Actual Performance Research Articles

Comprehensive Analysis of Model Errors in Blueberry Detection and Maturity Classification: Identifying Limitations and Proposing Future Improvements in Agricultural Monitoring

In blueberry farming, accurately assessing maturity is critical to efficient harvesting. Deep Learning solutions, which are increasingly popular in this area, often undergo evaluation through metrics like mean average precision (mAP). However, these metrics may only partially capture the actual performance of the models, especially in settings with limited resources like those in agricultural drones or robots. To address this, our study evaluates Deep Learning models, such as YOLOv7, RT-DETR, and Mask-RCNN, for detecting and classifying blueberries. We perform these evaluations on both powerful computers and embedded systems. Using Type-Influence Detector Error (TIDE) analysis, we closely examine the accuracy of these models. Our research reveals that partial occlusions commonly cause errors, and optimizing these models for embedded devices can increase their speed without losing precision. This work improves the understanding of object detection models for blueberry detection and maturity estimation.

Summary of the 1st Interpretability and Robustness in Neural Software Engineering (InteNSE 2023)

InteNSE is an interdisciplinary workshop for research at the intersection of Machine Learning (ML) and Software Engineering (SE) and would be a pioneer in emphasizing the implicit properties of neural software engineering and analysis. Due to recent computational advancements, ML has become an inseparable part of the SE research community. ML can indeed improve and revolutionize many SE tasks. However, most research in the AI and SE communities consider ML as a closed box, i.e., only considering the final performance of the developed models as an evaluation metric. Ignoring the implicit properties of neural models, such as interpretability and robustness, one cannot validate the model's actual performance, generalizability, and whether it is learning what it is supposed to do. Specifically, in the domain of SE, where the result of ML4SE tools is code synthesis, bug finding, or repair, interpretability and robustness are crucial to ensure the reliability of the products.

HOW’S YOUR MEMORY? CONVERGENCE OF AMBULATORY COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AND RETROSPECTIVE PERFORMANCE REPORTS

Abstract Calibration accuracy, the agreement between individuals’ perceived performance and actual performance, plays a critical role in self-regulated learning, knowledge monitoring, and goal maintenance. However, it is unclear how calibration accuracy operates at the micro-level timescales, especially among individuals approaching midlife. We investigated the convergence between perceived cognitive performance and the trajectory of momentary assessments collected repeatedly over 14 days. We analyzed the data of 440 participants (Mage = 35.78, %Female = 57.7%) from the Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan Behavioral Development and Cognitive Aging (CATSLife1), who completed spatial working memory tasks administered via smartphones up to three times a day. On average, participants’ working memory improved across the 14-day period (β=-.014, SE=.001, p<.001), with lower scores indicating more accurate placement and better performance. Moreover, we observed less day-to-day variability in working memory performance (β=-.010, SE=.001, p<.001). The trajectory of working memory performance was consistent with participants’ evaluations of cognitive performance after completing the study: those perceiving improvement in their performance tended to perform better overtime (r = .25, SE = .046) and showed less variability in momentary assessments (r = -.28, SE = .046). Participants’ self-reported performance was also positively correlated with their working memory intercept at the start of the study (r = .34, SE=.045). Exploratory analyses then examined the associations between momentary calibration accuracy and other personality characteristics (e.g., openness). Our findings suggest that understanding the dynamic interplay between calibration accuracy and cognitive performance could shed light on individual differences during periods of cognitive maintenance versus decline.

