Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Super-Resolution in Compressive Coded Imaging Systems via l2 – l1 – l2 Minimization Under a Deep Learning Approach

In most imaging applications the spatial resolution is a concern of the systems, but increasing the resolution of the sensor increases substantially the implementation cost. One option with lower cost is the use of spatial light modulators, which allows improving the reconstructed image resolution by including a high-resolution codification. In this paper, we propose a reconstruction methodology that exploits the intrinsic information contained in low-resolution measurements generated by the use of high-resolution spatial light modulators and high-resolution approximations obtained via a CNN. Specifically, based on a high-resolution CNN approximation, an l2 fidelity regularization term is introduced into a traditional l2–l1 optimization problem. Finally, the simulations of the proposed l2–l1–l2 reconstruction approach show a quality improvement in up to 3.7dB in averaged PSNR against the use of the traditional l2–l1 approach.
SAHA: A String Adaptive Hash Table for Analytical Databases

Hash tables are the fundamental data structure for analytical database workloads, such as aggregation, joining, set filtering and records deduplication. The performance aspects of hash tables differ drastically with respect to what kind of data are being processed or how many inserts, lookups and deletes are constructed. In this paper, we address some common use cases of hash tables: aggregating and joining over arbitrary string data. We designed a new hash table, SAHA, which is tightly integrated with modern analytical databases and optimized for string data with the following advantages: (1) it inlines short strings and saves hash values for long strings only; (2) it uses special memory loading techniques to do quick dispatching and hashing computations; and (3) it utilizes vectorized processing to batch hashing operations. Our evaluation results reveal that SAHA outperforms state-of-the-art hash tables by one to five times in analytical workloads, including Google’s SwissTable and Facebook’s F14Table. It has been merged into the ClickHouse database and shows promising results in production.
Relevance of the technology acceptance model (TAM) in information management research: a review of selected empirical evidence

Purpose- The purpose of the study was to examine the relevance of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in information management research, and how it has been extended in relation to its perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Methodology- A desk study approach was used to review some of the studies that have used the model. Search engines, such as google scholar, yahoo search, and answers. com, were used to search through internationally renowned journals like Emerald, Science direct, IJRIC, South African Journal of Information Management and others. In all, twenty two (22) articles that were published from 1999 to 2016 were used. The 22 articles were those which have used the TAM in empirical studies and have well-described methodologies and clear findings. Findings- The review showed that TAM is still recognized as the right model for quantitative based information management research, and to a lesser extent qualitative information management research and desk studies. However, while some researchers concluded that the TAM is relevant in determining and assessing users’ behaviour regarding technology usage with respect to time, others have criticised the TAM as too limited in the areas of theoretical assumptions and practical effectiveness. These critics have concluded that the model lacks the necessary attributes as a good theory for information system research. Conclusion- In essence, the conflicting views create inconclusiveness about usage of TAM as a theoretical model. Such inconclusiveness calls for further research, and such research should set clear boundaries with respect to measurement of the issues, sampling procedures, and the analytical procedures.
A MODEL FOR BUSINESS PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT: A CASE OF THE POSTAL COMPANY

The aim of this paper is to propose a management model which would assess the state of the business and indicate the improvement points, as well as to demonstrate the applicability of the model in a case of the postal company. An A’BA model is proposed which represents a combined application of Analytic Hierarchy Process – AHP method as a multi-criteria decision making tool and theory of business areas. The research consists of two parts. To define the most important influencing factor on business performance, the experts are interviewed. A new concept is proposed and applied in the process of aggregating experts’ assessments based on their mapping in a plane. This creates the appropriate surface, and the position of its centroid in relation to the Saaty’s scale defines the final score of pairwise comparison an indicator of the relationship between two elements that are compared. In the second part, additional experts from the determined area are involved to define an approach for detailed analysis of the most important factor. In this case, the approach included a survey of employees based on the specialized questionnaire. The guidelines for business performance improvement are obtained.
Emergence of anomalous dynamics from the underlying singular continuous spectrum in interacting many-body systems

We investigate the dynamical properties of an interacting many-body system with a non-trivial energy potential landscape that may induce a singular continuous single-particle energy spectrum. Focusing on the Aubry-Andre model, whose anomalous transport properties in presence of interaction has recently been demonstrated experimentally in an ultracold gas setup, we discuss the anomalous slowing down of the dynamics it exhibits and show that it emerges from the singular-continuous nature of the single-particle excitation spectrum. Our study demonstrates that singular-continuous spectra can be found in interacting systems, unlike previously conjectured by treating the interactions in the mean-field approximation. This, in turns, also highlights the importance of the many-body correlations in giving rise to anomalous dynamics, which, in many-body systems, can result from a non-trivial interplay between geometry and interactions.
Environment-related education topics within global citizenship education scholarship focused on teachers: A natural language processing analysis

