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The paper presents selected preliminary stage key issues proposed extended equivalence measurement results assessment for new portable devices - the comparability PM10 concentration results hourly series with reference station measurement results with statistical methods. In article presented new portable meters technical aspects. The emphasis was placed on the comparability the results using the stochastic and exploratory methods methodology concept. The concept is based on notice that results series simple comparability in the time domain is insufficient. The comparison of regularity should be done in three complementary fields of statistical modeling: time, frequency and space. The proposal is based on model’s results of five annual series measurement results new mobile devices and WIOS (Provincial Environmental Protection Inspectorate) reference station located in Nowy Sacz city. The obtained results indicate both the comparison methodology completeness and the high correspondence obtained new measurements results devices with reference.

The purpose of this research is to attempt to evaluate the extent, to which technical standards related to marine fuels and thereby also sulphur dioxide (SO2) content in engine exhausts from vessels operating on the Baltic Sea have been effective in curbing the negative impact of marine shipping on air quality, in particular in port cities. Marine environment protection is governed by the provisions of the MARPOL 73/78 International Convention, which Poland ratified as a party. Different areas of concern for marine shipping have been regulated in separate Appendices to the Convention. The first step was to introduce severe restrictions on SOx emissions in view of the fact that heavy marine fuel is the lowest-quality kerosene-derived fuel with a large content of sulphur. A gradual process was put in place to reduce its content in marine fuel. As a consequence, the world’s marine areas were divided into sulphur emission control areas (also known as SECA) and other areas. In Europe, these areas include the entire Baltic Sea and large portions of the North Sea. Another important technical and economic measure was to lower the limit of sulphur content in marine fuel to 0.1% in all SECA areas, with the limits remaining unchanged in the other areas. Two dates were of key importance for the investigation: 2010, when the reduction in sulphur content of marine fuels from 1.5% to 1% was mandated, and 2015, when the standard for sulphur content was dramatically lowered to 0.1%. In the first stage, the concentration of sulphur dioxide was researched as one of the factors preceding air contamination with suspended particles in the Gdańsk - Gdynia area in the period from 2005 to 2016, as investigated by four automatic reference measurement stations in the ARMAAG network (hourly data) located in the immediate vicinity of the sea (AM4, AM5, AM6 and AM8). The research concerned the arrival of high concentrations of sulphur blown in from the sea by the wind. Another key factor was the secondary data on the number of ships, in the form of monthly series, starting from 2007. The analysis was performed in stages. In the first stage, the quality of measurement and secondary data were evaluated using a unique data quality assessment method. Further on, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) models were constructed to identify spatial correlations between SO2 concentration distributions, which were used later as a basis on which to determine synthetic measures of average hourly concentrations for the entire agglomeration area. Subsequently, the impact of the SO2 source (influx from the Baltic Sea to the agglomeration areas) was gauged separately for each individual station. The PCA models constructed on the basis of hourly data corroborated the synthetic measures as correct, making it possible to identify the similarity of concentration distributions across the investigated stations. Multi-Dimensional Regression Models and Generalized Regression Models (GRM) have made it possible to identify the period, in which the concentration of sulphur dioxide dropped steadily (from 2010 to 2016), as well as the seasonal impact of variation in SO2 concentration and the number of ships. The hourly data was converted to average monthly, quarterly and annual values, depending on the mathematical model and purpose of research.

The interest in the natural environment, in particular the ambient air, has been growing. For this reason, growing interest in measuring of concentration of pollutants in the air. To the reduction of costs and time of obtained results, increasingly are used non-reference, alternative methods and devices. However, it is necessary to ensure equivalence of results obtained by alternative methods with the results of the reference method. One of the equivalence issues is the assessment of the measurements uncertainty of the alternative method in relation to the reference method. This uncertainty is understood as the probability of obtaining a measurement result which differs from the real (reference) result by a predetermined value. Uncertainty can be caused by many reasons: imperfect implementation of the definition of the measurand, incomplete knowledge of the influence of external factors, heterogeneity of the analyzed phenomenon, errors of the measuring device and others. The paper presents methods for testing the uncertainty of measurements used in the study of equivalence and also proposed extending the test procedure with equivalence models, different from the linear regression models.

This article is an attempt to assess the suitability of new non-reference mobile measuring devices for the analysis of PM10 concentrations. The aim is to compare the concentration daily values measured by these devices with the concentrations obtained by the reference device. It also examines the possibility of building models that correct these values to equivalent reference values. The analysis allows to conclude that the properties of the obtained measurements indicate a good chance of constructing an effective model of correcting the concentration values. Comparison of frequency, time variation and correlation of concentrations indicates the ability to demonstrate the equivalence of mobile devices with the reference method.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how to integrate the FlexSim simulation environment with an R engine to enable use of the predictive algorithm results for real-time simulation run management. Design/methodology/approach: Using a simple but easily generalizable simulation model representing a broad set of real-world solutions used in logistics and manufacturing, we outline how to combine FlexSim and the R language. In particular, we present the necessary settings of the objects that make up the simulation model, including event-initiating triggers, as well as the structure of a program written in R, together with the necessary instructions. Findings: The case study showed that synchronous, i.e. real-time, communication between the simulation model and the R computing environment is possible and allows the simulation process to be controlled. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of the presented approach is the synchronization of file read and write operations, and this is an area for further investigation. Practical implications: The solution proposed in this paper allows for the development and testing of simulations created in FlexSim using the results of optimization models or predictive algorithms developed using the R language, in real time – i.e. in the course of the simulation process. This approach can be used to simulate any process that is modeled using a discreteevent simulator, particularly in fields such as logistics or manufacturing. Originality/value: The study can be of value to anyone involved in modeling and simulating real-world processes using FlexSim, for whom so far the problem has been to incorporate the output of algorithms obtained with other computing environments into the simulation run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the interdependencies between Smart City areas as well as the aspects and areas between resident-oriented IT areas of the city. Design / methodology / approach: The data for the study was collected during a survey of 287 cities for Smart City. The study of interdependence was based on a correlation analysis using: Pearson's correlation coefficient, Cramér's V coefficient, and Kendall's tau. In addition, a PCA analysis was used to reduce variable dimensions. Findings: The results of the research indicate that the scope of using services within e-office services is more strongly related to functionality than to IT equipment. In turn, the economic area plays a fundamental role in the perception of the city as a Smart City. There was also a clear difference in self-evaluation regarding Smart City areas and IT aspects of the city depending on the size of the city. However, this difference does not translate into declarations regarding the readiness for evaluation in Smart City categories. Originality/value: presentation of the relationship between the areas defining the concept of Smart City dependence on the basis of an original study addressed to city representatives. The results of the study allow us to look at the Smart City concept from the perspective of the city. The results of the analysis, in addition to scientists dealing with Smart City, may be of interest to city managers in Poland. They show the way of understanding and dependencies between individual areas. They also show those dependencies that need to be strengthened in the context of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]