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1 – 10 of over 64000We first investigate the properties associated with the cardinality of a fuzzy subset. We then use the concept of cardinality to provide a means for representing quantified…
Abstract
We first investigate the properties associated with the cardinality of a fuzzy subset. We then use the concept of cardinality to provide a means for representing quantified statements. We then investigate the use of linguistic quantified statements for inference.
John Sneed and Donald Ace Morgan
From a roundup of recent literature on the effectiveness of the current accounting curriculum in the USA, identifies a consensus that additional education is needed to better…
Abstract
From a roundup of recent literature on the effectiveness of the current accounting curriculum in the USA, identifies a consensus that additional education is needed to better prepare students for their careers in the accounting profession and seeks to determine which areas need to be addressed if substantial improvement is to be achieved within the curriculum; analyses data collected from the results of students’ tests undertaken over three consecutive semesters at a US Midwest university to assess students’ quantitative, verbal and problem‐solving skills, and finds that performance in the latter two areas was consistently less impressive than in the former. As each of these areas is seen as important to accounting careers, suggests that more attention should be paid to communication and problem‐solving skills as part of the curriculum, although not at the expense of technical skills; tabulates and briefly discusses a number of other findings from the research, for example with regard to gender differences across the skill areas.
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Dietmar Bauer, Norbert Brändle, Stefan Seer, Markus Ray and Kay Kitazawa
Johnny Kwok Wai Wong, Fateme Bameri, Alireza Ahmadian Fard Fini and Mojtaba Maghrebi
Accurate and rapid tracking and counting of building materials are crucial in managing on-site construction processes and evaluating their progress. Such processes are typically…
Abstract
Purpose
Accurate and rapid tracking and counting of building materials are crucial in managing on-site construction processes and evaluating their progress. Such processes are typically conducted by visual inspection, making them time-consuming and error prone. This paper aims to propose a video-based deep-learning approach to the automated detection and counting of building materials.
Design/methodology/approach
A framework for accurately counting building materials at indoor construction sites with low light levels was developed using state-of-the-art deep learning methods. An existing object-detection model, the You Only Look Once version 4 (YOLO v4) algorithm, was adapted to achieve rapid convergence and accurate detection of materials and site operatives. Then, DenseNet was deployed to recognise these objects. Finally, a material-counting module based on morphology operations and the Hough transform was applied to automatically count stacks of building materials.
Findings
The proposed approach was tested by counting site operatives and stacks of elevated floor tiles in video footage from a real indoor construction site. The proposed YOLO v4 object-detection system provided higher average accuracy within a shorter time than the traditional YOLO v4 approach.
Originality/value
The proposed framework makes it feasible to separately monitor stockpiled, installed and waste materials in low-light construction environments. The improved YOLO v4 detection method is superior to the current YOLO v4 approach and advances the existing object detection algorithm. This framework can potentially reduce the time required to track construction progress and count materials, thereby increasing the efficiency of work-in-progress evaluation. It also exhibits great potential for developing a more reliable system for monitoring construction materials and activities.
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Amal Mohamed El-Moursy, Zeinab Mohmed Abdel Mageid, Manar Yahia Ismail Abd El-Aziz, Nour Asser and Osama Hakeim
Wearing clothes requires specifications for feeling comfortable, derived from the fibres, fabrics and finishing properties. This study aims to deal with the effect of economic…
Abstract
Purpose
Wearing clothes requires specifications for feeling comfortable, derived from the fibres, fabrics and finishing properties. This study aims to deal with the effect of economic blends containing hollow fibres, bamboo and cotton/polyester waste on the mechanical properties of the produced fabrics and the appropriate end use.
Design/methodology/approach
This research included two blends: one consisted of cotton/polyester wastes blended with bamboo and the other to which Chorisia fibres were added. Two weft counts 10,6/1 Ne were made from each blend, which were used to produce four fabric samples (S1 Chorisia-free and S2 with Chorisia); additionally, another two samples were dyed that contain Chorisia (S3) from each count. The six samples were tested by Kawabata Evaluation System (KES).
Findings
The samples gave a good total hand value (THV) for use as men's winter suits, where the thicker count 6/1, with and without Chorisia had better properties, also both counts 6, 10/1 with dye. The hollow fibres affected the fabrics’ properties, including thickness, shear, bending, thermal conductivity and weight. Both blends had a positive effect on THV.
Research limitations/implications
Cotton/polyester waste, Chorisia and bamboo fibres were tested, and 2% Remazol Yellow GNL dye was used.
Practical implications
The ratio of blending, weft counts and dye affected the fabric’s properties, with consequences for the use of the Kawabata system and its applications.
Social implications
The fabrics used in this research may be considered to be economical and have good THV.
Originality/value
The study proved the usefulness of fabrics made of two blends. The Chorisia component may be seen as a good alternative to cotton fibres to reduce the cost of producing high-consumption winter suit fabrics.
