Optimizing Road Transportation Big Data: A Novel Approach for Feature Selection through Optimization Techniques

Road traffic accidents are very essential for common people, consequential an estimated 1.2 million deaths and 50 million injuries all over the world every year. In this emerging world, the road accidents are among the principal reason of fatality and injury. The concern of traffic safety has heaved immense alarms across the manageable enhancement of contemporary traffic and transportation. The analysis on road traffic accident grounds can detect the major aspects quickly, professionally and afford instructional techniques to the prevention of traffic accidents and reduction of road traffic accident, which might significantly decrease personal victim by means of road traffic accidents. Data Mining techniques are used in the process of knowledge discovery for many domains’ problems. Feature Selection plays a vital role for a large number of datasets. In this research work, the model involves two main phases (i) Feature Selection and (ii) Classification. Since the length of feature vector tends to high, optimal feature selection technology is included, from which the most relevant features are selected by the Lion-based Firefly Algorithm which is referred as Optimization based Feature Selection Method (OFSM). The main objective of this paper is projected on minimizing the correlation between the selected features, which results in providing diverse information regarding the different classes of data. Once, the optimal features are selected, the classification algorithm called Neural Network (NN) is adopted, which can classify the data in an effective manner with the selected features

Rethinking connectivity as interactivity: a case study of Pakistan

Connectivity in developing countries has traditionally been viewed in terms of investment in transport and communications. This papers makes an effort to go beyond this traditional view and conceptualizes connectivity as networks between people and places. We split the overall national reforms agenda for connectivity into three prongs: a) transportation and related services, b) ICT, and c) social capital. We try to see the state of each of these three in case of Pakistan and then propose reforms keeping in view the current political economy milieu.Connectivity; Economic Growth; Transport; Communications; Social Capital

Brain Imaging Correlates of Developmental Coordination Disorder and Associated Impairments

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a common developmental disorder characterised by an inability to learn age appropriate complex motor skills. The first aim of this thesis was to characterise additional cognitive impairments and their relationship with motor difficulties in school aged children with DCD. The second aim was to investigate grey and white matter neuroimaging correlates of motor and cognitive deficits identified. Thirty six children aged 8-10 years who met DSM-5 criteria for DCD and an age-matched typically developing group (N=17) underwent standardised assessments of motor, intellectual, attention, speech and language skills as well as structural and diffusion-weighted MRI scans. Grey matter correlates of impairments were identified using subcortical volumetrics and surface-based analyses of cortical morphology. White matter correlates were examined using tractography and fixel-based fibre morphology of the pyramidal tracts, corpus callosum and cerebellar peduncles. Alongside impaired motor skills, children with DCD performed poorer than controls on several domains of executive function (attention and processing speed) and speech motor control. Motor skills did not correlate with impairments in other domains. Cortical thickness was significantly reduced in the left central sulcus in children with DCD compared to controls. Poor motor skills correlated with measures in left sensorimotor circuitry, posterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula. Poor speech motor control was associated with measures in the thalamus and corticobulbar tract. Poor sustained attention was linked to measures in the right superior cerebellar peduncle. Lower processing speed was associated with reduced mean cortical surface area. Children with DCD show co-occurring impairments in attention and speech motor control. DCD is associated with sensorimotor circuits as well as regions that form part of the default mode and salience networks. Disruption of subcortical circuits may underlie additional impairments. This study provides novel evidence of the neural correlates of DCD

Overcoming Barriers in a Shift Towards a Sustainable Transportation System

"The three parts of this portfolio provide a critical perspective on public transit infrastructure, primarily in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), but which also strives for wider applicability. The first paper, “The Contradictions of Splintered Network-Building,” proposes that the spate of public transit physical infrastructure projects proposed in The Big Move¸ 2008 regional transportation plan for the GTHA, can be described as a process “splintered network building.” This entails an attempt to build a regional public transit system relying on neoliberal practices that would usually be associated with the fragmentation of networked infrastructures operated by state monopolies. The paper argues that The Big Move represents an infrastructure plan, rather than a comprehensive scheme to improve public transit in the region. The second paper, “Rapid Transit as a Suburban Renewal Project,” uses York Region’s Viva bus rapid transit system as an example of emergent suburban rapid transit. The paper identifies suburban rapid transit as public transit in the form of either light rail or bus rapid transit that connects within suburbs, rather than a more typical form of transit infrastructure that links peripheries to urban centres. The paper demonstrates that while these projects can deliver real improvements in the use value of public transit, they are also entrusted with the task of urbanizing the suburbs by attracting speculative real estate development. The final part of the portfolio is a photo essay documenting the various forms of development that occur next to transit, and which serve to create “places of transit.” It is intended as a visual representation of one of the exchange value orientations of public transit infrastructure.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, LLC: CORPORATE PERSONHOOD AS TORT REFORM

