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The paper and paper products sector is a crucial component of the Turkish economy, characterized by significant interactions with various other sectors. Türkiye imports substantial amounts of paper, playing a vital role in the growth and sustainability of this sector. Accurate import forecasting is essential for strategic planning and resource management. This study aims to forecast the imports of the Turkish paper sector for the period from April 2023 to March 2024 using two artificial neural network (ANN) models: Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and Radial Basis Function (RBF). The dataset, obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), covers 219 months of data from 2005 to 2023. The dependent variable is Türkiye’s monthly import value of paper and paper products, while the independent variables include the monthly average US Dollar exchange rate, monthly imports of Türkiye, the Manufacturing Industry Production Index, the Paper Production Index, and the monthly exports of paper and paper products from Türkiye. The MLP model forecasts that the monthly imports of paper and paper products will range between 270 to 300 million USD, while the RBF model predicts values between 268 and 321 million USD. These findings underscore the efficacy of ANNs in providing accurate and reliable forecasts. This study addresses a gap in the literature by applying ANN methods to forecast imports in the paper and paper products sector, presenting a novel approach that can assist companies in making better-informed decisions regarding inventory management, production planning, and marketing strategies. By leveraging the advanced computational power and pattern recognition capabilities of ANNs, the study aims to enhance the strategic planning processes in the paper and paper products industry. The traditional methods often used in trade data analysis and forecasting are limited in capturing the complex and non-linear relationships present in economic data. This study's application of ANNs offers a significant advancement by utilizing models that can better handle such complexities. The accuracy of the MLP and RBF models highlights their potential as valuable tools for economic forecasting, providing insights that are crucial for optimizing supply chain operations and improving market responsiveness. The results indicate that companies can achieve better operational performance and increased customer satisfaction by effectively forecasting future import requirements. The originality of this study lies in its methodological approach, utilizing ANN models to forecast import values in a sector where traditional methods have been predominant. This innovative approach not only contributes to the existing body of knowledge but also offers practical applications for businesses within the sector. The detailed analysis of the data, combined with the robust modeling techniques employed, provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the dynamics of paper imports and making strategic decisions based on accurate predictions. In conclusion, the study demonstrates the significant success of artificial neural networks in predicting import values for the Turkish paper and paper products sector. The findings provide valuable information that can aid companies in strategic planning, enhancing their ability to manage inventory, plan production, and develop effective market strategies. The research contributes to the literature by filling a gap with its innovative approach, offering new perspectives and practical applications for improving decision-making processes in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pre-treatment process was evaluated in this work for wastewater from paper recycling using microwave technology followed by rapid precipitation of contaminants through centrifugation. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used to analyze and optimize the turbidity values. Thirty experimental runs were utilized including microwave (MW) power, duration, centrifuge time, and centrifuge speed as input variables, generated by the Central Composite Full Design (CCFD) approach. The experimental turbidity ranged from 8.1 to 19.7 NTU, while predicted values ranged from 8.4 to 19.7 NTU by ANN. The ANN model showed a robust prediction performance with low mean squared error values during training and testing. Moreover, high R² values showed a remarkable agreement between the experimental observations and ANN predictions. The results obtained from the input values (A:150.00, B:60.00, C:15.00, D:30.00) of sample 2, which gave the lowest turbidity value, showed the most removal of pollution. The results obtained from the input values (A:250.00, B:60.00, C:7.00, D:20.00) of sample 30, which gave the highest turbidity value, showed the least removal of pollution. The results showed that increasing RPM and time of the centrifugation process significantly affected the removal of pollution in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this era of knowledge, academic researchers are growing every day, this also spikes a growth in published literature on the new innovations and findings. This leads to a problem where the reviewers at the conferences must go through many research papers to determine whether they are suitable for the conference or not. This problem has caused the necessity of an effective paper screening tool for optimizing the literature review process. This research presents a development of a new Paper Screening Tool (PST) aimed at increasing the efficiency and accuracy of the literature screening phase. Leveraging the NPL processing techniques this PST and reduces a lot of manual efforts. Through comprehensive evaluation using a diverse dataset, the tools provide high precision. The PST also has user friendly interfaces and customizable report generation which empowers the researchers screening process to their specific needs. This paper contributes to literature by solving the