Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bodies Out of Bounds : Fatness and Transgression

List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Editors' Introduction: Bodies Out of Bounds Kathleen LeBesco and Jana Evans Braziel PART ONE: Revaluing Corpulence, Redefining Fat Subjectivities 1. "Fat Beauty," by Richard Klein 2. "A 'Horror of Corpulence': Interrogating Bantingism and Mid-Nineteenth-Century Fat-Phobia," by Joyce L. Huff 3. "Letting Ourselves Go: Making Room for the Fat Body in Feminist Scholarship," by Cecilia Hartley 4. "Queering Fat Bodies/Politics," by Kathleen LeBesco PART TWO: Representational Matrices of Power: Nationality, Gender, Sexuality, and Fatness 5. "Oscar Zeta Acosta's Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo: A Fat Man's Recipe for Chicano Revolution," by Marcia Chamberlain 6. "Resisting Venus: Negotiating Corpulence in Exercise Videos," by Antonia Losano and Brenda A. Risch 7. "Fighting Abjection: Representing Fat Women," by Leia Kent PART THREE: Fat Perversities? Reconstructing Corpulent Sexualities 8. "Roscoe Arbuckle and the Scandal of Fatness," by Neda Ulaby 9. "Setting Free the Bears: Refiguring Fat Men on Television," by Jerry Mosher PART FOUR: Deconstructing the Carnivalesque, Grotesque, and Other Configurations of Corpulence 10. "'It's not over until the fat lady sings': Comedy, the Carnivalesque, and Body Politics," by Angela Stukator 11. "Devouring Women: Corporeality and Autonomy in Fiction by Women Since the 1960s," by Sarah Shieff 12. "Sex and Fat Chics: Deterritorializing the Fat Female Body," by Jana Evans Braziel PART FIVE: Bodies in Motion: Corpulence and Performativity 13. "'She's so fat': Facing the Fat Lady at Coney Island's Sideshows by the Seashore," by Sharon Mazer 14. "Fatties on Stage: Feminist Performances," by Petra Kuppers 15. "Divinity: A Dossier, a Performance Piece, a Little-Understood Emotion," by Michael Moon and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick Contributors Index
Horizontal Interaction on Local Councils' Expenditures. Evidence from Italy

This paper seeks for public spending interdependence among jurisdictions within some Italian local councils. We find significant positive interaction among spending of neighboring local councils both at the level of total expenditure and also for different subcategories. However, this result applies only when spatial dependence is analyzed among geographically contiguous jurisdictions different criteria of proximity do not give rise to any substantial form of interaction among local governments. Attempts to identifying the source of this interaction seem to refuse yardstick competition hypothesis. Fiscal spill-overs among jurisdictions appear as a more plausible explanation; we also find evidence that local councils partnerships fail to effectively internalize these spill-overs. Finally, commuting affects spatial interdependence among jurisdictions.
X-Ray/Ultraviolet Campaign on the Mrk 279 AGN Outflow: Constraining Inhomogeneous Absorber Models

We investigate the applicability of inhomogeneous absorber models in the formation of active galactic nucleus outflow absorption troughs. The models we explore are limited to monotonic gradients of absorbing column densities in front of a finite emission source. Our main finding is that simple power-law and Gaussian distributions are hard-pressed to fit the Mrk 279 high-quality UV outflow data. An acceptable fit for the O VI troughs can only be obtained by assuming unrealistic optical depth values (upward of 100). The strongest constraints arise from the attempt to fit the Lyman series troughs. In this case it is evident that even allowing for complete freedom of both the power-law exponent and the optical depth as a function of velocity cannot yield an acceptable fit. In contrast, partial covering models do yield good fits for the Lyman series troughs. We conclude that monotonic inhomogeneous absorber models that do not include a sharp edge in the optical depth distribution across the source are not an adequate physical model to explain the trough formation mechanism for the outflow observed in Mrk 279.
An Extension of Shape–Adaptive DCT (SA–DCT) Towards DC Separation and DC Correction

