Combining sensor monitoring and ethnography to evaluate household latrine usage in rural India

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 426-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen O'Reilly ◽  
Elizabeth Louis ◽  
Evan Thomas ◽  
Antara Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Rural India ◽  
State University ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Ethnographic Interviews ◽  
Portland State University ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Sensor Monitoring

This paper advances research on methods used to evaluate sanitation usage and behavior. The research used quantitative and qualitative methods to contribute to new understanding of sanitation practices and meanings in rural India. We estimated latrine usage behavior through ethnographic interviews and sensor monitoring, specifically the latest generation of infrared toilet sensors, Portland State University Passive Latrine Use Monitors (PLUMs). Two hundred and fifty-eight rural households in West Bengal (WB) and Himachal Pradesh, India, participated in the study by allowing PLUMs to be installed in their houses for a minimum of 6 days. Six hundred interviews were taken in these households, and in others, where sensors had not been installed. Ethnographic and observational methods were used to capture the different defecation habits and their meanings in the two study sites. Those data framed the analysis of the PLUM raw data for each location. PLUMs provided reliable, quantitative verification. Interviews elicited unique information and proved essential to understanding and maximizing the PLUM data set. The combined methodological approach produced key findings that latrines in rural WB were used only for defecation, and that low cost, pit latrines were being used sustainably in both study areas.

You Can Help Every Provider Have a Better Understanding of Functional Behavior Assessment! A Review of the Website: Basic FBA to BSP

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 152-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwendolyn Joy Shultz ◽  
Nathan Havens ◽  
Beth Newberry Gurney ◽  
Jon Burt
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Behavior ◽  
Functional Behavior Assessment ◽  
Behavior Assessment ◽  
State University ◽  
Behavior Support ◽  
Functional Behavior ◽  
Portland State University ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Support Plan ◽  
Analyze Data

Managing problematic classroom behavior is a challenge for many teachers, regardless of population. The website, www.basicfba.com , designed by researchers at Portland State University, offers teachers and practitioners a wealth of materials to assist them in conducting and maintaining a functional behavior assessment and behavior support plan. Tools are also provided to allow participants to graph and analyze data. This article gives an overview of the resources available and how they may be used.

Using Binding Communication to Promote Conservation Among Hotel Guests

2015 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lohyd Terrier ◽  
Benedicte Marfaing
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Communication Model ◽  
Classical Communication ◽  
Persuasive Message ◽  
Sustainable Behavior ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Attitudes And Behavior

This research applies the binding communication model to the sustainable communication strategies implemented in most hotels. The binding communication model links a persuasive message with the implementation of a low-cost commitment to strengthen the link between the attitudes and behavior of those receiving the message. We compared the effectiveness of a classical communication strategy (n = 86) with that of a binding communication strategy (n = 101) to encourage guests to choose sustainable behavior. Our results show that using the binding communication strategy generates significantly more sustainable behavior in guests than using the classical communication strategy. We discuss our results and suggest future avenues of research.

Some statistical and CI models to predict chaotic high-frequency financial data

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 6419-6430
Author(s):  
Dusan Marcek
Keyword(s):  
Time Series Data ◽  
Moving Average ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Back Propagation ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Training Time ◽  
Optimal Population ◽  
Forecast Time

To forecast time series data, two methodological frameworks of statistical and computational intelligence modelling are considered. The statistical methodological approach is based on the theory of invertible ARIMA (Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average) models with Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimating method. As a competitive tool to statistical forecasting models, we use the popular classic neural network (NN) of perceptron type. To train NN, the Back-Propagation (BP) algorithm and heuristics like genetic and micro-genetic algorithm (GA and MGA) are implemented on the large data set. A comparative analysis of selected learning methods is performed and evaluated. From performed experiments we find that the optimal population size will likely be 20 with the lowest training time from all NN trained by the evolutionary algorithms, while the prediction accuracy level is lesser, but still acceptable by managers.

