Search results for: POI extraction method

Authors: A. J. Otjen

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Native American communities are struggling with unemployment and depressed economies. A major cause is a lack of business knowledge, education, and cultural desire. And yet, in the history of the American West, Native Americans were considered the best traders and negotiators for everything from furs to weapons to buffalo. To improve these economies, there has been an effort to reintroduce that heritage to todays and tomorrows generation of tribal members, such Crow, Cheyenne, and Blackfeet. Professors at the College of Business Montana State University-Billings (MSUB) teach tribal students in Montana to create business plans. These plans have won national small business plan competitions. The teaching and advising method used at MSUB is uniquely successful as theses business students are now five time national champions. This article reviews the environment and the method of learning to achieve a winning small business plan with Native American students. It discusses the five plans that became national champions. And it discusses the problems and solutions discovered in the process of achieving results. Students who participated in this endeavor have graduated and become CPAs, MBAs, and gainfully employed in their chosen professions. They have also worked to improve the economies of their native lands and homes. By educating members of these communities with business strategy and plan development, they are better able to impact their own economies.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, native American economies, small businesses, unemployment

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Authors: Anwar U. Haque, Waqar Asrar, Ashraf Ali Omar, Erwin Sulaeman, Jaffer Sayed Mohamed Ali

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Due to the interference effects, the intrinsic aerodynamic parameters obtained from the individual component testing are always fundamentally different than those obtained for complete model testing. Consideration and limitation for such testing need to be taken into account in any design work related to the component buildup method. In this paper, the scaled model of a straight rectangular canard of a hybrid buoyant aircraft is tested at 50 m/s in IIUM-LSWT (Low-Speed Wind Tunnel). Model and its attachment with the balance are kept rigid to have results free from the aeroelastic distortion. Based on the velocity profile of the test section’s floor; the height of the model is kept equal to the corresponding boundary layer displacement. Balance measurements provide valuable but limited information of the overall aerodynamic behavior of the model. Zero lift coefficient is obtained at -2.2o and the corresponding drag coefficient was found to be less than that at zero angles of attack. As a part of the validation of low fidelity tool, the plot of lift coefficient plot was verified by the experimental data and except the value of zero lift coefficient, the overall trend has under-predicted the lift coefficient. Based on this comparative study, a correction factor of 1.36 is proposed for lift curve slope obtained from the panel method.

Keywords: wind tunnel testing, boundary layer displacement, lift curve slope, canard, aerodynamics

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Authors: Prih Bukhari

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The purpose of the proposed paper is to determine if the perception of online advertisement formed due to attitude and belief vary among two different countries or not. Specifically, it seeks to find out how people from China and Pakistan perceive online advertisement. Public attitude and belief towards advertising have been a focus of attention to explore a path to a better strategy of advertising. The ‘belief’ factor was analyzed through 4 items, i.e., product information, entertainment, and increase in economy’ whereas, the ‘attitude’ factor was analyzed thorough questions based on 4 items, i.e. ‘overall, I consider online advertising a good thing’; 'overall, I like online advertising’; ‘'I consider online advertising very essential’; and 'I would describe my overall attitude toward online advertising very favorably’. As such, it provides theoretical basis to explain similarities and differences of beliefs and attitude towards advertising across the two countries. Given its mixed method approach, both quantitative and qualitative method is used to carry out research. A questionnaire-based survey and focus group interviews were conducted. The sample size was of 500 participants. For analysis survey copies were then collected from which 497 were received whereas focus group interviews were collected from both nations. The findings showed that the belief factor among both countries had no significant relation with the perception of online advertisement. However, the attitude had a significant relation with the perception about online advertisement. Also it was observed that despite of different backgrounds, perception about online advertisement based on beliefs and attitude were found largely to be similar. Implications and future studies are provided.

Keywords: attitude, belief, online advertisement, perception

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Authors: Cherish Romina Prajitno, Sunisa Thaichinda

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One indicator of facial aging is wrinkles. Not only that, but wrinkles are a key indicator in our world of facial aesthetics. Wrinkles occur where fault lines develop in aging skin. Nowadays, people are more motivated to keep up their appealing and young appearance. Many individuals are seeking a fast recovery time for their aesthetic procedures and are interested in non-invasive techniques that have a proven track record for successful outcomes. The purpose of this study is to see the efficacy of 100% (pure) grapeseed oil for reducing periorbital wrinkles. This study used the split-face, double-blind method, and this treatment was administered for three months at random to fifteen patients, with the grapeseed oil at one side of the face and the other side with the placebo. The main outcome measure was determined by conducting a comparative analysis of the participants' wrinkle results during each visit using the VIsioscan® VC98. Additionally, we evaluated the skin's elasticity and barrier function using the Cutometer® MP 530 and Tewameter® TM300. Furthermore, we administered a satisfaction score questionnaire to the patients in the 12th week. The findings of the study indicate that grapeseed oil exhibited a noteworthy effect in diminishing the appearance of wrinkles in the periorbital region, enhancing the viscoelastic properties of the periorbital skin, and improving the functionality of the skin barrier in the periorbital area.

