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Usability is an important aspect of IT applications being a priority requirement in online public services. This paper presents the evaluation of the usability of the national house of public pensions portal. The portal evaluation involved four experts who tested the portal based on the usability inspection method. The results of the evaluation highlighted some important usability problems that need to be fixed in order to ease the use of the portal by older people.

The paper has as subject the modeling and forecasting of air quality impact on mortality rates, and present a case study, making use of time series analysis approach. After a general view on the time series models, regression and intervention models, to be used in modeling and forecasting of mortality, function of air quality, some methodological aspects of time series modeling and forecasting, based on Box-Jenkins methodology, are discussed with the emphasis on practical aspects. Finally, a case study using a multiplicative transfer function model with three exogenous variable representing ozone, daily average computed for the region, particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter, daily average, and temperature mean, daily average, considered as risk factors, with the effect on mortality rate, as endogenous variable, is presented.

The demand for ensuring and strengthening safety and security measures is constantly growing, requiring personalized monitoring of children throughout the school program. The education system should place greater emphasis on the presence and monitoring of students during the school year. A strong tracking system and managing and tracking student attendance can help improve safety and security in schools. Based on the analysis of the literature in the field, the author briefly presented notions related to RFID (RadioFrequency Identification), the benefits of this technology, and a conceptual model of an RFID presence monitoring system developed on an IoT platform. It is expected that the results obtained by using this system will be able to support the processing of school data, to automatically generate accurate statistical data and to be able to reduce data manipulation. The application will allow the permanent visualization of students’ presence by parents and teachers and their warning if the presence of students reaches a critical value, which is an element of novelty.

The paper presents a general approach for change detection in vibration signals with application in machine health monitoring using advanced signal processing techniques. These techniques mainly include change detection (CD) algorithms, independent component analysis, time-frequency analysis, energy concentration evaluation, as auxiliary tools for feature extraction and analysis of vibration signals. They operate in a reduced dimension space, highlight and enhance the changes in signals. Finally, the paper presents a case study in health status monitoring of an industrial pump.

The paper presents research on the concept of intelligent government in the context of the use of IoT technologies and wireless sensor networks. Smart governance targets the future of public services and focuses on using new technologies to streamline decision-making and management processes. The extending of modern ICT capacities and the increasing need for information services systems widespread impose the need to find solutions to the interoperability problems at the technical, informational and organizational level. Our research has focused on interoperability issues and on finding solutions to the challenges process of moving from eGovernment to smart governance. Finally, the paper presents a general framework architecture for smart governance, based on new IoT, fog and Cloud technologies. It is proposed to redesign the ICT infrastructure by virtualizing network resources and data and using advanced data analysis methods to enable better collaboration between government, government institutions, the business environment and citizens.

The aim of this paper is to develop a group decision approach for the supplier selection problem. Suppose that a manager wants to purchase a set of devices based on the offer of a few suppliers such that several constraints are met. The proposed decision support approach combines a group decision method that calculates the performance devices and the selection risk associated with it, as well as a Multi-Objective model for the supplier selection. Every single device is evaluated by a group of evaluators across a certain set of criteria. The divergent opinions of the evaluators generate the selection risk related to the respective portfolio of devices. A new Multi-Objective model for the supplier selection problem is formulated. It has two objective functions: risk minimization and performance maximization. Starting from the aforementioned model a minimum risk model with budget and performance constraints has been formulated. A case study connected with the purchase of certain medical devices has been conducted and the related numerical results have been analysed. Our approach can help managers in the purchasing management. Based on it a software module can be realized and embedded in a decision support system.

Time-frequency image processing is considered in the context of change detection and diagnosis purposes based on signal processing paradigm. A method for selection and extraction of features from time-frequency is considered and evaluated. New images are obtained by applying a criterion based on the contours generated by the main components of the analyzed time-frequency image. The transformed images are less complex, and could be white and black only. Features based on statistical moments are considered, selected and used to define discriminant functions, in order to improve the results of the classification. The features include the number of the contours, the average area defined by the contours, the variance of the areas and the Renyi entropies. As case study, signals coming from vibration generated by faults in bearings are considered.

