Astronautics and aeronautics, 1967 - Chronology on science, technology, and policy

Chronology of astronautics and aeronautics in 196

Image recognition approach for expediting chinese cafeteria checkout process

[[abstract]]One of the common running themes in modern-day Chinese cafeterias is the hold up in foot traffic in queueing due to checkout. We find out that this bottleneck is caused by the staff requiring extra time to look up the prices of those miscellaneous entrees and calculating the total due amount during checkout. In this paper, this issue is addressed by introducing real-time image recognition techniques into this process. By using a webcam taking live video feed at the checkout desk with the image recognition model outputs the total due amount simultaneously, we are able to eliminate the need to perform manual price calculations. Additionally, the nutrition facts of the meal can also be calculated and displayed to the customers based on the detected entrees. The image recognition model is based on YOLOv3 with 575 entree-catered plate images involved in model training, validation, and testing. The transfer learning technique is also incorporated to speed up the training process. Experimental results show that the recognition accuracy of individual entree is around 70% and that of the entire plate is roughly 63%. With the advanced training with a larger dataset, we believe that the accuracy can be increased, and applying the approach during the checkout will become more practicable.[[notice]]補正完

The comprehension of emotions in narrative texts : The role of embodied knowledge

"This work explores how current embodied theories of cognition can account for the comprehension of narrative texts. Theoretically, this thesis develops a framework for the study of narrative text comprehension by linking current advances in embodied theories of cognition, discourse processing, and neurosciences. Experimentally, two experiments are reported in which participants were required to read passages of text implying emotional states. The coherence of critical sentences in relation to the preceding text was manipulated in terms of both the emotional adjectives used and the sensory-motor component. In the first experiment, three tasks were used to index the effect of the manipulations on the critical sentences. The first was an on-line naming task in which response times to name emotional labels which matched the implied emotional state of the texts were recorded. [...] The second experiment used backward masking in the naming task with the aim of providing a more sensitive index of the effect of the text manipulations on on-line processing."Master of Applied Science by researc

The end of stigma? Understanding the dynamics of legitimisation in the context of TV series consumption

This research contributes to prior work on stigmatisation by looking at stigmatisation and legitimisation as social processes in the context of TV series consumption. Using in-depth interviews, we show that the dynamics of legitimisation are complex and accompanied by the reproduction of existing stigmas and creation of new stigmas

30th European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2023)

This is the abstract book of 30th European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2023

Malaysian bilateral trade relations and economic growth

This paper examines the structure and trends of Malaysian bilateral exports and imports and then investigates whether these bilateral exports and imports have caused Malaysian economic growth. Although the structure of Malaysia’s trade has changed quite significantly over the last three decades, the direction of Malaysia’s trade remains generally the same. Broadly, ASEAN, the EU, East Asia, the US and Japan continue to be the Malaysia’s major trading partners. The Granger causality tests have shown that it is the bilateral imports that have caused economic growth in Malaysia rather than the bilateral exports

Exchange rate misalignments in ASEAN-5 countries

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the exchange rate misalignments for Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand before the currency crisis. By employing the sticky-price monetary exchange rate model in the environment of vector error-correction, the results indicate that the Indonesia rupiah, Malaysian ringgit, Philippines peso and Singapore dollar were overvalued before the currency crisis while Thai baht was undervalued on the eve of the crisis. However, they suffered modest misalignment. Therefore, little evidence of exchange misalignment is found to exist in 1997:2. In particular, Indonesia rupiah, Malaysia ringgit, Philippines peso and Singapore dollar were only overvalued about 1 to 4 percent against US dollar while the Thai baht was only 2 percent undervalued against US dollar

Bowdoin Orient v.117, no.1-24 (1987-1988)

https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/bowdoinorient-1980s/1008/thumbnail.jp

Crafting consumption through community: an exploration of the Etsy experience

In a global market dominated by the mass production and consumption of branded goods, an interest in craft products has become a growing trend among consumers Walker, 2007). Consumer demand for craft products includes a wide array of items, from those that are perishable, such as micro brews, to those that are nonperishable, such as jewelry (Clay, 2013). There are many reasons why consumers are embracing craft products, as they are often unique, one-of-a-kind, of higher quality, and provide a connection to the creator. Ultimately, craft goods provide a unique consumption experience within a marketplace dominated by carbon-copied products and consumption experiences (Walker, 2007). While some retailers are trying to integrate the craft trend into their merchandise assortments, others have sought to build a business around craft products. Etsy is one such company that, through the craft community, has built a successful online business. Etsy, in turn, has helped promote the popularity of craft products. The convergence of craft products with community has turned Etsy into an innovative kind of online market. Since its introduction, Etsy has experienced tremendous growth. For instance, from 2005 to 2012 Etsy expanded into close to 200 international markets, attracted over 800,000 sellers, and sold roughly $80 million in products (Mitroff, 2013). Etsy owes its quick success to the avid community of craft Sellers and Buyers. Yet despite the uniqueness of Etsy’s growth and unique approach to retailing craft goods, no academic research exists on the topic. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to understand how Etsy functions as both a community and an online, craft-oriented market. Three objectives guided this dissertation: (1) to explore what it means to be a member of the Etsy community, (2) to investigate the extent to which this community shapes Etsy’s practices and functions as a market, and (3) to examine the implications of Etsy as a community-driven market for online retailing. The purpose and objectives were framed by a sociological perspective and understood within the context of consumer behavior research. Three overarching concepts —culture, community, and market— were used to weave together a conceptual framework for the study. Ethnography and netnography serve as the interpretive approaches to explore Etsy’s community and market. Three methods of data collection were employed, including participant observation, in-depth interviews, and visual documentation. Participant observation and pure observation occurred over a three-month time period resulting in a total of 312 hours of observation. Nine Buyers, eight Sellers and three Etsy Administrators were interviewed. Last, visual documentation was used to capture online and offline observations. Spiggle’s (1994) suggestions of qualitative data analysis were employed to identify patterns in the data, which resulted in the development of three thematic areas: (1) Uncovering Etsy’s Culture, (2) Etsy as a Community, and (3) Etsy as a Market. The thematic interpretation revealed that Etsy’s platform relies on an interdependent community/market relationship, as such, the community influences the market and the market influences the community. In turn, it was found that members’ roles, (e.g., Buyers, Sellers, and Etsy Administrators), were integral to fostering this relationship and ultimately shaping Etsy’s platform. Findings of this dissertation reveal the ways that Etsy has taken a unique approach to online retailing, as it diverges from the traditional online retailing model by seamlessly integrating community into its market. In so doing, this dissertation reveals how Etsy brings a new format to online retailing, the community-based electronic market. This particular retail format is unique in that it is dependent on market consumption communities to not only purchase goods and services, but to provide the merchandise to be sold within the market. Another distinct characteristic of Etsy is the market prosumer, a member that buys, sells, and works for Etsy. This market player is unique to the community-based electronic market, and like the concept of the community-based electronic market, it is new to the literature. Although future research on the topic is needed, findings from this dissertation point to the beginning of a new era in online retailing, as well as new avenues for consumer behavior research