Search results for: need for absolute truth
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 791

Search results for: need for absolute truth

641 Lying in a Sender-Receiver Deception Game: Effects of Gender and Motivation to Deceive

Authors: Eitan Elaad, Yeela Gal-Gonen

Abstract:

Two studies examined gender differences in lying when the truth-telling bias prevailed and when inspiring lying and distrust. The first study used 156 participants from the community (78 pairs). First, participants completed the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, the Lie- and Truth Ability Assessment Scale (LTAAS), and the Rational-Experiential Inventory. Then, they participated in a deception game where they performed as senders and receivers of true and false communications. Their goal was to retain as many points as possible according to a payoff matrix that specified the reward they would gain for any possible outcome. Results indicated that males in the sender position lied more and were more successful tellers of lies and truths than females. On the other hand, males, as receivers, trusted less than females but were not better at detecting lies and truths. We explained the results by a. Male's high perceived lie-telling ability. We observed that confidence in telling lies guided participants to increase their use of lies. Male's lie-telling confidence corresponded to earlier accounts that showed a consistent association between high self-assessed lying ability, reports of frequent lying, and predictions of actual lying in experimental settings; b. Male's narcissistic features. Earlier accounts described positive relations between narcissism and reported lying or unethical behavior in everyday life situations. Predictions about the association between narcissism and frequent lying received support in the present study. Furthermore, males scored higher than females on the narcissism scale; and c. Male's experiential thinking style. We observed that males scored higher than females on the experiential thinking style scale. We further hypothesized that the experiential thinking style predicts frequent lying in the deception game. Results confirmed the hypothesis. The second study used one hundred volunteers (40 females) who underwent the same procedure. However, the payoff matrix encouraged lying and distrust. Results showed that male participants lied more than females. We found no gender differences in trust. Males and females did not differ in their success of telling and detecting lies and truths. Participants also completed the LTAAS questionnaire. Males assessed their lie-telling ability higher than females, but the ability assessment did not predict lying frequency. A final note. The present design is limited to low stakes. Participants knew that they were participating in a game, and they would not experience any consequences from their deception in the game. Therefore, we advise caution when applying the present results to lying under high stakes.

Keywords: gender, lying, detection of deception, information processing style, self-assessed lying ability

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640 Social Structure, Involuntary Relations and Urban Poverty

Authors: Mahmood Niroobakhsh

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This article deals with special structuralism approaches to explain a certain kind of social problem. Widespread presence of poverty is a reminder of deep-rooted unresolved problems of social relations. The expected role from an individual for the social system recognizes poverty derived from an interrelated social structure. By the time, enabled to act on his role in the course of social interaction, reintegration of the poor in society may take place. Poverty and housing type are reflections of the underlying social structure, primarily structure’s elements, systemic interrelations, and the overall strength or weakness of that structure. Poverty varies based on social structure in that the stronger structures are less likely to produce poverty.

Keywords: absolute poverty, relative poverty, social structure, urban poverty

Procedia PDF Downloads 641
639 Estimation of Foliar Nitrogen in Selected Vegetation Communities of Uttrakhand Himalayas Using Hyperspectral Satellite Remote Sensing

Authors: Yogita Mishra, Arijit Roy, Dhruval Bhavsar

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The study estimates the nitrogen concentration in selected vegetation community’s i.e. chir pine (pinusroxburghii) by using hyperspectral satellite data and also identified the appropriate spectral bands and nitrogen indices. The Short Wave InfraRed reflectance spectrum at 1790 nm and 1680 nm shows the maximum possible absorption by nitrogen in selected species. Among the nitrogen indices, log normalized nitrogen index performed positively and negatively too. The strong positive correlation is taken out from 1510 nm and 760 nm for the pinusroxburghii for leaf nitrogen concentration and leaf nitrogen mass while using NDNI. The regression value of R² developed by using linear equation achieved maximum at 0.7525 for the analysis of satellite image data and R² is maximum at 0.547 for ground truth data for pinusroxburghii respectively.

Keywords: hyperspectral, NDNI, nitrogen concentration, regression value

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638 The ‘Quartered Head Technique’: A Simple, Reliable Way of Maintaining Leg Length and Offset during Total Hip Arthroplasty

Authors: M. Haruna, O. O. Onafowokan, G. Holt, K. Anderson, R. G. Middleton

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Background: Requirements for satisfactory outcomes following total hip arthroplasty (THA) include restoration of femoral offset, version, and leg length. Various techniques have been described for restoring these biomechanical parameters, with leg length restoration being the most predominantly described. We describe a “quartered head technique” (QHT) which uses a stepwise series of femoral head osteotomies to identify and preserve the centre of rotation of the femoral head during THA in order to ensure reconstruction of leg length, offset and stem version, such that hip biomechanics are restored as near to normal as possible. This study aims to identify whether using the QHT during hip arthroplasty effectively restores leg length and femoral offset to within acceptable parameters. Methods: A retrospective review of 206 hips was carried out, leaving 124 hips in the final analysis. Power analysis indicated a minimum of 37 patients required. All operations were performed using an anterolateral approach by a single surgeon. All femoral implants were cemented, collarless, polished double taper CPT® stems (Zimmer, Swindon, UK). Both cemented, and uncemented acetabular components were used (Zimmer, Swindon, UK). Leg length, version, and offset were assessed intra-operatively and reproduced using the QHT. Post-operative leg length and femoral offset were determined and compared with the contralateral native hip, and the difference was then calculated. For the determination of leg length discrepancy (LLD), we used the method described by Williamson & Reckling, which has been shown to be reproducible with a measurement error of ±1mm. As a reference, the inferior margin of the acetabular teardrop and the most prominent point of the lesser trochanter were used. A discrepancy of less than 6mm LLD was chosen as acceptable. All peri-operative radiographs were assessed by two independent observers. Results: The mean absolute post-operative difference in leg length from the contralateral leg was +3.58mm. 84% of patients (104/124) had LLD within ±6mm of the contralateral limb. The mean absolute post-operative difference in offset from contralateral leg was +3.88mm (range -15 to +9mm, median 3mm). 90% of patients (112/124) were within ±6mm offset of the contralateral limb. There was no statistical difference noted between observer measurements. Conclusion: The QHT provides a simple, inexpensive yet effective method of maintaining femoral leg length and offset during total hip arthroplasty. Combining this technique with pre-operative templating or other techniques described may enable surgeons to reduce even further the discrepancies between pre-operative state and post-operative outcome.

