable capacities and service levels versus the addressable freight transport demand as well as consequential cost/benefit functions.

Совершенствование методических основ оценки деловой активности коммерческих организаций

In modern science, a sufficient number of studies have been focused on investigating the business activity of commercial organizations. However, now-adays there is no single established approach to the study of scientific and practical and theoretical and applied research of problems and practice of im-proving the methodology for assessing the busi-ness activity of commercial organizations, taking into account the necessary set of assessment indi-cators. According to Russian and foreign research-ers, the analysis of the business activity of commer-cial organizations should be carried out both by industry and by economic characteristics. Within the framework of this research, done on the territory of the Voronezh region, the business activity of com-mercial organizations engaged in the field of furni-ture production was analyzed. Three types of its components have been identified as industrial, technological and effective. The methodology for the study of business activity using the example of furniture industrial business entities was integrated with the method of the arithmetic mean value of chain business activity indices. It made it possible to ensure the minimum calculation error, which con-tributed to an increase in the efficiency of assessing the business activity of industrial sector partici-pants. The paper discusses the methodology for assessing the business activity of commercial or-ganizations engaged in the production and sale of furniture products.

Developing a core set of indicators for quality assessment of cancer genetic services

Abstract Background One of the major challenges of personalized medicine is how to assess the quality of genetic services offered both in public and private sectors. Although the quality of genetic services can be assessed and compared with structure, process or outcome measures, a consensus on the appropriate quality assessment measures is lacking worldwide. The aim of the study is to develop a core set of indicators for the quality assessment of genetic services providing testing for breast and ovarian cancer (BRCA1/2 testing). Methods In the first phase, a literature review was performed to identify genetic services providing BRCA1/2 genetic testing in Europe. In the second phase, structural, process and outcome measures retrieved from the literature records will be rated, with a 5-point Likert grading scale, by members of multinational genetic associations in a three-round Delphi survey. The survey will also accommodate quality assessment measures proposed by the participants. In the last phase, the feasibility of using a core set of indicators will be assessed across European countries. Results The literature search yielded 92 relevant records published 2000-2019, in English or Italian. The records reported outcome measures (92/92) and, to a lesser extent, process (80/92) and structure measures (71/92). An ad hoc data extraction form has been developed and the evaluation of the literature records is ongoing. Highly rated measures obtained through consensus among genetics professionals will form the core set of indicators for quality assessment of genetic services providing BRCA1/2 genetic testing. Conclusions The development of a standardized set of indicators for the assessment of genetics services is an essential step forward in defining common quality standards of the services in Europe. It will also facilitate direct comparisons across countries, highlighting examples of good practices and points of improvement for currently implemented genetic services. Key messages A minimum set of indicators for the assessment of genetics services is required to guarantee quality standards of the services across European countries. A core set of indicators will facilitate direct comparisons across European countries, underlining good practices and points of improvement for currently implemented genetic services.

Impact of Lèvy flight on modern meta-heuristic optimizers

In this paper, a variant based on Lèvy flight was proposed to enhance the performance of two recently proposed optimizers. The first optimizer used in the study is Sine-Cosine Algorithm (SCA) while the second is Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA). Both optimizers are composed of two phases of random walks in each optimization iteration and both have stagnation and premature convergence problems. Lèvy flight is used to replace the walk based on cosine function in the SCA and the spiral motion in the WOA as well. The Lèvy-based search guarantees a fraction of solutions to be generated apart from the current best solution and hence tolerates for optimizer stagnation, premature convergence, and allows for local optima avoidance. A smooth control of the scale of the Lèvy random walk is also proposed to ensure a smooth adaptation of exploration to exploitation switching. The proposed variants, as well as the original algorithms, were benchmarked using a set of unimodal, multimodal, fixed-dimension multimodal and composite benchmark functions. The evaluation is performed using a set of assessment indicators and results prove the capability of the proposed variants to outperform the original optimizers.

Hybrid Binary Bat Enhanced Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for solving feature selection problems

In this paper, we present a new hybrid binary version of bat and enhanced particle swarm optimization algorithm in order to solve feature selection problems. The proposed algorithm is called Hybrid Binary Bat Enhanced Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm (HBBEPSO). In the proposed HBBEPSO algorithm, we combine the bat algorithm with its capacity for echolocation helping explore the feature space and enhanced version of the particle swarm optimization with its ability to converge to the best global solution in the search space. In order to investigate the general performance of the proposed HBBEPSO algorithm, the proposed algorithm is compared with the original optimizers and other optimizers that have been used for feature selection in the past. A set of assessment indicators are used to evaluate and compare the different optimizers over 20 standard data sets obtained from the UCI repository. Results prove the ability of the proposed HBBEPSO algorithm to search the feature space for optimal feature combinations.

