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Evaluating Google Neural Machine Translation from Chinese to English: technical vs. literary texts
No full textAs the global need for translation increases, machine translation (MT) has significantly enhanced the efficiency in facilitating information dissemination and cross-cultural communication. However, its quality remains bound by intrinsic limitations among language pairs and text genres. These discrepancies lead to distinct MT performance when processing technical and literary texts, forming the core gap and focus. This study aims to compare the quality of Google Neural Machine Translation (GNMT) in literary and technical texts, investigating error disparities and establishing the abilities and limits of MT across diverse linguistic contexts. The research was concerned with the English-Chinese language pair with the Multidimensional Quality Metrics (MQM) framework for manual annotation. The COMET automatic evaluation metric was also applied for validation and confirmation of quality differences observed. This study selected five excerpts from Apple product manuals (33 aligned units) and the novel, the Old Man and Sea (32 aligned units), respectively. Findings included (1) GNMT performed well with technical texts, but acted less effective with literary texts and technical texts exhibited notable terminology errors, whereas literary texts showed more stylistic inconsistencies; (2) MQM scores demonstrated a remarkable difference, with technical texts outperforming literary texts by 18.57%; and (3) COMET evaluation validated the above observations, confirming a significant difference between the two text styles. Although GNMT faced challenges with both texts, the quality remained acceptable within this study. Results recommend improving GNMT algorithms to enhance accuracy and remedy error patterns and distributions
Integrated reporting and firm value: moderating role of CEO integrity in the context of GCC countries
No full textThe study examines the impact of Integrated Reporting (IR) on firm value, and it explores the moderating role of CEO integrity (CEOI) in this relationship for companies listed on GCC stock exchanges. The sample consists of 177 listed firms from six GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait) that published integrated reports from 2017–18 to 2022–23 in Arabic and English. Using secondary data from the firms’ websites, the research applies the system GMM model and dynamic fixed-effect robust standard error model to analyze the data. The findings reveal that IR positively influences firm value. Furthermore, CEO integrity moderates the relationship between IR and firm value, amplifying the positive effects of IR when CEOs demonstrate ethical leadership. The study’s implications suggest that firms should adopt IR practices and ensure CEO integrity to boost firm value. Supervisory boards must oversee both IR practices and CEO performance to maintain transparency, safeguard the firm’s reputation, and drive sustainable value creation
Facilitators and leadership styles: theoretical drivers for performance budgeting adoption in Iraq’s higher education sector
No full textThis study investigates the adoption of performance-based budgeting (PBB) in Iraq’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHE), addressing challenges in aligning budgeting practices with performance outcomes. Motivated by gaps in the literature on public sector budget reforms, particularly in Iraq and other developing countries, the study surveys 317 MOHE employees. It employs partial least squares structural equation modelling to analyze internal and external factors and the moderating roles of transactional and servant leadership styles. The findings reveal that transactional leadership significantly enhances PBB facilitation, while servant leadership has an indirect effect, emphasizing the need for a balanced leadership approach. By contributing to contingency theory, the study highlights the critical role of facilitators in PBB implementation and aligns with global public sector budgeting reforms. These results provide strategic insights for higher education administrators and policymakers, particularly in contexts with centralized governance and limited financial autonomy. Despite focusing on Iraq’s higher education sector, the insights may have implications for other developing nations facing similar challenges and suggest avenues for future research, including qualitative studies to explore these dynamics further
Concubine mother-daughter attachment in Amy Tan’s the Joy Luck Club and Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s This Earth of Mankind
No full textThe mother-daughter relationship is one of the most primary bonds. It is also an embodiment of women alliance. The mother-daughter interaction is manifested intensively in Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club and Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s This Earth of Mankind. This study compares two pairs of mothers and daughters by looking at their lives. According to John Bowlby’s attachment theory(1982), a mother’s past personal, cultural and economic experiences would significantly impact her caregiving style. The intersection of the personal, the cultural and the economic catches every mother. Kimberle Crenshaw’s intersectionality (1989) is introduced to study the concubine mothers’ pasts. A mother’s maternal care directly impacts a child’s attachment pattern. As a result of various attachment patterns, children’s later personality exhibits different dynamics( Bowlby, 1982). This study identifies the concubine mothers’ respective intersectional life, namely one in the patriarchal and traditionally feudal system, and the other in feudal and colonial system. And that determines their parenting ways towards their daughters, which facilitates the formation of the daughters’ attachment patterns: the secure and the anxious-resistant. Later, the daughters’ personalities demonstrate a contrasting development. An-mei becomes strong-minded, composed and highly resilient, whereas Annelies develops into a mentally vulnerable, impulsive and less resilient person. By focusing on the experiences of the female characters, this study acknowledges women’s intersectionality and female subjectivity. By locating them in Asian background, it helps with the understanding of Asian women’s life and Asia’s diverse culture