Keywords: leg length discrepancy, technical tip, total hip arthroplasty, operative technique

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637 Development of an Automatic Computational Machine Learning Pipeline to Process Confocal Fluorescence Images for Virtual Cell Generation

Authors: Miguel Contreras, David Long, Will Bachman

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Background: Microscopy plays a central role in cell and developmental biology. In particular, fluorescence microscopy can be used to visualize specific cellular components and subsequently quantify their morphology through development of virtual-cell models for study of effects of mechanical forces on cells. However, there are challenges with these imaging experiments, which can make it difficult to quantify cell morphology: inconsistent results, time-consuming and potentially costly protocols, and limitation on number of labels due to spectral overlap. To address these challenges, the objective of this project is to develop an automatic computational machine learning pipeline to predict cellular components morphology for virtual-cell generation based on fluorescence cell membrane confocal z-stacks. Methods: Registered confocal z-stacks of nuclei and cell membrane of endothelial cells, consisting of 20 images each, were obtained from fluorescence confocal microscopy and normalized through software pipeline for each image to have a mean pixel intensity value of 0.5. An open source machine learning algorithm, originally developed to predict fluorescence labels on unlabeled transmitted light microscopy cell images, was trained using this set of normalized z-stacks on a single CPU machine. Through transfer learning, the algorithm used knowledge acquired from its previous training sessions to learn the new task. Once trained, the algorithm was used to predict morphology of nuclei using normalized cell membrane fluorescence images as input. Predictions were compared to the ground truth fluorescence nuclei images. Results: After one week of training, using one cell membrane z-stack (20 images) and corresponding nuclei label, results showed qualitatively good predictions on training set. The algorithm was able to accurately predict nuclei locations as well as shape when fed only fluorescence membrane images. Similar training sessions with improved membrane image quality, including clear lining and shape of the membrane, clearly showing the boundaries of each cell, proportionally improved nuclei predictions, reducing errors relative to ground truth. Discussion: These results show the potential of pre-trained machine learning algorithms to predict cell morphology using relatively small amounts of data and training time, eliminating the need of using multiple labels in immunofluorescence experiments. With further training, the algorithm is expected to predict different labels (e.g., focal-adhesion sites, cytoskeleton), which can be added to the automatic machine learning pipeline for direct input into Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for generation of virtual-cell mechanical models.

Keywords: cell morphology prediction, computational machine learning, fluorescence microscopy, virtual-cell models

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636 Biogas Potential of Deinking Sludge from Wastepaper Recycling Industry: Influence of Dewatering Degree and High Calcium Carbonate Content

Authors: Moses Kolade Ogun, Ina Korner

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To improve on the sustainable resource management in the wastepaper recycling industry, studies into the valorization of wastes generated by the industry are necessary. The industry produces different residues, among which is the deinking sludge (DS). The DS is generated from the deinking process and constitutes a major fraction of the residues generated by the European pulp and paper industry. The traditional treatment of DS by incineration is capital intensive due to energy requirement for dewatering and the need for complementary fuel source due to DS low calorific value. This could be replaced by a biotechnological approach. This study, therefore, investigated the biogas potential of different DS streams (different dewatering degrees) and the influence of the high calcium carbonate content of DS on its biogas potential. Dewatered DS (solid fraction) sample from filter press and the filtrate (liquid fraction) were collected from a partner wastepaper recycling company in Germany. The solid fraction and the liquid fraction were mixed in proportion to realize DS with different water content (55–91% fresh mass). Spiked samples of DS using deionized water, cellulose and calcium carbonate were prepared to simulate DS with varying calcium carbonate content (0– 40% dry matter). Seeding sludge was collected from an existing biogas plant treating sewage sludge in Germany. Biogas potential was studied using a 1-liter batch test system under the mesophilic condition and ran for 21 days. Specific biogas potential in the range 133- 230 NL/kg-organic dry matter was observed for DS samples investigated. It was found out that an increase in the liquid fraction leads to an increase in the specific biogas potential and a reduction in the absolute biogas potential (NL-biogas/ fresh mass). By comparing the absolute biogas potential curve and the specific biogas potential curve, an optimal dewatering degree corresponding to a water content of about 70% fresh mass was identified. This degree of dewatering is a compromise when factors such as biogas yield, reactor size, energy required for dewatering and operation cost are considered. No inhibitory influence was observed in the biogas potential of DS due to the reported high calcium carbonate content of DS. This study confirms that DS is a potential bioresource for biogas production. Further optimization such as nitrogen supplementation due to DS high C/N ratio can increase biogas yield.