In the framework of the ongoing MPEG–4 standardization phase of ISO/IEC Sikora and Makai suggested a shape–adaptive DCT algorithm (SA–DCT) for efficient and low–complexity coding of arbitrarily shaped video objects. Referring to this algorithmic approach, the objective of the underlying contribution is to emphasize a performance limitation of conventional SA–DCT definition and to propose an extended version DC–SA–DCT) which avoids this restriction in general. This modification considerably improves coding efficiency and can easily be implemented in existing SA–DCT tools.
Open data adoption in Australian government agencies: an exploratory study

Australia is among the leading countries that envisaged releasing unclassified public data under open license and reusable format with no further restriction on re/use. But, according to the Australian Information Commissioner John McMillan, Australia's progress on open data is 'patchy' and 'transitional'. He also evidenced that although a few agencies are proactive and have embraced the movements quite seriously, still there are "many obstacles that worked against effort to make government information and data discoverable and usable" (Hilvert 2013). Despondently, there is little empirical evidence that could explain what makes public departments not to release public data. Driven by the nature of the research, this study conducted an exploratory field study in Australia by interviewing eleven employees from six different government agencies. Applying content analysis technique, this study identifies six important antecedents to adoption of open data in public organisations, and proposes future research to test their relationships. As the main theoretical contribution, this study extends organisational behaviour toward technology diffusion. The findings of this study incite policymakers and managers to think about and prepare future strategies on open data developments.
Engaging with Highly Automated Driving: To be or Not to be in the Loop?

This desktop driving simulator study investigated the effect of engagement in a reading task during vehicle automation on drivers’ ability to resume manual control and successfully avoid an impending collision with a stationary vehicle. To avoid collision, drivers were required to regain control of the automated vehicle and change lane. The decision-making element of this lane change was manipulated by asking drivers to move into the lane they saw fit (left or right) or to use the colour of the stationary vehicle as a rule (blue – left, red – right). Drivers’ reaction to the stationary vehicle in manual control was compared to two automation conditions: (i) when drivers were engaged and observing the road during automation, and (ii) when they were reading a piece of text on an iPad during automation. Overall, findings suggest that drivers experiencing automation were slower to identify the potential collision scenario, but once identified, the collision was evaded more erratically and at a faster pace than when drivers were in manual control of the vehicle. Short (1-minute) periods of automation used in this study did not appear to impede drivers’ ability to complete simple operational and tactical-level driving tasks, following a system initiated take-over request. Results suggest that until there is an effective strategy to help drivers regain situation awareness during the resumption of control from Highly Automated Driving, they should be encouraged to remain in the driving loop. ​
A New Application of Sustainable Growth: A Multi-Dimensional Framework for Evaluating the Long Run Performance of Bank Mergers

We study the mergers of US publicly traded bank holding companies during 1987-2000 and find that the acquiring firm's sustainable growth rate is an important determinant of the cross-sectional variation in the merged entity's long-term operating and stock performance. The most economically significant determinants of the merged bank's abnormal stock return performance are the acquiring bank's estimated sustainable growth rate prior to the acquisition, as well as post-acquisition changes in this growth rate, and the bank's dividend payout ratio. Our findings are robust even after controlling for several potentially confounding factors. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 2005.
Automated optimization of key WCDMA parameters

Summary This paper validates the feasibility of automated optimization of key wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) radio resource management parameters using control methods. The parameters are regularly adjusted in order to improve performance. The parameters examined in this study include the total cell transmission power target, the received total interference target, the downlink radio link power maximums, the handover windows and the pilot channel powers. The control was based on expert-defined rules, which applied specific trade-off policies and statistics of poor quality calls, blocking, packet queuing, power and interference levels and terminal measurements to qualify the parameter values. The approach was validated using a dynamic WCDMA system simulator with a deployment of macro and micro cells on a city region. Results on automated optimization of single parameters on cell level and results on simultaneous multi-parameter optimization on cell-cluster level are presented in this paper. The use of the automated parameter optimization methods was shown to result in a significant increase of capacity in comparison to the default parameter settings. Copyright # 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Taxation of Carried Interest: Understanding the Issues