Keywords: periorbital wrinkles, pure grapeseed oil, split-face method

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Authors: Klára Gajdošíková

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The aim of this study was to examine the quiet eye method and its components using the mobile eye tracking device. Quiet eye training was proven to be beneficial for different sports, including golf. The main idea of this method is to prolong your fixations on a specific place in order to improve your performance. The shot examined in this study is called putt. Its importance is based on its role on a golf course because, many times, it is the last putt that decides whether you win or lose. Quiet eye training helps players be more focused under pressure, control their attention and overall improve their putting success. Six highly skilled golfers with a handicap ranging from - 4 to + 4, aged 23 to 26, participated in a pilot study with the usage of an eye-tracking device. The study took place in an indoor training area at the golf club Hostivař. Crosstabs showed significant differences between individuals' laterality and their gaze into AOI - areas of interest (middle part of the ball, top of the ball, bottom of the ball, back side of the ball). Statistically significant differences were also discovered between the mean fixation duration of participants with AOI on the middle part of the ball and all other AOIs. The results of this study helped us understand the examined phenomena and showed us the next aim in future quiet eye research. Future research should focus on examining a quiet eye on the golf course. Applying a quiet eye and therefore changing the way we concentrate might be beneficial for coaches and players themselves.

Keywords: eye tracking, golf, laterality, quiet eye

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Authors: Mehdi Montakhabrazlighi, Ercan Balikci

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The neural network (NN) method is applied to alloy development of single crystal Ni-base Superalloys with low density and improved mechanical strength. A set of 1200 dataset which includes chemical composition of the alloys, applied stress and temperature as inputs and density and time to rupture as outputs is used for training and testing the network. Thermodynamic phase diagram modeling of the screened alloys is performed with Thermocalc software to model the equilibrium phases and also microsegregation in solidification processing. The model is first trained by 80% of the data and the 20% rest is used to test it. Comparing the predicted values and the experimental ones showed that a well-trained network is capable of accurately predicting the density and time to rupture strength of the Ni-base superalloys. Modeling results is used to determine the effect of alloying elements, stress, temperature and gamma-prime phase volume fraction on rupture strength of the Ni-base superalloys. This approach is in line with the materials genome initiative and integrated computed materials engineering approaches promoted recently with the aim of reducing the cost and time for development of new alloys for critical aerospace components. This work has been funded by TUBITAK under grant number 112M783.

Keywords: neural network, rupture strength, superalloy, thermocalc

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Authors: Shalini Tripathi, Pardeep Kumar

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The method of translating observed symptoms into disease names is known as disease diagnosis. The ability to solve clinical problems in a complex manner is critical to a doctor's effectiveness in providing health care. The accuracy of his or her expertise is crucial to the survival and well-being of his or her patients. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a huge economic influence depending on how well it is applied. In the medical sector, human brain-simulated intellect can help not only with classification accuracy, but also with reducing diagnostic time, cost and pain associated with pathologies tests. In light of AI's present and prospective applications in the biomedical, we will identify them in the paper based on potential benefits and risks, social and ethical consequences and issues that might be contentious but have not been thoroughly discussed in publications and literature. Current apps, personal tracking tools, genetic tests and editing programmes, customizable models, web environments, virtual reality (VR) technologies and surgical robotics will all be investigated in this study. While AI holds a lot of potential in medical diagnostics, it is still a very new method, and many clinicians are uncertain about its reliability, specificity and how it can be integrated into clinical practice without jeopardising clinical expertise. To validate their effectiveness, more systemic refinement of these implementations, as well as training of physicians and healthcare facilities on how to effectively incorporate these strategies into clinical practice, will be needed.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, medical diagnosis, virtual reality, healthcare ethical implications 

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Authors: Tharsinithevy Kirupananthan, Thivahary Geretharan

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Since creation of agricultural enterprises going to reflect the micro and macro level development of Sri Lanka, it is vey important to study the entrepreneurial trends of Agricultural Undergraduates. Likert scale scoring method was used to assess the responses of involvement, Role model effect, aware of demands, confidence and willingness. 37.8% were strongly agreed to do full time business. The average score for to do agriculture businesses were between agree and strongly agree. The average scores for role model effects were less than agree. Average score for aware of needs of society was less than agree. 75.7% of them were able to identify the demands of the society. The demands identified were human capital, self sufficient domestic production, safe and nutritional foods. The confidence of having enough skills score was less than agree. 64.1% of them were owned special skills to carry out entrepreneurial activities. Such skills were possession of different human capitals management skills. The willingness responses scores were more than agree. 61.5% of them were discussed their business plan. Their dream plans were development of new food products, Quality planting materials, harmless method of cultivation and floricultural industry. Those were supported by government policies and other related organizations.

Keywords: agricultural undergraduates, entrepreneurial trends, likert scale Sri Lanka

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Authors: A. K. M. Kamrul Islam, Abdelhamid Bouchachia, Suang Cang, Hongnian Yu

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Forecasting model has a great impact in terms of prediction and continues to do so into the future. Although many forecasting models have been studied in recent years, most researchers focus on different forecasting methods based on fuzzy time series to solve forecasting problems. The forecasted models accuracy fully depends on the two terms that are the length of the interval in the universe of discourse and the content of the forecast rules. Moreover, a hybrid forecasting method can be an effective and efficient way to improve forecasts rather than an individual forecasting model. There are different hybrids forecasting models which combined fuzzy time series with evolutionary algorithms, but the performances are not quite satisfactory. In this paper, we proposed a hybrid forecasting model which deals with the first order as well as high order fuzzy time series and particle swarm optimization to improve the forecasted accuracy. The proposed method used the historical enrollments of the University of Alabama as dataset in the forecasting process. Firstly, we considered an automatic clustering algorithm to calculate the appropriate interval for the historical enrollments. Then particle swarm optimization and fuzzy time series are combined that shows better forecasting accuracy than other existing forecasting models.

