Search results for: computer assisted learning module
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 10078

Search results for: computer assisted learning module

3328 Design and Control of a Brake-by-Wire System Using a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor

Authors: Daniel S. Gamba, Marc Sánchez, Javier Pérez, Juan J. Castillo, Juan A. Cabrera

Abstract:

The conventional hydraulic braking system operates through the activation of a master cylinder and solenoid valves that distribute and regulate brake fluid flow, adjusting the pressure at each wheel to prevent locking during sudden braking. However, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the integration of electronic units into various vehicle control systems. In this context, one of the technologies most recently researched is the Brake-by-wire system, which combines electronic, hydraulic, and mechanical technologies to manage braking. This proposal introduces the design and control of a Brake-by-wire system, which will be part of a fully electric and teleoperated vehicle. This vehicle will have independent four-wheel drive, braking, and steering systems. The vehicle will be operated by embedded controllers programmed into a Speedgoat test system, which allows programming through Simulink and real-time capabilities. The braking system comprises all mechanical and electrical components, a vehicle control unit (VCU), and an electronic control unit (ECU). The mechanical and electrical components include a permanent magnet synchronous motor from Odrive and its inverter, the mechanical transmission system responsible for converting torque into pressure, and the hydraulic system that transmits this pressure to the brake caliper. The VCU is responsible for controlling the pressure and communicates with the other components through the CAN protocol, minimizing response times. The ECU, in turn, transmits the information obtained by a sensor installed in the caliper to the central computer, enabling the control loop to continuously regulate pressure by controlling the motor's speed and current. To achieve this, tree controllers are used, operating in a nested configuration for effective control. Since the computer allows programming in Simulink, a digital model of the braking system has been developed in Simscape, which makes it possible to reproduce different operating conditions, faithfully simulate the performance of alternative brake control systems, and compare the results with data obtained in various real tests. These tests involve evaluating the system's response to sinusoidal and square wave inputs at different frequencies, with the results compared to those obtained from conventional braking systems.

Keywords: braking, CAN protocol, permanent magnet motor, pressure control

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3327 Financial Assets Return, Economic Factors and Investor's Behavioral Indicators Relationships Modeling: A Bayesian Networks Approach

Authors: Nada Souissi, Mourad Mroua

Abstract:

The main purpose of this study is to examine the interaction between financial asset volatility, economic factors and investor's behavioral indicators related to both the company's and the markets stocks for the period from January 2000 to January2020. Using multiple linear regression and Bayesian Networks modeling, results show a positive and negative relationship between investor's psychology index, economic factors and predicted stock market return. We reveal that the application of the Bayesian Discrete Network contributes to identify the different cause and effect relationships between all economic, financial variables and psychology index.

Keywords: Financial asset return predictability, Economic factors, Investor's psychology index, Bayesian approach, Probabilistic networks, Parametric learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 144
3326 Cost-Effective Hybrid Cloud Framework for HEI’s

Authors: Shah Muhammad Butt, Ahmed Masaud Ansari

Abstract:

Present Financial crisis in Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) facing lots of problems considerable budget cuts, make difficult to meet the ever growing IT-based research and learning needs, institutions are rapidly planning and promoting cloud-based approaches for their academic and research needs. A cost effective Hybrid Cloud framework for HEI’s will provide educational services for campus or intercampus communication. Hybrid Cloud Framework comprises Private and Public Cloud approaches. This paper will propose the framework based on the Open Source Cloud (OpenNebula for Virtualization, Eucalyptus for Infrastructure, and Aneka for programming development environment) combined with CSP’s services which are delivered to the end-user via the Internet from public clouds.

Keywords: educational services, hybrid campus cloud, open source, electrical and systems sciences

Procedia PDF Downloads 455
3325 The Influence of Noise on Aerial Image Semantic Segmentation

Authors: Pengchao Wei, Xiangzhong Fang

Abstract:

Noise is ubiquitous in this world. Denoising is an essential technology, especially in image semantic segmentation, where noises are generally categorized into two main types i.e. feature noise and label noise. The main focus of this paper is aiming at modeling label noise, investigating the behaviors of different types of label noise on image semantic segmentation tasks using K-Nearest-Neighbor and Convolutional Neural Network classifier. The performance without label noise and with is evaluated and illustrated in this paper. In addition to that, the influence of feature noise on the image semantic segmentation task is researched as well and a feature noise reduction method is applied to mitigate its influence in the learning procedure.

