Search results for: participatory air quality network siting
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 13776

Search results for: participatory air quality network siting

13296 Application of Neural Network on the Loading of Copper onto Clinoptilolite

Authors: John Kabuba

Abstract:

The study investigated the implementation of the Neural Network (NN) techniques for prediction of the loading of Cu ions onto clinoptilolite. The experimental design using analysis of variance (ANOVA) was chosen for testing the adequacy of the Neural Network and for optimizing of the effective input parameters (pH, temperature and initial concentration). Feed forward, multi-layer perceptron (MLP) NN successfully tracked the non-linear behavior of the adsorption process versus the input parameters with mean squared error (MSE), correlation coefficient (R) and minimum squared error (MSRE) of 0.102, 0.998 and 0.004 respectively. The results showed that NN modeling techniques could effectively predict and simulate the highly complex system and non-linear process such as ion-exchange.

Keywords: clinoptilolite, loading, modeling, neural network

Procedia PDF Downloads 401
13295 Wireless Sensor Networks Optimization by Using 2-Stage Algorithm Based on Imperialist Competitive Algorithm

Authors: Hamid R. Lashgarian Azad, Seyed N. Shetab Boushehri

Abstract:

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) have become progressively popular due to their wide range of applications. Wireless Sensor Network is made of numerous tiny sensor nodes that are battery-powered. It is a very significant problem to maximize the lifetime of wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we propose a two-stage protocol based on an imperialist competitive algorithm (2S-ICA) to solve a sensor network optimization problem. The energy of the sensors can be greatly reduced and the lifetime of the network reduced by long communication distances between the sensors and the sink. We can minimize the overall communication distance considerably, thereby extending the lifetime of the network lifetime through connecting sensors into a series of independent clusters using 2SICA. Comparison results of the proposed protocol and LEACH protocol, which is common to solving WSN problems, show that our protocol has a better performance in terms of improving network life and increasing the number of transmitted data.

Keywords: wireless sensor network, imperialist competitive algorithm, LEACH protocol, k-means clustering

Procedia PDF Downloads 75
13294 Comparative Learning Challenges Experienced by Students in Universities of Developing Nations in Sub-Saharan Africa

Authors: Chinaza Uleanya, Martin Duma, Bongani Gamede

Abstract:

The study investigated learning challenges experienced by students in universities situated in developing sub-Saharan African countries using selected universities in South Africa and Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to 2,335 randomly selected students from selected universities in South Africa and Nigeria. The outcome of the study shows that six common learning challenges are visible in developing sub-Sahara African universities. The causes of these learning challenges cut across the failure in responsibilities of the various stakeholders in the field of education and the effects are monumental both to the students and society. This paper suggests recommendations to university administrators, education policy makers and implementers on the need to take education more seriously, to review and implement appropriate policies, and to ensure provision of quality education through the supply of adequate amenities and other motivating factors.

Keywords: learning, challenges, learning challenges, access with success, participatory access

Procedia PDF Downloads 275
13293 Application of Wireless Sensor Networks: A Survey in Thailand

Authors: Sathapath Kilaso

Abstract:

Nowadays, Today, wireless sensor networks are an important technology that works with Internet of Things. It is receiving various data from many sensor. Then sent to processing or storing. By wireless network or through the Internet. The devices around us are intelligent, can receiving/transmitting and processing data and communicating through the system. There are many applications of wireless sensor networks, such as smart city, smart farm, environmental management, weather. This article will explore the use of wireless sensor networks in Thailand and collect data from Thai Thesis database in 2012-2017. How to Implementing Wireless Sensor Network Technology. Advantage from this study To know the usage wireless technology in many fields. This will be beneficial for future research. In this study was found the most widely used wireless sensor network in agriculture field. Especially for smart farms. And the second is the adoption of the environment. Such as weather stations and water inspection.

