Visual Coding Research Articles

Implementation of the Flutter Framework for Developing an E-Commerce Application

The use of digital technology in the retail business has become imperative for competing in the modern era. For businesses such as vegetable shops, the presence of a digital platform is no longer an option but a critical necessity to remain relevant and competitive in an increasingly challenging market. Garvita Fresh Vegetable Shop still relies on conventional methods for vegetable ordering, typically conducted through platforms like Instagram or WhatsApp. In this context, there is a significant opportunity to enhance efficiency and customer experience by introducing a dedicated and well-integrated e-commerce platform. Therefore, the development of an e-commerce application using the Flutter framework for Garvita Fresh is essential. This application is developed using Visual Studio Code, the Flutter framework, and Firebase as the database. Data collection methods include observation, and the system development employs the waterfall model due to its clear, practical, and well-defined stages. System testing includes Black Box and Beta Testing, ensuring that the resulting application meets the expectations of prospective users.

Enhancing Drug Recommender System for Peptic Ulcer Treatment

Drug Recommender Systems (DRS) streamline prescription process and contribute to better healthcare. Hence, this study developed a DRS that recommends appropriate drug(s) for the treatment of an ailment using Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD) as a case study. Patients’ and drug data were elicited from MIMIC-IV and Drugs.com, respectively. These data were analysed and used in the design of the DRS model, which was based on the hybrid recommendation approach (combining the clustering algorithm, the Collaborative Filtering approach (CF), and the Knowledge-Based Filtering approach (KBF)). The factors that were considered in recommending appropriate drugs were age, gender, body weight, allergies, and drug interactions. The model designed was implemented in Python programming language with the Flask framework for web development and Visual Studio Code as the Integrated Development Environment. The performance of the system was evaluated using Precision, Recall, Accuracy, Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and usability test. The evaluation was carried out in two phases. Firstly, the CF component was evaluated by splitting the dataset from MIMIV-IV into a 70% (60,018) training set and a 30% (25,722) test set. This resulted in a precision score of 85.48%, a recall score of 85.58%, and a RMSE score of 0.74. Secondly, the KBF component was evaluated using 30 different cases. The evaluation for this was computed manually by comparing the recommendation results from the system with those of an expert. This resulted in a precision of 77%, a recall of 83%, an accuracy of 81% and an RMSE of 0.24. The results from the usability test showed a high percentage of performance of the system. The addition of the KBF reduced the error rate between actual recommendations and predicted recommendations. So, the system had a high ability to recommend appropriate drug(s) for PUD.

Thermodynamic Prediction of Scale Formation in Oil Fields During Water Injection: Application of SPsim Program Through Utilizing Advanced Visual Basic Excel Tool

This study focuses on the design and validation of a computer program named “SPsim”, developed using Visual Basic coding and advanced Excel tools to predict the formation of sulfate mineral deposits during water injection in oil fields. Water injection for secondary oil recovery is an effective economic strategy, but it can be negatively impacted by the formation of sulfate minerals such as calcium sulfate, gypsum, barium sulfate, and strontium sulfate. The results of this study demonstrate that SPsim can accurately predict the formation of these mineral deposits based on the composition of the formation water and injection water under various temperature and pressure conditions. Specifically, the formation of barium sulfate and calcium sulfate is observed under certain conditions, which is a significant concern in oil fields. The study also highlights that calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, and strontium sulfate are among the most challenging mineral deposits in the studied fields, while the formation of gypsum deposits is less significant. The program was compared with results from other software tools, such as ScaleChem 3.2 and StimCad 2, as well as field observations. The findings indicate that SPsim provides a reliable and effective tool for predicting and managing sulfate scaling in water injection operations, making it a valuable resource for both industrial and academic applications.

Fashion, beauty and media

This introduction considers how the four research articles in this issue address the relation of fashion and/or beauty with media: specifically, the ‘older’ media of journalism and film, and ‘new’ media such as video blogs and TikTok. All of these venues have the capacity to communicate various visual and verbal concepts, with different relations to their audiences. The emergence of newer, digital platforms has disrupted the extent to which media can dictate visual codes and narratives, opening up fragmented and decentralized spaces where multiple, often conflicting, discourses of fashion and beauty coexist. These platforms also potentially articulate alternative beauty ideals and subcultural fashion trends that challenge the hegemonic standards of older media. At the same time, the responsibility of older media to foster ethical journalistic standards and social justice awareness to their audiences becomes intensified. The articles in this volume represent these potentialities for both older and newer media.