Modeling and simulation are some of the most advanced and powerful tools for analyzing operational performance in companies to support continuous adaptation to market needs. There is a wide range of simulation software packages available on the market. They offer a large variety of applications, have different prices and features and use different modeling approaches and strategies. This article develops a approach based on a multi-criteria method that helps companies select the right simulation software, that will improve the company's productivity. Because the problem of selecting a software product is a multicriteria decision problem with contradictory objectives, we shall use the extension theory and the MatterElement (ME) method for solving it. The ME method for several alternatives and a single level of the criteria is presented in steps. The multi-criteria approach is applied for a case study connected with selection of simulation software. Three alternatives are evaluated according to 17 criteria that are of interest to the manager. The approach offers a structured way for describing the problem that takes into account the criteria related to the features of the simulation software. The weights associated with the criteria are chosen in such a way as to ensure a correct evaluation of the alternatives in order to achieve a set of objectives.

Evaluation and analysis in health care is a complex task that may involve handling uncertainties and trade-offs between multiple, often conflicting criteria. In the present paper, a multi-criteria weighting approach is proposed for evaluation and analysis of Quality of Life (QoL) criteria. Based on the evaluations of a group of experts and using a Rough Analytical Hierarchy Process (RAHP) weighting method, the QoL criteria weights are determined. The expert evaluation’s uncertainty is modeled with the rough sets theory. The proposed approach is validated by a case study that performs an analysis of WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire criteria. In the case study, weights are calculated for physical health, psychological, social relations and environment criteria. A comparison between the RAHP weights obtained and the AHP weights is achieved. The result of the analysis shows that the order of importance of criteria from the most important to the least important is the following: physical health, psychological, social relations and environment.

Managers need to make informed choices about what to buy in order to meet priority needs and to avoid wasting limited resources. The procurement decision is a very difficult task since there exists a great variety of brands, vendors and equipment performances. In the present paper, we have developed a decision process for equipment procurement in which are used, in combination, a Multi-Criteria subjective weighting method SWARA (Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) for equipment evaluation weights, an adaptation of SAW (Simple Additive Weighting) for equipment performance and a new Multi-Objective optimization model for equipment procurement. TheMulti-Objective model considers several types of equipment, their costs and their performances. The model aims to be an aiding in the decision process of equipment procurement. Managers of health care systems need to find in their choices a compromise between the cost of procurement, brands' reputation, vendors' reputation and equipment performance. A numerical example for medical equipment procurement, based on sensors, is studied.

A well-known problem for which it is difficult to improve the textbook algorithm is computing the graph diameter. We present two versions of a simple algorithm (one being Monte Carlo and the other deterministic) that for every fixed h and unweighted undirected graph G with n vertices and m edges, either correctly concludes that diam(G) < hn or outputs diam(G), in time O(m + n^{1+o(1)}). The algorithm combines a simple randomized strategy for this problem (Damaschke, IWOCA'16) with a popular framework for computing graph distances that is based on range trees (Cabello and Knauer, Computational Geometry'09). We also prove that under the Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis (SETH), we cannot compute the diameter of a given n-vertex graph in truly subquadratic time, even if the diameter is an Θ(n/ log n).

As part of the EU Cybersecurity strategy the European Commission proposed the EU Network and Information Security Directive. The NIS (Network Information Security) Directive (see EU 2016/1148) is the first piece of EU-wide cybersecurity legislation. The goal is to enhance cybersecurity across the EU. Romania has some legislation about information security and cybersecurity such as Decision no. 271/2013 for the approval of the Cyber Security Strategy of Romania and the National Action Plan on the Implementation of the National Cyber Security System published at 25 March 2013. In this context, the NIS Directive successfully complements the legislative framework in the field of cyber security. The Information Security Manager training program represents a part of strategy to implement NIS Directive in Romanian institutions, because it is very important to institutions has a qualified human resource to implement this Directive. In this context, National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (ICI - Bucharest) develops, through Lifelong Learning Centre, the CISO program focused on specialization in information security. The Information Security Manager training program addresses people who design, develop and manage the security of organizational information and who have experience in areas such as Information Security Governance, Information Risk Management, Development of the information security program, Information security program management and Incident management. The competencies obtained after graduating from the training program are: • Establishment of strategy and management in the field of information security, harmonized with the strategy of the organization, • Planning, designing, implementing and evaluating the information security management system based on risks and requirements • Designing the organization's security measures in accordance with the risk analysis of information security • Integrate information security requirements at the organization level set out in third-party contracts and activities and so on. The program consists of 6 training modules, with a duration of about 40 hours, with a weekly distribution, but accessible according to the student's needs. Each module contains a theoretical, interactive module that uses game-based self-learning methods, interactive phrases puzzles, and an application part with problem-solving methods based on scenarios the student needs to solve. These training modules are: • Module I – Information security – basic concepts • Module II – Information security Management system (ISMS. Designing • Module III – Risk Management • Module IV – Designing security measures for implementing the ISMS • Module V - Information security Management system. Implementing • Module VI - Monitoring, evaluation, improvement of ISMS. In the future we intend to certify this course at national level and to align with the national occupational standards on information security management system.