Keywords: wireless sensor network, smart city, survey, Adhoc Network

Procedia PDF Downloads 184
13292 A Sectional Control Method to Decrease the Accumulated Survey Error of Tunnel Installation Control Network

Authors: Yinggang Guo, Zongchun Li

Abstract:

In order to decrease the accumulated survey error of tunnel installation control network of particle accelerator, a sectional control method is proposed. Firstly, the accumulation rule of positional error with the length of the control network is obtained by simulation calculation according to the shape of the tunnel installation-control-network. Then, the RMS of horizontal positional precision of tunnel backbone control network is taken as the threshold. When the accumulated error is bigger than the threshold, the tunnel installation control network should be divided into subsections reasonably. On each segment, the middle survey station is taken as the datum for independent adjustment calculation. Finally, by taking the backbone control points as faint datums, the weighted partial parameters adjustment is performed with the adjustment results of each segment and the coordinates of backbone control points. The subsections are jointed and unified into the global coordinate system in the adjustment process. An installation control network of the linac with a length of 1.6 km is simulated. The RMS of positional deviation of the proposed method is 2.583 mm, and the RMS of the difference of positional deviation between adjacent points reaches 0.035 mm. Experimental results show that the proposed sectional control method can not only effectively decrease the accumulated survey error but also guarantee the relative positional precision of the installation control network. So it can be applied in the data processing of tunnel installation control networks, especially for large particle accelerators.

Keywords: alignment, tunnel installation control network, accumulated survey error, sectional control method, datum

Procedia PDF Downloads 169
13291 Net-Trainer-ST: A Swiss Army Knife for Pentesting, Based on Single Board Computer, for Cybersecurity Professionals and Hobbyists

Authors: K. Hołda, D. Śliwa, K. Daniec, A. Nawrat

Abstract:

This article was created as part of the developed master's thesis. It attempts to present a newly developed device, which will support the work of specialists dealing with broadly understood cybersecurity terms. The device is contrived to automate security tests. In addition, it simulates potential cyberattacks in the most realistic way possible, without causing permanent damage to the network, in order to maximize the quality of the subsequent corrections to the tested network systems. The proposed solution is a fully operational prototype created from commonly available electronic components and a single board computer. The focus of the following article is not only put on the hardware part of the device but also on the theoretical and applicatory way in which implemented cybersecurity tests operate and examples of their results.

Keywords: Raspberry Pi, ethernet, automated cybersecurity tests, ARP, DNS, backdoor, TCP, password sniffing

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13290 US Airlines Performance and Its Connection with Service Quality

Authors: Nicole Kalemba, Fernando Campa-Planas, Ana-Beatriz Hernández-Lara, Maria Victória Sánchez-Rebull

Abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of service quality on US airlines’ economic performance. In order to cover this goal, it has been considered four different indexes of service quality in the air transportation industry, and also two indicators of economic performance, revenues and return on investment (ROI). Data from American airline companies over a period that covers from 2006 to 2013 have been used in order to determine if airlines’ profitability increases when service quality improves. Considering the effects on airlines’ profitability, the results confirm the positive and significant influence of service quality on the ROI of the companies in our study. Meanwhile, a non-significant effect was found for airline revenues related to quality. No previous research in this area has been done and these findings could encourage airline companies to invest in quality as far as this policy can have a return on their profitability.

Keywords: airlines, economic performance, key performance indicators, quality

Procedia PDF Downloads 448
13289 A Schema of Building an Efficient Quality Gate throughout the Software Development with Tools

Authors: Le Chen

Abstract:

This paper presents an efficient tool platform scheme to ensure quality protection throughout the software development process. The main principle is to manage the information of requirements, design, development, testing, operation and maintenance process with proper tools, and to set up the quality standards of each process. Through the tools’ display and summary of quality standards, the quality standards can be visualizad and ready for policy decision, which is called Quality Gate in this paper. In addition, the tools are also integrated to achieve the exchange and relation of information which highly improving operational efficiency. In this paper, the feasibility of the scheme is verified by practical application of development projects, and the overall information display and data mining are proposed to be further improved.

