Search results for: forecast accuracy unemployment rate
11193 Strength Parameters and the Rate Process Theory Applied to Compacted Fadama Soils
Authors: Samuel Akinlabi Ola, Emeka Segun Nnochiri, Stephen Kayode Aderomose, Paul Ayesemhe Edoh
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Fadama soils of Northern Nigeria are generally a problem soil for highway and geotechnical engineers. There has been no consistent conclusion on the effect of the strain rate on the shear strength of soils, thus necessitating the need to clarify this issue with various types of soil. Consolidated undrained tests with pore pressure measurements were conducted at optimum moisture content and maximum dry density using standard proctor compaction. Back pressures were applied to saturate the soil. The shear strength parameters were determined. Analyzing the results and model studies using the Rate Process Theory, functional relationships between the deviator stress and strain rate were determined and expressed mathematically as deviator stress = β0+ β1 log(strain rate) at each cell pressure where β0 and β1 are constants. Also, functional relationships between the pore pressure coefficient Āf and the time to failure were determined and expressed mathematically as pore pressure coefficient, Āf = ψ0+ѱ1log (time to failure) where ψ0 and ѱ1 are constants. For cell pressure between 69 – 310 kN/m2 (10 - 45psi) the constants found for Fadama soil in this study are ψ0=0.17 and ѱ1=0.18. The study also shows the dependence of the angle of friction (ø’) on the rate of strain as it increases from 22o to 25o for an increase in the rate of strain from 0.08%/min to 1.0%/min. Conclusively, the study also shows that within the strain rate utilized in the research, the deviator strength increased with the strain rate while the excess pore water pressure decreased with an increase in the rate of strain.Keywords: deviator stress, Fadama soils, pore pressure coefficient, rate process
Procedia PDF Downloads 6411192 Exchange Rate Variation and Balance of Payments: The Nigerian Experience (1970-2012)
Authors: Vitus Onyebuchim Onyemailu, Olive Obianuju Okalibe
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The study tried to examine relationship between exchange rate variations on the balance of payments in Nigeria from 1970 to 2012. Using time series on econometric measures such as Granger causality and ordinary least square (OLS), the study found that exchange rate movements especially the depreciation of naira has not contributed significantly on the balance of payments under the year of the study. The granger result conform the Marshall-Lerner short and long run prepositions that exchange rate devaluation enhances balance of payments. On disaggregation exchange rate granger causes current and capital account balances give the Nigeria data from 1970 to 2012. Overall in the long run OLS regression analysis, exchange rate on semi log functional form, exchange rate variation did not record significant effect on balance of payment equation. This height was also maintained in the current or trade balance which does not match the Marshall-Lerner. The capital account balance in reverse reported a significant impact of exchange rate variability on the capital account balance. Finally, on exchange rate determination equation, where many fundamentals were considered including lagged of exchange rate. Thus, the lagged of exchange rate recorded a positive and significant influence on the present exchange rate. This means that players in the financial markets usually out plays authority’s policy’s stances through their speculative tendencies. The work therefore, recommend that effort should be made by the authorities to providing enabling environment for production of goods and services to triumph in order to take advantages of steady devaluation of its currency. This is done by providing infrastructure, provision of science and technology. Thus, when this is done Nigeria would be able to have competitive power against the rest of the world.Keywords: exchange rate variation, balance of payments, current account, capital account, Marshall-Lerner hypothesis
Procedia PDF Downloads 39111191 Fast-Tracking University Education for Youth Employment: Empirical Evidence from University Graduates in Rwanda
Authors: Fred Alinda, Marjorie Negesa, Gerald Karyeija
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Like elsewhere in the world, youth unemployment remains a big problem more so to the most educated youth and female. In Rwanda, unemployment is estimated at 13.2% among youth graduates compared to 10.9% and 2.6 among secondary and primary graduates respectively. Though empirical evidence elsewhere associate youth unemployment with education level, relevance of skills and access to business support opportunities, mixed evidence still exist on the significance of these factors to youth employment. As youth employment strategies in countries like Rwanda continue to recognize the potential role university education can play to enhance employment, there is a need to understand the catalysts or barriers. This paper, therefore, draws empirical evidence from a survey on the influence of education qualification, skills relevance and access to business support opportunities on employment of the youth university graduates in Masaka sector, Rwanda. The analysis tested four hypotheses; access to university education significantly affects youth employment, Relevance of university education significantly contributes to youth employment; access to business support opportunities significantly contributes to youth employment, and significant gender differences exist in the employment of youth university graduates. A cross-section survey was used in lieu of the need to explore the prevailing status of youth employment and contributing factors across the sector. A questionnaire was used to collect data on a large sample of 269 youth to allow statistical analysis. This was beefed up with qualitative views of leaders and technical officials in the sector. The youth University graduates were selected using simple random sampling while the leaders and technical officials were selected purposively. Percentages were used to describe respondents in line with the variables under while a regression model for youth employment was fitted to determine the significant factors. The model