Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Alleged Separation of Ownership and Control in the Theory of the Firm: A Dynamic, Historical Approach

The paper suggests that the largely static, ahistorical existing literature on the theory of the firm is inadequate in its treatment of the control issue. It tends to classify firms as either owner or manager controlled using an ex post analysis of share distribution. In contrast, this paper reverses the direction of causality, explaining the control of firms in a dynamic, historical framework. It concludes that the observed distribution of shares will suffice to give a subset of owners control. The argements are illustrated by a series of diagrams, and supported by an examination of recently reported empirical evidence.
A new method for subdivision simplification with applications to urban-area generalization

We introduce a local operation for polygons and subdivisions called an edge-move. Edge-moves do not change the edge orientations present in the input and are thus suitable for iterative simplification or even schematization. Based on edge-moves we present a new efficient method for area- and topology-preserving subdivision simplification. We show how to tailor this generic method towards the specific needs of building wall squaring and urban-area generalization. Our algorithm is guaranteed to make further progress on any subdivision that has two or more faces and/or reflex vertices. Furthermore, our method produces output of high visual quality and is able to generalize maps with ≈ 1.8 million edges in a few hours.
3D cardiac strain estimation using spatio-temporal elastic registration: In-vivo application

Earlier studies of our group based on synthetic volumetric ultrasound data showed that automatic intensity-based spatio-temporal elastic registration of currently available three-dimensional (3D) volumetric ultrasound data sets should allow to measure the full myocardial motion, deformation and strain in three dimensions. This is a clear advantage over currently available ultrasound methods, which are often limited to measurements in one or two dimensions. In the present study, the in-vivo feasibility of this method was tested on clinical data taken from three healthy volunteers and one patient with an apical aneurism.
Use of qualitative research in foodservice organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the challenges encountered when conducting qualitative research in foodservice operations and to discuss the strategies to overcome the identified challenges.Design/methodology/approach – The researchers conducted food safety observations, interviews, and focus groups with more than 600 foodservice employees and managers. The researchers encountered multiple challenges including institutional review board approvals, managements' willingness to participate, and organizational and cultural barriers.Findings – Obtaining in‐depth, credible information through observations, interviews, and focus groups adds depth and breadth to hospitality studies. However, given high industry turnover, recruitment and retention throughout a study is problematic. Moreover, researchers encounter many barriers as they obtain data, such as establishing authenticity and overcoming Hawthorne and halo effects.Originality/value – Strategies to increase participation and thereby improv.
LINEAR ADVECTION WITH ILL-POSED BOUNDARY CONDITIONS VIA L-MINIMIZATION

The goal of this paper is to explain a phenomenon that has been reported in [4]; namely, finite-element-based best L-approximations seem to converge to viscosity solutions of some classes of first-order PDE’s. In particular we prove in this paper that it is indeed the case in dimension one for the linear transport equation equipped with a set of ill-posed boundary conditions. To explain our interest for finite element best L-approximations and ill-posed boundary conditions, we now briefly recall the result from [4] that we exactly refer to. We denote by Ω a bounded domain of R with smooth boundary. Let α > 0 be a real number and let β ∈ [C(Ω)] be a smooth vector field. Let u0 be a smooth function on ∂Ω, say u0 ∈ C(∂Ω), and let f ∈ W (Ω). Following Bardos–le Roux–Nédélec, [2], we say that u is a viscosity solution to
Distribution of a random functional of a Ferguson-Dirichlet process over the unit sphere

Jiang, Dickey, and Kuo [12] gave the multivariate c-characteristic function and showed that it has properties similar to those of the multivariate Fourier transformation. We first give the multivariate c-characteristic function of a random functional of a Ferguson-Dirichlet process over the unit sphere. We then find out its probability density function using properties of the multivariate c-characteristic function. This new result would generalize that given by [11].
Double embedded processes based hidden Markov models for binary digital wireless channels

Generative models hold the promise of reducing the computational load and cost caused by directly simulating a real system. They are vital to the design and performance evaluation of error control schemes and high layer wireless communication protocols. Therefore, designing an efficient and accurate generative model is highly desirable. Moreover, the errors encountered in digital wireless channels exhibit correlation among them. This stimulates us to construct a Markovian based generative model with two embedded processes. The first process is dedicated to assembling error bursts with error-free bursts, whereas the second one is devoted to creating individual error bursts employing the maximum gap norm within error bursts. This premise is utilized in this paper to show that the resulting generative model can generate error sequences with desired bit correlations and is capable of statistically matching a descriptive model, derived from an enhanced general packet radio service (EGPRS) transmission system, regardless of the configuration of its error sequences.
Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies the Relationship between Top Management Team (tmt) Metacognition, Entrepreneurial Orientation and Firm Performance in Small and Medium Enterprises (smes) Title: the Relationship between Top Management Team (tmt) Metacognition, Entrepreneurial Orientation 