Determination of the mechanism of deoxygenation and hydropeneoxygenation of lauric acid using FeMo/AC catalyst for jet fuel production (penentuan mekanisme pendeoksigenan dan hidropendeoksigenan asid laurik menggunakan mangkin femo/ac untuk penghasilan biobahan api jet)
No full textThe higher demand for the use of bio-jet fuel (BJF) in the aviation industry is one alternative to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the environment. Malaysia is rich in palm oil resources and palm kernel oil (PKO) which contain about 48% lauric acid (C12), can be use as a feedstock for BJF production. There are two methods to convert lauric acid to BJF, namely the catalytic deoxygenation (DO) method and the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) method. DO can convert lauric acid to BJF through the reactions without hydrogen (H2) involving decarboxylation/decarbonylation (deCOx) processes to remove oxygen, producing hydrocarbon chains and CO2 alongside byproducts such as carbon monoxide (CO) and water (H2O). Meanwhile, HDO converts lauric acid to BJF by removing oxygen in the form of H2O in the presence of H2. In this study, both DO and HDO methods were used to produce BJF using FeMo/AC catalyst. The synthesized catalyst was characterized using several characterization techniques such as XRD, FESEM-EDX, BET, TPD, and VSM. The effect of reaction temperature on the resulting products was studied to determine the reaction mechanisms for both methods. The liquid products obtained were characterized using GC-FID and GC-MS, while the gas products were characterized using GC-TCD. The results showed that the simulation mechanisms for both DO and HDO reactions for lauric acid using FeMo/AC catalyst is very effective where the reaction producing a variety of hydrocarbon species
Comparative Analysis of MTCNN and Haar Cascades for Face Detection in Images with Variation in Yaw Poses and Facial Occlusions
No full textAs computer vision and machine learning advance, face detection has become a major focus. Face recognition has several methods and models. Every implementation starts with face detection. Haar Cascades and Multi-task Cascaded Convolutional Networks (MTCNN) are compared for facial pose variation robustness. This research will examine how well these two models detect faces in yaw postures from-90 to +90 degrees. Many studies have contrasted these two models, but the yaw poses of faces were not addressed due to the scarcity of datasets with systematic degrees of face orientation. Thus, the UPM face dataset, created at the UPM embedded systems lab using developed equipment to produce high-resolution photographs and a systematic range of face orientations from-90 to 90 degrees, was used to evaluate the range of degrees these two models can reach. UPM includes 100 students with different yaw angles and occlusions (masks, glasses, or both). The results reveal that MTCNN is the best for detecting faces with yaw poses only, masks, glasses, and both at all degrees (-90 to +90) with 100%, 99.9%, 96.4%, and 80% accuracy. Instead, Haar cascades were 92.5%, 67.3%, 80.4%, and 76.3% accurate
Dyslexia as a moderator in the relationship between short video learning perception and behavioral intention among Chinese college students: A cross-sectional study
No full textBackground: Dyslexia research in China is crucial because of limited awareness, lack of tools, and insufficient support. These issues seriously hinder students' academic success. To address this gap, this study examines how history-related short videos on social media platforms influence the learning behavior of students with dyslexia. This study introduces dyslexia as a moderating variable within the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework for the first time, addressing a significant gap in understanding how learning differences influence technology adoption in educational contexts. History poses special challenges for learners with dyslexia because it requires extensive reading and complex texts. Short videos may offer a more accessible and engaging alternative. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 university students in Hebei province, China using a self-administered questionnaire. Several scales were used in the survey: Quality of Content (CQ), Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), Behavioral Intention (BI), Dyslexia Scale, and Learning Behavior (LB). Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were performed. A P value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: The results show positive correlations among key variables. Content quality was positively correlated with perceived usefulness (r = 0.369), perceived ease of use (r = 0.329), and behavioral intention (r = 0.203), all p < 0.01. Ease of use is also associated with usefulness (r = 0.323), and usefulness with intention (r = 0.249). Learning intention further predicts behavior (r = 0.359). However, the direct link between ease of use and behavioral intention is not significant (p = 0.17). Dyslexia significantly moderates the relationship between PEOU and PU (p < 0.001). However, it does not significantly affect the relationships between (1) PEOU and BI or (2) PU and BI, though these effects approach marginal significance. Conclusions: Students with dyslexia show different levels of learning intention depending on content quality, ease of use, and usefulness. Dyslexia significantly moderates some of these relationships. The findings suggest that history-related short videos can be effective educational tools, especially when they emphasize usability and usefulness
Meta-topolin enhanced in vitro regeneration, acclimatization, and genetic stability assessment of regenerated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.)
