Our purpose in the 21
st World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics (WMSCI 2017) is to provide, in these increasingly related areas, a
multi-disciplinary forum, to foster interdisciplinary communication among the participants, and to support the sharing process of diverse perspectives of the same transdisciplinary concepts and principles.
Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics (SCI) are being increasingly related to each other in almost every scientific discipline and human activity. Their common transdisciplinarity characterizes and communicates them, generating strong relations among them and with other disciplines. They work together to create a whole new way of thinking and practice. This phenomenon persuaded the Organizing Committee to structure WMSCI 2017 as a multi-conference where participants may focus on one area, or on one discipline, while allowing them the possibility of attending conferences from other areas or disciplines. This systemic approach stimulates cross-fertilization among different disciplines, inspiring scholars, originating new hypothesis, supporting production of innovations and generating analogies; which is, after all, one of the very basic principles of the systems’ movement and a fundamental aim in cybernetics.
WMSCI 2017 was organized and sponsored by the International Institute of Informatics and Systemics (IIIS, www.iiis.org), member of the International Federation of Systems Research (IFSR). The IIIS is a
multi-disciplinary organization for inter-disciplinary communication and integration, which includes about 4500 members. Consequently, a main purpose of the IIIS is to foster knowledge integration processes, interdisciplinary communication, and integration of academic activities. Based on 1) the transdisciplinarity of the systemic approach, along with its essential characteristic of emphasizing
relationships and
integrating processes, and 2) the multi-disciplinary support of cybernetics’ and informatics’ concepts, notions, theories, technologies, and tools, the IIIS has been organizing multi-disciplinary conferences as a platform for fostering inter-disciplinary communication and knowledge integration processes.
Multi-disciplinary conferences are organized by the IIIS as support for both intra- and inter-disciplinary communication. Processes of intra-disciplinary communication are mainly achieved via traditional paper presentations in corresponding disciplines, while conversational sessions, regarding trans- and inter-disciplinary topics, are among the means used for inter-disciplinary communication. Intra- and inter-disciplinary communications might generate co-regulative cybernetic loops, via negative feedback, and synergic relationships, via positive feedback loops, in which both kinds of communications could increase their respective effectiveness. Figure 1 shows at least two cybernetic loops if intra- and inter-disciplinary are adequately related. A necessary condition for the effectiveness of Inter-disciplinary communication is an adequate level of variety regarding the participating disciplines. Analogical thinking and learning processes of disciplinarians depend on it; which in turn are potential sources of the creative tension required for cross-fertilization among disciplines and the generations of new hypothesis. An extended presentation regarding this issue can be found at www.iiis.org/MainPurpose
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In the specific case of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics (SCI), the IIIS is an organization dedicated to contribute to the development of the Systems Approach, Cybernetics, and Informatics potential, using both: knowledge and experience, thinking and action, theory and practice, for:
- the identification of synergetic relationships among Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, and between them and society;
- the promotion of contacts among the different academic areas, through the transdisciplinarity of the systems approach;
- the identification and implementation of communication channels among the different professions;
- the supply of communication links between the academic and professional worlds, as well as between them and the business world, both public and private, political and cultural;
- the stimulus for the creation of integrative arrangements at different levels of society, as well as at the family and personal levels,
- the promotion of transdisciplinary research, both on theoretical issues and on applications to concrete problems.
These IIIS objectives have oriented the organizational efforts of yearly WMSCI/ISAS conferences since 1995.
On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I extend our heartfelt thanks to:
- The 633 members of the Program Committee from 63 countries (including the PC members of the events organized in its context and jointly with WMSCI 2017). Almost all the members of the Program Committee are authors or co-authors sessions’ best papers, i.e. papers selected by the respective audience as the best paper of the session in which they were presented;
- The 593 additional reviewers, from 77 countries, for their double-blind peer reviews; and
- The 212 reviewers, from 51 countries, for their efforts in making the non-blind peer reviews. (Some reviewers supported both: non-blind and double-blind reviewing for different submissions).
- The names and affiliation of both kinds of reviewers are listed in these proceedings. We extend our gratefulness to all of them. The scholarly quality of the authors and the reviewers is what define the quality of the conference and its respective proceedings. Consequently, our gratitude is to the members of the programs committees, both kind of reviewers and the collaborating authors.
A total of 1253 reviews made by 805 reviewers from 82 countries (who made at least one review) contributed to the quality achieved in WMSCI 2017. This means an average of 5.22 reviews per submission (240 submissions were received).