Congress has recently considered taxing the carried interest of private equity fund managers at ordinary rates rather than at the 15 percent rate that currently applies to a portion of this income. The proposed change is intended to promote neutrality between the labor compensation of fund managers and other types of labor income. The case for reform, though, is less compelling than initial appearances suggest. The proper treatment of carried interest raises difficult second-best questions.
The Impact of Crowd Noise on Officiating in Muay Thai: Achieving External Validity in an Experimental Setting

Numerous factors have been proposed to explain the home advantage in sport. Several authors have suggested that a partisan home crowd enhances home advantage and that this is at least in part a consequence of their influence on officiating. However, while experimental studies examining this phenomenon have high levels of internal validity (since only the “crowd noise” intervention is allowed to vary), they suffer from a lack of external validity, with decision-making in a laboratory setting typically bearing little resemblance to decision-making in live sports settings. Conversely, observational and quasi-experimental studies with high levels of external validity suffer from low levels of internal validity as countless factors besides crowd noise vary. The present study provides a unique opportunity to address these criticisms, by conducting a controlled experiment on the impact of crowd noise on officiating in a live tournament setting. Seventeen qualified judges officiated on thirty Thai boxing bouts in a live international tournament setting featuring “home” and “away” boxers. In each bout, judges were randomized into a “noise” (live sound) or “no crowd noise” (noise-canceling headphones and white noise) condition, resulting in 59 judgments in the “no crowd noise” and 61 in the “crowd noise” condition. The results provide the first experimental evidence of the impact of live crowd noise on officials in sport. A cross-classified statistical model indicated that crowd noise had a statistically significant impact, equating to just over half a point per bout (in the context of five round bouts with the “10-point must” scoring system shared with professional boxing). The practical significance of the findings, their implications for officiating and for the future conduct of crowd noise studies are discussed.
Technical Analysis: Power Tools for Active Investors

Unlike most technical analysis books, Gerald Appel's Practical Power Tools! offers step-by-step instructions virtually any investor can use to achieve breakthrough success in the market. Appel illuminates a wide range of strategies and timing models, demystifying even advanced technical analysis the first time. Among the models he covers: NASDAQ/NYSE Relative Strength, 3-5 Year Treasury Notes, Triple Momentum, Seasonality, Breadth-Thrust Impulse, and models based on the revolutionary MACD techniques he personally invented. Appel covers momentum and trend of price movement, time and calendar cycles, predictive chart patterns, relative strength, analysis of internal vs. external markets, market breadth, moving averages, trading channels, overbought/oversold indicators, Trin, VIX, major term buy signals, major term sell signals, moving average trading channels, stock market synergy, and much more. He presents techniques for short-, intermediate-, and long-term investors, and even for mutual fund investors.
Acylation Stimulating Protein, Complement C3 and Lipid Metabolism in Ketosis-Prone Diabetic Subjects

