VGTU Journals (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University - Vilnius Tech)
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Artificial intelligence in aesthetic situation management: new solutions supporting or substituting an art creator
No full textThe article aims to define and describe potential areas of an aesthetic situation in which artificial intelligence may be applied in supporting or substituting roles. Analysing relations between artist, artwork, art recipient, the world of values, and the real world – based on the components of the aesthetic situation theory by Maria Gołaszewska in the Outline of Aesthetics (orig. Zarys estetyki, first published in 1984) and its development by applying the managerial lens by Michał Szostak in the Art of Management – Management of Art (orig. Sztuka zarządzania – zarządzanie sztuką, first published in 2023), allows to define particular universal areas of an aesthetic situation where artificial intelligence may be applied. The central methodological approach is a literature review on an aesthetic situation, aesthetic situation management, and artificial intelligence and its use in aesthetic situation management. The analysis results define two groups of artificial intelligence roles within an aesthetic situation: supporting and substituting. Both roles are described in detail based on aesthetic situation components and their management by an artist who is considered a manager of the aesthetic situation. Limitations of the considerations and directions of future research are defined
Bibliotherapy initiatives as a means of creativity in prisons: international and Hungarian cases reflected in the professional literature
No full textPrison libraries open a window to the world. Initiatives in close cooperation with organizations outside the prison form a bridge to culture, providing events for detainees that, figuratively speaking, take them beyond the prison walls. This essay examines prison library reading groups, initiatives, and activities that may contribute to detainees’ pulling through the period spent in prison and shaping their personalities. We examine bibliotherapy and its advantages. Providing prison library services to detainees can be a powerful experience for detainees serving their sentences, and the far-reaching and lasting effects of reading are unquestionable. The popularity of the programmes is unbroken. In addition to the detainees’ getting out of the cells and establishing social bonds, these programmes typically improve the detainee’s general mood, reduce their anxiety, and improve their communication and emotional expression skills. In the second part of the article, we collect exciting and unique initiatives from all over the world. The presented cases clearly show that the provision of various reading therapies and cultural and educational activities for detainees can contribute to making prison sentences more tolerable. Collecting innovative experiences and creative solutions is helpful because these initiatives can even serve as models for other countries
Tokenization and the future of property investment: A new paradigm for real estate
No full textTokenization has improved liquidity, access to markets and ownership models for real estate investments. This research aims to analyze applications, enablers and challenges of tokenization by conducting a systematic literature review of 75 peer-reviewed journal articles that discuss real estate tokenization using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework. The findings show that tokenization allows more efficient markets with automation, transparency, and liquidity; new investment methods in real estate, such as crowdfunding and fractional ownership; and reductions of any limits of traditional real estate through the reduction of costs, faster transactions, and higher investor engagement. Nevertheless, there are still barriers to real estate tokenization including technological risks, regulatory fragmentation, and the reluctance of organizations towards decentralized asset structures. These are supported by the literature review findings. These barriers highlight the necessity of investor education, technology standardization, and regulatory harmonization with the aim of promoting wider adoption. This paper lays the groundwork for future research into risk management, scalability, and institutional integration of real estate tokenization by highlighting important gaps in existing literature and consolidating previous studies. Ultimately, even though tokenization has a lot of potential to change the real estate market, its long-term success depends on the development of accurate legal frameworks and the seamless incorporation of tokenized assets into conventionnel financial systems
How does environmental tax reform drive corporate innovation to green technologies? Quasi-natural experimental evidence from China
No full textHow to motivate enterprises to formulate green technology (GT) innovation is crucial for promoting green development and minimizing pollution control costs. This research employs a quasi-experimental approach to analyze the impact of environmental tax reform (ETR) on corporate innovation decisions. First, we construct a two-sector model within a single enterprise, where the enterprise produces goods using GT and non-green technology (NGT) respectively. ETR influences a company’s innovation choices by the relative market value, R&D intensity, and productivity of products manufactured using GT and NGT under profit maximization. Second, we test our model using 20122023 manufacturing firms’ data, and the empirical results confirm our theoretical predictions. Third, we perform robustness tests to exclude the impact of subsidies, command and control environmental supervision and the COVID-19 epidemic. Fourth, we conduct heterogeneity analysis in polluting level and market competition. Finally, this study uses two instrumental variables (IVs) to validate our main regression results: the interaction between regional water area and industrial chemical oxygen demand, and the proportion of days affected by temperature inversion. This study contributes to the literature related to innovation choices under environmental policy and has implications for directing firms’ innovation to GT