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Marilyn Ee and Yan Zhang
The purpose of this exploratory study is to expand on a previously developed crime harm index – the California Crime Harm Index (CA-CHI) – by discussing the development of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this exploratory study is to expand on a previously developed crime harm index – the California Crime Harm Index (CA-CHI) – by discussing the development of the CA-CHI and presenting a comparison of the distribution of crime count and harm in a large Western city in the United States.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used descriptive analyses, spatial univariate mapping and bivariate choropleth maps to analyze the distribution of Part I crime counts and harm.
Findings
Results of the analysis show that while there was some variation in the distribution of crime count and harm city wide, spatial mapping and statistics reveal that the geographical distribution of crime count and harm across census tracts are largely consistent.
Research limitations/implications
Minor discrepancies between the distribution of crime count and harm indicate the potential for the CA-CHI to inform law enforcement practices. However, the distributions remain largely similar at the census tract level. There is room for further development of the CA-CHI to better distinguish between the distribution of crime harm and volume.
Originality/value
No other study has used spatial mapping techniques like bivariate choropleth mapping to examine the distribution of crime volume and crime harm based on the CA-CHI in any location in California.
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Hamid Emadi-Koochak, Zeinab Siami, Jayran zebardast, SeyedAhmad SeyedAlinaghi and Ali Asadollahi-Amin
During the ART era, persistent immune activation remains a significant challenge in people living with HIV (PLWH). Microbial translocation play an essential role in this setting…
Abstract
Purpose
During the ART era, persistent immune activation remains a significant challenge in people living with HIV (PLWH). Microbial translocation play an essential role in this setting. Probiotics have several immunological benefits which can reverse this process. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the safety and efficacy of probiotics on CD4 counts among Iranian PLWH.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 50 PLWH with CD4 counts above 350 cells/mm3 did not receive ART participated in a randomized, double-blind trial and underwent 24 weeks of treatment with either LactoCare® or placebo twice daily. CD4 counts of the patients were measured at baseline, 12 weeks and 24 later in the two groups. Side effects were measured monthly using a specific checklist.
Findings
The mean CD4 count of the patients showed a significant difference between the two groups after six months. Through six months follow up, the mean CD4 count of the patients showed a significant reduction as compared to the baseline in the placebo group; however, it did not show a significant difference in the probiotic group. Repeated Measures Anova test showed a significant effect for time × treatment interaction on the CD4 count during the trial course. No significant difference between the two groups concerning adverse events was reported.
Originality/value
It seems the use of probiotics in PLWH with a CD4 count above 350 cells/mm3 who are not receiving antiretroviral drugs is safe and can reduce the devastating process of CD4+ T cells in these patients.
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Serge Evraert and Ahmed Riahi‐Belkaoui
Provides a useful summary of research on value added (VA) reporting and shows how income statements can be rearranged to show gross or not (of depreciation) VA. Starts with…
Abstract
Provides a useful summary of research on value added (VA) reporting and shows how income statements can be rearranged to show gross or not (of depreciation) VA. Starts with descriptive research on its use in various countries, enumerates its advantages and limitations and goes on to review empirical research on VA firm performance, the informational content of VA (as against conventional) data in market valuation and its predictive ability. Suggests that VA disclosure should be mandatory in the USA and calls for further research on its usefulness.
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Catherine A. Lugg and Alan R. Shoho
This paper aims to discuss how public school administrators with a social justice perspective have an obligation to permeate society beyond their schools and how they might…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss how public school administrators with a social justice perspective have an obligation to permeate society beyond their schools and how they might address the perilous politics associated with advocating social change. Using George Counts' landmark 1932 speech, Dare the School Build a New Social Order? as the conceptual lenses, it examines the relevancy of Counts' words for contemporary school leaders and professors of educational administration.
Design/methodology/approach
While this article is historical in tone, the paper proposes pursuing a critical hermeneutic rather than a strictly historical approach.
Findings
The paper finds that there are similarities between the present‐day call for social justice and the earlier Social Reconstructionist movement that Counts' manifesto sparked. Both movements have invited educators, and particularly the professoriate, to think more expansively when it comes to US public education, society at large, and the influence of educators in shaping a more democratic and just country. But Counts goes much further than most adherents of the current‐day social justice movement. He stressed that educators must see themselves as political actors, who can shape their political environments through their teaching, as well as by participating in other venues.
Practical implications
For contemporary educational leaders, they may be working in far less hospitable settings than their twentieth‐century predecessors. Administrators are under fierce accountability and fiscal pressures, while coping with a larger political environment that is polarized and fearful. And the internal environment of school administration favors a “managerial” approach. Consequently, embracing a social justice ethic invites a degree of risk‐taking.
Originality/value
This paper examines the relevancy of Counts' words for contemporary school leaders and professors of educational administration and highlights implications for school leaders.
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