Technical auditing of water supply systems – part 2: water treatment plant

This paper presents a comprehensive method for assessing the technical condition of water treatment plants as part of a set of procedures for assessing the entire water supply system. The proposed method of water treatment plant assessment is based on a system of technical indicators and factors. Based on these, the assessment of the technical condition is carried out as a two-stage process, where the evaluator first determines discrete values of the factors. The point score given to these factors is then aggregated and then used to calculate the values of individual indicators, indicating the overall condition of the water treatment plant. The proposed set of assessment indicators therefore includes two types of indicators: structural–technical and technological–operational. The paper includes a case study demonstrating the use of the proposed technology to assess the technical condition of an actual water treatment plant. This methodology makes it possible to highlight critical parts of the system and, as the case may be, prioritise the elements in terms of their technical condition, which can then be used in the repair and reconstruction planning process.

Exploring the Socio-cultural Sustainability of Traditional and Typical Agro-food Products: Case study of Apulia Region, South-eastern Italy

Traditional and typical foods represent the opposite of mass production and are important elements of the Mediterranean cultural heritage. The paper aims to present a preliminary methodological approach and a first set of indicators for assessing the socio-cultural sustainability of Apulian typical agro-food products. An expert focus group approach was used, within Agriculture & Quality programme (2013-2015) of Apulia region, to identify sustainability principles and criteria and to select for each criterion appropriate indicators referring either to business activities or products. A 0-10 rating system was developed for each indicator: 0 (unsustainable), 10 (very sustainable) and 5 (sustainability benchmark value). Social sustainability is defined as the capacity to ensure equity in life quality and human well-being conditions, independently of class and gender. From a cultural viewpoint, it is important to take into account the community’s own distinctive and traditional elements that form its original identity. Socio-cultural criteria concern, among others, the worker protection and relations while maintaining culture and local traditions over time. Indicators identified deal with the following sustainability criteria: chain actors’ life quality and wellbeing; corporate social and ethical responsibility; women’s participation; social inclusion; good relations with the local community; promotion of local identity and transmission of traditional knowledge; workers’ training; foreign labourers’ inclusion; and animal welfare. Traditional and typical foods represent the cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet cultural heritage. The promotion of the Mediterranean diet, and the cultural heritage that represents, should go together with the valorisation of traditional and typical products on which it is based, and with the sustainable rural and territorial development. Assessing the sustainability of these products can be an effective operational approach for achieving this goal and at the epicentre of the effort to preserve and enhance the Mediterranean Diet.

Binary ant lion approaches for feature selection

In this paper, binary variants of the ant lion optimizer (ALO) are proposed and used to select the optimal feature subset for classification purposes in wrapper-mode. ALO is one of the recently bio-inspired optimization techniques that imitates the hunting process of ant lions. Moreover, ALO balances exploration and exploitation using a single operator that can adaptively searches the domain of solutions for the optimal solution. Binary variants introduced here are performed using two different approaches. The first approach takes only the inspiration of ALO operators and makes the corresponding binary operators. In the second approach, the native ALO is applied while its continuous steps are threshold using suitable threshold function after squashing them. The proposed approaches for binary ant lion optimizer (BALO) are utilized in the feature selection domain for finding feature subset that maximizing the classification performance while minimizing the number of selected features. The proposed binary algorithms were compared to three common optimization algorithms hired in this domain namely particle swarm optimizer (PSO), genetic algorithms (GAs), binary bat algorithm (BBA), as well as the native ALO. A set of assessment indicators is used to evaluate and compare the different methods over 21 data sets from the UCI repository. Results prove the capability of the proposed binary algorithms to search the feature space for optimal feature combinations regardless of the initialization and the used stochastic operators.

Assessing an enterprise’s investment potential

This paper considers the system for selecting a set of assessment indicators with consideration for limitations for the purpose of determining the investment potential of an agrarian enterprise and activating the investment in agriculture. The order of assessing the investment potential is illustrated for a specific agrarian enterprise in the Republic of Crimea.

Binary grey wolf optimization approaches for feature selection

In this work, a novel binary version of the grey wolf optimization (GWO) is proposed and used to select optimal feature subset for classification purposes. Grey wolf optimizer (GWO) is one of the latest bio-inspired optimization techniques, which simulate the hunting process of grey wolves in nature. The binary version introduced here is performed using two different approaches. In the first approach, individual steps toward the first three best solutions are binarized and then stochastic crossover is performed among the three basic moves to find the updated binary grey wolf position. In the second approach, sigmoidal function is used to squash the continuous updated position, then stochastically threshold these values to find the updated binary grey wolf position. The two approach for binary grey wolf optimization (bGWO) are hired in the feature selection domain for finding feature subset maximizing the classification accuracy while minimizing the number of selected features. The proposed binary versions were compared to two of the common optimizers used in this domain namely particle swarm optimizer and genetic algorithms. A set of assessment indicators are used to evaluate and compared the different methods over 18 different datasets from the UCI repository. Results prove the capability of the proposed binary version of grey wolf optimization (bGWO) to search the feature space for optimal feature combinations regardless of the initialization and the used stochastic operators.

