Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-modal gesture recognition using integrated model of motion, audio and video

Gesture recognition is used in many practical applications such as human-robot interaction, medical rehabilitation and sign language. With increasing motion sensor development, multiple data sources have become available, which leads to the rise of multi-modal gesture recognition. Since our previous approach to gesture recognition depends on a unimodal system, it is difficult to classify similar motion patterns. In order to solve this problem, a novel approach which integrates motion, audio and video models is proposed by using dataset captured by Kinect. The proposed system can recognize observed gestures by using three models. Recognition results of three models are integrated by using the proposed framework and the output becomes the final result. The motion and audio models are learned by using Hidden Markov Model. Random Forest which is the video classifier is used to learn the video model. In the experiments to test the performances of the proposed system, the motion and audio models most suitable for gesture recognition are chosen by varying feature vectors and learning methods. Additionally, the unimodal and multi-modal models are compared with respect to recognition accuracy. All the experiments are conducted on dataset provided by the competition organizer of MMGRC, which is a workshop for Multi-Modal Gesture Recognition Challenge. The comparison results show that the multi-modal model composed of three models scores the highest recognition rate. This improvement of recognition accuracy means that the complementary relationship among three models improves the accuracy of gesture recognition. The proposed system provides the application technology to understand human actions of daily life more precisely.
ePubWU Institutional Repository

This paper analyses the South African trade data from1992 until 2006 by means of a Grubel-Lloyd index, a measurement of marginal intra-industry trade and a revealed comparative advantage (RCA) indicator. During this period a lot happened that influenced the South African trade policy, e.g. the political transition in 1994, the formation of the World Trade Organisation in 1995, the rise of China as trading power, etc. The purpose is not only to analyse the current structure of South African trade, but also to examine its structural change over time. As a result this paper shows that South Africa is principally a supplier of natural resources to both industrialised and emerging economies. With respect to its African neighbours South Africa has a more advantageous trading position. More general this paper shows that an indicator reaches significant different values, if different trading partners or industries are analysed.
THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION ON BRAND EQUITY: THE EVIDENCE FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

The paper examines the influences of different forms of brand communication through social media on elements of brand equity in the case of environmentally friendly products. The research was conducted from April to June, 2016 in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and included 778 respondents in the main research. The results show that firm-created social media communication and personal involvement inventory have a positive influence, while user-generated social media communication negatively influences the elements of brand equity. Also, brand awareness and associations, perceived quality and behavioural loyalty are under the strongest positive influence of firmcreated social media communication, while word of mouth and commitment are under the strongest positive influence of personal involvement inventory. There are no significant differences of such influences between food and fashion brands. Not only that the paper examines influence of social media communication on brand equity for environmentally friendly products for the first time, but it also uses an innovative model which includes all possible aspects of social media communication and treats loyalty, as element of brand equity, as a multidimensional construct. Recommendations given within this paper can be relevant not only for marketers of environmentally friendly products but also for potential social promotion of green consumption.
A computational strategy for multiscale chaotic systems with applications to Lorenz 96 model

Numerical schemes for systems with multiple spatio-temporal scales and chaotic behavior is investigated. The multiscale schemes use asymptotic results for this type of systems which guarantee the existence of an effective dynamics for some suitably defined modes varying slowly on the largest scales. The multiscale schemes are analyzed for generic large deterministic systems displaying chaotic behavior, then illustrated on a specific example due to E. N. Lorenz. Issues like consistency, accuracy, and efficiency are discussed in detail. The role of possible hidden slow variables as well as additional effects arising on the diffusive time-scale are also investigated. As a byproduct we obtain a rather complete characterization of the effective dynamics in Lorenz model.
The cognitive processes preceding an organizationalinnovation: Implications for emerging economy contexts(Los procesos cognitivos que anteceden la innovaciónorganizacional: implicaciones para contextos de economíasemergentes)