Keywords: convolutional neural network, denoising, feature noise, image semantic segmentation, k-nearest-neighbor, label noise

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3324 Implementation of Synthesis and Quality Control Procedures of ¹⁸F-Fluoromisonidazole Radiopharmaceutical

Authors: Natalia C. E. S. Nascimento, Mercia L. Oliveira, Fernando R. A. Lima, Leonardo T. C. do Nascimento, Marina B. Silveira, Brigida G. A. Schirmer, Andrea V. Ferreira, Carlos Malamut, Juliana B. da Silva

Abstract:

Tissue hypoxia is a common characteristic of solid tumors leading to decreased sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In the clinical context, tumor hypoxia assessment employing the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer ¹⁸F-fluoromisonidazole ([¹⁸F]FMISO) is helpful for physicians for planning and therapy adjusting. The aim of this work was to implement the synthesis of 18F-FMISO in a TRACERlab® MXFDG module and also to establish the quality control procedure. [¹⁸F]FMISO was synthesized at Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN/Brazil) using an automated synthesizer (TRACERlab® MXFDG, GE) adapted for the production of [¹⁸F]FMISO. The FMISO chemical standard was purchased from ABX. 18O- enriched water was acquired from Center of Molecular Research. Reagent kits containing eluent solution, acetonitrile, ethanol, 2.0 M HCl solution, buffer solution, water for injections and [¹⁸F]FMISO precursor (dissolved in 2 ml acetonitrile) were purchased from ABX. The [¹⁸F]FMISO samples were purified by Solid Phase Extraction method. The quality requirements of [¹⁸F]FMISO are established in the European Pharmacopeia. According to that reference, quality control of [¹⁸F]FMISO should include appearance, pH, radionuclidic identity and purity, radiochemical identity and purity, chemical purity, residual solvents, bacterial endotoxins, and sterility. The duration of the synthesis process was 53 min, with radiochemical yield of (37.00 ± 0.01) % and the specific activity was more than 70 GBq/µmol. The syntheses were reproducible and showed satisfactory results. In relation to the quality control analysis, the samples were clear and colorless at pH 6.0. The spectrum emission, measured by using a High-Purity Germanium Detector (HPGe), presented a single peak at 511 keV and the half-life, determined by the decay method in an activimeter, was (111.0 ± 0.5) min, indicating no presence of radioactive contaminants, besides the desirable radionuclide (¹⁸F). The samples showed concentration of tetrabutylammonium (TBA) < 50μg/mL, assessed by visual comparison to TBA standard applied in the same thin layer chromatographic plate. Radiochemical purity was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the results were 100%. Regarding the residual solvents tested, ethanol and acetonitrile presented concentration lower than 10% and 0.04%, respectively. Healthy female mice were injected via lateral tail vein with [¹⁸F]FMISO, microPET imaging studies (15 min) were performed after 2 h post injection (p.i), and the biodistribution was analyzed in five-time points (30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 min) after injection. Subsequently, organs/tissues were assayed for radioactivity with a gamma counter. All parameters of quality control test were in agreement to quality criteria confirming that [¹⁸F]FMISO was suitable for use in non-clinical and clinical trials, following the legal requirements for the production of new radiopharmaceuticals in Brazil.

Keywords: automatic radiosynthesis, hypoxic tumors, pharmacopeia, positron emitters, quality requirements

Procedia PDF Downloads 191
3323 Performance Analysis and Optimization for Diagonal Sparse Matrix-Vector Multiplication on Machine Learning Unit

Authors: Qiuyu Dai, Haochong Zhang, Xiangrong Liu

Abstract:

Diagonal sparse matrix-vector multiplication is a well-studied topic in the fields of scientific computing and big data processing. However, when diagonal sparse matrices are stored in DIA format, there can be a significant number of padded zero elements and scattered points, which can lead to a degradation in the performance of the current DIA kernel. This can also lead to excessive consumption of computational and memory resources. In order to address these issues, the authors propose the DIA-Adaptive scheme and its kernel, which leverages the parallel instruction sets on MLU. The researchers analyze the effect of allocating a varying number of threads, clusters, and hardware architectures on the performance of SpMV using different formats. The experimental results indicate that the proposed DIA-Adaptive scheme performs well and offers excellent parallelism.

Keywords: adaptive method, DIA, diagonal sparse matrices, MLU, sparse matrix-vector multiplication

Procedia PDF Downloads 129
3322 Teaching Light Polarization by Putting Art and Physics Together

Authors: Fabrizio Logiurato

Abstract:

Light Polarization has many technological applications, and its discovery was crucial to reveal the transverse nature of the electromagnetic waves. However, despite its fundamental and practical importance, in high school, this property of light is often neglected. This is a pity not only for its conceptual relevance, but also because polarization gives the possibility to perform many brilliant experiments with low cost materials. Moreover, the treatment of this matter lends very well to an interdisciplinary approach between art, biology and technology, which usually makes things more interesting to students. For these reasons, we have developed, and in this work, we introduce a laboratory on light polarization for high school and undergraduate students. They can see beautiful pictures when birefringent materials are set between two crossed polarizing filters. Pupils are very fascinated and drawn into by what they observe. The colourful images remind them of those ones of abstract painting or alien landscapes. With this multidisciplinary teaching method, students are more engaged and participative, and also, the learning process of the respective physics concepts is more effective.

Keywords: light polarization, optical activity, multidisciplinary education, science and art

Procedia PDF Downloads 206
3321 K-Means Based Matching Algorithm for Multi-Resolution Feature Descriptors

Authors: Shao-Tzu Huang, Chen-Chien Hsu, Wei-Yen Wang

Abstract:

Matching high dimensional features between images is computationally expensive for exhaustive search approaches in computer vision. Although the dimension of the feature can be degraded by simplifying the prior knowledge of homography, matching accuracy may degrade as a tradeoff. In this paper, we present a feature matching method based on k-means algorithm that reduces the matching cost and matches the features between images instead of using a simplified geometric assumption. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the previous linear exhaustive search approaches in terms of the inlier ratio of matched pairs.