Linking collaborative supplier social sustainability practices and supplier performance in asymmetric power relationships with buyers
No full textThis article objective is to identify factors related to collaborative supplier social sustainability practices and supplier international performance, and to propose a set of propositions regarding their relationships within a conceptual model. The research context includes manufacturing companies of various sizes located in Poland, which are predominantly Polish-owned and act as suppliers to large foreign buyers in relationships characterized by power asymmetry. The study determines which operationalizations of the main factors should be retained through factor extraction, evaluates their internal consistency using exploratory factor analysis, and validates the control variables. The conceptual model distinguishes between two areas of supplier collaboration on social sustainability practices: supply chain collaboration and horizontal collaboration. Future research may focus on examining the direct impact of these forms of collaboration on suppliers’ financial and non-financial performance in the context of their international operations
Advancing civil infrastructure with digital twins: a review of applications and challenges
No full textThe digital twins (DTs) technology has emerged as a ground-breaking approach in the management and maintenance of civil infrastructure, providing a virtual representation of physical systems which are continuously updated with realtime data from IoT sensors and simulations. Initially introduced in the manufacturing sector, the concept of digital twins has been extended to civil engineering, offering a significant potential for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, optimized asset management, and enhanced decision-making. This paper provides a comprehensive survey of the applications of the digital twins technology in civil infrastructure, with a particular focus on structural health monitoring (SHM), predictive maintenance, smart city frameworks, and disaster response systems. By reviewing existing methodologies, case studies, and practical implementations, this paper highlights the transformative impact of DTs in improving the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of infrastructure systems, including bridges, buildings, and transportation networks. Despite the numerous advantages of DTs, several challenges impede their widespread adoption in civil engineering. These challenges include high implementation costs due to the need for sophisticated sensors, high-performance computing, and advanced simulation tools. Additionally, data integration and interoperability issues between various data sources and platforms hinder seamless adoption. Cybersecurity risks associated with real-time monitoring systems and the protection of critical infrastructure are also discussed. This survey identifies these barriers and outlines the necessary technological advancements which may help overcoming the barriers. These include standardized data formats, enhanced AI-driven predictive models, and scalable cloud solutions, among others. This paper concludes by highlighting future research directions to address the identified challenges, emphasizing the need for collaboration across academia, industry, and government to fully unlock the potential of DTs technology. With continued advancements in machine learning, edge computing, and secure data protocols, DTs are poised to revolutionize infrastructure management, contributing to smarter, safer, and more efficiently built environments
Analysis of the structural parameters of engineered wood
No full textThis study hypothesises that the tensile strength of wood-duroplastic composites (WDPC) is influenced by wood waste particle size and shape. The research investigated whether variations in the structural composition of wood waste particles have a significant impact on the properties of composite materials. The analysis of the three types of wood waste—door production, packaging, and demolition waste—was conducted following mechanical and chemical treatment. The characterisation of particles was conducted through granulometric analysis and morphological evaluation using ImageJ software. Composite samples were then developed using biopolyurethane binders. Tensile strength tests were conducted after 30 days of curing. The findings of the present study indicated that the morphology of the particles, especially their aspect ratio and circularity, had a significant impact on the strength of the composite materials. Despite their comparatively greater density, attributable to their aluminium content, samples of door waste did not demonstrate superior tensile strength. The present study makes a contribution to the field of sustainable waste reuse strategies and presents practical insights into the development of engineered wood products.
Article in English.