Keywords: efficiency, quality gate, software process, tools

Procedia PDF Downloads 339
13288 The Moderation Effect of Critical Item on the Strategic Purchasing: Quality Performance Relationship

Authors: Kwong Yeung

Abstract:

Theories about strategic purchasing and quality performance are underdeveloped. Understanding the evolving role of purchasing from reactive to proactive is a pressing strategic issue. Using survey responses from 176 manufacturing and electronics industry professionals, we study the relationships between strategic purchasing and supply chain partners’ quality performance to answer the following questions: Can transaction cost economics be used to elucidate the strategic purchasing-quality performance relationship? Is this strategic purchasing-quality performance relationship moderated by critical item analysis? The findings indicate that critical item analysis positively and significantly moderates the strategic purchasing-quality performance relationship.

Keywords: critical item analysis, moderation, quality performance, strategic purchasing, transaction cost economics

Procedia PDF Downloads 542
13287 Promoting Organizational Learning Facing the Complexity of Public Healthcare: How to Design a Voluntary, Learning-Oriented Benchmarking

Authors: Rachel M. Lørum, Henrik Eriksson, Frida Smith

Abstract:

Purpose: In recent years, the use of benchmarks for the improvement of healthcare has become increasingly common. There has been an increasing interest in why improvement initiatives so often fail to eliminate the problems they aspire to solve. Benchmarking comes with its fair share of challenges and problems, such as capturing the dynamics and complexities of the care environments, among others. In this study, we demonstrate how learning-oriented, voluntary benchmarks in the complex environment of public healthcare could be designed. Findings: Our four most important findings were the following: first, important organizational learning (OL) regarding the complexity of the service and implications on how to design a benchmark for learning and improvement occurred during the process. Second, participation by a wide range of professionals and stakeholders was crucial for capturing the complexity of people and organizations and increasing the quality of the template. Third, the continuous dialogue between all organizations involved was an important tool for ongoing organizational learning throughout the process. The last important finding was the impact of the facilitator’s role through supporting progress, coordination, and dialogue. Design: We chose participatory design as the research design. Data were derived from written materials such as e-mails, protocols, observational notes, and reflection notes collected during a period of 1.5 years. Originality: Our main contributions are the identification of important strategies, initiatives, and actors to involve when designing voluntary benchmarks for learning and improvement.

Keywords: organizational learning, quality improvement, learning-oriented benchmark, healthcare, patient safety

Procedia PDF Downloads 87
13286 The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Qualty Conrol and Quality

Authors: Mary Moner Botros Fanawel

Abstract:

Many companies use the statistical tool named as statistical quality control, and which can have a high cost for the companies interested on these statistical tools. The evaluation of the quality of products and services is an important topic, but the reduction of the cost of the implantation of the statistical quality control also has important benefits for the companies. For this reason, it is important to implement a economic design for the various steps included into the statistical quality control. In this paper, we describe some relevant aspects related to the economic design of a quality control chart for the proportion of defective items. They are very important because the suggested issues can reduce the cost of implementing a quality control chart for the proportion of defective items. Note that the main purpose of this chart is to evaluate and control the proportion of defective items of a production process.

Keywords: model predictive control, hierarchical control structure, genetic algorithm, water quality with DBPs objectives proportion, type I error, economic plan, distribution function bootstrap control limit, p-value method, out-of-control signals, p-value, quality characteristics

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13285 Model of Monitoring and Evaluation of Student’s Learning Achievement: Application of Value-Added Assessment

Authors: Jatuphum Ketchatturat

Abstract:

Value-added assessment has been used for developing the model of monitoring and evaluation of student's learning achievement. The steps of model development consist of 1) study and analyisis of the school and the district report system of student achievement and progress, 2) collecting the data of student achievement to develop the value added indicator, 3) developing the system of value-added assessment by participatory action research approach, 4) putting the system of value-added assessment into the educational district of secondary school, 5) determining the quality of the developed system of value-added assessment. The components of the developed model consist of 1) the database of value-added assessment of student's learning achievement, 2) the process of monitoring and evaluation the student's learning achievement, and 3) the reporting system of value-added assessment of student's learning achievement.

