Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multimedia-Assisted Breathwalk-Aware System

Breathwalk is a science of combining specific patterns of footsteps synchronized with the breathing. In this study, we developed a multimedia-assisted Breathwalk-aware system which detects user's walking and breathing conditions and provides appropriate multimedia guidance on the smartphone. Through the mobile device, the system enhances user's awareness of walking and breathing behaviors. As an example application in slow technology, the system could help meditator beginners learn “walking meditation,” a type of meditation which aims to be as slow as possible in taking pace, to synchronize footstep with breathing, and to land every footstep with toes first. In the pilot study, we developed a walking-aware system and evaluated whether multimedia-assisted mechanism is capable of enhancing beginner's walking awareness while walking meditation. Experimental results show that it could effectively assist beginners in slowing down the walking speed and decreasing incorrect footsteps. In the second experiment, we evaluated the Breathwalk-aware system to find a better feedback mechanism for learning the techniques of Breathwalk while walking meditation. The experimental results show that the visual-auditory mechanism is a better multimedia-assisted mechanism while walking meditation than visual mechanism and auditory mechanism.
Voluntary Demand for Internal and External Auditing by Family Businesses

This study investigates voluntary demand for auditing by family businesses, a significant but relatively unexplored segment of the economy. The paper considers demand for both internal and external auditing by using survey data to investigate the impact of firm characteristics linked to the cost vs. benefit of engaging an auditor. Variables examined are firm size, debt, and two agency proxies that measure separation of ownership and control, namely, the proportion of nonfamily management in the firm, and the proportion of nonfamily representation on the board of directors. The paper also considers the association between internal and external auditing. Descriptive results on voluntary demand for auditing by 186 family businesses revealed that internal audit was more prevalent than external audit, and outsourcing was a common method for providing internal audit. Results from logistic regression analyses provide support for the hypothesized impact of the two agency proxies and firm debt on demand for extern.
Whose Power/Authority/Knowledge?

Abstract This paper is based on data collected from two different studies of parents (76 mothers and 14 fathers) whose children had been diagnosed with cancer. Although the goal of the first study, to describe parental experiences when their children have cancer, was different than the goal of the second study, to describe the home health care work done by parents whose children had cancer, the themes outlined here were reiterated from study to study. In both sets of data conflicts in the dynamics of power, authority and knowledge were pivotal to the dilemmas experienced by parents in their interactions with health care staff both during the time of diagnosis and later during the treatments when their children had cancer. The paper points to the significance of fundamental social processes such as power, authority and knowledge in understanding and ameliorating parental experiences when a child has cancer.
The Determinants of Mining Company Response to Environmental Approvals Regulation: A Report of Australian Research

Companies react in different ways to environmental regulation. A prevailing view in the literature suggests that external factors, particularly stakeholder groups, exert the most influence on the environmental responses of firms. This paper reports on research that examines the influence of a range of possible determinants, both internal and external, on the way Australian mining companies respond to environmental approvals regulation. External pressures included stakeholder pressure, jurisdictional culture and market characteristics, and internal pressures included organizational culture, organizational learning, the influence of individuals within firms and company size. The study found that the internal pressures of organizational culture, organiza tional learning and the influence of individuals exert the greatest influence on mining company response to environmental approvals regulation. These results suggest that existing explanations of corporate environmental behaviour, which emphasize external factors, should be complemented by a focus on the internal dynamics of firms.
Venture Archetypes and the Entrepreneurial Event: Cross-Cultural Empirical Evidence

This study sheds light on the so-called 'entrepreneurial event' which is of utmost importance within the entrepreneurial process. We develop a framework describing the occurrence of such an event in terms of characteristics of the business opportunity as well as in terms of characteristics of the implementation process. Furthermore, possible entrepreneurial events and influencing factors are theoretically identified. To test our assumptions, a cross-cultural survey among 110 entrepreneurs from seven distinct cultural regions was conducted. Empirical results suggest there are primarily two classes of entrepreneurial events: One part of the entrepreneurial population perceives the moment of first entrepreneurial action as their entrepreneurial event, while the other part needs market acceptance to believe in the viability of the entrepreneurial project. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the existence of four venture archetypes which are related to the circumstances of the entrepreneurial event.
Brief report: cognitive control helps explain comorbidity between alcohol use disorder and internalizing disorders.

