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This paper deals with the two-stage transportation problem with fixed charges, denoted by TSTPFC. We propose a fast solving method, designed for parallel environments, that allows solving real-world applications efficiently. The proposed constructive heuristic algorithm is iterative and its primary feature is that the solution search domain is reduced at each iteration. Our achieved computational results were compared with those of the existing solution approaches. We tested the method on two sets of instances available in literature. The outputs prove that we have identified a very competitive approach as compared to the methods than one can find in literature.

The objective of the paper is to introduce a novel approach using the multi-attribute border approximation area comparison (MABAC) approach under intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) to solve the smartphone selection problem with incomplete weights or completely unknown weights. A novel discrimination measure of IFSs is proposed to calculate criteria weights. In view of the fact that the ambiguity is an unavoidable feature of multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems, the proposed approach is an innovative process in the decision-making under uncertain settings. To express the utility and strength of the developed approach for solving problems in the area of MCDM, a smartphone selection problem is demonstrated. To validate the IF-MABAC approach, a comparative discussion is made between the outcomes of the developed and those of the existing methods. The outcomes of analysis demonstrate that the introduced method is well-ordered and effective with the existing ones.

Traffic flow forecasting is an acknowledged time series problem whose solutions have been essentially grounded on statistical-based models. Recent times came, however, with promising results regarding the use of Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), such as Long Short-Term Memory networks (LSTMs), to accurately address time series problems. Literature is, however, evasive in regard to several aspects of the conceived models and often exhibits misconceptions that may lead to important pitfalls. This study aims to conceive and find the best possible LSTM model for traffic flow forecasting while addressing several important aspects of such models such as the multitude of input features, the time frames used by the model and the employed approach for multi-step forecasting. To overcome the spatial problem of open source datasets, this study presents and describes a new dataset collected by the authors of this work. After several weeks of model fitting, Recursive Multi-Step Multi-Variate models were the ones showing better performance, strengthening the perception that LSTMs can be used to accurately forecast the traffic flow for several future timesteps.

Data users are generally interested in two types of aggregated information: summarization of the selected attribute(s) for all considered entities, and retrieval and evaluation of entities by the requirements posed on the relevant attributes. Less statistically literate users (e.g. domain experts) and the business intelligence strategic dashboards can benefit from the linguistic summarization, i.e. a summary like the most of customers are middle–aged can be understood immediately. Evaluation of the mandatory and optional requirements of the structure ${P_{1}}$ and most of the other posed predicates should be satisfied is beneficial for analytical business intelligence dashboards and search engines in general. This work formalizes the integration of aforementioned quantified summaries and quantified evaluation into the concept of database queries to empower their flexibility by, e.g. the nested quantified query conditions on hierarchical data structures. Next, this approach contributes to the mitigation of the empty answer problem in data retrieval tasks. Thus, the strategic and analytical dashboards as well as query engines might benefit from the proposed approach. Finally, the obtained results are illustrated on examples, the internal and external trustworthiness is elaborated, and the future research topics and applicability are discussed.

This paper proposes a new family of 4-dimensional chaotic cat maps. This family is then used in the design of a novel block-based image encryption scheme. This scheme is composed of two independent phases, a robust light shuffling phase and a masking phase which operate on image-blocks. It utilizes measures of central tendency to mix blocks of the image at hand to enhance security against a number of cryptanalytic attacks. The mixing is designed so that while encryption is highly sensitive to the secret key and the input image, decryption is robust against noise and cropping of the cipher-image. Empirical results show high performance of the suggested scheme and its robustness against well-known cryptanalytic attacks. Furthermore, comparisons with existing image encryption methods are presented which demonstrate the superiority of the proposed scheme.

One of the results of the evolution of business process management (BPM) is the development of information technology (IT), methodologies and software tools to manage all types of processes – from traditional, structured processes to unstructured processes, for which it is not possible to define a detailed flow as a sequence of tasks to be performed before implementation. The purpose of the article is to present the evolution of intelligent BPM systems (iBPMS) and dynamic case management/adaptive case management systems (DCMS/ACMS) and show that they converge into one class of systems, additionally absorbing new emerging technologies such as process mining, robotic process automation (RPA), or machine learning/artificial intelligence (ML/AI). The content of research reports on iBPMS and DCMS systems by Gartner and Forrester consulting companies from the last 10 years was analysed. The nature of this study is descriptive and based solely on information from secondary data sources. It is an argumentative paper, and the study serves as the arguments that relate to the main research questions. The research results reveal that under business pressure, the evolution of both classes of systems (iBPMS and DCMS/ACMS) tends to cover the functionality of the same area of requirements by enabling the support of processes of different nature. This de facto means the creation of one class of systems, although for marketing reasons, some vendors will still offer separate products for some time to come. The article shows that the main driver of unified software system development is not the new possibilities offered by IT, but the requirements imposed on BPM by the increasingly stronger impact of knowledge management (KM) with regard to the way business processes are executed. Hence the anticipation of the further evolution of methodologies and BPM supporting systems towards integration with KM and elements of knowledge management systems (KMS). This article presents an original view on the features and development trends of software systems supporting BPM as a consequence of knowledge economy (KE) requirements in accordance with the concept of dynamic BPM.

