Search results for: Michael Ricardo Lang

Authors: Tomas Vampola, Michael Valášek

Abstract:

On the basis of simulation-generated failure states of structural elements of a turboprop engine suitable for the busy-jet class of aircraft, an algorithm for early prediction of damage or reduction in functionality of structural elements of the engine is designed and verified with real data obtained at dynamometric testing facilities of aircraft engines. Based on an expanding database of experimentally determined data from temperature and pressure sensors during the operation of turboprop engines, this strategy is constantly modified with the aim of using the minimum number of sensors to detect an inadmissible or deteriorated operating mode of specific structural elements of an aircraft engine. The assembled algorithm for the early prediction of reduced functionality of the aircraft engine significantly contributes to the safety of air traffic and to a large extent, contributes to the economy of operation with positive effects on the reduction of the energy demand of operation and the elimination of adverse effects on the environment.

Keywords: detectability of malfunction, dynamometric testing, prediction of damage, turboprop engine

Procedia PDF Downloads 79

Authors: Michael Brave, Mark Kroll, Steven Karch, Charles Wetli, Michael Graham, Sebastian Kunz, Dorin Panescu

Abstract:

Background: Conducted electrical weapons (CEW) are now used in 107 countries and are a common law enforcement less-lethal force practice in the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others. Use of these devices is rarely temporally associated with the occurrence of sudden arrest-related deaths (ARD). Because such deaths are uncommon, few Medical Examiners (MEs) ever encounter one, and even fewer offices have established comprehensive investigative protocols. Without sufficient scientific data, the role, if any, played by a CEW in a given case is largely supplanted by conjecture often defaulting to a CEW-induced fatal cardiac arrhythmia. In addition to the difficulty in investigating individual deaths, the lack of information also detrimentally affects being able to define and evaluate the ARD cohort generally. More comprehensive, better information leads to better interpretation in individual cases and also to better research. The purpose of this presentation is to provide MEs with a comprehensive evidence-based checklist to assist in the assessment of CEW-ARD cases. Methods: PUBMED and Sociology/Criminology data bases were queried to find all medical, scientific, electrical, modeling, engineering, and sociology/criminology peer-reviewed literature for mentions of CEW or synonymous terms. Each paper was then individually reviewed to identify those that discussed possible bioelectrical mechanisms relating CEW to ARD. A Naranjo-type pharmacovigilance algorithm was also employed, when relevant, to identify and quantify possible direct CEW electrical myocardial stimulation. Additionally, CEW operational manuals and training materials were reviewed to allow incorporation of CEW-specific technical parameters. Results: Total relevant PUBMED citations of CEWs were less than 250, and reports of death extremely rare. Much relevant information was available from Sociology/Criminology data bases. Once the relevant published papers were identified, and reviewed, we compiled an annotated checklist of data that we consider critical to a thorough CEW-involved ARD investigation. Conclusion: We have developed an evidenced-based checklist that can be used by MEs and their staffs to assist them in identifying, collecting, documenting, maintaining, and objectively analyzing the role, if any, played by a CEW in any specific case of sudden death temporally associated with the use of a CEW. Even in cases where the collected information is deemed by the ME as insufficient for formulating an opinion or diagnosis to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, information collected as per the checklist will often be adequate for other stakeholders to use as a basis for informed decisions. Having reviewed the appropriate materials in a significant number of cases careful examination of the heart and brain is likely adequate. Channelopathy testing should be considered in some cases, however it may be considered cost prohibitive (aprox $3000). Law enforcement agencies may want to consider establishing a reserve fund to help manage such rare cases. The expense may stay the enormous costs associated with incident-precipitated litigation.

Keywords: ARD, CEW, police, TASER

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Authors: Malte Brettel, David Bendig, Michael Keller, Marius Rosenberg

Abstract:

What are the core competences necessary in order to sustain manufacturing in high-wage countries? Aspiring countries all over the world gain market share in manufacturing and rapidly close the productivity and quality gap that has until now protected some parts of the industry in Europe and the United States from dislocation. However, causal production planning and manufacturing, the basis for productivity and quality, is challenged by the ever-greater need for flexibility and customized products in an uncertain business environment. This article uses a case-study-based approach to assess how production managers in high-wage countries can apply decision-making principals from successful entrepreneurs. 'Effectuation' instead of causal decision making can be applied to handle uncertainty of mass customization, to seek the right partners in alliances and to advance towards virtual production. The findings help managers to use their resources more efficiently and contribute to bridge the gap between production research and entrepreneurship.