Keywords: feature matching, k-means clustering, SIFT, RANSAC

Procedia PDF Downloads 352
3320 Notes on Frames in Weighted Hardy Spaces and Generalized Weighted Composition Operators

Authors: Shams Alyusof

Abstract:

This work is to enrich the studies of the frames due to their prominent role in pure mathematics as well as in applied mathematics and many applications in computer science and engineering. Recently, there are remarkable studies of operators that preserve frames on some spaces, and this research could be considered as an extension of such studies. Indeed, this paper is to we characterize weighted composition operators that preserve frames in weighted Hardy spaces on the open unit disk. Moreover, it shows that this characterization does not apply to generalized weighted composition operators on such spaces. Nevertheless, this study could be extended to provide more specific characterizations.

Keywords: frames, generalized weighted composition operators, weighted Hardy spaces, analytic functions

Procedia PDF Downloads 117
3319 Demand for Index Based Micro-Insurance (IBMI) in Ethiopia

Authors: Ashenafi Sileshi Etefa, Bezawit Worku Yenealem

Abstract:

Micro-insurance is a relatively new concept that is just being introduced in Ethiopia. For an agrarian economy dominated by small holder farming and vulnerable to natural disasters, mainly drought, the need for an Index-Based Micro Insurance (IBMI) is crucial. Since IBMI solves moral hazard, adverse selection, and access issues to poor clients, it is preferable over traditional insurance products. IBMI is being piloted in drought prone areas of Ethiopia with the aim of learning and expanding the service across the country. This article analyses the demand of IBMI and the barriers to demand and finds that the demand for IBMI has so far been constrained by lack of awareness, trust issues, costliness, and the level of basis risk; and recommends reducing the basis risk and increasing the role of government and farmer cooperatives.

Keywords: agriculture, index based micro-insurance (IBMI), drought, micro-finance institution (MFI)

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3318 An Emphasis on Creativity-Speak Words Increases Crowdfunding Success

Authors: Trayan Kushev, E. Shaunn Mattingly, Andrew S. Manikas

Abstract:

This study utilizes computer-aided text analysis (CATA) on the descriptions of 248,614 Kickstarter crowdfunding campaigns to reveal that backers are more likely to provide funding to projects that contain a higher percentage of creativity-speak words. Further, this relationship is observed to be stronger for product-based campaigns (e.g., games, technology, design) and weaker for content-based campaigns (e.g., film, music, publishing). In addition, both positive linguistic tone and the use of words expressing gratitude in the text of the campaign strengthen the positive effect of creativity-speak on campaign success.

Keywords: creativity-speak, crowdfunding, entrepreneurship, gratitude, tone

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3317 Examining the Challenges of Teaching Traditional Dance in Contemporary India

Authors: Aadya Kaktikar

Abstract:

The role of a traditional dance teacher in India revolves around teaching movements and postures that have been a part of the movement vocabulary of dancers from before the 2nd century BC. These movements inscribe on the mind and body of the dancer a complex web of philosophy, culture history, and religion. However, this repository of tradition sits in a fast globalizing India creating a cultural space which is in a constant flux, where identities and meanings are being constantly challenged. The guru-shishya parampara, the traditional way of learning dance, sits uneasily with a modern education space in India. The traditional dance teacher is caught in the cross-currents of tradition and modernity, of preservation and exploration. This paper explores conflicting views on what dance ought to mean and how it should be taught. The paper explores the tensions of the social, economic and cultural spaces that the traditional dance teacher navigates.

Keywords: pedagogy, dance education, dance curriculum, teacher training

Procedia PDF Downloads 316
3316 Restructuring of Embedded System Design Course: Making It Industry Compliant

Authors: Geetishree Mishra, S. Akhila

Abstract:

Embedded System Design, the most challenging course of electronics engineering has always been appreciated and well acclaimed by the students of electronics and its related branches of engineering. Embedded system, being a product of multiple application domains, necessitates skilled man power to be well designed and tested in every important aspect of both hardware and software. In the current industrial scenario, the requirements are even more rigorous and highly demanding and needs to be to be on par with the advanced technologies. Fresh engineers are expected to be thoroughly groomed by the academic system and the teaching community. Graduates with the ability to understand both complex technological processes and technical skills are increasingly sought after in today's embedded industry. So, the need of the day is to restructure the under-graduate course- both theory and lab practice along with the teaching methodologies to meet the industrial requirements. This paper focuses on the importance of such a need in the present education system.

Keywords: embedded system design, industry requirement, syllabus restructuring, project-based learning, teaching methodology

Procedia PDF Downloads 657
3315 Estimating Big Five Personality Expressions with a Tiered Information Framework

Authors: Laura Kahn, Paul Rodrigues, Onur Savas, Shannon Hahn

Abstract:

An empirical understanding of an individual's personality expression can have a profound impact on organizations seeking to strengthen team performance and improve employee retention. A team's personality composition can impact overall performance. Creating a tiered information framework that leverages proxies for a user's social context and lexical and linguistic content provides insight into location-specific personality expression. We leverage the layered framework to examine domain-specific, psychological, and lexical cues within social media posts. We apply DistilBERT natural language transfer learning models with real world data to examine the relationship between Big Five personality expressions of people in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.