Keywords: learning achievement, monitoring and evaluation, value-added assessment

Procedia PDF Downloads 396
13284 Comparison between Continuous Genetic Algorithms and Particle Swarm Optimization for Distribution Network Reconfiguration

Authors: Linh Nguyen Tung, Anh Truong Viet, Nghien Nguyen Ba, Chuong Trinh Trong

Abstract:

This paper proposes a reconfiguration methodology based on a continuous genetic algorithm (CGA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) for minimizing active power loss and minimizing voltage deviation. Both algorithms are adapted using graph theory to generate feasible individuals, and the modified crossover is used for continuous variable of CGA. To demonstrate the performance and effectiveness of the proposed methods, a comparative analysis of CGA with PSO for network reconfiguration, on 33-node and 119-bus radial distribution system is presented. The simulation results have shown that both CGA and PSO can be used in the distribution network reconfiguration and CGA outperformed PSO with significant success rate in finding optimal distribution network configuration.

Keywords: distribution network reconfiguration, particle swarm optimization, continuous genetic algorithm, power loss reduction, voltage deviation

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13283 An Investigation of Surface Water Quality in an Industrial Area Using Integrated Approaches

Authors: Priti Saha, Biswajit Paul

Abstract:

Rapid urbanization and industrialization has increased the pollution load in surface water bodies. However, these water bodies are major source of water for drinking, irrigation, industrial activities and fishery. Therefore, water quality assessment is paramount importance to evaluate its suitability for all these purposes. This study focus to evaluate the surface water quality of an industrial city in eastern India through integrating interdisciplinary techniques. The multi-purpose Water Quality Index (WQI) assess the suitability for drinking, irrigation as well as fishery of forty-eight sampling locations, where 8.33% have excellent water quality (WQI:0-25) for fishery and 10.42%, 20.83% and 45.83% have good quality (WQI:25-50), which represents its suitability for drinking irrigation and fishery respectively. However, the industrial water quality was assessed through Ryznar Stability Index (LSI), which affirmed that only 6.25% of sampling locations have neither corrosive nor scale forming properties (RSI: 6.2-6.8). Integration of these statistical analysis with geographical information system (GIS) helps in spatial assessment. It identifies of the regions where the water quality is suitable for its use in drinking, irrigation, fishery as well as industrial activities. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of statistical and GIS techniques for water quality assessment.

Keywords: surface water, water quality assessment, water quality index, spatial assessment

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13282 Secure Network Coding against Content Pollution Attacks in Named Data Network

Authors: Tao Feng, Xiaomei Ma, Xian Guo, Jing Wang

Abstract:

Named Data Network (NDN) is one of the future Internet architecture, all nodes (i.e., hosts, routers) are allowed to have a local cache, used to satisfy incoming requests for content. However, depending on caching allows an adversary to perform attacks that are very effective and relatively easy to implement, such as content pollution attack. In this paper, we use a method of secure network coding based on homomorphic signature system to solve this problem. Firstly ,we use a dynamic public key technique, our scheme for each generation authentication without updating the initial secret key used. Secondly, employing the homomorphism of hash function, intermediate node and destination node verify the signature of the received message. In addition, when the network topology of NDN is simple and fixed, the code coefficients in our scheme are generated in a pseudorandom number generator in each node, so the distribution of the coefficients is also avoided. In short, our scheme not only can efficiently prevent against Intra/Inter-GPAs, but also can against the content poisoning attack in NDN.

Keywords: named data networking, content polloution attack, network coding signature, internet architecture

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13281 An Integrated Approach to Find the Effect of Strain Rate on Ultimate Tensile Strength of Randomly Oriented Short Glass Fiber Composite in Combination with Artificial Neural Network

Authors: Sharad Shrivastava, Arun Jalan

Abstract:

In this study tensile testing was performed on randomly oriented short glass fiber/epoxy resin composite specimens which were prepared using hand lay-up method. Samples were tested over a wide range of strain rate/loading rate from 2mm/min to 40mm/min to see the effect on ultimate tensile strength of the composite. A multi layered 'back propagation artificial neural network of supervised learning type' was used to analyze and predict the tensile properties with strain rate and temperature as given input and output as UTS to predict. Various network structures were designed and investigated with varying parameters and network sizes, and an optimized network structure was proposed to predict the UTS of short glass fiber/epoxy resin composite specimens with reasonably good accuracy.

