bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Theoretical Proposal for Reaching Irreligious Czech People Through a Mission Revitalization Movement
Authors:   ,   Andrews University, Činčala Petr
Published: May 2023

The main goal of this study was to develop a theory of missionary outreach to unchurched Czech people which is biblically informed and culturally relevant. The theoretical proposal for a plausible model of churching in the Czech Republic builds on basic theological, philosophical, and conceptual assumptions (chapter 2), a societal analysis of the problem of Czech churching (chapter 3), and a review of the issues relating to the situation of existing churches and religious movements. Based on Wallace’s theory of revitalization movements a model is developed for starting a missionary movement that aims at reaching today’s unchurched and seemingly irreligious segments of the Czech population. This model allows for more flexible ways of communicating the gospel and envisions multiple forms for developing a community of believers. The field research underlying the theoretical proposal included ethnographic and assessment-oriented research. The ethnographic research combined qualitative and quantitative methods. A newspaper content analysis searched for dominant themes and prevalent cultural values in the newspaper media, and then analyzed newspaper articles related to religion and/or church. The ethnographic field research measuring the religiosity of the Czech people consisted of a survey of religiosity (Appendix B), and six in-depth interviews of unchurched people (Appendix A). By clarifying some aspects of the religiosity of unchurched people it contributed a depth dimension to the proposed revitalization movement model. In order to test some emerging conclusions, a number of brief interviews with unchurched believers, active church goers, and church leaders, as well as a survey measuring the health of congregations (Appendix C) were done. The multivariate methodology generated the findings that provided the building blocks for a theory of a context-sensitive model of churching.
The Roles and Attributes of Human Resource Leaders During Organizational Restructuring
Authors:   ,   Andrews University, Brown Alison
Published: May 2023

Problem. As the number of organizations involved in major restructuring increases, Human Resource (HR) leaders find themselves in a labyrinth of evolving roles. How might they facilitate the organization's desire to successfully wed human needs and experiences to profit expectations and strategies? Purpose. This qualitative study seeks to increase understanding of the dual role played by human resource leadership, as they are both survivors and facilitators of organizational restructuring. It answers the overarching question: What are the unique contributions made by HR leaders to the organizational restructuring process? Methodology. Through a purposive sampling process, 11 HR leaders were identified who had major roles in organizational restructuring within the past 5 years. These HR leaders brought insights from manufacturing, health care, finance, and publishing. Open-ended interview questions explored their perspectives on the challenges of restructuring, specifically in their role of HR leadership. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed for common themes. Results. The HR leaders identified five key roles during restructuring processes: strategic business partner, coach/facilitator, implementer, educator, and survivor. Attributes portrayed by HR leaders in their various roles also illuminate the ways in which HR leaders are uniquely positioned to facilitate restructuring. The results ofthis study blend well with Fullan, Senge, and Greenleaf as a new model of HR leadership roles emerges. Multiple impacts on their personal and professional lives are identified as are suggestions to improve the process of mergers and restructuring to support employees. Conclusions. As organizations struggle with restructuring, HR leaders, working from a foundation of civility, offer a potent combination of skills and attributes that enable their organizations to heal and optimally restructure. As organizations endeavor to restructure, utilization of the knowledge, skills, and attributes of HR leaders is essential.
The Relationships Between Attitude, Motivation, Anxiety, and Proficiency in English as a Second Language of First-Year University Students in Puerto Rico
Authors:   ,   Andrews University, Cortés Carmen
Published: May 2023

Purpose of the study. The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes, motivation, and anxiety levels of first-year university students toward the learning and use of English as a second language. The study also examined the nature of the relationships between attitudes, motivation and anxiety, and English proficiency asmeasured by the College Entrance Examination Board. Method. A Spanish version of The Attitudes/Motivation Test Battery (Gardner, 1985a), "Espejo de Actitudes: Aprendizaje del Inglés como Segundo Idioma en Puerto Rico," was administered to first-year college students at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. These students came from various regions of the island of Puerto Rico. The effective sample size for this study was 2,008. The survey was administered to teachers during regular classes. Responses were coded and analyzed using various descriptive and inferential statistical techniques including means, standard deviation, Pearson r , multiple regression analysis, and canonical correlation analysis. Results. Generally the following results were found: (a) students have moderate levels of motivation to learn and use English, (b) low attitudes toward English teachers and classes, (c) low parental encouragement, (d) moderate levels of integration and instrumental orientation, (e) moderate levels of anxiety towards using English, and (f) anxiety in using English was the best predictor of proficiency in English as a second language.
Academic Persistence and Attrition Among Freshman Traditional and Non-Traditional Students at a Public Midwestern Commuter University
Authors:   ,   Andrews University, Illanz Arnold
Published: May 2023