To Identify The Different Parameter Feasible For Application Of Ppp In Real Estate For Private Construction Firm

Think India ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 394-402
Author(s):  
Sandeep Alankar ◽  
Hemanshu Ahire ◽  
Atul R Kolhe
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Rural India ◽  
Housing Project ◽  
Private Partnership ◽  
Urban India ◽  
Construction Firm ◽  
Infrastructure Project ◽  
Private Housing ◽  
Government Data ◽  
A Company

In developing India, we faced with the problems of infrastructure and shelter to due to increasing migration rate from rural India to urban India. As per government data more than 2 million low cost houses required for peoples, but for this very huge fund required which is not possible for government, so Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is right approach to address this problem.PPP is very broadly use for infrastructure project but this concept is not use in private housing project.  Private Private Partnership have now become a preferred approach for inter firm business relations. As there are good business and accounting reasons to create Private Privat Partnership with a company that has complementary capabilities and resources

Differentiation and Interrelations of Two Representatives of Laudakia stellio Complex (Reptilia: Agamidae) in Israel

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgenyi N. Panov ◽  
Larissa Yu. Zykova
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
Habitat Preference ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Near East ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Subspecies Level ◽  
Limited Gene Flow ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
And Behavior

Field studies were conducted in Central Negev within the breeding range of Laudakia stellio brachydactyla and in NE Israel (Qyriat Shemona) in the range of an unnamed form (tentatively “Near-East Rock Agama”), during March – May 1996. Additional data have been collected in Jerusalem at a distance of ca. 110 km from the first and about 170 km from the second study sites. A total of 63 individuals were caught and examined. The animals were marked and their subsequent movements were followed. Social and signal behavior of both forms were described and compared. Lizards from Negev and Qyriat Shemona differ from each other sharply in external morphology, habitat preference, population structure, and behavior. The differences obviously exceed the subspecies level. At the same time, the lizards from Jerusalem tend to be intermediate morphologically between those from both above-named localities, which permits admitting the existence of a limited gene flow between lizard populations of Negev and northern Israel. The lizards from NE Israel apparently do not belong to the nominate subspecies of L. stellio and should be regarded as one more subspecies within the species.

scholarly journals End-to-end convolutional neural network enables COVID-19 detection from breath and cough audio: a pilot study

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 356-362
Author(s):  
Harry Coppock ◽  
Alex Gaskell ◽  
Panagiotis Tzirakis ◽  
Alice Baird ◽  
Lyn Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Convolutional Neural Network ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Audio Signals ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Empirical Performance

BackgroundSince the emergence of COVID-19 in December 2019, multidisciplinary research teams have wrestled with how best to control the pandemic in light of its considerable physical, psychological and economic damage. Mass testing has been advocated as a potential remedy; however, mass testing using physical tests is a costly and hard-to-scale solution.MethodsThis study demonstrates the feasibility of an alternative form of COVID-19 detection, harnessing digital technology through the use of audio biomarkers and deep learning. Specifically, we show that a deep neural network based model can be trained to detect symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases using breath and cough audio recordings.ResultsOur model, a custom convolutional neural network, demonstrates strong empirical performance on a data set consisting of 355 crowdsourced participants, achieving an area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristics of 0.846 on the task of COVID-19 classification.ConclusionThis study offers a proof of concept for diagnosing COVID-19 using cough and breath audio signals and motivates a comprehensive follow-up research study on a wider data sample, given the evident advantages of a low-cost, highly scalable digital COVID-19 diagnostic tool.

scholarly journals Effects of the domestic thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) variant on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis and behavior in chicken

Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 217 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Fallahshahroudi ◽  
Martin Johnsson ◽  
Enrico Sorato ◽  
S J Kumari A Ubhayasekera ◽  
Jonas Bergquist ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Hormone Receptor ◽  
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Red Junglefowl ◽  
Pituitary Thyroid Axis ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Stimulating Hormone