Abstract. In hyper competitive environments, knowledge has turned to be the most valuable resource. However, a competitive advantage is achieved through the firm’s capability for assimilating and exploiting it with commercial purposes, as a product or process innovation. Therefore, the cognitive processes, defined as knowledge creation, transfer, and assimilation preceding an organizational innovation, are critical for a firm’s survival in markets such as those of emerging economies. In addition, contextual factors such as the structure, the culture, strategic processes and information technologies have been identified in several studies as responsible for an effective knowledge transfer, while the effects of knowledge characteristics and the capabilities of senders and receivers have not been sufficiently integrated in literature. This study presents a literature review about the cognitive processes preceding an organizational innovation in order to map the different topics and research lines related to the phenomena. Then, the effects of contextual organizational factors, as found on different frameworks, are discussed. Finally, a proposed framework for application in emerging economies is introduced. Resumen. En mercados altamente competitivos, el conocimiento se ha convertido en el recurso mas valioso para las organizaciones. Sin embargo, el logro de una ventaja competitiva se determina a traves de la capacidad de la organizacion para asimilar y explotar el conocimiento comercialmente, por medio de un producto o proceso innovador. Por tanto, los procesos cognitivos que anteceden la innovacion organizacional, caracterizados por la creacion, transferencia y asimilacion del conocimiento, son criticos para el logro de la supervivencia de la empresa en mercados emergentes. Ademas, factores contextuales como la estructura, la cultura, los procesos estrategicos y las tecnologias de informacion han sido vinculados en diversos estudios con transferencias efectivas de conocimiento, mientras que los efectos de las caracteristicas del conocimiento y las capacidades de tanto emisores como receptores no han sido integradas satisfactoriamente en la literatura. El presente estudio muestra una revision de la literatura sobre los procesos cognitivos que preceden la innovacion organizacional con el fin de senalar diferentes temas y lineas de investigacion relacionados con el fenomeno. Ademas, los efectos de los factores contextuales, identificados en diferentes modelos conceptuales, son objeto de discusion. Finalmente, se introduce un modelo conceptual para economias emergentes.
Integration Static Var Compensator in Power System for Voltage Stability Improvement using Straight Variation Approach

This paper deals with a novel approach for studying the impact of Static VAR compensators in power system to improve voltage profile. Because of the increased energy demand, transmission and distribution networks are overloaded which may cause voltage reduction problems. Allocation of FACTS device mainly SVC can be done for the improvement of voltage by identifying the weak bus using straight variation approach. This method is implemented using MATLAB-PSAT and is tested on IEEE 14 bus networked system at different loading conditions. The results demonstrate the improvement in voltage profile at different loads.
Effect of cover crops on physico-chemical attributes of soil in a short-term experiment in the southwestern Amazon region

No-tillage is an agricultural system that is proposed as a sustainable soil management system. This paper aims to evaluate the short-term effects of cover crops on a no-tillage system, by assessing a number of physical and chemical attributes of soil of the Brazilian Amazon region. The experiment was carried out in a typical Ferralsol under a no-tillage system from March to December, 2014. A randomized block design, with four replicates was used. The performance and effects of fourteen cover crops (Cajanus cajan, Canavalia ensiformis, Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria ochroleuca, Crotalaria spectabilis, Stizolobium aterrima, Stizolobium cinereum, Pennisetum glaucum, Sorghum bicolor, Sorghum sudanense, Urochloa brizanha cv. Xaraes, Urochloa brizantha cv. Piata and Urochloa ruziziensis and Zea mays) and fallow (control treatment) on the soil quality were assessed. The cover crops were sown in the off season in April 2014, before the summer crop (maize). The levels of P, K, Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+, H+Al, saturation by aluminum, sum of bases, organic matter, pH and resistance to soil penetration were evaluated following the end of the cover crops growth. Some near-surface soil attributes were affected by the cover crops. Urochloa species improved the levels of potassium in the soil at depths up to 5 cm below the surface. The highest penetration resistance was observed in the superficial layer between 12 and 16 cm deep, with penetration resistance values varying between 2472 and 2912 kPa. The Urochloa exhibited satisfactory agronomic performance when grown under a simulated crop livestock integration system. It is concluded that the use of cover crops in a no-till system has the potential to improve the chemical quality of soil in the Southwestern Amazon region. Key words: No-tillage, ecological intensification, sustainability, Rondonia, green manure.
Chatter dynamic analysis for a planing model with the effect of pulse

In this paper, the phenomena of chatter vibration in a typicalplaning process is discussed from impulsive point of view. Considering theinstantaneous vibration as an impulse, we present the planing model as asecond-order impulsive dynamical system, which is a specic discontinuousone. Then we investigate its chatter conditions via the method of ow theoryin discontinuous systems, analyze ow's dynamical behaviors on separationsurface and get general results on chatter criterion. Finally, such dynamicalanalysis and criterion are applied to a specic planing model of coal plough.
Placenta previa after prior abortion: a meta-analysis