results indicated a significant influence (p<0.05) of gender, education level and access to business support opportunities on employment of youth university graduates. This finding was also affirmed by the qualitative views of key informants. Qualitative views pointed to the fact that university education generally equipped the youth with skills that enabled their transition into employment mainly for a salary or wage. The skills were, however, deficient in technical and practical aspects. In addition, the youth generally lacked limited access to business support opportunities particularly guarantees for loans, business advisory, and grants for business as well as training in business skills that would help them gain salaried employment or transit into self-employment. The study findings bear an implication on the strategy for catalyzing youth employment through university education. The findings imply that university education should be embraced but with greater emphasis on or supplementation with specialized training in practical and technical skills as well as extending business support opportunities to the youth. This will accelerate the contribution of university education to youth employment.Keywords: education, employment, self-employment, youth
Procedia PDF Downloads 24711190 Valuation of Entrepreneurship Education (EE) Curriculum and Self-Employment Generation among Graduates of Tertiary Institutions in Edo State, Nigeria
Authors: Angela Obose Oriazowanlan
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Despite the introduction of Entrepreneurship education into the Nigerian University curriculum to prepare graduates for self-employment roles in order to abate employment challenges, their unemployment rate still soars high. The study, therefore, examined the relevance of the curriculum contents and its delivery mechanism to equip graduates with appropriate entrepreneurial skills prior to graduation. Four research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The survey research design was adopted for the study. An infinite population of graduates of a period of five years with 200 sample representatives using the simple random sampling technique was adopted. A 45-item structured questionnaire was used for data gathering. The gathered data thereof was anlysed using the descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation, while the formulated hypotheses were tested with Z-score at 0.5 level of significance. The findings revealed, among others, that graduates acquisition of appropriate entrepreneurial skills for self-employment generation is low due to curriculum deficiencies, insufficient time allotment, and the delivery mechanism. It was recommended, among others, that the curriculum should be reviewed to improve its relevancy and that sufficient time should be allotted to enable adequate teaching and learning process.Keywords: evaluation of entrepreneurship education (EE) curriculum, self-employment generation, graduates of tertiary institutions, Edo state, Nigeria
Procedia PDF Downloads 9311189 Jesus’ Approach in Liberation of the Poor, Luke 4:18-19: Lesson for Nigerian Leaders
Authors: Aboekwe, Mary Emilia
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Jesus’ mission was not only a religious one but had social and political implications. From the birth to the death of Jesus, God’s message of liberation is proclaimed in and through Jesus. This work studied Jesus’ inaugural mission in Luke 4: 18 -19 in the context of Nigerian leaders. A theological interpretation was adopted and it was discovered that Luke 4: 18-19 unfolded Jesus’ mission statement. This mission statement centered in preaching the good news to the poor, the release of the captives, healing the sick, liberation to the oppressed, and favour and abundance in the land. Related to the Jewish-Roman world of Jesus and the Nigerian nation, it was discovered that most of the maladies enumerated in Jesus’ inaugural mission statement were prevalent in Nigerian society. Maladies like poverty, oppression, violence, sickness and diseases are widespread in Nigeria. Poverty affects all, irrespective of gender, religion, or ethnicity. There is insecurity everywhere. Unemployment bites harder on Nigeria’s youthful population, and they are unable to find a job at the prevailing wage rate. To this effect, therefore, this study proposes Jesus’ liberative technique as a solution to these maladies prevalent in the country. The work equally challenged the Nigerian leaders to emulate Jesus’ mission statement and take proactive measures in fighting against these social challenges resident in Nigeria today.Keywords: liberation, leadership, maladies, poverty
Procedia PDF Downloads 6611188 An Estimation Process for Progress Rate Based on Labor-Quantity in Republic of Korea
Authors: Dong-Ho Kim, Zheng-Xun Jin, Yong-Woon Cha, Su-Sang Lim, Sang-Won Han, Chang-Taek Hyun
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As construction is a labor-intensive industry, it is important to identify and manage labor quantities for accurate progress management of the construction project. However, the progress management that focuses on construction cost calculated based on materials rather than labor quantities has led to a difference in the implementation of cost and progress of the actual construction. In addition, since it is not easy to predict accurate labor quantities in the estimation of labor quantity-based progress rate, there have been limited researches into the progress rate estimation based on labor quantity. Accordingly, this study proposed a process for labor quantity-based progress rate estimation using a standard of estimate to predict accurate progress rate of the construction project in Republic Korea. It is expected that the utilization of the proposed process will help to identify the progress rate closer to that of the actual site management and adjust the workforce in each construction type, thereby contributing to improving construction efficiency.Keywords: labor based, labor cost, progress management, progress rate, progress payment
Procedia PDF Downloads 33711187 Development and Validation of a HPLC Method for 6-Gingerol and 6-Shogaol in Joint Pain Relief Gel Containing Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Authors: Tanwarat Kajsongkram, Saowalux Rotamporn, Sirinat Limbunruang, Sirinan Thubthimthed.