Keywords: glass fiber composite, mechanical properties, strain rate, artificial neural network

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13280 Navigating Life Transitions for Young People with Vision Impairment: A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach to Accessibility and Diversity

Authors: Aikaterini Tavoulari, Michael Proulx, Karin Petrini

Abstract:

Objective: This study aims to explore the unique challenges faced by young individuals with vision impairment (VI) during key life transitions, utilizing a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to identify limitations and positive aspects of existing support systems, with a focus on accessibility and diversity. Design: The study employs a qualitative CBPR design, engaging young participants with VI through online and in-person working groups over six months, prioritizing their active involvement and diverse perspectives. Methods: Twenty-one young individuals with VI from across the UK and with different VI conditions were recruited to participate in the study via a climbing and virtual reality event and stakeholders’ support. Data collection methods included open discussions, forum exchanges, and qualitative questionnaires. The data were analyzed with NVivo using inductive thematic analysis to identify key themes and patterns related to the challenges and experiences of life transitions for this diverse population. Results: The analysis revealed barriers to accessibility, such as assumptions about what a person with VI can do, inaccessibility to material, noisy environments, and insufficient training with assistive technologies. Enablers included guidance from diverse professionals and peers, multisensory approaches (beyond tactile), and peer collaborations. This study underscores the need for developing accessible and tailored strategies together with these young people to address the specific needs of this diverse population during critical life transitions (e.g., to independent living, employment and higher education). Conclusion: Engaging and co-designing effective approaches and tools with young people with VI is key to tackling the specific accessibility barriers they encounter. These approaches should be targeted at different transitional periods of their life journey, promoting diversity and inclusion.

Keywords: vision impairement, life transitions, qualitative research, community-based participatory design, accessibility

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13279 Addressing Scheme for IOT Network Using IPV6

Authors: H. Zormati, J. Chebil, J. Bel Hadj Taher

Abstract:

The goal of this paper is to present an addressing scheme that allows for assigning a unique IPv6 address to each node in the Internet of Things (IoT) network. This scheme guarantees uniqueness by extracting the clock skew of each communication device and converting it into an IPv6 address. Simulation analysis confirms that the presented scheme provides reductions in terms of energy consumption, communication overhead and response time as compared to four studied addressing schemes Strong DAD, LEADS, SIPA and CLOSA.

Keywords: addressing, IoT, IPv6, network, nodes

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13278 Wireless Sensor Network Energy Efficient and QoS-Aware MAC Protocols: A Survey

Authors: Bashir Abdu Muzakkari, Mohamad Afendee Mohamad, Mohd Fadzil Abdul Kadir

Abstract:

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is an aggregation of several tiny, low-cost sensor nodes, spatially distributed to monitor physical or environmental status. WSN is constantly changing because of the rapid technological advancements in sensor elements such as radio, battery and operating systems. The Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols remain very vital in the WSN because of its role in coordinating communication amongst the sensors. Other than battery consumption, packet collision, network lifetime and latency are factors that largely depend on WSN MAC protocol and these factors have been widely treated in recent days. In this paper, we survey some latest proposed WSN Contention-based, Scheduling-based and Hybrid MAC protocols while presenting an examination, correlation of advantages and limitations of each protocol. Concentration is directed towards investigating the treatment of Quality of Service (QoS) performance metrics within these particular protocols. The result shows that majority of the protocols leaned towards energy conservation. We, therefore, believe that other performance metrics of guaranteed QoS such as latency, throughput, packet loss, network and bandwidth availability may play a critical role in the design of future MAC protocols for WSNs.

Keywords: WSN, QoS, energy consumption, MAC protocol

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13277 The Relationship between Spiritual Well-Being and the Quality of Life among Older Adults Who Live in Aged Institutions

Authors: Li-Fen Wu

Abstract:

Spiritual well-being is one aspect of quality of life that can significantly improve the quality of life of individuals. However, the reports of older adults’ spiritual well-being that live in aged institutions were few. This study aims to identify the relationship between spiritual well-being and quality of life among older adults residing in aged institutions in Taiwan. The correlative study design is used. Data collected by basic personal information, Spiritual Index of Well-being Scale and EuroQol-5D-3L. Case managers help participants complete the questionnaires. This study uses descriptive statistics and correlation test analysis data. The study finds the positive correlation between spiritual well-being and quality of life. According to the correlation between spiritual well-being and quality-of-life score, awareness of the importance of spiritual well-being in caring for these people is recommended.