OBJECTIVE Alcohol use and internalizing problems frequently co-occur. Cognitive control has been implicated in their etiology, but no studies have tested whether this construct helps explain the co-occurrence of these disorders. METHOD A total of 1,313 undergraduate students completed assessments of cognitive control, negative emotionality, and symptoms of alcohol use disorder (AUD), depression, and generalized anxiety disorder. Structural equation models examined the extent to which overlap between AUD and internalizing problems was explained by variance specific to cognitive control and negative emotionality, as well as variance shared by both constructs. RESULTS Symptoms of AUD and internalizing disorders were modestly correlated (depression: r = .16; anxiety: r = .14). Variance specific to cognitive control explained a significant proportion of the correlation between AUD and both depression and generalized anxiety (depression: 19%; generalized anxiety: 18%), as did variance common to cognitive control and negative emotionality (depression: 24%; generalized anxiety: 31%). Consistent with previous work, variance specific to negative emotionality also explained a large and statistically significant proportion of the correlation between AUD and internalizing disorder symptoms. Of note, the residualized correlation for AUD symptom endorsement with both depression and generalized anxiety problems was not statistically significant after accounting for both cognitive control and negative emotionality. CONCLUSIONS This study provides new evidence that cognitive control may help explain the overlap between AUD and internalizing disorders while further supporting the contribution of negative emotionality to this overlap. RESULTS have implications for intervention efforts aimed at reducing comorbid alcohol use disorder and internalizing disorders, as well as general psychopathology.
Reproducing affective norms with lexical co-occurrence statistics: Predicting valence, arousal, and dominance

Human ratings of valence, arousal, and dominance are frequently used to study the cognitive mechanisms of emotional attention, word recognition, and numerous other phenomena in which emotions are hypothesized to play an important role. Collecting such norms from human raters is expensive and time consuming. As a result, affective norms are available for only a small number of English words, are not available for proper nouns in English, and are sparse in other languages. This paper investigated whether affective ratings can be predicted from length, contextual diversity, co-occurrences with words of known valence, and orthographic similarity to words of known valence, providing an algorithm for estimating affective ratings for larger and different datasets. Our bootstrapped ratings achieved correlations with human ratings on valence, arousal, and dominance that are on par with previously reported correlations across gender, age, education and language boundaries. We release these bootstrapped norms for 23,495 English words.
Innovation, international technological diffusion and the changing influence of R&D on productivity

This paper analyses the relationship between OECD countries' business sector total factor productivity and domestic and foreign R&D efforts during the period 1961-1991. A sensitivity analysis is performed by making use of alternate esti mations of specifications in growth terms and in level terms. The results are shown to be robust. TTiey show that the influence of international technological diffusion is, on average, substantially stronger than that of domestic R&D. In the case of the large economies, however, the latter influence is found to be more important. A structural stability analysis provides evidence of a decrease in the estimates in the mid-1970s, without significant recovery afterwards. Various long-run supply effects appear to have contributed. The discontinuous nature of the reduction does indicate, however, that these were reinforced by macroeconomic disturbances at the demand side.
Fine mapping two distinct antigenic sites on simian virus 40 (SV40) T antigen reactive with SV40-specific cytotoxic T-cell clones by using SV40 deletion mutants

The existence of two distinct antigenic sites at the surface of simian virus 40 (SV40)-transformed H-2b cells has been previously demonstrated (A. E. Campbell, L. F. Foley, and S. S. Tevethia, J. Immunol. 130:490-492, 1983) by using two independently isolated SV40-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) clones, K11 and K19. We identified amino acids in the amino-terminal half of SV40 T antigen that are essential for the recognition of antigenic sites by these CTL clones by using H-2b cells transformed by mutants that produce T antigen truncated from the amino-terminal or carboxy-terminal end or carrying overlapping internal deletions in the amino-terminal regions of SV40 T antigen. The results show that CTL clone K11 failed to recognize and lyse target cells missing SV40 T-antigen amino acids 189 to 211, whereas CTL clone K19 lysed these cells. The cell lines missing SV40 T-antigen amino acids 220 to 223 and 220 to 228 were not lysed by CTL clone K19 but were susceptible to lysis by CTL clone K11. Two other cell lines missing amino acids 189 to 223 and 189 to 228 of SV40 T antigen were not lysed by either of the CTL clones but were lysed by SV40-specific bulk-culture CTL if sufficient amounts of relevant restriction elements were expressed at the cell surface. The SV40 T-antigen amino acids critical for the recognition of an antigenic site by CTL clone K11 were identified to be 193 to 211; 220 to 223 were identified as critical for recognition by CTL clone K19. The deletion of these amino acids from the T antigen resulted in the loss of antigenic sites specific for CTL clones K11 and K19.
Evaluation of antioxidant efficacy of different fractions of Tagetes erecta L. Flowers