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High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and validated for simultaneous estimation of 6-Gingerol(6G) and 6-Shogaol(6S) in joint pain relief gel containing ginger extract. The chromatographic separation was achieved by using C18 column, 150 x 4.6mm i.d., 5μ Luna, mobile phase containing acetonitrile and water (gradient elution). The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min and the absorbance was monitored at 282 nm. The proposed method was validated in terms of the analytical parameters such as specificity, accuracy, precision, linearity, range, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), and determined based on the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The linearity ranges of 6G and 6S were obtained over 20-60 and 6-18 µg/ml respectively. Good linearity was observed over the above-mentioned range with linear regression equation Y= 11016x- 23778 for 6G and Y = 19276x-19604 for 6S (x is concentration of analytes in μg/ml and Y is peak area). The value of correlation coefficient was found to be 0.9994 for both markers. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for 6G were 0.8567 and 2.8555 µg/ml and for 6S were 0.3672 and 1.2238 µg/ml respectively. The recovery range for 6G and 6S were found to be 91.57 to 102.36 % and 84.73 to 92.85 % for all three spiked levels. The RSD values from repeated extractions for 6G and 6S were 3.43 and 3.09% respectively. The validation of developed method on precision, accuracy, specificity, linearity, and range were also performed with well-accepted results.Keywords: ginger, 6-gingerol, HPLC, 6-shogaol
Procedia PDF Downloads 43411186 Difference between 'HDR Ir-192 and Co-60 Sources' for High Dose Rate Brachytherapy Machine
Authors: Md Serajul Islam
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High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy is used for cancer patients. In our country’s prospect, we are using only cervices and breast cancer treatment by using HDR. The air kerma rate in air at a reference distance of less than a meter from the source is the recommended quantity for the specification of gamma ray source Ir-192 in brachytherapy. The absorbed dose for the patients is directly proportional to the air kerma rate. Therefore the air kerma rate should be determined before the first use of the source on patients by qualified medical physicist who is independent from the source manufacturer. The air kerma rate will then be applied in the calculation of the dose delivered to patients in their planning systems. In practice, high dose rate (HDR) Ir-192 afterloader machines are mostly used in brachytherapy treatment. Currently, HDR-Co-60 increasingly comes into operation too. The essential advantage of the use of Co-60 sources is its longer half-life compared to Ir-192. The use of HDRCo-60 afterloading machines is also quite interesting for developing countries. This work describes the dosimetry at HDR afterloading machines according to the protocols IAEA-TECDOC-1274 (2002) with the nuclides Ir-192 and Co-60. We have used 3 different measurement methods (with a ring chamber, with a solid phantom and in free air and with a well chamber) in dependence of each of the protocols. We have shown that the standard deviations of the measured air kerma rate for the Co-60 source are generally larger than those of the Ir-192 source. The measurements with the well chamber had the lowest deviation from the certificate value. In all protocols and methods, the deviations stood for both nuclides by a maximum of about 1% for Ir-192 and 2.5% for Co-60-Sources respectively.Keywords: Ir-192 source, cancer, patients, cheap treatment cost
Procedia PDF Downloads 23111185 A Soft Error Rates (SER) Evaluation Method of Combinational Logic Circuit Based on Linear Energy Transfers
Authors: Man Li, Wanting Zhou, Lei Li
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Communication stability is the primary concern of communication satellites. Communication satellites are easily affected by particle radiation to generate single event effects (SEE), which leads to soft errors (SE) of the combinational logic circuit. The existing research on soft error rates (SER) of the combined logic circuit is mostly based on the assumption that the logic gates being bombarded have the same pulse width. However, in the actual radiation environment, the pulse widths of the logic gates being bombarded are different due to different linear energy transfers (LET). In order to improve the accuracy of SER evaluation model, this paper proposes a soft error rate evaluation method based on LET. In this paper, the authors analyze the influence of LET on the pulse width of combinational logic and establish the pulse width model based on the LET. Based on this model, the error rate of test circuit ISCAS'85 is calculated. The effectiveness of the model is proved by comparing it with previous experiments.Keywords: communication satellite, pulse width, soft error rates, LET
Procedia PDF Downloads 16411184 Real-Time Recognition of Dynamic Hand Postures on a Neuromorphic System
Authors: Qian Liu, Steve Furber
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To explore how the brain may recognize objects in its general,accurate and energy-efficient manner, this paper proposes the use of a neuromorphic hardware system formed from a Dynamic Video Sensor~(DVS) silicon retina in concert with the SpiNNaker real-time Spiking Neural Network~(SNN) simulator. As a first step in the exploration on this platform a recognition system for dynamic hand postures is developed, enabling the study of the methods used in the visual pathways of the brain. Inspired by the behaviours of the primary visual cortex, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are modeled using both linear perceptrons and spiking Leaky Integrate-and-Fire (LIF) neurons. In this study's largest configuration using these approaches, a network of 74,210 neurons and 15,216,512 synapses is created and operated in real-time using 290 SpiNNaker processor cores in parallel and with 93.0% accuracy. A smaller network using only 1/10th of the resources is also created, again operating in real-time, and it is able to recognize the postures with an accuracy of around 86.4% -only 6.6% lower than the much larger system. The recognition rate of the smaller network developed on this neuromorphic system is sufficient for a successful hand posture recognition system, and demonstrates a much-improved cost to performance trade-off in its approach.Keywords: spiking neural network (SNN), convolutional neural network (CNN), posture recognition, neuromorphic system