Keywords: older adult, spiritual well-being, quality of life, aged institution

Procedia PDF Downloads 235
13276 Clustering Using Cooperative Multihop Mini-Groups in Wireless Sensor Network: A Novel Approach

Authors: Virender Ranga, Mayank Dave, Anil Kumar Verma

Abstract:

Recently wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are used in many real life applications like environmental monitoring, habitat monitoring, health monitoring etc. Due to power constraint cheaper devices used in these applications, the energy consumption of each device should be kept as low as possible such that network operates for longer period of time. One of the techniques to prolong the network lifetime is an intelligent grouping of sensor nodes such that they can perform their operation in cooperative and energy efficient manner. With this motivation, we propose a novel approach by organize the sensor nodes in cooperative multihop mini-groups so that the total global energy consumption of the network can be reduced and network lifetime can be improved. Our proposed approach also reduces the number of transmitted messages inside the WSNs, which further minimizes the energy consumption of the whole network. The experimental simulations show that our proposed approach outperforms over the state-of-the-art approach in terms of stability period and aggregated data.

Keywords: clustering, cluster-head, mini-group, stability period

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13275 Facial Emotion Recognition with Convolutional Neural Network Based Architecture

Authors: Koray U. Erbas

Abstract:

Neural networks are appealing for many applications since they are able to learn complex non-linear relationships between input and output data. As the number of neurons and layers in a neural network increase, it is possible to represent more complex relationships with automatically extracted features. Nowadays Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) are widely used in Computer Vision problems such as; classification, object detection, segmentation image editing etc. In this work, Facial Emotion Recognition task is performed by proposed Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based DNN architecture using FER2013 Dataset. Moreover, the effects of different hyperparameters (activation function, kernel size, initializer, batch size and network size) are investigated and ablation study results for Pooling Layer, Dropout and Batch Normalization are presented.

Keywords: convolutional neural network, deep learning, deep learning based FER, facial emotion recognition

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13274 Practicing Participatory Approach in Social Forestry to Strengthen Sustainability in a Rural Area of Bangladesh

Authors: A B M Enamol Hassan

Abstract:

The forest storing up in Bangladesh is of deep concern to policy analysts because of increasing encroachment that results in deforestation and degradation of the ecosystem. To address these problems, forest-dependent people, as responsible for encroachment, could be involved in the co-management process along with other local stakeholders through a participatory approach. On the basis of this premise, this paper conceptualizes and empirically assesses the integration of all stakeholders in the co-management process through two lenses such as participation and collaboration. The study also analyzed the issues of sustainability in local communities along with examining constraints that limit the processes of integration. The study used a qualitative research method, which included face-to-face interviews with semi-structured questionnaires and field notes following the purposive sampling technique focusing on Comilla Sadar South Upazila (CSSU), Bangladesh. The findings of this paper reveal beneficiaries, Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD) and Union Parishad (UP), come together as leading actors, while NGOs and business entrepreneurs are ignored in the co-management process of social forestry. However, integrated management contributes to the strength of community sustainability, although it has some major limitations causing the matter of concerns among the local communities and policy analysts.