Neural integration of egocentric and allocentric visual cues in the gaze system.

A fundamental question in neuroscience is how the brain integrates egocentric (body-centered) and allocentric (landmark-centered) visual cues, but for many years this question was ignored in sensorimotor studies. This changed in recent behavioral experiments, but the underlying physiology of ego / allocentric integration remained largely unstudied. The specific goal of this review is to explain how prefrontal neurons integrate eye-centered and landmark-centred visual codes for optimal gaze behavior. First, we briefly review the whole-brain / behavioral mechanisms for ego / allocentric integration in the human and summarize egocentric coding mechanisms in the primate gaze system. We then focus in more depth on cellular mechanisms for ego / allocentric coding in the frontal and supplementary eye fields. We first explain how prefrontal visual responses integrate eye-centered target and landmark codes to produce a transformation toward landmark-centered coordinates. Next, we describe what happens when a landmark shifts during the delay between seeing and acquiring a remembered target, initially resulting in independently co-existing ego / allocentric memory codes. We then describe how these codes are re-integrated in the motor burst for the gaze shift. Deep network simulations suggest that these properties emerge spontaneously for optimal gaze behavior. Finally, we synthesize these observations and relate them to normal brain function through a simplified conceptual model. Together, these results show that integration of visuospatial features continues well beyond visual cortex and suggests a general cellular mechanism for goal-directed visual behaviour.

A Secure Approach Out-of-Band for e-Bank with Visual Two-Factor Authorization Protocol

The article presents an innovative approach for secure authentication in internet banking transactions, utilizing an Out-of-Band visual two-factor authorization protocol. With the increasing rise of cyber attacks and fraud, new security models are needed that ensure the integrity, authenticity, and confidentiality of financial transactions. The identified gap lies in the inability of traditional authentication methods, such as TANs and tokens, to provide security in untrusted terminals. The proposed solution is the Dynamic Authorization Protocol (DAP), which uses mobile devices to validate transactions through visual codes, such as QR codes. Each transaction is assigned a unique associated code, and the challenge must be responded to within 120 s. The customer initiates the transaction on a computer and independently validates it on their mobile device using an out-of-band channel to prevent attacks such as phishing and man-in-the-middle. The methodology involves implementing a prototype in Java ME for Android devices and a Java application server, creating a practical, low-computational-cost system, accessible for use across different operating systems and devices. The protocol was tested in real-world scenarios, focusing on ensuring transaction integrity and authenticity. The results show a successful implementation at Banco do Brasil, with 3.6 million active users, demonstrating the efficiency of the model over 12 years of use without significant vulnerabilities. The DAP protocol provides a robust and effective solution for securing banking transactions and can be extended to other authentication environments, such as payment terminals and point of sale devices.

An assessment of large language models for OpenMP-based code parallelization: a user perspective

Large language models have sparked a lot of attention in the research community in recent days, especially with the introduction of practical tools such as ChatGPT and Github Copilot. Their ability to solve complex programming tasks was also shown in several studies and commercial solutions increasing the interest in using them for software development in different fields. High performance computing is one of such fields, where parallel programming techniques have been extensively used to utilize raw computing power available in contemporary multicore and manycore processors. In this paper, we perform an evaluation of the ChatGPT and Github Copilot tools for OpenMP-based code parallelization using a proposed methodology. We used nine different benchmark applications which represent typical parallel programming workloads and compared their OpenMP-based parallel solutions produced manually and using ChatGPT and Github Copilot in terms of obtained speedup, applied optimizations, and quality of the solution. ChatGPT 3.5 and Github Copilot installed with Visual Studio Code 1.88 were used. We concluded that both tools can produce correct parallel code in most cases. However, performance-wise, ChatGPT can match manually produced and optimized parallel code only in simpler cases, as it lacks a deeper understanding of the code and the context. The results are much better with Github Copilot, where much less effort is needed to obtain correct and performant parallel solution.