Oxidative stress is an important pathogenesis of numerous chronic diseases. Free radicals and other reactive oxygen species are recognized as agents involved in the pathogenesis of sicknesses. The main characteristic of an antioxidant is its ability to trap free radical. Plants rich in phenolic compounds are generally reported to show good antioxidant activity. Tagetes erecta L (Marigold) belongs to the family Asteraceae. The flowers are especially employed to cure eye diseases, colds, conjunctivitis, coughs, ulcer, bleeding piles and to purify blood. The extractive efficiency of phenolic compounds from plant material is greatly dependent on the choice of solvent. In this study, six solvents of different polarity viz., hexane, toluene, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanol and water have been used for the extraction of Tagetes erecta L. flower by individual cold percolation method. Phenolic and flavonoid content of extracts were determined using Folin- ciocalteu assays and aluminium chloride colorimetric method respectively. Antioxidant activity was carried out by DPPH radical scavenging activity assay, superoxide free radical scavenging (SO) assay, ABTS radical cation scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), Reducing capacity assessment. Maximum extractive yield was in water extract followed by methanol extract. There was a direct correlation between phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Methanolic extract had maximum phenolic content and maximum FRAP and SO activity. ABTS and DPPH did not show positive correlation with total phenol content in ethyl acetate extract. Ethyl acetate extract had maximum flavonoid content. T. erecta flowers can be used as a natural source of antioxidants to combat the oxidative stress related disorders. Key word: Tagetes erecta, Influence of solvent, Antioxidant activity, positive correlation
Hamiltonian Cycles and Markov Chains

In this paper we derive new characterizations of the Hamiltonian cycles of a directed graph, and a new LP-relaxation of the Traveling Salesman Problem. Our results are obtained via an embedding of these combinatorial optimization problems in suitably perturbed controlled Markov chains. This embedding lends probabilistic interpretation to many of the quantities of interest, which in turn lead naturally to the introduction of a quadratic entropy-like function.
ML Segmentation Strategies for Object Interference Compensation in FDG-PET Lesion Quantification

Summary Background: Quantification of lesion activity by FDG uptake in oncological PET is severely limited by partial volume effects. A maximum likelihood (ML) expectation maximization (EM) algorithm considering regional basis functions (AWOSEM-region) had been previously developed. Regional basis functions are iteratively segmented and quantified, thus identifying the volume and the activity of the lesion. Objectives: Improvement of AWOSEM-region when analyzing proximal interfering hot objects is addressed by proper segmentation initialization steps and models of spill-out and partial volume effects. Conditions relevant to lung PET-CT studies are considered: 1) lesion close to hot organ (e.g. chest wall, heart and mediastinum), 2) two close lesions. Methods: CT image was considered for pre-segmenting hot anatomical structures, never for lesion identification, solely defined by iterations on PET data. Further resolution recovery beyond the smooth standard clinical image was necessary to start lesion segmentation. A watershed algorithm was used to separate two close lesions. A subtraction of the spill-out from a nearby hot organ was introduced to enhance a lesion for the initial segmentation and start the further quantification steps. Biograph scanner blurring was modeled from phantom data in order to implement the procedure for 3D clinical lung studies. Results: In simulations, the procedure was able to separate structures as close as one pixel-size (2.25 mm). Robustness against the input segmentation errors defining the addressed objects was tested showing that convergence was not sensitive to initial volume overestimates up to 130%. Poor robustness was found against underestimates. A clinical study of a small lung lesion close to chest wall displayed a good recovery of both lesion activity and volume. Conclusions: With proper initialization and models of spill-out from hot organs, AWOSEM-region can be successfully applied to lung oncological studies.
Approaches to Accounting Research - Evidence from EAA Annual Congresses