Keywords: integration, participation, collaboration, stakeholders, community sustainability

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13273 The Role of Car Dealerships in Promoting Electric Vehicles: Covert Participatory Observations of Car Dealerships in Sweden

Authors: Anne Y. Faxer, Ellen Olausson, Jens Hagman, Ana Magazinius, Jenny J. Stier, Tommy Fransson, Oscar Enerback

Abstract:

While electric vehicles (both battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids) have been on the market for around 6 years, they are still far from mainstream and the knowledge of them is still low among the public. This is likely one of the reasons that Sweden, having one of the highest penetrations of electric vehicles in Europe, still has a long way to go in reaching a fossil free vehicle fleet. Car dealerships are an important medium that connects consumers to vehicles, but somehow, their role in introducing electric vehicles has not yet been thoroughly studied. Research from other domains shows that salespeople can affect customer decisions in their choice of products. The aim of this study is to explore the role of car dealerships when it comes to promoting electric vehicles. The long-term goal is to understand how they could be a key in the effort of achieving a mass introduction of electric vehicles in Sweden. By emulating the customer’s experience, this study investigates the interaction between car salespeople and customers, particularly examining whether they present electric vehicles as viable options. Covert participatory observations were conducted for data collection from four different brands at in total twelve car dealers. The observers worked in pairs and played the role of a customer with needs that could be matched by an electric vehicle. The data was summarized in observation protocols and analyzed using thematic coding. The result shows that only one of twelve salespeople offered an electric vehicle as the first option. When environmental factors were brought up by the observers, the salespeople followed up with lower fuel consumption internal combustion engine vehicles rather than suggesting an electric vehicle. All salespeople possessed at least basic knowledge about electric vehicles but their interest of selling them were low in most cases. One of the reasons could be that the price of electric vehicles is usually higher. This could be inferred from the finding that salespeople tend to have a strong focus on price and economy in their dialogues with customers, regardless which type of car they were selling. In conclusion, the study suggests that car salespeople have the potential to help the market to achieve mass introduction of electric vehicles; however, their potential needs to be exploited further. To encourage salespeople to prioritize electric vehicles in the sales process, right incentives need to be in place.

Keywords: car dealerships, covert participatory observation, customer perspective , electric vehicle, market penetration

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13272 PH.WQT as a Web Quality Model for Websites of Government Domain

Authors: Rupinder Pal Kaur, Vishal Goyal

Abstract:

In this research, a systematic and quantitative engineering-based approach is followed by applying well-known international standards and guidelines to develop a web quality model (PH.WQT- Punjabi and Hindi Website Quality Tester) to measure external quality for websites of government domain that are developed in Punjabi and Hindi. Correspondingly, the model can be used for websites developed in other languages also. The research is valuable to researchers and practitioners interested in designing, implementing and managing websites of government domain Also, by implementing PH.WQT analysis and comparisons among web sites of government domain can be performed in a consistent way.

Keywords: external quality, PH.WQT, indian languages, punjabi and hindi, quality model, websites of government

Procedia PDF Downloads 279
13271 A Video Surveillance System Using an Ensemble of Simple Neural Network Classifiers

Authors: Rodrigo S. Moreira, Nelson F. F. Ebecken

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This paper proposes a maritime vessel tracker composed of an ensemble of WiSARD weightless neural network classifiers. A failure detector analyzes vessel movement with a Kalman filter and corrects the tracking, if necessary, using FFT matching. The use of the WiSARD neural network to track objects is uncommon. The additional contributions of the present study include a performance comparison with four state-of-art trackers, an experimental study of the features that improve maritime vessel tracking, the first use of an ensemble of classifiers to track maritime vessels and a new quantization algorithm that compares the values of pixel pairs.

Keywords: ram memory, WiSARD weightless neural network, object tracking, quantization

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13270 Using Deep Learning Neural Networks and Candlestick Chart Representation to Predict Stock Market

Authors: Rosdyana Mangir Irawan Kusuma, Wei-Chun Kao, Ho-Thi Trang, Yu-Yen Ou, Kai-Lung Hua

Abstract:

Stock market prediction is still a challenging problem because there are many factors that affect the stock market price such as company news and performance, industry performance, investor sentiment, social media sentiment, and economic factors. This work explores the predictability in the stock market using deep convolutional network and candlestick charts. The outcome is utilized to design a decision support framework that can be used by traders to provide suggested indications of future stock price direction. We perform this work using various types of neural networks like convolutional neural network, residual network and visual geometry group network. From stock market historical data, we converted it to candlestick charts. Finally, these candlestick charts will be feed as input for training a convolutional neural network model. This convolutional neural network model will help us to analyze the patterns inside the candlestick chart and predict the future movements of the stock market. The effectiveness of our method is evaluated in stock market prediction with promising results; 92.2% and 92.1 % accuracy for Taiwan and Indonesian stock market dataset respectively.