Our legal system has long tried to fit the square peg of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into the round hole of the current tort regime, overlooking the inability of traditional liability schemes to address the nuances of how AI technology creates harms. The current tort regime deals out rough justice—using strict liability for some AI products and using the negligence rule for other AI services—both of which are insufficiently tailored to achieve public policy objectives. Under a strict liability regime where manufacturers are always held liable for the faults of their technology regardless of knowledge or precautionary measures, firms are incentivized to play it safe and stifle innovation. But even with this cautionary stance, the goals of strict liability cannot be met due to the unique nature of AI technology: its mistakes are merely “efficient errors”—they appropriately surpass the human baseline, they are game theory problems intended for a jury, they are necessary to train a robust system, or they are harmless but misclassified. Under a negligence liability regime where the onus falls entirely on consumers to prove the element of causation, victimized consumers must surmount the difficult hurdle of tracing the vectors of causation through the “black box” of algorithms. Unable to do so, many are left without sufficient recourse or compensation

Building Bridges: How Collaboration is Addressing Wildlife-Vehicle Conflicts in Montana\u27s Upper Yellowstone Watershed

In my first semester of graduate studies at the University of Montana – Fall, 2019 – I was given an assignment from one of my professors to research a “landscape-scale” conflict of my choosing and compose a professional memo that could be sent to key influencers or stakeholders tied to the issue. Naturally, I directed my attention to a community I know and love, the Upper Yellowstone, and a conflict that is ubiquitous across the West: Wildlife-Vehicle Conflicts (WVCs). In the pages that follow I describe how Yellowstone Safe Passages came to be, who is involved, and the steps we have taken thus far. I also share recommendations from our experience that I hope provide insights for people in Montana who may be grappling with the same question: How do we effectively address WVCs in our own community? Nearly two years has passed since I began researching wildlife-vehicle conflicts on US Highway 89, and since my founding question was presented to our core group of NGO partners. To paraphrase, that founding question went something like this: “Would a community-driven collaborative partnership be worth attempting as a means to build bridges over Highway 89?” The answer from the group, which included representatives from Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC), Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC), National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), and Park County Environmental Council (PCEC) was a unanimous “Yes”, followed by, “Do you want to be the person to lead it?!” And so the story unfolds. Building bridges, I’ve learned, has more to do with social dynamics than it does physical structures. It has more to do with how data is created and used, who is involved in generating the data, and the objectives data is intended to fulfill. It has more to do with a thoughtful and inclusive process than it does in building structures. I begin by introducing the broad strokes of wildlife-vehicle conflicts in the United States and Montana, touching on a handful of elements related to WVCs in the Upper Yellowstone watershed. I present the three pillars of wildlife-vehicle conflict (human safety, wildlife impact, and economic impact) in an attempt to pull the veil back on this issue, and in a manner that is digestible. Wildlife-vehicle conflicts are measurable and preventable. The question is whether or not communities such as the Upper Yellowstone have the right people, sufficient information, and effective process put in place to come up with solutions. Well over two decades of credible research has demonstrated the efficacy of WVC mitigation solutions such as wildlife overpasses, underpasses (large culverts), and diversion fencing that guides wildlife to the structures. Presenting solutions on the ground, and in rural communities, however, is an entirely different hurdle. It begins by bringing this information into the community, asking for feedback, inviting community members into the problem-solving circle, and raising awareness about WVCs to new heights. In “Addressing the Issue” I expand on the genesis of my role as Liaison and how Yellowstone Safe Passages dedicated ourselves to the collaborative process. The story is augmented with personal reflections and the sharing of specific activities, objectives, and milestones in our partnership’s work. I also introduce a series of recommendations on how to build a collaborative culture within defined geographies or communities such as the Upper Yellowstone watershed. Throughout the paper, and from different angles, I argue that collaboration is the key to addressing and resolving wildlife-vehicle conflicts – both in aligning diverse interests and capacities toward a shared vision and in developing a process through which cross-cultural, cross-jurisdictional, and community-wide bridge building can occur. This is what I refer to as “Community in Collaboration,” which represents a pragmatic ideal to build relationships and interdependency among diverse interests (even those of competing nature). Community in Collaboration elevates a belief that conflicts of all shapes and sizes will come and go in the passage of time, but the quality of our relationships set guideposts on how we navigate those obstacles. In the context of wildlife-vehicle conflicts, I consider the potential of a subtle cultural transformation where transparency about the use of knowledge and data becomes an unspoken mantra; where deeper understanding of the perceptions of landownership and private property rights invites compassion and empathy over that of criticism and judgement; and where framing WVCs as an impact on livelihoods enables leaders in state and federal agencies to consider that human safety is not a measure of life and death, but rather of an individual’s ability to thrive. Toward the end of the paper I discuss the role tribes might play throughout Montana, praising the efforts of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in the renowned US Highway 93 North case study. Concluding the paper, I speak to the exciting and relevant conversations taking place at this very moment. The local scene in the Upper Yellowstone is building momentum. Statewide leadership is developing plans to implement WVC mitigation projects in key areas like the Upper Yellowstone, Greater Missoula area, and other high priority areas. Under the Biden administration new federal support will dedicate funds to states, through competitive grant cycles over the next five years, focusing specifically on WVC mitigation and habitat connectivity efforts. We are primed for great work in the years to come. To accomplish this great work we must make space for co-created visions and culture shifts. In an attempt to support this change I provide a distillation of advice and recommendations from my experience working in the field of collaborative conservation, attempting to identify a few of the distinct threads that weave successful collaborations together – the key principles that articulate how “Community in Collaboration” can be applied in other communities, watersheds, and regions across the West