PERSONALITY AND WORD RECALL AS INTERACTIVE PREDICTORS OF PERCEIVED MEMORY ABILITY

Abstract Cognitive gerontology research requires consideration of both actual performance and perceptions of performance. While subjective memory perceptions are positively associated with memory performance, these correlations typically are modest in magnitude. Therefore, researchers have noted the need to consider potential moderators of this association, to better understand whether certain people show weaker or stronger linkages between performance and perceptions. The current study leveraged personality (NEO Big Five), memory performance (i.e., word recall), and perceptions of memory ability (i.e., metamemory in adulthood scale and subjective memory complaints) data from the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN) study (n = 774, mean age: 71.52 years). Personality traits were more associated with subjective than objective memory, and the most consistent associations were for extraversion (r = -.20 for complaints, r = .26 for metamemory) and conscientiousness (r = -.26 for complaints and r = .33 for metamemory). Moreover, extraversion moderated associations between word recall and both memory capacity and complaints. Results suggested that associations between word recall and the two subjective indicators were weaker for those adults higher in extraversion, relative to adults who scored lower on extraversion. One possible interpretation is that extraverted older adults may construct their cognitive self-perceptions using information from their social interactions more than objective cues. These findings highlight the need to determine how personality traits influence which sources of information older adults employ when thinking about their cognitive ability, which in turn may explain their choices for activity engagement.

Intercultural Perspective on Drama Adaptation: A Case Study of "Waiting for Godot" (2023 Wuzhen Theatre Festival Edition)

This paper conducts an in-depth study on "intercultural" drama adaptation in the context of globalization, taking the version of "Waiting for Godot" presented at the 2023 Wuzhen Theatre Festival as a case study. It explores how to make innovative and profound intercultural adaptations while retaining the spiritual core of the original work. The article proposes and applies analytical perspectives such as "form and physicality, "emphasizing the importance of preserving the "core" meaning of the original work during the adaptation process. This paper employs field research methods for on-site study, observing and analyzing "Waiting for Godot" performed at the Wuzhen Theatre Festival, and proposing various intercultural adaptation methods. Additionally, this article conducted audience surveys to gather feedback from the viewers' perspective, making the research more comprehensive and in-depth. The innovation of this paper lies in the first-time application of field research methods to the study of drama adaptation, obtaining data from actual performances and audience feedback, which makes the research findings more realistic and practically valuable. Moreover, our proposed concept of preserving the "core" of drama provides a new theoretical perspective and practical direction for future drama adaptation research.

Comparisons of aerosol generation across different musical instruments and loudness

Respiratory aerosols can serve as vectors for disease transmission, and aerosol emission is highly activity-dependent. COVID-19 severely impacted the performing arts due to concerns about disease spread by respiratory aerosols and droplets generated during singing and playing musical instruments. Aerosol generation from woodwind and brass performance is less understood compared to singing due to uncertainty about how the diverse range of musical instruments may impact respiratory aerosol concentrations and size distributions. Here, aerosol number and mass concentrations along with size distributions were measured for breathing, speaking, and playing four different woodwind and brass instruments by 23 professional instrumentalists. We find that a 1 dBA increase in sound pressure level corresponds to a ∼10% increase in aerosol number concentration. The aerosol size distribution is consistent with that of breathing. Differences in aerosol emission across musical instruments can be partly explained by the loudness of performance. Measuring aerosol generation from single notes or simple songs may be sufficient to characterise the aerosol emission range during actual performance, provided a range of loudnesses are accessed. These results provide insight into the factors contributing to aerosol emission during musical performance and facilitate risk assessments associated with infectious respiratory disease transmission in the performing arts.

Optimizing Football Performance through the Integration of Tactical Skills Training of Student-Athletes in Beijing, China

The study utilized a quantitative comparative-correlational research design to examine the relationship between tactical skills training and football player performance. The study focused on students with professional expertise and experience to assess the impact of tactical skills training on football players' performance. The study used a census sampling approach due to the limited availability of instructors and mentors at the selected university. This method ensured diverse viewpoints and mitigated sampling errors by enumerating the entire population. The researcher took 50 sample respondents. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire that measured the assessment and performance level of football players' tactical skills training. The study found a slight inverse relationship between tactical skills training assessments and actual football player performance, with a mean score of 3.098, suggesting that high training scores do not necessarily lead to superior performance, but other factors also play a crucial role.

A framework to support the design of a regenerative indoor environment

In recent decades, a new generation of “green indoor” spaces has fulfilled the latest regulations and guidelines for a carbon-neutral society. Their targets are reachable through certifications embracing sets of measures and the adverse effects on occupants. Notwithstanding this, it has constituted a significant step forward in building design. However, the challenges given by climate change and the ecological crises lead to the need for new disruptive approaches to indoor design and function, enhancing human health and adopting regenerative design” at the forefront of buildings’ conception. Besides the positive energy-performance attributes, the creation of a Regenerative Indoor Environment utilizes appropriate construction technologies and systems, to reinforce human health, and enhance users’ experience. This regenerative paradigm shift foresees putting ecosystems at the centre and the users’ psycho-physiological wellbeing, thus magnifying their collaboration. Despite regenerative design gaining some attention, a framework towards its implementation promoting the actual performances of the indoor environment is still missing, and designers do navigate among guidelines with no apparent performance indicators to be achieved, technologies to be implemented, or methodologies for post-occupancy evaluations. These three levels, constituting a stepwise methodology, are addressed by the authors within the sections of this paper, and validated as an example of the office buildings’ typology. i) What characterizes a Regenerative Indoor Environment? ii) What technical solutions underpin the realization of a Regenerative Indoor Environment? iii) What methods or standards are crucial for its evaluation? With these premises, the paper contributes to supporting the creation of a regenerative indoor’ design, by sampling and outlining regenerative indoor performances to be obtained, describing the adequate tools to implement them, as well as by displaying approaches and solutions for their final verification.

How emotions are related to competence beliefs during mathematical problem solving: Differences between boys and girls

This study, grounded in Control Value Theory, aimed at increasing insight into how the emotions of enjoyment and anxiety shape students' situated math competence beliefs. Additionally, we investigated gender differences in these effects. An online survey including mathematical problems with corresponding competence belief ratings, and questionnaires regarding math-related emotions was filled out by 866 ninth-grade students. Ordinal mixed effects modelling revealed that after correcting for actual performance, emotions contributed (modestly) to students' competence beliefs: enjoyment was positively related to competence and anxiety had a negative relation. The strength of these relations was not affected by gender, but boys did report higher situated math competence beliefs than girls, despite a lack of gender difference in actual performance. Boys also showed higher math enjoyment and lower anxiety than girls. Our findings underline the need for interventions that improve girls' attitude towards mathematics and refute the math gender stereotype. Educational relevance and implications statementIn this study we investigated factors related to ninth-grade students' situated competence beliefs in math. We found that first and foremost actual performance predicted competence beliefs, showing students' metacognitive abilities. But we also found that the emotions of math enjoyment and math anxiety affected these beliefs, and that boys held higher competence beliefs than girls, while their math performance did not differ. This suggests that a situated intervention, aimed at showing girls at the item level how often their answers are correct and stimulating them to hold positive beliefs could boost their confidence in their STEM abilities, and possibly enhance their motivation to pursue a STEM career.

Synthesis and capability evaluation of quinone-enriched polymer with extended π-conjugated and contorted structures for efficient energy storage

In this study, quinone-enriched polymers (PDQs) are uniquely combined with reduced graphene oxides (rGOs) for assembling organic molecular electrodes (OMEs). The PDQ polymers are synthesized via a Schiff-base reaction involving 1,5-Diaminoanthraquinone (DAAQ) and 2,4,6-Triformylphloroglucinol (Tp). PDQ's extended π-conjugation system, substantial CO groups, and contorted structures result in excellent electrochemical properties, while strong π–π interactions with rGO enhance the cycling stability. The as-prepared PDQ/rGO-0.3 delivers a specific capacitance as high as 483.6 F g−1 at 5 mV s−1, with remarkable capacitance retentions (80 % at 100 mV s−1) and an outstanding cycling stability, where 87.8 % capacity retains after 10,000 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g−1. To verify actual energy storage performance of PDQ/rGO-0.3, an aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) is assembled by employing 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone-modified reduced graphite oxide (DHBQ/rGO) as another electrode, of which redox reaction occurs in a positive potential range. The assembled ASC displays a high energy density of 28.8 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 678 W kg−1, maintaining 98 % after 10,000 cycles in 1 M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. To shed a light for practical use, a tandem configuration of two ASCs (PDQ/rGO-0.3//DHBQ/rGO) are demonstrated to power 46 LEDs effectively.

On-site measurement and optimization of energy efficiency of the cascading desiccant wheel deep dehumidification systems in the lithium-ion battery manufacturing factory

The desiccant wheel deep dehumidification system in the lithium-ion battery manufacturing factory is significantly energy intensive, which substantially treats the process air from the ambient to the supply air state with a dew point temperature below −20 °C. On-site measurements were conducted in this study to investigate the actual performance of the deep dehumidification systems. The air treatment process and energy consumption during the operation were continuously monitored. The results reveal that the coefficient of performance of the dehumidification process of the systems ranges from 0.54 to 0.63 under basic winter conditions and ranges from 1.15 to 1.25 under basic summer conditions. The deep dehumidification processes of the systems are divided into multiple stages, and with the deepening of the process air humidity ratio from above 6 g/kg to below 0.3 g/kg, the partial energy efficiency of the treatment stages decreases. The efficient operational strategies are further elaborated for the improvement of the deep dehumidification system, including the proper match between the dehumidification gradient and the dehumidification stages, and the appropriate use of outlet process air with low humidity ratio as the regeneration air. The energy consumption of the cascading desiccant wheel dehumidification system can be reduced by lowering the cooling temperature of the cooling coil to undertake more latent load in the preliminary dehumidification stage. The effect of the bypass air state as the regeneration air is revealed, and the energy efficiency of the system is enhanced by up to 32 % by applying appropriate bypass air. This study offers guidance for the future design of the cascading desiccant wheel deep dehumidification system in similar applications.

Translation and Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version of the Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (TIADL).

(1) Background: to examine the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (TIADL) in nursing home residents. (2) Methods: Fifty-two participants (85.8 ± 4.2 years) were assessed on two occasions, 10-14 days apart. The same rater administered all assessments. Internal consistency was analysed through Cronbach's α. The reliability was estimated using the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and the standard error of the mean (SEM) was used to estimate the minimal detectable change (MDC). Construct validity was determined by Spearman's correlation coefficients. (3) Results: For internal consistency, Cronbach's α (0.81) revealed high internal reliability. All of the subtests demonstrated good or excellent reliability and also presented acceptable measurement precision, considering the criterion SEM < SD/2. According to Spearman's rho, correlations with the Portuguese version of the TIADL, the Useful Field of View test, and semantic and phonemic fluency tests were significant, with moderate positive and negative correlations (0.4 < rs < 0.69). (4) Conclusions: The Portuguese version of the TIADL had good to excellent test-retest reliability (ICC > 0.90) and acceptable measurement precision. This test could be a valuable clinical tool for assessing actual performance in instrumental activities of daily living in nursing home residents.

Performance Evaluation of Maximum Ratio Combining Diversity Technology and Traditional System Based on Comprehensive Noise Analysis in Underwater Wireless Optical Communication

The maximum ratio combining (MRC) diversity technology has shown outstanding performance in overcoming the adverse effects of underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) systems. However, its actual performance gain will be affected by the detection area and noise, which requires an in-depth analysis. In this paper, on the basis of fully considering the noises in the UWOC system, the performance of the MRC diversity technology is fairly and comprehensively studied by comparing it with two single-input–single-output (SISO) systems using a small aperture detection (SAD) scheme or a large-aperture detection (LAD) scheme through a Monte Carlo simulation and a formula analysis. The results show that the traditional belief that the MRC diversity scheme has consistently outperformed SISO systems may be misleading. When the thermal noise is dominant and the background noise is small, the LAD scheme performs better than the MRC diversity scheme with the same detection area. And in other cases, the MRC diversity scheme with the same detection area is always superior to the SISO systems. The conclusions obtained in this paper have a guiding significance for the practical application of UWOC.

Structural analysis of global mineral governance system from the perspective of country

The uneven spatial distribution of mineral resources necessitates the construction of mature global mineral governance system to ensure rational allocation of mineral resources. To this end, it is essential to analyze the structure of the global mineral governance system to provide a theoretical basis for the construction. The governance actor is the crucial element in driving the governance process, and country serves as the most central actor. Therefore, clarifying the roles and statuses of different countries in the governance system will be helpful to analyze the structure of the governance system. In the context of advancing globalization, a complex cooperative relationship has been presented between countries based on international organizations. Thus, we establish a national cooperation network based on the principle of the co-existence of countries in international organizations, to quantify these relationships between countries and identify the role and status of different countries, as well as the country communities in the cooperation network, by combining the characteristics of the countries in the network with the actual performance in the organizations. The research findings are as follow: (1) The UK, Germany, France, Sweden, and Canada play pivotal roles in promoting international cooperation as well as leading governance in the governance system. (2) Emerging economies are more actively engaged in these organizations and can promote international cooperation, but lack the capacity to assume leadership roles in governance. (3) The U.S. and China have a stronger ability to lead than to cooperate in the governance system. (4) Most African and South American countries, as well as some European nations, are marginalized in the governance system. (5) Countries with the same needs and similar economic and political conditions belong to the same community: The European countries and the U.S., consumer with a high level of economic and political development but low mineral resource endowment are in the first community. Canada, Australia, and certain African and South American countries, producers with high mineral resource endowments are in the second community. Most African and South American countries with lower levels of economic and political development are in the third group.

Develop the ubiquitous computing wearable IoT devices using IoT-distributed framework

Body Area Sensor Network (BASN) communication methods meet clients' multi-level requirements through Wearable Internet of Things (WIoT) systems. Transparency at management levels, heterogeneous support, and distributed communication to users are requirements of the PCS. Providing essential functions is a serious problem. A flexible Ubiquitous Computing (UC) architecture presented in this study is used to improve the reliability of end-user communication in the WIoT-based health sensor approach. According to this method, demand and sharing variables provide the foundation for the evaluation of resource allocation through recurrent learning. A proposed method could be used to implement end-user mobility management on WIoT healthcare sensors for data transmission, resource allocation and sharing. To show the integrity of the approach, some parameters were used in the actual evaluation and performance predictions. In the ubiquitous ecosystem, the uninterrupted flow was guaranteed to reduce the likelihood of a request being blocked. Memory control to density assignment at the framework level through storage management helps reduce backlogs and failures when allocating resources. The proposed approach enhances storage utilization, bandwidth, and request management besides lowering connection speed, backlogs, and request failure compared to the existing systems.

Experimental Assessment of Genset Performance for PCCI-DI Combustion Engine

Applying the PCCI-DI combustion concept which can yield low emissions is tried for vehicular applications. However, much work has not been carried out on the genset engine which is a constant speed application. The PCCI can be achieved by various methods like port injection, late direct injection, early direct injection, and multiple direct injections to name a few. However in this case, it is achieved using the port injection. The two different port injection quantities are tried out. The first is with 3 ms pulse and the other with 5 ms pulse of port injection. In this study, PCCI-DI engine is assembled with the alternator to form a genset. The genset is tested for assessing its behavior in real-world conditions. The main trials to simulate the realworld condition are the load throw-on and load throw-off trials. The extreme case of these trials is to load the engine from no load to full load during the throw-on trials and reverse in throw-off trials. The results indicate the best performance in the case of pure DI combustion. With the use of port injection, the genset performance decorates. This is due to the fuel being injected in the port and it takes a finite time for the reaction to sudden loading and de-loading of the engine. The higher the amount of port fuel injection the higher the deterioration in response is observed. The result gives the actual performance and the response in all three combustion configurations. All three cases met the ISO 8528-5 G3 class requirements.

Influence of drift angle on the propulsive efficiency of a fully appended container ship (KCS) using Computational Fluid Dynamics

To estimate the powering and manoeuvring performance of the ship in a real seaway, it is essential to accurately determine forces acting on the hull, propeller, rudder and their interaction effects when operating at an angle of drift. The rotating propeller alters the fluid flow around the upstream hull and the downstream rudder. Likewise, when a non-zero drift or rudder angle is applied, significant crossflow is generated across the propeller plane, changing the wakefield and the actual performance of the propeller. A study is conducted to analyse the hull–propeller–rudder interaction of the benchmark KRISO Container Ship (KCS) in calm water using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The KCS is studied at drift angles of −10°, 0°and ＋10°, combined with a series of rudder angles (−35°to ＋35°), which can represent quasi-static phases of an actual ship manoeuvre. The propeller is modelled using two body force models, Blade Element Momentum Theory and the Yamazaki model. Good agreement is found between experimental and numerical results when predicting hull forces and wave patterns at drift, providing a good reference for experimental measurement of the hull and its appendage forces at drift and future validation of actual dynamic manoeuvring simulations.

Performance evaluation of three grid-connected monocrystalline silicon solar photovoltaic systems in Nepal

This study evaluates three grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) systems using four criteria: final yield, performance ratio, capacity utilization factor, and system efficiency. The PV systems were installed on the rooftop of the Nepal Telecom office at Sundhara, Pokhara, and Biratnagar. The generation data was collected through the web interface of the data logger installed at the sites. Long-term comparison (four years) of the plant at Sundhara and the same system comparison of plants at Pokhara and Biratnagar were performed. Long-term analysis of the plant at Sundhara found that the final yield decreased from 2.91 kWh/kWp in 2019 to 2.21 kWh/kWp in 2022. Similarly, the performance ratio decreased from 91.0% in 2019 to 67.3% in 2022, capacity utilization factor decreased from 12.1% in 2019 to 9.2% in 2022, and system efficiency decreased from 16.8% in 2019 to 12.5% in 2022. The same system installed at Pokhara and Biratnagar had slightly varied performance owing to the variation in meteorological parameters. The average air temperature at Biratnagar (26.7°C) was higher than at Pokhara (13.1°C) while the amount of solar radiation at Biratnagar was just higher by 4%. This led to the reduction of final yield by 9% at Biratnagar than at Pokhara as higher temperatures at Biratnagar caused more reduction in the power output from the solar panels. Finally, this study provides insights to researchers, PV installers, and panel manufacturers on the actual performance of grid-connected solar PV in Nepal.

Performance Evaluation of Logistics Service Provider (LSP) in FMCG Companies Using Physical Distribution Service Quality (PDSQ) Dimension: Case Study

Increasingly fierce business competition requires companies to be able to meet customer desires on time, in the right amount and in the right quality. FMCG XXX Company is a skin care product manufacturing company that focuses on production activities. Therefore, the company transfers product distribution activities to customers (distributors) to Logistics Service Providers (LSP). FMCG XXX hold consumer’s satisfaction in the highest regard. Along with the increasing number of activities being diverted, FMCG XXX companies aim to evaluate LSP performance through appropriate indicators. The indicators evaluated in this study adopt dimensions in Physical Distribution Service Quality (PDSQ) which consist of three dimensions, namely timeliness, availability and condition. Based on the results of the study, 13 indicators were obtained that FMCG XXX Company used to evaluate LSP performance. In general, around 69% of LSP's actual performance has been able to meet the targets set by the company, where two indicators are able to exceed the target and seven indicators are in accordance with the target. However, the company still has to focus on four indicators that have negative deviations because the actual performance value is less than the target set by the company. Negative indicators come from the availability and condition dimensions. The company coordinates with LSP to design improvement projects in order to improve actual performance according to the company's targets.

A quad-core Zn (II) cluster-based microporous metal-organic framework with nonpolar cages for efficient removal of ethane from ethane/ethylene mixtures

Ethane (C2H6) and ethylene (C2H4) have similar physical and chemical properties, which are critical and difficult for the separation of C2H6/C2H4 mixtures in the petrochemical process. Traditional C2H4-selective adsorbents can separate the C2H6/C2H4 mixtures, but need further desorption treatment to obtain pure C2H4 production. On the contrary, high-pure C2H4 can be prepared in one step by C2H6-selective porous material. Herein, we present a caged metal-organic framework (GNU-2) based on Zn (II) clusters, which has advantageous adsorption sites and cavity pockets for the reverse capture of C2H6 from C2H6/C2H4 mixtures. At 298 K and 1 bar, high C2H6 uptake (5.10 mmol g−1) and C2H6/C2H4 selectivity (1.849) were attained based on the activated GNU-2 (GNU-2a), exceeding a number of top C2H6-selective adsorbents. Grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations exhibit that the appropriate chemical environment of nonpolar cage in GNU-2a allows it to continuously maintain closer van der Waals contacts between C2H6 molecule, saturated Zn cluster and nonpolar pore surface through multiple CH···O hydrogen interactions and CH···π hydrogen interactions. Moreover, dynamic breakthrough studies also show that GNU-2a displays the actual separation performances of C2H6.