Keywords: fuzzy time series (fts), particle swarm optimization, clustering algorithm, hybrid forecasting model

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Authors: Ansarullah Omari

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This article examines the intercultural sensitivities of ethnic groups (Tajik and Pashtun) in Afghan society. Afghanistan is known as a multi-ethnic society due to its many ethnic groups. Intercultural sensitivities among ethnic groups have been the basis for the formation of conflicts, divisions and discrimination in this country for many years, whose destructive effects include civil wars, immigration and the lack of sustainability of Afghan governments. One of the ways to achieve unity and social interaction with peace and comfort in the multi-ethnic society of Afghanistan is to identify intercultural sensitivities between ethnic groups, especially two large ethnic groups (Tajik and Pashtun) and related factors through intercultural communication. Therefore, the research is conducted with the question of what factors have caused intercultural sensitivities between the Tajik and Pashtun people. And for its scientific understanding, the theory of intercultural sensitivities is used. The current research is participative research that is done with qualitative and quantitative methods. In the qualitative method, by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews, the components of intercultural sensitivities of the Tajik and Pashtun ethnic groups are identified, and then in the quantitative method, these components are measured in a survey in the society. The expected findings are that the level of intercultural sensitivities among the general public is relatively low, but the most important factors that increase intercultural sensitivities between the Tajik and Pashtun ethnic groups are, firstly, politics, secondly, the self-praise of the Pashtun people and in the language issue.

Keywords: intercultural communication, intercultural sensitivity, Tajik people, Pashtun people, in-depth interview

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Authors: Chong Zhang, Mu-Xuan Tao

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In several earthquakes, numerous reinforced concrete (RC) frames subjected to seismic excitation demonstrated a collapse pattern characterized by column hinges, though designed according to the Strong-Column-Weak-Beam (S-C-W-B) criteria. The effect of biaxial seismic excitation on the disparity between design and actual performance is carefully investigated in this article. First, a modified load contour method is proposed to derive a closed-form equation of biaxial bending moment strength, which is verified by numerical and experimental tests. Afterwards, a group of time history analyses of a simple frame modeled by fiber beam-column elements subjected to biaxial seismic excitation are conducted to verify that the current S-C-W-B criteria are not adequate to prevent the occurrence of column hinges. A biaxial over-strength factor is developed based on the proposed equation, and the reinforcement of columns is appropriately amplified with this factor to prevent the occurrence of column hinges under biaxial excitation, which is proved to be effective by another group of time history analyses.

Keywords: biaxial bending moment capacity, biaxial seismic excitation, fiber beam model, load contour method, strong-column-weak-beam

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Authors: Mastawal Melese, Yismaw Assefa

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This study aims to identify household-level determinants of solid waste disposal (SWD) practices in Bure Town, north-western Ethiopia. Using a cross-sectional design and a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 238 randomly selected households through structured interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations. Descriptive analysis revealed that 14.7% of households used composting as a primary SWD method, 37.4% practiced open dumping, 25.6% used burning, and 22.3% resorted to burial. Multinomial logistic regression showed that factors such as monthly income, age, family size, length of residence, sex, home ownership, solid waste sorting procedures, and education significantly influenced the choice of disposal method. Households with lower education, income, home ownership, and shorter residence times were more likely to use improper disposal methods. Females were found to be more likely to engage in better waste disposal practices than males. These findings underscore the need for context-specific interventions in newly developing towns to enhance household-level SWM systems by addressing key socio-economic factors.

Keywords: multinomial logistic regression, solid waste management, solid waste disposal, urban household

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Authors: Aneesh Babu, S. P. Anusha

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A dynamic signal control system combines traditional traffic lights with an array of sensors to intelligently control vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The present study focus on evaluating the performance of dynamic signal control systems for mixed traffic conditions. Data collected from four different approaches to a typical four-legged signalized intersection at Trivandrum city in the Kerala state of India is used for the study. Performance of three other dynamic signal control methods, namely (i) Non-sequential method (ii) Webster design for consecutive signal cycle using flow as input, and (iii) dynamic signal control using RFID delay as input, were evaluated. The evaluation of the dynamic signal control systems was carried out using a calibrated VISSIM microsimulation model. Python programming was used to integrate the dynamic signal control algorithm through the COM interface in VISSIM. The intersection delay obtained from different dynamic signal control methods was compared with the delay obtained from fixed signal control. Based on the study results, it was observed that the intersection delay was reduced significantly by using dynamic signal control methods. The dynamic signal control method using delay from RFID sensors resulted in a higher percentage reduction in delay and hence is a suitable choice for implementation under mixed traffic conditions. The developed dynamic signal control strategies can be implemented in ITS applications under mixed traffic conditions.