challenge of information overloading during the literature review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports the degradation of cellulosic material, i.e., paper, under different environmental conditions (soil and hydrolytic). Models were developed using central composite design (CCD) within the framework of response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques. It is done as part of a solid waste management system to eliminate the waste produced by excessive paper usage and obtain optimized degradation conditions of paper. In view of the real environments where paper-based solid wastes are usually exposed, soil degradation and hydrolytic degradation of paper were investigated. The factors pH (4–10), compost ratio (2–5), CaCl2 (5–15 ppm), and time (7–20 days) were independent factors that varied for the study, and degradation conversion was measured as the dependent variable for soil degradation of paper. The factors pH (4–10), CaCl2 (2–5 ppm), tripotassium phosphate (TPP, 2–5 ppm), and time (6–16 days) were independent variables that varied for the study, and degradation conversion was the dependent variable for hydrolytic degradation of paper. The optimal conditions for soil degradation were determined to be a pH of 4, a compost ratio of 5, a salt (CaCl2) addition of 5 ppm, and a duration of 20 days, resulting in the highest observed conversion rate. The coefficient of regression (R2) for CCD is 87.24%, whereas it is 94.82% for ANN. The optimal conditions for achieving maximum conversion in hydrolytic degradation include a pH of 10, a CaCl2 salt concentration of 5 ppm, a TPP salt concentration of 2 ppm, and a duration of 16 days. The coefficient of regression for CCD is 75.15%, while the coefficient of regression for ANN is 93.91%. In both deterioration scenarios, the data exhibited a higher degree of fit when modeled using ANN compared to CCD (RSM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is difficult to predict index values or stock prices with a single financial formula. They are affected by many factors, such as political conditions, global economy, unexpected events, market anomalies, and the characteristics of the relevant companies, and many computer science techniques are being used to make more accurate predictions about them. This study aimed to predict the values of the XKAGT index by using the monthly closing values of the Borsa Istanbul (BIST) Forestry, Paper and Printing (XKAGT) index between 2002 and 2023, and the machine learning techniques artificial neural networks (ANN), random forest (RF), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), and gradient boosting machine (GBM). Furthermore, the performances of four machine learning techniques were compared. Factors affecting stock prices are generally classified as macroeconomic and microeconomic factors. As a result of examining the studies on determining the macroeconomic factors affecting the stock markets, 10 macroeconomic factors were determined as input. The macroeconomic variables used were crude oil price, exchange rate of USD/TRY, dollar index, BIST100 index, gold price, money supply (M2), S&P 500 index, US 10-year bond interest, export-import coverage rate in the forest products sector, and deposits interest rate. It was determined that all machine learning techniques used in the study performed successfully in predicting the index value, but the k-nearest neighbor algorithm showed the best performance with R2=0.996, RMSE=71.36, and a MAE of 40.8. Therefore, in line with the current variables, investors can make analyzes using any of the ANN, RF, KNN, and GBM techniques to predict the future index value, which will lead them to accurate results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Enhanced cellulo-xylanolytic consortium production from Hypocrea lixii GGRK4 using MOGA-ANN is reported. • The production of CMCase (9.43 fold) and xylanase (4.40 fold) higher than un-optimized process. • The improved deinking efficiency and brightness is reported for photocopier paper and newspaper. • The physical strength of the waste papers were enhanced whereas double fold property was decreased proving its reusability. • A significant fungal enzyme consortium preparation for improved waste paper deinking achieved. This study reports the cellulo-xylanolytic cocktail production from Hypocrea lixii GGRK4 using multi-objective genetic algorithm-artificial neural network tool, resulting in 8.32 ± 1.07 IU/mL, 51.53 ± 3.78 IU/mL activity of CMCase and xylanase, respectively with more than 85 % residual activity at 60 °C and pH 6.0. Interestingly, metal ions viz. K+ and Ca2+ stimulated the enzyme activity, whereas Fe2+ and Cu2+ reduced the activity. Significant amounts of hydrophobic compounds, chromophores, and phenolics were released after wastepapers deinking. The deinking efficiency of 73.60 ± 2.45 % and 38.60 ± 1.34 % was obtained for photocopier paper and newspaper, respectively, whereas brightness of 89.90 ± 2.10 % ISO and 44.90 ± 1.63 % ISO was reported for both types of waste papers. The physical strength of deinked photocopier paper and newspapers, i.e., tensile index (3.10 and 0.50 %), tearing index (7.10 and 4.83 %), and burst factor (8.61) were enhanced whereas double fold property was decreased proving wastepaper reusability. This consortium showed effective and significant enzymatic deinking efficiency for recycled wastepapers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of computer technology, automatic test paper generation systems have gradually become an effective tool for detecting and maintaining national machine security and protecting the rights and interests of workers. This article achieved multi-level oral scores for different types of questions through online scoring using artificial neural networks in recent years. Based on its specific situation and evaluation index requirements, an analysis module that is reasonable, efficient, and in line with the hierarchical structure and module requirements of national conditions