Keywords: case studies, decision-making behavior, effectuation, production planning

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Authors: Ricardo Bragança, Tom Vinaimont

Abstract:

This paper discusses the introduction of processes of self-determined learning (heutagogy) into a graduate course on financial modeling, using elements of entangled pedagogy and Biggs’ constructive alignment. To encourage learners to take control of their own learning journey and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, each session in the course receives tailor-made media-enhanced pedagogical assets. The design of those assets specifically supports entangled pedagogy, which opposes technological or pedagogical determinism in support of the collaborative integration of pedagogy and technology. Media assets for each of the ten sessions in this course consist of three components. The first component in this three-pronged approach is a game-cut-like cinematographic representation that introduces the context of the session. The second component represents a character from an open-source-styled community that encourages self-determined learning. The third component consists of a character, which refers to the in-person instructor and also aligns learning outcomes and assessment tasks, using Biggs’ constructive alignment, to the cinematographic and open-source-styled component. In essence, the course's metamorphosis helps students apply the concepts they've studied to actual financial modeling issues. The audio-visual media assets create a storyline throughout the course based on gamified and real-world applications, thus encouraging student engagement and interaction. The structured entanglement of pedagogy and technology also guides the instructor in the design of the in-class interactions and directs the focus on outcomes and assessments. The transformation process of this graduate course in financial modeling led to an institutional teaching award in 2021. The transformation of this course may be used as a model for other courses and programs in many disciplines to help with intended learning outcomes integration, constructive alignment, and Assurance of Learning.

Keywords: innovative education, active learning, entangled pedagogy, heutagogy, constructive alignment, project based learning, financial modeling, graduate business education

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Authors: Nurtazin Sabir, Begon Michael, Yeszhanov Aidyn, Alexander Belyaev, Hughes Nelika, Bethany Levick, Salmurzauly Ruslan

Abstract:

This paper describes the features of the distribution of the most abundant species of fleas that are carriers of the most dangerous infections in the Balkhash-Alakol depression of Kazakhstan. We show that of 153 species of fleas described in the territory of the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus Licht.), 35 species are parasitic. 21 of them are specific to gerbils species, and four species of fleas from the Xenopsylla genus are dominant in number and value of epizootic. We also describe the modern features of habitats of these species and their relationship with the great gerbil populations found in the South Balkhash region. It indicates the need for research on the population structure of the most abundant fleas species and their relationship with the structure of the populations of main carrier of transmission infections in the region-great gerbil.

Keywords: Balkhash-Alakol depression, natural foci of plague, species diversity and distribution of fleas, flea and great gerbil population structure, epizootic activity, mass species of fleas

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Authors: M. B. Ricardo De Oliveira, A. Borghi-Silva, E. Paravizo, F. Lizarelli, L. Di Thomazzo, D. Braatz

Abstract:

Prototypes are a critical feature in the product development process, as they help the project team visualize early concept flaws, communicate ideas and introduce an initial product testing. Involving stakeholders, such as consumers and users, in prototype tests allows the gathering of valuable feedback, contributing for a better product and making the design process more participatory. Even though recent studies have shown that user evaluation of prototypes is valuable, few articles provide a method or protocol on how designers should conduct it. This multidisciplinary study (involving the areas of physiotherapy, engineering and computer science) aims to develop an evaluation protocol, using an ergometric step prototype as the product prototype to be assessed. The protocol consisted of performing two tests (the 2 Minute Step Test and the Portability Test) to allow users (patients) and consumers (physiotherapists) to have an experience with the prototype. Furthermore, the protocol contained four Likert-Scale questionnaires (one for users and three for consumers), that inquired participants about how they perceived the design characteristics of the product (performance, safety, materials, maintenance, portability, usability and ergonomics), in their use of the prototype. Additionally, the protocol indicated the need to conduct interviews with the product designers, in order to link their feedback to the ones from the consumers and users. Both tests and interviews were recorded for further analysis. The participation criteria for the study was gender and age for patients, gender and experience with 2 Minute Step Test for physiotherapists and involvement level in the product development project for designers. The questionnaire's reliability was validated using Cronbach's Alpha and the quantitative data of the questionnaires were analyzed using non-parametric hypothesis tests with a significance level of 0.05 (p <0.05) and descriptive statistics. As a result, this study provides a concise evaluation protocol which can assist designers in their development process, collecting quantitative feedback from consumer and users, and qualitative feedback from designers.