There is controversy regarding the role of prior abortion on placenta previa in subsequent pregnancies. We conducted an updated, comprehensive meta-analysis of placenta previa after prior abortion. The search was conducted from PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases from the database inception to January 31, 2017. The heterogeneity across studies was evaluated by Q-test and I2 statistical test. Publication bias was assessed by Begg's test and Egger's test. Results of odds ratio (OR) estimates with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled using random-effects modeling. The literature search included 872 articles up until January 2017 with 2,134,529 participants. Based on OR estimates obtained from case-control and cohort studies, we found a significant association between prior spontaneous abortions and placenta previa (1.77; 95% CI: 1.60, 1.94) and between prior induced abortions and placenta previa (1.36; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.69). The meta-analysis study herein showed that prior abortion is a risk factor for placenta previa.
MATHEMATICAL SIMULATION STUDY OF COPOLYMER COMPOSITION AND COMPOSITIONAL HETEROGENEITY DURING THE SYNTHESIS OF EMULSION-TYPE BUTADIENE-STYRENE RUBBER

At the moment, synthetic rubbers range is wide enough. The most common are the rubbers received through the mechanism of free-radical copolymerization of butadiene with styrene in the emulsion. Procedure of monomer ad dition to the polymer chain determ ines the properties of rubber. Production of styrene-butadiene ru bber is a complex process, which simplifies the study of the construction of mathematical model. In turn, it allows to understand course of the process, perform its optimization and predict characteristics of the final product.
MULTISCALE SOLUTIONS OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTINUITY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION USING PACKETS OF HARMONIC WAVELETS

This paper proposes an approach to the analysis of the electro- magnetic continuity differential equation of the Maxwell equations. Solutions through dyadic harmonic wavelets at different levels of resolution are presented. Wavelets approach, through their different space-time levels of resolution, can favorably describe the segmented space structure of some kinds of technical applications.
Treatment of Hallux Valgus with Hyaluronic Acid: A Pilot Study

1 İlhan Sezer1, Meral Bilgilisoy Filiz2, Sibel Çubukçu Fırat3 1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Division of Rheumatology, Antalya Training and Research Hospital, 2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Antalya Training and Research Hospital, 3Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Division of Algology, Akdeniz University, Faculty of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey Hyaluronic Acid for Hallux Valgus Treatment of Hallux Valgus with Hyaluronic Acid: A Pilot Study
The impact of crisis on enterprise life-cycle

Crisis management research tends to focus on the crisis and its management, ignoring the particular life stage that the enterprise is at. However, crisis management should adjust its focus according to the enterprise's life stage. This paper, from the perspective of the enterprise's life-cycle, analyzes crises and their impact on enterprises. The aim of this research is to discover how different types of crises impact Chinese enterprises at the different life-cycle stages. The research questions are: 1) Which types of crises have occurred in Chinese enterprises? 2) At which life-cycle stage(s) did the crisis happen? 3) How did these crises impact Chinese enterprises in each life-cycle stage? In this paper, exploratory, descriptive, and explanatory (casual study) approaches were used. The qualitative method (interview) was also used for this research due to its possibility to deepen the knowledge and understanding of the detailed information. The interviews included open and close ended questions about the impact of crisis on the enterprise. The method used for the primary data analysis was ordinal. The analysis results indicate that enterprises at different life stages may encounter different types of crises; at the same life stage, enterprises encounter similar types of crises; and crisis may cause enterprise life stage shift. The findings of this paper, based on Chinese companies, may offer a reference for crisis managers wanting to detect, distinguish and determine the crisis and manage it effectively.
A new method for evaluating the best product end-of-life strategy during the early design phase

The choice of an appropriate end-of-life (EOL) destination for discarded products is becoming an important issue for most manufactured products, given the current problems of environmental waste impact and landfill saturation. To address these issues, the design of a product must be optimised with a view to incorporating in that product an environmentally sustainable EOL scenario that respects economic and legislative constraints. The new EOL scenario evaluation method (ELSEM) that we propose in this paper takes these fundamental aspects into account, and provides a method for evaluating the various options for the EOL scenario of a product during early design phase. The ELSEM provides a simple and intuitive tool for designers to help them construct arguments for the EOL decision-making process. It is built using the fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution method, a multi-criteria decision process that is highly appropriate in the uncertain and subjective environment in which the designer works during the early stages of product development. Our method is illustrated with a case study involving a vehicle engine.
Comparisons of Treatments After an Analysis of Variance in Ecology