Procedia PDF Downloads 46211183 Sinhala Sign Language to Grammatically Correct Sentences using NLP
Authors: Anjalika Fernando, Banuka Athuraliya
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This paper presents a comprehensive approach for converting Sinhala Sign Language (SSL) into grammatically correct sentences using Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques in real-time. While previous studies have explored various aspects of SSL translation, the research gap lies in the absence of grammar checking for SSL. This work aims to bridge this gap by proposing a two-stage methodology that leverages deep learning models to detect signs and translate them into coherent sentences, ensuring grammatical accuracy. The first stage of the approach involves the utilization of a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) deep learning model to recognize and interpret SSL signs. By training the LSTM model on a dataset of SSL gestures, it learns to accurately classify and translate these signs into textual representations. The LSTM model achieves a commendable accuracy rate of 94%, demonstrating its effectiveness in accurately recognizing and translating SSL gestures. Building upon the successful recognition and translation of SSL signs, the second stage of the methodology focuses on improving the grammatical correctness of the translated sentences. The project employs a Neural Machine Translation (NMT) architecture, consisting of an encoder and decoder with LSTM components, to enhance the syntactical structure of the generated sentences. By training the NMT model on a parallel corpus of Sinhala wrong sentences and their corresponding grammatically correct translations, it learns to generate coherent and grammatically accurate sentences. The NMT model achieves an impressive accuracy rate of 98%, affirming its capability to produce linguistically sound translations. The proposed approach offers significant contributions to the field of SSL translation and grammar correction. Addressing the critical issue of grammar checking, it enhances the usability and reliability of SSL translation systems, facilitating effective communication between hearing-impaired and non-sign language users. Furthermore, the integration of deep learning techniques, such as LSTM and NMT, ensures the accuracy and robustness of the translation process. This research holds great potential for practical applications, including educational platforms, accessibility tools, and communication aids for the hearing-impaired. Furthermore, it lays the foundation for future advancements in SSL translation systems, fostering inclusive and equal opportunities for the deaf community. Future work includes expanding the existing datasets to further improve the accuracy and generalization of the SSL translation system. Additionally, the development of a dedicated mobile application would enhance the accessibility and convenience of SSL translation on handheld devices. Furthermore, efforts will be made to enhance the current application for educational purposes, enabling individuals to learn and practice SSL more effectively. Another area of future exploration involves enabling two-way communication, allowing seamless interaction between sign-language users and non-sign-language users.In conclusion, this paper presents a novel approach for converting Sinhala Sign Language gestures into grammatically correct sentences using NLP techniques in real time. The two-stage methodology, comprising an LSTM model for sign detection and translation and an NMT model for grammar correction, achieves high accuracy rates of 94% and 98%, respectively. By addressing the lack of grammar checking in existing SSL translation research, this work contributes significantly to the development of more accurate and reliable SSL translation systems, thereby fostering effective communication and inclusivity for the hearing-impaired communityKeywords: Sinhala sign language, sign Language, NLP, LSTM, NMT
Procedia PDF Downloads 9111182 Bias Prevention in Automated Diagnosis of Melanoma: Augmentation of a Convolutional Neural Network Classifier
Authors: Kemka Ihemelandu, Chukwuemeka Ihemelandu
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Melanoma remains a public health crisis, with incidence rates increasing rapidly in the past decades. Improving diagnostic accuracy to decrease misdiagnosis using Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be documented. Unfortunately, unintended racially biased outcomes, a product of lack of diversity in the dataset used, with a noted class imbalance favoring lighter vs. darker skin tone, have increasingly been recognized as a problem.Resulting in noted limitations of the accuracy of the Convolutional neural network (CNN)models. CNN models are prone to biased output due to biases in the dataset used to train them. Our aim in this study was the optimization of convolutional neural network algorithms to mitigate bias in the automated diagnosis of melanoma. We hypothesized that our proposed training algorithms based on a data augmentation method to optimize the diagnostic accuracy of a CNN classifier by generating new training samples from the original ones will reduce bias in the automated diagnosis of melanoma. We applied geometric transformation, including; rotations, translations, scale change, flipping, and shearing. Resulting in a CNN model that provided a modifiedinput data making for a model that could learn subtle racial features. Optimal selection of the momentum and batch hyperparameter increased our model accuracy. We show that our augmented model reduces bias while maintaining accuracy in the automated diagnosis of melanoma.Keywords: bias, augmentation, melanoma, convolutional neural network
Procedia PDF Downloads 20411181 Machine Learning and Deep Learning Approach for People Recognition and Tracking in Crowd for Safety Monitoring
Authors: A. Degale Desta, Cheng Jian
