High Level Of Conformity Research Articles

Application of artificial neural network (ANN) for water quality index (WQI) prediction for the river Warta, Poland

The aim of this paper is to present the potential of using neural network modelling for the prediction of the surface water quality index (WQI). An artificial neural network modelling has been performed using the physicochemical parameters (TDS, chloride, TH, nitrate, and manganese) as an input layer to the model, and the WQI as an output layer. The physicochemical parameters have been taken from five measuring stations of the river Warta in the years 2014-2018 via the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection (GIOŚ). The best results of modelling were obtained for networks with 5 neurons in the hidden layer. A high correlation coefficient (general and within subsets) 0.9792, low level of MSE in each subset (training, test, validation), as well as RMSE at a level of 0.624507639 serve as a confirmation. Additionally, the maximum percentage of an error for WQI value did not exceed 4%, which confirms a high level of conformity of real data in comparison to those obtained during prediction. The aforementioned results clearly present that the ANN models are effective for the prediction of the value of the Surface water quality index and may be regarded as adequate for application in simulation by units monitoring condition of the environment.

Analisis Kepuasan Konsumen terhadap Kualitas Produk dan Layanan “Kedai Kebab Turki” di Kabupaten Karangasem

The Aims of this research were to: (1) Find out the quality attributes of products and services that considered important by customer to achieve customer satisfaction at Store Kebab Turki (2) Find out the level of conformity of customer expectations and satisfaction on the quality of products and services at Store Kebab Turki (3) To determine the quality attributes of products and services that need to get priority from Store Kebab Turki based on the level of importance and performance to provide customer satisfaction. The method used to measure the level of customer satisfaction in this study by distributing questionnaires related to the analysis of consumer satisfaction on product and service quality to 90 selected respondents and then calculated using the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) method and the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI). The results of the research showed that the attribute with the highest level of conformity on product quality were the hygiene and freshness of beverage ingredients with a suitability level 102.12% and attribute with lowest of conformity level is beverage menu variations with a suitability level 94.72%. The attribute with the highest level of conformity on service quality is the availability of knowledge of employees on the products offered with a suitability level 100.27% and attribute with lowest satisfaction level is the availability of parking area with a suitability level 79.17%. The attributes that must be prioritized on product quality are the texture of the food, level maturity food, and the taste of the beverage. The attributes that must be prioritized for service quality are the quickness of service for ordering food and beverage, friendliness and courtesy of employees in serving consumers, interior design and availability of parking area. The CSI results show that all product and service quality attributes are considered important by customer with the average number of MIS values ??greater than 4.20 and customer satisfaction level 84.2% in the very satisfied category for product quality and 79.6% in the satisfied category for service quality.
 Keywords : customer satisfaction, product quality, service quality, Importance Performance Analysis, Customer Satisfaction Index.

Approaches and perspectives for online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and future chaos.

BACKGROUND:Online learning (OLL) methodology has been incorporated in higher education extensively on the mount over the last few decades and with the onset of COVID-19 situation, the virtual method in academia became essential. After observing worldly destructions and death due to coronavirus, the WHO declared a high alert emergency, and since Pakistan started to follow lockdown since March 2020 to prevent high penetration and consequently, the online teaching method was adapted to keep the learning atmosphere alive. The study is aimed to identify the influencing factors and compliance for the implementation of the OLL system in COVID-19 and, in the future, nonpandemic state as well.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The present study is designed to observe the adaptability and hurdles among pharmacy students, and for the purpose of the study, a questionnaire on the Likert scale was developed and asked to respond from pharmacy undergraduate and postgraduate students after taking consensus, which further analyzed through IBM SPSS Statistics Version 26.RESULTS:The outcomes of the study were analyzed with a high level of conformity; however, the gender-based reservations were observed, and moreover, merits of OLL were observed with high jeopardy.CONCLUSION:The adaptation of OLL, though proved as the only troubleshooter in an uncontrollable situation and enabled universities, professors, and students for patience, resilience, and hopefully, will serve as swift safeguard for future challenges of epidemic and pandemic disasters. According to the evolution theory, brain adaptability and plasticity of human organisms grow the capacity to adjust itself with an advanced characteristic.