Keywords: biogas, calcium carbonate, deinking sludge, dewatering, water content

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635 Shoulder Range of Motion Measurements using Computer Vision Compared to Hand-Held Goniometric Measurements

Authors: Lakshmi Sujeesh, Aaron Ramzeen, Ricky Ziming Guo, Abhishek Agrawal

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Introduction: Range of motion (ROM) is often measured by physiotherapists using hand-held goniometer as part of mobility assessment for diagnosis. Due to the nature of hand-held goniometer measurement procedure, readings often tend to have some variations depending on the physical therapist taking the measurements (Riddle et al.). This study aims to validate computer vision software readings against goniometric measurements for quick and consistent ROM measurements to be taken by clinicians. The use of this computer vision software hopes to improve the future of musculoskeletal space with more efficient diagnosis from recording of patient’s ROM with minimal human error across different physical therapists. Methods: Using the hand-held long arm goniometer measurements as the “gold-standard”, healthy study participants (n = 20) were made to perform 4 exercises: Front elevation, Abduction, Internal Rotation, and External Rotation, using both arms. Assessment of active ROM using computer vision software at different angles set by goniometer for each exercise was done. Interclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) using 2-way random effects model, Box-Whisker plots, and Root Mean Square error (RMSE) were used to find the degree of correlation and absolute error measured between set and recorded angles across the repeated trials by the same rater. Results: ICC (2,1) values for all 4 exercises are above 0.9, indicating excellent reliability. Lowest overall RMSE was for external rotation (5.67°) and highest for front elevation (8.00°). Box-whisker plots showed have showed that there is a potential zero error in the measurements done by the computer vision software for abduction, where absolute error for measurements taken at 0 degree are shifted away from the ideal 0 line, with its lowest recorded error being 8°. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the use of computer vision software is valid and reliable to use in clinical settings by physiotherapists for measuring shoulder ROM. Overall, computer vision helps improve accessibility to quality care provided for individual patients, with the ability to assess ROM for their condition at home throughout a full cycle of musculoskeletal care (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) without the need for a trained therapist.

Keywords: physiotherapy, frozen shoulder, joint range of motion, computer vision

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634 Modelling and Control of Electrohydraulic System Using Fuzzy Logic Algorithm

Authors: Hajara Abdulkarim Aliyu, Abdulbasid Ismail Isa

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This research paper studies electrohydraulic system for its role in position and motion control system and develops as mathematical model describing the behaviour of the system. The research further proposes Fuzzy logic and conventional PID controllers in order to achieve both accurate positioning of the payload and overall improvement of the system performance. The simulation result shows Fuzzy logic controller has a superior tracking performance and high disturbance rejection efficiency for its shorter settling time, less overshoot, smaller values of integral of absolute and deviation errors over the conventional PID controller at all the testing conditions.

Keywords: electrohydraulic, fuzzy logic, modelling, NZ-PID

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633 Brain Age Prediction Based on Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging by 3D Convolutional Neural Network

Authors: Leila Keshavarz Afshar, Hedieh Sajedi

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Estimation of biological brain age from MR images is a topic that has been much addressed in recent years due to the importance it attaches to early diagnosis of diseases such as Alzheimer's. In this paper, we use a 3D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to provide a method for estimating the biological age of the brain. The 3D-CNN model is trained by MRI data that has been normalized. In addition, to reduce computation while saving overall performance, some effectual slices are selected for age estimation. By this method, the biological age of individuals using selected normalized data was estimated with Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 4.82 years.

Keywords: brain age estimation, biological age, 3D-CNN, deep learning, T1-weighted image, SPM, preprocessing, MRI, canny, gray matter

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632 Performance Evaluation of the CSAN Pronto Point-of-Care Whole Blood Analyzer for Regular Hematological Monitoring During Clozapine Treatment

Authors: Farzana Esmailkassam, Usakorn Kunanuvat, Zahraa Mohammed Ali

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Objective: The key barrier in Clozapine treatment of treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) includes frequent bloods draws to monitor neutropenia, the main drug side effect. WBC and ANC monitoring must occur throughout treatment. Accurate WBC and ANC counts are necessary for clinical decisions to halt, modify or continue clozapine treatment. The CSAN Pronto point-of-care (POC) analyzer generates white blood cells (WBC) and absolute neutrophils (ANC) through image analysis of capillary blood. POC monitoring offers significant advantages over central laboratory testing. This study evaluated the performance of the CSAN Pronto against the Beckman DxH900 Hematology laboratory analyzer. Methods: Forty venous samples (EDTA whole blood) with varying concentrations of WBC and ANC as established on the DxH900 analyzer were tested in duplicates on three CSAN Pronto analyzers. Additionally, both venous and capillary samples were concomitantly collected from 20 volunteers and assessed on the CSAN Pronto and the DxH900 analyzer. The analytical performance including precision using liquid quality controls (QCs) as well as patient samples near the medical decision points, and linearity using a mix of high and low patient samples to create five concentrations was also evaluated. Results: In the precision study for QCs and whole blood, WBC and ANC showed CV inside the limits established according to manufacturer and laboratory acceptability standards. WBC and ANC were found to be linear across the measurement range with a correlation of 0.99. WBC and ANC from all analyzers correlated well in venous samples on the DxH900 across the tested sample ranges with a correlation of > 0.95. Mean bias in ANC obtained on the CSAN pronto versus the DxH900 was 0.07× 109 cells/L (95% L.O.A -0.25 to 0.49) for concentrations <4.0 × 109 cells/L, which includes decision-making cut-offs for continuing clozapine treatment. Mean bias in WBC obtained on the CSAN pronto versus the DxH900 was 0.34× 109 cells/L (95% L.O.A -0.13 to 0.72) for concentrations <5.0 × 109 cells/L. The mean bias was higher (-11% for ANC, 5% for WBC) at higher concentrations. The correlations between capillary and venous samples showed more variability with mean bias of 0.20 × 109 cells/L for the ANC. Conclusions: The CSAN pronto showed acceptable performance in WBC and ANC measurements from venous and capillary samples and was approved for clinical use. This testing will facilitate treatment decisions and improve clozapine uptake and compliance.