HBIM for conservation and valorization of structural heritage: The Stylite Tower at Umm ar-Rasas, Jordan

The Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM) is a consistent approach to support the multidisciplinary process of knowledge, conservation, and valorization of the historical building heritage, exploiting the combination of advanced 3D modelling and heterogeneous informative data. In the present paper, a highly customized HBIM workflow is developed for the enhancement and conservation of the byzantine Stylite Tower in the Jordan archaeological site of Umm ar-Rasas. The case study is considered a benchmark to test the effectiveness and the scalability of the proposed methodology for the broader set of ancient structures located in archaeological sites. The proposed HBIM process has a dual aim: the organization of heterogeneous and fragmented sources concerning the history and the actual state maintenance of the Tower and the development of a flexible tool to perform fast qualitative and quantitative analysis oriented towards conservation and management projects. The small scale of the structure and an innovative semi-automatic modelling process based on visual coding allowed for a stone-by-stone segmentation of the Tower. The model procedure is based on an information management workflow based on CIDOC-CRM ontology and the interchange format Industry Foundation Classes to ensure interoperability, developing an open-access interactive visualization of the model of the Tower, embedding organized document sources. The proposed HBIM model can also be a valuable tool for enhanced monument fruition and dissemination activities of the structure.

Semantic Content in Face Representation: Essential for Proficient Recognition of Unfamiliar Faces by Good Recognizers.

Face recognition is adapted to achieve goals of social interactions, which rely on further processing of the semantic information of faces, beyond visual computations. Here, we explored the semantic content of face representation apart from visual component, and tested their relations to face recognition performance. Specifically, we propose that enhanced visual or semantic coding could underlie the advantage of familiar over unfamiliar faces recognition, as well as the superior recognition of skilled face recognizers. We asked participants to freely describe familiar/unfamiliar faces using words or phrases, and converted these descriptions into semantic vectors. Face semantics were transformed into quantifiable face vectors by aggregating these word/phrase vectors. We also extracted visual features from a deep convolutional neural network and obtained the visual representation of familiar/unfamiliar faces. Semantic and visual representations were used to predict perceptual representation generated from a behavior rating task separately in different groups (bad/good face recognizers in familiar-face/unfamiliar-face conditions). Comparisons revealed that although long-term memory facilitated visual feature extraction for familiar faces compared to unfamiliar faces, good recognizers compensated for this disparity by incorporating more semantic information for unfamiliar faces, a strategy not observed in bad recognizers. This study highlights the significance of semantics in recognizing unfamiliar faces.

THE ROLE OF SOFT SKILLS IN FORMING THE READINESS OF FUTURE IT PROFESSIONALS TO DEVELOP USER INTERFACES

The role of soft skills in the professional development of the future generation of IT specialists, especially in UI/UX design, is becoming increasingly important. Setting aside technical expertise in visual design, coding, and user research, the modern UI/UX designer should be able to reveal great interpersonal abilities in designing user-centered solutions. The indispensable soft skills that help in converting complex technical ideas into intuitive, user-friendly design are considered to be communication, teamwork, empathy, problem-solving, and adaptability.Effective communication in design processes aligns stakeholders-designers and developers-toward project goals and user expectations, therefore reducing the gap between technical implementation and user satisfaction. Equally, teamwork embeds a kind of collaboration between different departments that leads to innovative and efficient project execution.Empathy is basically the cornerstone of user-centered design and provides insight into the needs and pain points that users are experiencing. With empathy for the end-user, UI/UX professionals will be able to design an effective solution that resonates with the target audience by solving real-world problems. Problem-solving skills enable the designer to navigate through technical constraints and contradictory feedback toward balanced effective solutions.As a matter of fact, these soft skills not only enhance the quality of the final product but also develop professional growth and enhance market competitiveness of IT specialists. Only then will professionals be wholly rounded in the present digital environment. Educational programs for such courses prepare their students to be satisfied with IT job markets today by equipping them with hard and soft skills alike.