Keywords: dynamic signal control, intersection delay, mixed traffic conditions, RFID sensors

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Authors: D. S. Mohale, A.V. Chandewar

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Study was undertaken to investigate the effect of imipramine on various biochemical parameters and oxidative stress markers in short and long term depression on rats. Rats were subjected for short (21 days) and long term (84 days) social isolation for and checked for depression on force swim test and tail suspension method. Various markers of oxidative stress like lipid peroxidation (LPO), reduced glutathione (GSH), Supersoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and biochemical parameters like Serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), Serum glutamate pyruate transaminase (SGPT), and blood glucose were determined in depressed, control, imipramine and Vitamin E treated group. The rats displayed an increase in depression on force swim test and tail suspension method relative to control. There was significant increase in the level of LPO and decrease in the levels of GSH, SOD and CAT after short and long term depression. Increased oxidative stress in depression which may leads to alteration of biochemical parameters. Treatment with imipramine an tricyclic antidepressant significantly decreases in level of LPO, SGOT, SGPT and increase in the levels of GSH, SOD and CAT in long term depression.

Keywords: depression, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione

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Authors: Angad S. Kushwaha, Rajeev Kumar, Monika Srivastava, S. K. Srivastava

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A lot of research work is going on in the field of graphene based SPR biosensor. In the conventional SPR based biosensor, graphene is used as a biomolecular recognition element. Graphene adsorbs biomolecules due to carbon based ring structure through sp2 hybridization. The proposed SPR based biosensor configuration will open a new avenue for efficient biosensing by taking the advantage of Graphene and its fascinating nanofabrication properties. In the present study, we have studied an SPR biosensor based on graphene mediated by Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Gold. In the proposed structure, prism (BK7) base is coated with Zinc Oxide followed by Gold and Graphene. Using the waveguide approach by transfer matrix method, the proposed structure has been investigated theoretically. We have analyzed the reflectance versus incidence angle curve using He-Ne laser of wavelength 632.8 nm. Angle, at which the reflectance is minimized, termed as SPR angle. The shift in SPR angle is responsible for biosensing. From the analysis of reflectivity curve, we have found that there is a shift in SPR angle as the biomolecules get attached on the graphene surface. This graphene layer also enhances the sensitivity of the SPR sensor as compare to the conventional sensor. The sensitivity also increases by increasing the no of graphene layer. So in our proposed biosensor we have found minimum possible reflectivity with optimum level of sensitivity.

Keywords: biosensor, sensitivity, surface plasmon resonance, transfer matrix method

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Authors: Khushboo Bhavsar, Nisha K. Shah, Neha Parekh

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The status of wastewater treatment needs a novel and quick method for treating the wastewater containing ammoniacal nitrogen. Adsorption behavior of ammoniacal nitrogen from wastewater using the nanoparticles loaded coconut coir was investigated in the present work. Manganese Oxide (MnO2) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were prepared and used for the further adsorption study. Manganese nanoparticles loaded coconut coir (MNLCC) and Zinc nanoparticles loaded coconut coir (ZNLCC) were prepared via a simple method and was fully characterized. The properties of both MNLCC and ZNLCC were characterized by Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Adsorption characteristics were studied using batch technique considering various parameters like pH, adsorbent dosage, time, temperature and agitation time. The NH3-N adsorption process for MNLCC and ZNLCC was thoroughly studied from both kinetic and equilibrium isotherm view-points. The results indicated that the adsorption efficiency of ZNLCC was better when compared to MNLCC. The adsorption kinetics at different experimental conditions showed that second order kinetic model best fits ensuring the monovalent binding sites existing in the present experimental system. The outcome of the entire study suggests that the ZNLCC can be a smart option for the treatment of the ammoniacal nitrogen containing wastewater.

Keywords: ammoniacal nitrogen, MnO2, Nanoparticles, ZnO

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Authors: Nixon Kuruvila, H. V. Ravindra

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Wire-cut Electro Discharge Machining (WEDM) is a special form of conventional EDM process in which electrode is a continuously moving conductive wire. The present study aims at determining parametric influence and optimum process parameters of Wire-EDM using Taguchi’s Technique and Genetic algorithm. The variation of the performance parameters with machining parameters was mathematically modeled by Regression analysis method. The objective functions are Dimensional Accuracy (DA) and Material Removal Rate (MRR). Experiments were designed as per Taguchi’s L16 Orthogonal Array (OA) where in Pulse-on duration, Pulse-off duration, Current, Bed-speed and Flushing rate have been considered as the important input parameters. The matrix experiments were conducted for the material Oil Hardened Non Shrinking Steel (OHNS) having the thickness of 40 mm. The results of the study reveals that among the machining parameters it is preferable to go in for lower pulse-off duration for achieving over all good performance. Regarding MRR, OHNS is to be eroded with medium pulse-off duration and higher flush rate. Finally, the validation exercise performed with the optimum levels of the process parameters. The results confirm the efficiency of the approach employed for optimization of process parameters in this study.

