In the field of computer vision and digital image processing, the division of images into meaningful segments is a pivotal task. This paper introduces an innovative global image segmentation model, distinguished for its ability to segment pixels with intensity inhomogeneity and robustly handle noise. The proposed model leverages a combination of randomness measurement and spatial techniques to accurately segment regions within and outside contours in challenging conditions. Its efficacy is demonstrated through rigorous testing with images from the Berkeley image database. The results significantly surpass existing methods, particularly in the context of noisy and intensity inhomogeneous images. The model's proficiency lies in its unique ability to differentiate between minute, yet crucial, details and outliers, thus enhancing the precision of global segmentation in complex scenarios. This advancement is particularly relevant for images plagued by unknown noise distributions, overcoming limitations such as the inadequate handling of convex images at local minima and the segmentation of images corrupted by additive and multiplicative noise. The model's design integrates a region-based active contour method, refined through the incorporation of a local similarity factor, level set method, partial differential equations, and entropy considerations. This approach not only addresses the technical challenges posed by image segmentation but also sets a new benchmark for accuracy and reliability in the field.
This study evaluates the influence of brands listed in the Borsa Istanbul (BIST) Sustainability 25 Index on fostering sustainable consumption behaviors, a critical issue in contemporary society. An analysis was conducted on the sustainability-related content from these brands' websites and Instagram accounts. The BIST Sustainability Index, which serves as a benchmark for companies in Türkiye to develop policies related to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) risks, was utilized to select the sample. This index plays a pivotal role in informing responsible investors about corporate sustainability practices. The investigation primarily focused on how these brands communicate sustainability on their Instagram accounts through detailed content analysis. It was observed that, while comprehensive information on sustainability initiatives is presented on corporate websites, this communication is not adequately reflected on Instagram platforms. Given the mandatory disclosure of sustainability activities by companies listed in the BIST Sustainability 25 Index, the importance of effective communication on social media, in addition to website information dissemination, is underscored. Among the brands, Arçelik was identified as the most active in sharing sustainability-related posts on Instagram. Although these posts received a considerable number of likes, they garnered minimal user engagement in terms of comments. The study reveals a discrepancy between the intensity of sustainability activities undertaken by these indexed companies and their representation on social media channels. Consequently, it is recommended that these businesses place a greater emphasis on incorporating sustainability themes within their social media marketing communications. This study underscores the need for a more robust digital media strategy to reflect sustainability efforts accurately, thereby contributing to the broader discourse on sustainable consumption and the efficacy of digital marketing.
This research delves into the impact of Information technology systems (ITS) on the effectiveness of internal controls, using Norman Ranch Limited, a subsidiary of Development Trust in Zimbabwe, as a case study. A mixed-methods research approach, incorporating a descriptive design and a cross-sectional study, was employed. Data were gathered through close-ended questionnaires distributed to 44 employees, offering a comprehensive view of internal control processes within the organization. Analysis involved Linear Regression to establish correlations, supported by data presentation through tables, pie charts, and graphs. Findings indicate a significant, positive relationship between ITS investment and internal control efficacy, particularly evident when senior management participates actively in the installation and continuous upgrading of IT infrastructure. This includes the review of IT system packages from other organizations. A key revelation is the enhanced efficiency of internal monitoring, a critical component of internal control, through strategic IT implementation. The study concludes that judicious investment in ITS markedly improves the effectiveness of internal controls. Furthermore, it posits that a synergy between IT systems, business processes, and human resources is pivotal in fortifying internal control mechanisms.