Dirbtinės medienos struktūrinių parametrų analizė
Santrauka
Šio tyrimo hipotezė teigia, kad medienos duroplastiko (WDPC) kompozitų tempiamasis stipris priklauso nuo medienos atliekų dalelių dydžio ir formos. Tyrime buvo nagrinėjama, ar skirtinga medienos atliekų dalelių struktūrinė sudėtis veikia kompozitinių medžiagų savybes. Buvo tiriamos trijų tipų medienos atliekos – durų gamybos, pakavimo pramonės bei baldų ir statybos pramonės atliekos – analizę atliekant po mechaninio ir termocheminio atliekų apdorojimo. Dalelėms charakterizuoti buvo nustatinėjama granuliometrinė sudėtis bei kiekvienos rūšies ir frakcijos medienos atliekų dalelių forma, vertinimui naudojant ImageJ programinę įrangą. Atlikus medienos atliekų dalelių analizę, naudojant biopoliuretaninį rišiklį, suformuoti kompozitinės medžiagos bandiniai. Bandiniai 30 dienų buvo kietinami ir vėliau atlikti bandymai nustatant tempiamąjį stiprį. Nustatytas reikšmingas ryšys tarp kompozitą sudarančių dalelių morfologinių parametrų, ypač AR (aspect ratio), apskritumo ir stipruminių savybių. Nepaisant to, kad bandiniai iš durų gamybos atliekų turėjo didesnį tankį dėl sudėtyje buvusių aliuminio dalelių, tempiamojo stiprio rezultatai reikšmingai nesiskyrė. Šis tyrimas prisideda prie tvaraus atliekų naudojimo strategijų kūrimo, taip pat jame pateikiamos praktinės įžvalgos, susijusios su dirbtinės medienos gaminių kūrimu.
Reikšminiai žodžiai: medienos atliekos, medienos duroplastiko kompozitas, tempiamasis stipris, dalelių morfologija, cheminis apdorojimas, biopoliuretanas, tvarumas, granuliometrija, atliekų perdirbimas, žiedinė ekonomika
Evaluation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and sound absorption properties of composite materials made from coconut and sugarcane fibers
No full textAgriculture plays a crucial part in the economic growth of several developing nations; however, it creates 1,300 million tons of waste each year, which generates environmental issues. Noise pollution, particularly in urban environments, is an expanding global health issue for emotional and physical health. Conventional synthetic sound absorption materials used for sound absorption pose environmental and health risks; therefore, agricultural wastes including coconut fiber and sugarcane fiber, are being sought for safer alternatives. Natural fibers as sustainable sound-absorbing solutions draw increasing research attention. This paper evaluates the Life Cycle Assessment of agriculture waste based on the SWM-GHG calculator to compare the waste management approaches by calculating the GHG emission related to the recycling and disposal of wastes from cradle to grave, and sound absorption properties of coconut and sugarcane fibers in composite materials. A non-toxic PVA binder was utilized to prepare samples with densities of 75, 100, and 125 kg/m3, and sound absorption was evaluated based on ISO 10534-2. The results show a cost-benefit trade-off in waste management where higher recycling reduces GHG emissions but increases costs; the Default Scenario results in the highest emissions (20,439 t CO2e/yr) at the lowest cost, and Scenario 3 results in the lowest emissions (5,148 t CO2e/yr) at the highest cost. Also, sugarcane fiber (75 kg/m³) achieved the highest absorption coefficient (0.94 at 800 Hz), while coconut fiber (125 kg/m³) reached 0.91 at 1000 Hz, making both suitable for acoustic applications, with coconut fiber excelling in mid to high frequencies and sugarcane fiber in low to mid frequencies, particularly at lower densities.
Article in English.
