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The study of the skyline queries has received considerable attention from several database researchers since the end of 2000's. Skyline queries are an appropriate tool that can help users to make intelligent decisions in the presence of multidimensional data when different, and often contradictory criteria are to be taken into account. Based on the concept of Pareto dominance, the skyline process extracts the most interesting (not dominated in the sense of Pareto) objects from a set of data. Skyline computation methods often lead to a set with a large size which is less informative for the end users and not easy to be exploited. The purpose of this paper is to tackle this problem, known as the large size skyline problem, and propose a solution to deal with it by applying an appropriate refining process.

The problem of the skyline refinement is formalized in the fuzzy formal concept analysis setting. Then, an ideal fuzzy formal concept is computed in the sense of some particular defined criteria. By leveraging the elements of this ideal concept, one can reduce the size of the computed Skyline.

An appropriate and rational solution is discussed for the problem of interest. Then, a tool, named SkyRef, is developed. Rich experiments are done using this tool on both synthetic and real datasets.

The authors have conducted experiments on synthetic and some real datasets to show the effectiveness of the proposed approaches. However, thorough experiments on large-scale real datasets are highly desirable to show the behavior of the tool with respect to the performance and time execution criteria.

The tool developed SkyRef can have many domains applications that require decision-making, personalized recommendation and where the size of skyline has to be reduced. In particular, SkyRef can be used in several real-world applications such as economic, security, medicine and services.

This work can be expected in all domains that require decision-making like hotel finder, restaurant recommender, recruitment of candidates, etc.

This study mixes two research fields artificial intelligence (i.e. formal concept analysis) and databases (i.e. skyline queries). The key elements of the solution proposed for the skyline refinement problem are borrowed from the fuzzy formal concept analysis which makes it clearer and rational, semantically speaking. On the other hand, this study opens the door for using the formal concept analysis and its extensions in solving other issues related to skyline queries, such as relaxation.

Using social networks to identify users with traits similar to those of the target user has proven highly effective in the development of personalized recommendation systems. Existing methods treat all dimensions of user data as a whole, despite the fact that most of the information related to different dimensions is discrete. This has prompted researchers to adopt the skyline query for such search functions. Unfortunately, researchers have run into problems of instability in the number of users identified using this approach.

We thus propose the m-representative skyline queries to provide control over the number of similar users that are returned. We also developed an R-tree-based algorithm to implement the m-representative skyline queries.

By using the R-tree based algorithm, the processing speed of the m-representative skyline queries can now be accelerated. Experiment results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.

Note that with this new way of finding similar users in the social network, the performance of the personalized recommendation systems is expected to be enhanced.

The historic city of Shiraz, in the south of Iran, is renowned for its monuments and its remarkable macro skyline, which has been destructively affected by the rapid urban development. This research proposes a systematic historical analysis, which can discover the driving forces behind the evolution of the macro skyline of Shiraz, in the past as well as contemporary times.

The proposed general framework of the methodology is constituted of systematic historical mapping and documentation, which is based on a desk study and field research. Moreover, by means of this methodology, different layers and driving forces of shaping the urban macro skyline are extracted.

The outcome demonstrates 12 driving forces or contributing factors behind the evolution of the urban macro skyline. Based on the results, it is concluded that there was a shift in the subject and content of driving forces during the last century that has contributed to the destructive effects on the silhouette of Shiraz in turn.

It is suggested that the proposed comprehensive method, which is based on the historical analysis and the field survey, can be applied as a documentation platform. It is believed that the analysis and the extraction of driving forces can facilitate future urban landscape management plans as well as possible impact assessments.

Many studies rely on the analysis of historical data in landscape assessment. Nevertheless, this research develops an innovative historical analysis, which identifies the driving forces behind the evolution of the urban macro skyline over time.

The minimum profile problem of a sparse matrix is theoretically treated, and by using the results a new profile reducer is proposed. Numerical experiments clarify that the new reducer is effective for the node re‐ordering of graphs with rather complex configuration. Further considerations on the proposed method and numerical error of the skyline method are also given.

This paper reviews the current literature on the major challenges faced by building contractors in the UK due to COVID-19 to create an evaluation framework.

A PRISMA scoping review systematically maps the information published and establishes the potential challenges, as a precursor to a literature review that synthesises the data available to establish an initial COVID-19 evaluation framework to build a rationale for a future series of studies.

The research identified these seven challenges: health and safety on-site, economic cost, possible legal exposures, manpower availability, instability of the supply chain and subcontractors, and the uncertainty related to the constant and unpredictable evolution of the pandemic. The magnitude of each challenge was also found to differ depending on the size of the contractor, the rigor of local regulations and the sector where the contractor works.

This research contributes to increasing understanding on the subject and provides an initial assessment framework, based on these seven parameters, so that contractors can analyse their weaknesses and plan specific priorities so that their companies can remain competitive, minimising the impact of COVID-19 and possible future waves.

This research is timely and relevant as it produces the first academic review on how COVID-19 has affected contractors and the construction stage. This document gives a holistic view of the new scenario created by COVID-19 and creates a self-assessment system for contractors to test their resistance to COVID-19.

The paper aims to describe the human‐resource (HR) management practices that helped the Sheraton Skyline Hotel to win the London Excellence award for organizational learning.

The paper draws on information provided by the hotel's general manager.