This study integrates entrepreneurial orientation and top management team (TMT) behavioural integration, as a mediator and moderator respectively, to determine the effect of TMT metacognition on firm performance in SMEs. Fifteen hundred SMEs were surveyed and 140 usable returns were used in this study. The result revealed that risk in entrepreneurial orientation is often associated with lower firm performance and innovativeness and proactiveness could be considered the mechanisms through which TMT metacognition contributes most to higher organisational performance. This finding is significant for SMEs, whose resources are limited, and TMT could consider less risky projects, but still maintaining its innovativeness and proactiveness, particularly in the niche market areas. Furthermore, the empirical result supported previous findings that top managers' abilities and behaviour collectively as a team could be seen as an important factor in their innovative and competitive outcomes in SMEs.
The cochlea as a smart structure

The cochlea is part of the inner ear and its mechanical response provides us with many aspects of our amazingly sensitive and selective hearing. The human cochlea is a coiled tube, with two main fluid chambers running along its length, separated by a 35 mm-long flexible partition that has its own internal dynamics. A dispersive wave can propagate along the cochlea due to the interaction between the inertia of the fluid and the dynamics of the partition. This partition includes about 12 000 outer hair cells, which have different structures, on a micrometre and a nanometre scale, and act both as motional sensors and as motional actuators. The local feedback action of all these cells amplifies the motion inside the inner ear by more than 40 dB at low sound pressure levels. The feedback loops become saturated at higher sound pressure levels, however, so that the feedback gain is reduced, leading to a compression of the dynamic range in the cochlear amplifier. This helps the sensory cells, with a dynamic range of only about 30 dB, to respond to sounds with a dynamic range of more than 120 dB. The active and nonlinear nature of the dynamics within the cochlea give rise to a number of other phenomena, such as otoacoustic emissions, which can be used as a diagnostic test for hearing problems in newborn children, for example. In this paper we view the mechanical action of the cochlea as a smart structure. In particular a simplified wave model of the cochlear dynamics is reviewed that represents its essential features. This can be used to predict the motion along the cochlea when the cochlea is passive, at high levels, and also the effect of the cochlear amplifier, at low levels.
Ear Recognition from One Sample Per Person

Biometrics has the advantages of efficiency and convenience in identity authentication. As one of the most promising biometric-based methods, ear recognition has received broad attention and research. Previous studies have achieved remarkable performance with multiple samples per person (MSPP) in the gallery. However, most conventional methods are insufficient when there is only one sample per person (OSPP) available in the gallery. To solve the OSPP problem by maximizing the use of a single sample, this paper proposes a hybrid multi-keypoint descriptor sparse representation-based classification (MKD-SRC) ear recognition approach based on 2D and 3D information. Because most 3D sensors capture 3D data accessorizing the corresponding 2D data, it is sensible to use both types of information. First, the ear region is extracted from the profile. Second, keypoints are detected and described for both the 2D texture image and 3D range image. Then, the hybrid MKD-SRC algorithm is used to complete the recognition with only OSPP in the gallery. Experimental results on a benchmark dataset have demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method in resolving the OSPP problem. A Rank-one recognition rate of 96.4% is achieved for a gallery of 415 subjects, and the time involved in the computation is satisfactory compared to conventional methods.
Intercontinental transport of ozone and its precursors in a 3-D global CTM

The coupling of chemistry with atmospheric transport processes provides a mechanism for local and regional pollution from heavily populated continental regions to influence tropospheric composition at hemispheric and global scales. In this study we use the FRSGC/UCI 3-D chemical transport model to quantify the impact of ozone precursors from anthropogenic sources in the United States, Europe and East Asia on regional and global ozone budgets and to identify the key controlling processes. We find that the East Asian region has the greatest potential to affect tropospheric ozone due principally to efficient vertical transport, but that Europe experiences the greatest intercontinental effects due to rapid, short-distance transport from North America. In addition to significant boundary layer ozone production in each region, we find that 25–40% of the total net regional production occurs above 730 hPa in the free troposphere, and that on a hemispheric scale 70–85% of ozone from anthropogenic sources in the upper troposphere, above 400 hPa, is due to in-situ chemistry rather than direct vertical transport. Increased surface ozone concentrations over remote continents are largest in spring and autumn at northern mid-latitudes; while this seasonality is driven by horizontal transport in the free troposphere followed by subsidence, boundary layer and upper tropospheric chemical production make a substantial contribution. Although the effects are greatest in periodic episodes when meteorological conditions are favourable, there is significant enhancement in background ozone concentrations. We suggest that increasing emissions will significantly impact the oxidizing capacity of the troposphere by leading to greater polarization between ozone production and destruction environments.
Automatic Classification of Archaeological Potsherds