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Deep learning application in computer vision is rapidly advancing, giving it the ability to monitor the public and quickly identify potentially anomalous behaviour from crowd scenes. Therefore, the purpose of the current work is to improve the performance of safety of people in crowd events from panic behaviour through introducing the innovative idea of Aggregation of Ensembles (AOE), which makes use of the pre-trained ConvNets and a pool of classifiers to find anomalies in video data with packed scenes. According to the theory of algorithms that applied K-means, KNN, CNN, SVD, and Faster-CNN, YOLOv5 architectures learn different levels of semantic representation from crowd videos; the proposed approach leverages an ensemble of various fine-tuned convolutional neural networks (CNN), allowing for the extraction of enriched feature sets. In addition to the above algorithms, a long short-term memory neural network to forecast future feature values and a handmade feature that takes into consideration the peculiarities of the crowd to understand human behavior. On well-known datasets of panic situations, experiments are run to assess the effectiveness and precision of the suggested method. Results reveal that, compared to state-of-the-art methodologies, the system produces better and more promising results in terms of accuracy and processing speed.Keywords: action recognition, computer vision, crowd detecting and tracking, deep learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 15111180 Open Forging of Cylindrical Blanks Subjected to Lateral Instability
Authors: A. H. Elkholy, D. M. Almutairi
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The successful and efficient execution of a forging process is dependent upon the correct analysis of loading and metal flow of blanks. This paper investigates the Upper Bound Technique (UBT) and its application in the analysis of open forging process when a possibility of blank bulging exists. The UBT is one of the energy rate minimization methods for the solution of metal forming process based on the upper bound theorem. In this regards, the kinematically admissible velocity field is obtained by minimizing the total forging energy rate. A computer program is developed in this research to implement the UBT. The significant advantages of this method is the speed of execution while maintaining a fairly high degree of accuracy and the wide prediction capability. The information from this analysis is useful for the design of forging processes and dies. Results for the prediction of forging loads and stresses, metal flow and surface profiles with the assured benefits in terms of press selection and blank preform design are outlined in some detail. The obtained predictions are ready for comparison with both laboratory and industrial results.Keywords: forging, upper bound technique, metal forming, forging energy, forging die/platen
Procedia PDF Downloads 29011179 Performance Analysis of Multichannel OCDMA-FSO Network under Different Pervasive Conditions
Authors: Saru Arora, Anurag Sharma, Harsukhpreet Singh
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To meet the growing need of high data rate and bandwidth, various efforts has been made nowadays for the efficient communication systems. Optical Code Division Multiple Access over Free space optics communication system seems an effective role for providing transmission at high data rate with low bit error rate and low amount of multiple access interference. This paper demonstrates the OCDMA over FSO communication system up to the range of 7000 m at a data rate of 5 Gbps. Initially, the 8 user OCDMA-FSO system is simulated and pseudo orthogonal codes are used for encoding. Also, the simulative analysis of various performance parameters like power and core effective area that are having an effect on the Bit error rate (BER) of the system is carried out. The simulative analysis reveals that the length of the transmission is limited by the multi-access interference (MAI) effect which arises when the number of users increases in the system.Keywords: FSO, PSO, bit error rate (BER), opti system simulation, multiple access interference (MAI), q-factor
Procedia PDF Downloads 36111178 Fast Adjustable Threshold for Uniform Neural Network Quantization
Authors: Alexander Goncharenko, Andrey Denisov, Sergey Alyamkin, Evgeny Terentev
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The neural network quantization is highly desired procedure to perform before running neural networks on mobile devices. Quantization without fine-tuning leads to accuracy drop of the model, whereas commonly used training with quantization is done on the full set of the labeled data and therefore is both time- and resource-consuming. Real life applications require simplification and acceleration of quantization procedure that will maintain accuracy of full-precision neural network, especially for modern mobile neural network architectures like Mobilenet-v1, MobileNet-v2 and MNAS. Here we present a method to significantly optimize training with quantization procedure by introducing the trained scale factors for discretization thresholds that are separate for each filter. Using the proposed technique, we quantize the modern mobile architectures of neural networks with the set of train data of only ∼ 10% of the total ImageNet 2012 sample. Such reduction of train dataset size and small number of trainable parameters allow to fine-tune the network for several hours while maintaining the high accuracy of quantized model (accuracy drop was less than 0.5%). Ready-for-use models and code are available in the GitHub repository.Keywords: distillation, machine learning, neural networks, quantization
Procedia PDF Downloads 31611177 The Effect of Deficit Financing on Macro-Economic Variables in Nigeria (1970-2013)
Authors: Ezeoke Callistus Obiora, Ezeoke Nneka Angela
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The study investigated the effect of deficit financing on macroeconomic variables in Nigeria. The specific objectives included to find out the relationship between deficit financing and GDP, interest rate, inflation rate, money supply, exchange rate and private investment respectively on a time series covering a period of 44 years (1970 – 2013). The Ordinary Least Square multiple regression produced statistics for the coefficient of determination (R2), F-test, t-test used for the interpretation of the study. The findings revealed that Deficit financing has significant positive effect on GDP and exchange rate. Again, deficit financing has a positive and insignificant relationship inflation, money supply and investment. Only interest rate recorded negative yet insignificant relationship with deficit financing. The implications of the findings are that deficit financing can be a veritable tool for boosting economic development in Nigeria, but the influential positively rising exchange rate implies that deficit financing devalues the Naira exchange rate to other currencies indicating that deficit financing can affect Nigerians competitive advantage at the world market. Thus, the study concludes that deficit financing has not encouraged economic growth in Nigeria.Keywords: deficit financing, money supply, exchange rate, inflation, GDP, investment, Nigeria