Problem. This research examined student background characteristics, student social and institutional integrations, and their relation to attrition rates of freshman students at a public Midwestern commuter university. Method. A quantitative research methodology based on empirical data collection was used utilizing a 101-question research instrument consisting of two sections: student demographic, and five factorially derived scales developed by Pascarella and Terenzini (1980) which operationalized Tinto's (1975) conceptual model of college student withdrawal. Chi-square, analysis of variance, and Pearson product-moment correlation were used to identify factors related to student academic persistence and attrition. Results. The study found that, in general, factors external to the institution such as studentbackground characteristics did not relate to freshman student academic persistence/attrition. The study also found that four of the five Pascarella and Terenzini (1980) scales did not differentiate between freshman, transfer, and stop-out students, and three of the five scales did not differentiate between persisters and non-persisters; however, interaction effects were found between type of student and level of persistence on two of the five scales, and only one scale differentiated between persister/nonpersister students by traditional/non-traditional student type. Conclusion. The study did not substantiate the validity of Tinto's (1975) model of student persistence and attrition from college for freshman/non-traditional students at a public Midwestern university. His theory and model were found to be inadequate to explain the difference between persister/non-persister students at this university. A new model and research instrument of academic persistence and attrition based on internal institutional variables are therefore needed.
A Case Analysis of Three Middle-School Boys Who Have Down Syndrome and Have Been in Regular Education Classes Since Preschool
Authors:   ,   Andrews University, Luddy Eileen
Published: May 2023

This study investigated the experiences of three middle-school boys who have Down syndrome and have always attended regular education classes. Despite the existence of policies and initiatives in support of inclusive education, research on the implementation of inclusive practices in middle schools is sparse. This study is organized in nine chapters. A review of literature revealed that significant research conducted during the past decade supports the practice of including students with disabilities in regular education and the benefits of inclusion outweigh the benefits of separate instruction. A case study approach investigated the phenomenon covering contextual conditions surrounding the experiences of the three students. The parents of the three students participated in a focus group interview. The teams that support the students were interviewed. Three to four friends of each boy were interviewed. Direct observations occurred in each school. The observations were videotaped, transcribed, and analyzed. Documents from the students educational records, including the IEP and work samples were analyzed. Each student is presented in a profile. The students teams are profiled, and their educational programs are discussed. Triangulation of the data and analysis of the transcripts culminate in a representation of each student in “a day in the life of...” story. A cross-case analysis compared the students Individualized Educational Plans and overall educational services. Patterns of themes emerged in the early stages of the study and transcended the three cases. The conclusion identifies components to successful inclusion. The effect the students’ had on others and the limitations of labeling are discussed The themes of satisfaction and relationships emerged and were paramount in the students successes. Learning was evident throughout the study. The learning that occurred, not only for the students, but for all of the members of their teams, contributed to the quality of this study.
Predominant Nursing Students' Learning Profile and Nursing Faculty Teaching Styles as Related to Final Course Grade in a Baccalaureate Nursing Program in Puerto Rico
Authors:   ,   Andrews University, Méndez Cruz Loudes
Published: May 2023

Problem. The purpose o f this study was to investigate the relationship between students’ predominant learning profile, faculty teaching preferences, and the final course grade in a 4-year nursing program at a private Christian university in Puerto Rico. Method. A non-experimental descriptive research design was used for this study. The Learning Profile Indicator was administered to all nursing students («=138) while the Teaching Style Inventory was given to all faculty («=9). Demographic sheets were also given to both students and faculty Students’ final course grades were obtained from the faculty. Descriptive (frequency, means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (Chi-square test o f association, and two-way analysis o f variance) were used to analyze the data. Results. In this study, most students (53.6%) had the Sensing-Thinking learning style. On the other hand, most faculty preferred the Sensing-Feeling (44.4%) and Intuitive- Thinking (33.3%) teaching style. Chi-Square test of association resulted in no statistically significant relationship between learning style and year in the nursing program (%^= 5.68, df= 6, p =0.46). Similarly, no significant relationship between learning style and teaching preferences was indicated (%^= 4.49, df= 4, p =0.34). Students with Intuitive-Feeling learning style (m=71.75, srf=10.40) scored significantly lower than students with Sensing-Thinking (m=83.97, sd=92%), Sensing-Feeling (im=83.73, 5ff=8.58) or Intuitive-Thinking (m=87.87, sJ=6.84) learning styles. Students taught by the one faculty member who had an Intuitive-Feeling teaching preference scored significantly higher (m=93.5, sd=3.79) than students taught by faculty with other teaching preferences. There was no interaction between learning style and teaching preferences. Conclusion. The match between faculty teaching preferences and student learning styles is quite low (about 20%). Learning styles is not related to year in nursing program or faculty teaching preferences. However, final course grade is related to learning styles and teaching preferences.
A Study of Select Decisions That Fostered the Growth and Development of Solusi University in Zimbabwe
Authors:   ,   Andrews University, Mfune Israel
Published: May 2023