Design of an objective procedure for the evaluation and assessment of the subject Final Degree Project in the Degree in Criminology at the University of Málaga

In this paper, a procedure for facilitating and objectifying the assessment and mark of the subject of End of Degree Project in Criminology Degree at University of Málaga is proposed. That project has to be orientated to the acquisition of general and specific competences. After an approach to the Spanish regulatory framework, which allows knowing the basic design guidelines of this obligatory subject in the education programs of Degree qualification, it delves into the criteria for its assessment and mark, proposing firstly a modification of the subject’s competences which result in the incorporation of five new specific competences and, secondly, establishing a set of assessment indicators allowing to mark the students’ acquisition degree for each competence.

Power System Adequacy Exploration Based on UC Simulation Model

This paper takes Unit Commitment with Wind Power Electric Systems for instance and studies the application of relevant indicators in the short run adequacy decisions. It first conducted running adequacy assessment of the RBTS system, and then given unit combination solutions in the ample index constraints. The results show that the relevant indicators can be more accurately to depict the influence of random factors on system operation adequacy, and Unit Commitment decisions based adequacy index is able to give a unit commitment program at different adequacy levels. The research results provide a set of assessment indicators and assessment methods for short running adequacy problems of random fluctuations power accessing to large-scale power systems..

External environment of the economic potential of the enterprise

The dependence of forming, using and developing the economic potential of the enterprise on macro-environmental factors is studied. The appropriateness of assessing the favorability level of external environment, especially in dynamic market conditions is substantiated. The necessity to consider external factors when assessing the economic potential of the enterprise is proved, which will allow to determine “macro” causes of underuse of actual potential and untimely involvement of promising resources and development opportunities. A set of assessment indicators, which are grouped into five components: innovation, investment, personnel, financial and market factors is given. Herewith, the impact of each on the economic potential of the economic entity is described. Calculation of the overall favorability indicator of the external environment using the index method based on taxonomic assessment of its individual elements is proposed. Numerical and graphical results of the macro-environment evaluation for the period from 2002 to 2012 are presented, the analysis of the calculated indices is carried out. The results obtained will allow to more accurately determine the causes of underuse of the economic potential of the enterprise and form the general development directions of the economic entity in the future.

Indicators for Assessing the Quantitative Effects of External Safety Policy

The fireworks disaster at the Dutch city of Enschede in the year 2000 has stimulated activities in the area of external safety at the national, regional and local level in the Netherlands. New legislation was developed, and adequately implementing this new legislation as well as increasing the quality of carrying out existing legislation became an important issue. This concerned in particular the provinces and municipalities, being the competent authorities for environmental regulation, and also the so-called safety regions as the competent authorities for disaster and fire brigade regulation. In order to facilitate the necessary activities at the regional and local level, the national government has provided the provinces with substantial resources since 2004, which were to be spent through provincial programs and distributed over all parties involved on the basis of well-defined projects. Over the years, indicators have been developed for assessing the effectiveness of these programs at regional and local level (IPO, 2009). The indicators in question, however, are focused primarily on the processes of implementing legislation, as opposed to being focused on actual safety. Although there were some parallel activities which concentrated on actual safety, by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) for the Ministry of the Environment and by a number of individual provinces for their own purposes, a structured and nationally agreed-upon set of indicators for assessing the quantitative effects of external safety policy was lacking. The RIVM was willing to coordinate a joint effort in order to develop such a set of indicators, but was faced with a lack of sufficient resources to actually carry it out. Subsequently, the Interprovincial working group on external safety took initiative and established a small project team for addressing this task. The paper discusses the development process and describes its results. It starts with summarizing Dutch external safety policy (section 1). The process of developing a structured set of indicators is discussed in section 2. Next, section 3 presents a summary description of the resulting set of indicators (version 1), after which some indicative calculations, which were performed by way of example, are presented in section 4. Concluding remarks are given in section 5.

Selection of impact indicators and their evaluation for environmental assessment of water construction

Prerequisite for successful assessment of the potential impact of water construction on the environmental plan is a set of indicators. Creating a set of indicators for assessment is an important step in the whole environmental impact assessment process. Selection, arrangement and evaluation of the indicators in the final assessment is a complex and time demanding process. The paper deals with the selection of impact indicators and their evaluation for environmental impact assessment process of water constructions by using risk analysis methods. The aim is to propose and evaluate the risk index for selected indicators in the environmental impact assessment process.

An Integrated Set of Indicators for Assessment of Inland Waterway Transportation Performance

Ever-growing supply chains and the corresponding demand for efficiency and reliability necessitate improved performance and measurement standards. Enhanced competitiveness is the unifying element within every industry and drives improved performance and a demand for high-quality services. New methods and tools for measurement of the performance of inland waterway navigation are therefore needed. The real challenge is to develop internationally applicable performance indicators (PIs) to ensure correct decision making and improved competitiveness. Therefore, it is essential to consider the related processes, the stakeholders being addressed, and the scope of the underlying system. The purpose of the present work is to reveal that PIs are more than just measurements of performance. There is a need for a commonly accepted approach that supports the development of a consistent PI system within the inland waterway industry.