Few-Shot Semantic Relation Prediction Across Heterogeneous Graphs

Semantic relation prediction aims to mine the implicit relationships between objects in heterogeneous graphs, which consist of different types of objects and different types of links. In real-world scenarios, new semantic relations constantly emerge and they typically appear with only a few labeled data. Since a variety of semantic relations exist in multiple heterogeneous graphs, the transferable knowledge can be mined from some existing semantic relations to help predict the new semantic relations with few labeled data. This inspires a novel problem of few-shot semantic relation prediction across heterogeneous graphs. However, the existing methods cannot solve this problem because they not only require a large number of labeled samples as input, but also focus on a single graph with a fixed heterogeneity. Targeting this novel and challenging problem, in this paper, we propose a Meta-learning based Graph neural network for Semantic relation prediction, named MetaGS. Firstly, MetaGS decomposes the graph structure between objects into multiple normalized subgraphs, then adopts a two-view graph neural network to capture local heterogeneous information and global structure information of these subgraphs. Secondly, MetaGS aggregates the information of these subgraphs with a hyper-prototypical network, which can learn from existing semantic relations and adapt to new semantic relations. Thirdly, using the well-initialized two-view graph neural network and hyper-prototypical network, MetaGS can effectively learn new semantic relations from different graphs while overcoming the limitation of few labeled data. Extensive experiments on three real-world datasets have demonstrated the superior performance of MetaGS over the state-of-the-art methods. IEEE

“Games” using old photographs in the time of the pandemic: Archival photographs in museum education

The purpose of the article is to show what knowledge on the ludic culture of Cieszyn Silesian residents at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries can be obtained through the resources of the Photography Section of the Museum of Cieszyn Silesia. The project required both preliminary research and an analysis of archival photographs. The research questions regarded the usefulness of old photographs depicting past games in the preparation of both online and offline museum classes on the local cultural heritage. In the article, the author discusses photographs documenting past toys and pastimes, divided into 10 thematic groups, and presents outlines of lesson scripts as well as other museum activities prepared on their basis. The research conducted during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic required netnographic methods and the analysis of historical sources, while the application of methods of design thinking made it possible to prepare scripts of museum classes. © 2022, Muzeologia a kulturne dedicstvo, o.z. All rights reserved.

Determining the effects of some bacteria on wooden toys treated with antibacterial protective coatings

Several protective coatings enhanced by antimicrobial agents and/or pigments were considered for the wooden toy market: water-based matte varnish, an ultra-hygiene water-based matte varnish (WBV-UH), a polyurethane matte varnish (PUV), and an ultra-hygiene antiviral polyurethane matte varnish (PUV-UH), as well as a water-based dye (WBV 5%K), an ultra-hygiene water-based dye (WBV-UH 5%K), a polyurethane dye (PUV 5%K), and an ultra-hygiene polyurethane dye (PUV-UH 5%K), which contain 5% red nano-pigment (K). By utilizing 7 kinds of bacteria and 2 types of yeast that are commonly detected in routine, daily settings, the efficacy of the different protective coatings on wooden toy surface was investigated. The antibacterial and antimicrobial activities of the tested dye samples were based on the agar-well diffusion method. Ultimately, the study found that the addition of antimicrobial agents to several different protective coatings and dyes resulted in the presence of antimicrobial activity vs. the lack thereof with protective coatings and dyes alone. Additionally, some of the dyes with added antimicrobial agents were found to be effective against biofilm formation. Overall, the addition of pigment into the coating, alongside the addition of antimicrobial agents, proved to be highly effective in inhibiting growth and spread of microorganisms on wooden toy surface.