Procedia PDF Downloads 47211176 Medical Image Watermark and Tamper Detection Using Constant Correlation Spread Spectrum Watermarking
Authors: Peter U. Eze, P. Udaya, Robin J. Evans
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Data hiding can be achieved by Steganography or invisible digital watermarking. For digital watermarking, both accurate retrieval of the embedded watermark and the integrity of the cover image are important. Medical image security in Teleradiology is one of the applications where the embedded patient record needs to be extracted with accuracy as well as the medical image integrity verified. In this research paper, the Constant Correlation Spread Spectrum digital watermarking for medical image tamper detection and accurate embedded watermark retrieval is introduced. In the proposed method, a watermark bit from a patient record is spread in a medical image sub-block such that the correlation of all watermarked sub-blocks with a spreading code, W, would have a constant value, p. The constant correlation p, spreading code, W and the size of the sub-blocks constitute the secret key. Tamper detection is achieved by flagging any sub-block whose correlation value deviates by more than a small value, ℇ, from p. The major features of our new scheme include: (1) Improving watermark detection accuracy for high-pixel depth medical images by reducing the Bit Error Rate (BER) to Zero and (2) block-level tamper detection in a single computational process with simultaneous watermark detection, thereby increasing utility with the same computational cost.Keywords: Constant Correlation, Medical Image, Spread Spectrum, Tamper Detection, Watermarking
Procedia PDF Downloads 18111175 A Shift in the Structure of Economy and Synergy of University: Developing Potential Through Research and Development Center of SMEs in Jember
Authors: Muhamad Nugraha
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Economic growth always correlate positively with the magnitude of the unemployment rate. This is caused by labor which one of important variable to keep growth in the real sector of the region. Meanwhile, the economic structure in districts of Jember showed an increase of economic activity began to shift towards the industrial sector and some other economic sectors, so they have an affects to considerations for policy makers to increase economic growth in Jember as an autonomous region in East Java Province. At the fact, SMEs is among the factors driving economic growth in the region. This is shown by the high amount of SMEs. However, employment in the sector grew slightly slowed. It is caused by a lack of productivity in SMEs. Through the analysis of the transformation of economic structure theory, and the theory of Triple Helix using descriptive analytical method Location Quotient and Shift - Share, found that the results of the economic structure in Jember slowly shifting from the agricultural sector to the industrial sector, because it is dominated by trade sector, hotel and restaurant sector. In addition, SMEs is the potential sector of economic growth in Jember. While to maximizing role and functions of the institution's Research and Development Center of SMEs, there are three points to be known, that are Business Landscape, Business Architecture and Value Added.Keywords: economic growth, SMEs, labor, Research and Development Center of SMEs
Procedia PDF Downloads 43611174 Effect of Composition and Cooling Rate on the Solidification Structure of Al-Er Alloy
Authors: Jing Ning, Kunyuan Gao
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The microstructure and phase structure of Al-Er alloys with Er content of 10, 20, 30wt% at cooling rate of 60, 40 and 5℃/h were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Experimental results showed that for solidification of the hypereutectic Al-Er alloys at different conditions, a halo of α-Al appeared around the primary Al₃Er phase. Analysis of the solidification process indicated that after the primary Al₃Er phase formed, the composition of supercooled liquid phase located outside the coupled zone of eutectic growth below the eutectic line, which leaded to the formation of Al halo. With the increase of Er content, the blocky primary Al₃Er phase expanded from 200μm to 1mm in size. With the decrease of cooling rate, the morphology and phase structure of alloy were different. At the cooling rate of 60℃/h, it was obtained the primary Al3Er phase with L1₂ structure, whose profile was straight. Meanwhile, the eutectic structure was flocculent. At the quite slow cooling rate of 5℃/h, it was obtained the primary Al₃Er phase with hR20 structure with irregular jagged profile, and the eutectic structure was approximately strip-shaped. These characteristics were closely related to the cooling rate of solidification. The XRD analysis showed that for Al₃Er phase, the lattice constant a of L1₂ structure was 4.2158Å, and a, c of hR20 structure were 6.0321Å and 35.6290Å, respectively.Keywords: Al-Er alloy, composition, cooling rate, microstructure
Procedia PDF Downloads 10311173 The Hidden Role of Interest Rate Risks in Carry Trades
Authors: Jingwen Shi, Qi Wu