Autonomic Management of a Building’s Multi-HVAC System Start-Up

Most studies about the control, automation, optimization and supervision of building HVAC systems concentrate on the steady-state regime, i.e., when the equipment is already working at its setpoints. The originality of the current work consists of proposing the optimization of building multi-HVAC systems from start-up until they reach the setpoint, making the transition to steady state-based strategies smooth. The proposed approach works on the transient regime of multi-HVAC systems optimizing contradictory objectives, such as the desired comfort and energy costs, based on the “Autonomic Cycle of Data Analysis Tasks” concept. In this case, the autonomic cycle is composed of two data analysis tasks: one for determining if the system is going towards the defined operational setpoint, and if that is not the case, another task for reconfiguring the operational mode of the multi-HVAC system to redirect it. The first task uses machine learning techniques to build detection and prediction models, and the second task defines a reconfiguration model using multiobjective evolutionary algorithms. This proposal is proven in a real case study that characterizes a particular multi-HVAC system and its operational setpoints. The performance obtained from the experiments in diverse situations is impressive since there is a high level of conformity for the multi-HVAC system to reach the setpoint and deliver the operation to the steady-state smoothly, avoiding overshooting and other non-desirable transitional effects.

A Decade Later: The Impact of Empowerment on Women in Sitio Alitaptap, Province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines and Its Effect on Peace and Social Order

This study examined the impact of empowerment on women after a decade of its rigid campaign in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines and its effect on peace and social order as perceived by the residents of sitio Alitaptap, Nueva Ecija. The researcher utilized a descriptive research design using a self-devised questionnaire to gather information. The findings revealed that the respondents have a high level of conformity to the actions of local government unit to empower women. As to the impact of empowerment on women, the respondents agreed to the positive result of the action taken by the local government unit. The study showed that empowering women brought peace and social order and the quality of program implementation in the place caused high degree of effectiveness in the performance of duty of local officials. However, there are some things that are not clear to the respondents as there are some questions where respondents stand neutral. The study revealed that not only will women gain knowledge of their rights on the action of the local government but will also teach men how to respect women. The only negative result of the study is the threat that women may use their rights to prejudice men that may result in social disorder.

¿Importa la cultura durante una pandemia? Una aproximación a la crisis española de la COVID-19

La cultura, como conjunto de creencias, valores y normas predominantes en una sociedad, ejerce un papel central en distintos fenómenos asociados a una pandemia. En este artículo analizamos un conjunto de indicadores culturales que influyen en la definición y seguimiento de las normas de higiene, distanciamiento físico y confinamiento. Los principales resultados apuntan a que los españoles tienen bajos niveles de confianza en los demás, pero altos niveles en el valor de conformidad. Ello abre una agenda de investigación sobre la forma en la cual estas creencias y valores, y su agregación en normas sociales de naturaleza cultural, propician distintos modelos de políticas públicas para hacer frente a la crisis sanitaria, la aceptación social de estas políticas y su efectividad.

Possible improvement of proton energy filter for radiotherapy

For the majority of currently operating medical particle accelerators, dose delivery by one short pulse is not compatible with sequential irradiation of the target at different depths. To address this issue, an improvement of the energy modulator is presented based on a new design of the energy filter – a combined ridge filter. The use of such a device prevents maximum doses of irradiation from reaching healthy tissues outside of the tumor, which was a significant flaw of standard ridge filter. The combined energy filter may be used for a passive scattering of broad beams and, to some extent, for a pencil beam scanning. Monte-Carlo calculations have shown a high level of conformity of irradiation using the new energy filter.

Peer influence on conformity and confidence in a perceptual judgment task

Undergraduate college students were presented with two arrays of dots varying in numerosity on a computer screen and asked to indicate if the arrays differed in number. They also rated their level of confidence in their responses. Trials varied in difficulty based on the size of the arrays. On half of the trials, participants were shown the ostensible responses of confederates to test the effect of peer influence on numerosity judgments and participant confidence. On the other half of the trials, participants received no information about the responses of the confederates to provide a measure of baseline performance. Higher levels of conformity were observed for the difficult trials, on which participants were both less accurate and less confident. However, confidence ratings were influenced by peer judgments for easy trials but not for difficult trials. These data suggest that task difficulty influences conformity when making perceptual judgments.