Keywords: dimensional accuracy (DA), regression analysis (RA), Taguchi method (TM), volumetric material removal rate (VMRR)

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Authors: Thein Thein, Kalyar Myo San

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Lip reading system is one of the different supportive technologies for hearing impaired, or elderly people or non-native speakers. For normal hearing persons in noisy environments or in conditions where the audio signal is not available, lip reading techniques can be used to increase their understanding of spoken language. Hearing impaired persons have used lip reading techniques as important tools to find out what was said by other people without hearing voice. Thus, visual speech information is important and become active research area. Using visual information from lip movements can improve the accuracy and robustness of a speech recognition system and the need for lip reading system is ever increasing for every language. However, the recognition of lip movement is a difficult task because of the region of interest (ROI) is nonlinear and noisy. Therefore, this paper proposes method to detect the accurate lips shape and to localize lip movement towards automatic lip tracking by using the combination of Otsu global thresholding technique and Moore Neighborhood Tracing Algorithm. Proposed method shows how accurate lip localization and tracking which is useful for speech recognition. In this work of study and experiments will be carried out the automatic lip localizing the lip shape for Myanmar consonants using the only visual information from lip movements which is useful for visual speech of Myanmar languages.

Keywords: lip reading, lip localization, lip tracking, Moore neighborhood tracing algorithm

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Authors: Mahdi Salarian, Xi Xu, Rashid Ansari

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Accurate localization of mobile devices based on camera-acquired visual media information usually requires a search over a very large GPS-referenced image database. This paper proposes an efficient method for limiting the search space for image retrieval engine by extracting and leveraging additional media information about Estimated Positional Error (EP E) to address complexity and accuracy issues in the search, especially to be used for compensating GPS location inaccuracy in dense urban areas. The improved performance is achieved by up to a hundred-fold reduction in the search area used in available reference methods while providing improved accuracy. To test our procedure we created a database by acquiring Google Street View (GSV) images for down town of Chicago. Other available databases are not suitable for our approach due to lack of EP E for the query images. We tested the procedure using more than 200 query images along with EP E acquired mostly in the densest areas of Chicago with different phones and in different conditions such as low illumination and from under rail tracks. The effectiveness of our approach and the effect of size and sector angle of the search area are discussed and experimental results demonstrate how our proposed method can improve performance just by utilizing a data that is available for mobile systems such as smart phones.

Keywords: localization, retrieval, GPS uncertainty, bag of word

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Authors: Reinhard Hermawan Lasut, Henki Wibowo Ashadi

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The use of materials in Indonesia's construction sector requires engineers and practitioners to develop efficient construction technology, one of the materials used in cold-formed steel. Generally, the use of cold-formed steel is used in the construction of roof trusses found in houses or factories. The failure of the roof truss structure causes errors in the calculation analysis in the form of cross-sectional dimensions or frame configuration. The roof truss structure, vertical distance effect to the span length at the edge of the frame carries the compressive load. If the span is too long, local buckling will occur which causes problems in the frame strength. The model analysis uses various shapes of roof trusses, span lengths and angles with analysis of the structural stiffness matrix method. Model trusses with one-fifth shortened span and one-sixth shortened span also The trusses model is reviewed with increasing angles. It can be concluded that the trusses model by shortening the span in the compression area can reduce deflection and the model by increasing the angle does not get good results because the higher the roof, the heavier the load carried by the roof so that the force is not channeled properly. The shape of the truss must be calculated correctly so the truss is able to withstand the working load so that there is no structural failure.

Keywords: cold-formed, trusses, deflection, stiffness matrix method

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Authors: Ayoola Idowu Olasebikan

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The global community has become increasingly dependent on various kinds of technologies out of which Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) appear to be the most prominent. ICTs have become multipurpose tools which have had a revolutionary impact on how we see the world and how we live in it. Yoruba is the most widely spoken African language outside Africa but it remains one of the badly spoken language in the world as a result of its outdated teaching method in the African schools which prevented its standard version from being spoken and written. This paper conducts a critical review of the traditional methods of teaching Yoruba language. It then examines the possibility of leveraging on ICTs for improved methods of teaching Yoruba language to achieve global standard and spread. It identified key ICT platforms that can be deployed for the teaching of Yoruba language and the constraints facing each of them. The paper concludes that Information and Communication Technologies appear to provide veritable opportunity for paradigm shift in the methods of teaching Yoruba Language. It also opines that Yoruba language has the potential to transform economic fortune of Africa for sustainable development provided its teaching is taken beyond the brick and mortar classroom to the virtual classroom/global information super highway called internet or any other ICTs medium. It recommends that students and teachers of Yoruba language should be encouraged to acquire basic skills in computer and internet technology in order to enhance their ability to develop and retrieve electronic Yoruba language teaching materials.

