Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Constitution of Organizational Legitimacy: A Narrative Perspective

This article recognizes a major dichotomy in the study of legitimacy construction at the organizational level. Scholars have either focused on agent-centred explanations of organizational legitimation, which favour its evaluative dimension, or on structural explanations, which highlight the isomorphic pressures imposed on individual organizations in order to become and remain intelligible to stakeholders. By applying a discursive methodology, we propose a new approach for the study of organizational legitimacy construction that incorporates both its evaluative and cognitive dimensions. Drawing on a structurational model of narrative recursivity, inspired by Greimas (1987), we argue that the construction of organizational legitimacy is dependent on both the persuasiveness of organizational storytelling and on the realization of a taken-for-granted narrative structure. We explicate the processes by which legitimacy is narratively constructed through empirical data associated with the founding of an HIV/AIDS organization.
From Research to Reality: Evaluation of a Single-Computer Real-Time LVCSR System for Speech-Based Retrieval

This paper presents a series of tests that were performed on a state-of-the-art real-time automatic speech recognition system for English, in a single-computer implementation. As the intention is to use the system for speech-based query-free document retrieval in conversations, several parameters were varied: text type, microphone quality, computing power, speaker fluency, and pace of the speech. Word accuracy over various word counts, including a restriction to content words, varied in the 30%-70% range. The paper compares results over many conditions, and concludes that the ASR system is acceptable for the intended use only if all the parameters are in optimal conditions. If more than two parameters are suboptimal, then its output becomes too noisy for document retrieval.
Indomethacin and Alzheimer's disease

Recent clinical and epidemiologic studies suggest that indomethacin and other anti-inflammatory agents have a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease (AD). [1,3] These studies were motivated by evidence that inflammation and cytokines have a role in the pathogenesis of AD. Yet, indomethacin, as an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, affects a myriad of other responses in many organ systems. We searched the biomedical literature systematically to identify other possible mechanisms by which indomethacin might be expected to affect patients with AD, and to identify possible adverse effects of indomethacin. ### Methods and Results. Only 13 records in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, and SCISEARCH databases directly mention both …
Comparison of potentiated and unpotentiated twitches as an index of muscle fatigue

Recent data suggest that the potentiated twitch is a more sensitive index of contractile fatigue than is the unpotentiated twitch. We hypothesized that after a potentially fatiguing load, the fall in twitch amplitude of the potentiated twitch would be significantly greater than that of an unpotentiated twitch. We compared the response of the potentiated and unpotentiated twitches to a series of potentially fatiguing loads using magnetic stimulation of the femoral nerve in 10 healthy subjects. The baseline unpotentiated quadriceps twitch force (TwQu), potentiated quadriceps twitch force (TwQp), and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) were 129 ± 6 N, 198 ± 6 N, and 622 ± 25 N, respectively. During a fatigue protocol that was designed to induce a spectrum of fatigue from mild to marked, the percent fall in quadriceps twitch force was significantly greater for the potentiated method than for the unpotentiated method at all levels of fatigue (P < .005). The within‐subject within‐day coefficient of variation was 7.5 ± 0.5% for TwQu and 5.6 ± 0.9% for TwQp. Thus, TwQp is reproducible and is superior to TwQu for detecting early muscle fatigue. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Muscle Nerve 25: 000–000, 2002
Recombinant Listeria monocytogenes Expressing a Cell Wall-Associated Listeriolysin O Is Weakly Virulent but Immunogenic

ABSTRACT Listeriolysin O (LLO) is an essential virulence factor for the gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Our goal was to determine if altering the topology of LLO would alter the virulence and toxicity of L. monocytogenes in vivo. A recombinant strain was generated that expressed a surface-associated LLO (sLLO) variant secreted at 40-fold-lower levels than the wild type. In culture, the sLLO strain grew in macrophages, translocated to the cytosol, and induced cell death. However, the sLLO strain showed decreased infectivity, reduced lymphocyte apoptosis, and decreased virulence despite a normal in vitro phenotype. Thus, the topology of LLO in L. monocytogenes was a factor in the pathogenesis of the infection and points to a role of LLO secretion during in vivo infection. The sLLO strain was cleared by severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Despite the attenuation of virulence, the sLLO strain was immunogenic and capable of eliciting protective T-cell responses.
Realistic Simulation of V2X Communication Scenarios