A review study of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual sexual behavior, purchasing sex toys, and related consequences

Globally, COVID-19, both during and after the pandemic, has not only slowed countries’ economic development but has also affected social and daily life. Due to COVID-19, physical contact among couples has been reduced, and physical sexual activities have been affected and decreased. In order to satisfy their sexual needs and avoid mental health issues, individuals have shown an increasing inclination to purchase sex toys. Therefore, we conducted this review study to investigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual activities, purchasing sex toys, and related consequences. Specifically, the present paper examines 45 studies and focuses on four themes: (1) COVID-19 and sex toys;(2) COVID-19 and sex (i.e. sexual life, sexuality, sexual health, sexual behavior);(3) factors affecting purchasing sex toys;and (4) COVID-19 consequences. The study findings reflect that, during to the pandemic, sex toy sales doubled in Australia, Colombia, Denmark, and the UK, and tripled in New Zealand. Sex toys have entailed positive (i.e. increased satisfaction, confidence, pleasure) and negative (addiction, allergic reaction, risk of sexually transmitted infection, embarrassment, and guilt) implications. In addition, participants all over the world engaged more in using sex toys and watching pornography to satisfy their sexual needs. Further, the use of online dating applications also increased, in order to have sex with close or casual partners. Regarding purchasing sex toys, we postulate that people buy these products due to lack of opportunity, relationship avoidance, loneliness, cost-effectiveness, time-saving, and emotionless behavior. Moreover, the pandemic has worsened family and sexual relationships. It has also increased anxiety, stress, and violence in society. In this context, we assert that there is still a need to explore the factors influencing individuals’ intentions toward purchasing sex toys, and studies need to be conducted to understand in more detail COVID-19’s effects, both during and after the pandemic.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF ART AND HANDICRAFTS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY IN TOURISM SECTOR POST COVID 19

The paper is based on needs to be taken by the Contribution of Arts and Handicrafts that has been spread across Our country towards resurrecting the Tourism Sector post Covid 19. The Impact of the pandemic, Corona Virus has bought the tourism sector to a Complete halt for the past 18 Months , the sector which is looked as an asset towards the generation of our country economy every year round. It was observed by the expert committee who says that the losses has gone upto over $ 64.1 billion, with an average of around 75 less travel in these period since the Lockdown in March 2020. Also the way forward is Uncertain thus making things a little in the unknown as we move towards the future path of resurrection the Sector. Tourism Sector has started in its slow recovery post the pandemic . Many a tourist spot has started opening to the General Public keeping in mind the SOP offered by its state Government. One of the Important Segment is the Arts and Handicrafts segment, the one that has the habit ofattracting tourists all over at the places of Destination.

Housing and Environmental Enrichment of the Domestic Ferret: A Multi-Sector Survey

Simple SummaryHow ferrets across sectors are housed and the environmental enrichment provided (e.g., toys, beds, exploration of new sights and smells) can directly impact their health and wellbeing. Through an online questionnaire reaching ferret caretakers from pet owner, laboratory, zoo, rescue, and working (e.g., pest control) sectors, we describe how ferrets are housed, the enrichment they receive, enrichment types that ferrets most enjoy and those which may be harmful or problematic. Of 754 responses, 82.4% were from pet owners. Most ferrets were housed with at least one other ferret, and the type of housing varied across sectors from single-level cages to free-ranging housing. Environmental enrichments most commonly reported were hammocks, tunnels and human interaction, with ferrets reported to most enjoy digging, tunnels, human interaction and exploration. Scent trails were also reported to be among the most enjoyable enrichments but were rarely provided, suggesting that they could be used more. Problematic enrichment included rubber items, such as Kongs®, which could be chewed and swallowed, narrow tunnels trapping ferrets, and fabrics catching claws. These items should therefore be avoided. Our results suggest that all sectors have room to improve both housing and enrichment to better ferret welfare.Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) are kept and used in multiple sectors of society, but little is known about how they are housed and what environmental enrichment (EE) they may benefit from. We aimed to help guide caretakers about what housing and EE can be provided for ferrets. Through an online questionnaire of ferret caretakers, including pet, laboratory, zoological collection, rescue and working animal sectors internationally, we described ferret housing, opportunities for exploration, EE provision and caretaker opinions on ferrets’ preferred EE types, and problematic EE. In total, 754 valid responses from 17 countries were analysed, with most (82.4%) coming from pet owners. Most ferrets were housed socially, with housing varying across sectors from single-level cages to free-range housing in a room or outdoor enclosure;pet owners mostly used multi-level cages. The most commonly reported EE included hammocks, tunnels and tactile interaction with caretakers. Respondents reported that ferrets particularly enjoyed digging substrates, tunnels, human interaction and exploration. The most frequently reported problems were that ingestion of unsuitable chew toys and rubber items could cause internal blockages, narrow tunnels could trap ferrets, and certain fabrics that could catch claws. This suggests a need for increased awareness of the risks of these EE types and for more commercially available safety-tested ferret EE. Scent trails were relatively rarely provided but were reported to be enjoyed and harmless, so we recommend that these should be provided more commonly. Our results suggest that there is scope to improve ferret housing and EE provision to benefit ferret welfare across all sectors.