Each registered author had access, via the conference web site, to the reviews that recommended the acceptance of their respective submissions. Each registered author could also get information about: 1) the average of the reviewers’ evaluations according to 8 criteria, and the average of a global evaluation of his/her submission; and 2) the comments and the constructive feedback made by the reviewers, who recommended the acceptance of his/her submission, so the author would be able to improve the final version of the paper.
In the organizational process of WMSCI 2017, about 240 articles were submitted. These proceedings include about 142 papers that were accepted for presentation from 37 countries (52 countries taking into account the presentations in collocated events). I extend our thanks to the invited sessions’ organizers for collecting, reviewing, and selecting the papers that will be presented in their respective sessions. The submissions were reviewed as carefully as time permitted; it is expected that most of them will appear in a more polished and complete form in scientific journals.
This information about WMSCI 2017 is summarized in the following table, along with the other collocated conferences:
Conference |
# of submissions received |
# of reviewers that made at least one review |
# of reviews made |
Average of reviews per reviewer |
Average of reviews per submission |
# of papers included in the proceedings |
% of submissions included in the proceedings |
WMSCI 2017 |
240 |
805 |
1253 |
1.56 |
5.22 |
142 |
59.17% |
IMSCI 2017 |
105 |
402 |
856 |
2.13 |
8.15 |
43 |
40.95% |
WMSCI & IMSCI 2017 |
345 |
1207 |
2109 |
1.75 |
6.11 |
185 |
53.62% |
CISCI 2017 |
181 |
542 |
1305 |
2.41 |
7.21 |
82 |
45.30% |
TOTAL |
526 |
1749 |
3414 |
1.95 |
6.49 |
267 |
50.76% |
We also extend our gratitude to the invited sessions’ organizers: Dr. Shigehiro Hashimoto, Dr. Natalja Lace, and Dr. Elina Gaile-Sarkane; as well as the special track co-chairs and the co-editors of these proceedings, for the hard work, energy and eagerness they displayed preparing their respective sessions. We express our intense gratitude to Professor William Lesso (1931-2015) for his wise and opportune tutoring, for his eternal energy, integrity, and continuous support and advice, as the Program Committee Chair of past conferences, as well as for being a very caring old friend and intellectual father to many of us. We also extend our gratitude to Professor Belkis Sánchez, who brilliantly managed the organizing process.
Our gratitude to Professors Bela H. Banathy, Stafford Beer, George Klir, Karl Pribram, Paul A. Jensen, and Gheorghe Benga who dignified our past WMSCI conferences by being their Honorary Presidents. We also extend our gratitude to the following scholars, researchers, and professionals who accepted to deliver plenary workshops and/or to address the audience of the General Joint Plenary Sessions with keynote addresses.
Workshops and Conversational Sessions
Professor Thomas Marlowe, Seton Hall University, USA, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Program Advisor for Computer Science, Doctor in Computer Science, and Doctor in Mathematics.
Professor Shigehiro Hashimoto, Kogakuin University, Japan, Associate to the President and Dean of Admissions Center, Doctor of Engineering and Doctor of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering.
Professor William Swart, East Carolina University, USA, College of Business, Former Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Former Dean of Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Dr. Faith Power, Shenandoah University, USA, Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship, Board Service: Free Medical Clinic of the NSV; Our Health; Byrd School of Business Advisory Board; Board of Trustees, Valley Health.
Dr. Luis Velazquez-Araque, University of Guayaquil, Ecuador, Founder of the Aerodynamics, Laboratory at National University of Táchira, Venezuela, Visiting Professor at the Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech.
Professor Andres Tremante, Florida International University, USA, The Mechanical Materials Engineering (MME) Department.
Plenary Keynote Speakers
Professor Thomas Marlowe, Seton Hall University, USA, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Program Advisor for Computer Science, Doctor in Computer Science, and Doctor in Mathematics.
Professor Shigehiro Hashimoto, Kogakuin University, Japan, Associate to the President and Dean of Admissions Center, Doctor of Engineering and Doctor of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering.
Professor William Swart, East Carolina University, USA, College of Business, Former Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Former Dean of Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Dr. Matthew E. Edwards, Alabama A&M University, USA, Professor of Physics and Former Dean, School of Arts and Sciences.
Dr. Robert Cherinka, MITRE Corporation, USA, Senior Principal, Information Systems, Engineer, Department Head for Agile Engineering and Interoperability Leading a distributed team of IT professionals.