Keywords: Product Design, Product Evaluation, Prototypes, Step

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Authors: Alisha M. Ebrahim, Bijoy K. Menon, Eddy Lang, Shelagh B. Coutts, Katie Lin

Abstract:

Introduction: Frontline emergency physicians require clear and evidence-based approaches to guide neuroimaging investigations for patients presenting with suspected acute stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Various forms of computed tomography (CT) are currently available for initial investigation, including non-contrast CT (NCCT), CT angiography head and neck (CTA), and CT perfusion (CTP). However, there is uncertainty around optimal imaging choice for cost-effectiveness, particularly for minor or resolved neurological symptoms. In addition to the cost of CTA and CTP testing, there is also a concern for increased incidental findings, which may contribute to the burden of overdiagnosis. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, analysis was conducted on 586 anonymized triage and diagnostic imaging (DI) reports for neuroimaging orders completed on patients presenting to adult emergency departments (EDs) with a suspected stroke or TIA from January-December 2019. The primary outcome of interest is the diagnostic yield of NCCT+CTA compared to NCCT alone for patients presenting to urban academic EDs with Canadian Emergency Department Information System (CEDIS) complaints of “symptoms of stroke” (specifically acute stroke and TIA indications). DI reports were coded into 4 pre-specified categories (endorsed by a panel of stroke experts): no abnormalities, clinically significant findings (requiring immediate or follow-up clinical action), incidental findings (not meeting prespecified criteria for clinical significance), and both significant and incidental findings. Standard descriptive statistics were performed. A two-sided p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: 75% of patients received NCCT+CTA imaging, 21% received NCCT alone, and 4% received NCCT+CTA+CTP. The diagnostic yield of NCCT+CTA imaging for prespecified clinically significant findings was 24%, compared to only 9% in those who received NCCT alone. The proportion of incidental findings was 30% in the NCCT only group and 32% in the NCCT+CTA group. CTP did not significantly increase the yield of significant or incidental findings. Conclusion: In this cohort of patients presenting with suspected stroke or TIA, an NCCT+CTA neuroimaging strategy had a higher diagnostic yield for clinically significant findings than NCCT alone without significantly increasing the number of incidental findings identified.

Keywords: stroke, diagnostic yield, neuroimaging, emergency department, CT

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Authors: A. Vaidya-Soocheta, K. M. Wong-Hon-Lang

Abstract:

Craft and fashion have always been interlinked. The combination of both often gives stunning results. The present study introduces ‘Paper Cutting Craft Techniques’ like the Japanese –Kirigami, Mexican –PapelPicado, German –Scherenschnitte, Polish –Wycinankito in textiles to develop innovative and novel design structures as embellishments and ornamentation. The project studies various ways of using these paper cutting techniques to obtain interesting features and delicate design patterns on fabrics. While paper has its advantages and related uses, it is fragile rigid and thus not appropriate for clothing. Fabric is sturdy, flexible, dimensionally stable and washable. In the present study, the cut out techniques develop creative design motifs and patterns to give an inventive and unique appeal to the fabrics. The beauty and fascination of lace in garments have always given them a nostalgic charm. Laces with their intricate and delicate complexity in combination with other materials add a feminine touch to a garment and give it a romantic, mysterious appeal. Various textured and decorative effects through fabric manipulation are experimented along with the use of paper cutting craft skills as an innovative substitute for developing lace or “Broderie Anglaise” effects on textiles. A number of assorted fabric types with varied textures were selected for the study. Techniques to avoid fraying and unraveling of the design cut fabrics were introduced. Fabrics were further manipulated by use of interesting prints with embossed effects on cut outs. Fabric layering in combination with assorted techniques such as cutting of folded fabric, printing, appliqué, embroidery, crochet, braiding, weaving added a novel exclusivity to the fabrics. The fabrics developed by these innovative methods were then tailored into garments. The study thus tested the feasibility and practicability of using these fabrics by designing a collection of evening wear garments based on the theme ‘Nostalgia’. The prototypes developed were complemented by designing fashion accessories with the crafted fabrics. Prototypes of accessories add interesting features to the study. The adaptation and application of this novel technique of paper cutting craft on textiles can be an innovative start for a new trend in textile and fashion industry. The study anticipates that this technique will open new avenues in the world of fashion to incorporate its use commercially.

Keywords: collection, fabric cutouts, nostalgia, prototypes

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Authors: Riccardo Bonazzi, Michaël Poli, Abeba Nigussie Turi

Abstract:

This paper presents an applied research of a new module for the financial administration and management industry, Personalizable and Automated Checklists Integrator, Overseeing Legal Investigations (PACIOLI). It aims at designing the business model of the trust company of the future. By identifying the key stakeholders, we draw a general business process design of the industry. The business model focuses on disintermediating the traditional form of business through the new technological solutions of a software company based in Switzerland and hence creating a new interactive platform. The key stakeholders of this interactive platform are identified as IT experts, legal experts, and the New Edge Trust Company (NATC). The mechanism we design and propose has a great importance in improving the efficiency of the financial business administration and management industry, and it also helps to foster the provision of high value added services in the sector.