Breast phantoms for 2D digital mammography with realistic anatomical structures and attenuation characteristics based on clinical images using 3D printing

The aim of this work was to develop a production process for breast phantoms for 2D digital mammography (DM) with realistic anatomical structures and attenuation characteristics based on clinical images using 3D printing.The presented production process is based on PolyJet 3D printing technology using a polypropylene like printing material. First, an attenuation calibration function for this material and the achievable lateral resolution of the printing process of about 200 µm was determined. Subsequently, to generate the digital 3D model of the breast phantom, the pixel intensities of the unprocessed clinical image that are related to the attenuation along the z-axis of the breast, were converted to corresponding phantom heights using the calibration function.To validate the process, an image of the 3D printed breast phantom was acquired on the full field digital mammography (FFDM) system used for calibration and compared with the clinical image in terms of anatomical structures and associated attenuation characteristics. The exposure parameters and image impression of the phantom were evaluated using five other FFDM systems of different manufacturers and types.Results demonstrated that the anatomical structures in the images and the attenuation characteristics of a female breast and the derived phantom agreed on the FFDM system used for calibration. The automatic exposure control segmentation, the automatically selected exposure parameters and the image postprocessing of the clinical and phantom image indicated a high level of conformity. As shown, the phantom is also suitable for other FFDM systems.In conclusion, an approach to produce anthropomorphic breast phantoms for DM offering realistic anatomical structures and attenuation characteristics based on clinical images was successfully developed. As shown, the phantom realistically simulated the original female breast. Therefore, it is expected that such phantoms are promising to support bridging the gap between physical-technical and diagnostic image quality assessment. In addition, they enable a variety of practical and scientific applications for which present technical phantoms are not suitable.

The Statistical Reasoning Learning Environment: A Comparison of Students’ Statistical Reasoning Ability

The purpose of this study was to study the impact of conformity to statistical reasoning learning environment (SRLE) principles on students’ statistical reasoning in advanced placement statistics courses. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare teachers’ levels of conformity to SRLE principles through a matching process used to mitigate the effects of nonrandom assignment. This matching process resulted in five pairs of similar teachers and schools who differed in self-reported beliefs in the effectiveness and application of SRLE principles. Increases in students’ statistical reasoning were found at varying levels in both high and low conformity classrooms. Improvements among teachers with low conformity to SRLE principles were less varied and consistent with national averages for improvement by college students. Improvements in classes with high conformity to SRLE principles were more varied. Students of two teachers with high levels of conformity to SRLE principles showed large levels of improvement in statistical reasoning in comparison to national results. While the comparison between classrooms conformity to SRLE principles revealed no statistically significant differences in students’ statistical reasoning ability, deeper analysis suggests that beliefs and practices aligned with SRLE principles have potential to increase students’ statistical reasoning at rates above national averages.

Distinction of Arvernoceros ardei and Cervus perrieri (Cervidae, Mammalia) from the late Pliocene site of Perrier (France) based on the postcranial skeleton: taxonomic and phylogenetic conclusions

Characteristics of the postcranial skeleton of Arvernoceros ardei and Cervus perrieri from Perrier (France, late Pliocene, 2.78 ± 0.01 Ma BP, MNQ 16b) are described and distinguished. This was made possible by using the skeletal remains of A. ardei from Kaltensundheim (Germany, Thuringia, late Pliocene age) as identification keys. C. perrieri did not occur in Kaltensundheim. Twenty-five skeletal differences of A. ardei and C. perrieri are detected, and are compared to the genera Eucladoceros, Cervus, Praemegaceros and Megaloceros. The results demonstrate a high level of conformity of A. ardei with Eucladoceros in predominantly plesiomorphic features; major differences exist between A. ardei and Cervus, and A. ardei and Megaloceros. C. perrieri shows several similarities with Cervus elaphus, in which both differ from A. ardei and Eucladoceros. An association of C. perrieri to the genus Cervus is indicated by the postcranial skeleton, as has been discussed in the literature based on antler characteristics. By the findings of Kaltensundheim, a precise association of dental and skeletal characteristics to A. ardei is possible now. The allocation of E. giulii from Untermasfeld (Germany, Thuringia, Jaramillo event) to the genus Arvernoceros appears doubtful based on the dental and skeletal features of A. ardei from Kaltensundheim and Perrier. The original classification within the genus Eucladoceros is considered probable.