Keywords: absolute neutrophil counts, clozapine, point of care, white blood cells

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631 Early Modern Controversies of Mobility within the Spanish Empire: Francisco De Vitoria and the Peaceful Right to Travel

Authors: Beatriz Salamanca

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In his public lecture ‘On the American Indians’ given at the University of Salamanca in 1538-39, Francisco de Vitoria presented an unsettling defense of freedom of movement, arguing that the Spanish had the right to travel and dwell in the New World, since it was considered part of the law of nations [ius gentium] that men enjoyed free mutual intercourse anywhere they went. The principle of freedom of movement brought hopeful expectations, promising to bring mankind together and strengthen the ties of fraternity. However, it led to polemical situations when those whose mobility was in question represented a harmful threat or was for some reason undesired. In this context, Vitoria’s argument has been seen on multiple occasions as a justification of the expansion of the Spanish empire. In order to examine the meaning of Vitoria’s defense of free mobility, a more detailed look at Vitoria’s text is required, together with the study of some of his earliest works, among them, his commentaries on Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae, where he presented relevant insights on the idea of the law of nations. In addition, it is necessary to place Vitoria’s work in the context of the intellectual tradition he belonged to and the responses he obtained from some of his contemporaries who were concerned with similar issues. The claim of this research is that the Spanish right to travel advocated by Vitoria was not intended to be interpreted in absolute terms, for it had to serve the purpose of bringing peace and unity among men, and could not contradict natural law. In addition, Vitoria explicitly observed that the right to travel was only valid if the Spaniards caused no harm, a condition that has been underestimated by his critics. Therefore, Vitoria’s legacy is of enormous value as it initiated a long lasting discussion regarding the question of the grounds under which human mobility could be restricted. Again, under Vitoria’s argument it was clear that this freedom was not absolute, but the controversial nature of his defense of Spanish mobility demonstrates how difficult it was and still is to address the issue of the circulation of peoples across frontiers, and shows the significance of this discussion in today’s globalized world, where the rights and wrongs of notions like immigration, international trade or foreign intervention still lack sufficient consensus. This inquiry about Vitoria’s defense of the principle of freedom of movement is being placed here against the background of the history of political thought, political theory, international law, and international relations, following the methodological framework of contextual history of the ‘Cambridge School’.

Keywords: Francisco de Vitoria, freedom of movement, law of nations, ius gentium, Spanish empire

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630 The Application of Patterned Injuries in Reconstruction of Motorcycle Accidents

Authors: Chun-Liang Wu, Kai-Ping Shaw, Cheng-Ping Yu, Wu-Chien Chien, Hsiao-Ting Chen, Shao-Huang Wu

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Objective: This study analyzed three criminal judicial cases. We applied the patterned injuries of the rider to demonstrate the facts of each accident, reconstruct the scenes, and pursue the truth. Methods: Case analysis, a method that collects evidence and reasons the results in judicial procedures, then the importance of the pattern of injury as evidence will be compared and evaluated. The patterned injuries analysis method is to compare the collision situation between an object and human body injuries to determine whether the characteristics can reproduce the unique pattern of injury. Result: Case 1: Two motorcycles, A and B, head-on collided; rider A dead, and rider B was accused. During the prosecutor’s investigation, the defendant learned that rider A had an 80 mm open wound on his neck. During the court trial, the defendant requested copies of the case file and found out that rider A had a large contusion on his chest wall, and the cause of death was traumatic hemothorax and abdominal wall contusion. The defendant compared all the evidence at the scene and determined that the injury was obviously not caused by the collision of the body or the motorcycle of rider B but that rider was out of control and injured himself when he crossed the double yellow line. In this case, the defendant was innocent in the High Court judgment in April 2022. Case 2: Motorcycles C and D head-on crashed, and rider C died of massive abdominal bleeding. The prosecutor decided that rider C was driving under the influence (DUI), but rider D was negligent and sued rider D. The defendant requested the copies’ file and found the special phenomenon that the front wheel of motorcycle C was turned left. The defendant’s injuries were a left facial bone fracture, a left femur fracture, and other injuries on the left side. The injuries were of human-vehicle separation and human-vehicle collision, which proved that rider C suddenly turned left when the two motorcycles approached, knocked down motorcycle D, and the defendant flew forward. Case 3: Motorcycle E and F’s rear end collided, the front rider E was sentenced to 3 months, and the rear rider F sued rider E for more than 7 million N.T. The defendant found in the copies’ file that the injury of rider F was the left tibial platform fracture, etc., and then proved that rider F made the collision with his left knee, causing motorcycle E to fall out of control. This evidence was accepted by the court and is still on trial. Conclusion: The application of patterned injuries in the reconstruction of a motorcycle accident could discover the truth and provide the basis for judicial justice. The cases and methods could be the reference for the policy of preventing traffic accident casualties.

Keywords: judicial evidence, patterned injuries analysis, accident reconstruction, fatal motorcycle injuries

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629 The Investigation of Effectiveness of Different Concentrations of the Mycotoxin Detoxification Agent Added to Broiler Feed, in the Presence of T-2 Toxin, on Performance, Organ Mass and the Residues T-2 Toxin and His Metabolites in the Broiler Tissues

Authors: Jelena Nedeljković Trailović, Marko Vasiljević, Jog Raj, Hunor Farkaš, Branko Petrujkić, Stamen Radulović, Gorana Popvić