Problem. Decision making is a practical day-to-day phenomenon. It manifests itself in various ways, such as choosing w/hat to do or not to do. in evaluating and fulfilling what is now and what is expected. Decision making is a cycle covering the time from when a decision is conceived to the time its outcome is visible. Because decision making appears so ordinary, it is often considered an ordinary activity. A good, well-thought-through decision can go a long way in the life of an organization. This study focuses on how Solusi went about the decision-making process, the implementation of those decisions, and the short-term and long-term outcomes of the decisions made. Method. To accomplish the purpose of the study, literature on decision making and decision-making theory was reviewed. This historical, documentary approach was combined with ethnographic methods to gather data and add life to the context of the study. Historical analysis of the documents obtained was used by validating the authenticity of the documents. Historical documents were the main source of information. Interviews and other sources of information were also utilized to provide flavor and enlighten in areas where the documents were vague. Findings. The founding of Solusi University resulted from the efforts of many individuals, including A.T. Robinson, who was the president of the South African Conference. He interviewed Cecil Rhodes, chair of the board of directors of the Chartered Company, and obtained from him permission for a possible land grant for the mission station. This was the beginning of the mission endeavor by many missionaries who went to Solusi and served as mission workers. Various factors, both natural and political, greatly impacted the development of Solusi. Making the services at Solusi available to individuals from other constituencies within the region served by the Southern Africa Division, including territories beyond the division, became a very significant factor in the internationalization of the school and impacted the politics of its development. The decisions made and the process for decision making were reviewed. They show that a combination of the decisions made and the political situation in Zimbabwe set the path Solusi followed. By placing an emphasis on the quality of higher education throughout its history. Solusi chose a course that culminated in its current university status. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has had a significant impact on the social and economic structure of the community that has been felt in the broader community. The full potential of Solusi was achieved by a consistent implementation of administrative decisions despite any negative factors that may have derailed the direction and growth of the University. The overarching needs of the school diminished all obstacles, internal and external, and kept a focus on the goals of the University.
An Examination of Perceived Stress and Coping Patterns of pastoral wives in the Nigerian Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Authors:   ,   Andrews University, Ola Olufunmilayo
Published: May 2023

Purpose of Study. Most studies examining stress and coping patterns of pastoral wives have been conducted from an advanced country background. Even though all the researchers agreed that these pastoral wives do experience a certain amount of stress, very little is known about pastoral wives in third-world countries who are faced with poverty, illiteracy, diseases and cultural restraints. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine perceived stress and coping patterns of pastoral wives of the Nigerian Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Methodology. A quantitative method of collecting data was used in this study. The two psychological instruments used in collecting the data were the Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP) and the Coping Resource Inventory-Adult (CRI-A). These two questionnaires were completed by 205 pastoral wives in group settings during their annual ministerial council meetings. Twenty-four hypotheses were developed around four independent variables of experience, education, age, and conference zones as well as around the different domains of the DSP and the CRI-A. These hypotheses were tested by one-way analysis of variance (1-way ANOVA) and results were analyzed. Finding. There are significant differences in the personality domain across all variables but no significant differences in the emotional or environmental domains of the stress profile. Wives with more than 20 years of experience have higher stress scores on attitude posture than wives with less experience. Wives with education beyond a college degree have the lowest stress score on time pressure. Wives in the early midlife group have the highest stress scores in attitude posture, driven behavior, and role definition. Wives from Eastern Conferences have higher stress scores in driven behavior than wives from Western and Northern Conferences. Significant differences were found in all scales of approach coping strategies only among wives of different conference zones, but no significant differences in all other variables. Wives from both Eastern and Western Conferences use more logical analysis, positive reappraisal, seeking guidance, and problem solving than wives from the Northern Conferences. Conclusion. Personality differences do affect the responses to stress as perceived by pastoral wives in the Nigerian Union of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Cultural differences also affect how they cope with stressful life events.
Analysis of the Involvement of NMDA Receptors in Analgesia and Hypothermia Induced by the Activation of TRPV1 Ion Channels
Authors: Ivanova Elena A. , Matyushkin Alexandr I. , Voronina Tatyana A.
Published: May 2023