Visual coding along multiple brain areas

This study focuses on understanding visual coding in multiple brain areas and its implications for neural processing in the visual system. It highlights the use of simultaneous recordings of large neuronal populations to investigate how visual information is encoded and processed in the brain. By studying the activity of multiple brain areas, the paper aims to uncover the mechanisms underlying brain-wide visual perception and provide insights into the neural basis of visual processing. The findings of this research contribute to the broader field of neuroscience and have implications for understanding visual disorders and developing therapeutic interventions

Integrated Modeling Approach to Assess Freshwater Inflow Impact on Coastal Water Quality

The quality of freshwater input from tributaries of the Western Mississippi Sound (WMSS) impacts the quality of coastal water. Hydrological and hydrodynamic models can be coupled to assess the impact of freshwater inflow from coastal watersheds. This study aims to compare the performance of a hydrodynamic model and a hydrological–hydrodynamic coupled model in detecting the effect of freshwater inflow from the coastal watersheds of the state of Mississippi into the WMSS. A hydrological model, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), and a hydrodynamic model, the visual Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (vEFDC), were coupled to evaluate the difference between the hydrodynamical modelling approach, which employs an area-weighted approach to define flow and nutrient concentrations, and the more recent coupling model approach, which uses a hydrological model to determine the flow and nutrient load of the model. Furthermore, a nutrient load sensitivity analysis of the effect of freshwater inflow on water quality in the WMSS was conducted in addition to assessing the repercussions of tropical depressions. Hydrological assessments of the major tributaries watersheds of Saint Louis Bay (SLB) at the WMSS were performed using the SWAT model. After calibration/validation of the SWAT model, the streamflow output from the SWAT was incorporated into the vEFDC model. Finally, hydrodynamic simulation of the SWAT-vEFDC model was conducted, and water quality output was compared at different SLB locations. The salinity, dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) were assessed by comparing the vEFDC and SWAT-vEFDC outputs. The results indicated that hydrological input from the SWAT alters the flow and nutrient concentration results as compared to an area-weighted approach. In addition, a major impact on the concentration of TN and TP occurred at the location where the freshwater flows into SLB. This impact diminishes further away from the point of freshwater inflow. Moreover, a 25% nutrient load variation did not demonstrate a difference in water quality at the WMSS besides TN and TP in a post-tropical depression scenario. Therefore, the SWAT-vEFDC coupled approach provided insights into evaluation of the area-weighted method, and of hydrological model output to the hydrodynamical model, the effect of freshwater inflow into coastal waters, and nutrient sensitivity analysis, which are important for integrated coastal ecosystems management.

Design of Web-Based Inventory Accounting Information System at PT XYZ

PT XYZ is a company engaged in the retail trade of large and small clothing, and it is located in the city of Bandung. As a trading company, PT XYZ needs to utilize information technology in managing warehouse inventory, which is no longer manual management, namely recording in paper media, which will be susceptible to data discrepancies. The web application here is interpreted as an inventory application through a display that includes goods to be stored in the warehouse and product transactions that come in and out. The research method used here is the interview and observation method. Software creation is carried out with a waterfall model consisting of the following stages: system planning analysis, system analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance. In the object of system modeling with visual data flow diagrams and flowcharts. The results of this study produce web-based software using PHP as a programming language with MySQL as a database and visual code for its program editor. Through this system, it is expected to facilitate work and can be used at any time. This inventory application can be a benchmark for managing incoming and outgoing goods. Another benefit is that this web-based application aims to control the stock of goods at any time.

See the Unseen: Grid-Wise Drivable Area Detection Dataset and Network Using LiDAR

Drivable Area (DA) detection is crucial for autonomous driving. Camera-based methods rely heavily on illumination conditions and often fail to capture accurate 3D information, while LiDAR-based methods offer accurate 3D data and are less susceptible to illumination conditions. However, existing LiDAR-based methods focus on point-wise detection, so are prone to occlusion and limited by point cloud sparsity, which leads to decreased performance in motion planning and localization. We propose Argoverse-grid, a grid-wise DA detection dataset derived from Argoverse 1, comprising over 20K frames with fine-grained BEV DA labels across various scenarios. We also introduce Grid-DATrNet, a first grid-wise DA detection model utilizing global attention through transformers. Our experiments demonstrate the superiority of Grid-DATrNet over various methods, including both LiDAR and camera-based approaches, in detecting grid-wise DA on the proposed Argoverse-grid dataset. Grid-DATrNet achieves state-of-the-art results with an accuracy of 93.28% and an F1-score of 0.8328. We show that Grid-DATrNet can detect grids even in occluded and unmeasured areas by leveraging contextual and semantic information through global attention, unlike CNN-based DA detection methods. The preprocessing code for Argoverse-grid, experiment code, Grid-DATrNet implementation, and result visualization code are available at AVE Laboratory official git hub.