Abstract Intergovernmental organizations (IOs) increasingly promote global citizenship education (GCE) and related topics. This paper analyses the body of scholarship on GCE that focuses on teachers and interprets the development of environment-related education (ERE) within the GCE discourse. Using a novel, data-rich methodology employing Natural Language Processing and Social Network Analysis, we trace how ERE is represented within the GCE scholarship and how this representation evolved during the last ten years. We argue that ERE topics have become increasingly prominent within the GCE discourse, as a tendency toward subject-specific discourse emerged in GCE, heavily influenced by intergovernmental organizations’ policies. It is important to trace and understand such transformations, given their possible influence on curricular development and classroom experiences. Future research directions and possible practical implications are discussed.
Consumers’ Acceptance of a Bio-circular Automotive Economy: Explanatory Model and Influence Factors

Sustainability in the automotive sector and appropriate end-of-life (EOL) management options for car tyres are important and constitute global issues. There is currently an oversupply of EOL tyres and the potential of circular economy (CE) tyres and for bio-based (BB) tyres warrants further investigation. Likewise, BB and CE tyres might be an interesting approach to improve the overall sustainability of the tyre life cycle. Research on drivers for the acceptance of CE and BB tyres is currently missing. In 1989, a socio-economy model was created to understand the acceptance of various products. This model is still popular in many areas but does not address sustainability questions of the 21st century appropriately. This article aims to provide a better understanding of the factors which drive acceptance of sustainable tyres. It presents an acceptance model and related influence factors in three areas: variables related to the consumers, perceived product characteristics and stimulating moderator variables. The third aspect refers in particular to labels and certification influencing consumer views on existing product characteristics. This article ends by discussing how availability of such labels could be promoted through eco-labelling of tyres and related standardization, addressing the industry and policy makers to make the automotive sector more sustainable.
A Model of Inequality Aversion and Private Provision of Public Goods

Abstract I develop a model of inequality aversion and public goods that allows the marginal rate of substitution to be variable. As a theoretical foundation, utility function of the standard public goods model is nested in the Fehr-Schmidt model. An individual’s contribution function for a public good is derived by solving the problem of kinky preference and examining both interior and corner solutions. Results show that the derived contribution function is not monotonic with respect to the other individual’s provision. Thus, the model can be used to explain empirical evidence for the effect of social comparison on public-good provision.
An Improved Mode Transition Technique for a Non-Isolated Bidirectional DC-DC Converter

This brief presents the design and analysis of improved mode transition and startup techniques for a DC-DC bidirectional converter (BDC) for battery charging/discharging applications. The BDC inductor current is controlled in such a way that the current reaches its steady state value naturally without any control effort during the transient operation of the converter. The improved mode transition method ensures suppression of large transient currents in either direction by adopting simple control methodology simultaneously reducing the time of mode transition significantly, to the order of time constant of the inductor employed in the converter. This technique is implemented by sensing the direction of inductor current and generating appropriate PWM switching to the bidirectional switches. The startup technique is essential to suppress the current transient during initial response of the BDC for either modes of operation. The start-up and mode transition logic are very effective and easy to implement. A 400 W BDC is designed, analyzed, simulated and experimentally verified for improved mode transition and smooth startup techniques.
Greening the guest bedroom: Exploring hosts’ perspectives on environmental certification for Airbnb

The rapid rise of home-sharing and peer-to-peer accommodation has exposed new opportunities and issues in the hospitality industry. Given the heightened attention to and awareness of environmental issues in tourism and hospitality, this study explored the likelihood and motivations of Airbnb hosts towards participating in an environmental certification program. Currently, there are no such programs associated with Airbnb or this sector of the sharing economy. As part of this exploratory study, semi-structured interviews with Airbnb hosts in the Greater Toronto Area were conducted to uncover the opinions and motivations of Airbnb hosts towards participating in a potential program, and what program design elements would enhance their likelihood of participation. Results indicated a willingness to participate in an environmental certification program, driven by economic factors and personal values. Host opinions regarding preferred design elements provide insight into factors important to the development and success of such a potential program. Environmental certification is a common tool in tourism to signal environmental commitment by operators, but such a program does not yet exist for home-sharing.
Visual Body Part Representation in the Lateral Occipitotemporal Cortex in Children/Adolescents and Adults