NMDA glutamate receptors play an important role in normal and pathophysiological nociception. At the periphery, they can interact with TRPV1 ion channels. The blockade of TRPV1 ion channels decreases NMDA-induced hyperalgesia, and NMDA receptor antagonists suppress the pain response to the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin. Since TRPV1 ion channels and NMDA receptors can functionally interact at the periphery, it would be interesting to investigate the possibility that they interact in the CNS. A single subcutaneous injection of 1 mg/kg of capsaicin was found to raise the thermal pain threshold in the tail flick test in mice, which reproduces the spinal flexion reflex, owing to the ability of capsaicin to cause long-term desensitization of nociceptors. Preventive administration of either noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists (high-affinity MK-801 20 g/kg and 0.5 mg/kg subcutaneously; low-affinity hemantane 40 mg/kg intraperitoneally) or the selective TRPV1 antagonist BCTC (20 mg/kg intraperitoneally) inhibit the capsaicin-induced increase in the pain threshold. Capsaicin (1 mg/kg, subcutaneous injection) induces transient hypothermia in mice, which is brought about by hypothalamus-triggered vegetative reactions. This effect is prevented by BCTC but not by the noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists.
Identification and Mitigation of the Selfish Node and Its Behavior in WMN
Authors: Dr. Md. Sirajuddin  , T. Nandini  , Ch. Venkata Deepthi  , K. Hemalatha  , Ch. Karthik
Published: May 2023

In Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) communication, every node transmits data packets to further nodes and spend its resources like battery power, CPU time and memory. In ideal situation all the nodes forward packets to other nodes according to their requirements .Presence of selfish nodes is a very big issue in WSNs. A selfish node doesn't forward packets and utilize to its own profit but it is hesitating using personal resources for others. If such activities occurs within most of the nodes in the network, the network is disrupted. Selfish behavior detection and punishment is an essential requirement in wireless sensor networks. In our paper we have described an efficient algorithm for detection and punishment of a selfish node and the necessary action to be taken if the node is a critical node.
Data Sales Application of Small Enterprises Using Growth Ratio Method
Authors: Thomas William , Rino
Published: May 2023

Micro, small and medium enterprises are businesses that are generally individually and are small business entities such as selling dumplings, fried bananas, even internet cafes and so on. This study aims to create a business intelligence application that displays sales turnover data for micro, small and medium enterprises using online analytical processing with a web-based growth ratio method that aims to help micro, small and medium enterprises by making application prototypes that can display data from sales results in various easy graphs. viewed and using the growth ratio formula method where the formula calculates the profit as a percentage and can be compared with the previous data. This application program is made for the public with the hope that micro, small and medium enterprises experience significant progress in profiting from their sales turnover Human-created applications were created to facilitate human needs and work ranging from lifestyle, health, security, entertainment, and others. In addition, we often also find several applications that have similarities with each other in various functions, appearance, and so on so that it spurs developers to have to work hard to develop these applications to attract the attention of website users by offering unique advantages and features that can be a differentiator from similar applications. The need for clear and precise information today is needed in everyday life in order to avoid false information or hoaxes. In addition, precise and accurate information can also be an important element that can influence developments in various aspects such as sales business, education, entertainment and so on at this time and in the future.
Towards Improved Human Action Recognition Using Convolutional Neural Networks and Multimodal Fusion of Depth and Inertial Sensor Data
Authors: Khan Naimul , Ahmad Zeeshan
Published: May 2023

This paper attempts at improving the accuracy of Human Action Recognition (HAR) by fusion of depth and inertial sensor data. Firstly, we transform the depth data into Sequential Front view Images(SFI) and fine-tune the pre-trained AlexNet on these images. Then, inertial data is converted into Signal Images (SI) and another convolutional neural network (CNN) is trained on these images. Finally, learned features are extracted from both CNN, fused together to make a shared feature layer, and these features are fed to the classifier. We experiment with two classifiers, namely Support Vector Machines (SVM) and softmax classifier and compare their performances. The recognition accuracies of each modality, depth data alone and sensor data alone are also calculated and compared with fusion based accuracies to highlight the fact that fusion of modalities yields better results than individual modalities. Experimental results on UTD-MHAD and Kinect 2D datasets show that proposed method achieves state of the art results when compared to other recently proposed visual-inertial action recognition methods.
Physiological Signal Analysis and Classiﬁcation of Stress from Virtual Reality Video Game
Authors: Khan Naimul , Ishaque Syem , Rueda Alice , Nguyen Binh , Krishnan Sridhar
Published: May 2023