Tunnel linings, depending on their geographical locations, are exposed to various magnitudes of seismic loads. Ensuring that these linings resist seismic perturbations without exhibiting failures, such as crack initiation or propagation, is paramount. In the presented study, the structural stability of tunnel linings under pronounced seismic excitations was rigorously evaluated. Seismic excitations, in compliance with the IS 1893: 2002 code for both zone II and zone III conditions, were administered. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) modelling, static structural, and harmonic excitation analyses were meticulously conducted via the ANSYS finite element analysis (FEA) simulation package. From these comprehensive analyses, critical zones within the tunnel linings were identified under varying excitation frequencies. It was observed that, predominantly, these critical regions are situated at the corners of the tunnel linings, specifically in the bottom areas. Distinct maximum and minimum induced normal stresses within the tunnel structure were ascertained. Under a seismic excitation of .1g, a maximum reaction force of 1232.1 kN was derived. Conversely, for a seismic excitation of .16g, the reaction force peaked at a 1Hz frequency with a magnitude of 1971.3 kN. These findings furnish pivotal insights into the structural performance of tunnel linings when subjected to seismic disturbances, providing tunnel engineers and designers with invaluable knowledge to augment the resilience and safety of tunnel infrastructures.
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 brought the strategic position of Cyprus to the international stage. The geopolitical position of the Mediterranean for world trade remains important today. The administration of Cyprus was left to Britain in 1878 with the Cyprus Convention signed between Britain and the Ottoman Empire. With the outbreak of World War I, Britain annexed Cyprus in 1915. Cyprus was given the status of a Crown Colony in 1925. During the war period, between 1915 and 1922, foreign trade of Cyprus reached the highest figures in its history. Cyprus was used as a military and commercial safe haven for British trade and allies. The post-war economic crises, especially the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, shook the world economy. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the economic crises of the period 1923-1938 on foreign trade of Cyprus and whether the wartime development continued or not. The share of the UK and other countries in foreign trade and the status of Cyprus in international foreign trade will be determined. In the study, first of all, the commercial data of Cyprus foreign trade for the period 1923-1938 will be organized and interpreted using statistical methods (tables and graphs). As a result of the study, it was determined that the period of 1923-1938 in Cyprus was a fluctuating period of decline and rise in foreign trade due to economic crises. In 1938, exports increased by 176% and imports by 110% compared to 1923. Despite the crisis, the geography of foreign trade of Cyprus expanded and the number of traded countries increased. The share of European countries in foreign trade increased. While Cyprus exports mineral products and food to Europe, it also became one of the new markets for products produced in Europe. It was also a transit island in international trade.
In the context of layered inclined surrounding rock in roadways, this study presents a comprehensive analysis focusing on the asymmetrical deformation characteristics inherent to such geological structures. The intersection of layered surrounding rock with roadways forms the basis for constructing a deformation partition model, encompassing distinct sub-regions around the roadway. This model facilitates a detailed mechanical analysis, wherein the stress exerted on rock formations within each sub-region is meticulously examined. Consequently, specific mechanical formulas correlating to the stress in different sub-regions are established. This approach yields insights into the failure modes of the layered surrounding rock across various sub-regions. Notably, the roadway's high side predominantly exhibits tensile failure, whereas the low side is characterized by shear failure. The application of the Goodman model enables a simulation of interlayer slip occurring between the surrounding rock of the roadway, distributed across different partitions. This study delineates the deformation of the layered inclined surrounding rock road-way as a process with pronounced temporal characteristics. The progression of deformation and failure in the surrounding rock typically initiates at the tangent point between the roadway roof and the rock layer, extending to the roadway floor, the high-top bottom angle, and subsequently the low-top bottom angle. This sequence culminates in the development toward the high-top shoulder angle. The research further establishes a direct correlation between the onset of asymmetrical deformation and the angle of shear stress on the roadway surface relative to the inclination of the rock formation; a smaller angle precipitates an earlier onset of this deformation.
Purpose: To provide reference promoting the construction of nursing courses through the analysis of research hot spots on ideological and political education in nursing courses in China; Methodology: CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to visualize the pertinent literature that was downloaded from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP database before December 31, 2023; Results: A total of 918 literatures were included, and the publications, authors, institutions, journals, course type, keywords of the literature were analyzed. The number of published papers had increased year by year. Publishing institutions were primarily schools, authors were mostly independent researchers, published journals were relatively concentrated, with most of them being general or provincial journals, and courses are mostly theoretical. Hotspots for current research include the integration of nursing courses in higher vocational colleges and the mining of Ideological and political elements; Conclusions: Curriculum ideology and politics have received extensive attention from nursing educators. In the future, it is necessary to strengthen the exchanges between different research institutions such as schools and hospitals, pay attention to the depth of research, develop educators' political and ideological ability, actively use a variety of teaching methods, and integrate political and ideological elements into the teaching of a diversified curriculum, so as to provide talent guarantee for the realization of "Healthy China".
In the realm of civil engineering and industrial construction, the infusion of waste materials into road pavements has emerged as a pivotal strategy for augmenting the attributes of asphalt mixtures while concurrently mitigating the environmental repercussions associated with waste. This investigation delineates a dry method for the preliminary treatment of waste paper, preceding its amalgamation into asphalt mixtures. The focal point is the incorporation of waste paper and Cement Kiln Dust (CKD) as modifiers in Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA). It is posited that the inclusion of waste paper fibers can substantially elevate the SMA's flexibility and crack resistance. Simultaneously, CKD is purported to bolster the asphalt's strength and durability through its cementitious characteristics. A series of SMA blends were formulated, integrating waste paper and CKD in varied proportions ranging from 0.2% to 1% by weight. Subsequent evaluations encompassed analyses of air voids, density, drain-down characteristics, Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS), and Marshall Stability. The outcomes revealed that the drain-down test exhibited enhancements in volumetric parameters, notably density and air voids. Concomitantly, there was a 33% increase in Marshall Stability and a 37% improvement in ITS. Additional advancements were observed in Marshall Flow, Tensile Strength Ratio (TSR), and skid resistance. In summation, this study establishes that waste paper, when appropriately treated and amalgamated with CKD, can be efficaciously utilized in SMA mixes, yielding mixtures with superior volumetric and mechanical properties. This methodology not only augments the stiffness and minimizes binder drainage but also enhances rutting resistance. Most crucially, it paves the way for sustainable and ethical practices in the reuse and recycling of waste materials.
The depth of a decision tree (DT) affects the performance of a DT classifier in predicting mortality caused by heart failure (HF). A deeper tree learns complex patterns within the data, theoretically leading to better predictive performance. A very deep tree also leads to overfitting, because the model learns the training data rather than generalize to new and unseen data, resulting in a lower classification performance on test data. Similarly, a shallow tree does not learn much of the complexity within the data, leading to underfitting and a lower performance. The pruning method has been proposed to set a limit on the maximum tree depth or the minimum number of instances required to split a node to reduce the computational complexity. Pruning helps avoid overfitting. However, it does not help find the optimal depth of the tree. To build a better-performing DT classifier, it is crucial to find the optimal tree depth to achieve optimal performance. This study proposed cross-validation to find the optimal tree depth using validation data. In the proposed method, the cross-validated accuracy for training and test data is empirically tested using the HF dataset, which contains 299 observations with 11 features collected from the Kaggle machine learning (ML) data repository. The observed result reveals that tuning the DT depth is significantly important to balance the learning process of the DT because relevant patterns are captured and overfitting is avoided. Although cross-validation techniques prove to be effective in determining the optimal DT depth, this study does not compare different methods to determine the optimal depth, such as grid search, pruning algorithms, or information criteria. This is the limitation of this study.