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We study the role played interest rate risk in carry trade return in order to understand the forward premium puzzle. In this study, our goal is to investigate to what extent carry trade return is indeed due to compensation for risk taking and, more important, to reveal the nature of these risks. Using option data not only on exchange rates but also on interest rate swaps (swaptions), our first finding is that, besides the consensus currency risks, interest rate risks also contribute a non-negligible portion to the carry trade return. What strikes us is our second finding. We find that large downside risks of future exchange rate movements are, in fact, priced significantly in option market on interest rates. The role played by interest rate risk differs structurally from the currency risk. There is a unique premium associated with interest rate risk, though seemingly small in size, which compensates the tail risks, the left tail to be precise. On the technical front, our study relies on accurately retrieving implied distributions from currency options and interest rate swaptions simultaneously, especially the tail components of the two. For this purpose, our major modeling work is to build a new international asset pricing model where we use an orthogonal setup for pricing kernels and specify non-Gaussian dynamics in order to capture three sets of option skew accurately and consistently across currency options and interest rate swaptions, domestic and foreign, within one model. Our results open a door for studying forward premium anomaly through implied information from interest rate derivative market.Keywords: carry trade, forward premium anomaly, FX option, interest rate swaption, implied volatility skew, uncovered interest rate parity
Procedia PDF Downloads 43811172 Statistical Time-Series and Neural Architecture of Malaria Patients Records in Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Akinbo Razak Yinka, Adesanya Kehinde Kazeem, Oladokun Oluwagbenga Peter
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Time series data are sequences of observations collected over a period of time. Such data can be used to predict health outcomes, such as disease progression, mortality, hospitalization, etc. The Statistical approach is based on mathematical models that capture the patterns and trends of the data, such as autocorrelation, seasonality, and noise, while Neural methods are based on artificial neural networks, which are computational models that mimic the structure and function of biological neurons. This paper compared both parametric and non-parametric time series models of patients treated for malaria in Maternal and Child Health Centres in Lagos State, Nigeria. The forecast methods considered linear regression, Integrated Moving Average, ARIMA and SARIMA Modeling for the parametric approach, while Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Network were used for the non-parametric model. The performance of each method is evaluated using the Mean Absolute Error (MAE), R-squared (R2) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) as criteria to determine the accuracy of each model. The study revealed that the best performance in terms of error was found in MLP, followed by the LSTM and ARIMA models. In addition, the Bootstrap Aggregating technique was used to make robust forecasts when there are uncertainties in the data.Keywords: ARIMA, bootstrap aggregation, MLP, LSTM, SARIMA, time-series analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 6811171 Analysis of Population and Growth Rate Methanotof Bateria as Reducers Methane Gases Emission in Rice Field
Authors: Maimuna Nontji
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The life cycle of rice plant has three phases of growth; they are the vegetative, reproductive and maturation phase. They greatly affect the life of dynamics metanotrof bacterial as reducer methane emissions in the rice field, both of population and on the rate of growth. The aim of this study was to analyze the population and growth rate of methanotrof isolates which has been isolated in previous studies. Isolates were taken at all the life cycle of rice plant. Population of analysis was conducted by standard plate count method and growth rate was analysed by logarithmic calculation. The results showed that each isolate varied in population and growth rate. The highest population was obtained in the isolates Gowa Methanotrof Reproductive (GMR 8) about 7.06 x 10 11 cfu / ml on 3 days of incubation and the lowest population was obtained in the Gowa Methanotrof Maturation (GMP 5) about 0.27 x 10 11 cfu / ml on 7 day of incubation. Some isolate were demonstrated in long growth rate about 5 days of incubation and another are 3 days.Keywords: emission, methanotrof, methane, population
Procedia PDF Downloads 44311170 Coupled Spacecraft Orbital and Attitude Modeling and Simulation in Multi-Complex Modes
Authors: Amr Abdel Azim Ali, G. A. Elsheikh, Moutaz Hegazy
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This paper presents verification of a modeling and simulation for a Spacecraft (SC) attitude and orbit control system. Detailed formulation of coupled SC orbital and attitude equations of motion is performed in order to achieve accepted accuracy to meet the requirements of multitargets tracking and orbit correction complex modes. Correction of the target parameter based on the estimated state vector during shooting time to enhance pointing accuracy is considered. Time-optimal nonlinear feedback control technique was used in order to take full advantage of the maximum torques that the controller can deliver. This simulation provides options for visualizing SC trajectory and attitude in a 3D environment by including an interface with V-Realm Builder and VR Sink in Simulink/MATLAB. Verification data confirms the simulation results, ensuring that the model and the proposed control law can be used successfully for large and fast tracking and is robust enough to keep the pointing accuracy within the desired limits with considerable uncertainty in inertia and control torque.Keywords: attitude and orbit control, time-optimal nonlinear feedback control, modeling and simulation, pointing accuracy, maximum torques
Procedia PDF Downloads 32211169 A New Approach for Solving Fractional Coupled Pdes
Authors: Prashant Pandey
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In the present article, an effective Laguerre collocation method is used to obtain the approximate solution of a system of coupled fractional-order non-linear reaction-advection-diffusion equation with prescribed initial and boundary conditions. In the proposed scheme, Laguerre polynomials are used together with an operational matrix and collocation method to obtain approximate solutions of the coupled system, so that our proposed model is converted into a system of algebraic equations which can be solved employing the Newton method. The solution profiles of the coupled system are presented graphically for different particular cases. The salient feature of the present article is finding the stability analysis of the proposed method and also the demonstration of the lower variation of solute concentrations with respect to the column length in the fractional-order system compared to the integer-order system. To show the higher efficiency, reliability, and accuracy of the proposed scheme, a comparison between the numerical results of Burger’s coupled system and its existing analytical result is reported. There are high compatibility and consistency between the approximate solution and its exact solution to a higher order of accuracy. The exhibition of error analysis for each case through tables and graphs confirms the super-linearly convergence rate of the proposed method.Keywords: fractional coupled PDE, stability and convergence analysis, diffusion equation, Laguerre polynomials, spectral method