Keywords: candlestick chart, deep learning, neural network, stock market prediction

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13269 Optimizing the Capacity of a Convolutional Neural Network for Image Segmentation and Pattern Recognition

Authors: Yalong Jiang, Zheru Chi

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In this paper, we study the factors which determine the capacity of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model and propose the ways to evaluate and adjust the capacity of a CNN model for best matching to a specific pattern recognition task. Firstly, a scheme is proposed to adjust the number of independent functional units within a CNN model to make it be better fitted to a task. Secondly, the number of independent functional units in the capsule network is adjusted to fit it to the training dataset. Thirdly, a method based on Bayesian GAN is proposed to enrich the variances in the current dataset to increase its complexity. Experimental results on the PASCAL VOC 2010 Person Part dataset and the MNIST dataset show that, in both conventional CNN models and capsule networks, the number of independent functional units is an important factor that determines the capacity of a network model. By adjusting the number of functional units, the capacity of a model can better match the complexity of a dataset.

Keywords: CNN, convolutional neural network, capsule network, capacity optimization, character recognition, data augmentation, semantic segmentation

Procedia PDF Downloads 127
13268 Integrated Waste-to-Energy Approach: An Overview

Authors: Tsietsi J. Pilusa, Tumisang G. Seodigeng

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This study evaluates the benefits of advanced waste management practices in unlocking waste-to-energy opportunities within the solid waste industry. The key drivers of sustainable waste management practices, specifically with respect to packaging waste-to-energy technology options are discussed. The success of a waste-to-energy system depends significantly on the appropriateness of available technologies, including those that are well established as well as those that are less so. There are hard and soft interventions to be considered when packaging an integrated waste treatment solution. Technology compatibility with variation in feedstock (waste) quality and quantities remains a key factor. These factors influence the technology reliability in terms of production efficiencies and product consistency, which in turn, drives the supply and demand network. Waste treatment technologies rely on the waste material as feedstock; the feedstock varies in quality and quantities depending on several factors; hence, the technology fails, as a result. It is critical to design an advanced waste treatment technology in an integrated approach to minimize the possibility of technology failure due to unpredictable feedstock quality, quantities, conversion efficiencies, and inconsistent product yield or quality. An integrated waste-to-energy approach offers a secure system design that considers sustainable waste management practices.

Keywords: emerging markets, evaluation tool, interventions, waste treatment technologies

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13267 Analysis of Spatiotemporal Efficiency and Fairness of Railway Passenger Transport Network Based on Space Syntax: Taking Yangtze River Delta as an Example

Authors: Lin Dong, Fei Shi

Abstract:

Based on the railway network and the principles of space syntax, the study attempts to reconstruct the spatial relationship of the passenger network connections from space and time perspective. According to the travel time data of main stations in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration obtained by the Internet, the topological drawing of railway network under different time sections is constructed. With the comprehensive index composed of connection and integration, the accessibility and network operation efficiency of the railway network in different time periods is calculated, while the fairness of the network is analyzed by the fairness indicators constructed with the integration and location entropy from the perspective of horizontal and vertical fairness respectively. From the analysis of the efficiency and fairness of the railway passenger transport network, the study finds: (1) There is a strong regularity in regional system accessibility change; (2) The problems of efficiency and fairness are different in different time periods; (3) The improvement of efficiency will lead to the decline of horizontal fairness to a certain extent, while from the perspective of vertical fairness, the supply-demand situation has changed smoothly with time; (4) The network connection efficiency of Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions is higher than that of the western regions such as Anqing and Chizhou; (5) The marginalization of Nantong, Yancheng, Yangzhou, Taizhou is obvious. The study explores the application of spatial syntactic theory in regional traffic analysis, in order to provide a reference for the development of urban agglomeration transportation network.

Keywords: spatial syntax, the Yangtze River Delta, railway passenger time, efficiency and fairness

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