Keywords: big five, personality expression, social media analysis, workforce development

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3314 Role of Education in the Transference of Global Values

Authors: Baratali Monfarediraz

Abstract:

Humans’ identity is not only under the influence of a certain society or social structure but also it is influenced by an international identity. This article is a research on role of education in the manifestation of universally accepted values such as, advancement of science, improvement in the quality of education, preservation of the natural environment, preservation, and spread of peace, exchange of knowledge and technology, equal educational opportunities, benefiting from a universal morality and etc. Therefore, the relation between universal beliefs and values and educational approaches and programs is the first thing to pay attention to. Studies indicate that the first step in achieving the above mentioned goals is offering learning strategies. Therefore the importance of educational approaches and programs as a tool for the transference of ideas, experiences and thoughts becomes quite clear. Proper education gives everyone the opportunity of acquiring knowledge while creating tendency toward social activities paves the way for achieving the universal values.

Keywords: globalization, universal values, education, universal goal, values, society

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3313 Requirements Gathering for Improved Software Usability and the Potential for Usage-Centred Design

Authors: Kholod J. Alotaibi, Andrew M. Gravell

Abstract:

Usability is an important software quality that is often neglected at the design stage. Although methods exist to incorporate elements of usability engineering, there is a need for more balanced usability focused methods that can enhance the experience of software usability for users. In this regard, the potential for Usage-Centered Design is explored with respect to requirements gathering and is shown to lead to high software usability besides other benefits. It achieves this through its focus on usage, defining essential use cases, by conducting task modeling, encouraging user collaboration, refining requirements, and so on. The requirements gathering process in UgCD is described in detail.

Keywords: requirements gathering, usability, usage-centred design, computer science

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3312 Students’ Opinions Related to Virtual Classrooms within the Online Distance Education Graduate Program

Authors: Secil Kaya Gulen

Abstract:

Face to face and virtual classrooms that came up with different conditions and environments, but similar purposes have different characteristics. Although virtual classrooms have some similar facilities with face-to-face classes such as program, students, and administrators, they have no walls and corridors. Therefore, students can attend the courses from a distance and can control their own learning spaces. Virtual classrooms defined as simultaneous online environments where students in different places come together at the same time with the guidance of a teacher. Distance education and virtual classes require different intellectual and managerial skills and models. Therefore, for effective use of virtual classrooms, the virtual property should be taken into consideration. One of the most important factors that affect the spread and effective use of the virtual classrooms is the perceptions and opinions of students -as one the main participants-. Student opinions and recommendations are important in terms of providing information about the fulfillment of expectation. This will help to improve the applications and contribute to the more efficient implementations. In this context, ideas and perceptions of the students related to the virtual classrooms, in general, were determined in this study. Advantages and disadvantages of virtual classrooms expected contributions to the educational system and expected characteristics of virtual classrooms have examined in this study. Students of an online distance education graduate program in which all the courses offered by virtual classrooms have asked for their opinions. Online Distance Education Graduate Program has totally 19 students. The questionnaire that consists of open-ended and multiple choice questions sent to these 19 students and finally 12 of them answered the questionnaire. Analysis of the data presented as frequencies and percentages for each item. SPSS for multiple-choice questions and Nvivo for open-ended questions were used for analyses. According to the results obtained by the analysis, participants stated that they did not get any training on virtual classes before the courses; but they emphasize that newly enrolled students should be educated about the virtual classrooms. In addition, all participants mentioned that virtual classroom contribute their personal development and they want to improve their skills by gaining more experience. The participants, who mainly emphasize the advantages of virtual classrooms, express that the dissemination of virtual classrooms will contribute to the Turkish Education System. Within the advantages of virtual classrooms, ‘recordable and repeatable lessons’ and ‘eliminating the access and transportation costs’ are most common advantages according to the participants. On the other hand, they mentioned ‘technological features and keyboard usage skills affect the attendance’ is the most common disadvantage. Participants' most obvious problem during virtual lectures is ‘lack of technical support’. Finally ‘easy to use’, ‘support possibilities’, ‘communication level’ and ‘flexibility’ come to the forefront in the scope of expected features of virtual classrooms. Last of all, students' opinions about the virtual classrooms seems to be generally positive. Designing and managing virtual classrooms according to the prioritized features will increase the students’ satisfaction and will contribute to improve applications that are more effective.