This paper describes an ongoing empirical-archival meta-analysis of accounting research over the last 30 years. We investigate different aspects of research approaches documented in the abstracts of papers presented at EAA Annual Congresses. The project is organized in two distinct phases: In the first phase, we present evidence on basic variables like topics pursued, methods applied and other characteristics of accounting research (including co-authorships and international as well as cross-institutional cooperation), both in terms of their development over time and their differences across countries. We believe that the results of this exploratory analysis are likely to be relevant for other researchers, journal editors, practitioners (including standard setters and firms) and others interested in current research trends as well as the debates surrounding "mainstream" accounting research, the "multi-paradigmatic" nature of accounting research and the notion of "globalization" of accounting research. Motivated by recurring debates about the status of accounting as an (applied or pure) science and the raison d'? tre of prescriptive-normative (as opposed to descriptive-positive) research, the second phase uses content analyses of abstracts to infer authors' methodological approaches to accounting research (including research objectives and research "world-views", or paradigms). Here also, we look at both the inter-temporal as well as cross-country dimensions. The second phase is expected to lend empirical substance to ever-recurring disputes about the scientific status of accounting and the underlying motivations of accounting researchers. Our data covers practically all EAA Annual Congresses throughout the EAA's history (1978-present), yielding about 10,000 abstracts of research papers in 20 topic areas, presented by delegates from more than 60 countries. This early version of our paper reflects the subset of this data that has already been analyzed. We present basic descriptive evidence from EAA Annual Congresses between 1998 und 2008 and put up for discussion initial results on our empirical measure of research objective pursued.
Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence from Multinationals in the Post‐crisis Era of Bulgaria in the Late 1990s

This article presents the motivations for and obstacles to foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bulgaria during its transition period. Special attention is given to the factors that lured foreign entrepreneurs to invest in Bulgaria, and to the impediments they faced while establishing their FDI projects. A total of 64 of Bulgaria’s largest multinational companies have been interviewed using a questionnaire survey, and the findings have been tested statistically according to country of origin and the sector to which they belong. Finally, a literature review of questionnaire surveys regarding the FDI determinants in both the Central and East European region (CEE) and especially in the South East European (SEE) region is presented, compared and contrasted with this present survey.
Macro-Level Determinants of Local Government Interaction

Empirical and theoretical research on government competition and collaboration identifies several important macro-level characteristics that can affect these forms of interaction between local governments within the same large jurisdiction. These characteristics are fragmentation of governments, fiscal dispersion of governments, sorting of population by governments, and decentralized fiscal responsibility between state and local governments. This study presents indices to measure these characteristics and examines how metropolitan regions in the United States with populations greater than one million are distributed on these indices. The study also examines how these regions compare on conditions that are likely to motivate sales tax competition between municipal governments.
Cost reduction vs innovative search in R&D

Purpose – This study aims to compare alternative search behaviors managers enact with regard to firm aspirations.Design/methodology/approach – The behavioral theory of the firm predicts that poor performance relative to aspiration levels leads to search for ways to raise performance over aspirations. Most researchers have assumed search leads to risk‐taking or innovation. However, firms might search for ways to raise performance without incurring additional risk, such as reducing expenses. This paper compares the two models of search using data on research and development (RD R&D spending increases monotonically with performance relative to social aspirations.Research limitations/implications – These results suggest researchers need to consider searches that emphasize cost reduction, as well as searches that emphasize innovation.Originality/value – Overall, this paper extends behavioral work on risk‐taking and R&D to provide a .
Effects of In-Season Short-term Plyometric Training Program on Sprint and Jump Performance of Young Male Track Athletes

Abstract Chelly, MS, Hermassi, S, and Shephard, RJ. Effects of in-season short-term plyometric training program on sprint and jump performance of young male track athletes. J Strength Cond Res 29(8): 2128–2136, 2015—We studied the effect of supplementing normal in-season training by a 10-week lower limb plyometric training program (hurdle and depth jumping), examining measures of competitive potential (peak power output [PP], sprint running velocity, squat jump [SJ], countermovement jump [CMJ], drop jump [DJ], and lower limb muscle volume). The subjects (27 male track athletes, aged 11.9 ± 1.0 years; body mass: 39.1 ± 6.1 kg; height: 1.56 ± 0.02 m; body fat: 12.8 ± 4.4%) were randomly assigned between a control (normal training) group (C; n = 13) and an experimental group (E; n = 14) who also performed plyometric training 3 times per week. A force-velocity ergometer test determined PP and SJ, and an Optojump apparatus evaluated CMJ height and DJ (height and power). A multiple-5-bound test assessed horizontal jumping, and video-camera analyses over a 40-m sprint yielded velocities for the first step (VS), the first 5 m (V5m), and between 35 and 40 m (Vmax). Leg muscle volume was estimated anthropometrically. Experimental group showed gains relative to C in SJ height (p < 0.001); CMJ height (p < 0.01); DJ height and power relative to body mass (p < 0.01 for both); and all sprint velocities (p < 0.01 for VS and V5m, p ⩽ 0.05 for Vmax). There was also a significant increase (p < 0.01) in thigh muscle volume, but leg muscle volume, thigh cross-sectional area, and PP remained unchanged. We conclude that adding plyometric training improved important components of athletic performance relative to standard in-season training in young runners.