Keywords: new edge trust company, business model design, automated checklists, financial technology

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Authors: Tegan H. Emerson, Colin C. Olson, George Stantchev, Jason A. Edelberg, Michael Wilson

Abstract:

Detecting small targets at range is difficult because there is not enough spatial information present in an image sub-region containing the target to use correlation-based methods to differentiate it from dynamic confusers present in the scene. Moreover, this lack of spatial information also disqualifies the use of most state-of-the-art deep learning image-based classifiers. Here, we use characteristics of target tracks extracted from video sequences as data from which to derive distinguishing topological features that help robustly differentiate targets of interest from confusers. In particular, we calculate persistent homology from time-delayed embeddings of dynamic statistics calculated from motion tracks extracted from a wide field-of-view video stream. In short, we use topological methods to extract features related to target motion dynamics that are useful for classification and disambiguation and show that small targets can be detected at range with high probability.

Keywords: motion tracks, persistence images, time-delay embedding, topological data analysis

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Authors: Michael Koblischka, Anjela Koblischka-Veneva, XianLin Zeng, Essia Hannachi, Yassine Slimani

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Superconducting foams of YBa2Cu3O7 (abbreviated Y-123) were produced using the infiltration growth (IG) technique from Y2BaCuO5 (Y-211) foams. The samples were investigated by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and electrical resistivity measurements. SEM observations indicated the specific microstructure of the foam struts with numerous tiny Y-211 particles (50-100 nm diameter) embedded in channel-like structures between the Y-123 grains. The investigation of the excess conductivity of different prepared composites was analyzed using Aslamazov-Larkin (AL) model. The investigated samples comprised of five distinct fluctuation regimes, namely short-wave (SWF), one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D), and critical (CR) fluctuations regimes. The coherence length along the c-axis at zero-temperature (ξc(0)), lower and upper critical magnetic fields (Bc1 and Bc2), critical current density (Jc) and numerous other superconducting parameters were estimated from the data. The analysis reveals that the presence of the tiny Y-211 particles alters the excess conductivity and the fluctuation behavior observed in standard YBCO samples.

Keywords: Excess conductivity, Foam, Microstructure, Superconductor YBa2Cu3Oy

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Authors: Farha Lakhani, Michael J. Pont

Abstract:

There are two main architectures used to develop software for modern embedded systems: these can be labelled as “event-triggered” (ET) and “time-triggered” (TT). The research presented in this paper is concerned with the issues involved in migration between these two architectures. Although TT architectures are widely used in safety-critical applications they are less familiar to developers of mainstream embedded systems. The research presented in this paper began from the premise that–for a broad class of systems that have been implemented using an ET architecture–migration to a TT architecture would improve reliability. It may be tempting to assume that conversion between ET and TT designs will simply involve converting all event-handling software routines into periodic activities. However, the required changes to the software architecture are, in many cases rather more profound. The main contribution of the work presented in this paper is to identify ways in which the significant effort involved in migrating between existing ET architectures and “equivalent” (and effective) TT architectures could be reduced. The research described in this paper has taken an innovative step in this regard by introducing the use of ‘Design patterns’ for this purpose for the first time.

Keywords: embedded applications, software architectures, reliability, pattern

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Authors: Sean Paulsen, Michael Casey

Abstract:

In this work we present a self-supervised pretraining framework for transformers on functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data. First, we pretrain our architecture on two self-supervised tasks simultaneously to teach the model a general understanding of the temporal and spatial dynamics of human auditory cortex during music listening. Our pretraining results are the first to suggest a synergistic effect of multitask training on fMRI data. Second, we finetune the pretrained models and train additional fresh models on a supervised fMRI classification task. We observe significantly improved accuracy on held-out runs with the finetuned models, which demonstrates the ability of our pretraining tasks to facilitate transfer learning. This work contributes to the growing body of literature on transformer architectures for pretraining and transfer learning with fMRI data, and serves as a proof of concept for our pretraining tasks and multitask pretraining on fMRI data.

Keywords: transfer learning, fMRI, self-supervised, brain decoding, transformer, multitask training

Procedia PDF Downloads 71

Authors: Franky Michael Hamonangan Siagian, Affan Maulana, Himawan Tri Bayu Murti Petrus, Widi Astuti

Abstract:

In this study, the feasibility of the direct electrowinning method was used to produce zero-valent iron from red mud. The bauxite residue sample came from the Tayan mine, Indonesia, which contains high hematite (Fe₂O₃). Before electrolysis, the samples were characterized by various analytical techniques (ICP-AES, SEM, XRD) to determine their chemical composition and mineralogy. The direct electrowinning method of red mud suspended in NaOH was introduced at low temperatures ranging from 30 - 110 °C. Variations of current density, red mud: NaOH ratio and temperature were carried out to determine the optimum operation of the direct electrowinning process. Cathode deposits and residues in electrochemical cells were analyzed using XRD, XRF, and SEM to determine the chemical composition and current recovery. The low-temperature electrolysis current efficiency on Redmud can reach 20% recovery at a current density of 920,945 A/m². The moderate performance of the process was investigated with red mud, which was attributed to the troublesome adsorption of red mud particles on the cathode, making the reduction far less efficient than that with hematite.