Keywords: Africa, ICT, teaching method, Yoruba language

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Authors: Jonathan Gong

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Purpose AI-driven solutions are at the forefront of many pathology and medical imaging methods. Using algorithms designed to better the experience of medical professionals within their respective fields, the efficiency and accuracy of diagnosis can improve. In particular, X-rays are a fast and relatively inexpensive test that can diagnose diseases. In recent years, X-rays have not been widely used to detect and diagnose COVID-19. The under use of Xrays is mainly due to the low diagnostic accuracy and confounding with pneumonia, another respiratory disease. However, research in this field has expressed a possibility that artificial neural networks can successfully diagnose COVID-19 with high accuracy. Models and Data The dataset used is the COVID-19 Radiography Database. This dataset includes images and masks of chest X-rays under the labels of COVID-19, normal, and pneumonia. The classification model developed uses an autoencoder and a pre-trained convolutional neural network (DenseNet201) to provide transfer learning to the model. The model then uses a deep neural network to finalize the feature extraction and predict the diagnosis for the input image. This model was trained on 4035 images and validated on 807 separate images from the ones used for training. The images used to train the classification model include an important feature: the pictures are cropped beforehand to eliminate distractions when training the model. The image segmentation model uses an improved U-Net architecture. This model is used to extract the lung mask from the chest X-ray image. The model is trained on 8577 images and validated on a validation split of 20%. These models are calculated using the external dataset for validation. The models’ accuracy, precision, recall, f1-score, IOU, and loss are calculated. Results The classification model achieved an accuracy of 97.65% and a loss of 0.1234 when differentiating COVID19-infected, pneumonia-infected, and normal lung X-rays. The segmentation model achieved an accuracy of 97.31% and an IOU of 0.928. Conclusion The models proposed can detect COVID-19, pneumonia, and normal lungs with high accuracy and derive the lung mask from a chest X-ray with similarly high accuracy. The hope is for these models to elevate the experience of medical professionals and provide insight into the future of the methods used.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, convolutional neural networks, deep learning, image processing, machine learning

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Authors: Noel Paolo Domingo, James Paul Menina, Laurente Ferrer

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Most people were forced to stay at home and limit their physical contact during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the situation, strict implementation of government policies and safety protocols encouraged consumers to utilize cashless or digital transactions through e-wallets. In this study, the researchers aim to investigate the efficiency of using e-wallets as a payment method during the COVID-19 pandemic in Marikina City. The study examined the efficiency of e-wallets in terms of Usefulness, Convenience, and Safety and Security based on respondents’ assessment. Questionnaires developed by the researchers were distributed to a total of 400 e-wallet users in Marikina City aged 15 years old and above to gather data by using a purposive sampling technique. The data collected was processed using SPSS version 26. Frequency, percentage, and mean were utilized to describe the profile of respondents and their assessment of e-wallets in terms of the three constructs. ANOVA and t-tests were also employed to test the significant differences in the respondent’s assessment when the demographic profile was considered. The study revealed that when it comes to usefulness, e-wallet is efficient while in terms of convenience, and safety and security, e-wallet has been proven to be very efficient. During the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing e-wallets has been embraced by most consumers. By enhancing its features, more people will be satisfied with using e-wallets.

Keywords: efficiency of e-wallets, usefulness, convenience, safety and security

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Authors: Wang Heng, Zhong Zhaoping, Guo Feihong, Wang Jia, Wang Xiaoyi

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Flow of gas and particles in fluidized beds is complex and chaotic, which is difficult to measure and analyze by experiments. Some bed materials with bad fluidized performance always fluidize with fluidized medium. The material and the fluidized medium are different in many properties such as density, size and shape. These factors make the dynamic process more complex and the experiment research more limited. Numerical simulation is an efficient way to describe the process of gas-solid flow in fluidized bed. One of the most popular numerical simulation methods is CFD-DEM, i.e., computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method. The shapes of particles are always simplified as sphere in most researches. Although sphere-shaped particles make the calculation of particle uncomplicated, the effects of different shapes are disregarded. However, in practical applications, the two-component systems in fluidized bed also contain sphere particles and non-sphere particles. Therefore, it is needed to study the two component flow of sphere particles and non-sphere particles. In this paper, the flows of mixing were simulated as the flow of molding biomass particles and quartz in fluidized bad. The integrated model was built on an Eulerian–Lagrangian approach which was improved to suit the non-sphere particles. The constructed methods of cylinder-shaped particles were different when it came to different numerical methods. Each cylinder-shaped particle was constructed as an agglomerate of fictitious small particles in CFD part, which means the small fictitious particles gathered but not combined with each other. The diameter of a fictitious particle d_fic and its solid volume fraction inside a cylinder-shaped particle α_fic, which is called the fictitious volume fraction, are introduced to modify the drag coefficient β by introducing the volume fraction of the cylinder-shaped particles α_cld and sphere-shaped particles α_sph. In a computational cell, the void ε, can be expressed as ε=1-〖α_cld α〗_fic-α_sph. The Ergun equation and the Wen and Yu equation were used to calculate β. While in DEM method, cylinder-shaped particles were built by multi-sphere method, in which small sphere element merged with each other. Soft sphere model was using to get the connect force between particles. The total connect force of cylinder-shaped particle was calculated as the sum of the small sphere particles’ forces. The model (size=1×0.15×0.032 mm3) contained 420000 sphere-shaped particles (diameter=0.8 mm, density=1350 kg/m3) and 60 cylinder-shaped particles (diameter=10 mm, length=10 mm, density=2650 kg/m3). Each cylinder-shaped particle was constructed by 2072 small sphere-shaped particles (d=0.8 mm) in CFD mesh and 768 sphere-shaped particles (d=3 mm) in DEM mesh. The length of CFD and DEM cells are 1 mm and 2 mm. Superficial gas velocity was changed in different models as 1.0 m/s, 1.5 m/s, 2.0m/s. The results of simulation were compared with the experimental results. The movements of particles were regularly as fountain. The effect of superficial gas velocity on cylinder-shaped particles was stronger than that of sphere-shaped particles. The result proved this present work provided a effective approach to simulation the flow of two component particles.

