Development of a method for improving stability method of applying digital watermarks to digital images

A technique for increasing the stability of methods for applying digital watermark into digital images is presented. A technique for increasing the stability of methods for applying digital watermarks into digital images, based on pseudo-holographic coding and additional filtering of a digital watermark, has been developed. The technique described in this work using pseudo-holographic coding of digital watermarks is effective for all types of attacks that were considered, except for image rotation. The paper presents a statistical indicator for assessing the stability of methods for applying digital watermarks. The indicator makes it possible to comprehensively assess the resistance of the method to a certain number of attacks. An experimental study was carried out according to the proposed method. This technique is most effective when part of the image is lost. When pre-filtering a digital watermark, the most effective is the third filtering method, which is averaging over a cell with subsequent binarization. The least efficient is the first method, which is binarization and finding the statistical mode over the cell. For an affine type attack, which is an image rotation, this technique is effective only when the rotation is compensated. To estimate the rotation angle, an affine transformation matrix is found, which is obtained from a consistent set of corresponding ORB-descriptors. Using this method allows to accurately extract a digital watermark for the entire range of angles. A comprehensive assessment of the methodology for increasing the stability of the method of applying a digital watermark based on Wavelet transforms has shown that this method is 20 % better at counteracting various types of attacks

Analyzing the Cost and Returns of Smallholder Farmers: A Case of Asante Akim South in Ghana

Managing crop production as a business among smallholder farmers is a challenge. This farmers’ survey therefore assessed farm activities and their economic implications to smallholder farmers, with special reference on cocoa farmers, using structured questionnaire. Farmers and their household were found to be greatly involved in providing labour for all key farm activities such as weed management, pesticide application and harvesting. This labour was not priced by most farmers and therefore estimated expenditure on managing the farms were lower than actual cost incurred. Cocoa formed 75% of total landholdings with 3-4 acres and < 3acres being the modal farm size for cocoa and supplementary crops (vegetables, plantain, oil palm, cassava and maize) respectively. Although applying fertilizer to cocoa increased yield by over 144%, majority of the farmers did not consistently apply it due to purported high price. Vegetables were the only crop that fertilizer was consistently applied to, and even that it was below recommended rates. Yearly variable margin from cocoa treated with fertilizer was GHS 837 (US$ 190)/acre compared to GHS 548 (US$ 125)/acre of cocoa without fertilizer, thereby justifying the use of fertilizer. The annual variable margin from supplementary crops ranged GHS 162-274 (US$37-62)/acre/year, depending on the type of crop. Based on the statistical mode of 4-6 persons per household, 3-4 acres of cocoa and 0.5-2.5 acres of supplementary crops, the yearly returns of GHS 2,511-3,348 (US$ 570-761) from cocoa (with fertilizer) and GHS 81-685 (US$ 18.41-155.68) from supplementary crops was inadequate. Promoting other low capital input ventures like snail rearing, mushroom production and bee keeping will be of immense support to the farmer’s household.

Assisting Students Learning Experiences Using an Augmented Reality Model Framework

In learning through experience there are so many techniques that can be used in order to learn and master skills. Strategies used for learning may be in the form of presentation, multimedia, simulation or hands-on. Others might prefer combination of strategies both being able to hear and/or see the actual or real object of machines, tools or equipment. There are advanced visual technologies available in the internet to choose from but most are not designed to the learning process in a school. Augmented reality is an emerging advance technology that shows a lot of use and opportunity as a tool for learning and enhancing experience. AR can simulate real objects into models that be used for education. This study aims to experiment on an AR engine created using the AR model framework to enhance the learning experiences of students in the different learning strategies used in this study. The experiment is focused to find the significant differences of not having and having an AR model into the learning/teaching strategy. To analyze the data frequency, statistical mode is used to find the most frequent response to interpret the nominal and ordinal categories of the variables. The results of using the AR model framework significantly improved the learning experiences of the participants.