Procedia PDF Downloads 14111168 A Three-modal Authentication Method for Industrial Robots
Authors: Luo Jiaoyang, Yu Hongyang
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In this paper, we explore a method that can be used in the working scene of intelligent industrial robots to confirm the identity information of operators to ensure that the robot executes instructions in a sufficiently safe environment. This approach uses three information modalities, namely visible light, depth, and sound. We explored a variety of fusion modes for the three modalities and finally used the joint feature learning method to improve the performance of the model in the case of noise compared with the single-modal case, making the maximum noise in the experiment. It can also maintain an accuracy rate of more than 90%.Keywords: multimodal, kinect, machine learning, distance image
Procedia PDF Downloads 7311167 The Accuracy of Measures for Screening Adults for Spiritual Suffering in Health Care Settings: A Systematic Review
Authors: Sayna Bahraini, Wendy Gifford, Ian Graham, Liquaa Wazni, Suzettee Bremault-Phillips, Rebekah Hackbusch, Catrine Demers, Mary Egan
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Objective: Guidelines for palliative and spiritual care emphasize the importance of screening patients for spiritual suffering. The aim of this review was to synthesize the research evidence on the accuracy of measures used to screen adults for spiritual suffering. Methods: A systematic review has been conducted. We searched five scientific databases to identify relevant articles. Two independent reviewers screened extracted data and assessed study methodological quality. Results: We identified five articles that yielded information on 24 spiritual screening measures. Among all identified measures, the 2-item Meaning/Joy & Self-Described Struggle has the highest sensitivity (82-87%), and the revised Rush protocol has the highest specificity (81-90%). The methodological quality of all included studies was low. Significance of Results: While most of the identified spiritual screening measures are brief (comprise 1 to 12 number of items), few have sufficient accuracy to effectively screen patients for spiritual suffering. We advise clinicians to use their critical appraisal skills and clinical judgment when selecting and using any of the identified measures to screen for spiritual suffering.Keywords: screening, suffering, spirituality, diagnostic test accuracy, systematic review
Procedia PDF Downloads 13211166 Effect of Saturation and Deformation Rate on Split Tensile Strength for Various Sedimentary Rocks
Authors: D. K. Soni
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A study of engineering properties of stones, i.e. compressive strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, density, hardness were carried out to explore the possibility of optimum utilization of stone. The laboratory test results on equally dimensioned discs of the stone show a considerable variation in computed split tensile strength with varied rates of deformation. Hence, the effect of strain rate on the tensile strength of a sand stone and lime stone under wet and dry conditions has been studied experimentally using the split tensile strength test technique. It has been observed that the tensile strength of these stone is very much dependent on the rate of deformation particularly in a dry state. On saturation the value of split tensile strength reduced considerably depending upon the structure of rock and amount of water absorption.Keywords: sedimentary rocks, split tensile test, deformation rate, saturation rate, sand stone, lime stone
Procedia PDF Downloads 40311165 Optimizing of the Micro EDM Parameters in Drilling of Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Alloy for Higher Machining Accuracy-Fuzzy Modelling
Authors: Ahmed A. D. Sarhan, Mum Wai Yip, M. Sayuti, Lim Siew Fen
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Ti6Al4V alloy is highly used in the automotive and aerospace industry due to its good machining characteristics. Micro EDM drilling is commonly used to drill micro hole on extremely hard material with very high depth to diameter ratio. In this study, the parameters of micro-electrical discharge machining (EDM) in drilling of Ti6Al4V alloy is optimized for higher machining accuracy with less hole-dilation and hole taper ratio. The micro-EDM machining parameters includes, peak current and pulse on time. Fuzzy analysis was developed to evaluate the machining accuracy. The analysis shows that hole-dilation and hole-taper ratio are increased with the increasing of peak current and pulse on time. However, the surface quality deteriorates as the peak current and pulse on time increase. The combination that gives the optimum result for hole dilation is medium peak current and short pulse on time. Meanwhile, the optimum result for hole taper ratio is low peak current and short pulse on time.Keywords: Micro EDM, Ti-6Al-4V alloy, fuzzy logic based analysis, optimization, machining accuracy
Procedia PDF Downloads 48911164 A New Model for Production Forecasting in ERP
Authors: S. F. Wong, W. I. Ho, B. Lin, Q. Huang
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ERP has been used in many enterprises for management, the accuracy of the production forecasting module is vital to the decision making of the enterprise, and the profit is affected directly. Therefore, enhancing the accuracy of the production forecasting module can also increase the efficiency and profitability. To deal with a lot of data, a suitable, reliable and accurate statistics model is necessary. LSSVM and Grey System are two main models to be studied in this paper, and a case study is used to demonstrate how the combination model is effective to the result of forecasting.Keywords: ERP, grey system, LSSVM, production forecasting
Procedia PDF Downloads 453