Spectral ruins: Empathy with inanimate material movements

Simulations are interactive, lively models of material events. Working with simulations that require the consideration of mass, gravity, and texture becomes an embodied experience. Much like video games, simulations imitate the physics of the material world and, as such, engage us corporeally. This dynamic between interactive model and user is particularly generative when the content of a simulation is inanimate, or inorganic materials. Digital models of static matter in motion offer the user a unique opportunity to relate to things that are typically understood as inert or nonliving. While empathy with the nonliving is a complex relationship to authentically construct, the ecological implications of this interaction are significant. This paper uses critical tools from video game studies and media theory to study simulations in experimental architecture and contemporary fine art practice. The essay posits a thesis informed by ecocriticism that users can build a tactile, bodily understanding of material behaviors by designing and interacting with tools built into animation, gaming, and visual coding platforms. A series of case-studies in art and design are examined with particular emphasis on their use of digital physics engines and code libraries that imitate natural behaviors.

Innovative Processes in the Sanatorium and Resort Sector of the Republic of Belarus

INTRODUCTION. The introduction of innovative processes in sanatorium-resort activities helps to approach the individual treatment of a citizen’s disease or preventive measures aimed at reducing the incidence of the population in a sanatorium-resort area, simplify the functioning of health resorts and their provision of high-quality services for sanatorium treatment and rehabilitation. AIM. To determine the level of public awareness about sanatorium-resort organizations in the Republic of Belarus and to propose an algorithm for introducing innovative processes into their activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The survey method was used in the study. The research tool was a questionnaire. The representativeness of the sample was ensured by calculating the required number of respondents, taking into account the population of the regions of the Republic of Belarus (923 people) account the power of the study at the level (1 – β) = 80 %. A mobile application has been developed in the Visual Studio Code environment to improve the activities and optimize organizational processes in the health resort in order to raise public awareness, based on a study conducted in the health resorts of the republic to assess the quality of services provided for sanatorium treatment and wellness. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. To identify the factors influencing the choice of a health resort by the population, cluster analysis, showed the closest correlation between the factors “doctors’ recommendations” and “medical services” influencing the choice of a health resort. The distribution of health resort awareness assessment in the regional context varied from 10.5 % (Grodno region) to 17.7 % (Minsk). The following are proposed: a system for informing the population and an algorithm for meeting the needs of the population in treatment and rehabilitation, the participation of information in sanatorium and resort activities. A selective assessment of the quality of spa treatment and wellness services in health resorts was carried out. A mobile application has been developed. CONCLUSION. The level of awareness of the population of the Republic of Belarus about the activities of sanatorium-resort organizations was assessed using a survey method — regional differences were identified. A model of the public information system and an algorithm for meeting the needs of the population and health improvement, the participation of information in sanatorium and resort activities are presented. A mobile application has been developed for sanatorium-resort organizations.

Distinct visual processing networks for foveal and peripheral visual fields

Foveal and peripheral vision are two distinct modes of visual processing essential for navigating the world. However, it remains unclear if they engage different neural mechanisms and circuits within the visual attentional system. Here, we trained macaques to perform a free-gaze visual search task using natural face and object stimuli and recorded a large number of 14588 visually responsive units from a broadly distributed network of brain regions involved in visual attentional processing. Foveal and peripheral units had substantially different proportions across brain regions and exhibited systematic differences in encoding visual information and visual attention. The spike-local field potential (LFP) coherence of foveal units was more extensively modulated by both attention and visual selectivity, thus indicating differential engagement of the attention and visual coding network compared to peripheral units. Furthermore, we delineated the interaction and coordination between foveal and peripheral processing for spatial attention and saccade selection. Together, the systematic differences between foveal and peripheral processing provide valuable insights into how the brain processes and integrates visual information from different regions of the visual field.