Background Ketosis-prone diabetes (KPDM) is new-onset diabetic ketoacidosis without precipitating factors in non-type 1 diabetic patients; after management, some are withdrawn from exogenous insulin, although determining factors remain unclear. Methods Twenty KPDM patients and twelve type 1 diabetic patients (T1DM), evaluated at baseline, 12 and 24 months with/without insulin maintenance underwent a standardized mixed-meal tolerance test (MMTT) for 2 h. Results At baseline, triglyceride and C3 were higher during MMTT in KPDM vs. T1DM (p<0.0001) with no differences in non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) while Acylation Stimulating Protein (ASP) tended to be higher. Within 12 months, 11 KPDM were withdrawn from insulin treatment (KPDM-ins), while 9 were maintained (KPDM+ins). NEFA was lower in KPDM-ins vs. KPDM+ins at baseline (p = 0.0006), 12 months (p<0.0001) and 24 months (p<0.0001) during MMTT. NEFA in KPDM-ins decreased over 30–120 minutes (p<0.05), but not in KPDM+ins. Overall, C3 was higher in KPDM-ins vs KPDM+ins at 12 months (p = 0.0081) and 24 months (p = 0.0019), while ASP was lower at baseline (p = 0.0024) and 12 months (p = 0.0281), with a decrease in ASP/C3 ratio. Conclusions Notwithstanding greater adiposity in KPDM-ins, greater NEFA decreases and lower ASP levels during MMTT suggest better insulin and ASP sensitivity in these patients.
EVIDENCE FOR REPEATED ACQUISITION AND LOSS OF COMPLEX BODY‐FORM CHARACTERS IN AN INSULAR CLADE OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN SEMI‐FOSSORIAL SKINKS

Evolutionary simplification, or loss of complex characters, is a major theme in studies of body‐form evolution. The apparently infrequent evolutionary reacquisition of complex characters has led to the assertion (Dollo's Law) that once lost, complex characters may be impossible to re‐evolve, at least via the exact same evolutionary process. Here, we provide one of the most comprehensive, fine‐scale analyses of squamate body‐form evolution to date, introducing a new model system of closely related, morphologically variable, lizards. Our phylogenetic results support independent instances of complete limb loss as well as multiple instances of digit and external ear opening loss and re‐acquisition. Even more striking, we find strong statistical support for the re‐acquisition of a pentadactyl body form from a digit‐reduced ancestor. Our study reveals that species of the genus Brachymeles exemplify regions of morphospace (body plans) previously undocumented in squamates. Our findings have broad, general implications for body‐form evolution in burrowing vertebrates: whatever constraints have shaped trends in morphological evolution among other squamate groups (excluding Bipes) have been lost in this one exemplary clade. The results of our study join a nascent body of literature showing strong statistical support for character loss, followed by evolutionary re‐acquisition of complex structures associated with a generalized pentadactyl body form.
Adjustment and growth in the European Monetary Union: Shocking aspects of European monetary integration

Introduction From all appearances the process of European monetary unification continues to gather momentum. Nearly four years have passed since the last significant realignment of exchange rates of members within the European monetary system (EMS). All significant controls on capital movements among member countries have been removed. Discussions of the establishment of a European central bank and a single currency are proceeding apace. If the current timetable is observed the transition will have been completed by the end of the decade. At the same time there remain serious questions about the advisability of a European Monetary Union (EMU) voiced, in the most recent round of discussions, by the governments of the United Kingdom and Spain. By definition, EMU involves a sacrifice of monetary autonomy. In response to country-specific shocks, governments will no longer have the option of adopting a monetary policy which differs from that of the union as a whole. Insofar as monetary policy is useful for facilitating adjustment to disturbances, adjustment problems may grow more persistent and difficult to resolve. These concerns are reinforced to the extent that it is believed that completion of the internal market will place new limits on the use of fiscal policy. Not only will individual governments have lost autonomy over the use of seigniorage to finance budget deficits but, insofar as the 1992 process renders factors of production increasingly mobile, constraints will be placed on their ability to impose tax rates significantly different from those of their neighbours.
Perceptions, Perceived Barriers, and Practices of Physicians’ towards Evidence-Based Medicine