Keywords: distance education, virtual classrooms, higher education, e-learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 267
3311 The Analysis of Cultural Diversity in EFL Textbook for Senior High School in Indonesia

Authors: Soni Ariawan

Abstract:

The study aims to explore the cultural diversity highlighted in EFL textbook for Senior High School grade 10 in Indonesia. The visual images are selected as the data and qualitatively analysed using content analysis. The reason to choose visual images because images are not always neutral and they might impact teaching and learning process. In the current study, cultural diversity aspects are focused on religion (Muslim, Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian), gender (male, female, unclear), ethnic (Melanesian, Austronesian, Foreigner) and socioeconomic (low, middle, high, undetermined) diversity as the theoretical framework. The four aspects of cultural diversity are sufficiently representative to draw a conclusion in investigating Indonesian culture representation in EFL textbook. The finding shows that cultural diversity is not proportionally reflected in the textbook, particularly in the visual images.

Keywords: EFL textbook, cultural diversity, visual images, Indonesia

Procedia PDF Downloads 308
3310 Using Combination of Sets of Features of Molecules for Aqueous Solubility Prediction: A Random Forest Model

Authors: Muhammet Baldan, Emel Timuçin

Abstract:

Generally, absorption and bioavailability increase if solubility increases; therefore, it is crucial to predict them in drug discovery applications. Molecular descriptors and Molecular properties are traditionally used for the prediction of water solubility. There are various key descriptors that are used for this purpose, namely Drogan Descriptors, Morgan Descriptors, Maccs keys, etc., and each has different prediction capabilities with differentiating successes between different data sets. Another source for the prediction of solubility is structural features; they are commonly used for the prediction of solubility. However, there are little to no studies that combine three or more properties or descriptors for prediction to produce a more powerful prediction model. Unlike available models, we used a combination of those features in a random forest machine learning model for improved solubility prediction to better predict and, therefore, contribute to drug discovery systems.

Keywords: solubility, random forest, molecular descriptors, maccs keys

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3309 Utilization of Hybrid Teaching Methods to Improve Writing Skills of Undergraduate Students

Authors: Tahira Zaman

Abstract:

The paper intends to discover the utility of hybrid teaching methods to aid undergraduate students to improve their English academic writing skills. A total of 45 undergraduate students were selected randomly from three classes from varying language abilities, with the research design of monitoring and rubrics evaluation as a means of measure. Language skills of the students were upgraded with the help of experiential learning methods using reflective writing technique, guided method in which students were merely directed to correct form of writing techniques along with self-guided method for the students to produce a library research-based article measured through a standardized rubrics provided. The progress of the students was monitored and checked through rubrics and self-evaluation and concluded that a change was observed in the students’ writing abilities.

Keywords: self evaluation, hybrid, self evaluation, reflective writing

Procedia PDF Downloads 160
3308 Music Note Detection and Dictionary Generation from Music Sheet Using Image Processing Techniques

Authors: Muhammad Ammar, Talha Ali, Abdul Basit, Bakhtawar Rajput, Zobia Sohail

Abstract:

Music note detection is an area of study for the past few years and has its own influence in music file generation from sheet music. We proposed a method to detect music notes on sheet music using basic thresholding and blob detection. Subsequently, we created a notes dictionary using a semi-supervised learning approach. After notes detection, for each test image, the new symbols are added to the dictionary. This makes the notes detection semi-automatic. The experiments are done on images from a dataset and also on the captured images. The developed approach showed almost 100% accuracy on the dataset images, whereas varying results have been seen on captured images.

Keywords: music note, sheet music, optical music recognition, blob detection, thresholding, dictionary generation

Procedia PDF Downloads 177
3307 Usability Guidelines for Arab E-Government Websites

Authors: Omyma Alosaimi, Asma Alsumait

Abstract:

The website developer and designer should follow usability guidelines to provide a user-friendly interface. Many guidelines and heuristics have been developed by previous studies to help both the developer and designer in this task, but E-government websites are special cases that require specialized guidelines. This paper introduces a set of eighteen guidelines for evaluating the usability of e-government websites in general and Arabic e-government websites specifically, along with a check list of how to apply them. The validity and effectiveness of these guidelines were evaluated against a variety of user characteristics. The results indicated that the proposed set of guidelines can be used to identify qualitative similarities and differences with user testing and that the new set is best suited for evaluating general and e-governmental usability.

Keywords: e-government, human computer interaction, usability evaluation, usability guidelines

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3306 The Measurement of City Brand Effectiveness as Methodological and Strategic Challenge: Insights from Individual Interviews with International Experts

Authors: A. Augustyn, M. Florek, M. Herezniak

Abstract:

Since the public authorities are constantly pressured by the public opinion to showcase the tangible and measurable results of their efforts, the evaluation of place brand-related activities becomes a necessity. Given the political and social character of place branding process, the legitimization of the branding efforts requires the compliance of the objectives set out in the city brand strategy with the actual needs, expectations, and aspirations of various internal stakeholders. To deliver on the diverse promises, city authorities and brand managers need to translate them into the measurable indicators against which the brand strategy effectiveness will be evaluated. In concert with these observations are the findings from branding and marketing literature with a widespread consensus that places should adopt a more systematic and holistic approach in order to ensure the performance of their brands. However, the measurement of the effectiveness of place branding remains insufficiently explored in theory, even though it is considered a significant step in the process of place brand management. Therefore, the aim of the research presented in the current paper was to collect insights on the nature of effectiveness measurement of city brand strategies and to juxtapose these findings with the theoretical assumptions formed on the basis of the state-of-the-art literature review. To this end, 15 international academic experts (out of 18 initially selected) with affiliation from ten countries (five continents), were individually interviewed. The standardized set of 19 open-ended questions was used for all the interviewees, who had been selected based on their expertise and reputation in the fields of place branding/marketing. Findings were categorized into four modules: (i) conceptualizations of city brand effectiveness, (ii) methodological issues of city brand effectiveness measurement, (iii) the nature of measurement process, (iv) articulation of key performance indicators (KPIs). Within each module, the interviewees offered diverse insights into the subject based on their academic expertise and professional activity as consultants. They proposed that there should be a twofold understanding of effectiveness. The narrow one when it is conceived as the aptitude to achieve specific goals, and the broad one in which city brand effectiveness is seen as an increase in social and economic reality of a place, which in turn poses diverse challenges for the measurement concepts and processes. Moreover, the respondents offered a variety of insights into the methodological issues, particularly about the need for customization and flexibility of the measurement systems, for the employment of interdisciplinary approach to measurement and implications resulting therefrom. Considerable emphasis was put on the inward approach to measurement, namely the necessity to monitor the resident’s evaluation of brand related activities instead of benchmarking cities against the competitive set. Other findings encompass the issues of developing appropriate KPIs for the city brand, managing the measurement process and the inclusion of diverse stakeholders to produce a sound measurement system. Furthermore, the interviewees enumerated the most frequently made mistakes in measurement mainly resulting from the misunderstanding of the nature of city brands. This research was financed by the National Science Centre, Poland, research project no. 2015/19/B/HS4/00380 Towards the categorization of place brand strategy effectiveness indicators – findings from strategic documents of Polish district cities – theoretical and empirical approach.

Keywords: city branding, effectiveness, experts’ insights, measurement

Procedia PDF Downloads 139
3305 A Framework for ERP Project Evaluation Based on BSC Model: A Study in Iran

Authors: Mohammad Reza Ostad Ali Naghi Kashani, Esfanji Elia

Abstract:

Nowadays, the amounts of companies which tend to have an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application are increasing particularly in developing countries like Iran. ERP projects are expensive, time consuming, and complex, in addition the failure rate is high among these projects. It is important to know whether these projects could meet their goals or not. Furthermore, the area which should be improved should be identified. In this paper we made a framework to evaluate ERP projects success implementation. First, based on literature review we made a framework based on BSC model, financial, customer, processes, learning and knowledge, because of the importance of change management it was added to model. Then an organization was divided in three layers. We choose corporate, managerial, and operational levels. Then to find criteria to assess each aspect, we use Delphi method in two rounds. And for the second round we made a questionnaire and did some statistical tasks on them. Based on the statistical results some of them are accepted and others are rejected.

Keywords: ERP, BSC, ERP project evaluation, IT projects

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3304 A Systematic Review of Situational Awareness and Cognitive Load Measurement in Driving

Authors: Aly Elshafei, Daniela Romano

Abstract:

With the development of autonomous vehicles, a human-machine interaction (HMI) system is needed for a safe transition of control when a takeover request (TOR) is required. An important part of the HMI system is the ability to monitor the level of situational awareness (SA) of any driver in real-time, in different scenarios, and without any pre-calibration. Presenting state-of-the-art machine learning models used to measure SA is the purpose of this systematic review. Investigating the limitations of each type of sensor, the gaps, and the most suited sensor and computational model that can be used in driving applications. To the author’s best knowledge this is the first literature review identifying online and offline classification methods used to measure SA, explaining which measurements are subject or session-specific, and how many classifications can be done with each classification model. This information can be very useful for researchers measuring SA to identify the most suited model to measure SA for different applications.

Keywords: situational awareness, autonomous driving, gaze metrics, EEG, ECG

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3303 Surface to the Deeper: A Universal Entity Alignment Approach Focusing on Surface Information

Authors: Zheng Baichuan, Li Shenghui, Li Bingqian, Zhang Ning, Chen Kai

Abstract:

Entity alignment (EA) tasks in knowledge graphs often play a pivotal role in the integration of knowledge graphs, where structural differences often exist between the source and target graphs, such as the presence or absence of attribute information and the types of attribute information (text, timestamps, images, etc.). However, most current research efforts are focused on improving alignment accuracy, often along with an increased reliance on specific structures -a dependency that inevitably diminishes their practical value and causes difficulties when facing knowledge graph alignment tasks with varying structures. Therefore, we propose a universal knowledge graph alignment approach that only utilizes the common basic structures shared by knowledge graphs. We have demonstrated through experiments that our method achieves state-of-the-art performance in fair comparisons.