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The experiment was performed on a total of 99 one-day-old broilers of Cob 500 provenance, which were divided into IX equal groups. Broilers of the E-I group were fed 0.25 mg T-2 toxin/kg feed, E-II and E-III groups 0.25 mg T-2 toxin/kg feed with the addition of 1 kg/t and 3 kg/t of the mycotoxin detoxification agent MDA, respectively. The E-IV group received 1 mg of T-2 toxin/kg of feed, and the broilers of E-V and E-VI groups received 1 mg of T-2 toxin/kg of feed with the addition of 1 kg/t and 3 kg/t of the MDA detoxification preparation, respectively. The E-VII group received commercial feed without toxins and additives, the E-VIII and E-IX groups received feed with 1kg/t and 3kg/t of the MDA detoxification preparation. The trial lasted 42 days. Observing the results obtained on the 42nd day of the experiment, we can conclude that the change in the absolute mass of the spleen occurred in the broilers of the E-IV group (1.66±0.14)g, which was statistically significantly lower compared to the broilers of the E-V and E-VI groups (2.58±0.15 and 2.68±0.23)g. Heart mass was significantly statistically lower in broilers of group E-IV (9.1±0.38)g compared to broilers of group E-V and E-VI (12.23±0.5 and 11.43±0.51)g. It can be concluded that the broilers that received 1 kg/t and 3 kg/t of the detoxification preparation had an absolute mass of organs within physiological limits. Broilers of the E-IV group achieved the lowest BM during the experiment (on the 42nd day of the experiment 1879±52.73)g, they were significantly statistically lower than the BW of broilers of all experimental groups. This trend is observed from the beginning to the end of the experiment. The protective effect of the detoxification preparation can be seen in broilers of the E-V group, that had a significantly statistically higher BM on the 42nd day of the experiment (2225±58.81)g compared to broilers of group E-IV. Broilers of E-VIII group (2452±46.71) g, which received commercial feed with the addition of 1 kg/t MDA preparation, had the highest BMI at the end of the experiment. At the end of the trial on the 42nd day, blood samples were collected from broilers of the experimental groups that received T-2 toxin and MR detoxification preparations in different concentrations. Also, liver and breast musculature samples were collected for testing for the presence and content of T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, T-2 tetraol and T-2 triol. Due to very rapid elimination from the blood, no remains of T-2 toxin and its metabolites were detected in the blood of broilers of groups E-I to E-VI. In the breast muscles, T-2 toxin residues below LoQ < 0.2 (μg/kg) were detected in all groups that received T-2 toxin in food, the highest value was recorded in the E-IV group (0.122 μg/kg and the lowest in E -VI group 0.096 μg/kg). No T-2 toxin residues were detected in the liver. Remains of HT-2 were detected in the breast muscles and livers of broilers from E-IV, E-V and E-VI groups, LoQ < 1 (μg/kg); for the breast muscles: 0.054, 0.044 and 0.041 μg/kg, and for the liver: 0.473, 0.231 and 0.185 μg/kg. Summing up all the results, a partial protective effect of the detoxification preparation, added to food in the amount of 1kg/t, can be seen.

Keywords: T-2 toxin, bloiler, MDA, mycotoxuns

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628 Endocardial Ultrasound Segmentation using Level Set method

Authors: Daoudi Abdelaziz, Mahmoudi Saïd, Chikh Mohamed Amine

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This paper presents a fully automatic segmentation method of the left ventricle at End Systolic (ES) and End Diastolic (ED) in the ultrasound images by means of an implicit deformable model (level set) based on Geodesic Active Contour model. A pre-processing Gaussian smoothing stage is applied to the image, which is essential for a good segmentation. Before the segmentation phase, we locate automatically the area of the left ventricle by using a detection approach based on the Hough Transform method. Consequently, the result obtained is used to automate the initialization of the level set model. This initial curve (zero level set) deforms to search the Endocardial border in the image. On the other hand, quantitative evaluation was performed on a data set composed of 15 subjects with a comparison to ground truth (manual segmentation).

Keywords: level set method, transform Hough, Gaussian smoothing, left ventricle, ultrasound images.

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627 Evaluating the Tracking Abilities of Microsoft HoloLens-1 for Small-Scale Industrial Processes

Authors: Kuhelee Chandel, Julia Åhlén, Stefan Seipel

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This study evaluates the accuracy of Microsoft HoloLens (Version 1) for small-scale industrial activities, comparing its measurements to ground truth data from a Kuka Robotics arm. Two experiments were conducted to assess its position-tracking capabilities, revealing that the HoloLens device is effective for measuring the position of dynamic objects with small dimensions. However, its precision is affected by the velocity of the trajectory and its position within the device's field of view. While the HoloLens device may be suitable for small-scale tasks, its limitations for more complex and demanding applications requiring high precision and accuracy must be considered. The findings can guide the use of HoloLens devices in industrial applications and contribute to the development of more effective and reliable position-tracking systems.

Keywords: augmented reality (AR), Microsoft HoloLens, object tracking, industrial processes, manufacturing processes

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626 Improvement a Lower Bound of Energy for Some Family of Graphs, Related to Determinant of Adjacency Matrix

Authors: Saieed Akbari, Yousef Bagheri, Amir Hossein Ghodrati, Sima Saadat Akhtar

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Let G be a simple graph with the vertex set V (G) and with the adjacency matrix A (G). The energy E (G) of G is defined to be the sum of the absolute values of all eigenvalues of A (G). Also let n and m be number of edges and vertices of the graph respectively. A regular graph is a graph where each vertex has the same number of neighbours. Given a graph G, its line graph L(G) is a graph such that each vertex of L(G) represents an edge of G; and two vertices of L(G) are adjacent if and only if their corresponding edges share a common endpoint in G. In this paper we show that for every regular graphs and also for every line graphs such that (G) 3 we have, E(G) 2nm + n 1. Also at the other part of the paper we prove that 2 (G) E(G) for an arbitrary graph G.

Keywords: eigenvalues, energy, line graphs, matching number

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625 The Fake News Impact on the Public Policy Cycle: A Systemic Analysis through Documentary Survey

Authors: Aron Miranda Burgos, Ergon Cugler de Moraes Silva

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In the present article, it is observed that the constant advancement of issues related to misinformation impacts the guarantee of the public policy cycle. Thus, it is found that the dissemination of false information has a direct influence on each of the component stages of this cycle. Therefore, in order to maintain scientific and theoretical credibility in the qualitative analysis process, it was necessary to logically interpose the concepts of firehosing of falsehood, fake news, public policy cycle, as well as using the epistemological and pragmatic mechanism at the intersection of such academic concepts, such as the scientific method. It was found, through the analysis of official documents and public notes, how the multiple theoretical perspectives evidence the commitment of the provision and elaboration of public policies, verifying the way in which the fake news impact each part of the process in this atmosphere.

