Augmented tour construction heuristics for the travelling salesman problem

Tour construction heuristics serve as fundamental techniques in optimizing the routes of a traveling salesman. These heuristics remain significant as foundational methods for generating initial solutions to the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP), facilitating subsequent applications of tour improvement heuristics. These heuristics effectively comprise the iterative application of city node selection and insertion. However, thus far, no attempts have been made to enhance the basic structure of tour construction heuristics to bring a better initial solution for the advanced heuristics. This study aims to enhance tour construction heuristics without compromising their theoretical complexity. Specifically, an iterative step of partial tour deconstruction has been introduced to the existing heuristics. This additional step has been implemented and evaluated with three highly performing tour construction heuristics: the farthest insertion heuristic, the max difference insertion heuristic, and the fast max difference insertion heuristic. The results demonstrate that augmenting these heuristics with the partial tour deconstruction step improves the best, worst, and average solutions while preserving their theoretical complexit

Driver Fatigue Detection using Mean Intensity, SVM, and SIFT

Driver fatigue is one of the major causes of accidents. This has increased the need for driver fatigue detection mechanism in the vehicles to reduce human and vehicle loss during accidents. In the proposed scheme, we capture videos from a camera mounted inside the vehicle. From the captured video, we localize the eyes using Viola-Jones algorithm. Once the eyes have been localized, they are classified as open or closed using three different techniques namely mean intensity, SVM, and SIFT. If eyes are found closed for a considerable amount of time, it indicates fatigue and consequently an alarm is generated to alert the driver. Our experiments show that SIFT outperforms both mean intensity and SVM, achieving an average accuracy of 97.45% on a dataset of five videos, each having a length of two minutes

Upaya Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Gerak Dasar Bermain Rounders Menggunakan Alat Bantu Pembelajaran Pada Siswa Kelas V MI Negeri Sroyo Jaten Karanganyar Tahun Ajaran 2017/2018

Tujuan Penelitian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan hasil belajar gerak dasar bermain rounders menggunakan alat bantu pembelajaran pada siswa kelas V MI Negeri Sroyo Jaten Karanganyar tahun ajaran 2017/2018. Penelitian ini merupakan Penelitian Tindakan Kelas (PTK). Penelitian ini dilakukan dalam dua siklus, terdiri dari empat tahap dalam setiap siklusnya yang terdiri dari perencanaan, pelaksanaan tindakan, observasi dan refleksi. Subjek dalam Penelitian Tindakan Kelas ini adalah siswa kelas V MI Negeri Sroyo Jaten Karanganyar yang berjumlah 38 siswa terdiri dari 14 siswa putra dan 24 siswa putri. Sumber data dalam Penelitian ini berasal dari siswa, peneliti dan guru yang bertindak sebagai kolaborator. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan tes dan observasi. Validitas data menggunkan teknik triangulasi data. Analisis data menggunakan teknik deskriptif kualitatif yang didasarkan pada analisis kualitatif persentase. Hasil penelitian pada prasiklus hanya 15 siswa yang tuntas (39,47%) dan 23 siswa tidak tuntas (60,52%). Pada siklus I diperoleh hasil belajar siswa yang telah tuntas sebanyak 21 siswa (55,26%) dan 17 siswa tidak tuntas (44,74%). Dengan perolehan rata-rata afektif (76,31%), kognitif (78,94%) dan psikomotor (42,10%). Pada siklus II diperoleh hasil belajar siswa yang telah tuntas sebanyak 31 siswa (81,58%) dan 7 siswa tidak tuntas (18,42%). Dengan perolehan rata-rata afektif (97,36%), kognitif (78,94%) dan psikomotor (71,05%). Berdasarkan hasil analisis dari siklus I dan siklus II menunjukkan adanya peningkatan hasil belajar dari siswa. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian diperoleh simpulan bahwa : Penggunaan alat bantu sederhana dalam pembelajaran dapat meningkatkan hasil belajar gerak dasar bermain rounders pada siswa kelas V MI Negeri Sroyo Jaten Karanganyar tahun ajaran 2017/2018. Kata kunci : Hasil Belajar, Gerak Dasar Bermain Rounders, Alat Bantu Pembelajara

Multiband Atmospheric Correction Algorithm for Ocean Color Retrievals

National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) current atmospheric correction (AC) algorithm for ocean color utilizes two bands and their ratio in the near infrared (NIR) to estimate aerosol reflectance and aerosol type. The algorithm then extrapolates the spectral dependence of aerosol reflectance to the visible wavelengths based on modeled spectral dependence of the identified aerosol type. Future advanced ocean color sensors, such as the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) that will be carried on the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite, will be capable of measuring the hyperspectral radiance from 340 to 890 nm at 5-nm spectral resolution and at seven discrete short-wave infrared (SWIR) channels: 940, 1,038, 1,250, 1,378, 1,615, 2,130, and 2,260 nm. To optimally employ this unprecedented instrument capability, we propose an improved AC algorithm that utilizes all atmospheric-window channels in the NIR to SWIR spectral range to reduce the uncertainty in the AC process. A theoretical uncertainty analysis of this, namely, multiband AC (MBAC), indicates that the algorithm can reduce the uncertainty in remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) retrievals of the ocean caused by sensor random noise. Furthermore, in optically complex waters, where the NIR signal is affected by contributions from highly reflective turbid waters, the MBAC algorithm can be adaptively weighted to the strongly absorbing SWIR channels to enable improved ocean color retrievals in coastal waters. We provide here a description of the algorithm and demonstrate the improved performance in ocean color retrievals, relative to the current NASA standard AC algorithm, through comparison with field measurements and assessment of propagated uncertainties in applying the MBAC algorithm to MODIS and simulated PACE OCI data

Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies in Purchasing Foreign Products: A Study in Afghanistan / Tüketicilerin Etnosentrik Eğilimleri ve Yabancı Ürün Satın Alma Niyetleri: Afganistan’da Bir Araştırma

The major goal of this study is to ascertain the level of ethnocentrism to which Afghan consumers exhibit these tendencies when purchasing products from other countries as well as how their attitudes affect their intention to buy foreign items. It also aims to determine whether gender, marital status and visiting other countries have moderating role or not. Data were collected from 180 respondents in Kabul city, Afghanistan. Descriptive statistics and the structural equation model were used to examine the participant's demographic traits and to test the research Hypotheses. The result of this study shows that Afghan consumers are highly ethnocentric in consuming foreign products. As Afghanistan is an underdeveloped country, Afghan consumers usually evaluate the products and brands of their own countries as inferior to the products and brands of developed countries, and therefore, despite their ethnocentrism, they prefer foreign products. Additionally, gender, marital status and visiting other countries have moderating effects on the variables

A Qualitative Study on the Importance and Value of Doctor-Patient Relationship in Iran: Physicians' Views

BACKGROUND: Doctor-patient relationship [DPR] refers to verbal and non-verbal communication between doctor and patient, which is of great importance in consultation sessions. AIM: Therefore, the present study attempts to explore the importance and value of DPR in Iran. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The method used in the study was conventional content analysis. The data were collected from 21 faculty members (FMs) of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), Shiraz, Iran, who participated in three focus group discussions (FGDs). Transcribed data were analysed using Conventional Content Analysis (CCA) which identified condensed meaning units, subthemes, and themes. RESULTS: Four themes were extracted from 198 meaning units, 87 condensed meaning units, and 17 subthemes. These included gateway [the role of DPR]; nonlinearity [the nature of DPR]; distortion (quality of DPR in the context); and dysfunctional system (weakness in health system). Generally, results showed DPR to be the gateway to consultations based on non-verbal communication and doctor empathy. The study showed distorted DPR which was due to the dysfunctionality of the health care system. CONCLUSION: As indicated DPR plays an important role in medical contexts, but if distorted it leads to an unsuccessful outcome. Therefore, to promote DPR, it is necessary to reinforce its structure. Thus, the infrastructure has to be modified and developed at all levels

Atmospheric Correction for Hyperspectral Ocean Color Retrieval with Application to the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO)

The classical multi-spectral Atmospheric Correction (AC) algorithm is inadequate for the new generation of spaceborne hyperspectral sensors such as NASA's first hyperspectral Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) onboard the anticipated Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite mission. The AC process must estimate and remove the atmospheric path radiance contribution due to the Rayleigh scattering by air molecules and scattering by aerosols from the measured top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance, compensate for the absorption by atmospheric gases, and correct for reflection and refraction of the air-sea interface. In this work, we present and evaluate an improved AC for hyperspectral sensors developed within NASA's Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Data Analysis System software package (SeaDAS). The improvement is based on combining the classical AC approach of multi-spectral capabilities to correct for the atmospheric path radiance, extended to hyperspectral, with a gas correction algorithm to compensate for absorbing gases in the atmosphere, including water vapor. The SeaDAS-hyperspectral version is capable of operationally processing the AC of any hyperspectral airborne or spaceborne sensor. The new algorithm development was evaluated and assessed using the Hyperspectral Imager for Coastal Ocean (HICO) scenes collected at the Marine Optical BuoY (MOBY) site, and other SeaWiFS Bio-optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS) and AERosol Robotic NETwork - Ocean Color (AERONET-OC) coastal sites. A hyperspectral vicarious calibration was applied to HICO, showing the validity and consistency of HICO's ocean color products. The hyperspectral AC capability is currently available in SeaDAS to the scientific community at https://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Bio-Optics of the Chesapeake Bay from Measurements and Radiative Transfer Calculations

We combined detailed bio-optical measurements and radiative transfer (RT) modeling to perform an optical closure experiment for optically complex and biologically productive Chesapeake Bay waters. We used this experiment to evaluate certain assumptions commonly used when modeling bio-optical processes, and to investigate the relative importance of several optical characteristics needed to accurately model and interpret remote sensing ocean-color observations in these Case 2 waters. Direct measurements were made of the magnitude, variability, and spectral characteristics of backscattering and absorption that are critical for accurate parameterizations in satellite bio-optical algorithms and underwater RT simulations. We found that the ratio of backscattering to total scattering in the mid-mesohaline Chesapeake Bay varied considerably depending on particulate loading, distance from land, and mixing processes, and had an average value of 0.0128 at 530 nm. Incorporating information on the magnitude, variability, and spectral characteristics of particulate backscattering into the RT model, rather than using a volume scattering function commonly assumed for turbid waters, was critical to obtaining agreement between RT calculations and measured radiometric quantities. In situ measurements of absorption coefficients need to be corrected for systematic overestimation due to scattering errors, and this correction commonly employs the assumption that absorption by particulate matter at near infrared wavelengths is zero