The realm of low-carbon aviation, a critical sector in the construction of a low-carbon economy, has consistently garnered extensive attention. This study, utilizing bibliometric analysis and employing the visualization software CiteSpace, constructs knowledge maps based on data sourced from 358 core journal articles and (Chinese Social Sciences Citation Indexed) CSSCI articles in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and 270 articles from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection. These maps elucidate the dynamics of research hotspots and evolutionary trends in the global low-carbon aviation industry by visualizing elements such as researchers, institutions, co-occurring keywords, surging keywords, and clustering time zones. The analysis reveals a dispersed pattern of domestic researchers with a need for enhanced collaboration, in contrast to more frequent collaborations among international researchers. Key issues such as fuel, carbon emissions, and environmental protection emerge as common focal points in both domestic and international contexts. Trends in aviation transportation and emission reduction are identified as converging research trajectories, with significant influence on the scholarly discourse and practical resolutions in the low-carbon aviation sector. The outcomes of this study hold substantial value for guiding academic research and addressing real-world challenges in the low-carbon aviation industry globally.
In the realm of renewable energy, the optimization of solar water heating (SWH) systems stands paramount for addressing the escalating energy demands. This investigation delves into the pivotal role of design configurations in augmenting the efficiency of SWH systems, with a focus on diverse climatic and locational contexts. Employing the k-omega turbulence model within the ANSYS software framework, a meticulous evaluation of three distinct design configurations, namely, tube-over-plate, tube-under-plate, and tube-in-line-with-plate, is presented. The essence of this study lies not merely in delineating the intrinsic characteristics of these configurations but in a comparative assessment of their efficiencies to ascertain the most efficacious design for superior SWH performance. The adoption of the k-omega turbulence model is instrumental in capturing the intricate fluid dynamics that significantly influence SWH efficiency. The findings reveal that the tube-under-plate configuration exhibits remarkable efficiency, while the tube-in-line-with-plate arrangement demonstrates comparably effective performance. These insights represent a substantial contribution to the advancement of water heating technology, paving the way for more effective and sustainable energy solutions.
Maritime trade, recognized as the most cost-efficient method for long-distance goods transportation, remains the backbone of global commerce despite market volatility and fluctuating supply-demand dynamics. This study examines the intricate relationship between maritime trade and environmental impacts, focusing on the use of Arctic routes and the consequent release of ship-sourced black carbon (BC). An extensive review of the BC literature elucidates its detrimental effects on both environmental integrity and human health. Furthermore, the investigation delves into the specific repercussions of maritime shipping activities in the Arctic region, highlighting how increased ship traffic contributes to global warming through enhanced ice melt. The analysis pivots on the paradox of maritime trade: while seeking cost-effective and rapid routes, such as those through the Arctic, the maritime industry inadvertently exacerbates ecological degradation and climate change. This dichotomy underscores the critical need for a balanced approach in maritime operations, considering both economic viability and environmental stewardship. The study culminates in a nuanced evaluation of the trade-offs involved, proposing strategies for sustainable maritime trade that align with global environmental goals.
The main duty of engineers is to guarantee that structures are both erect and adhere to codes, which proves their outstanding functionality and economic viability. In today's elastic materials, the von Mises stress values have to be verified when examining fatigue or failure. In the domains of heavy lifting, robotics, mechanical and offshore engineering, oil and gas engineering, and civil engineering, the Von Mises criteria are among the most often used benchmarks for assessing productivity conditions. In this study, seven I-beams models will be built, the first model without holes and the other six models with holes in various shapes (square, triangular, circular, hexagonal, and rectangular). The ANSYS program will be used to solve it using the finite element method. For the upper surface of these models, equal loads will be applied. The findings demonstrate that the shear stress values for the seven models were less than the shear stress values of the metal, which came to (370MPa), in line with the theory of maximum shear stress. With a value of (62.7MPa), the second-best model was the best. One of the most important conclusions when comparing the values of von Mess stresses with the von Mess theory of stress is that the third model (with rectangular openings) performed better than the other models when compared to the first model because its value was the same in both models (370MPa). The seventh model (hexagonal holes) had the lowest maximum value of stress intensity at 261MPa, per the results. being aware that this model weighs (70Kg) less than the first.
Open Access
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