Stress can affect a person's performance and health positively and negatively. A lot of the relaxation methods have been suggested to reduce the amount of stress. This study used virtual reality (VR) video games to alleviate stress. Physiological signals captured from Electrocardiogram (ECG), galvanic skin response (GSR), and respiration (RESP) were used to determine if the subject was stressed or relaxed. Time and frequency domain features were then extracted to evaluate stress levels. Frequency domain methods such as low-frequency (LF), high-frequency (HF), LF-HF ratio (LF/HF) are considered the most effective for HRV analysis, Poincare plots are moré discerning visually and shares a 81% correlation with LF/HF ratio. GSR is associated with EDA activity, which only increases due to stress. Stress and relax were classified using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Decision Tree, Support Vector machine (SVM), Gradient Boost (GB), and Naive Bayes. GB performed the best with an accuracy of 85% after 5 fold cross validation with 100 iterations, which is admirable from a small dataset with 50 samples.
A Novel Augmented Reality Framework for Museum Exhibits
Authors: Li-Chee-Ming Julien , Wu Zheng , Tan Randy , Tan Ryan , Khan Naimul , Ye Andy , Guan Ling
Published: May 2023

This paper presents a novel augmented reality (AR) framework that runs on Android mobile devices (smartphones and tablets).  The AR framework uses the mobile device’s camera and inertial measurement unit (IMU), and does not rely on external infrastructure (e.g., WiFi or Bluetooth beacons, targets, etc.).  The proposed AR solution combines a vision-based object recognition algorithm called bag of words (DBoW2 [1]) with a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) solution called ORB-SLAM [2]. The potential of the AR solution is demonstrated in a museum application.  With the objective of enriching the learning experience, typical museum artifacts have been enhanced with interactive and engaging 3D AR animations. 
ECG Heartbeat Classification Using Multimodal Fusion
Authors: Ahmad Zeeshan , Tabassum Anika , Guan Ling , Khan Naimul
Published: May 2023

Electrocardiogram (ECG) is an authoritative source to diagnose and counter critical cardiovascular syndromes such as arrhythmia and myocardial infarction (MI). Current machine learning techniques either depend on manually extracted features or large and complex deep learning networks which merely utilize the 1D ECG signal directly. Since intelligent multimodal fusion can perform at the stateof-the-art level with an efficient deep network, therefore, in this paper, we propose two computationally efficient multimodal fusion frameworks for ECG heart beat classification called Multimodal Image Fusion (MIF) and Multimodal Feature Fusion (MFF). At the input of these frameworks, we convert the raw ECG data into three different images using Gramian Angular Field (GAF), Recurrence Plot (RP) and Markov Transition Field (MTF). In MIF, we first perform image fusion by combining three imaging modalities to create a single image modality which serves as input to the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). In MFF, we extracted features from penultimate layer of CNNs and fused them to get unique and interdependent information necessary for better performance of classifier. These informational features are finally used to train a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier for ECG heart-beat classification. We demonstrate the superiority of the proposed fusion models by performing experiments on PhysioNets MIT-BIH dataset for five distinct conditions of arrhythmias which are consistent with the AAMI EC57 protocols and on PTB diagnostics dataset for Myocardial Infarction (MI) classification. We achieved classification accuracy of 99.7% and 99.2% on arrhythmia and MI classification, respectively.
Towards Alzheimer's Disease Classification through Transfer Learning
Authors: Hon Marcia , Khan Naimul
Published: May 2023

Detection of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) from neuroimaging data such as MRI through machine learning have been a subject of intense research in recent years. Recent success of deep learning in computer vision have progressed such research further. However, common limitations with such algorithms are reliance on a large number of training images, and requirement of careful optimization of the architecture of deep networks. In this paper, we attempt solving these issues with transfer learning, where state-of-the-art architectures such as VGG and Inception are initialized with pre-trained weights from large benchmark datasets consisting of natural images, and the fully-connected layer is re-trained with only a small number of MRI images. We employ image entropy to select the most informative slices for training. Through experimentation on the OASIS MRI dataset, we show that with training size almost 10 times smaller than the state-of-the-art, we reach comparable or even better performance than current deep-learning based methods.
Towards a shared large-area mixed reality system
Authors: Khan Naimul , Nan Xiaoming , Dong Nan , He Yifeng , Kyan Matthew , James Jennifer , Guan Ling , Davis Charles
Published: May 2023