has been designed to complete the research on automatic test paper generation technology, in order to help better manage and allocate human resources and improve production efficiency. Afterwards, this article conducted functional testing on the technical module. The test results showed that the scalability of the system was over 82%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there are differences in handwritten Chinese signatures on different media including paper and electronic devices. Participants were asked to sign specified names on various types of media and the signatures were scanned or saved digitally for subsequent analysis. In this study, using convolutional neural networks and Siamese neural networks as classifiers and comparators, the performance plunge is revealed and thus considerable dissimilarity between the signatures on different media is implied. To further explore this, cubic Bézier curves are fitted to the signatures using the least square method for quantitative statistical analysis. By analyzing the visual changes in the morphology of strokes, several features of signatures are selected and computed, and the paired t‐test and the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test are implemented, which provides a deeper substantiation and explanation of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting has extreme importance in industry due to the numerous competitive advantages that it provides, allowing to foresee what might happen and adjust management decisions accordingly. Industries increasingly use sensors, which allow for large-scale data collection. Big datasets enable training, testing and application of complex predictive algorithms based on machine learning models. The present paper focuses on predicting values from sensors installed on a pulp paper press, using data collected over three years. The variables analyzed are electric current, pressure, temperature, torque, oil level and velocity. The results of XGBoost and artificial neural networks, with different feature vectors, are compared. They show that it is possible to predict sensor data in the long term and thus predict the asset's behaviour several days in advance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In low-middle income countries, healthcare providers primarily use paper health records for capturing data. Paper health records are utilized predominately due to the prohibitive cost of acquisition and maintenance of automated data capture devices and electronic medical records. Data recorded on paper health records is not easily accessible in a digital format to healthcare providers. The lack of real time accessible digital data limits healthcare providers, researchers, and quality improvement champions to leverage data to improve patient outcomes. In this project, we demonstrate the novel use of computer vision software to digitize handwritten intraoperative data elements from smartphone photographs of paper anesthesia charts from the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali. We specifically report our approach to digitize checkbox data, symbol-denoted systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and physiological data. Methods: We implemented approaches for removing perspective distortions from smartphone photographs, removing shadows, and improving image readability through morphological operations. YOLOv8 models were used to deconstruct the anesthesia paper chart into specific data sections. Handwritten blood pressure symbols and physiological data were identified, and values were assigned using deep neural networks. Our work builds upon the contributions of previous research by improving upon their methods, updating the deep learning models to newer architectures, as well as consolidating them into a single piece of software. Results: The model for extracting the sections of the anesthesia paper chart achieved an average box precision of 0.99, an average box recall of 0.99, and an mAP0.5-95 of 0.97. Our software digitizes checkbox data with greater than 99% accuracy and digitizes blood pressure data with a mean average error of 1.0 and 1.36 mmHg for systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively. Overall accuracy for physiological data which includes oxygen saturation, inspired oxygen concentration and end tidal carbon dioxide concentration was 85.2%. Conclusions: We demonstrate that under normal photography conditions we can digitize checkbox, blood pressure and physiological data to within human accuracy when provided legible handwriting. Our contributions provide improved access to digital data to healthcare practitioners in low-middle income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avoiding financial losses requires preventing catastrophic oil‐filled power transformer breakdowns. Continuous online transformer monitoring is needed. The authors use paper insulation to evaluate transformer health for continuous online transformer monitoring. The study suggests a new artificial intelligence method for estimating paper insulation residual life in oil‐immersed power transformers. The four artificial intelligence models use backpropagation‐based neural networks to predict paper insulation lifespan. Four primary transformer insulating paper failure indices—degree of polymerisation, 2‐furfuraldehyde, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide—form the basis of these models. Each model, including the backpropagation‐based neural networks, estimates paper insulation life using one failure index, along with moisture and temperature data. Optimisation techniques enhance hidden layer neurons and epoch count for improved performance. Results are validated against literature‐based life models, establishing a precise input–output correlation. This method accurately predicts the remaining useable life of power transformer paper insulation, enabling utilities to take proactive measures for safe and efficient transformer operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]