Keywords: red mud, electrochemical reduction, Iron production, hematite

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Authors: Ling-Lang Huang

Abstract:

Background: The holistic health care should ideally cover physical, mental, spiritual, and social aspects of a patient. With very constrained time in current clinical practice system, medical decisions often tip the balance in favor of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in comparison to patient's personal values. Even in the era of competence-based medical education (CBME), when scrutinizing the items of entrustable professional activities (EPAs), we found that EPAs of establishing doctor-patient relationship remained incomplete or even missing. This phenomenon prompted us to raise this project aiming at advocating value-based medicine (VBM), which emphasizes the importance of patient’s values in medical decisions. A true and effective doctor-patient communication and relationship should be a well-balanced harmony of EBM and VBM. By constructing VBM into current EPAs, we can further promote genuine shared decision making (SDM) and fix the missing link in holistic health care. Methods: In this project, we are going to find out EPA elements crucial for establishing an ideal doctor-patient relationship through three distinct pairs of doctor-patient relationships: patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (relatively young but with grave disease), patients undergoing surgery (facing critical medical decisions), and patients with terminal diseases (facing forthcoming death). We’ll search for important EPA elements through the following steps: 1. Narrative approach to delineate patients’ values among 2. distinct groups. 3.Hermeneutics-based interview: semi-structured interview will be conducted for both patients and physicians, followed by qualitative analysis of collected information by compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding. 4. Preliminarily construct those VBM elements into EPAs for doctor-patient relationships in 3 groups. Expected Outcomes: The results of this project are going to give us invaluable information regarding the impact of patients’ values, while facing different medical situations, on the final medical decision. The competence of well-blending and -balanced both values from patients and evidence from clinical sciences is the missing link in holistic health care and should be established in future EPAs to enhance an effective SDM.

Keywords: value-based medicine, shared decision making, entrustable professional activities, holistic health care

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Authors: Carolina Morales, Ricardo Castro-Huerta, Enrique A. Mundaca

Abstract:

The edaphic fauna is the main factor involved in the transformation of nutrients and soil decomposition processes. Edaphic organisms are highly sensitive to soil disturbances, which normally causes changes in the composition and abundance of such organisms. Fire is known to be a disturbing factor since it affects the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil and the whole ecosystem. During the summer (December-March) of 2017, Chile suffered the major fire events recorded in its modern history, which affected a vast area and a number of ecosystem types. The objective of this study was first to use remote sensing satellite images and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to assess and identify levels of fire severity in disturbed areas and to compare the responses of the soil mesofauna diversity among such areas. We identified four areas (treatments) with an ascending level of severity, namely: mild, medium, high severity, and free of fire. A non-affected patch of forest was established as a control. Three samples from each treatment were collected in the form of a soil cube (10x10x10 cm). Edaphic mesofauna was obtained from each sample through the Berlese-Tullgren funnel method. Collected specimens were quantified and identified, using the RTU (Recognisable Taxonomic Unit) criterion. Diversity was analysed using inferential statistics to compare Simpson and Shannon-Wiener indexes across treatments. As predicted, the unburned forest patch (control) exhibited higher diversity values than the treatments. Significantly higher diversity values were recorded in those treatments subjected to lower fire severity. We conclude that remote sensing zoning is an adequate tool to identify different levels of fire severity and that an edaphic mesofauna is a group of organisms that qualify as good bioindicators for monitoring soil recovery after fire events.

Keywords: bioindicator, Chile, fire severity level, soil

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Authors: Jigg Pelayo, Ricardo Villar

Abstract:

The Philippines is long considered as a valuable producer of high value crops globally. The country’s employment and economy have been dependent on agriculture, thus increasing its demand for the efficient agricultural mechanism. Remote sensing and geographic information technology have proven to effectively provide applications for precision agriculture through image-processing technique considering the development of the aerial scanning technology in the country. Accurate information concerning the spatial correlation within the field is very important for precision farming of high value crops, especially. The availability of height information and high spatial resolution images obtained from aerial scanning together with the development of new image analysis methods are offering relevant influence to precision agriculture techniques and applications. In this study, an algorithm was developed and implemented to detect and count high value crops simultaneously through adaptive scaling of support vector machine (SVM) algorithm subjected to object-oriented approach combining watershed transformation and local maxima filter in enhancing tree counting and detection. The methodology is compared to cutting-edge template matching algorithm procedures to demonstrate its effectiveness on a demanding tree is counting recognition and delineation problem. Since common data and image processing techniques are utilized, thus can be easily implemented in production processes to cover large agricultural areas. The algorithm is tested on high value crops like Palm, Mango and Coconut located in Misamis Oriental, Philippines - showing a good performance in particular for young adult and adult trees, significantly 90% above. The s inventories or database updating, allowing for the reduction of field work and manual interpretation tasks.