Abstract Domestic chickens are less fearful, have a faster sexual development, grow bigger, and lay more eggs than their primary ancestor, the red junglefowl. Several candidate genetic variants selected during domestication have been identified, but only a few studies have directly linked them with distinct phenotypic traits. Notably, a variant of the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) gene has been under strong positive selection over the past millennium, but it’s function and mechanisms of action are still largely unresolved. We therefore assessed the abundance of the domestic TSHR variant and possible genomic selection signatures in an extensive data set comprising multiple commercial and village chicken populations as well as wild-living extant members of the genus Gallus. Furthermore, by mean of extensive backcrossing we introgressed the wild-type TSHR variant from red junglefowl into domestic White Leghorn chickens and investigated gene expression, hormone levels, cold adaptation, and behavior in chickens possessing either the wild-type or domestic TSHR variant. While the domestic TSHR was the most common variant in all studied domestic populations and in one of two red junglefowl population, it was not detected in the other Gallus species. Functionally, the individuals with the domestic TSHR variant had a lower expression of the TSHR in the hypothalamus and marginally higher in the thyroid gland than wild-type TSHR individuals. Expression of TSHB and DIO2, two regulators of sexual maturity and reproduction in birds, was higher in the pituitary gland of the domestic-variant chickens. Furthermore, the domestic variant was associated with higher activity in the open field test. Our findings confirm that the spread of the domestic TSHR variant is limited to domesticated chickens, and to a lesser extent, their wild counterpart, the red junglefowl. Furthermore, we showed that effects of genetic variability in TSHR mirror key differences in gene expression and behavior previously described between the red junglefowl and domestic chicken.

scholarly journals Investigating the dynamic interactions between supply and demand for rural sanitation, Malawi

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 266-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Cole ◽  
John Pinfold ◽  
Goen Ho ◽  
Martin Anda
Keyword(s):  
Market Research ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Construction Costs ◽  
Dynamic Interactions ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Sanitation Marketing ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Key Barrier

Formative market research is the first step in developing evidence-based sanitation marketing programs. In Malawi, the design, implementation and evaluation of rural sanitation marketing programs has been limited. This study applied a mixed methodological approach to examine the dynamic interactions between the supply and demand of sanitation in three rural districts. The supply assessment identified an extremely limited range of latrine options. Sanitation suppliers reported very low household demand for their existing latrine options. An additional constraint reported by suppliers was householders' perception of a hardware subsidy for latrine construction. The demand assessment found a key constraint of constructing an unlined pit latrine was their short time-in-use (11–13 months). Householders expressed despondency at having to consistently rebuild collapsed, unlined pit latrines. For brick-lined latrines, a key barrier was affordability combined with an over-estimation of construction costs. Key motivations to construct brick-lined latrines included product attributes and social drivers. Wide variations in access to income and use of micro-finance organizations were recorded within and across the study sites. Formative market research is an iterative process from which new lines of investigation arise. This study provides information that will provide a foundation for the ongoing research, design, implementation and monitoring of rural sanitation marketing programs in Malawi.

scholarly journals Mask R-CNN Based C. Elegans Detection with a DIY Microscope

Biosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 257
Author(s):  
Sebastian Fudickar ◽  
Eike Jannik Nustede ◽  
Eike Dreyer ◽  
Julia Bornhorst
Keyword(s):  
Cell Biology ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Image Acquisition ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Do It Yourself

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is an important model organism for studying molecular genetics, developmental biology, neuroscience, and cell biology. Advantages of the model organism include its rapid development and aging, easy cultivation, and genetic tractability. C. elegans has been proven to be a well-suited model to study toxicity with identified toxic compounds closely matching those observed in mammals. For phenotypic screening, especially the worm number and the locomotion are of central importance. Traditional methods such as human counting or analyzing high-resolution microscope images are time-consuming and rather low throughput. The article explores the feasibility of low-cost, low-resolution do-it-yourself microscopes for image acquisition and automated evaluation by deep learning methods to reduce cost and allow high-throughput screening strategies. An image acquisition system is proposed within these constraints and used to create a large data-set of whole Petri dishes containing C. elegans. By utilizing the object detection framework Mask R-CNN, the nematodes are located, classified, and their contours predicted. The system has a precision of 0.96 and a recall of 0.956, resulting in an F1-Score of 0.958. Considering only correctly located C. elegans with an [email protected] IoU, the system achieved an average precision of 0.902 and a corresponding F1 Score of 0.906.

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