Keywords: computational fluid dynamics, discrete element method, fluidized bed, multiphase flow

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Authors: Sung-Pill Kim, Dae-Gyu Sung, Hee-Sung Shin, Jong-Chun Park

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When a sloshing tank filled partially with liquid is excited with the motion of platform, it can be observed that the center of mass inside the tank is changed and impact loads is instantaneously applied to the wall, which causes dynamic loads additionally to the supporting links of platform. In this case, therefore, the dynamic behavior of platform associated with fluid motion should be considered in the early stage of design for safety and economics of the system. In this paper, the dynamic loads due to liquid sloshing motion in a rectangular tank which is loaded up on the upper deck of a Stewart platform are simulated using a coupled analysis of Moving Particle Simulation (MPS) and Flexible Multi-Body Dynamics (FMBD). The co-simulation is performed using two commercial softwares, Recurdyn for solving FMBD and Particleworks for analyzing fluid motion based on MPS method. For validating the present coupled system, a rectangular sloshing tank being enforced with inline sway motion by 1-DOF motion platform is assumed, and time-varied free-surface elevation and reaction force at a fixed joint are compared with experiments.

Keywords: dynamic loads, liquid sloshing tank, Stewart platform, moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method, flexible multi-body dynamics (FMBD)

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Authors: Alicia Yanadira Nava Fuentes, Ilse Cervantes Camacho, Amadeo José Argüelles Cruz, Ana María Balboa Verduzco

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Augmented reality promises being present in future driving, with its immersive technology let to show directions and maps to identify important places indicating with graphic elements when the car driver requires the information. On the other side, driving is considered a multitasking activity and, for some people, a complex activity where different situations commonly occur that require the immediate attention of the car driver to make decisions that contribute to avoid accidents; therefore, the main aim of the project is the instrumentation of a platform with biometric sensors that allows evaluating the performance in driving vehicles with the influence of augmented reality devices to detect the level of attention in drivers, since it is important to know the effect that it produces. In this study, the physiological sensors EPOC X (EEG), ECG06 PRO and EMG Myoware are joined in the driving test platform with a Logitech G29 steering wheel and the simulation software City Car Driving in which the level of traffic can be controlled, as well as the number of pedestrians that exist within the simulation obtaining a driver interaction in real mode and through a MSP430 microcontroller achieves the acquisition of data for storage. The sensors bring a continuous analog signal in time that needs signal conditioning, at this point, a signal amplifier is incorporated due to the acquired signals having a sensitive range of 1.25 mm/mV, also filtering that consists in eliminating the frequency bands of the signal in order to be interpretative and without noise to convert it from an analog signal into a digital signal to analyze the physiological signals of the drivers, these values are stored in a database. Based on this compilation, we work on the extraction of signal features and implement K-NN (k-nearest neighbor) classification methods and decision trees (unsupervised learning) that enable the study of data for the identification of patterns and determine by classification methods different effects of augmented reality on drivers. The expected results of this project include are a test platform instrumented with biometric sensors for data acquisition during driving and a database with the required variables to determine the effect caused by augmented reality on people in simulated driving.

Keywords: augmented reality, driving, physiological signals, test platform

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Authors: Anderson Rocha-Buelvas, Jaqueline Mena Huertas, Edith Burbano Rosero, Arsenio Hidalgo Troya, Mauricio Casas Cruz

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COVID-19 is a disruptive pandemic for the public health and economic system of whole countries, including Colombia. Nariño Department is the southwest of the country and draws attention to being on the border with Ecuador, constantly facing demographic transition affecting infections between countries. In Nariño, the early routine diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, which can be handled at BSL-2, has affected the transmission dynamics of COVID-19. However, new emerging and re-emerging viruses with biological flexibility classified as a Risk Group 3 agent can take advantage of epidemiological opportunities, generating the need to increase clinical diagnosis, mainly in border regions between countries. The overall objective of this project was to assure the quality of the analytical process in the diagnosis of high biological risk pathogens in Nariño by building a laboratory that includes biosafety level (BSL)-2 and (BSL)-3 containment zones. The delimitation of zones was carried out according to the Verification Tool of the National Health Institute of Colombia and following the standard requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories of the International Organization for Standardization. This is achieved by harmonization of methods and equipment for effective and durable diagnostics of the large-scale spread of highly pathogenic microorganisms, employing negative-pressure containment systems and UV Systems in accordance with a finely controlled electrical system and PCR systems as new diagnostic tools. That increases laboratory capacity. Protection in BSL-3 zones will separate the handling of potentially infectious aerosols within the laboratory from the community and the environment. It will also allow the handling and inactivation of samples with suspected pathogens and the extraction of molecular material from them, allowing research with pathogens with high risks, such as SARS-CoV-2, Influenza, and syncytial virus, and malaria, among others. The diagnosis of these pathogens will be articulated across the spectrum of basic, applied, and translational research that could receive about 60 daily samples. It is expected that this project will be articulated with the health policies of neighboring countries to increase research capacity.