In this paper we present a large-area interactive mixed reality system where multiple users can experience an event simultaneously. Through the combination of a number of innovative methods, the system can tackle common problems that are inherent in most existing mixed reality solutions, such as robustness against lighting conditions, static occlusion, illumination correction, registration and tracking etc. Most importantly, with our proposed experience server, a shared event among multiple users is seamless. The experience server tracks every user's position and experience state and presents a unique viewpoint of the event to multiple users simultaneously. The effectiveness of the system is demonstrated through an example application at a heritage site, where we perform user testing through multiple focus groups.
Trends in Heart-Rate Variability Signal Analysis
Authors: Ishaque Syem , Khan Naimul , Krishnan Sridhar
Published: May 2023

Heart rate variability (HRV) is the rate of variability between each heartbeat with respect to time. It is used to analyse the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), a control system used to modulate the body's unconscious action such as cardiac function, respiration, digestion, blood pressure, urination, and dilation/constriction of the pupil. This review article presents a summary and analysis of various research works that analyzed HRV associated with morbidity, pain, drowsiness, stress and exercise through signal processing and machine learning methods. The points of emphasis with regards to HRV research as well as the gaps associated with processes which can be improved to enhance the quality of the research have been discussed meticulously. Restricting the physiological signals to Electrocardiogram (ECG), Electrodermal activity (EDA), photoplethysmography (PPG), and respiration (RESP) analysis resulted in 25 articles which examined the cause and effect of increased/reduced HRV. Reduced HRV was generally associated with increased morbidity and stress. High HRV normally indicated good health, and in some instances, it could signify clinical events of interest such as drowsiness. Effective analysis of HRV during ambulatory and motion situations such as exercise, video gaming, and driving could have a significant impact toward improving social well-being. Detection of HRV in motion is far from perfect, situations involving exercise or driving reported accuracy as high as 85% and as low as 59%. HRV detection in motion can be improved further by harnessing the advancements in machine learning techniques.
Edge-preserving Domain Adaptation for semantic segmentation of Medical Images
Authors: Khan Naimul , Vo Thong
Published: May 2023

Domain Adaptation is a technique to address the lack of massive amounts of labeled data in unseen environments. Unsupervised domain adaptation is proposed to adapt a model to new modalities using solely labeled source data and unlabeled target domain data. Though many image-spaces domain adaptation methods have been proposed to capture pixel-level domain-shift, such techniques may fail to maintain high-level semantic information for the segmentation task. For the case of biomedical images, fine details such as blood vessels can be lost during the image transformation operations between domains. In this work, we propose a model that adapts between domains using cycle-consistent loss while maintaining edge details of the original images by enforcing an edge-based loss during the adaptation process. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm by comparing it to other approaches on two eye fundus vessels segmentation datasets. We achieve 1.1 to 9.2 increment in DICE score compared to the SOTA and ~5.2 increments compared to a vanilla CycleGAN implementation.
Multidomain Multimodal Fusion For Human Action Recognition Using Inertial Sensors
Authors: Ahmad Zeeshan , Khan Naimul
Published: May 2023

One of the major reasons for misclassification of multiplex actions during action recognition is the unavailability of complementary features that provide the semantic information about the actions. In different domains these features are present with different scales and intensities. In existing literature, features are extracted independently in different domains, but the benefits from fusing these multidomain features are not realized. To address this challenge and to extract complete set of complementary information, in this paper, we propose a novel multidomain multimodal fusion framework that extracts complementary and distinct features from different domains of the input modality. We transform input inertial data into signal images, and then make the input modality multidomain and multimodal by transforming spatial domain information into frequency and time-spectrum domain using Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) and Gabor wavelet transform (GWT) respectively. Features in different domains are extracted by Convolutional Neural networks (CNNs) and then fused by Canonical Correlation based Fusion (CCF) for improving the accuracy of human action recognition. Experimental results on three inertial datasets show the superiority of the proposed method when compared to the state-of-the-art.
Classiﬁcation of Lung Pathologies in Neonates using Dual Tree Complex Wavelet Transform
Authors: Aujla Sagarjit , Mohamed Adel , Tan Ryan , Tan Randy , Gao Lei , Khan Naimul , Umapathy Karthi
Published: May 2023