Keywords: firehosing of falsehood, governance, misinformation, post-truth

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624 Impact of Customer Experience Quality on Loyalty of Mobile and Fixed Broadband Services: Case Study of Telecom Egypt Group

Authors: Nawal Alawad, Passent Ibrahim Tantawi, Mohamed Abdel Salam Ragheb

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Providing customers with quality experiences has been confirmed to be a sustainable, competitive advantage with a distinct financial impact for companies. The success of service providers now relies on their ability to provide customer-centric services. The importance of perceived service quality and customer experience is widely recognized. The focus of this research is in the area of mobile and fixed broadband services. This study is of dual importance both academically and practically. Academically, this research applies a new model investigating the impact of customer experience quality on loyalty based on modifying the multiple-item scale for measuring customers’ service experience in a new area and did not depend on the traditional models. The integrated scale embraces four dimensions: service experience, outcome focus, moments of truth and peace of mind. In addition, it gives a scientific explanation for this relationship so this research fill the gap in such relations in which no one correlate or give explanations for these relations before using such integrated model and this is the first time to apply such modified and integrated new model in telecom field. Practically, this research gives insights to marketers and practitioners to improve customer loyalty through evolving the experience quality of broadband customers which is interpreted to suggested outcomes: purchase, commitment, repeat purchase and word-of-mouth, this approach is one of the emerging topics in service marketing. Data were collected through 412 questionnaires and analyzed by using structural equation modeling.Findings revealed that both outcome focus and moments of truth have a significant impact on loyalty while both service experience and peace of mind have insignificant impact on loyalty.In addition, it was found that 72% of the variation occurring in loyalty is explained by the model. The researcher also measured the net prompters score and gave explanation for the results. Furthermore, assessed customer’s priorities of broadband services. The researcher recommends that the findings of this research will extend to be considered in the future plans of Telecom Egypt Group. In addition, to be applied in the same industry especially in the developing countries that have the same circumstances with similar service settings. This research is a positive contribution in service marketing, particularly in telecom industry for making marketing more reliable as managers can relate investments in service experience directly with the performance closest to income for instance, repurchasing behavior, positive word of mouth and, commitment. Finally, the researcher recommends that future studies should consider this model to explain significant marketing outcomes such as share of wallet and ultimately profitability.

Keywords: broadband services, customer experience quality, loyalty, net promoters score

Procedia PDF Downloads 245
623 Analysis of Patterns in TV Commercials That Recognize NGO Image

Authors: Areerut Jaipadub

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The purpose of this research is to analyze the pattern of television commercials and how they encourage non-governmental organizations to build their image in Thailand. It realizes how public relations can impact an organization's image. It is a truth that bad public relations management can cause hurt a reputation. On the other hand, a very small amount of work in public relations helps your organization to be recognized broadly and eventually accepted even wider. The main idea in this paper is to study and analyze patterns of television commercials that could impact non-governmental organization's images in a greater way. This research uses questionnaires and content analysis to summarize results. The findings show the aspects of how patterns of television commercials that are suited to non-governmental organization work in Thailand. It will be useful for any non-governmental organization that wishes to build their image through television commercials and also for further work based on this research.

Keywords: television commercial (TVC), organization image, non-governmental organization (NGO), public relation

Procedia PDF Downloads 255
622 Stereotypical Perception as an Influential Factor in the Judicial Decision Making Process for Shoplifting Cases Presided over in the UK

Authors: Mariam Shah

Abstract:

Stereotypes are not generally considered to be an acceptable influence upon any decision making process, particularly those involving judicial decision making outcomes. Yet, we are confronted with an uncomfortable truth that stereotypes may be operating to influence judicial outcomes. Variances in sentencing outcomes are not easily explained away by criminological, psychological, or sociological theorem, but may be answered via qualitative research produced within the field of phenomenology. This paper will examine the current literature pertaining to the effect of stereotypes on the criminal justice system within the UK, and will also discuss what the implications are for stereotypical influences upon decision making in the criminal justice system. This paper will give particular focus to shoplifting offences dealt with in UK criminal courts, but this research has long reaching implications for the criminal process more generally.

Keywords: decision making, judicial decision making, phenomenology, shoplifting, stereotypes

Procedia PDF Downloads 300
621 Accessibility of the Labor Market in Indonesian Cities

Authors: Hananto Prakoso, Jean-Pierre Orfeuil

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The relationship between city size, urban transport efficiency (speed), employment proximity (distance) and accessibility of labour market is rarely examined especially in developing countries. This paper reveals the relationship using 2 points of views (active population and company). Then the analysis is divided according to 3 transport modes (car, public transport and motorcycle) and takes into account the vehicle ownership rate. We employ data across 111 districts in 4 big cities of Indonesia. In our result, speed indicator contributed positively to accessibility of labour market while distance elasticity is negative. In absolute value, elasticity of speed indicator is higher than that of distance.

Keywords: labour market, travel time, travel cost threshold, transportation

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620 Reconceptualizing Evidence and Evidence Types for Digital Journalism Studies