Eng. Joseph Prezzama, MITRE Corporation, USA, Lead Communications Engineer, Leads the program in support of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
Prof. Dr. Dr. med. Ulrich Sprick, St. Alexius- / St. Josef Hospital, Germany, Chief Physician, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy.
Dr. Russell Jay Hendel, Towson University, USA, Dept of Mathematics.
Dr. Ashton T. Sperry, Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship, USA, Research Scholar, Philosophy of Science, Decision and Game Theory, and Logic.
Dr. Mario Lamanna, Evoelectronics, Italy and Selex-SI, USA, Senior Scientist.
Professor Margit Scholl, Technical University of Wildau [FH], Germany, Faculty of Economics, Computer Science, Law, Business and Administrative Informatics, Received a research prize from TH Wildau.
Dr. Maria Jakubik, HAAGA-HELIA University of Applied Sciences, Finland, Hanken School of Economics, Head of Master's Degree, Programme in International Business Management (IBMA).
Dr. Anthea Fudge, University of South Australia, Course Coordinator of Science for Tertiary Learning, Blended Learning/Digital Technologies upon the Delivery of Science.
Professor Louis Trudel, University of Ottawa, Canada, Faculty of Education, Science Education, ICT application in Science Learning and Teaching.
Dr. Kevin Foltz, Institute for Defense Analyses, USA, Information Technology and Systems Division, Independent Technical Analyst for the Department of Defense.
Professor Dusan Soltes, Comenius University at Bratislava, Slovakia, Faculty of Management, Director of the e-Europe Research & Development Centre.
Drs. Ninon Candalh-Touta, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), France, Robotic and Learning of the Laparoscopic Gesture.
Dr. Jun Miyazaki, OrangeTechLab, Japan, Chief Executive Officer, Co-project Leader of Komazawa University and Visiting Collaborator at National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.
Dr. Sang E. Park, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, USA, Associate Dean for Dental Education Implemented the Flipped Classroom Educational Model at Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
Jim Johnson, The Standish Group, USA, Founder and Chairman, 40 years of experience in the Computer Industry, Mission-Critical Applications and Technology.
Fr. Dr. Joseph Laracy, Seton Hall University, USA, College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Complex Systems, Differential Equations, and Dynamical Systems.
Dr. Giti Javidi, University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee, USA, Dep. of Information Technology, Former Full Professor of Computer Science at Virginia State University (VSU).
Dr. Leônidas Conceição Barroso, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Brasil, Faculdade de Ciências Empresarias, Ganador de Varios Premios Nacionales e Inter-Nacionales.
Dra. María Dolores García Perea, Instituto Superior de Ciencias de la Educación del Estado de México, Professor and Researcher in Education.
Dr. Julio César González Mariño, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, México, Facultad de Medicina e Ingeniería Sistemas Computacionales, Profesor e Investigador Líder del cuerpo académico de Competencias Tecnológicas.
Dra. Eva María Olmedo Moreno, Universidad de Granada, España, Directora del Departamento de Métodos de Investigación y Diagnóstico en Educación.
We would like also to extend our gratefulness to Professor Gradon Gill and Dr. Jeremy Horne for their continuous support in the conferences they participated in along the last 12 years as well as in the conferences they were not able to participate. In both cases: their advices and the kind of care they provided us with are highly valued and appreciated.
Many thanks to Drs. Sushil Archarya and Esther Zaretsky, and to Professors Michael Savoie, Hsing-Wei Chu, Mohammad Siddique, Friedrich Welsch, Thierry Lefevre, José Vicente Carrasquero, Angel Oropeza, and José Ferrer, for chairing and supporting the organization of conferences and/or special events or tracks in the context of, or collocated with, WMSCI 2017. We also wish to thank all the authors for the quality of their papers, the Program Committee members and the additional reviewers for their time and their contributions in the respective reviewing processes.
Our gratefulness is also extended to the organizations that provided scientific, academic, professional, or corporative co-sponsorships. The following are among these organizations:
Special thanks to Dr. Jeremy Horne, Dr. Harvey Hyman, and Ms. Molly Youngblood Geiger (Google Partners Community Ambassador) for their efforts in helping us with the identification of above shown co-sponsors.
We extend our gratitude as well to María Sánchez, Juan Manuel Pineda, Marcela Briceño, Desireé Yonali Gamboa, and Freddy Callaos for their knowledgeable effort in supporting the organizational process, producing the hard copy and CD versions of the proceedings, developing and maintaining the software that support the interactions of the authors with the reviewing process and the Organizing Committee, as well as for their support in the help desk and in the promotional process and advising role in the promotion of the conference.
Professor Nagib C. Callaos