Vehicle-2-X (V2X) Communication provides the foundation for new applications that enhance both safety and traffic efficiency. Before V2X applications can be deployed in practice, their in-depth analysis is necessary. For this end, detailed and realistic simulations are essential. Depending on the simulated V2X Communication application, particular simulators have to be coupled. For this purpose, we have developed the V2X Simulation Runtime Infrastructure (VSimRTI) offering the flexibility to combine arbitrary simulators. The VSimRTI is derived from concepts of the High Level Architecture (HLA). It synchronizes the simulators and enables the communication among them. Another feature of our simulation environment is the emulation of the environment of V2X Communication applications in real vehicles. As a result, we can integrate real V2X Communication applications without modifications.
Adaptive route configuration for increased energy efficiency in wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we discuss a certain route configuration problem via optimization theory. The problem is potentially relevant for designers of both wireless sensor and wireless ad hoc networks with multihop and link adaptation capability. We consider the optimal bit error rate (BER) and transmission rate allocations subject to overall BER and delay constraints for a designated route. The pivot of the problem lies in the delay constraint, which divides the problem into two cases - the loose delay and the tight delay case. In the former, analytical solutions are obtained by applying the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) theorem. Specifically, we discover in this case that for a given target BER, the optimum solutions are only related to the hop lengths in the route. When the delay constraint is tight, there exists a mapping which can be used to reduce the dimension of the problem by a factor of two; however, a numerical optimization algorithm has to be used to find the optimum. The problem can however be shown to be a convex optimization problem, which ensures that any local minimum will be global. Simulation results show that by optimally configuring a chosen route, substantial energy savings could be obtained, especially under tight delay constraints.
Development and Validation of the Star Properties Concept Inventory

Concept inventories (CIs)—typically multiple-choice instruments that focus on a single or small subset of closely related topics—have been used in science education for more than a decade. This paper describes the development and validation of a new CI for astronomy, the Star Properties Concept Inventory (SPCI). Questions cover the areas of stellar properties (focussing primarily on mass, temperature, luminosity, and lifetime), nuclear fusion, and star formation. Distracters were developed from known alternative conceptions and reasoning difficulties commonly held by students. The SPCI was tested through an iterative process where different testing formats (open-ended, multiple-choice + explain, and multiple-choice) were compared to ensure that the distracters were in fact the most common among the testing population. Content validity was established through expert reviews by 26 astronomy instructors. The SPCI Version 3 was then tested in multiple introductory undergraduate astronomy courses for non-science majors. Post-test scores (out of 23 possible) were significantly greater (M = 11.8, SD = 3.87) than the pre-test scores (M = 7.09, SD = 2.73). The low post-test score—only 51.3%—could indicate a need for changing instructional strategies on the topics of stars and star formation.
Performance of the Wavelet Decomposition on Massively Parallel Architectures

Abstract Traditionally, Fourier transforms have been utilized for performing signal analysis and representation. But although it is straightforward to reconstruct a signal from its Fourier transform, no local description of the signal is included in its Fourier representation. To alleviate this problem, Windowed Fourier transforms and then Wavelet transforms have been introduced, and it has been proven tha t wavelets give a better localization tha n traditional Fourier transforms, as well as a better division of the time-or space-frequency plane than Windowed Fourier transforms. Because of these properties and after the development of several fast algorithms for computing the wavelet representation of any signal, in particular the Multi-Resolution Analysis (MRA) developed by Mallat, wavelet transforms have increasingly been applied to signal analysis problems, especially real-life problems, in which speed is critical. In this article we present and compare efficient wavelet decomposition algorithms on different parallel architectures. We report and analyze experimental measurements, using NASA remotely sensed images. Results show tha t our algorithms achieve significant performance gains on current high-performance parallel systems, and meet scientific applications and multimedia requirements. The extensive performance measurements collected over a number of high-performance computer systems have revealed important architectural characteristics of these systems, in relation to the processing demands of the wavelet decomposition of digital images.
Postcard: Minimizing Costs on Inter-Datacenter Traffic with Store-and-Forward

It is typical for cloud providers to operate a number of geographically distributed data centers, where inter-data center traffic constitutes a large portion of a cloud provider's traffic demand over the Internet. Though such inter-data center traffic incurs substantial operational costs that are charged by ISPs, it varies significantly across different overlay links, raising the opportunity to optimize both routing and scheduling of inter-data center traffic to minimize costs. As data is being transmitted multiple sources to their respective destinations, an intermediate data center is also able to store data and forward them at a later time, so that peak traffic demand can be reduced. The cost minimization problem with such store-and-forward is challenging to solve in the general case, due to a large number of variables that determine how data can be sent from a source to a destination, and when should they be "paused" (stored) at an intermediate node, subject to a required maximum transfer time. In this paper, we present Postcard, an online optimization problem carefully formulated to minimize operational costs on inter-data center traffic with store-and-forward at intermediate nodes. To solve the optimization problem with an acceptable number of variables in Postcard, we have simplified the general problem by restricting data transmission to a time-slotted model, such that the problem can be modelled on a time-expanded graph. With extensive simulations, we compare results from solving Postcard to those from solving a flow-based problem without store-and-forward, and present the advantages and drawbacks of store-and-forward when it comes to minimizing costs on inter-data center traffic.
The Better-Than-Average Effect in Hong Kong and the United States