Keywords: high value crop, LiDAR, OBIA, precision agriculture

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Authors: Zhaoxin Luo, Michael Zhu

Abstract:

In natural languages, there are always complex semantic hierarchies. Obtaining the feature representation based on these complex semantic hierarchies becomes the key to the success of the model. Several RNN models have recently been proposed to use latent indicators to obtain the hierarchical structure of documents. However, the model that only uses a single-layer latent indicator cannot achieve the true hierarchical structure of the language, especially a complex language like Chinese. In this paper, we propose a deep layered model that stacks arbitrarily many RNN layers equipped with latent indicators. After using EM and training it hierarchically, our model solves the computational problem of stacking RNN layers and makes it possible to stack arbitrarily many RNN layers. Our deep hierarchical model not only achieves comparable results to large pre-trained models on the Chinese short text classification problem but also achieves state of art results on the Chinese long text classification problem.

Keywords: nature language processing, recurrent neural network, hierarchical structure, document classification, Chinese

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Authors: Aviv Yaniv, Ron Ben Arosh, Nadav Gasner, Michael Konviser, Arbel Yaniv

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This paper introduces two methods for the evaluation of Question Decomposition Meaning Representation (QDMR) as predicted by sequence-to-sequence model and COPYNET parser for natural language questions processing, motivated by the fact that previous evaluation metrics used for this task do not take into account some characteristics of the representation, such as partial ordering structure. To this end, several heuristics to extract such partial dependencies are formulated, followed by the hereby proposed evaluation methods denoted as Proportional Graph Matcher (PGM) and Conversion to Normal String Representation (Nor-Str), designed to better capture the accuracy level of QDMR predictions. Experiments are conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed evaluation methods and show the added value suggested by one of them- the Nor-Str, for better distinguishing between high and low-quality QDMR when predicted by models such as COPYNET. This work represents an important step forward in the development of better evaluation methods for QDMR predictions, which will be critical for improving the accuracy and reliability of natural language question-answering systems.

Keywords: NLP, question answering, question decomposition meaning representation, QDMR evaluation metrics

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Authors: Kaustubh Chakradeo, Michael Delves, Sofya Titarenko

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Malaria is a serious disease which affects hundreds of millions of people around the world, each year. If not treated in time, it can be fatal. Despite recent developments in malaria diagnostics, the microscopy method to detect malaria remains the most common. Unfortunately, the accuracy of microscopic diagnostics is dependent on the skill of the microscopist and limits the throughput of malaria diagnosis. With the development of Artificial Intelligence tools and Deep Learning techniques in particular, it is possible to lower the cost, while achieving an overall higher accuracy. In this paper, we present a VGG-based model and compare it with previously developed models for identifying infected cells. Our model surpasses most previously developed models in a range of the accuracy metrics. The model has an advantage of being constructed from a relatively small number of layers. This reduces the computer resources and computational time. Moreover, we test our model on two types of datasets and argue that the currently developed deep-learning-based methods cannot efficiently distinguish between infected and contaminated cells. A more precise study of suspicious regions is required.

Keywords: convolution neural network, deep learning, malaria, thin blood smears

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Authors: Chu Chen, Giorgio Gotti, Tony Kang, Michael Wolfe

Abstract:

This study examines the role of codes of ethics in reducing the extent to which managers’ act opportunistically in reporting earnings. Corporate codes of ethics, by clarifying the boundaries of ethical corporate behaviors and making relevant social norms more salient, have the potential to deter managers from engaging in opportunistic financial reporting practices. In a sample of international companies, we find that the quality of corporate codes of ethics is associated with higher earnings quality, i.e., lower discretionary accruals. Our results are confirmed for a subsample of firms more likely to be engaging in opportunistic reporting behavior, i.e., firms that just meet or beat analysts’ forecasts. Further, codes of ethics play a greater role in reducing earnings management for firms in countries with weaker investor protection mechanisms. Our results suggest that corporate codes of ethics can be a viable alternative to country-level investor protection mechanisms in curbing aggressive reporting behaviors.

Keywords: corporate ethics policy, code of ethics, business ethics, earnings discretion, accruals

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Authors: Golnar Behzadi, Michael O'Sullivan, Tava Olsen, Abraham Zhang

Abstract:

By definition, increasing supply chain resilience improves the supply chain’s ability to return to normal, or to an even more desirable situation, quickly and efficiently after being hit by a disruption. This is especially critical in agribusiness supply chains where the products are perishable and have a short life-cycle. In this paper, we propose a resilience metric to capture and improve the recovery process in terms of both performance and time, of an agribusiness supply chain following either supply or demand-side disruption. We build a model that determines optimal supply chain recovery planning decisions and selects the best resilient strategies that minimize the loss of profit during the recovery time window. The model is formulated as a two-stage stochastic mixed-integer linear programming problem and solved with a branch-and-cut algorithm. The results show that the optimal recovery schedule is highly dependent on the duration of the time-window allowed for recovery. In addition, the profit loss during recovery is reduced by utilizing the proposed resilient actions.

