Frontline robots in tourism and hospitality: service enhancement or cost reduction?

Electronic Markets - Robots are being implemented in many frontline services, from waiter robots in restaurants to robotic concierges in hotels. A growing number of firms in hospitality and tourism...     

Gene subset selection in microarray data using entropic filtering for cancer classification

Abstract: In this work an entropic filtering algorithm (EFA) for feature selection is described, as a workable method to generate a relevant subset of genes. This is a fast feature selection method based on finding feature subsets that jointly maximize the normalized multivariate conditional entropy with respect to the classification ability of tumours. The EFA is tested in combination with several machine learning algorithms on five public domain microarray data sets. It is found that this combination offers subsets yielding similar or much better accuracies than using the full set of genes. The solutions obtained are of comparable quality to previous results, but they are obtained in a maximum of half an hour computing time and use a very low number of genes.     

An Evaluation of Equity Premium Prediction Using Multiple Kernel Learning with Financial Features

Neural Processing Letters - This paper introduces and extensively explores a forecasting procedure based on multivariate dynamic kernels to re-examine—under a non-linear, kernel methods...     

Influence of veneer wood species on plywood formaldehyde emission and content

Gaertn.), Beech (Fagus silvatica L.), Ilomba (Pycnathus angolensis Exell) and Okumé (Aucoumea klaineana Pierre), all widely used in wood processing factories. Plywood formaldehyde emission and content have been determined according to CEN standards EN 717-2 and EN 120, respectively. Wood porosity and the overall exposed surface of vessels in the edges of plywood have been measured as well. This investigation has permitted to establish the correlation between plywood formaldehyde emission and content and the above mentioned physical and anatomical wood characteristics.     

Trust transfer in the continued usage of public e-services

We investigate how public administrations can influence citizens’ continued usage of public e-services and focus on the role of different trust elements. We review prior literature and derive a model of trust transfer and continued usage. Our results show that trust in the public e-service mediates the influence of both trust in the public administration and trust in the Internet on continuance intentions. Trust was influenced by e-service quality and recommendations from public administrations and interpersonal sources. The relationship between interpersonal recommendations and trust in the e-service was non-significant; we found a strong moderating influence of time consciousness.     

Tradares: A Tool for the Automatic Evaluation of Human Translation Quality within a MOOC Environment

In this paper, we introduce TradARES, a tool for the automatic evaluation of human translation quality developed in the context of an OpenEdx MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), setting the foundation for a tool that provides efficient and trustful feedback to students. Our further goal is to release a small corpus of Arabic-Spanish translations from the first edition of the course. The evaluation tool is based on prediction models and at the moment is able to indicate the quality of a given piece of text—in the numerical scale {1,2,3,4}—as a translation of another piece of text.     

Low formaldehyde emission particleboard panels realized through a new acrylic binder

The effectiveness of acrylic resins as low formaldehyde emission binders for particleboard production was explored. In particular, a multifunctional methacrylic monomer, ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylate, classified as nonskin and eyes irritant, was selected and tested. In comparison panels realized with classic urea‐formaldehyde (UF) binder were also prepared. No significant differences were found through the morpholocigal analysis of samples prepared with the two different binders. Moreover, particleboard panels realized with the acrylic binder showed better mechanical properties and lower water absorption and thickness swelling in comparison with corresponding panels realized with the UF binders. Furthermore, the replacement of the UF with the acrylic binder did not affect thermal insulation properties of the panels. Formaldehyde release tests revealed that particleboard panels obtained by applying the acrylic binder can be classified as E1 following the European classification and even F**** following the stricter Japanese classification. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Estimation of feed crude protein concentration and rumen degradability by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