People tend to make self-aggrandizing social comparisons on traits that are important to the self. However, existing research on the better-than-average effect (BTAE) and trait importance does not distinguish between personal trait importance (participants’ ratings of the importance of certain traits to themselves) and cultural trait importance (participants’ perceptions of the importance of the traits to the cultural group to which they belong). We demonstrated the utility of this distinction by examining the joint effects of personal importance and cultural importance on the BTAE among Hong Kong Chinese and American participants. Results showed that the BTAE was more pronounced for personally important traits among both Chinese and American participants. More important, the magnitude of the BTAE was smaller on culturally important traits among Chinese participants only. Chinese participants displayed the strongest BTAE on personally important and culturally unimportant traits, and the smallest BTAE on personally unimportant and culturally important ones. American participants showed the smallest BTAE on personally and culturally unimportant traits. These findings underscore the importance of distinguishing personal trait importance and cultural trait importance in understanding the cultural effects on self-aggrandizing social comparisons. They further suggest that in cultures where people are expected to be modest in self-expression (e.g., Chinese culture), people would avoid claiming superiority on highly culturally important traits even when these traits are important to the self.
A Set of Novel Microsatellite Markers Developed for Luculia yunnanensis (Rubiaceae), an Endangered Plant Endemic to Yunnan, China

The genus Luculia Sweet contains about five species of small trees or shrubs and is a member of the family Rubiaceae (tribe Cinchoneae). Luculia yunnanensis is an endangered ornamental shrub endemic to southwest China. Only two natural populations of L. yunnanensis exist in the wild according to our field investigation. It can be inferred that L. yunnanensis is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild and an urgent conservation strategy is required. By using a modified biotin-sterptavidin capture method, 24 primer sets were identified in two wild populations. Of these primers, 11 displayed polymorphisms and 13 were monomorphic. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to four, values for observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.000 to 0.833 and from 0.431 to 0.771, with averages of 0.389 and 0.614, respectively. These markers will be useful for further investigation of conservation of resources, selecting parental types in cross-breeding, evolution of this species at the molecular level and related research in Luculia species.
Improving image classification in a complex wetland ecosystem through image fusion techniques

Abstract. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of image fusion techniques on vegetation classification accuracies in a complex wetland system. Fusion of panchromatic (PAN) and multispectral (MS) Quickbird satellite imagery was undertaken using four image fusion techniques: Brovey, hue-saturation-value (HSV), principal components (PC), and Gram–Schmidt (GS) spectral sharpening. These four fusion techniques were compared in terms of their mapping accuracy to a normal MS image using maximum-likelihood classification (MLC) and support vector machine (SVM) methods. Gram–Schmidt fusion technique yielded the highest overall accuracy and kappa value with both MLC (67.5% and 0.63, respectively) and SVM methods (73.3% and 0.68, respectively). This compared favorably with the accuracies achieved using the MS image. Overall, improvements of 4.1%, 3.6%, 5.8%, 5.4%, and 7.2% in overall accuracies were obtained in case of SVM over MLC for Brovey, HSV, GS, PC, and MS images, respectively. Visual and statistical analyses of the fused images showed that the Gram–Schmidt spectral sharpening technique preserved spectral quality much better than the principal component, Brovey, and HSV fused images. Other factors, such as the growth stage of species and the presence of extensive background water in many parts of the study area, had an impact on classification accuracies.
Current sensing methods for standby power control of digital-controlled DC/DC converter

The main theme of this paper is to study the current sensing methods for standby power reduction control of digital-controlled DC/DC converter. These methods include using transformer of full-bridge converter, coupling inductor and ORing MOSFET. The most suitable sensing method was verified with a digital-controlled 500W class DC/DC converter (input/output voltage: 400V/12V). Experimental results derived from digital-controlled DC/DC converter using the TI DSP (TMS320F2812) as the control platform show that current sensed by voltage across ORing MOSFET method provides superb solution. This method offers linear relationship between output voltage of sensing circuit and load current while not causing response delay under standby conditions and thereby truly reflecting accurate standby conditions.
What's Public Feedback? Linking High Quality Feedback to Social Issues Using Social Media