Studies regarding correct selection of statistical methods for the needs of increasing the efficiency of identification of land for consolidation—A case study in Poland

The land consolidation process is an important and effective tool for sustainable development and spatial planning of rural areas. Land surveying in connection with consolidation and exchange works is expensive and long-lasting and is consistent in many countries of Europe and around the world. Such works are necessary for improving the spatial structure of rural areas. They should be carried out successively in villages where they are most urgent. For the needs of hierarchization of consolidation works multidimensional statistical methods can be applied. The study material is actual field data deriving from the real property register databases referring to a commune situated in central Poland. The final effect of the analyses is developing a ranking of land consolidation works. It was developed using three independent statistical methods: zero unitarization method, Hellwig’s method and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The credibility of results is testified by conformity of the calculation results with the actual needs of the region. The highest level of conformity was observed between the results of identification of land for consolidation employing Hellwig's and zero unitarization methods. Medium conformity, which was also characterized by a high correlation coefficient, was observed for a combination of TOPSIS and zero unitarization methods. The lowest conformity of results was achieved for a combination of Hellwig's method and TOPSIS. The tested methods can be used for developing computational algorithms to enhance IT tools and applications in areas where consolidation is required.

Assessment of contour variability in target volumes and organs at risk in lung cancer radiotherapy.

This study aimed to examine whether any significant differences existed in trial protocol compliance in target volumes (TV) and organs at risk (OARs) contouring amongst clinical oncologists specialised in lung cancer radiotherapy. Two lung radiotherapy trials that require all prospective investigators to submit pre-trial outlining quality assurance (QA) benchmark cases were selected. The contours from the benchmark cases were compared against a set of reference contours which were defined by the trial management group (TMG). In order to quantify the degree of variation in TV and OARs contouring, the matching index (MI), Dice coefficient (DICE), Jaccard index (JI), Van't Riet Index and geographical miss index (GMI) were calculated. A total of 198 structures contoured by 21 clinicians were collected from the outlining benchmark cases. There were 40 clinical target volumes (CTV), 32 spinal cord, 36 oesophagus, 36 heart and 54 lungs volumes included in the study. Analysis of the pre-trial benchmark cases revealed statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in trial protocol compliances between clinical oncologists' target volume and organs at risk contours. Our results demonstrated that the lung contours had the highest level of conformity, followed by heart, CTV, spinal cord and oesophagus respectively. This study showed that there was a statistically significant difference in trial protocol compliance for lung clinical oncologists' TV and OARs contouring within the pre-trial QA benchmark cases. Trial protocol compliances of TV and OARs delineation can be identified through assessing outlining QA benchmark cases.

A novel index for assessing treatment plan quality in stereotactic radiosurgery.

OBJECTIVEStereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is characterized by high levels of conformity and steep dose gradients from the periphery of the target to surrounding tissue. Clinical studies have backed up the importance of these factors through evidence of symptomatic complications. Available data suggest that there are threshold doses above which the risk of symptomatic radionecrosis increases with the volume irradiated. Therefore, radiosurgical treatment plans should be optimized by minimizing dose to the surrounding tissue while maximizing dose to the target volume. Several metrics have been proposed to quantify radiosurgical plan quality, but all present certain weaknesses. To overcome limitations of the currently used metrics, a novel metric is proposed, the efficiency index (η50%), which is based on the principle of calculating integral doses: η50% = integral doseTV/integral dosePIV50%.METHODSThe value of η50% can be easily calculated by dividing the integral dose (mean dose × volume) to the target volume (TV) by the integral dose to the volume of 50% of the prescription isodose (PIV50%). Alternatively, differential dose-volume histograms (DVHs) of the TV and PIV50% can be used. The resulting η50% value is effectively the proportion of energy within the PIV50% that falls into the target. This value has theoretical limits of 0 and 1, with 1 being perfect. The index combines conformity, gradient, and mean dose to the target into a single value. The value of η50% was retrospectively calculated for 100 clinical SRS plans.RESULTSThe value of η50% for the 100 clinical SRS plans ranged from 37.7% to 58.0% with a mean value of 49.0%. This study also showed that the same principles used for the calculation of η50% can be adapted to produce an index suitable for multiple-target plans (Gη12Gy). Furthermore, the authors present another adaptation of the index that may play a role in plan optimization by calculating and minimizing the proportion of energy delivered to surrounding organs at risk (OARη50%).CONCLUSIONSThe proposed efficiency index is a novel approach in quantifying plan quality by combining conformity, gradient, and mean dose into a single value. It quantifies the ratio of the dose "doing good" versus the dose "doing harm," and its adaptations can be used for multiple-target plan optimization and OAR sparing.

ANALISIS KESESUAIAN LEMBAR KERJA PESERTA DIDIK (LKPD) BIOLOGI KELAS X YANG DIGUNAKAN MAN RANTAUPRAPAT KABUPATEN LABUHAN BATU

This study aims to determine the feasibility of Student Work Sheet (LKPD) class X used in MAN Rantauprapat, Labuhan Batu District. Feasibility based on content, construction, technical presentation, and kegrafikan. This research is descriptive research, using quantitative data. Data analysis is done by calculating the percentage of Components component of Student Work Sheet (LKPD). The result of the research indicates that the workspace of Student (LKPD) used in class X MAN Rantauprapat have a high level of conformity and in accordance with standard of content, technical, construction and kegrafikan set by BSNP. Obtained percentage average score of 90.16%., 97.04% detail details on content feasibility aspects, 85% on construction aspects, 93.32% on technical aspects and 85.29% on aspects of kegrafikan. Based on the principal matter Prokaryotes obtained the highest average score (92.12%), while the lowest average score was obtained on Virus (87.92%) subject matter. This indicates that LKPD Biology which is used X MAN MANUFACTURE class can be feasible to use.Keywords: LKPD, feasibility of content, construction, technical and graphics

Conformity to masculine norms among treatment-seeking male problem gamblers

ABSTRACTMen are more likely than women to engage in so-called ‘strategic’ forms of gambling, particularly wagering and casino table games, but the reasons for this preference are unclear. Previous research on male gender roles found that behaviours that are effective at establishing masculinity are those perceived as being risky, skill-based and public – which are also characteristic of these ‘strategic’ forms of gambling. The aim of the current study was to examine the possibility that men may be drawn to wagering and casino table games because these strategic forms of gambling are associated with masculinity. Seventy male treatment-seeking problem gamblers completed a survey on their perceptions of various forms of gambling, and a measure of conformity to masculine norms. Participants reported that being seen as skilled and intelligent, and acting in public were important motivators for both wagering and playing casino table games. Furthermore, individuals who engaged in wagering and casino table games displayed higher levels of conformity to masculine norms than those who preferred gambling on gaming machines. The findings have important implications for the regulation of gambling promotion, the encouragement of help-seeking, and the treatment of gambling disorders in men.