Pepe: An adaptive robot that helps children with autism to plan and self-manage their day

Covid19 has heightened physical and mental challenges for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). One of the main difficulties that parents of children with ASD faced during the pandemic was to plan and structure a daily routine for their kids. The disruption of the routine, together with the difficulty of combining work and the care of children has resulted in behavioral problems and stress, and anxiety for children and their parents. For these reasons, the main goal of this work was to develop an adaptive robot that helps children with autism to plan and self-manage their day, allowing children to become more independent. While most interactive tools for children with ASD are meant for professional use in therapy, Pepe robot is developed as a support tool for these children to use along the way, with adaptability, agencies, senses, and playfulness at the core of the design. By collecting information from the performance of the kid, it is able to adapt its behavior to the child's (and parent's) needs and desires, and therefore progress with the child. Building upon the principles of Positive Behavioral Support, emotional crises are prevented by embracing a long-run negotiation process, by which the child gets gradually closer to the end goal of self-autonomy. Intended to be adapted to the accentuated needs of these children, the robot combines traditional and computational elements to make the most out of the experience. This project included in-depth user research together with parents and experts, an interdisciplinary design approach, and a prototyping phase in which a prototype was tested with children with ASD. © 2021 Owner/Author.

Examining the Roots of Logistical Failures: Four Illustrations From the World of Retailing

The world of retailing has undergone deep changes over the last twenty years in terms of the organization of marketing channels. Two models are today characterized by a strong dynamism: the brick & click model and the pure player model. An important literature focuses on the logistical dimensions associated with these two models, indicating that the performance of the physical distribution service is the key to success. This article takes a different point of view by exploring logistical failures from four well-known illustrations in the retailing world that could help to better understand the supply chain issues for brick & click retailers and pure player retailers.

A Comprehensive Literature Review on Children's Databases for Machine Learning Applications

The COVID-19 pandemic can be attributed as a main factor to accelerate the current digital transformation and to encourage innovation and technological adoption. Consequently, the care provided to our children, one of the significant aspects of life, needs to be adapted with the life’s changes. Children are our future and our most precious resources. They need our attention in all life domains including health, education, safety and social interaction. Nowadays, technologies have been incorporated with machine learning and it has been proven that they are more powerful, reliable and profitable. Machine learning methods have been applied by many children-related studies to generate predictive models for different applications. The efficacy of the generated models mainly rely on the constructed databases. This article carries out a comprehensive survey on available children’s databases constructed for machine-learning-based solutions with their methodologies, characteristics, challenges, and applications. First, it provides an overview of the available studies and classifies them based on their applications. Next, it defines a set of attributes and evaluates them while also shedding light on their pros and cons. The primary concerns related to collection, development and distribution of children’s databases are also discussed. This study can be considered as a guideline for researchers in multidisciplinary fields to construct reliable databases and to develop more advanced techniques. Author

Using Toys to a Create a Global Connection

Global connections are an important part of the elementary classroom as they help students develop empathy through interactions while allowing them to apply classroom learning to the outside world. Partnering with a classroom in another country was a goal of Pace because through interactions and sharing of information, she hoped to create curiosity while helping her students build a global mindset in which they see how the concepts they are learning in class can be applied in different settings. Within a given classroom, students come with a variety of experiences they can build upon. For example, in her classroom she has students who have traveled around the US and some who have never left their city. By providing a collaborative experience, all of her students would have the chance to go beyond the four walls of their classroom and experience a new culture. As a teacher, she was excited to exchange ideas and learn from her co-teacher in another country.