This study aims to evaluate patients with limited state of changes in coronary arteries detected by coronary angiography, the dynamics of these changes over the two years, identify the relevant diagnostic criteria, and assess the efficacy of applied treatment by using speckle tracking echocardiography. Peak radial and circumferential strain and SR (systolic, early, and late diastolic strains) were measured based on the short-axis view; peak longitudinal strain and SR were measured from the apical side of four- two- and three-chamber views. Radial, longitudinal (GLS), circumferential global and regional strains were calculated as an average of measurements. All patients $(n-146)$ were assigned to normal (control) and CAD groups according to cardiac angiography results. 128 of them were evaluated repeatedly after two years. Depending on angiography findings, LAD (85.83%) stenosis predominate, when subsequently fewer instances of RCA (52.5%) or LCX (40.83%) were observed. Most (about 80%) of the patients had one or two-vessel disease and only 20% had systemic all three-vessel disease. Analysis of STE data in groups during a two-year study period showed statistically reliable differences associated with a particular coronary artery. In the control group: RCA – myocardial circumferential strain $(p-0.037)$; LAD – no changes; LCX – early $(p-0.013)$ and late diastolic longitudinal $(p-0.033)$ strains. Subsequently, in the CAD group: RCA – diastolic circumferential strain rate $(p-0.007)$; LAD – myocardial longitudinal strain $(p-0.006)$, systolic longitudinal $(p-0.038)$ and circumferential strain $(p-0.012)$ rates, early diastolic circumferential $(p-0.008)$ and late diastolic longitudinal $(p-0.037)$ strain rates; LCX – myocardial longitudinal $(p-0.049)$ strain. Between groups, we detected significant changes in such circumferential strain rates, respectively: RCA – systolic $(p=0.037)$, early diastolic $(p=0.019)$, and late diastolic $(p=0.024)$ strain rates; LAD – no changes; LCX – early diastolic longitudinal strain $(p-0.004)$. The clinical condition of our patients over the two years has improved both in control and CAD groups, according to GLS. We hold the opinion that microvascular angina (MVA) may be responsible for such an improvement because the main diagnostic criteria and common treatment with ACE inhibitors, statins, β-blockers, antithrombotic, and nitrates was typical and effective for MVA treatment.

In cryptography, key establishment protocols are often the starting point paving the way towards secure execution of different tasks. Namely, the parties seeking to achieve some cryptographic task, often start by establishing a common high-entropy secret that will eventually be used to secure their communication. In this paper, we put forward a security model for group key establishment ($\mathsf{GAKE}$) with an adversary that may execute efficient quantum algorithms, yet only once the execution of the protocol has concluded. This captures a situation in which keys are to be established in the present, while security guarantees must still be provided in the future when quantum resources may be accessible to a potential adversary.

Ligand Based Virtual Screening methods are widely used in drug discovery as filters for subsequent in-vitro and in-vivo characterization. Since the databases processed are enormously large, this pre-selection process requires the use of fast and precise methodologies. In this work, the similarity between compounds is measured in terms of electrostatic potential. To do so, we propose a new and alternative methodology, called LBVS-Electrostatic. Accordingly to the obtained results, we are able to conclude that many of the compounds proposed with our novel approach could not be discovered with the classical one.

As the tourism and mobile internet develop, car sharing is becoming more and more popular. How to select an appropriate car sharing platform is an important issue to tourists. The car sharing platform selection can be regarded as a kind of multi-attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problems. The probabilistic linguistic term set (PLTS) is a powerful tool to express tourists’ evaluations in the car sharing platform selection. This paper develops a probabilistic linguistic group decision making method for selecting a suitable car sharing platform. First, two aggregation operators of PLTSs are proposed. Subsequently, a fuzzy entropy and a hesitancy entropy of a PLTS are developed to measure the fuzziness and hesitancy of a PLTS, respectively. Combining the fuzzy entropy and hesitancy entropy, a total entropy of a PLTS is generated. Furthermore, a cross entropy between PLTSs is proposed as well. Using the total entropy and cross entropy, DMs’ weights and attribute weights are determined, respectively. By defining preference functions with PLTSs, an improved PL-PROMETHEE approach is developed to rank alternatives. Thereby, a novel method is proposed for solving MAGDM with PLTSs. A car sharing platform selection is examined at length to show the application and superiority of the proposed method.