The statistical literature on tests to compare treatments after the analysis of variance is reviewed, and the use of these tests in ecology is examined. Monte Carlo simulations on normal and lognormal data indicate that many of the tests commonly used are inappropriate or inefficient. Particular tests are recommended for unplanned multiple comparisons on the basis of controlling experimentwise type I error rate and providing maximum power. These include tests for parametric and nonparametric cases, equal and unequal sample sizes, homogeneous and heterogeneous variances, non-independent means (repeated measures or adjusted means), and comparing treatments to a control. Formulae and a worked example are provided. The problem of violations of assumptions, especially variance heterogeneity, was investigated using simulations, and particular strategies are recommended. The advantages and use of planned comparisons in ecology are discussed, and the philosophy of hypothesis testing with unplanned multiple comparisons is considered in relation to confidence intervals and statistical estimation.
Explicit classical solutions and comments on Higher-Derivative Klein-Gordon equation in (1+1)-D

We present a simple and general method to solve higher-power D'Alembert equation in (1+1) dimensions for a set of completely general initial conditions. Explicit solutions are written down for the cases of []2 and []3 and the singularity structure is manifest through the derivative terms of some of the initial-condition functions. The explicit solutions found out may be useful if one wishes to device external sources which may suppress the non-physical modes introduced by the higher derivatives
From smart cities to smart neighborhoods: detecting local events from social media

There are several examples of work which uses data from so- cial media to detect events which occur in our real, physical world. Our target for event detection is to partition a large geographic region, a whole city in our case, into smaller districts based on geotagged Tweets and to detect smaller local events. We generate a language model for Tweets from each district and measure the KL divergence on incoming Tweets to detect outliers. When these reach a sizable volume or intensity and are consistent, this indicates an event within that district. We used Tweets drawn from Dublin city and we describe experiments on partitioning the city into districts and detecting local events within districts.
Potential Climate Risks in Financial Markets: A Literature Overview

This literature overview conducts a systematic study of how the climate related risks from global warming may aff ect fi nancial markets. The climate related risk is divided into three subcategories, the environmental uncertainty, the economic climate risk and the climate policy risk, which all of them may aff ect the markets directly or indirectly. The perspective is broad, including production possibilities, productivity, social disturbance, health, migration and trade. Stock prices are affected by beliefs about future path of expected return. Climate change signifi es possible disruptions in production and consumption possibilities, which may imply reduction in future asset values. Expectations of this will reduce asset values today. There are few studies in the research literature that explicitly attempt to identify mispricing. The survey compares di fferent event studies that may reflect how the financial market react to the climate related risks. The empirical evidence is mixed, and few general conclusions can be drawn. It is unclear whether the market reactions are consistent with rational market valuation of the climate risk.
A unified multiwavelength model of galaxy formation

We present a new version of the GALFORM semi-analytical model of galaxy formation. This brings together several previous developments of GALFORM into a single unified model, including a different initial mass function (IMF) in quiescent star formation and in starbursts, feedback from active galactic nuclei supressing gas cooling in massive halos, and a new empirical star formation law in galaxy disks based on their molecular gas content. In addition, we have updated the cosmology, introduced a more accurate treatment of dynamical friction acting on satellite galaxies, and updated the stellar population model. The new model is able to simultaneously explain both the observed evolution of the K-band luminosity function and stellar mass function, and the number counts and redshift distribution of sub-mm galaxies selected at 850μm. This was not previously achieved by a single physical model within the ΛCDM framework, but requires having an IMF in starbursts that is somewhat top-heavy. The new model is tested against a wide variety of observational data covering wavelengths from the far-UV to sub-mm, and redshifts from z = 0 to z = 6, and is found to be generally successful. These observations include the optical and near-IR luminosity functions, HI mass function, fraction of early type galaxies, Tully-Fisher, metallicity-luminosity and size-luminosity relations at z = 0, as well as far-IR number counts, and far-UV luminosity functions at z ∼ 3 − 6. Discrepancies are however found in galaxy sizes and metallicities at low luminosities, and in the abundance of low mass galaxies at high-z, suggesting the need for a more sophisticated model of supernova feedback.