The paper describes how the hotel recruits people on the basis of attitude rather than skills, trains them, uses 360‐degree feedback as a basis for setting their development priorities, communicates with them in an innovative way and employs a wide range of incentive schemes to preserve the “family” feel of employment at the hotel.

Contains plenty to interest HR managers operating in areas where employee turnover is traditionally high.

The paper demonstrates that recruiting the right people, training them properly and treating them well in their work can significantly reduce employee turnover and improve customer satisfaction in the hotel industry.

The purpose of this paper is to address the need for new approaches in locating items that closely match user preference criteria due to the rise in data volume of knowledge bases resulting from Open Data initiatives. Specifically, the paper focuses on evaluating SPARQL qualitative preference queries over user preferences in SPARQL.

The paper outlines a novel approach for handling SPARQL preference queries by representing preferences through symbolic weights using the possibilistic logic (PL) framework. This approach allows for the management of symbolic weights without relying on numerical values, using a partial ordering system instead. The paper compares this approach with numerous other approaches, including those based on skylines, fuzzy sets and conditional preference networks.

The paper highlights the advantages of the proposed approach, which enables the representation of preference criteria through symbolic weights and qualitative considerations. This approach offers a more intuitive way to convey preferences and manage rankings.

The paper demonstrates the usefulness and originality of the proposed SPARQL language in the PL framework. The approach extends SPARQL by incorporating symbolic weights and qualitative preferences.

The objective of this paper is mainly to contribute to and activate, the process of saving and preserving the rich tangible and intangible heritage embraced in the historic center of Al-Najaf city. This was possible through examining the existing historic urban and architectural structures of the city, unveiling the major issues that are threatening both its traditional cultural and architectural identity, and finally analyzing similar examples that proved to be successful in addressing similar problems in order to derive possible strategies for saving, preserving and revitalizing the historical center of Al-Najaf Old City.

This paper addresses the major problems of heritage preservation in Al-Najaf City (750 AD), which is one of the historical and most sacred religious centers especially for Shia Muslims around the world. Despite its importance, the rich cultural and architectural heritage of the city is dramatically neglected and seriously threatened to be lost.

Preservation in Al-Najaf City is proposed as a sustainable development strategy. Top-down and bottom-up strategies are proposed not only for preserving the historic architectural and urban characteristics of the city but also for reviving its social and cultural activities and traditions.

The major issues addressed in this paper include the fragmentation and decentralization of the cohesive traditional urban fabric, the disruption of the spatial organization, the deformation of the traditional architectural characteristics of the city and its skyline, the discontinuity of facades' patterns, the destruction and demolition of historical buildings, the transformation of land use, and the regression of traditional social and cultural activities.

This chapter explores how architecture is used as a signifier in the development and promotion of urban megaprojects (UMPs). It argues that these projects rely on architecture to gain visibility. First, UMPs need to be highly visible in order to justify their exceptional status and second, they have to be visibly new and different in order to initiate the desired symbolic transformations with which they are attributed. Drawing on the case studies of HafenCity in Hamburg and Donau City in Vienna the chapter traces the logics of using architecture as a signifier and means of legitimizing the UMP. Data on the planning history of the two case studies, their administrative and institutional frameworks and the overall urban development strategies is combined with a qualitative text and image centered analysis of marketing material, planning documents, and press articles. The discussion shows how visibility is achieved by very different means. The question of how to distinguish the UMP from other projects and of how to make it uniquely identified with the particular city guides the debate in both cases. However, the lines of argument are not predictable or easily comparable from city to city and “global architecture” emerges as a contradictory and relative concept. Based on a succinct review of the related literature the chapter disputes the alleged uniformity of UMPs and argues for a meaning and discourse-oriented approach to the analysis of architecture as vehicle of urban change and political legitimation.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the correlation between a company’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and its actual carbon performance. Additionally, the study investigates how female decision-makers may influence this relationship as moderators.

This study uses a data set consisting of 1,258 observations from companies listed on the STOXX Europe 600 index between 2009 and 2021. The study applies the ordinary least squares technique to investigate the connection between carbon reduction initiatives and actual carbon performance, taking into account the potential impact of board and executive gender diversity. To ensure the reliability of the findings, subsample analysis and a two-step generalized method of moments technique were used.

The results show a significant negative association between a firm’s commitment to environmental initiatives and its carbon emission intensity. Furthermore, the study explores the moderating effect of board and executive gender diversity on this relationship and finds that gender diversity has a significant negative impact on the relationship between emissions reduction initiatives and carbon emissions.

The study has practical implications for corporate sustainability efforts. It highlights the importance of implementing carbon reduction initiatives to effectively mitigate carbon emissions. This emphasizes the need for sustainable business strategies that prioritize environmental initiatives. Additionally, the study underscores the positive impact of gender diversity in leadership positions on carbon reduction efforts. Policymakers and organizations can leverage these findings to promote gender diversity and enhance sustainability practices.

It provides evidence-based insights for policymakers to develop specific policies and action plans in priority areas such as climate change and emissions reduction. It also highlights the positive influence of gender diversity in corporate leadership on environmental initiatives, promoting inclusivity and equality in sustainability practices.

This study brings originality by investigating the direct impact of a company’s carbon reduction initiatives on its carbon performance. It also explores the moderating effect of board and executive gender diversity on this relationship. The study provides evidence-based insights for policymakers and applies neo-institutional theory to analyze the interplay between carbon reduction initiatives, carbon emissions and gender diversity in executive and board positions.