Annually 8500 neonatal deaths are reported in the US due to respiratory failure. Recently, Lung Ultrasound (LUS), due to its radiation free nature, portability, and being cheaper is gaining wide acceptability as a diagnostic tool for lung conditions. However, lack of highly trained medical professionals has limited its use especially in remote areas. To address this, an automated screening system that captures characteristics of the LUS patterns can be of significant assistance to clinicians who are not experts in lung ultrasound (LUS) images. In this paper, we propose a feature extraction method designed to quantify the spatially-localized line patterns and texture patterns found in LUS images. Using the dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) and four types of common image features we propose a method to classify the LUS images into 6 common neonatal lung conditions. These conditions are normal lung, pneumothorax (PTX), transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), chronic lung disease (CLD) and consolidation (CON) that could be pneumonia or atelectasis. The proposed method using DTCWT decomposition extracted global statistical, grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), grey-level run length matrix (GLRLM) and linear binary pattern (LBP) features to be fed to a linear discriminative analysis (LDA) based classifier. Using 15 best DTCWT features along with 3 clinical features the proposed approach achieved a per-image classification accuracy of 92.78% with a balanced dataset containing 720 images from 24 patients and 74.39% with the larger unbalanced dataset containing 1550 images from 42 patients. Likewise, the proposed method achieved a maximum per-subject classification accuracy of 81.53% with 43 DTCWT features and 3 clinical features using the balanced dataset and 64.97% with 13 DTCWT features and 3 clinical features using the unbalanced dataset.
Introduction to Special Issue: Assimilation, Interrupted: Transforming Discourses of Culture- and Honour-Based Violence in Canada
Authors: Mucina Mandeep Kaur , Jamal Amina
Published: May 2023

This special issue about race, honour, culture, and violence against women in South Asian Canadian communities is proffered as an entry point to a wider, multilayered discussion about race, culture, gender, and violence. It hopes to intensify a debate on gendered violence that could tie in with analysis and commentary on individual killings in family-related sites, murders of racialized women and girls in public sites, and other forms of violence against women and girls in society. We encourage readers to consider how to understand the landscape that South Asian Canadian women and girls are confronting, while also asking critical questions about the wider settler colonial system in which we all participate as we fight gender-based violence.

 
LayART: Generating indoor layout using ARCore Transformations
Authors: Goyal Shreya , Khan Naimul , Chattopadhyay Chiranjoy , Bhatnagar Gaurav
Published: May 2023

Reconstructing an indoor scene and generating a layout/floor plan in 3D or 2D is a widely known problem. Quite a few algorithms have been proposed in the literature recently. However, most of the existing methods either use RGB-D images, thus requiring a depth camera, or depend on panoramic photos with the assumption that there is little to no occlusion in the rooms. In this work, we proposed generation of layout using an RGB image captured using a simple mobile phone camera. We take advantage of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) to assess the 3D transformations required for layout generation. SLAM technology is built-in in recent mobile libraries such as ARCore by Google. Hence, the proposed method is fast and efficient, while giving the user freedom to generate layout by simply taking a few conventional photos, rather than relying on specialized depth hardware or occlusion-free panoramic photos.
How Ottawa should spend its $50 million to support local news
Authors: Lindgren April
Published: May 2023

There’s $50 million in federal government money on the table in Canada to support local journalism in the country’s under-served communities over the next five years.

  

Republished in Macleans.ca, National Post, National Newswatch, J-Source.ca. 
Building a Queer- and Trans-Inclusive Microbiology Conference
Authors: Gregor Rachel , Johnston Julie , Coe Lisa , Evans Natalya , Forsythe Desiree , Jones Robert , Muratore Daniel , Francesco Rodrigues de Oliveira Bruno , Szabo Rachel , Wan Yu , Williams Jelani , Chappell Callie , Matsuda Shayle , Ortiz Alvarez de la Campa Melanie , Fagre Anna , Frese Steven , Hamilton Maria , Labbate Maurizio , Mollner McK , Moroenyane Itumeleng , Pacciani-Mori Leonardo , Piedade Gonçalo , Pontrelli Sammy , Rahman Rahmeen , Vyas Heema , Yang Mica , Weiss Anna , Zablocki Olivier , Weissman JL
Published: May 2023

Microbiology conferences can be powerful places to build collaborations and exchange scientific thought, but for queer and transgender (trans) scientists they can also become sources of alienation and isolation. Many conference organizers would like to create welcoming and inclusive events but feel ill-equipped to make this vision a reality, and a historical lack of representation of queer and trans folks in microbiology means we rarely occupy these key leadership roles ourselves. Looking more broadly, queer and trans scientists are systematically marginalized across scientific fields, leading to disparities in career outcomes, professional networks, and opportunities, as well as loss of unique scientific perspectives at all levels. For queer and trans folks with multiple, intersecting, marginalized identities, these barriers often become even more severe. Here, we provide concrete, practical advice to help conference organizers in the microbial sciences design inclusive, safe, and welcoming conferences, where queer and trans microbiologists can flourish.
Hypotheses on the structure and physical chemistry of biomolecules such as nucleic acids, amino acids, and sugars: the ongoing process of chemical evolution and unknown functions in the history of life on Earth
Authors: Nishida Yuichi
Published: May 2023