June 2010

The Business Doctors The Business Doctors is a strategic alliance of local experts in the areas of business law, public relations, commercial banking, advertising, marketing, medical insurance, payroll services and other services doing business in the Inland Empire. They meet twice a month and mentor one another. A topic of business valuation is discussed in this issue by Ted Collins—a member of The Business Doctors Close-Up: Combustion Associates, Inc. Awarded “Exporter of the Year,” this company has been recognized for its achievements by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce as a full-service engineering manufacturing company located in Corona “How to Market Your Way Out of Tough Times” In these tough times, Patricia Fripp and David Garfinkel explain how increasing your marketing without increasing the amount of money you spend will protect you from sales declines “Lead and Motivate—Not Just Your Team, But Yourself Too” Joelle Jay discusses how does the one who motivates others every day stay motivated as well “The Science of Sales Growth in a Recession: The 5 Most Dangerous Mistakes a Company Can Make” Few of today’s executives have ever faced today’s recession in their career. Former executives of Fortune companies reveals some useful truths Computer Column Investments and Finance Close-Up The Lists: Hospitals Serving the Inland Empire Top Health Care Medical Clinics/Groups in the Inland Empire Top Savings & Loans and Federal Savings Banks Marketing Real Estate Notes Management. Opinion Sales Corporate Profile Restaurant Review Manager’s Bookshelf New Business Lists: County of San Bernardino County of Riverside Executive Time Out

Mustang Daily, November 6, 2006

Student newspaper of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA.https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/studentnewspaper/7507/thumbnail.jp

Intimate Immensities: The Poetics of Space in Contemporary Australian Literature

Much of Australia’s literary landscape reflects a quest to represent its immense space. Empirical modes of investigation and Eurocentric literary models have resulted in alienation. Australian space, for non-Indigenous Australians, remains an unsettling and unsettled space. Colonial erasures, legal fictions and national mythologies have failed to turn space into place. Too much remains unresolved to write from the perspective of a place literature. A lack of intimacy with Australia’s immensities has led to much misrelation, with devastating consequences for Indigenous Australians and the non-human environment. The Aboriginal Turn of the 1980s and postcolonial literary theory have been invaluable to progress towards more ethical modes of representation. Yet, we live in the settler colonial present. My thesis makes connections between authors, modes and genres to offer a compelling case for a complementary poetics of space that embraces intimacy with immensity. Ross Gibson’s nonfiction, Tim Winton’s fiction and Nicolas Rothwell’s narrative essays position the reader in front of temporal and spatial hinges that need to be apprehended anew: the colonial archive, the age of exploration or the 1988 Bicentenary. Key to their poetics of space is a reorientation towards Country so that Indigenous thought and culture may reform settler society. As well as writing back to Empire, Gibson, Rothwell and Winton write from and to the settler colonial present, decolonising modes of perception, representation, time, space, the sacred, as well as relationships with Indigenous people and the non-human realm. Their works double as critical tools that serve to forge a poetics of Reconciliation. My methodology draws critically from concepts developed in the fields of postcolonial studies, ecocriticism and trauma theory. Because French philosophers of the second half of the twentieth century were instrumental in reforming spatial theory, I use concepts developed by Gaston Bachelard, Henri Lefebvre, Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, to identify principles which inform contemporary spatial representations. From within the colonial present, Intimate Immensities evokes the possibility of a post-settler dynamic of non-belonging, with placelessness and movement as key markers of a renegotiated identity