Authors: Hai L. Tran

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In the digital age, evidence-based reporting is touted as a best practice for seeking the truth and keeping the public well-informed. Journalists are expected to rely on evidence to demonstrate the validity of a factual statement and lend credence to an individual account. Evidence can be obtained from various sources, and due to a rich supply of evidence types available, the definition of this important concept varies semantically. To promote clarity and understanding, it is necessary to break down the various types of evidence and categorize them in a more coherent, systematic way. There is a wide array of devices that digital journalists deploy as proof to back up or refute a truth claim. Evidence can take various formats, including verbal and visual materials. Verbal evidence encompasses quotes, soundbites, talking heads, testimonies, voice recordings, anecdotes, and statistics communicated through written or spoken language. There are instances where evidence is simply non-verbal, such as when natural sounds are provided without any verbalized words. On the other hand, other language-free items exhibited in photos, video footage, data visualizations, infographics, and illustrations can serve as visual evidence. Moreover, there are different sources from which evidence can be cited. Supporting materials, such as public or leaked records and documents, data, research studies, surveys, polls, or reports compiled by governments, organizations, and other entities, are frequently included as informational evidence. Proof can also come from human sources via interviews, recorded conversations, public and private gatherings, or press conferences. Expert opinions, eye-witness insights, insider observations, and official statements are some of the common examples of testimonial evidence. Digital journalism studies tend to make broad references when comparing qualitative versus quantitative forms of evidence. Meanwhile, limited efforts are being undertaken to distinguish between sister terms, such as “data,” “statistical,” and “base-rate” on one side of the spectrum and “narrative,” “anecdotal,” and “exemplar” on the other. The present study seeks to develop the evidence taxonomy, which classifies evidence through the quantitative-qualitative juxtaposition and in a hierarchical order from broad to specific. According to this scheme, data, statistics, and base rate belong to the quantitative evidence group, whereas narrative, anecdote, and exemplar fall into the qualitative evidence group. Subsequently, the taxonomical classification arranges data versus narrative at the top of the hierarchy of types of evidence, followed by statistics versus anecdote and base rate versus exemplar. This research reiterates the central role of evidence in how journalists describe and explain social phenomena and issues. By defining the various types of evidence and delineating their logical connections it helps remove a significant degree of conceptual inconsistency, ambiguity, and confusion in digital journalism studies.

Keywords: evidence, evidence forms, evidence types, taxonomy

Procedia PDF Downloads 36
619 Tracing Sources of Sediment in an Arid River, Southern Iran

Authors: Hesam Gholami

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Elevated suspended sediment loads in riverine systems resulting from accelerated erosion due to human activities are a serious threat to the sustainable management of watersheds and ecosystem services therein worldwide. Therefore, mitigation of deleterious sediment effects as a distributed or non-point pollution source in the catchments requires reliable provenance information. Sediment tracing or sediment fingerprinting, as a combined process consisting of sampling, laboratory measurements, different statistical tests, and the application of mixing or unmixing models, is a useful technique for discriminating the sources of sediments. From 1996 to the present, different aspects of this technique, such as grouping the sources (spatial and individual sources), discriminating the potential sources by different statistical techniques, and modification of mixing and unmixing models, have been introduced and modified by many researchers worldwide, and have been applied to identify the provenance of fine materials in agricultural, rural, mountainous, and coastal catchments, and in large catchments with numerous lakes and reservoirs. In the last two decades, efforts exploring the uncertainties associated with sediment fingerprinting results have attracted increasing attention. The frameworks used to quantify the uncertainty associated with fingerprinting estimates can be divided into three groups comprising Monte Carlo simulation, Bayesian approaches and generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE). Given the above background, the primary goal of this study was to apply geochemical fingerprinting within the GLUE framework in the estimation of sub-basin spatial sediment source contributions in the arid Mehran River catchment in southern Iran, which drains into the Persian Gulf. The accuracy of GLUE predictions generated using four different sets of statistical tests for discriminating three sub-basin spatial sources was evaluated using 10 virtual sediments (VS) samples with known source contributions using the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE). Based on the results, the contributions modeled by GLUE for the western, central and eastern sub-basins are 1-42% (overall mean 20%), 0.5-30% (overall mean 12%) and 55-84% (overall mean 68%), respectively. According to the mean absolute fit (MAF; ≥ 95% for all target sediment samples) and goodness-of-fit (GOF; ≥ 99% for all samples), our suggested modeling approach is an accurate technique to quantify the source of sediments in the catchments. Overall, the estimated source proportions can help watershed engineers plan the targeting of conservation programs for soil and water resources.

Keywords: sediment source tracing, generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation, virtual sediment mixtures, Iran

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618 Evaluating the Effects of Weather and Climate Change to Risks in Crop Production

Authors: Marcus Bellett-Travers

Abstract:

Different modelling approaches have been used to determine or predict yield of crops in different geographies. Central to the methodologies are the presumption that it is the absolute yield of the crop in a given location that is of the highest priority to those requiring information on crop productivity. Most individuals, companies and organisations within the agri-food sector need to be able to balance the supply of crops with the demand for them. Different modelling approaches have been used to determine and predict crop yield. The growing need to ensure certainty of supply and stability of prices requires an approach that describes the risk in producing a crop. A review of current methodologies to evaluate the risk to food production from changes in the weather and climate is presented.

Keywords: crop production, risk, climate, modelling

Procedia PDF Downloads 357
617 Mechanisms of Atiulcerogenic Activity of Costus speciosus Rhizome Extract in Ethanol-Induced Gastric Mucosal Injury in Rats