No full textThe production of seedless watermelons, primarily through triploid varieties, has surged to meet the growing consumer demand, especially due to the convenience of eating. However, triploid watermelon production is time-consuming, and seed production is tedious. Hence, in vitro propagation has become an alternative, but it faces challenges such as low regeneration response, poor rooting, and low ex vitro establishment. These issues can be addressed by applying aromatic cytokinin meta-topolin (mT) in the regeneration system. Hence, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of meta-topolin (mT) compared to 6-benzyl adenine (BA) for in vitro regeneration and acclimatization of Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.). The effects of aromatic cytokinins BA and mT (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 mg/L) on multiple shoot production from cotyledonary node explants of watermelon were evaluated. The highest shoot production (25.24 shoots/explant) was observed with 1.5 mg/L mT, while BA (1.0 mg/L) produced 11.36 shoots/explant. Rooting response in MS medium with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA 0.5 to 2.5 mg/L) showed the best results in IBA 1.0 mg/L with mT-derived shoots (1.5 mg/L), producing 13.33 roots per shoot, compared to 5.62 roots per shoot from BA-derived shoots (1.0 mg/L). After four weeks of acclimatization, mT-derived plants had a 97% survival, while BA-derived plants had 84%. Additionally, mT-derived plants had significantly higher photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a (9.2%), b (11.3%), and carotenoids (29.1%)). RAPD and SCoT markers confirmed the genetic stability of the regenerated plants. This research will aid in developing high-quality planting material to produce commercial triploid watermelon plants
A focused review on upper and lower limb joint torque estimation via neural networks
No full textJoint torque estimation is an essential aspect of the control architecture in assistive devices for rehabilitation and aiding movement impairments. Healthy adult torque trajectories serve as a baseline for controllers to determine the level of assistance required by patients, evaluate impaired motion, understand biomechanics, and design treatment plans. Currently, methods of torque estimation include inverse dynamics using gold standard motion capture systems, generic mathematical models based on joint torque-angle relationships, neuromusculoskeletal modelling using surface electromyography, and neural networks. As such, this review provides a focused overview of the recent and existing neural networks tailored for upper and lower limb joint torque estimation. Dataset preparation, data preprocessing, and evaluation metrics are presented along with a detailed description of the developed networks, which are classified by model architecture. It includes artificial neural networks (ANNs), convolution neural networks (CNNs), long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, and hybrid and alternate architectures such as wavelet or explainable convolution (XCM). The performance, benefits, and limitations of the models are discussed, highlighting CNNs and LSTMs as the current optimal models for time series prediction of joint torque. This is due to their ability to capture spatial and temporal dependencies in the data. Additionally, joint kinematics such as angles, angular velocities, and accelerations are considered optimal input parameters due to their ease of measurement using wearable sensors and integration with wearable assistive technology
Integration of Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Environmental Flow Assessment (EFA) concepts as an adaptive approach to pollutant loading management in Asia: a review
No full textWater scarcity and pollution are escalating challenges in Asia, impacting ecological systems and human livelihoods. This paper reviews the integration of Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Environmental Flow Assessment (EFA) in water management to address the dual issues of water quality and quantity. TMDL focuses on regulating the number of pollutants entering water bodies to meet quality standards, while EFA ensures that enough water is available to support aquatic ecosystems. Their independent application, however, often leads to gaps—TMDL can overlook ecological needs, while EFA may neglect pollution control. The integration of these two frameworks offers a more holistic solution, especially in water-stressed regions like Southeast Asia, where moderate water availability is exacerbated by urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural runoff. Case studies from Malaysia, Indonesia, and China reveal the limitations of applying TMDL and EFA separately and underscore the necessity of addressing both ecological flow requirements and pollution limits. This paper identifies key pollutants such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), heavy metals, and total suspended solids (TSS), particularly in urban and semi-urban areas, and highlights the importance of tailoring strategies to the specific needs of different regions. By combining TMDL and EFA, policymakers can better manage pollutant loads, secure ecological health, and address Asia’s pressing water management issues. This review emphasizes the need for adaptable, integrated water management strategies that account for seasonal fluctuations, competing water demands, and regional water availability and pollution differences