Keywords: agribusiness supply chain, recovery, resilience metric, risk management

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Authors: Michael F. Mascolo

Abstract:

Western democratic traditions are being strained. Western nations are losing the common agonistic ground needed to engage in traditional forms of democracy – adversarial debate, voting, and the peaceful transfer of power. Political polarization among party elites has become commonplace. Because it seeks to resolve conflict through the integration of opposites, a dialectical approach to resolving partisan conflict offers the promise of helping political partisans bridge ideological divides. This paper contains an analysis of dialectical engagement as a collaborative alternative to adversarial politics. Dialectical engagement involves two broad phases: collaborative political problem-solving and dialectical problem-solving. The paper contains a description of an 18-month longitudinal study assessing the effectiveness of dialectical engagement as a method for bridging divides on contentious socio-political issues. The study shows how dialectical engagement produced dramatic consensus among a small group of individuals from different political orientations as they worked together to resolve the issue of capital punishment.

Keywords: collaborative democracy, dialectical thinking, capital punishment, partisan conflict

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Authors: Franky Michael Hamonangan Siagian, Affan Maulana, Himawan Tri Bayu Murti Petrus, Panut Mulyono, Widi Astuti

Abstract:

In this study, the feasibility of the direct electrowinning method was used to produce zero-valent iron from red mud. The bauxite residue sample came from the Tayan mine, Indonesia, which contains high hematite (Fe₂O₃). Before electrolysis, the samples were characterized by various analytical techniques (ICP-AES, SEM, XRD) to determine their chemical composition and mineralogy. The direct electrowinning method of red mud suspended in NaOH was introduced at low temperatures ranging from 30 - 110 °C. Variations of current density, red mud: NaOH ratio and temperature were carried out to determine the optimum operation of the direct electrowinning process. Cathode deposits and residues in electrochemical cells were analyzed using XRD, XRF, and SEM to determine the chemical composition and current recovery. The low-temperature electrolysis current efficiency on Redmud can reach 20% recovery at a current density of 920,945 A/m². The moderate performance of the process was investigated with red mud, which was attributed to the troublesome adsorption of red mud particles on the cathode, making the reduction far less efficient than that with hematite.

Keywords: alumina, red mud, electrochemical reduction, iron production

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Authors: Michael C. Nwaohia

Abstract:

Whereas anecdotal evidence supports the notion that increase in information technology (IT) know-how may enhance output of professionals in the accounting sector, this has not been systematically explored in the Nigerian context. Against this background, this paper examines the correlation between knowledgeability of IT and level of performance at everyday auditing and accounting tasks. It utilizes primary and secondary data from selected business organizations in Lagos, Nigeria. Accounting staff were administered structured questionnaires which, amongst other things, sought to examine knowledge and exposure to information technology prior to joining the firms and current level of performance based on self-reporting and supervisor comments. In addition, exposure to on-the-job IT training and current level of performance was examined. The statistical analysis of the data was done using the SPSS package. The results strongly suggest that prior exposure to IT skills enabled accounting professionals to better flexibly fit into the dynamic environment in which contemporary business takes place. Ultimately, the paper attempts to explicate some of the implications of these findings for individuals and business firms.

Keywords: accounting, firms, information technology, professional behavior

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Authors: K. Adu Michael, K. Alese Boniface

Abstract:

Developing a reliable and sustainable software products is today a big challenge among up–coming software developers in Nigeria. The inability to develop a comprehensive problem statement needed to execute proper requirements engineering process is missing. The need to describe the ‘what’ of a system in one document, written in a natural language is a major step in the overall process of Software Engineering. Requirements Engineering is a process use to discover, analyze and validate system requirements. This process is needed in reducing software errors at the early stage of the development of software. The importance of each of the steps in Requirements Engineering is clearly explained in the context of using detailed problem statement from client/customer to get an overview of an existing system along with expectations from the new system. This paper elicits inadequate Requirements Engineering principle as the major cause of poor software development in developing nations using a case study of final year computer science students of a tertiary-education institution in Nigeria.

