Computer vision based traffic monitoring system for multi-track freeways

Nowadays, development is synonymous with construction of infrastructure. Such road infrastructure needs constant attention in terms of traffic monitoring as even a single disaster on a major artery will disrupt the way of life. Humans cannot be expected to monitor these massive infrastructures over 24/7 and computer vision is increasingly being used to develop automated strategies to notify the human observers of any impending slowdowns and traffic bottlenecks. However, due to extreme costs associated with the current state of the art computer vision based networked monitoring systems, innovative computer vision based systems can be developed which are standalone and efficient in analyzing the traffic flow and tracking vehicles for speed detection. In this article, a traffic monitoring system is suggested that counts vehicles and tracks their speeds in realtime for multi-track freeways in Australia. Proposed algorithm uses Gaussian mixture model for detection of foreground and is capable of tracking the vehicle trajectory and extracts the useful traffic information for vehicle counting. This stationary surveillance system uses a fixed position overhead camera to monitor traffic

Strengthening Livelihood of Rural Farmer Populations through Improved Grasslands

This paper reviews the current background of the grassland resource with a purpose of livestock perspective to improve the livelihood of rural farmers. The use of grasslands for livestock rearing by rural farmers has been a long tradition. In climate and vegetation contrast, these grasslands are much more diverse. They are likely to play an economical role in increasing the milk production in many Asian countries. With an increase of human population, the traditional feeding, breeding and surviving habitats for livestock have been acutely restricted in many countries. Therefore, a continued effort is needed to maintain production for sustainable management of grassland resource for rural farmers. Pastoralism in wildlife protected area must be gradually proscribed and encouraged to form community grasslands. In addition, issues such as development of water resources, extension and education must be considered as higher attentions than basic grassland principles

Gender Inequality in Digital Transformation: Evidence from Business Process Management Industry in Sri Lanka

This research examines whether gender inequality exists in Leadership Style, Organizational Culture, and Digital Competence of digital transformation of the Business Process Management (BPM) industry. Data were collected from 507 employees of 40 Sri Lankan BPM companies through a web-based survey. Mann-Whitney U test with descriptive statistics provided evidence to strengthen the findings. The findings confirmed that gender inequality exists in Leadership Style, Organizational Culture, and Digital Competence of digital transformation in the BPM industry in Sri Lanka. This research contributes to "Acker's Theory of Gendered Organizations" by identifying areas that reproduce gender inequality in the new digital economy workplace. This study recommends controlling if not eradicating the gender inequality through proper Human Resource (HR) policies and procedures since it may hinder organizational performance. Digital workplace will improve employee retention, satisfaction, and productivity. Keywords: Business Process Management, Gender Inequality, Leadership Style, Organizational Culture, Digital Competenc

Yield, Feeding Value and Ensiling Characteristics of Clone-13 (\u3ci\u3ePennisetum purpureum\u3c/i\u3e)

A study was carried out to find out the effect of frequency of defoliation on yield and feeding value of clone-13 (Pennisetum purpureum) in Sri Lanka. Three frequency of harvesting, namely 45, 60 and 75 days were used and, fresh yield per plot was measured. Sub samples were taken for dry matter determination and proximate analysis. According to results, frequency of harvesting of 60 days can be recommended for clone-13 under no fertilizer regime. In addition, effect of growth stage on ensiling characteristics of clone-13 was also studied. Clone-13 was harvested at 45, 60, 75 or 90 days and, ensiled alone or with 5% coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) scrapings or 5% rice (Oriza sativa) bran in laboratory silos. Therefore, altogether 12 treatments were used in the study with 5 replicates. Silos were opened after 6 weeks and, physical and ensiling characteristics were studied. Physical characteristics of silage were satisfactory and had a yellowish brown colour, pleasant aroma and a moist texture. Highest volatile fatty acids and crude protein contents were observed with 45 days old grass silage whereas lowest in 90 days old grass silage. Addition of rice bran and coconut scrapings improved the fermentation characteristics of silage compared to no additives

Profiled M-advertising Framework for Consumer Advertising

Mobile advertising and profiled advertising has become major discussion topics recently. With rapid development of mobile technology in the last decade, many e-business organizations are trying to combine the latest mobile technologies with customer profiling in order to increase the reachability of their product information among the target market. This paper presents a potential mechanism to enhance such mobile advertising by improving existing user profile methods. The main goal of this research is to introduce a novel user profiling mechanism that can be used to improve the productivity of a mobile advertising system. The proposed system is capable of providing additional information such as video, audio, etc. about advertisements to the user while giving profile-based and proximity suggestions

Customer Behavior Analysis for Social Media

It is essential for a business organization to get the customer feedback in order to grow as a company. Business organizations are collecting customer feedback using various methods. But the question is ‘are they efficient and effective?' In the current context, there is more of a customer oriented market and all the business organizations are competing to achieve customer delight through their products and services. Social Media plays a huge role in one's life. Customers tend to reveal their true opinion about certain brands on social media rather than giving routine feedback to the producers or sellers. Because of this reason, it is identified that social media can be used as a tool to analyze customer behavior. If relevant data can be gathered from the customers' social media feeds and if these data are analyzed properly, a clear idea to the companies what customers really think about their brand can be provided