Litter Detection with Deep Learning: A Comparative Study

Pollution in the form of litter in the natural environment is one of the great challenges of our times. Automated litter detection can help assess waste occurrences in the environment. Different machine learning solutions have been explored to develop litter detection tools, thereby supporting research, citizen science, and volunteer clean-up initiatives. However, to the best of our knowledge, no work has investigated the performance of state-of-the-art deep learning object detection approaches in the context of litter detection. In particular, no studies have focused on the assessment of those methods aiming their use in devices with low processing capabilities, e.g., mobile phones, typically employed in citizen science activities. In this paper, we fill this literature gap. We performed a comparative study involving state-of-the-art CNN architectures (e.g., Faster RCNN, Mask-RCNN, EfficientDet, RetinaNet and YOLO-v5), two litter image datasets and a smartphone. We also introduce a new dataset for litter detection, named PlastOPol, composed of 2418 images and 5300 annotations. The experimental results demonstrate that object detectors based on the YOLO family are promising for the construction of litter detection solutions, with superior performance in terms of detection accuracy, processing time, and memory footprint.

Research on Training Base’s Expansion of Scientific Popularization Function in Higher Vocational Colleges

Based on the needs of regional industrial development and technical personnel training, the training base for technical skill as the core function has effectively enhanced the development of vocational education. However, at present, the training base in vocational colleges is mainly applied for students’ teaching, and the overall utilization rate is low. It is of great importance in the rational application of software and hardware resources onto the training base to widely carry out popular science activities. The importance of training base construction and scientific popularization is expounded. On this basis, the research team took the S&T racing training base as a case to study its expandable scientific popularization function. The practice results show that using the resources of the training base to carry out scientific popularization activities can greatly improve teenagers’ interest in automobile technology. More training bases in vocational colleges should expand the function of scientific popularization.

A study on a new method for solving interval neutrosophic linear programming problems

Neutrosophic set theory is a generalization of the intuitionistic fuzzy set which can be considered as a powerful tool to express the indeterminacy and inconsistent information that exist commonly in engineering applications and real meaningful science activities. In this paper an interval neutrosophic linear programming (INLP) model will be presented, where its parameters are represented by triangular interval neutrosophic numbers (TINNs) and call it INLP problem. Afterward, by using a ranking function we present a technique to convert the INLP problem into a crisp model and then solve it by standard methods

Citizen Science Addressing Challenges of Sustainability

Practices for the engagement of citizens and other research and innovation (R and I) stakeholders in science can be found aplenty in the existing literature, all along with principles, guidelines and tools providing meaningful guidance for practitioners in research funding and performing, organizations (RPFOs) and helping them achieve high quality and responsible citizen science projects addressing sustainability challenges. Such guidance, however, is scarce when it comes to setting up and running transdisciplinary citizen science eco systems, where projects can be systematically initiated by different stakeholders and carried out in a dedicated supportive environment. Based on literature review and series of semi-structured interviews with quadruple helix stakeholders in Lithuania, this paper provides a current overview of the perceptions, concerns, motivational factors, and obstacles with regard to participation in citizen science activities.

Validazione di uno strumento per valutare la partecipazione alle attività extracurriculari in area STEM. Il questionario Science Activities Evaluation Engagement (SAEE)

In this study, we present a new questionnaire, the Science Activities Evaluation Engagement (SAEE) instrument, for the evaluation of the students’ engagement in STEM oriented extra-curricular activities. The questionnaire was administered to about 1000 secondary school students who participated in the activities of the Piano Nazionale Lauree Scientifiche in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Through an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, it was possible to validate a four-factor structure of the instrument: Satisfaction with the followed activities; Utility of the activities; Difficulties in following the activities; Involvement of close people. The obtained factor structure shows a good model fit, with each of the obtained scales showing an excellent reliability. Criterion validity was established through the academic motivation scale. The proposed instrument shows also an adequate convergent validity and a sufficient discriminant validity. Implications of the study for the evaluation of Third Mission activities of the Italian universities are also briefly discussed.

Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) laser altimeter for the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) spacecraft

An altimeter is a critical instrument in planetary missions, for both safe operations and science activities. We present required specifications and link budget calculations for light detection and ranging (LIDAR) onboard the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) spacecraft. During the mission phase, this LIDAR will continuously measure the distance between the spacecraft and its target. The time-series distance provides important diagnostic information for safe spacecraft operations and important information for geomorphological studies. Because MMX is a sample return mission, its LIDAR must accommodate physical disturbances on the Martian satellite surface. This resulted in changes to the optical system design. Graphical abstract

The status of the education of science for children aged 5–6 in some central Vietnamese public preschools

The study aims to determine the status of organizing science activities for preschoolers aged 5–6 and teachers' views on improving science education quality for 5–6-year-olds in Vietnam. The research was undertaken on 150 preschool teachers working with 5–6 years old classes in 24 public preschools in 3 provinces, including Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien Hue. Mixed methods, including surveys, interviews with teachers, and observation of science discovery activities, were used. According to the study results, science education activities were regularly organized in the preschools with specific plans following the school-year curriculum and the national ECE framework of Vietnam. Teachers used various methods and forms for organizing scientific activities, but the classroom environment was dominant. The participation of family and society in science activities at preschools was limited. Teachers also highlight some measures to improve the quality of science education in preschools, including providing necessary facilities, equipment, toys for preschools and increasing modern teaching methods. The findings of this study provide necessary evidence on science education for preschool children in practical terms as the basis for further studies on solutions to improve the efficiency of science education for preschool children in Vietnam.

Impact of Different Popular Science Models and Other Factors on Satisfaction of Community Health Popular Science Activities in Shanghai Community Residents

Objective To explore and analyze the impact of different popular science models, include traditional and innovative models, and other factors on satisfaction of community health popular science activities in Shanghai community residents. Method Four communities were selected in Minhang District, Shanghai, and divided into four groups with simple random sampling method: foreign volunteer medical science talk show group (A), Chinese volunteer medical science talk show group (B), traditional lecture group (C), and control group (D). Using the rules of convenience sampling, 150 residents were randomly selected from each community to participate in 6-month popular science activities, and completed three questionnaires during the 6-month popular science intervention. Data including the sociodemographic data and the satisfaction on community health popular science activities was collected and analyzed. Results Compared with those in baseline, the satisfactions of community health popular science activities in three popular science models have all significantly improved with 3 and 6 months popular science intervention (A: χ2 = 47.1, p < 0.001; B: χ2 = 62.0, p < 0.001; C: χ2 = 31.7, p < 0.001) except for in control group (D: χ2 = 0.3, p = 0.9). The factors including gender, education, marital status, popular science model and popular science intervention time all have significant impact on satisfaction. Among these factors, married (Exp (B) = 2.715, 95% CI (1.163-6.336), p = 0.021)), popular science models (foreign volunteer medical science talk show model: Exp (B) = 8.796, 95% CI (5.907-13.100), p < 0.001; Chinese volunteer medical science talk show model: Exp (B) = 5.106, 95% CI (3.564-7.314), p < 0.001 and traditional lecture model: Exp (B) = 13.033, 95% CI (8.374-20.283), p < 0.001), popular science intervention time (3-month: Exp (B) = 3.988, 95% CI (2.827-5.626), p < 0.001; 6-month: Exp (B) = 4.132, 95% CI (2.924-5.840), p < 0.001) have positive impact on satisfaction. While female (Exp (B) = 0.598, 95% CI (0.440-0.813), p = 0.001), and junior college (Exp (B) = 0.295, 95% CI (0.168-0.519), p < 0.001) have negative impact. Conclusion Both the innovative and traditional popular science models have positive effect on the satisfaction on Chinese community health popular science activities in Shanghai community residents. In the future, special consideration should be given to the impact of different popular science models and other factors on the popular science effects including the satisfaction, and more tailor-design health popular science activities will be suitable for community residents.

Cultivating Moral Attention: a Virtue-Oriented Approach to Responsible Data Science in Healthcare

In the past few years, the ethical ramifications of AI technologies (in particular data science) have been at the center of intense debates. Considerable attention has been devoted to understanding how a morally responsible practice of data science can be promoted and which values have to shape it. In this context, ethics and moral responsibility have been mainly conceptualized as compliance to widely shared principles. However, several scholars have highlighted the limitations of such a principled approach. Drawing from microethics and the virtue theory tradition, in this paper, we formulate a different approach to ethics in data science which is based on a different conception of “being ethical” and, ultimately, of what it means to promote a morally responsible data science. First, we develop the idea that, rather than only compliance, ethical decision-making consists in using certain moral abilities (e.g., virtues), which are cultivated by practicing and exercising them in the data science process. An aspect of virtue development that we discuss here is moral attention, which is the ability of data scientists to identify the ethical relevance of their own technical decisions in data science activities. Next, by elaborating on the capability approach, we define a technical act as ethically relevant when it impacts one or more of the basic human capabilities of data subjects. Therefore, rather than “applying ethics” (which can be mindless), data scientists should cultivate ethics as a form of reflection on how technical choices and ethical impacts shape one another. Finally, we show how this microethical framework concretely works, by dissecting the ethical dimension of the technical procedures involved in data understanding and preparation of electronic health records.