Keywords: client/customer, problem statement, requirements engineering, software developers

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Authors: Michael Okeke, Andrew Blyth

Abstract:

Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) as the state of the art Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are used in many different critical infrastructures, from smart home to energy systems and from locomotives train system to planes. Security of SCADA systems is vital since many lives depend on it for daily activities and deviation from normal operation could be disastrous to the environment as well as lives. This paper describes how No-Trust-Zone (NTZ) architecture could be incorporated into SCADA Systems in order to reduce the chances of malicious intent. The architecture is made up of two distinctive parts which are; the field devices such as; sensors, PLCs pumps, and actuators. The second part of the architecture is designed following lambda architecture, which is made up of a detection algorithm based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Hadoop framework for data processing and storage. Apache Spark will be a part of the lambda architecture for real-time analysis of packets for anomalies detection.

Keywords: industrial control system (ics, no-trust-zone (ntz), particle swarm optimisation (pso), supervisory control and data acquisition (scada), swarm intelligence (SI)

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Authors: Héctor González Espinosa, Ricardo Ivan Cordova Chávez, Alejandra Contreras Ramos, Itzia Irene Padilla Martínez, José Guadalupe Trujillo Ferrara, Marvin Antonio Soriano Ursúa

Abstract:

Boronic acids are able to create diester bonds with carbohydrates because of their hydroxyl groups; in nature, there are some organoborates with these characteristics, such as the calcium fructoborate, formed by the union of two fructose molecules and a boron atom, synthesized by plants. In addition, it has been observed that, in animal cells only the compounds with cis-diol functional groups are capable of linking to boric or boronic acids. The formation of these organoboron compounds could impair the physical and chemical properties of the precursors, even their acute toxicity. In this project, two carbohydrate-derived boron-containing compounds from D-fructose and D-arabinose and phenylboronic acid are analyzed by different spectroscopy techniques such as Raman, Infrared with Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and X-ray diffraction crystallography to describe their chemical characteristics. Also, an acute toxicity test was performed to determine their LD50 using the Lorke’s method. It was confirmed by multiple spectra the formation of the adducts by the generation of the diester bonds with a β-D-pyranose of fructose and arabinose. The most prominent findings were the presence of signals corresponding to the formation of new bonds, like the stretching of B-O bonds, or the absence of signals of functional groups like the hydroxyls presented in the reagents used for the synthesis of the adducts. The NMR spectra yielded information about the stereoselectivity in the synthesis reaction, observed by the interaction of the protons and their vicinal atoms in the anomeric and second position carbons; but also, the absence of a racemic mix by the finding of just one signal in the range for the anomeric carbon in the 13C NMR spectra of both adducts. The acute toxicity tests by the Lorke’s method showed that the LD50 value for both compounds is 1265 mg/kg. Those results let us to propose these adducts as highly safe agents for further biological evaluation with medical purposes.

Keywords: acute toxicity, adduct, boron, carbohydrate, diester bond

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Authors: Helen Pushkarskaya, Michael Smithson, Jane E. Joseph, Christine Corbly, Ifat Levy

Abstract:

Studies of decision making under uncertainty generally focus on imprecise information about outcome probabilities (“ambiguity”). It is not clear, however, whether conflicting information about outcome probabilities affects decision making in the same manner as ambiguity does. Here we combine functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and a simple gamble design to study this question. In this design, the levels of ambiguity and conflict are parametrically varied, and ambiguity and conflict gambles are matched on both expected value and variance. Behaviorally, participants avoided conflict more than ambiguity, and attitudes toward ambiguity and conflict did not correlate across subjects. Neurally, regional brain activation was differentially modulated by ambiguity level and aversion to ambiguity and by conflict level and aversion to conflict. Activation in the medial prefrontal cortex was correlated with the level of ambiguity and with ambiguity aversion, whereas activation in the ventral striatum was correlated with the level of conflict and with conflict aversion. This novel double dissociation indicates that decision makers process imprecise and conflicting information differently, a finding that has important implications for basic and clinical research.

Keywords: decision making, uncertainty, ambiguity, conflict, fMRI

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Authors: Abigail Rosenberg, Jennifer Duan, Michael Poteuck, Chunshui Yu

Abstract:

The Barry M. Goldwater Range, West in southwestern Arizona encompasses 2,808 square kilometers of Sonoran Desert. The hyper-arid range has an annual rainfall of less than 10 cm with an average high temperature of 41 degrees Celsius in July to an average low of 4 degrees Celsius in January. The range shares approximately 60 kilometers of the international border with Mexico. A majority of the range is open for recreational use, primarily off-highway vehicles. Because of its proximity to Mexico, the range is also heavily patrolled by U.S. Customs and Border Protection seeking to intercept and apprehend inadmissible people and illicit goods. Decades of off-roading and Border Patrol activities have negatively impacted this sensitive desert ecosystem. To assist the range program managers, this study is developing a model to identify erosion prone areas and calibrate the model’s parameters using the Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment modeling tool.

Keywords: arid lands, automated geospatial watershed assessment, erosion modeling, sedimentation modeling, watershed modeling

Procedia PDF Downloads 356