Signage Research Articles

Sign Board Categorization on Traffic Monitoring System

Sign Board Categorization on Traffic Monitoring System

Walking on Huaihai Street: liminality, linguistic landscape, and language policy

ABSTRACT Informed by the anthropological notion of liminality, as well as the recent increasing perception of urban tourism as the enactment of various tourist subjectivities, this article aims to advance the work of studying linguistic landscapes and language policy, by way of examining the languages used in public signage of Huaihai Street in the eastern China city of Suzhou. As a theme street constructed to cater to the ethnic minority group of Japanese people running business in Suzhou, Huaihai Street has recently grown into a liminal space as the product of being continuously shaped and reshaped by various forces, providing both Japanese people and Chinese people a sense of communitas. In this study, together with the commercial and service establishments in operation there, visual language use in the visible shop signs of every store on the entire stretch of the street is examined to address three main liminality-related issues: (1) language displays, (2) translanguaging practices, and (3) indeterminable status of languages. Implications of these empirical findings for language policy in the context of a liminal space are also discussed.

Comparison of visual outcomes between medical treatment alone and Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation in Shiba dogs with primary angle closure glaucoma.

The objective of the study was to evaluate visual outcomes between medical treatment alone (MED) and Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation (AGVI) in Shiba dogs with primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG). Records of 65 Shiba dogs (104 eyes) with PACG were retrospectively reviewed. Vision was assessed qualitatively using both the menace response and maze testing. The significance of age, sex, intraocular pressure (IOP), and duration of clinical signs (≤72 h or >72 h) at first presentation (V1) was assessed. Eyes with vision at V1 were divided into groups according to subsequent treatment method (MED versus AGVI), and vision as a survival outcome was compared between group by the Kaplan-Meier method. At V1, 65 eyes (62.5%) of 54 dogs had vision. There was no statistically significant difference in age or sex on the presence of vision at V1. Median IOP was higher in blind (52 mmHg) compared to sighted eyes (28 mmHg) (p < .001). Eyes presenting in ≤72 h of the onset of clinical signs were more likely to have vision (86.7%) compared to those presenting after 72 h (44.1%) (p < .001). By the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the cumulative visual retention rate was significantly higher with AGVI than with MED (69.2% vs. 7.7%; p < .01) at 12 months. The median time to visual loss was 39.9 months with AGVI vs. 1.7 months with MED. AGVI resulted in better visual outcomes than MED and should be considered in Shiba dogs with PACG that are visual at the time of presentation and suitable for surgery.

부산 지역 대학가 주변의 언어 경관 (linguistic landscape) 고찰 -부산대학교 장전캠퍼스 주변을 중심으로-

This paper aims to investigate the linguistic landscape surrounding Pusan National University through the collection of linguistic data from commercial store signs in the vicinity of the Jangjeon Campus. Since these signs mirror the culture of the university town, we can delineate the characteristics of the area around Pusan National University by examining the types of characters and languages used, as well as the distribution of sign contents based on business types, with the goal of identifying regional peculiarities. The analysis yielded notable findings. Firstly, it was observed that the signage predominantly employs a combination of the Roman alphabet and Hangeul, with the latter being the most prevalent. Secondly, variations in each location were attributed to differences in the market and the primary customer base. Thirdly, instances of shop names incorporating 'pwutae' or 'hyo-won' were identified, signifying their proximity to Pusan National University.

Language used in shop signs in Kamal, Madura: Virtual landscape linguistics using google street view

This study aimed to investigate the languages used in shop signs in Kamal, Madura using an internet application namely Google Street View. Within the framework of the linguistic landscape approach, it has to do with the existence, distribution, and factors influencing the existence of languages. This analysis used descriptive-qualitative methods. The data was pictures of shop signs in that area which was chosen by several criteria. The signs that we chose was sign in Kamal main road, it was only business signs, and we only analysed the name of the business signs. By using that criteria, we found 277 signs for our data. The data was analysed quantitatively to know the distribution and factors influencing the existence of languages in the signs. The findings revealed that the shop owners still used languages other than the Madurese language in their shop signs, such as English, Korean, Mandarin, and Arabic, with Indonesian being the most dominant language. It implies that as one of the gates of Madura, there is modernization and diversity demonstrated by the use of foreign languages in the area. It also supports the idea that the people in Kamal Madura are heterogenous. Moreover, using the Indonesian language in that area implies loyalty to the central Government’s language policy.

Two-Stage Traffic Sign Classification System

Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) has received widespread attention due to increased traffic accidents caused by a failure to recognize road traffic signs. Most Traffic Sign Recognition remains challenging due to the illumination of natural scenes, and the diversity in traffic signs [31]. To solve the problem, we proposed a two-stage classification system to overcome the above-mentioned challenges and classify the traffic sign boards efficiently. During the first phase, colour based histogram equalizations applied to eliminates the illumination factors and then traffic sign boards are classified into many shapes, which includes circular, triangular, hexagonal, and diamond traffic signs boards based on the modified HOG feature descriptors and various machine learning classifiers are compared [12]. In the second phase, circular and triangular traffic signs are further categorized into specific subclasses using circular and triangular signs trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) respectively to overcome intra-class variation among the similar sign board. Experimentation was conducted on German Traffic Sign Recognition Benchmark dataset (GTSRB) [30] and the results show 99.96% top-1 accuracy during the first stage of classification. In the second stage, there is accuracy of 99.40% for circular traffic signs and 97.50% for triangular traffic signs.

Maik Iohansen: Nomina Omina (1929)

Iohansen's humorous essay deals with inadvertent translingual puns in Kharkiv store signs, as well as casts light on the ideological significance of the public use of Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian in the early Soviet period.

Multilingualism in Australia: A Case Study of the Linguistic Landscape of Springvale, Melbourne

In this study, the linguistic landscape of Springvale was analyzed according to Ben-Rafael's (2009) principles. Quantitative and social semiotic approaches were used to examine how the local Asian speech communities were reflected in the area's linguistic landscape. A commercial street was sampled, and 143 signs were examined, with 107 being multilingual and displaying up to eight different languages on a single sign. The remaining 36 signs were monolingual and displayed only three languages. The signs were categorized by business domain, and the results showed that the type of business influenced the language choice of signs. The signwriters presented unique and authentic identities to the public through their signing, constructing various distinctive identities and revealing certain ideologies to potential customers through different modalities and language choices on signs. This study sheds light on the sociolinguistic situation of Springvale, demonstrating the impact of power across ethnicities, how identities are claimed through commercial signage, and how different groups settle in new places through the linguistic landscape. It is an important contribution to the linguistic landscape and multilingualism studies.

IOT E-Circular Notification for Students Using a WIFI-Based LED Advertising Board

Abstract: Scrolling display board is a common sight today. Advertisement is going digital. The use of led scrolling display board at big shops, shopping centers, railway station, bus stands and educational institutes is becoming an effective mode of communication in providing information to the people as notice board. But these off-the-shelf units are somewhat inflexible in terms of updating the message instantly. If the user wants to change the message it needs to be done using a computer and hence the person needs to be present at the location of the display board. It means the message cannot be changed from wherever or whenever. Also the display board cannot be placed anywhere because of complex and delicate wiring. 'GSM based LED Scrolling Display Board' is a model for displaying notices/messages at places that require real-time noticing, by sending messages in the form of SMS through mobile[1-3]. It is a system wherein the display board need not be reprogrammed to display a new message because it is wireless. The project aims to develop a moving sign board which empowers the user to change the scrolling message using application in our mobile phone service instantaneously unlike a desk bound device such as PC or laptop. The user can update it even from a Wi-Fi distant. The system can be edited any time anywhere within the Wi- Fi range[4].

Reading in the city: mobile eye-tracking and evaluation of text in an everyday setting.

Reading is often regarded as a mundane aspect of everyday life. However, little is known about the natural reading experiences in daily activities. To fill this gap, this study presents two field studies (N = 39 and 26, respectively), where we describe how people explore visual environments and divide their attention toward text elements in highly ecological settings, i.e., urban street environments, using mobile eye-tracking glasses. Further, the attention toward the text elements (i.e., shop signs) as well as their memorability, measured via follow-up recognition test, were analysed in relation to their aesthetic quality, which is assumed to be key for attracting visual attention and memorability. Our results revealed that, within these urban streets, text elements were looked at most, and looking behaviour was strongly directed, especially toward shop signs, across both street contexts; however, aesthetic values were not correlated either with the most looked at signs or the viewing time for the signs. Aesthetic ratings did however have an effect on memorability, with signs rated higher being better recognised. The results will be discussed in terms aesthetic reading experiences and implications for future field studies.

Comparative analysis of the long-term surgical treatment results of noninvasive thymus gland tumors

The study compared the long-term results of thymectomy from traditional open thoracic/sternotomic and endovideosurgical access in 98 patients with thymus tumors. All patients were divided into two groups depending on the thymectomies performed from various surgical approaches. The control group consisted of 34 patients in whom surgical interventions were performed via the traditional open access, and the main group consisted of 29 patients in whom surgical interventions were performed via the endovideosurgical access. Both groups were comparable by sex, age, concomitant pathology, presence, and severity of clinical signs of myasthenia gravis, tumor size, morphological structure, and progression stage according to the classifications by Masaoka-Koga (1997) and TNM-8 2017. According to the frequency of tumor recurrence and regression of myasthenic disorders within 3 years after surgery, no significant differences were found between the groups (2 (5.9%) and 0, p = 0.27;&#x0D; 9 (69.2%) and 10 (71.4%), p = 0.52, respectively). Moreover, no significantly significant differences were found in the long-term survival (so-called KaplanMeier survival function) between the two groups. The annual, 3-, 5- and 10-year survival rates in the control group were 100%, 90.3% 2%, 87% 4%, and 87% 4%, and in the video-assisted thymectomy group, the survival rates were 100%, 100%, 100%, and 92.3% 3%, respectively (p = 0.71). In general, the long-term results of endovideosurgical thymectomy with small tumors and the absence of invasion into neighboring anatomical structures do not differ from those of traditional open surgical interventions in terms of the main oncological indicators, namely, long-term survival and frequency of tumor recurrence. The obtained results are consistent with world literature data, according to which the most significant prognostic factor of long-term survival is the stage of tumor progression by TNM. The average 5-year survival rates following radical thymectomy were 90%, 90%, 60%, and 25%, respectively, for TNM stages I, II, III, and IV.

Linguistic Diversity and Ideology in the Linguistic Landscape of the Coffee Capital of the Philippines

This paper aims to show the extent of linguistic diversity and ideology in the multilingual advertisements or the linguistic landscape (LL) of Amadeo, a segregated town in the Southern Tagalog, Province of Cavite, Philippines. The LL, considered the country's coffee center, will be explored, considering the town's diverse language status, as well as its current economic challenges. The research will focus on 14 barangays that have been molded by 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' forces in the context of the complicated link between the languages utilized and their depiction in the chosen coffee-related LL for which Amadeo is well known. Because English is the most used foreign language in town, particularly in product advertisements, the researcher goes on to define the level of English language visibility, diversity, ideology, and position in the labeling of store signs, coffee products, and emblematic structures in Amadeo's LL. The study is investigated utilizing Sebba's framework on the unit of analysis, which covers (a) language-spatial linkages, (b) language-content relationships, and (c) language mixing as reflected in signages. Extensive documentation of LL items will be gathered and determined only based on frequency count. The frequency count results for each unit will be represented in the coding chart. The study will determine whether there is a high level of English visibility in the LL across 14 barangays in Amadeo, because the proponent believes that the English language's informative and symbolic functions in the LL serve to communicate the coffee products' essential features and details that entice educated local and foreign tourists, while also exuding modernity, sophistication, and globalness. It is also claimed that the town's business and tourism, rather than the preservation of its indigenous culture, are the primary driving forces determining Amadeo's spatial practice, symbolic construction, and language ideology as the coffee capital of the Philippines.

Exploring wordplay and humour in English usage within Japanese texts

English has been extensively integrated into various commercial contexts in Japan, infiltrating brand names, clothing, products, packaging (Dougill, 2008), shop signs (Backhaus, 2006; Inoue, 2005; MacGregor, 2003a), advertising copy (Seargeant, 2011; Takashi, 1990a, 1990b), television commercials (MacGregor, 2003b; Stanlaw, 1992), television programs (Jinnouchi, 2007), and Japanese popular music (Moody, 2001; Moody, 2006; Pennycook, 2003; Stanlaw, 2021). Scholars attribute this phenomenon to English's attention-catching effects (Bhatia, 2009) and its ability to stand out amidst predominantly Japanese scripts (Takashi, 1990b). While some argue that English is primarily used for decorative purposes, conveying positive imagery without necessarily prioritising communication (Dougill, 2008; Haarmann, 1989; Seaton, 2001), others contend that marketers capitalise on the public's superficial knowledge of basic English to achieve both decorative and communicative goals (Daulton, 2008). Previous studies have focused on English-based loanwords in the Japanese language system, overlooking the creative use of English wordplay in Japanese advertising texts (Inagawa, 2015; Scherling, 2016). This study aims to fill this gap by examining five instances of English wordplay in Japanese commercial texts that go beyond basic usage.

Africatown in Guangzhou as geosemiotic assemblage: connecting multilingualism, store signs, and chronotopes

Abstract Using the social-spatial notions of geosemiotic assemblage and chronotope, this participatory ethnographic case study examines the intersection of store signs in the Africatown in Guangzhou and transnational African migrants’ meaning-making and place-making practices. Data collection is employed through a combination of traditional and participatory ethnographic methods including visual texts, interviews, and virtual field observations with fieldnotes. Findings from this study indicate the Africatown as geosemiotic assemblage, which echoes the principle in human geography that material and social environments are imbued with meanings in daily practices. The Africatown as geosemiotic assemblage is a multifaceted and dialogic process in which meanings, perceptions, multi-senses, and symbols are tied together to a locality. This study illustrates that the African migrants’ perceptions of the Africatown are mediated by both material and social environments. Specifically, African migrants are able to engage in multilingual social practices with both non-human artefacts and humans, placing great emphasis on spatiality in their reconceptualization of Africatown as more than a local African migrants’ hub. This study further demonstrates that the materials assembled in the African migrants’ milleu are historical, social, cultural, and multilingual in facilitating their reconstruction of the Africatown’s transnational space and African migrants’ identities. This study argues that a geosemiotic assemblage approach is salient in expanding current understandings of multilingual and transnational research by foregrounding materiality in meaning-making and place-making practices.

Scripting Identities: Reading Language Dynamics and Ideologies on Shop Signs in Kampala

This article examines the linguistic landscape of Kampala (Uganda) by analysing the language dynamics that play out through shop signs. Engaging with data collected through photographs and interviews, this article draws on three interrelated theoretical perspectives: the markedness of languages, the symbolic power of languages, and good reasons for language use. The main findings suggest that the languages used on shop signs in Uganda are informed largely by attitudes towards English being a practical commercial language. Moreover, English is considered by shop owners to be the language of “class,” power, and a marker of the “educated” and therefore occupies the largest space on the shop signs. As such, the use of English on shop signs does not imply literacy or proficiency in the language, but rather forms a prestigious-symbolic identity.

Ukrainian in public space: examples from Poland and Germany (2022–2023)

This paper explores the presence of the Ukrainian language in Poland and Germany. Language in public space is the subject of numerous studies, and different questions are in its foreground, among which multilingualism analysis enjoys particular popularity. In this study, we follow the theory of semiotic landscapes, which is about evaluating a language in interaction with other (visual) impressions. Some theoretical approaches are presented before selected examples of the use of Ukrainian in Poland and Germany are documented. In both countries, the material which forms the corpus for the study was collected in the period from February 2022 up to March 2023, including some boards with inscriptions in Ukrainian that can be found at railway stations in Poland and Germany and at the Warsaw airport. These inscriptions are important for the refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine since 2022, be-cause they facilitate a lot their orientation abroad. Methodologically, the study focuses on the evaluation of representative samples from this corpus by applying a nexus analysis, which is about combining different analytical perspectives with each other, including sociolinguistics, conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis, and other components. New insights are driven from the intersections of the analyzed components. Grounded on the nexus analyses, this paper proposes a typology of selected examples, which reveal common aspects, but also significant differences between sign boards in Ukrainian met in Poland and in Germany.

Statistical modelling to assessing and enhancing road traffic safety in Tripoli, Libya: A systematic approach

In recent years, there is gradual increase in the needs for private vehicle ownership in Libya due to the lack and poor public transportation infrastructure which results in the growth of road traffic accidents (RTAs), particularly in Tripoli. Therefore, in order to evaluate RTAs, the current study used a systematic method that looks at three variables: the driver, the vehicle, and urban conditions. Besides, in order to explore the causes and factors that contribute to RTAs in the city, the current study used multiple correspondence analysis and logistic regression analysis to examine the data of 1) drivers and 2) vehicles involved in accidents, and 3) RTAs reported between 2015 and 2019 on twelve major urban roads in Tripoli. The findings show that each of the 12 chosen routes had a severity index (SI) above 10 and that RTAs regularly happened on those roads. RTAs most commonly happened as a result of driver negligence, which included speeding, being careless, failing to give priority, using a phone while driving, and negotiating bends incorrectly. While the results of the logistic regression analysis showed that increasing the width of the road median, crosswalks, and pedestrian bridges as well as the number of lanes and traffic signs would significantly increase road traffic safety (RTS), by following the distinct RTA-related factors such as sign boards on each road. A reduction in RTA frequency in Tripoli might be achieved by enhancing driver education and risk perception (drivers should maintain a high degree of awareness, refrain from distractions, respect traffic rules, and modify their driving style to the conditions of the road as well as their own physical and mental health), as the majority of RTAs there are caused by speeding and inattention, and by improving the nation's road infrastructure. The current study helps to design the policy of creating and putting into practice a systematic approach for safer roads in Tripoli.

Legibility: Sinhala typeface featuresfor Directional Informative Sign Boards

Typefaces designed for the purpose of directional informative sign boards (DISB) communicate legible information related to drivers and passengers to navigate within road systems to: maintain road discipline and assist drivers to make instant decisions within a short period while operating a vehicle. The legibility of these typefaces works as a fundamental requirement. The reader's preference test (RPT) highlights that a typeface is unique due to its visual features–the anatomy of a typeface and it influences legibility performance, comprehension, memorability, priming, persuasion, perceptual fluency, and practical usage. This visual perception and the neurotic process of connecting human vision and brain is the intellectual cognition between; reader and information that acutely affects the reader to process information. When considering the amount of research work towards the advancement of DISB and typefaces designed for this purpose is at large within the western context, and more evident in Latin script but lacks in scripts such as Sinhala and Tamil within the Eastern regions. To fill this knowledge gap, the research contributes to Sinhala script discussed within the domain of typography research and proposes a draft typeface for Sri Lankan DISB. Considering legibility to be a required key factor in typefaces designed for the purpose of DISB the research methodology was structured into three stages. The first stage reviews legibility test methods, its measurements, testable factors usability and identifies the most relevant test to analyse typeface features. This section concludes by identifying RPT as the most relevant test with two variables: typeface personality traits and anatomy. Second stage adopts the two variables and tests six Sinhala typefaces that contain personality traits required for DISBs. It concludes with the identification of three typefaces that contain the required personality traits for DISB. The third stage analyses the anatomy of the three typefaces and proposes a draft Sinhala typeface for DISB. This stage redefines the two variables specific to Sinhala script and typography research. The stage concludes with a summary of the anatomical features of the proposed draft typeface and confirms a list of anatomical features required for Sri Lankan DISBs. The research also contributes to devel-oping a methodology to analyse Sinhala typefaces, and draft new typefaces for specified communicative purposes. As for further research, the research the draft typeface to be developed and tested to font and to adapt to similar scripts and advanced typography research

Violation of Traffic Rules and Detection of Sign Boards

Today's society has seen a sharp rise in the number of accidents caused by drivers failing to pay attention to traffic signals and regulations. Road accidents are increasing daily as the number of automobiles rises. By using synthesis data for training, which are produced from photos of road traffic signs, we are able to overcome the challenges of traffic sign identification and decrease violations of traffic laws by identifying triple-riding, no-helmet, and accidents, which vary for different nations and locations. This technique is used to create a database of synthetic images that may be used in conjunction with a convolution neural network (CNN) to identify traffic signs, triple riding, no helmet use, and accidents in a variety of view lighting situations. As a result, there will be fewer accidents, and the vehicle operator will be able to concentrate more on continuing to drive but instead of checking each individual road sign. Also, simplifies the process to recognize triple driving, accidents, but also incidents when a helmet was not used.

The Chinese “Streetscape” Investigations on the performative destiny of a social and linguistic space

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; In Europe the street is traditionally the place of self-representation: the “Strada Nuova” in Genova has been designed in 1550 to allow noble families to build their own palaces in a competition of beauty, richness and power. In the American tradition the street became overall a place dominated by its market role (Venturi on Las Vegas, 1972). In China streets are the real public space for people’s daily life and its essential activities (trading, eating, playing, discussing): their role in urban life is so strong that sometime a street can appear even where the planning didn’t establish that.&#x0D; The western main urban public/social space is the square, but for the eastern countries - especially China- the streets represent the most representative urban public space that can be used together without the class differences.However, from the ancient cities to today’s high-density cities, the Chinese streets, because of their social role, have experienced also a very important connection with shop signs, posters, notices of all kinds, flags and signs, luminous writings. All these objects are a kind of ornament of daily-life as well as a real interesting documentary material, useful to understand permanencies and variations in the use of the cities during their transition from the former order to the new one.&#x0D; The paper introduces the framework and the contents of a multidisciplinary research project at work, between urban morphology and Chinese language and culture. (max. 1500 characters, spaces included)&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;