Currently, rapid methods are needed for feed analysis. This study examined the potential of Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to predict the nutritional value of a wide range of feeds for ruminants, as an alternative to the in situ technique. Moreover, we investigated whether universal equations could be developed that would allow the low-cost determination of crude protein (CP) concentrations and their kinetics of degradation into the rumen. Protein nutritional values of 663 samples comprising 80 different feed types were determined in terms of concentrations of CP, water-soluble CP (CP_WS), total-tract mobile bag CP digestibility (CP_TTD), and in situ CP degradability, including the rumen soluble fraction (CP_A), the degradable but not soluble fraction (CP_B), rate of CP_B degradation (CP_C), effective degradability (CP_ED), and potential degradability (CP_PD). Infrared spectra of dry samples were collected by attenuated total reflectance from 4000 to 600 cm⁻¹. Models were developed by partial least squares (PLS) regression in a randomly selected subset of samples, and the precision of the equations was confirmed by using an external validation set. Analysis by FTIR spectroscopy was sufficiently sensitive to allow the accurate prediction of sample CP concentration (R² = 0.92) and to classify feeds according to their CP_WS concentrations using universal models (R² = 0.78) that included all sample types. Moreover, substantial improvements in predictions were observed when samples were subdivided in groups. Models for forages led to accurate predictions of CP_WS and fractions CP_A and CP_B (R² > 0.83), whereas models for CP_TTD and CP_ED could be used for screening purposes (R² > 0.67). This study showed that models for protein-rich concentrates alone could also be used for screening according to the feed concentrations of CP_WS, CP_TTD, CP_ED, CP_A, and CP_B, but models for energy-rich concentrates gave relatively poor predictions. The general difficulty observed in predicting CP_C is because of a low correlation between FTIR spectra and the kinetics of CP degradation, which may be the result of large variation in the reference method (i.e., in situ degradation studies) and perhaps also because of the presence of compounds that can modify the CP degradation pattern in the rumen. In conclusion, FTIR spectroscopy should be considered as a low-cost alternative in the feed evaluation industry.     

User adaptation to interactive advertising formats: The effect of previous exposure,habit and time urgency on ad skipping behaviors

Due to commercial information loss of efficacy, social media advertising introduced skippable formats as an interactive function to attract customers. This empowerment of users could also favor the development of their skills and strategies to deal with online advertising, which may result in a lower advertising effectiveness. A study with 286 YouTube users was carried out to investigate this adaptation process to an advertising format by focusing on pre-roll skippable video ads. In contrast to advertisers’ approach (e.g. improving the persuasiveness of the ad), our research deepens on the ad skipping phenomenon from a human and context based perspective. In favor of an ad avoidance training effect, the findings show that participants previously exposed to a skippable ad are faster in taking the decision to watch or skip a subsequent ad. Participants’ skipping habits and time urgency are also revealed as main determinants of different ad skipping behaviors. This innovative research provides empirical support for the adaptation process leading people’s interrelation with interactive advertising formats. Practical and theoretical consequences are discussed for advancing on this underexplored topic.     

Measurement of rumen dry matter and neutral detergent fiber degradability of feeds by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

This study explored the potential of partial least squares (PLS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to predict rumen dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradation parameters of a wide range of feeds for ruminants, as an alternative to the in situ method. In total, 663 samples comprising 80 different feed types were analyzed. In situ DM and NDF degradabilities were determined as follows: effective degradability (ED), rumen soluble fraction (A), degradable but not soluble fraction (B), rate of degradation of the B fraction (C), and indigestible NDF (iNDF). Infrared spectra of dry samples were collected by attenuated total reflectance from 600 to 4000 cm⁻¹. Feeds were randomly classified into 2 subsets of samples with representation of all feed types; one subset was used to develop regression models using partial least squares, and the second subset was used to conduct an external validation of the models. This study indicated that universal models containing all feed types and specific models containing concentrate feeds could provide only a relatively poor estimation of in situ DM degradation parameters because of compositional heterogeneity. More research, such as a particle size distribution analysis, is required to determine whether this lack of accuracy was due to limitations of the FTIR approach, or simply due to methodological error associated with the in situ method. This latter hypothesis may explain the low accuracy observed in the prediction of degradation rates if there was physical leakage of fine particles from the mesh bags used during in situ studies. In contrast, much better predictions were obtained when models were developed for forage feeds alone. Models for forages led to accurate predictions of DM_A, DM_B, NDF_ED, and NDF concentration (R² = 0.91, 0.89, 0.85, and 0.79, standard error = 4.34, 5.97, 4.59, and 4.41% of DM, respectively), and could be used for screening of DM_ED, NDF_C, and iNDF. These models relied on certain regions of the FTIR spectrum (900–1150 and 1500–1700 cm⁻¹), which are mainly compatible with absorption of plant cell wall components, such as cellulose, pectin, lignin, cutin, and suberin, but also with nonstructural carbohydrates and certain active compounds. In conclusion, FTIR spectroscopy could be considered a low-cost alternative to in situ measurements in feed evaluation.