Keywords: medical laboratory science, SARS-CoV-2, public health surveillance, Colombia

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Authors: T. Sarat Chandra, M. Maneesh Kumar, S. N. Mudliar, V. S. Chauhan, S. Mukherji, R. Sarada

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The life cycle assessment (LCA) of biodiesel production from freshwater microalgae Scenedesmus dimorphus cultivated in open raceway pond is performed. Various scenarios for biodiesel production were simulated using primary and secondary data. The parameters varied in the modelled scenarios were related to biomass productivity, mode of culture mixing and type of energy source. The process steps included algae cultivation in open raceway ponds, harvesting by chemical flocculation, dewatering by mechanical drying option (MDO) followed by extraction, reaction and purification. Anaerobic digestion of defatted algal biomass (DAB) for biogas generation is considered as a co-product allocation and the energy derived from DAB was thereby used in the upstream of the process. The scenarios were analysed for energy demand, emissions and environmental impacts within the boundary conditions grounded on "cradle to gate" inventory. Across all the Scenarios, cultivation via raceway pond was observed to be energy intensive process. The mode of culture mixing and biomass productivity determined the energy requirements of the cultivation step. Emissions to Freshwater were found to be maximum contributing to 93-97% of total emissions in all the scenarios. Global warming potential (GWP) was the found to be major environmental impact accounting to about 99% of total environmental impacts in all the modelled scenarios. It was noticed that overall emissions and impacts were directly related to energy demand and an inverse relationship was observed with biomass productivity. The geographic location of an energy source affected the environmental impact of a given process. The integration of defatted algal remnants derived electricity with the cultivation system resulted in a 2% reduction in overall energy demand. Direct biogas generation from microalgae post harvesting is also analysed. Energy surplus was observed after using part of the energy in upstream for biomass production. Results suggest biogas production from microalgae post harvesting as an environmentally viable and sustainable option compared to biodiesel production.

Keywords: biomass productivity, energy demand, energy source, Lifecycle Assessment (LCA), microalgae, open raceway pond

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Authors: Fatemeh Faramarzi, Hosein Mahjoob

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Building dams on rivers for utilization of water resources causes problems in hydrodynamic equilibrium and results in leaving all or part of the sediments carried by water in dam reservoir. This phenomenon has also significant impacts on water and sediment flow regime and in the long term can cause morphological changes in the environment surrounding the river, reducing the useful life of the reservoir which threatens sustainable development through inefficient management of water resources. In the past, empirical methods were used to predict the sedimentation amount in dam reservoirs and to estimate its efficient lifetime. But recently the mathematical and computational models are widely used in sedimentation studies in dam reservoirs as a suitable tool. These models usually solve the equations using finite element method. This study compares the results from tow software packages, GSTARS4 & HEC-6, in the prediction of the sedimentation amount in Dez dam, southern Iran. The model provides a one-dimensional, steady-state simulation of sediment deposition and erosion by solving the equations of momentum, flow and sediment continuity and sediment transport. GSTARS4 (Generalized Sediment Transport Model for Alluvial River Simulation) which is based on a one-dimensional mathematical model that simulates bed changes in both longitudinal and transverse directions by using flow tubes in a quasi-two-dimensional scheme to calibrate a period of 47 years and forecast the next 47 years of sedimentation in Dez Dam, Southern Iran. This dam is among the highest dams all over the world (with its 203 m height), and irrigates more than 125000 square hectares of downstream lands and plays a major role in flood control in the region. The input data including geometry, hydraulic and sedimentary data, starts from 1955 to 2003 on a daily basis. To predict future river discharge, in this research, the time series data were assumed to be repeated after 47 years. Finally, the obtained result was very satisfactory in the delta region so that the output from GSTARS4 was almost identical to the hydrographic profile in 2003. In the Dez dam due to the long (65 km) and a large tank, the vertical currents are dominant causing the calculations by the above-mentioned method to be inaccurate. To solve this problem, we used the empirical reduction method to calculate the sedimentation in the downstream area which led to very good answers. Thus, we demonstrated that by combining these two methods a very suitable model for sedimentation in Dez dam for the study period can be obtained. The present study demonstrated successfully that the outputs of both methods are the same.

Keywords: Dez Dam, prediction, sedimentation, water resources, computational models, finite element method, GSTARS4, HEC-6

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Authors: Handan Ertaş

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The aim of the study is to determine the relationship between organizational trust level and organizational justice of Municipality officials. Correlational method has been used via descriptive survey model and Organizational Justice Perception Scale, Organizational Trust Inventory and Interpersonal Trust Scale have been applied to 353 participants who work in Konya Metropolitan Municipality and central district municipalities in the study. Frequency as statistical method, Independent Samples t test for binary groups, One Way-ANOVA analyses for multi-groups and Pearson Correlation analysis have been used to determine the relation in the data analysis process. It has been determined in the outcomes of the study that participants have high level of organizational trust, “Interpersonal Trust” is in the first place and there is a significant difference in the favor of male officials in terms of Trust on the Organization Itself and Interpersonal Trust. It has also been understood that officials in district municipalities have higher perception level in all dimensions, there is a significant difference in Trust on the Organization sub-dimension and work status is an important factor on organizational trust perception. Moreover, the study has shown that organizational justice implementations are important in raising trust of official on the organization, administrator and colleagues, and there is a parallel relation between Organizational Trust components and Organizational Trust dimensions.

Keywords: organizational trust level, organizational justice perceptions, staff, Konya

Procedia PDF Downloads 351