The functions, structures, and physicochemical properties of biomolecules, such as nucleic acids, amino acids, and sugars, that function in the bodies of living organisms have been elucidated mainly through research in the fields of medicine and nutrition. However, there are many unanswered questions about how these biomolecules interact with the external world in the process of functioning as biomolecules in living organisms and what kind of survival advantage they bring to organisms. Therefore, in this study, we propose several hypotheses to explain the process of life evolution and the acquisition of advantages in the evolution of life with respect to the characteristics of biomolecules. In Chapter 1, codons, the correspondence between nucleic acid sequences and amino acids, are explained based on their physicochemical properties. In Chapter 2, the physical motion of nucleic acid molecules in a primitive terrestrial environment is discussed and several hypotheses are proposed. In Chapters 3 and 4, we propose several hypotheses regarding the stochastic cleavage of RNA molecules and evolution of life. In Chapter 5, we propose several hypotheses regarding the role of sugars in living organisms. In Chapter 6, we discuss theoretically the physicochemical properties and evolutionary roles of biomolecules, such as cAMP and vitamins. In Chapter 7, we propose new hypotheses regarding the DNA repair and transcriptional regulatory mechanisms.
Development of Digital Innovations in the Credit Services Market of Ukraine
Authors:   National University «Chernihiv Polytechnic», Рopelo Olha V. , Tarasenko Artem V. ,   National University «Chernihiv Polytechnic»
Published: May 2023

Digital technologies nowadays play a key role in the development of the entire financial system of the country. The consequences of such influence are especially noticeable in the sphere of functioning of banking and non-banking institutions. These financial intermediaries are precisely the ones who today actively attract, create and use information and communication innovations in their own activities, allowing them to improve the quality of services provided to their clients and ensure the growth of the efficiency of their own activities. The article analyzes the role of modern innovations, primarily in the sphere of digitalization of financial relations, in the development of the market of credit services of Ukraine. The main attention is focused on deepening the theoretical provisions of the functioning of such a market in the new conditions – with the active development of information and communication technologies. Thus, the question of the role of information innovations in the processes of transformation of the credit services market is considered. Also, significant attention is paid to the issues of separation and specification of the role of individual credit innovations in the development of relations between credit institutions and their customers. In the article, such innovations primarily include p2p lending, remote servicing and functioning of neobanks; the essence of these new directions of development of the credit services market is considered and the peculiarities of their use by credit entities are described. It is determined that digital technologies already play a key role in the development of relations between lenders and borrowers in Ukraine. The results of the carried out analysis confirm the assumption that such technologies will be actively used by banking and non-banking institutions in the future. At this, it can definitely be argued that the level of application of information and communication technologies by these institutions will only grow in the future, taking into account new promising directions of their application in the sphere of financial services.
Elaborating the Strategies for Development of System Important Banks of Ukraine under the Influence of External Environment Factors
Authors:   Polissia National University, Sus Lesia V. , Sus Yurii Yu. ,   Polissia National University, Dovzhenko Valentyna A. ,   Polissia National University
Published: May 2023

The aim of the study is a theoretical and methodological generalization of the process of strategic management and determination, through strategic planning, of ways of development of system important banks of Ukraine under conditions of uncertainty of their functioning environment. As a result of the study of foreign and domestic experience, the theoretical and methodological concept of strategic planning of the banking system is formulated. The authors analyze the goals, missions and visions of the strategies of system important banks, assess the state of development of system important banks in Ukraine in the current conditions and identify the key areas of strategic planning. It is found that system important banks of Ukraine occupy a predominant share in the structure of both certain types of banking income and financial performance. In addition, it is determined that strategic planning should be based on the reliability and completeness of economic indicators and non-financial indicators. In particular, the indicators of the bank’s share in the activity among banking structures are important for characterizing its competitive position and the level of efficiency of its strategy among competitors. It is researched that system important banks are predominant in the banking services market, and their network of branches is widely distributed. The strategic development of these banks should be aimed at the possibility of retaining this share of the banking services market. The authors improve the theoretical and methodological approach to the strategic planning process in a bank on the principles of introducing an inclusive component of further development, which will provide for a sustainable accelerated growth of the country’s economic power on the basis of financial inclusion, a radical increase in the welfare of individual members of society and society as a whole. It is specified that such approaches to organizing the formation of strategies of system important banks will also ensure sociopolitical stability and form an appropriate level of national security.