During archaeological excavations, one of the most time consuming stages is the treatment of the great number of pottery sherds found on the site (labelling, drawing, measuring and classifying as related to the known object models). This step is also the most difficult one because it requires an extended knowledge of the characteristics of the already identified object models that can be found on a given archaeological site. As digitalization techniques have become financially reachable, new computerized solutions to this problem can help the archaeologists. We present in this paper a matching method between a sherd and a shape model, based on one hand on the use of Implicit Surfaces to obtain a distance metric and on the other hand on Genetic Algorithms in order to find the best possible position, relatively to the previous distance measure.
Elastic torsion effects in magnetic nanoparticle diblock-copolymer structures

Magnetic properties of thin composite films, consisting of non-interacting polystyrene-coated γ-Fe2O3 (maghemite) nanoparticles embedded into polystyrene-block-polyisoprene P(S-b-I) diblock-copolymer films are investigated. Different particle concentrations, ranging from 0.7 to 43 wt%, have been used. The magnetization measured as a function of external field and temperature shows typical features of anisotropic superparamagnets including a hysteresis at low temperatures and blocking phenomena. However, the data cannot be reconciled with the unmodified Stoner–Wohlfarth–Néel theory. Applying an appropriate generalization we find evidence for either an elastic torque being exerted on the nanoparticles by the field or a broad distribution of anisotropy constants.
Bounded Rationality in Macroeconomics: The Arne Ryde Memorial Lectures

This is a survey of bounded rationality, an area of theoretical macroeconomics which is receiving increased attention. The book is written by a leading macroeconomist who outlines the issues involved, describes some of the analytic tools that are being used, and shows how they can be applied in a range of models. It points to further potential positive developments of the theory as well as some of its limitations.
Discerning Machine Learning Degradation via Ensemble Classifier Mutual Agreement Analysis

Machine learning classifiers are a crucial component of modern malware and intrusion detection systems. However, past studies have shown that classifier-based detection systems are susceptible to evasion attacks in practice. Improving the evasion resistance of learning based systems is an open problem. In this paper, we analyze the effects of mimicry attacks on real-world classifiers. To counter such attacks, we introduce a novel approach that not only exposes attempts to evade the classifier, but also evaluates the ability of the system to operate reliably. We advance mutual agreement analysis for ensemble classifiers: during the detection operation, when a sufficient number of votes from individual classifiers disagree, the ensemble classifier prediction is shown to be unreliable. This method allows the detection of classifier evasion without additional external information. To evaluate our approach, we used thousands of both malicious and benign PDF documents. Applying our method to two recent evasion attack studies, we show that most evasion scenarios are detected. Furthermore, we show that our approach can be generalized to weaken the effectiveness of the Gradient Descent and Kernel Density Estimation attacks against Support Vector Machines (SVM) by creating an ensemble classifier using many base SVMs. We discovered that feature bagging is the most important property for enabling mutual agreement based evasion detection.
Internal Deficit–External Deficit Nexus in Africa: 1960-2012

In this article, we have tested the causality correlation linking the internal deficit with the external deficit for a group of 15 African economies. Specifically, using causality analysis, we have tested the four possible causation linkages: (1) internal deficit causes external deficit, (2) there is bidirectional causality linking the two variables, (3) the two deficits are not causally related and (4) external deficits cause internal deficits. Using linear panel causality, this paper shows with heterogeneous Granger causality analysis that in five African countries, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Morocco, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tunisia, external deficit Granger caused internal deficit. Two countries, Nigeria and Egypt, postulate causality from internal deficit to external deficit. While one country, South Africa, reveal a bidirectional causal link between internal deficit and external deficit. Monetary policies focused on the efficiency, as well as the exchange rate, will help to re-build, harmonize and control the budget policy in African countries.
Additive Fluents

An "additive" fluent is a fluent with numerical values such that the effect of several concurrently executed actions on it can be computed by adding the effects of the individual actions. We show how queries about additive fluents can be answered using the Causal Calculator. The examples discussed in this paper involve buying and selling, applying forces and moving groups of objects. The additive fluent mechanism can be used to instruct the Causal Calculator to generate more efficient plans.
Experimental Evidence of Food‐Independent Larval Development in Endemic Jamaican Freshwater‐Breeding Crabs

In an experimental study, we compared reproductive and developmental traits of endemic sesarmid crabs from Jamaica living in landlocked limnic or terrestrial habitats. Laboratory rearing and behavioral observations showed that the larval development of Sesarma windsor, Sesarma dolphinum (both from freshwater brooks), and Metopaulias depressus (the bromeliad crab) invariably consists of two nonfeeding zoeal stages and a facultatively lecithotrophic megalopa. In a quantitative study of life‐history processes characterizing this developmental mode, we provide for S. windsor first data of biomass and elemental composition (dry mass, W; carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, collectively, CHN) during development from the egg through successive larval stages. These data show that larval independence of food is based on an enhanced female energy allocation in reproduction, reflected in unusually large egg size (1.45–1.70 mm), as well as high contents of C and H (about 60% and 9%, respectively) and high C:N ratios (7.6–8.4) in eggs and early larvae. During zoeal development, about 6% of initial W and 9% of N but 13% each of C and H were lost; similar losses occurred during megalopal development in continued absence of food. These patterns reflect the metabolic utilization of stored organic matter, with preferential degradation of lipid reserves. Fed megalopae gained greater amounts of W and N as compared with C and H (increments of 37% and 38% vs. 25% and 19%, respectively), indicating preferential investment of nutritional energy in proteins required for the formation of new tissues and organs, while generally decreasing proportions of CHN within total W suggested an increasing mineralization of the exoskeleton. Although survival and molt cycle duration of the megalopa stage were not affected by absence of food, significant effects were found in the size of first‐stage juvenile crabs, indicating a trade‐off between nutritional flexibility in the last larval stage and postmetamorphic fitness. Similar patterns of development and biomass in M. depressus as well as preliminary data obtained for S. dolphinum and Sesarma fossarum suggest that reproductive and developmental traits may be similar in all endemic Jamaican sesarmids. These traits are interpreted as life‐history adaptations to development in landlocked habitats, probably playing a key role during adaptive radiation.
Ecological Adaption Analysis of the Cotton Aphid (Aphis gossypii) in Different Phenotypes by Transcriptome Comparison

Background The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, is a destructive insect pest worldwide; it directly or indirectly damages (virus transmission) 300 species of host plants. Knowledge of their ecologically adaptive mechanisms at the molecular level may provide an essential and urgent method to effectively control this pest. However, no transcriptome information is available for the cotton aphid and sequence data are scarce. Therefore, we obtained transcriptome data. Results To facilitate such a study, two cotton aphid transcriptomes at different growth stages of cotton, seedling and summer, were sequenced. A total of 161,396 and 66,668 contigs were obtained and assembled into 83,671 and 42,438 transcripts, respectively. After combining the raw date for both transcriptomes, the sequences were reassembled into 66,695 transcripts, and 52,160 were annotated based on BLASTX analyses. Comparison of the transcriptomes revealed that summer presented less challenges for the cotton aphids than the seedling stage of cotton. In total, 58 putative heat shock protein genes and 66 candidate cytochrome p450 genes were identified with BLASTX. Conclusions Our results form a basis for exploring the molecular mechanisms of ecological adaption in the cotton aphid. Our study also provides a baseline for the exploration of abiotic stress responses. In addition, it provides large-scale sequence information for further studies on this species.
A Genetic Algorithm-Based Moving Object Detection for Real-time Traffic Surveillance

Recent developments in vision systems such as distributed smart cameras have encouraged researchers to develop advanced computer vision applications suitable to embedded platforms. In the embedded surveillance system, where memory and computing resources are limited, simple and efficient computer vision algorithms are required. In this letter, we present a moving object detection method for real-time traffic surveillance applications. The proposed method is a combination of a genetic dynamic saliency map (GDSM), which is an improved version of dynamic saliency map (DSM) and background subtraction. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method in detecting moving objects.
Mobility support in qos signaling of multiple path sessions

Ubiquitous access and content rich service are the focus of next generation networking. With the advancement in access technologies, dual or even multiple access devices are widely adopted to achieve the anytime-anywhere connection. However, the connection itself does not guarantee a smooth service to the user. Mobility and Quality-of-Service (QoS) control are the key points to deliver services with seamless and transparent transitions. Compared to the enormous number of mobility solutions proposed to that end, corresponding QoS signaling support is lagging behind. This article presents some considerations for the QoS signaling for the multiple flow and path sessions. It is revealed that current signaling schemes have no proper support of such cases. In view of this, a solution is proposed as remedy followed by detail operation analysis. Requiring only minor amendments to a current scheme, the solution provides an extensible way to realize QoS control for multi-flow and/or multi-path sessions.