Evaluation of Parametric and Nonparametric Statistical Models in Wrong-way Driving Crash Severity Prediction

Wrong-way driving (WWD) crashes result in more fatalities per crash, involve more vehicles, and cause extended road closures compared to other types of crashes. Although crashes involving wrong-way drivers are relatively few, they often lead to fatalities and serious injuries. Researchers have been using parametric statistical models to identify factors that affect WWD crash severity. However, these parametric models are generally based on several assumptions, and the results could generate numerous errors and become questionable when these assumptions are violated. On the other hand, nonparametric methods such as data mining or machine learning techniques do not use a predetermined functional form, can address the correlation problem among independent variables, display results graphically, and simplify the potential complex relationship between the variables. The main objective of this research was to demonstrate the applicability of nonparametric statistical models in successfully identifying factors affecting traffic crash severity. To achieve this goal, the performance of parametric and nonparametric statistical models in WWD crash severity prediction was evaluated. The following parametric methods were evaluated: Logistic Regression (LR), Ridge Regression (RR), Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), and Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB). The following nonparametric methods were evaluated: Random Forests (RF), Decision Trees (DT), and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The evaluation was based on sensitivity, specificity, and prediction accuracy. The research also demonstrated the applicability of nonparametric supervised learning algorithms on crash severity analysis by combining tree-based data mining techniques and marginal effect analysis to show the correlation between the response and the predictor variables. The analysis was based on 1,475 WWD crashes that occurred on arterial road networks from 2012-2016 in Florida. The results showed that nonparametric models provided better prediction accuracy on predicting serious injury compared to parametric models. By conducting prediction accuracy comparison, contributor variables’ marginal effect analysis, variable importance evaluation, and crash severity pattern recognition analysis, the nonparametric models have been demonstrated to be valid and proved to serve as an alternative tool in transportation safety studies. The results showed that head-on collisions, weekends, high-speed facilities, crashes involving vehicles entering from a driveway, dark-not lighted roadways, older drivers, and driver impairment are important factors that play a crucial role in WWD crash severity on non-limited access facilities. This information may assist researchers and safety engineers in identifying specific strategies to reduce the severity of WWD crashes on arterial streets. Besides unveiling the factors contributing to WWD crash severity and their relationship with each other, this research has demonstrated the potential of using data mining techniques in yielding results that are easily understandable and interpretable

An empirical case study on Stack Overflow to explore developers’ security challenges

Master of ScienceDepartment of Computing and Information SciencesEugene VassermanThe unprecedented growth of ubiquitous computing infrastructure has brought new challenges for security, privacy, and trust. New problems range from mobile apps with incomprehensible permission (trust) model to OpenSSL Heartbleed vulnerability, which disrupted the security of a large fraction of the world's web servers. As almost all of the software bugs and flaws boil down to programming errors/misalignment in requirements, we need to retrace back Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and supply chain to check and place security & privacy consideration and implementation plan properly. Historically, there has been a divergent point of view between security teams and developers regarding security. Security is often thought of as a "consideration" or "toll gate" within the project plan rather than being built in from the early stage of project planning, development and production cycles. We argue that security can be effectively made into everyone's business in SDLC through a broader exploration of the users and their social-cultural contexts, gaining insight into their mental models of security and privacy and usage patterns of technology, trying to see why and how security practices being satisfied or not-satisfied, then transferring those observations into new tool building and protocol/interaction design. The overall goal in our current study is to understand the common challenges and/or misconceptions regarding security-related issues among developers. In order to investigate into this issue, we conduct a mixed-method analysis on the data obtained from Stack Overflow(SO), one of the most popular on-line QA sites for software developer community to communicate, collaborate, and share information with one another. In this study, we have adopted techniques from mining software repositories research paradigm and have employed topic modeling for analyzing security-related topics in SO dataset. To our knowledge, our work in SO data mining is one of the earliest systematic attempts to understand the roots of challenges, misconceptions, and deterrent factors, if any, among developers while they try to implement security features during software development. We argue that a proper understanding of these issues is a necessary first step towards "build security in" culture in SDLC