CFD analysis of a one-pass photovoltaic/thermal air system with and without offset strip fins

The focus on managing PV panel temperature has undergone a remarkable development in the last two decades. Specifically, in countries with moderate weather temperature and high insolation, the problem of keeping the PV cell temperature in an optimal range has been managed by use of PV/T collectors. In this work, a single pass PV/T collector using laminar air flow has been assessed. Two PV/T collector designs are utilised, one with and one without offset strip fins. COMSOL Multiphysics v5.3a has been used for the analysis of the thermal and electrical performances. Two assumptions were implemented in order to reduce the computational time from 95 hours to 7 hours, namely ignoring radiative effects between the fins and the wall channels, and representing thin layers as 2D boundaries, whilst ensuring a high level of conformity (4%),. Monocrystalline silicon PV cells were used with a power temperature coefficient of 0.41%. A validation against work in the literature was made, showing a good consistency. The objective of this work is to verify the performance of the air PV/T collector with offset strip fins compared to an unfinned air PV/T collector. The results reveal that the use of offset strip fins has a noticeable impact on both the electrical and thermal efficiencies of the system. In addition, the maximum combined efficiency (ηCo) for the finned PV/T system is 84.7% while the unfinned PV/T system is 51.2%.

The personality predictors for the literary creativity in early adulthood

<p align="center">Celem niniejszej pracy jest odnalezienie osobowościowych predyktorów podejmowania twórczości literackiej w okresie wczesnej dorosłości. Do analizy włączono wyniki łącznie 357 osób. Około połowa z nich podejmuje aktywność literacką, czyli pisze wiersze, opowiadania, powieści. Do pomiaru cech osobowości potencjalnie związanych z osobowością twórczą wykorzystano dwa kwestionariusze osobowości (ACL, KANH-III). Aby odnaleźć osobowościowe predyktory podejmowania twórczości literackiej przeprowadzono regresję logistyczną. Zmienna zależna miała charakter binarny: aktywność literacka vs brak aktywności literackiej; zmiennymi niezależnymi były: <em>Siła</em>, <em>Asertywność</em>, <em>Towarzyskość</em>, <em>Indywidualizm</em> (ACL) oraz <em>konformizm</em>-<em>nonkonformizm</em> (KANH). Wyniki pokazały, że istotnymi predyktorami podejmowania twórczości literackiej przez kobiety jest wysoki poziom <em>Nonkonformizmu</em> oraz <em>Indywidualizmu</em> a także niski poziom <em>Siły</em> i A<em>sertywności</em>. Istotnymi predyktorami podejmowania twórczości literackiej przez mężczyzn jest wysoki poziom <em>Konformizmu</em> oraz wysoki poziom <em>Asertywności</em>.</p>

Conformity or Nonconformity in Multinationality? Performance Implications for the Italian Ceramic Tile Manufacturers

To date international management studies have found mixed results on the relationship between multinationality and performance. We address the multinationality–performance relationship by exploring the concept of conformity in multinationality, which expresses the extent to which a firm’s multinationality resembles the multinationality of its peers at a particular point in time. Our results show that, ceteris paribus, the best performing firms are those with high levels of conformity in multinationality to the strategic group peers as well as those with high levels of conformity to the market leader. Hypotheses are tested with data on the conformity in multinationality of 61 Italian ceramic tile manufacturers in the 2005–2009 time period.

Burnout among social workers working with immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia in Israel: Testing the connections between personal value preferences, immigrant appraisal and burnout

Burnout among service providers working with vulnerable populations can lead to a deterioration in well-being, high turnover of workers and a decrease in levels of services. The current study proposes a new threat-benefit theory (TBT) as predicting experiences of burnout and personal accomplishment among social workers working with immigrants. Based on the theory of human values (Schwartz et al., 2012) and extending Integrative Threat Theory (Stephan & Stephan, 2000), TBT suggests that the local population perceives immigrants not only as threatening but also as beneficial for the receiving society and that this threat/benefit appraisal is related to personal values held by the individual. In a study carried out among 358 social workers in Israel, findings supported a conceptual model in which threat appraisal, toward immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and Ethiopia, predicted higher levels of burnout and benefit appraisal predicted greater feelings of personal accomplishment and lower levels of burnout. In addition, findings showed that (1) immigrant groups were appraised as both threats and benefits to the receiving society; (2) appraisal of threat was predicted by lower levels of values of universalism, benevolence, self-direction and higher levels of power, tradition and conformity; (3) appraisal of benefit was predicted by lower levels of values of self-direction and power (Ethiopian immigrants) and higher levels of conformity and tradition (FSU immigrants).