Beholding the cosmos: Huygens’ Cosmotheoros and the latter-day Copernicans

Christiaan Huygens, a founding father of modern physics and astronomy, speculated on extraterrestrial life toward the end of his life. Some of his speculations now seem quaint or naïve, but in other respects, Huygens was admirably enlightened. Huygens’ thought was permeated by Copernicanism and the associated way of thinking that may be termed the principle of indifference. Modern descendants of this statistical mode of generating speculations has given rise to speculations that are, in their own way, as naïve and untenable as Huygens’ argument for hemp on Jupiter.

Didactic and narrative methods of communicating breast cancer screening: a systematic review

There is limited studies that have sought to understanding the processes and mechanisms through which stories influence health-related decisions and actions is critical to maximizing their effectiveness and developing appropriate applications for use in practice settings, more also studies that seek to interrogate the available evidence on the effectiveness of narratives in on seven correlates of behaviour change hence the current review. The main aim of this review was to conduct a comparative evaluation on effectiveness of didactic and narrative methods of cancer communication. Studies were included if they the study used empirical data whether the data was quantitative or qualitative discussing the use of narrative or didactic forms communication on cancer screening, if the study reported outcome of the intervention, if the study was on cancer screening, if the article was written in English language, and the article appeared in a peer-reviewed journal that was published before July 2017. The current systematic review evaluated evidence supporting narrative intervention in cancer communication in an attempt to increase the uptake of breast cancer screening as well as comparing narrative mode of communication with statistical mode of passing the information. Over all it was observed that there exist some evidence that narrative is efficacious in increasing breast cancer screening services. However there were a lot of inconsistences in the evidence adduced in these studies, a fact that warrant that more studies be done in this area of study.

SELECTION OF PEPPER ACCESSIONS WITH ORNAMENTAL POTENTIAL

ABSTRACT Ornamental plants are all plants grown for their beauty and are commonly used in gardening and landscaping. The colorful fruits and varied foliage colors that typify ornamental peppers provide a vibrant garden display that rivals other ornamental plants. This study aimed to evaluate the potential ornamental use of eight pepper accessions, Capsicum annuum, from the Capsicum Germplasm Bank of the Universidade Federal do Piauí, using qualitative and quantitative descriptors. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at the Department of Plant Science, Centre of Agricultural Sciences of Universidade Federal do Piauí, where the accessions were evaluated through a completely randomized design, with eight replicates, one plant per plot, and characterized based on 35 descriptors, 23 of which were qualitative and 12 quantitative. Data on quantitative descriptors were submitted to univariate analysis of variance, followed by Scott-Knott clustering test at 5% probability. Data on qualitative multicategorical descriptors were considered based on observations of statistical mode. The eight accessions evaluated have ornamental potential and are within the standards established by the Instituto Brasileiro de Floricultura. The accessions BAGC 98, 100, 203, 207, 224, and 236 accessions are suitable for cultivation in pots, while BAGC 220 is suitable for garden cultivation. BAGC 199 is the most promising accession because it supports all quality criteria required for size, foliage, flowers, and fruit proposed by the Veiling Holambra Cooperative.

A Fiscally Based Scale for Tropical Cyclone Storm Surge

Categorization of storm surge with the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale has been a useful means of communicating potential impacts for decades. However, storm surge was removed from this scale following Hurricane Katrina (2005), leaving no scale-based method for storm surge risk communication despite its significant impacts on life and property. This study seeks to create a new, theoretical storm surge scale based on fiscal damage for effective risk analysis. Advanced Circulation model simulation output data of maximum water height and velocity were obtained for four storms: Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Ike, and Superstorm Sandy. Four countywide fiscal loss methods were then considered. The first three use National Centers for Environmental Information Storm Events Database (SED) property damages and Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) population, per capita personal income, or total income. The fourth uses National Flood Insurance Program total insured coverage and paid claims. Initial correlations indicated the statistical mode of storm surge data above the 90th percentile was most skillful; this metric was therefore chosen to represent countywide storm surge. Multiple linear regression assessed the most skillful combination of storm surge variables (height and velocity) and fiscal loss method (SED property damages and BEA population, i.e., loss per capita), and defined the proposed scale, named the Kuykendall scale. Comparison with the four storms’ actual losses shows skillful performance, notably a 20% skill increase over surge height-only approaches. The Kuykendall scale demonstrates promise for skillful future storm surge risk assessment in the analytical, academic, and operational domains.