Kompozitinių medžiagų iš kokoso bei cukranendrių pluoštų gyvavimo ciklo analizė ir garso sugerties tyrimas
Santrauka
Žemės ūkis atlieka svarbų vaidmenį augant daugelio besivystančių šalių ekonomikai, tačiau kasmet sukuria apie 1300 milijonų tonų atliekų, kurios sukelia aplinkosauginių problemų. Triukšmo tarša, ypač urbanizuotose teritorijose, tampa vis aktualesne problema, darančia įtaką emocinei ir fizinei sveikatai. Įprastos sintetinės garsą sugeriančios medžiagos, naudojamos triukšmui slopinti, kelia pavojų aplinkai ir žmonių sveikatai, todėl ieškoma saugesnių alternatyvų iš žemės ūkio atliekų, tokių kaip kokoso ir cukranendrių pluoštas. Natūralūs pluoštai kaip tvarios garsą sugeriančios medžiagos vis labiau domina tyrėjus. Šiame darbe vertinamas žemės ūkio atliekų gyvavimo ciklas, siekiant palyginti skirtingas atliekų rūšis pagal šiltnamio efektą sukeliančių dujų (ŠESD) emisijas nuo žaliavos gavimo iki jų galutinio pašalinimo („nuo lopšio iki kapo“). Nagrinėjamos iš kokoso ir cukranendrių pluoštų pagamintų kompozitinių medžiagų kompozitų garso sugerties savybės remiantis ISO 10534-2. Mėginiams buvo naudotas netoksiškas PVA rišiklis, o jų tankiai buvo 75, 100 ir 125 kg/m³. Rezultatais nustatyta, kad atliekų tvarkymo srityje egzistuoja sąnaudų ir naudos balansas – perdirbimas sumažina ŠESD emisijas, tačiau didina išlaidas: pagal numatytąjį scenarijų gaunamos didžiausios emisijos (20 439 t CO₂ ekv./metus) už mažiausius kaštus, o pagal 3 scenarijų gaunamos mažiausios emisijos (5 148 t CO₂ ekv./metus). Be to, cukranendrių pluoštas (75 kg/m³) pasiekė didžiausią garso sugerties koeficientą (0,94 esant 800 Hz), o kokoso pluoštas (125 kg/m³) – 0,91 esant 1000 Hz. Kokoso pluoštas geriau sugeria vidutinių ir aukštų dažnių garsus, o cukranendrių pluoštas – žemų ir vidutinių dažnių, ypač esant mažesniam tankiui.
Reikšminiai žodžiai: gyvavimo ciklo vertinimas, ŠESD emisijos, kokoso pluoštas, cukranendrių pluoštas, garso sugerties koeficientas, triukšmo tarša
Influence of transport air pollutants on climate change in EU: case of Lithuania
No full textThe purpose of the research paper is to observe and analyse how the motorization rate of EU countries influence climate change during the last decades in terms of inventory of emissions of air pollutants from transport, giving an example of Lithuania. Passenger cars are a major polluter, accounting for 61% of total CO2 emissions from EU road transport. EU approved directions to transitioning to fossil-free transport and reducing car use in future to make the European Union carbon neutral by 2050. Research methodology is statistical analysis of motorization rate growth and air pollution in the EU countries during the period of 2014–2024. In the research paper the quantitative analysis and comparison method are applied. Findings: research paper shows that in the EU countries motorization rate is growing very fast. However the consequences of this vary from country to country. Significant disparities arise from the age of the vehicles, the type of fuel utilized, and the turnover rate of passenger cars, resulting in the current fleet not achieving an adequate decrease in CO2 emissions. This research examines the correlation between motorization levels and CO2 emissions across several EU countries over recent decades and offers potential solutions to this issue
Framework for deep reinforcement learning in Webots virtual environments
No full textReinforcement learning (RL) algorithms, particularly deep reinforcement learning (DRL), have shown transformative potential in robotics by enabling adaptive behaviour in virtual environments. However, a comprehensive framework for efficiently testing, training, and deploying robots in these environments remains underexplored. This study introduces a standardized, open-source framework designed specifically for the Webots simulation environment. Supported by a robust methodology, the framework integrates innovative design patterns and the digital twin (DT) concept with three distinct design patterns for structuring agent-environment interaction, notably including a novel pattern aimed at improving sim-toreal transferability, to enhance RL workflows. The proposed framework is validated through experimental studies on both a model the inverted pendulum and a production-grade Pioneer 3-AT robotic platform. The experiments highlight the framework’s ability to bridge the gap between virtual training and real-world implementation. All resources, including the framework, methodology, and experimental configurations, are openly accessible on GitHub