Arsenic management in contaminated irrigation water for rice cultivation

Arsenic (As) contaminated irrigation water (groundwater) is a threat to irrigated rice cultivation. Studies were conducted during three consecutive Boro seasons (fully dependent on irrigation) at highly As contaminated areas in Bangladesh to determine a suitable water management practice to reduce As accumulation in rice. In this study, two water management techniques were evaluated: 1) alternate wetting and drying (AWD) and continuous standing water (CSW) with surface (25 μg L-1 As); and 2) groundwater (419 μg L-1 As). A high yielding rice variety, BRRI dhan28, was grown. Results showed that the yield obtained by two management techniques were almost similar, except in CSW with groundwater application where significant yield reduction was observed. Significantly lower As content was found in the straw (77.23%) and rice grain (38.14%) of AWD with groundwater and CSW (straw 70.41% and 26.36%) with surface water application compared to CSW with ground water application. Among the water management practices, AWD with groundwater application showed similar benefit to CSW with surface water irrigation. Thus, alternate wetting and drying (AWD) with groundwater or surface water irrigation with CSW can be advocated as an appropriate agronomic practice for rice cultivated in As contaminated soils of Bangladesh

The legality of euthanasia concerning right to life: A comprehensive review

Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which deals with the protection of life and personal liberty, has been interpreted in several landmark cases by the courts of law. Every one of those formulations has enlarged the scope of Article 21 to encompass those aspects of life that give meaning, purpose, and dignity to existence. The terms "life" and "liberty" are deeply linked. Liberty gives a person the freedom to make decisions freely, and life without liberty would be meaningless. Thus, Article 21 integrated the concepts of life and liberty distinctly and also connected them through the use of a legal mechanism for their deprivation. Due to this interpretation, the right to die was never construed as an important aspect of the right to life and personal liberty guaranteed by Article 21. The right to die is a notion that is predicated on the belief that a person has the right to make any choice about the termination of his or her life (this also includes undergoing voluntary euthanasia). The major issue is whether individuals should have the right to die and what may be the rationale for such a right.&nbsp

Cross-sectional Survey on Online Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh

The educational system across the world had drastically been affected due to the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19. In this circumstance, Teaching and learning shifted from traditional way which involves face-to-face interaction among teachers and students physically in a classroom, to online learning either synchronously or asynchronously. Therefore, the aim of this study is to monitor the level of students’ perception towards online learning during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation. The study adopted the way of quantitative approach by conducting a survey which was collected via a standardized online questionnaire. Data collected from 699 respondents were analyzed using SPSS 23 software. In spite of having been failed to get theoretical and practical experience as well as expected results, majority of the respondents had positive perceptions towards online learning and accepted this as the new method of learning with online application tools. The outcomes of the study will facilitate educational institutions and policy makers to take this online learning process to the next level in a prospective way. Keywords: Online Learning, COVID-19, Pandemic, Bangladesh

Transforming knowledge systems for life on Earth: Visions of future systems and how to get there

Formalised knowledge systems, including universities and research institutes, are important for contemporary societies. They are, however, also arguably failing humanity when their impact is measured against the level of progress being made in stimulating the societal changes needed to address challenges like climate change. In this research we used a novel futures-oriented and participatory approach that asked what future envisioned knowledge systems might need to look like and how we might get there. Findings suggest that envisioned future systems will need to be much more collaborative, open, diverse, egalitarian, and able to work with values and systemic issues. They will also need to go beyond producing knowledge about our world to generating wisdom about how to act within it. To get to envisioned systems we will need to rapidly scale methodological innovations, connect innovators, and creatively accelerate learning about working with intractable challenges. We will also need to create new funding schemes, a global knowledge commons, and challenge deeply held assumptions. To genuinely be a creative force in supporting longevity of human and non-human life on our planet, the shift in knowledge systems will probably need to be at the scale of the enlightenment and speed of the scientific and technological revolution accompanying the second World War. This will require bold and strategic action from governments, scientists, civic society and sustained transformational intent

Transforming knowledge systems for life on Earth : Visions of future systems and how to get there

Formalised knowledge systems, including universities and research institutes, are important for contemporary societies. They are, however, also arguably failing humanity when their impact is measured against the level of progress being made in stimulating the societal changes needed to address challenges like climate change. In this research we used a novel futures-oriented and participatory approach that asked what future envisioned knowledge systems might need to look like and how we might get there. Findings suggest that envisioned future systems will need to be much more collaborative, open, diverse, egalitarian, and able to work with values and systemic issues. They will also need to go beyond producing knowledge about our world to generating wisdom about how to act within it. To get to envisioned systems we will need to rapidly scale methodological innovations, connect innovators, and creatively accelerate learning about working with intractable challenges. We will also need to create new funding schemes, a global knowledge commons, and challenge deeply held assumptions. To genuinely be a creative force in supporting longevity of human and non-human life on our planet, the shift in knowledge systems will probably need to be at the scale of the enlightenment and speed of the scientific and technological revolution accompanying the second World War. This will require bold and strategic action from governments, scientists, civic society and sustained transformational intent.Peer reviewe