Authors: Somayeh Fani, Mahmood Ameen Abdulla

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Costus speciosus is an important Malaysian medicinal plant commonly used traditionally in the treatment of many aliments. The present investigation is designed to elucidate preventive effects of ethanolic extracts of C. speciosus rhizome against absolute ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury in Sprague-Dawley rats. Five groups of rats were orally pre-treated with vehicle, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as normal control group (Group 1), ethanol as ulcer control group (Group 2), omeprazole 20 mg/kg (reference group) (Group 3), and 250 and 500 mg/kg of C. speciosus extract (experimental groups) (Group 4 and 5), respectively. An hour later, CMC was given orally to Group 1 rats and absolute ethanol was given orally to Group 2-5 rats to generate gastric mucosal injury. After an additional hour, the rats were sacrificed. Grossly, ulcer control group exhibited severe of gastric mucosal hemorrhagic injury and increased in ulcer area, whereas groups pre-treated with omeprazole or plant’s rhizomes exhibited the significant reduction of gastric mucosal injury. Significant increase in the pH and mucous of gastric content was observed in rats re-treated with C. speciosus rhizome. Histology, ulcer control rats, demonstrated remarkable disruption of gastric mucosa, increased in edema and inflammatory cells infiltration of submucosal layer compared to rats pre-treated with rhizomes extract. Periodic acid Schiff staining for glycoprotein, rats pre-fed with C. speciosus C. displayed remarkably intense uptake of magenta color by glandular gastric mucosa compared with ulcer control rats. Immunostaining of gastric epithelium, rats pre-treatment with rhizome extract provide evidence of up-regulation of HSP70 and down-regulation of Bax proteins compared to ulcer control animals. Gastric tissue homogenate, C. speciosus significantly increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), increased the level of non-protein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) and decreased the level of lipid peroxidation after ethanol administration. Acute toxicity test did not show any signs of toxicity. The mechanisms implicated the gasrtoprotective property of C. speciosus depend upon the antisecretory activity, increased in gastric mucus glycoprotein, up-regulation of HSP70 protein and down-regulation of Bax proteins, reduction in the lipid peroxidation and increase in the level of NP-SH and antioxidant enzymes activity in gastic homogenate.

Keywords: antioxidant, Costus speciosus, gastric ulcer, histology, omeprazole

Procedia PDF Downloads 279
616 Appraisal of Parents' Views and Supervision of Their Children's Use of Information Communication Technology

Authors: Olabisi Adedigba

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It is a fundamental truth that Information Communication Technology (ICT) lies at the very heart of our today’s society and determines its development. The use of ICT has given a boost to the educational and mental development of an average pupil of this age far above their counterparts who lived centuries ago. Nevertheless, the present age children stand the risk of the scourge of this technology if proactive measures are not taken urgently to arrest the damages of its negative use on them. One of the measures that can be taken is supervision of children’s use of ICT. This research therefore investigated parents’ views and supervision of their children’s use of Information Communication Technology. Descriptive design was adopted for this study. 300 parents were randomly selected. “Parents’ Views and Supervision of Children’s Use of ICT” was used to collect data for the study. Data collected were analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation and t-test. The result revealed that parents’ view of their children’s use of ICT is negative while supervision of their children’s use of ICT is low. Recommendations were thus offered that schools and other stakeholders should educate parents on children’s proper utilization of ICT and parents are urged to maintain adequate supervision on their children use of ICT.

Keywords: appraisal of parents’ views and supervision, children’s use, information communication technology, t-test

Procedia PDF Downloads 473
615 Practical Aspects Pertaining to the Selection of Size and Location of Source Substations in an Oil Field

Authors: Yadavalli Venkata Sridhar

Abstract:

Finalization of Substation sizing and location is an important task to be carried out by electrical designers in an oil field. Practical issues influence the selection of size and location of the source substations that feed multiple production facilities are listed. Importance of selection of appropriately rated short circuit level for 11KV switchboards and constraints pertaining to availability of manufacturers are highlighted. Without being lost in the research of absolute optimum solution, under time constraints, the importance of practical approach is brought out. Focus on identifying near optimum solutions by process of elimination of unfeasible substation locations with the support of cost figures, is emphasized through a case study.

Keywords: substation, size, location, oil field

Procedia PDF Downloads 634
614 Cellular Traffic Prediction through Multi-Layer Hybrid Network

Authors: Supriya H. S., Chandrakala B. M.

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Deep learning based models have been recently successful adoption for network traffic prediction. However, training a deep learning model for various prediction tasks is considered one of the critical tasks due to various reasons. This research work develops Multi-Layer Hybrid Network (MLHN) for network traffic prediction and analysis; MLHN comprises the three distinctive networks for handling the different inputs for custom feature extraction. Furthermore, an optimized and efficient parameter-tuning algorithm is introduced to enhance parameter learning. MLHN is evaluated considering the “Big Data Challenge” dataset considering the Mean Absolute Error, Root Mean Square Error and R^2as metrics; furthermore, MLHN efficiency is proved through comparison with a state-of-art approach.

Keywords: MLHN, network traffic prediction

Procedia PDF Downloads 53
613 An Improved Model of Estimation Global Solar Irradiation from in situ Data: Case of Oran Algeria Region

Authors: Houcine Naim, Abdelatif Hassini, Noureddine Benabadji, Alex Van Den Bossche

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In this paper, two models to estimate the overall monthly average daily radiation on a horizontal surface were applied to the site of Oran (35.38 ° N, 0.37 °W). We present a comparison between the first one is a regression equation of the Angstrom type and the second model is developed by the present authors some modifications were suggested using as input parameters: the astronomical parameters as (latitude, longitude, and altitude) and meteorological parameters as (relative humidity). The comparisons are made using the mean bias error (MBE), root mean square error (RMSE), mean percentage error (MPE), and mean absolute bias error (MABE). This comparison shows that the second model is closer to the experimental values that the model of Angstrom.

Keywords: meteorology, global radiation, Angstrom model, Oran

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612 Application of Adaptive Particle Filter for Localizing a Mobile Robot Using 3D Camera Data

Authors: Maysam Shahsavari, Seyed Jamalaldin Haddadi

Abstract:

There are several methods to localize a mobile robot such as relative, absolute and probabilistic. In this paper, particle filter due to its simple implementation and the fact that it does not need to know to the starting position will be used. This method estimates the position of the mobile robot using a probabilistic distribution, relying on a known map of the environment instead of predicting it. Afterwards, it updates this estimation by reading input sensors and control commands. To receive information from the surrounding world, distance to obstacles, for example, a Kinect is used which is much cheaper than a laser range finder. Finally, after explaining the Adaptive Particle Filter method and its implementation in detail, we will compare this method with the dead reckoning method and show that this method is much more suitable for situations in which we have a map of the environment.

Keywords: particle filter, localization, methods, odometry, kinect

Procedia PDF Downloads 238