Detection of Thin Boundaries between Different Types of Anomalies in Outlier Detection using Enhanced Neural Networks

Outlier detection has received special attention in various fields, mainly for those dealing with machine learning and artificial intelligence. As strong outliers, anomalies are divided into the point, contextual and collective outliers. The most important challenges in outlier detection include the thin boundary between the remote points and natural area, the tendency of new data and noise to mimic the real data, unlabelled datasets and different definitions for outliers in different applications. Considering the stated challenges, we defined new types of anomalies called Collective Normal Anomaly and Collective Point Anomaly in order to improve a much better detection of the thin boundary between different types of anomalies. Basic domain-independent methods are introduced to detect these defined anomalies in both unsupervised and supervised datasets. The Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network is enhanced using the Genetic Algorithm to detect newly defined anomalies with higher precision so as to ensure a test error less than that calculated for the conventional Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network. Experimental results on benchmark datasets indicated reduced error of anomaly detection process in comparison to baselines

Análise de habitabilidade das cidades iranianas e estratégias de fortalecimento (Estudo de caso: áreas antigas de Zabol, Irã)

Today, cities are facing many economic, social and environmental challenges. Meanwhile, population growth with an ever-increasing proportion of urbanization has led to adverse effects on cities. The continuation of this urbanization is associated with social, economic, environmental problems, leading to crisis and urban instability. In the meantime, other problems such as different types of pollution, traffic, and psychological problems greatly reduce the quality of life and, consequently, the livability of cities. Therefore, the necessity and importance of livability and sustainable development in cities is quite evident. Livability and sustainable development are approaches which ultimately result in cities free from different types of pollutions, traffic, and social, environmental, economic, and physical problems. The purpose of this study is to identify the internal and external factors affecting the livability of the old region of Zabol, Iran in terms of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, ad threats and assess the livability capabilities. It also offers the best strategies using the time-spatial considerations in line with the sustainable development. SWOT technique was applied to identify the environmentally internal (weaknesses and strengths) and external (opportunities and threats) accelerating and slowing down factors and offer practical and scientific strategies in order to strengthen the livability in the study area. AHP was employed to prioritize the strategies. This is a descriptive-analytical field and desk studies. The results of SWOT-AHP model based on the pairwise comparison at different decision-making and hierarchical structure (tree) levels of this model (choices, criteria, and goal) show that the defensive strategy (with the score of 0.367) yields relative superiority compared to other four strategies. Therefore, livability strengthening strategies need to be determined in a way to meet the weaknesses, remove the threats, and optimize the livability status quo using a detailed and strategic planning approach.Hoy en día, las ciudades enfrentan muchos desafíos económicos, sociales y ambientales. Mientras tanto, el crecimiento de la población con una proporción cada vez mayor de la urbanización ha tenido efectos adversos en las ciudades. La continuación de esta urbanización está asociada con problemas sociales, económicos y ambientales que conducen a la crisis y la inestabilidad urbana. Mientras tanto, otros problemas como los diferentes tipos de contaminación, el tráfico y los problemas psicológicos reducen en gran medida la calidad de vida y, en consecuencia, la habitabilidad de las ciudades. Por lo tanto, la necesidad y la importancia de la habitabilidad y el desarrollo sostenible en las ciudades es bastante evidente. La habitabilidad y el desarrollo sostenible son enfoques que finalmente resultan en ciudades libres de diferentes tipos de contaminación, tráfico y problemas sociales, ambientales, económicos y físicos. El propósito de este estudio es identificar los factores internos y externos que afectan la habitabilidad de la antigua región de Zabol, Irán en términos de fortalezas, debilidades, oportunidades, amenazas publicitarias y evaluar las capacidades de habitabilidad. También ofrece las mejores estrategias usando las consideraciones espaciotemporales en línea con el desarrollo sostenible. La técnica SWOT se aplicó para identificar los factores de aceleración y desaceleración ambientalmente (debilidades y fortalezas) y externos (oportunidades y amenazas) y ofrecer estrategias prácticas y científicas para fortalecer la habitabilidad en el área de estudio. AHP fue empleado para priorizar las estrategias. Este es un campo descriptivo-analítico y estudios de escritorio. Los resultados del modelo SWOT-AHP basados en la comparación por pares a diferentes niveles de toma de decisiones y estructura jerárquica (árbol) de este modelo (elecciones, criterios y objetivos) muestran que la estrategia defensiva (con el puntaje de 0.367) produce una superioridad relativa en comparación con otras cuatro estrategias. Por lo tanto, las estrategias de fortalecimiento de la habitabilidad deben determinarse de forma que se cumplan las debilidades, se eliminen las amenazas y se optimice el status quo de la habitabilidad mediante un enfoque de planificación detallado y estratégico.Hoje, as cidades enfrentam muitos desafios econômicos, sociais e ambientais. Enquanto isso, o crescimento da população com uma proporção crescente de urbanização teve efeitos adversos nas cidades. A continuação dessa urbanização está associada a problemas sociais, econômicos e ambientais que levam à crise e à instabilidade urbana. Enquanto isso, outros problemas, como diferentes tipos de poluição, problemas de tráfego e psicológicos reduzem enormemente a qualidade de vida e, consequentemente, a habitabilidade das cidades. Portanto, a necessidade e a importância da habitabilidade e do desenvolvimento sustentável nas cidades é bastante evidente. Habitabilidade e desenvolvimento sustentável são abordagens que acabam resultando em cidades livres de diferentes tipos de poluição, tráfego e problemas sociais, ambientais, econômicos e físicos. O objetivo deste estudo é identificar os fatores internos e externos que afetam a habitabilidade da antiga região de Zabol, o Irã, em termos de pontos fortes, pontos fracos, oportunidades, ameaças de publicidade e avaliar as capacidades de habitabilidade. Também oferece as melhores estratégias usando considerações espaço-temporais em linha com o desenvolvimento sustentável. A técnica SWOT foi aplicado para identificar aceleração fatores e desaceleração (forças e fraquezas) e externo (oportunidades e ameaças) ambientalmente e fornecer práticas científicas e fortalecer a habitabilidade nas estratégias da área de estudo. O AHP foi usado para priorizar as estratégias. Este é um estudo descritivo-analítico e estudos de mesa. comparação pareada Os resultados do modelo SWOT-AHP com base em diferentes níveis de tomada de decisão e estrutura hierárquica (árvore) deste modelo (eleições e critérios objetivos) mostram que a estratégia defensiva (com pontuação 0367) produz uma superioridade relativa em comparação com outras quatro estratégias. Portanto, as estratégias para fortalecer a habitabilidade devem ser determinadas de forma que as fraquezas sejam atendidas, as ameaças eliminadas e o status quo da habitabilidade seja otimizado por meio de uma abordagem detalhada e de planejamento estratégico

Systematically Monitoring Social Media: the case of the German federal election 2017

It is a considerable task to collect digital trace data at a large scale and at the same time adhere to established academic standards. In the context of political communication, important challenges are (1) defining the social media accounts and posts relevant to the campaign (content validity), (2) operationalizing the venues where relevant social media activity takes place (construct validity), (3) capturing all of the relevant social media activity (reliability), and (4) sharing as much data as possible for reuse and replication (objectivity). This project by GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences and the E-Democracy Program of the University of Koblenz-Landau conducted such an effort. We concentrated on the two social media networks of most political relevance, Facebook and Twitter.Comment: PID: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-56149-4, GESIS Papers 2018|

Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations