Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chapter 15 Mathematically provable correct implementation of integrated 2 D and 3 D representations

The concept of the ‘Regular Polytope’ has been designed to facilitate the search for a rigorous closed algebra for the query and manipulation of the representations of spatial objects within the finite precision of a computer implementation. It has been shown to support a closed, complete and useful algebra of connectivity, and support a topology, without assuming the availability of infinite precision arithmetic. This paper explores the practicalities of implementing this approach both in terms of the database schema and in terms of the algorithmic implementation of the connectivity and topological predicates and functions. The problem domains of Cadastre and Topography have been chosen to illustrate the issues.
Complications with and owner assessment of the outcome of tibial plateau leveling osteotomy for treatment of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs: 193 cases (1997-2001).

OBJECTIVE To identify complications associated with tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) for treatment of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs and assess owner perceptions of outcome. DESIGN Retrospective study. ANIMALS 193 dogs that underwent unilateral or bilateral TPLO (253 TPLOs total) between November 1997 and March 2001. PROCEDURE Complications associated with the surgical procedure were recorded. A questionnaire was sent to owners of all dogs to assess their perceptions of outcome. RESULTS Complications were identified in 47 of the 193 (24.4%) dogs and in association with 52 of the 253 (20.6%) TPLOs. Dogs that underwent bilateral TPLOs during a single anesthetic episode had a higher complication rate than did dogs that underwent unilateral TPLO and dogs that underwent bilateral TPLOs during separate anesthetic episodes. Body weight, surgery time, whether a meniscal release or meniscectomy was performed, and extent of cruciate ligament damage were not associated with whether complications occurred. One hundred forty-one of 151 (93%) owners who responded to the questionnaire were satisfied with the outcome of the surgery. Assessments of outcome were not significantly different between owners of dogs that had complications and owners of dogs that did not. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that complications developed in approximately 25% of dogs undergoing TPLO for treatment of a cranial cruciate ligament injury but that most complications responded to appropriate treatment, and development of complications did not affect owner assessments of outcome. There was a higher incidence of complications when bilateral TPLOs were performed during a single anesthetic episode.
Entrepreneurship and SME growth: evidence from advanced and laggard transition economies

This paper examines the impact of firms' technological capability and other firm as well as environmental characteristics on the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in six transition countries at different stages of transition. It compares three advanced Central Eastern European countries (Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic) with three laggard countries in South Eastern Europe (Albania, Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro). Technological capability is the overarching concept indicating the ability of firms to use new processes, produce new products, develop new organisational structures conducive to growth, and engage in networking resulting in external economies. It embodies the Schumpeterian entrepreneurship or, in modern SME parlance, technological and organisational flexibility. In addition to technological capability, SME growth depends on a number of other factors too - some external to the firm and some internal. We use the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS) conducted by the World Bank/EBRD in 2002 and 2005 to test a number of hypotheses regarding the determinants of SME growth. We find that the two groups of countries have similarities and differences: both display similar trends with respect to the growth process; both are affected by entrepreneurship activities positively; but the environmental barriers affecting the two groups are somewhat different. We also find that despite the growing importance of SMEs in all transition economies, they still face many environmental barriers - which have prevented them from making larger contributions.
Evidence on the Economic Burden of Repeat Malaria Episodes among Households in Rural Uganda

Propensity score matching is used to investigate the economic burden of repeat episodes of malaria in rural Uganda on farm incomes and household food consumption expenditures. We also examine the impacts of: expenditure on mosquito bed-nets on the number of malaria episodes and access to microcredit on expenditures to prevent the disease. The findings show that annual farm income declines by about 50% due to severe frequent malaria episodes and the household expenditure on animal protein foods declines by 34%. Repeat malaria episodes among children and adults decline among users of bed nets by about 29% and 41%, respectively. Improved access to microcredit alleviates household liquidity constraints and enables households to increase their investment in preventive measures by over 62%. The results show that after controlling for household characteristics, malaria places a significant economic burden on rural households.
Crisis in Leadership or Failure to Plan

During the past ten years, succession planning and managing executive transitions have emerged as important issues in the nonprofit sector. Demographers and economists have speculated for years about the potential effects of the retirement of baby boomers. The time has finally arrived: the oldest of the baby boomers are now eligible for retirement. The question that remains is how this trend will affect the nonprofit sector and the communities they serve. This study examines the issues of turnover and succession planning at the executive level, along with career development among young nonprofit professionals in Charlotte, North Carolina. Not only do the findings suggest that the community may very well see a crisis in leadership, but they also illustrate a growing disconnect between executive leaders and young professionals in nonprofit organizations. In addition to struggling with the realities of working in the nonprofit sector (limited benefits, challenging workloads), most young professionals reported that they felt undervalued by older managers and staff, and very few aspire to the position of executive director. Taken together, these findings have important implications for the local community and the broader nonprofit sector.
Influence of lifestyle patterns on perceptions of obesity and overweight among expatriates in Abha city of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: We evaluated the influence of lifestyle patterns such as watching TV, working with computer and idle sitting time on perceptions of obesity and beliefs about overweight are associated with obesity and overweight amongst Expatriates in Abha. Materials and Methods: The method used in this study was a cross-sectional survey with a self-administered paper-based questionnaire. The survey collected information on lifestyle choices and the risk factors that contribute to obesity. In addition, height and weight were measured. Results: Greater number of our study subjects spent over 2 h/day without any physical activity, specifically accounting for over 2 h/day each in viewing TV, computer, and spending idle time. This increased lack of physical activities was significantly associated with overweight. While the overweight subjects were aware of very wide options for treating their condition, a significant number believed in self-effort in managing their diet and exercise regimen as the best efforts to reduce their overweight. Interestingly very few overweight subjects considered medication or surgery as a potential therapeutic option and 75% of the overweight subjects considered overweight to be of no or only slight concern on wellbeing. Conclusions: Overweight and obesity among expatriates within Saudi Arabia poses an important public health problem. The lack of awareness about the potential impact of obesity on health and optimal treatment options is a serious concern, which needs to be addressed by appropriate public health programs at national level.
Underpricing and Firm Quality in Initial Public Offerings: Evidence from Singapore

Firms seeking initial public listings on the Stock Exchange of Singapore can choose between offering their shares at a fixed price or selling them in two tranches: the first tranche is offered at a fixed price while the issue price of the second tranche is determined via a tender system. Consistent with the existing signalling literature, tendering IPO firms underprice their fixed price tranche more than non-tendering IPO firms. The underpricing in the fixed tranche is recouped through higher proceeds from the tender tranche. Our evidence suggests that IPO firms use the tender option to signal superior firm quality. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd 1998.
Teaching HIV/AIDS through a Child-to-Child Approach: A Teacher's Perspective

This paper draws from a larger study conducted in Kenya, which was a narrative inquiry into a teacher’s experiences of teaching the HIV/AIDS curriculum using a child-to-child approach. The two major research questions of this study were: 1) What are the experiences of a teacher teaching the HIV/AIDS curriculum using a child-to-child curriculum approach? 2) What are the experiences of children learning the HIV/AIDS curriculum using a child-to-child curriculum approach? The findings suggest that a teacher who adopted a child-to-child curriculum approach in teaching HIV/AIDS experienced a transformed classroom learning environment characterized by: sharing authority with children; constructing a democratic classroom; learning to listen to children; affirming children’s voices and ownership in learning; creating a partnership with parents; interrupting gendered classroom; and developing children’s advocacy in community matters. The study concludes with recommendations for equipping teachers with the necessary skills to teach the subject. These skills are: the ability to create a child-centered classroom, ability to listen to children, ability to engage parents, and talking openly on issues about HIV/AIDS.
A conceptual continuous process improvement framework for Software Innovation

It is important for modern software organisations to remain competitive in the market. Being innovative is, therefore, important for the survival of these organisations. In some organisations the processes that lead to the development of innovative products are well defined. However in others there are no clearly established processes. In the latter, either the innovation activities are undertaken in a non-systematic manner or, clearly defined processes that could lead to the development of innovative products are not present. In such organisations innovation is often ad hoc. This paper presents a model that organisations could use to systematically improve (mature) their innovation activities. The paper also presents a roadmap for the implementation of the model.
Data-Driven Cooperative Intelligent Controller Based on the Endocrine Regulation Mechanism

A data-driven mechanism can achieve effective control by utilizing the online/offline data of the target system, although its performance has not been tuned to a better level. The endocrine regulating mechanism in the human body establishes a rapid responding system to maintain the balance of the body, which can be mathematically derived and therefore provide an inspiration for optimizing the industrial controller. In this paper, a novel data-driven cooperative intelligent controller inspired by the regulating principle of the endocrine system in the human body is proposed. The data-driven component of the proposed controller optimizes the controller parameters by collecting and processing runtime data of the target system. The endocrine regulation-inspired enhancing component tunes the intensity of control signals adaptively. Both the components are further organized by an adaptive distributor so that their behaviors can be regulated dynamically. A dynamic tension control system for acrylic fiber production is taken to verify the performance of the proposed controller. Simulation results show that the proposed controller can realize effective control on systems with unknown or varying models, meanwhile featuring rapid response and effective regulation against external disturbance.
Explaining growth paths of young technology‐based firms: structuring resource portfolios in different competitive environments

We explore how environmental contingencies determine the way resources are accumulated in young technology-based firms and argue that growth paths are critically shaped at the nexus between resource management and the competitive environment, defined along its most important dimensions, ‘stability’ and ‘complexity. ’ We also build propositions about the way environmental conditions affect resource portfolio development or acquisition. We show how particular high-growth paths result from structuring resource portfolios in accordance with environmental demands and provide insights into why, based on six case studies of young technology-based high-growth firms, involving 27 interviews, 121 press releases, 605 press articles, and archival data. Copyright © 2011 Strategic Management Society.
Wavelet-Based Statistical Health Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis Method

In this paper, a wavelet-based statistical method is proposed for health monitoring and fault diagnosis. This method integrates the statistical process control technology and the discrete wavelet transform. A statistical indicator based on discrete wavelet transform is constructed, and the X-bar chart is used to monitor the indicator. The fault frequency can be identified in the Hilbert envelope spectrum of the signal which is reconstructed by the out-of-control levels. Thus with the proposed method, one can not only detect a process change but also identify the fault type. An experimental study is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Auditor Quality, Signalling, and the Valuation of Initial Public Offerings

The initial public offering (IPO) market represents a classic example of information asymmetries where the incumbent owners have good information about the value of the business but potential investors have little data to guide them on the attractiveness of the new issue. In order to mitigate these information asymmetry problems, the sponsors of the IPO will try to enhance the credibility of the share offer through various signalling mechanisms. Of interest to this study is the role that auditing firms play in adding credibility to the new issue. In particular we test some recent theoretical models of auditor choice by examining the initial public offering market in Singapore. Our empirical results show that high risk IPOs are associated with high quality auditors. Further, high quality auditors are associated with higher IPO market valuations and they allow entrepreneurs to retain lower ownership stakes in the IPO while maintaining market valuation.
Accounting for Executive Stock Options: A Case Study in Avoiding Tough Decisions

We review the development of accounting requirements for executive stock options (ESOs) and find that the standard-setting process has been susceptible to pressure groups including the corporate sector, politicians and even the accounting profession itself. The failure of Australian and overseas accounting regulators to take tough decisions may have created a systematic bias towards the use of ESOs which can result in grossly inefficient compensation structures motivated by a desire to maximise reported profits rather than to create optimal managerial incentives. We conclude that most of the arguments against recognition of stock option expense can be dismissed as blatant self-interest at worst, or remarkably muddled thinking at best.
Value and Patience: The Value Premium in a Dividend-Growth Model with Hyperbolic Discounting

The value premium has proven to be a consistent asset-pricing anomaly, having been well documented for various time spans and countries. The present study, which examines how cross-country investor differences affect the magnitude of value returns, is the largest international study yet conducted of portfolio returns based on book-to-market ratios. First, we study a stochastic extension of dividend-growth model with two firms differing in correlations between firms' cash flows and consumption to distinguish the value and growth firm. We rationalize the existence of value premium by calibrating the model and replicate CAPM value premium puzzle. By employing data from the International Test of Risk Attitudes (INTRA) and a large panel of stocks from countries around the world, we show that patience is negatively related, and that risk aversion is positively related, to the magnitude of value profits, confirming the implications of our model. Moreover, similar results hold for average stock volatility. Although patience is positively related to the level of economic development, its relationship to value returns does not disappear, controlling for general economic and financial development measures. Furthermore, we find that value premiums are positively associated with country price-earnings ratios and negatively associated with firm size.
Strategic Implications of Alliances and Other Linkages of Leading Telecom Operators in Brazil: Network and International Perspectives

ABSTRACT In response to competitive pressures created by privatization, telecom firms in developing countries are establishing alliances and other types of linkages—mergers and acquisitions—with foreign partners to ensure customer competitive advantages in global markets. However, there have been very few studies on the alliances of telecom operators in Brazil, an increasingly important BRIC. This article presents the results of research that aimed to fill this gap by identifying, from a network/international perspective, the opportunities/threats created by the relevant linkages of leading telecom operators in Brazil. The results suggest that acquisitions—and especially alliance-type linkages with foreign partners—have created opportunities for boosting performance, in keeping with their new strategic profile.
On the Corporate Demand for Insurance: Evidence from the Reinsurance Market

Significant attention has focused on the determinants of corporate insurance purchases. While this analysis generally involves observable firm characteristics, its implications have been untested. This is primarily due to the difficulty in obtaining data on corporate insurance purchases. The authors examine one industry where data on insurance purchases are systematically reported: the insurance industry. A reinsurance contract is an insurance policy purchased by one insurance company from another. Their examination of reinsurance purchases by property/casualty insurance companies provides strong evidence on the effects of ownership structure, size, geographic concentration, and line-of-business concentration on the demand for reinsurance. Copyright 1990 by the University of Chicago.
Low-complexity video compression for capsule endoscope based on compressed sensing theory

Recently, the notions of Compressed Sensing (CS) have attracted attention as an innovative concept in signal processing. In this exploratory paper, a CS-based video compression approach suitable for wireless capsule endoscopy is proposed. In general, the amount of video data generated by capsule endoscopy is so large that video compression is the best way to lower the communication bandwidth and save the RF transmitting power. However, due to power limitation and small size conditions, traditional video compression techniques are not appropriate. Applying state-of-the-art CS theory may significantly reduce power consumption and memory of video compressor, thanks to its low computational complexity. The proposed approach is based on YUV color space conversion, blocking, zigzag scan and CS measuring. Experimental results show the feasibility of the proposed idea and that future improving works are necessary.
Physiological Response to Facial Expressions in Peripersonal Space Determines Interpersonal Distance in a Social Interaction Context

Accurate control of interpersonal distances in social contexts is an important determinant of effective social interactions. Although comfortable interpersonal distance seems to be dependent on social factors such as the gender, age and activity of the confederates, it also seems to be modulated by the way we represent our peripersonal-action space. To test this hypothesis, the present study investigated the relation between the emotional responses registered through electrodermal activity (EDA) triggered by human-like point-light displays (PLDs) carrying different facial expressions (neutral, angry, happy) when located in the participants peripersonal or extrapersonal space, and the comfort distance with the same PLDs when approaching and crossing the participants fronto-parallel axis on the right or left side. The results show an increase of the phasic EDA for PLDs with angry facial expressions located in the peripersonal space (reachability judgment task), in comparison to the same PLDs located in the extrapersonal space, which was not observed for PLDs with neutral or happy facial expressions. The results also show an increase of the comfort distance for PLDs approaching the participants with an angry facial expression (interpersonal comfort distance judgment task), in comparison to PLDs with happy and neutral ones, which was related to the increase of the physiological response. Overall, the findings indicate that comfort social space can be predicted from the emotional reaction triggered by a confederate when located within the observer’s peripersonal space. This suggests that peripersonal-action space and interpersonal-social space are similarly sensitive to the emotional valence of the confederate, which could reflect a common adaptive mechanism in specifying theses spaces to subtend interactions with both the physical and social environment, but also to ensure body protection from potential threats.
Cluster Analysis of Real Time Location Data - An Application of Gaussian Mixture Models

Clustering analysis in the context of education is important for determining the eﬀectiveness of group activities especially when participants freely rotate between groups such as in a gallery exhibit or other informal learning space or set-up. In this paper, we cover a method of applying Gaussian Mixture Models to two-dimensional data. We further describe the analysis procedure, and the success of implementing this analysis using simulated data and real data. Finally, we discuss some educational applications as well as future directions for this research.
Learning Pose Grammar to Encode Human Body Configuration for 3D Pose Estimation

In this paper, we propose a pose grammar to tackle the problem of 3D human pose estimation. Our model directly takes 2D pose as input and learns a generalized 2D-3D mapping function. The proposed model consists of a base network which efficiently captures pose-aligned features and a hierarchy of Bi-directional RNNs (BRNN) on the top to explicitly incorporate a set of knowledge regarding human body configuration (i.e., kinematics, symmetry, motor coordination). The proposed model thus enforces high-level constraints over human poses. In learning, we develop a pose sample simulator to augment training samples in virtual camera views, which further improves our model generalizability. We validate our method on public 3D human pose benchmarks and propose a new evaluation protocol working on cross-view setting to verify the generalization capability of different methods. We empirically observe that most state-of-the-art methods encounter difficulty under such setting while our method can well handle such challenges.