In this study, the authors propose a method that combines CNN and LSTM networks to recognize facial expressions. To handle illumination changes and preserve edge information in the image, the method uses two different preprocessing techniques. The preprocessed image is then fed into two independent CNN layers for feature extraction. The extracted features are then fused with an LSTM layer to capture the temporal dynamics of facial expressions. To evaluate the method's performance, the authors use the FER2013 dataset, which contains over 35,000 facial images with seven different expressions. To ensure a balanced distribution of the expressions in the training and testing sets, a mixing matrix is generated. The models in FER on the FER2013 dataset with an accuracy of 73.72%. The use of Focal loss, a variant of cross-entropy loss, improves the model's performance, especially in handling class imbalance. Overall, the proposed method demonstrates strong generalization ability and robustness to variations in illumination and facial expressions. It has the potential to be applied in various real-world applications such as emotion recognition in virtual assistants, driver monitoring systems, and mental health diagnosis.

Infectious diseases often occur, especially as diseases such as COVID-19 have claimed many lives in the years between 2019–2021. That’s why it’s called COVID-19, considering that this infectious disease outbreak started in 2019, and its consequences and effects are devastating. Like other countries’ governments, the Indonesian government always announces the latest data on this infectious disease, such as death rates and recoveries. Infectious diseases are transmitted directly through disease carriers to humans through infections such as fungi, bacteria, viruses and parasites. In this research, we offer a contagious illness monitoring application to help the public and government know the zone’s status so that people are more alert when travelling between regions. This application was created based on Web Application Programming Interface (API) data and configured on the Google Map API to determine a person’s or user’s coordinates in a particular zone. We made it using the prototype method to help users understand this application well. This research is part of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) research, where the use of mobile technology is an example of implementation options that can be made to implement this system.

Before the formal construction of a building, it is necessary to conduct an effective survey of the engineering geology, hydrogeology, and other contents within the construction area. The survey work is not only an important part of the early stage of engineering construction for engineering management personnel, but also an important factor in ensuring safety and stability during the construction process. Therefore, in order to effectively avoid various geological risks during the construction process or after the completion of the building, the preliminary engineering geological survey work is of great significance. In the process of engineering geological exploration, hydrogeological issues are also important exploration projects. This article will explore and study hydrogeological issues, analyze the water physical properties of rock and soil, and the impact of hydrogeological issues on the project, and then propose effective measures to do well in engineering geological exploration.

As digital technologies continue to shape the economy, countries are faced with increasing scrutiny in the use of digital transformation to aid productivity and improve performance. In South Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated Small and medium-sized businesses’ (SMEs’) uptake of digital technologies, as many businesses had to shift their operations online and adopt new digital tools and technologies to solve the challenges posed by the pandemic. This has led to an increased focus on digital transformation mechanisms among South African firms. Therefore, the study examines the effect of digital transformation on the productivity of firms using cross-sectional data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) (2020). The survey was based on firms and is a representative sample of the private sector in the South African economy and covers a wide variety of business environment themes, such as infrastructure, competitiveness, access to finance, and performance indicators. We found that digital transformation improved productivity of South African firms. Furthermore, empirical findings are reassuring robust to the IV-2SLS and quantile regression model, size of business, sectoral and provincial analysis. Finally, we recommend that policy makers should develop and implement initiatives to improve digital infrastructure, including high-speed internet access and reliable connectivity, especially in rural and underserved areas.

Amidst China’s burgeoning population and rapid technological strides, this study explores how elderly citizens navigate and embrace electronic governance (e-governance) platforms. Addressing a crucial gap in knowledge, we delve into their limited digital fluency and its impact on e-governance adoption. Our meticulously crafted online survey, distributed via WeChat across significant cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Changsha), yielded 396 responses (384 analyzable). Utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), we unearthed key influencers of subjective norms, including perceived ease and usefulness, trust, supportive conditions, and past tech exposure. These norms, in turn, positively shape attitudes. Crucially, educational background emerges as a moderator, amplifying the positive link between attitudes and e-governance engagement intent. This underscores the necessity of an inclusive, customized e-governance approach, offering valuable policy insights and advocating for holistic solutions for older adults. Our research yields empirical and theoretical contributions, paving the way for actionable Social Sustainability Marketing Technologies in China, particularly championing digital inclusivity for seniors.