Objective: To investigate physicians’ perceptions and practices towards Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) and physicians perceived barriers in one institute of Saudi Arabia. Methods: One hundred seventeen practicing physicians at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah were included in the study. A validated questionnaire was used for collecting data. The questionnaire had four parts and included questions addressing perceptions and practices about EBM as well as associated variables and barriers to practicing it. Results: The majority of the respondents had a positive attitude toward EBM. Only 23.9% of participants reported that they are incorporating EBM into their practice. Knowledge about EBM databases was not good. The most common “regularly” read journal was the New England Journal of Medicine (31.6%), followed by the British Medical Journal (12.0%). Some of the respondents had an understanding and were able to explain to others the technical terms use in EBM such as odds ratio (19.7%), relative risk (22.2%), absolute risk (23.9%) and others. The major perceived barriers to practicing EBM was the lack of free personal time (27.4%), availability and access to information (27.4%), difficulties in involving in whole practice (12.0%) and lack of investment by health authorities (12.8%). Conclusion: The attitude of the practicing doctors towards EBM was good, but knowledge and practice were not up to the mark.
The Unit Root Hypothesis for Aggregate Output May Not Hold After All: New Evidence from a Panel Stationarity Test with Multiple Breaks

This paper investigates the hypothesis of a unit root in output for four panels of real gross domestic product (GDP) and real GDP per capita series in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). For that purpose, a panel stationarity test is employed that assumes a highly flexible trend function by incorporating an unknown number of breaks in level and slope. This analysis renders clear-cut evidence in favor of regime-wise trend stationarity in OECD output for the three data sets of annual data, while evidence of nonstationarity is found for the data set based on quarterly data, which is composed of only seven countries over the shortest time span. Overall, the results herein stand in stark contrast to previously published results that do not control for the existence of structural change in the trend function, but accord well with those that employ panel unit root tests that allow for a single homogeneous break in the trend function.
Face Recognition Using SIFT- PCA Feature Extraction and SVM Classifier

Face recognition is a biometric software application that can identify a specific individual in a digital image by analyzing and comparing pattern. In the proposed approach, Here main focus on the face recognition system. It will one of the new face recognition system based on an efficient design. This paper present proposed methodology of global thresholding technique, SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature Transform),PCA(Principal Component Analysis) and SVM (Support Vector Machine) classifier. SIFT is used for extract the feature from faces. This SIFT feature will possess strong robustness to the accessory, expression, pose, illumination variations. PCA is a standard technique use for dimensionality reduction in which face data can analyze and observation can be described by several inter-correlated dependent variables. The SVM classifiers are then applied to these extracted features to classify the input images. Global thresholding technique will used for detecting the face. So this proposed system will increases the face identification rate.
Enhanced learning from multi‐stakeholder partnerships: Lessons from the Enabling Rural Innovation in Africa programme

Despite increasing interest and support for multi-stakeholder partnerships, empirical applications of participatory evaluation approaches to enhance learning from partnerships are either uncommon or undocumented. This paper draws lessons on the use of participatory self-reflective approaches that facilitate structured learning on processes and outcomes of partnerships. Such practice is important to building partnerships, because it helps partners understand how they can develop more collaborative and responsive ways of managing partnerships. The paper is based on experience with the Enabling Rural Innovation (ERI) in Africa programme. Results highlight the dynamic process of partnership formation and the key elements that contribute to success. These include: (i) shared vision and complementarity, (ii) consistent support from senior leadership; (iii) evidence of institutional and individual benefits; (iv) investments in human and social capital; (v) joint resources mobilization. However, key challenges require coping with high staff turnover and over-commitment, conflicting personalities and institutional differences, high transaction costs, and sustaining partnerships with the private business sector. The paper suggests that institutionalizing multi-stakeholder partnerships requires participatory reflective practices that help structure and enhance learning, and incrementally help in building the capacity of research and development organisations to partner better and ultimately to innovate.
A joint method combining feature and deformation handling with classification model for object tracking

Object tracking is a widely researched topic with applications in event detection, surveillance and behavior analysis. There are three key steps in object tracking: feature extraction, deformation handling, and classification. In this paper, we present a joint method combining feature and deformation handling with classification model for object tracking. Multi-scale tracking map are obtained from multi-scale rectangle filters and sparse random measurement matrix. Then the map is put into a model combing feature and deformation handling. In the end, a BP net is used for classification. The cooperation is represented in the training process. Experiments on some publicly available benchmark video sequences demonstrate the advantages of the proposed algorithm over other approaches.