Advancements in Image Classification using Convolutional Neural Network

Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is the state-of-the-art for image classification task. Here we have briefly discussed different components of CNN. In this paper, We have explained different CNN architectures for image classification. Through this paper, we have shown advancements in CNN from LeNet-5 to latest SENet model. We have discussed the model description and training details of each model. We have also drawn a comparison among those models.Comment: 9 pages, 15 figures, 3 Tables. Submitted to 2018 Fourth International Conference on Research in Computational Intelligence and Communication Networks(ICRCICN 2018

Lived Experiences of a Rohingya Journalist

Edited by Kirandeep Kau

Prospects of microalgal biodiesel production in Pakistan – a review

Biodiesel is an alternative, renewable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly fuel for transportation, with properties like petroleum-derived diesel, and can be used directly in a compression ignition engine without any modifications. The world's fossil fuel and crude oil reserves are going to dry up in the next few decades, but, contrariwise, an attractive, high quality, readily available and economically extractable oil from microalgae is a substitute feedstock to produce alternative biodiesel fuel for the transportation sector in the future. Microalgae have a higher biomass productivity (tons/hectare/year) and lipid yield (kg/kg of algal biomass) as compared to vegetable oil crops. To overcome the problem of energy deficiency in developing countries, like Pakistan, and boost their economic growth, alternative fuels are proving very important for environment-friendly and sustainable development, especially in the last few decades. Different research studies on microalgae cultivation, characterization of microalgae oil (lipids), and evaluations of its socio-economic feasibility to produce renewable biodiesel have been conducted in the past in Pakistan for its future prospects. This review paper includes the overall summary and compilation of the microalgae research conducted in Pakistan on biodiesel production and includes the algal biodiesel production cost analysis. The studies showed promising results for harnessing microalgae and using its lipids to produce biodiesel with favourable properties that were comparable to the conventional diesel in Pakistan. The information related to the microalgae research will help stakeholders and governmental organisations working in the renewable energy sector to consider its cultivation on a large scale, using waste water as a feedstock to produce biodiesel to meet the target set by the Government of Pakistan of using 10% blended biodiesel by the year 2025 in Pakistan

Linking brand attitude to word-of-mouth and revisit intentions in the restaurant sector

Purpose – Following the planned behaviour theory, the aim of the paper is to analyse the role played by brand attachment, brand characteristics and congruence in enhancing brand attitude while leading to revisit intentions and word-of-mouth (WOM) in the restaurant sector. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on the quantitative method and considered 464 questionnaires fulfilled by customers of restaurants. The data were explored employing the partial least square–structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings – This study expands the literature about WOM and revisit intentions. The paper states that brand attitude positively influenced revisit intentions and WOM. Besides, findings highlighted that analysed concepts were positively correlated and that they played an important role in impacting revisit intentions and WOM, apart from one factor: social self-congruity, which was not significantly related to brand attitude. Practical implications – The results of this paper show practitioners how to develop suitable strategies that set the bases for developing customer loyalty and repeat business. By putting into practice these suggestions in the restaurant sector, brands can easily build up their attitude and boost a positive WOM and the intention to revisit. Originality/value – The study offers a conceptual framework to explore the significance of several factors, including revisit intentions and WOM. In practice, taking into account the proposed framework, it is suggested that restaurant managers should assess these two items using several factors including congruence, brand characteristics and brand attachment

Coping and resilience in riverine Bangladesh

This paper investigates the impacts of two successive years of severe floods on households, their coping strategies and resilience to riverine hazards in northern Bangladesh. Based on focus groups and interviews with the same households after floods in 2016 and 2017, we found a cumulative decline in assets through sale of livestock and borrowing, and almost all households evacuated short term to higher places. Three notable recent ways that vulnerable households use socio-hydrological landscapes to enhance their resilience to hazards were revealed. Firstly, local flood protection embankments were the main destination for evacuation and were highly valued as safe places, although they breached and failed to protect the land. Secondly, community organisations, formed mainly for livelihood enhancement, took initiatives to provide warnings, to help households relocate during floods, and to access relief and rehabilitation services. Thirdly, seasonal migration by men, particularly to urban areas, is an important element of long-term coping and resilience based on diversified livelihoods for about 70% of these rural households. Although the unintended use of infrastructure, social capital and urban opportunities all form part of coping and resilience strategies in hazardous riverine landscapes, the high mobility that they are based on is not supported by enabling policies

Botanical and molecular evidences of landraces from the germplasm exclusively collected from Baluchistan, a centre of diversity for Lens culinaris

Botanical descriptors, total seed proteins, isozymes and RAPD markers were applied to identify landraces from indigenous lentil germplasm exclusively collected from the province of Baluchistan, Pakistan. The Germplasm revealed the prevalence of landraces, especially on the basis of isozymesand RAPD markers. Dversity explored through various techniques revealed validity irrespective of the sample size from a particular district, RAPD being the best choice for investigating both inter and intraaccession variation that is needed to extend to more germplasm study along with botanical descriptors

Screening for HLA-B*1502 Polymorphism in Febrile Seizure Predicted Lead to Epilepsy

Mutation in neuronal sodium channel -1-subunit gene (SCN1A) and neuronal sodium channel -1-subunit gene (SCN1B) has been linked with forms of generalized epilepsy with febrile seizure plus (GEFS+) and epileptic infantile syndrome like severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI) (Mulley et al., 2005; Scheffer et al., 2007). Since this idiopathic epilepsy typically begins with prolonged febrile seizures (FS) in the first year of life, therefore febrile seizure patient with mutation in SCN1A has a high risk to develop epilepsy on their later life (Dube et al., 2009). Carbamazepine (CBZ) has been known as the most common anti-epileptic drug which can cause Steven-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) in patients with HLA-B*1502 polymorphism. Since the Javanese population have 16,67% of these allele, studying the presence of these allele in patients predicted epilepsy is important. Furthermore, this study was intended to develop a PCR-based diagnostic protocol to screen HLA-B*1502 polymorphism in epileptic patients to prevent SJS/TEN by carbamazepine. Focusing on epileptic predicted patients, HLA-B*1502 genotyping by sequence specific primer (SSP)-PCR was performed on 31 repeated FS patients with mutation in SCN1A and SCN1A/SCN1B gene. The result show that the HLA-B*1502 polymorphism was detected in 14 (45,2%) individuals including 8 cases related to mutation SCN1A gene and 6 to SCN1A/SCN1B gene. It illustrates that HLA-B*1502 allele is frequent in these patients. It can thus be suggested that detection of this allele should be done before epilepsy treatment. Later, patients with this allele should avoid CBZ to prevent SJS/TEN during drug administration