The INTELLIT project develops a virtual online museum of the Romanian literature. The sources of data made available and provided by the Romanian Academy, such as: General Dictionary of Romanian Literature, Timeline of the Romanian Literary Life and the canonical works of Romanian writers are digitized and indexed using smart text analytics. One of the challenges with this process is dealing with diacritics and textual accents. Here, we present an in-depth analysis of possible solutions and describe our implementation for detecting various Unicode text processing. We present the solution identified as an accessible way to remove specific Unicode text code points in order to greatly improve our search and filtering capabilities while still preserving the original source (at the database level).

The INTELLIT project develops a virtual online museum of the Romanian literature. The sources of data made available and provided by the Romanian Academy, such as: General Dictionary of Romanian Literature, Timeline of the Romanian Literary Life and the canonical works of Romanian writers are digitized and indexed using smart text analytics. One of the challenges with this process is dealing with diacritics and textual accents. Here, we present an in-depth analysis of possible solutions and describe our implementation for detecting various Unicode text processing. We present the solution identified as an accessible way to remove specific Unicode text code points in order to greatly improve our search and filtering capabilities while still preserving the original source (at the database level).

A way of highlighting and promoting the most important and significant components of the national heritage is to harness them through Internet-based technologies. This paper presents the proposed digital solution for the promotion and preservation of collections of information from the Romanian literary patrimony using intelligent digital solutions for the extraction and systematization of knowledge. This digital solution, a platform, will offer advanced, intelligent semantic search and analysis services and prediction forms concerning Romanian literature. This paper presents several important platforms, systems and projects that are linked to the Literary Heritage. Then, a comparative analysis of the functionality, limitations and opportunities of the most relevant online platforms is presented, followed by the description of the main features of INTELLIT platform.

The periodic QZ (pQZ) algorithm is the key solver in many applications, including periodic systems, cyclicmatrices and matrix pencils, and solution of skew-Hamiltonian/Hamiltonian eigenvalue problems, which, inturn, is basic in optimal and robust control, and characterization of dynamical systems. This algorithm operateson a formal product of matrices. For numerical reasons, the standard pQZ algorithm uses an implicit approachduring the iterative process. The shifts needed to increase the convergence rate are implicitly defined andapplied via an embedding, which essentially allows to reduce the processing to transformations of the data byGivens rotations. But the implicit approach may not converge for some periodic eigenvalue problems. A new,semi-implicit approach is proposed to avoid convergence failures and reduce the number of iterations. Thisapproach uses shifts computed explicitly, but without evaluating the matrix product. The shifts are appliedvia a suitable embedding. The combination of the implicit and semi-implicit schemes proved beneficial forimproving the behavior of the pQZ algorithm. The numerical results for several extensive tests have shown noconvergence failures and a reduced number of iterations.

In this paper, we propose a new method for solving linear algebraic systems based on the KSOR method. The new approach introduces a new coefficient in the assumed updated section from the KSOR method. It obtains the same solution as KSOR for a given linear algebraic system, but in order to get this, we have to modify the diagonal of the coefficient matrix of the initial system. The new method reaches the solution in fewer steps than KSOR on certain examples, but we have an additional step for the modification mentioned above with O(m) complexity, while a normal step of iteration has O(m2) complexity, so overall our method has better performances than KSOR method. Furthermore, on certain examples, the spectral radius of the iteration matrix of the new method is strictly less than the one of KSOR and MKSOR methods.

Recent years witnessed an explosive increase of power consumption in data centers. This increase raised serious concerns due to its high economic and environmental impact. The most important power consumers in data centers are IT hardware and cooling systems. For modern data centers, it is important to select the appropriate power models for improving energy efficiency. This paper provides an overview of recent processor power models, more commonly used for data centers and an analysis of the performance and power consumption for different systems with various types of processors and workloads. In order to perform this analysis, a database was built starting from a data collection from the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC). The data collection was developed with the Server Efficiency Rating Tool (SERT) methodology. SERT has been recognized for several years as one of the best methods for characterizing server efficiency. For the analysis of systems performance and power consumption with various types of processors, the Pearson correlation is then calculated. Processor power models help data centers managers to identify opportunities for power consumption optimization. Their use increases the efficiency of power consumption management and control at a data center level.