In this paper we present a study of new problem of linking high quality public feedback to the issues discussed in an article. Analyzing public opinion on social and political issues as well as government policies is of particular importance to policy makers. Given a segmented article with multiple issues and public comments towards the article, the task aims to extract high quality feedback and link it to the relevant issues in the article. Our proposed solution, two-stage approach rely on supervised learning technique for extracting high quality feedback and statistical topic modeling technique for extracting the relevant feedback to the issues/topics of the article. We study the problem on two different data sets. We evaluated both the stages of the framework and the empirical results on both data sets show that the proposed approach is effective in linking high quality relevant feedback to the segments of the article.
Biomechanics of noncemented total hip arthroplasty

Biomechanical research on noncemented total hip arthroplasty has not kept pace with the rate with which new devices have been introduced and tested in the clinic. Although promising clinical results of noncemented total hip arthroplasty are published in the peer-reviewed literature, many problems have been reported as well and long-term follow-up studies are scarce. Due to the variety of fixation methods, component designs, surgical techniques, and indications applied, the problems reported are not easily related to generalized paradigms for failure mechanisms (described as failure scenarios). However, this information is required if general guidelines for prosthetic designs and preclinical tests are to be developed. The problems appear to be concentrated around issues of primary fixation, initial stability and bony incorporation, issues of bone adaptation and periprosthetic resorption, and issues of wear particle reactions and interface loosening. Biomechanical studies have mostly been concentrated on interface mechanics and bone mechanics, as related to problems of fixation and bone remodeling. Recent publications of studies in these areas are reviewed here.
Expecting racial outgroups to view “us” as biased: A social projection explanation of Whites’ bias meta-stereotypes

Meta-stereotypes, the stereotypes believed to be held about one’s ingroup by an outgroup, represent barriers to positive intergroup contact. Little is known, however, about factors accounting for meta-stereotypes. Although previous researchers have speculated on conceptual overlap between social projection (perceiving one’s personal attitudes to be commonly held) and meta-stereotypes, these constructs are typically studied separately. We propose the notion that meta-stereotypes can be explained by social projection processes. We examined Whites’ “bias meta-stereotypes” (perceptions that Blacks consider Whites biased) across two studies. Participants projected personal biases onto both their ingroup (Whites) and outgroup (Blacks); in turn, both ingroup and outgroup bias perceptions uniquely predicted bias meta-stereotypes. Overall, the positive relation between personal bias perceptions and bias meta-stereotypes was fully mediated (i.e., explained) by heightened perceptions of ingroup (White) and outgroup (Black) bias. Overall, there is considerable value in integrating basic social projection within intergroup domains, particularly with regard to meta-stereotyping.
Unearthing design patterns to support context-awareness

The lack of structured methodologies and software engineering efforts on designing the support of context-awareness in pervasive systems hinders the potential advantages of analyzing and reusing other practitioners' experience on solving common problems. This paper proposes to exploit design patterns to identify and capture common aspects of various design solutions. Specifically, we reverse-architect existing context-awareness support systems and unearth design patterns that have been implicitly (and rarely explicitly) adopted to solve similar problems
Fiber optic fence sensor developments

Many detection technologies have been employed for perimeter detection, to sensitize a barrier. These outdoor perimeter fence detection sensors must reliably detect intruders attempting to cut or climb the barrier, while ignoring the effects of environmental noise, including nearby activity. In recent conference proceedings, the new IntelliFIBER/spl trade/ fiber optic based product was introduced and compared with previous technologies. IntelliFIBER is designed to provide the advantages of a nonconductive "dielectric" cable sensor, e.g., resistance to electromagnetic interference and the ability to provide longer cable zones. It utilizes the proven processor of the Intelli-FLEX/spl trade/ triboelectric cable fence sensor, which provides relay or bidirectional networked serial communications and is compatible with its calibration module. IntelliFIBER also capitalizes on the Intelli-FLEX's adaptive detection algorithms that were developed through extensive field-testing, to provide exceptional immunity to environmental alarms while still detecting the skilled intruder.
Improving perceived accuracy for in-car media search

Speech recognition technology is prone to mistakes, but this is not the only source of errors that cause speech recognition systems to fail; sometimes the user simply does not utter the command correctly. Usually, user mistakes are not considered when a system is designed and evaluated. This creates a gap between the claimed accuracy of the system and the actual accuracy perceived by the users. We address this issue quantitatively in our in-car infotainment media search task and propose expanding the capability of voice command to accommodate user mistakes while retaining a high percentage of the performance for queries with correct syntax. As a result, failures caused by user mistakes were reduced by an absolute 70% at the cost of a drop in accuracy of only 0.28%.