Preparation and Performance Evaluation of Self-Degrading Temporary Plugging Agent for Well Workover of Fractured Reservoir

Abstract The temporary plugging technology is considered an important technology in the well workover process of oil and gas reservoirs. Gel is a frequently employed temporary plugging agent in oilfields; however, it has drawbacks, including poor cross-linking strength, unpredictable gelation duration, and considerable reservoir damage after application. To solve these issues, this study seeks to create a gel-based temporary plugging agent system that will improve the dependability and efficiency of oilfield development. In the study, acrylamide, hydrophobic monomers, initiators, crosslinkers, inorganic components, and scale inhibitors were used to formulate the temporary plugging agent. To close underground channels, the prepared plugging agent is injected into the underground and gels at high temperatures. In this study, the elastic modulus of the gel was investigated with a HAAKE rheometer, and the core flooding test was carried out to evaluate the plugging efficiency of the gel. Meanwhile, the visual code method was used to observe the formation time of the temporary plugging agent, and the self-degradation performance of the temporary plugging agent was studied. Hydrophobic monomers and inorganic materials significantly enhance the mechanical properties of the temporary plugging agent after forming the glue. The elastic modulus after crosslinking can reach about 450 Pa, and the maximum pressure of plugging can reach 2.4 MPa. The crosslinking time can be controlled within 30 minutes to 10 hours by adding the inhibitor. The crosslinking agent used in the system is ester organic matter, which can be hydrolyzed at high temperatures to achieve self-degradation performance, so that the degradation rate of the temporary plugging agent can reach 90% within 7 days after forming the glue. This temporary plugging agent has high strength, a controlled crosslinking time, and good self-degradation performance as compared to the typical gel-type temporary plugging agent. These qualities are crucial for reservoir protection and well workover.

Tessellations and Sweeping Nets: Advancing the Calculus of Geometric Logic

This paper studies the advancement of geometric logic through tessellations and sweeping nets, addressing the challenge of arranging reflecting points for efficient ray tracing under limited time constraints. We introduce the concept of a sweeping subnet alongside a causal barrier to encapsulate the geometrical limitations posed by time, thereby delineating the boundary of influence for light propagation within a defined space. This work delves into the underpinnings of tessellation dynamics, revealing how the spatial arrangement and temporal evolution of tessellated patterns can be navigated and optimized through a novel algorithmic framework. Through a combination of theoretical exploration and practical implementation, including Python code for simulation and visualization, we provide a platform for approximating optimal tessellations that adapt to the constraints dictated by the causal barrier. This paper formalizes quasi-quanta notation in such a way that it may be implemented.

Appreciation, Analysis and Creation in the Teaching-learning of the Plastic Arts

Aim. The Didactics of the Plastic Education is necessarily nourished by the general didactics and the arts, as well as by their particular methodologies, in aspects related to the teaching-learning of the textual analysis, and specifically, the study of the visual code (iconic and visual signs, tropes or rhetorical figures, etc.), which dialogues with theory, semiotics, cultural anthropology, among other sciences. Methods. In academic research, methods such as the analysis of the results of pedagogical activity, ethnographic or experiential and inductive-deductive methods were used. Results. The Didactics of a Plastic Education requires an urgent review that includes, from its most general principles and laws, to the aspects related to the selection and sequencing of content, the role of the student's plastic education in achieving a social model, the distinctions between artistic education, aesthetic education and teaching of the plastic arts in all the integrality and complexity of their discourses, the teaching-learning process, its essence and contradictions, the categorical system of the teaching-learning process, among other fundamental aspects. The present study contributes to this rethinking of the theoretical and methodological postulates of the Didactics of Plastic Education, as it proposes as an objective: to argue the didactic principle of the unity between appreciation, analysis and textual creation in the teaching-learning process of the visual image analysis. Conclusion. This argument constitutes a theoretical contribution to the science, and clarifies, while unifying, criteria and procedures in the pedagogical practice of artists, teachers, instructors and masters of the plastic arts.