Keywords: knowledge graph, entity alignment, transformer, deep learning

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3302 Achieving Sustainable Lifestyles Based on the Spiritual Teaching and Values of Buddhism from Lumbini, Nepal

Authors: Purna Prasad Acharya, Madhav Karki, Sunta B. Tamang, Uttam Basnet, Chhatra Katwal

Abstract:

The paper outlines the idea behind achieving sustainable lifestyles based on the spiritual values and teachings of Lord Buddha. This objective is to be achieved by spreading the tenets and teachings of Buddhism throughout the Asia Pacific region and the world from the sacred birth place of Buddha - Lumbini, Nepal. There is an urgent need to advance the relevance of Buddhist philosophy in tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature’s decline, and pollution. Today, the world is facing an existential crisis due to the above crises, exasperated by hunger, poverty and armed conflict. To address multi-dimensional impacts, the global communities have to adopt simple life styles that respect nature and universal human values. These were the basic teachings of Gautam Buddha. Lumbini, Nepal has the moral obligation to widely disseminate Buddha’s teaching to the world and receive constant feedback and learning to develop human and ecosystem resilience by molding the lifestyles of current and future generations through adaptive learning and simplicity across the geography and nationality based on spirituality and environmental stewardship. By promoting Buddhism, Nepal has developed a pro-nature tourism industry that focuses on both its spiritual and bio-cultural heritage. Nepal is a country rich in ancient wisdom, where sages have sought knowledge, practiced meditation, and followed spiritual paths for thousands of years. It can spread the teachings of Buddha in a way people can search for and adopt ways to live, creating harmony with nature. Using tools of natural sciences and social sciences, the team will package knowledge and share the idea of community well-being within the framework of environmental sustainability, social harmony and universal respect for nature and people in a more holistic manner. This notion takes into account key elements of sustainable development such as food-energy-water-biodiversity interconnections, environmental conservation, ecological integrity, ecosystem health, community resiliency, adaptation capacity, and indigenous culture, knowledge and values. This inclusive concept has garnered a strong network of supporters locally, regionally, and internationally. The key objectives behind this concept are: a) to leverage expertise and passion of a network of global collaborators to advance research, education, and policy outreach in the areas of human sustainability based on lifestyle change using the power of spirituality and Buddha’s teaching, resilient lifestyles, and adaptive living; b) help develop creative short courses for multi-disciplinary teaching in educational institutions worldwide in collaboration with Lumbini Buddha University and other relevant partners in Nepal; c) help build local and regional intellectual and cultural teaching and learning capacity by improving professional collaborations to promote nature based and Buddhist value-based lifestyles by connecting Lumbini to Nepal’s rich nature; d) promote research avenues to provide policy relevant knowledge that is creative, innovative, as well as practical and locally viable; and e) connect local research and outreach work with academic and cultural partners in South Korea so as to open up Lumbini based Buddhist heritage and Nepal’s Karnali River basin’s unique natural landscape to Korean scholars and students to promote sustainable lifestyles leading to human living in harmony with nature.

Keywords: triple planetary crisis, spirituality, sustainable lifestyles, living in harmony with nature, resilience

Procedia PDF Downloads 28
3301 An Artificial Intelligence Framework to Forecast Air Quality

Authors: Richard Ren

Abstract:

Air pollution is a serious danger to international well-being and economies - it will kill an estimated 7 million people every year, costing world economies $2.6 trillion by 2060 due to sick days, healthcare costs, and reduced productivity. In the United States alone, 60,000 premature deaths are caused by poor air quality. For this reason, there is a crucial need to develop effective methods to forecast air quality, which can mitigate air pollution’s detrimental public health effects and associated costs by helping people plan ahead and avoid exposure. The goal of this study is to propose an artificial intelligence framework for predicting future air quality based on timing variables (i.e. season, weekday/weekend), future weather forecasts, as well as past pollutant and air quality measurements. The proposed framework utilizes multiple machine learning algorithms (logistic regression, random forest, neural network) with different specifications and averages the results of the three top-performing models to eliminate inaccuracies, weaknesses, and biases from any one individual model. Over time, the proposed framework uses new data to self-adjust model parameters and increase prediction accuracy. To demonstrate its applicability, a prototype of this framework was created to forecast air quality in Los Angeles, California using datasets from the RP4 weather data repository and EPA pollutant measurement data. The results showed good agreement between the framework’s predictions and real-life observations, with an overall 92% model accuracy. The combined model is able to predict more accurately than any of the individual models, and it is able to reliably forecast season-based variations in air quality levels. Top air quality predictor variables were identified through the measurement of mean decrease in accuracy. This study proposed and demonstrated the efficacy of a comprehensive air quality prediction framework leveraging multiple machine learning algorithms to overcome individual algorithm shortcomings. Future enhancements should focus on expanding and testing a greater variety of modeling techniques within the proposed framework, testing the framework in different locations, and developing a platform to automatically publish future predictions in the form of a web or mobile application. Accurate predictions from this artificial intelligence framework can in turn be used to save and improve lives by allowing individuals to protect their health and allowing governments to implement effective pollution control measures.Air pollution is a serious danger to international wellbeing and economies - it will kill an estimated 7 million people every year, costing world economies $2.6 trillion by 2060 due to sick days, healthcare costs, and reduced productivity. In the United States alone, 60,000 premature deaths are caused by poor air quality. For this reason, there is a crucial need to develop effective methods to forecast air quality, which can mitigate air pollution’s detrimental public health effects and associated costs by helping people plan ahead and avoid exposure. The goal of this study is to propose an artificial intelligence framework for predicting future air quality based on timing variables (i.e. season, weekday/weekend), future weather forecasts, as well as past pollutant and air quality measurements. The proposed framework utilizes multiple machine learning algorithms (logistic regression, random forest, neural network) with different specifications and averages the results of the three top-performing models to eliminate inaccuracies, weaknesses, and biases from any one individual model. Over time, the proposed framework uses new data to self-adjust model parameters and increase prediction accuracy. To demonstrate its applicability, a prototype of this framework was created to forecast air quality in Los Angeles, California using datasets from the RP4 weather data repository and EPA pollutant measurement data. The results showed good agreement between the framework’s predictions and real-life observations, with an overall 92% model accuracy. The combined model is able to predict more accurately than any of the individual models, and it is able to reliably forecast season-based variations in air quality levels. Top air quality predictor variables were identified through the measurement of mean decrease in accuracy. This study proposed and demonstrated the efficacy of a comprehensive air quality prediction framework leveraging multiple machine learning algorithms to overcome individual algorithm shortcomings. Future enhancements should focus on expanding and testing a greater variety of modeling techniques within the proposed framework, testing the framework in different locations, and developing a platform to automatically publish future predictions in the form of a web or mobile application. Accurate predictions from this artificial intelligence framework can in turn be used to save and improve lives by allowing individuals to protect their health and allowing governments to implement effective pollution control measures.Air pollution is a serious danger to international wellbeing and economies - it will kill an estimated 7 million people every year, costing world economies $2.6 trillion by 2060 due to sick days, healthcare costs, and reduced productivity. In the United States alone, 60,000 premature deaths are caused by poor air quality. For this reason, there is a crucial need to develop effective methods to forecast air quality, which can mitigate air pollution’s detrimental public health effects and associated costs by helping people plan ahead and avoid exposure. The goal of this study is to propose an artificial intelligence framework for predicting future air quality based on timing variables (i.e. season, weekday/weekend), future weather forecasts, as well as past pollutant and air quality measurements. The proposed framework utilizes multiple machine learning algorithms (logistic regression, random forest, neural network) with different specifications and averages the results of the three top-performing models to eliminate inaccuracies, weaknesses, and biases from any one individual model. Over time, the proposed framework uses new data to self-adjust model parameters and increase prediction accuracy. To demonstrate its applicability, a prototype of this framework was created to forecast air quality in Los Angeles, California using datasets from the RP4 weather data repository and EPA pollutant measurement data. The results showed good agreement between the framework’s predictions and real-life observations, with an overall 92% model accuracy. The combined model is able to predict more accurately than any of the individual models, and it is able to reliably forecast season-based variations in air quality levels. Top air quality predictor variables were identified through the measurement of mean decrease in accuracy. This study proposed and demonstrated the efficacy of a comprehensive air quality prediction framework leveraging multiple machine learning algorithms to overcome individual algorithm shortcomings. Future enhancements should focus on expanding and testing a greater variety of modeling techniques within the proposed framework, testing the framework in different locations, and developing a platform to automatically publish future predictions in the form of a web or mobile application. Accurate predictions from this artificial intelligence framework can in turn be used to save and improve lives by allowing individuals to protect their health and allowing governments to implement effective pollution control measures.

Keywords: air quality prediction, air pollution, artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms

Procedia PDF Downloads 122
3300 Keyframe Extraction Using Face Quality Assessment and Convolution Neural Network

Authors: Rahma Abed, Sahbi Bahroun, Ezzeddine Zagrouba

Abstract:

Due to the huge amount of data in videos, extracting the relevant frames became a necessity and an essential step prior to performing face recognition. In this context, we propose a method for extracting keyframes from videos based on face quality and deep learning for a face recognition task. This method has two steps. We start by generating face quality scores for each face image based on the use of three face feature extractors, including Gabor, LBP, and HOG. The second step consists in training a Deep Convolutional Neural Network in a supervised manner in order to select the frames that have the best face quality. The obtained results show the effectiveness of the proposed method compared to the methods of the state of the art.

Keywords: keyframe extraction, face quality assessment, face in video recognition, convolution neural network

Procedia PDF Downloads 227
3299 The Boundary Element Method in Excel for Teaching Vector Calculus and Simulation

Authors: Stephen Kirkup

Abstract:

This paper discusses the implementation of the boundary element method (BEM) on an Excel spreadsheet and how it can be used in teaching vector calculus and simulation. There are two separate spreadheets, within which Laplace equation is solved by the BEM in two dimensions (LIBEM2) and axisymmetric three dimensions (LBEMA). The main algorithms are implemented in the associated programming language within Excel, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). The BEM only requires a boundary mesh and hence it is a relatively accessible method. The BEM in the open spreadsheet environment is demonstrated as being useful as an aid to teaching and learning. The application of the BEM implemented on a spreadsheet for educational purposes in introductory vector calculus and simulation is explored. The development of assignment work is discussed, and sample results from student work are given. The spreadsheets were found to be useful tools in developing the students’ understanding of vector calculus and in simulating heat conduction.

Keywords: boundary element method, Laplace’s equation, vector calculus, simulation, education

Procedia PDF Downloads 158