Abstract The lateral occipitotemporal cortex (LOTC) that responds to human bodies and body parts has been implicated in social development and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Neuroimaging studies using a representational similarity analysis (RSA) revealed that body representation in the LOTC of typically developing (TD) adults is categorized into 3 clusters: action effector body parts, noneffector body parts, and face parts. However, its organization of younger people (i.e., children and adolescents) and its association with individual traits remain unclear. In this functional MRI study, TD adults and children/adolescents observed photographs of hands, feet, arms, legs, chests, waists, upper/lower faces, the whole body, and chairs. The univariate analysis showed that fewer child/adolescent participants showed left LOTC activation in response to whole-body images (relative to those of chairs) than adult participants. Contrastingly, the RSA on both age groups revealed a comparable body representation with 3 clusters of body parts in the bilateral LOTC. Hence, this result indicates that, although response to whole-body images can differ, LOTC body part representations for children/ adolescents and adults are highly similar. Furthermore, sensory atypicality is associated with spatial LOTC organization, suggesting the importance of this region for understanding individual difference, which is frequently observed in ASD.
The Marginal Propensity to Consume Over the Business Cycle

This paper estimates how the marginal propensity to consume (MPC) varies over the business cycle by exploiting exogenous variation in credit card borrowing limits. Ten years after an individual declares Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the record of the bankruptcy is removed from her credit report, generating an immediate and persistent increase in credit score. We study the effects of “bankruptcy flag” removal using a sample of over 160,000 bankruptcy filers whose flags were removed between 2004 and 2011. We document that in the year following flag removal, credit card limits increase by $780 and credit card balances increase by roughly $290, implying an “MPC out of liquidity” of 0.37. We find a significantly higher MPC during the Great Recession, with an average MPC roughly 20–30 percent larger between 2007 and 2009 compared to surrounding years. We find no evidence that the counter-cyclical variation in the average MPC is accounted for by compositional changes or by changes over time in the supply of credit following bankruptcy flag removal. These results are consistent with models where liquidity constraints bind more frequently during recessions.
The Dark and the Light Side of the Expatriate’s Cross-Cultural Adjustment: A Novel Framework Including Perceived Organizational Support, Work Related Stress and Innovation

The new context of the Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development has reached the attention of the scientific community in recent years, due to its comprehensive approach aimed at enhancing the sustainability of interpersonal and intrapersonal talent, as well as of groups and communities. In this scenario, research on employee cross-cultural adjustment (CCA) is considered a key theme in human resource management. It is known that psychological support in the host country may alleviate distress and facilitate the integration of the expatriate workers. However, there is a lack of research investigating expatriate adjustment as an antecedent of the perceived organizational support. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship among cross-cultural adjustment (CCA), perception of organizational support (POS), work-related stress (WRS), and innovation, considering these factors as a part of a unique innovative framework. A cross sectional study was performed using a sample of 234 expatriate workers of a multinational organization. Data were collected through a monitoring survey for the assessment of work-related stress risk factors of their expatriate staff. The results showed a positive correlation between CCA, POS, and innovation. On the other hand, a negative correlational effect of CCA and WRS, CCA and POS on WRS, and POS and WRS was found. Finally, POS was found to be a significant antecedent of CCA. These findings have implications for both international human resource management researchers and practitioners.
Hindrance of Quality of Knowledge Sharing Due to Workplace Incivility in Indonesian Pharmacies: Mediating Role of Co-Worker and Organizational Support

It is well known that the quality of the knowledge sharing process has a crucial role in workplace incivility in a positive way. The author in this study has aimed to examine the impact of workplace incivility on the quality of knowledge sharing process through the presence of mediating variables such as organizational support as well as co-worker support. The data has collected from 311 front line employees of the pharmaceutical employees through designed a questionnaire. Under the analysis, the two major analysis techniques are utilized such as SEM & CFA with the help of SPSS % AMOS. The results and findings have been analyzed through the table of SEM which has indicated that all hypotheses accepted. It means that co-worker support, as well as organizational support, has a significant and positive mediating impact on the relationship between workplace incivility and quality of knowledge sharing. In short, all hypotheses have accepted. Furthermore, the given study is original, and novel based because the numerous researches had conducted before, but no research has explained the direct impact of workplace incivility ion quality of knowledge sharing. Finally, the study has positively provided benefits to the employees and managers to avoid abusive behavior and focus on knowledge sharing behavior.
Resistance pattern of Gram negative uropathogens isolated from community acquired urinary tract infections against quinolones.

The fluoroquinolones are synthetic compounds with greater potency and a broader antimicrobial activity than their quinolone precursor, nalidixic acid, which is used only as urinary antiseptic. Susceptibility tests of 345 strains, belonging to 9 species of Gram negative uropathogens against quinolones, were carried out by disc diffusion method. This comprised Escherichia coli (270 strains), Klebsiella pneumoniae (51), K. ozaenae (03), Proteus mirabilis (05), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10), Salmonella typhi (01), S. paratyphi A (02), S. paratyphi B (01) and Serratia marcescens (02). The highest rate of resistance was recorded against ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid i.e. each 6.1% (21/345) followed by ofloxacin (4.3%, 15/345) and norfloxacin (0.3%, 1/345). Continued surveillance is required to prevent the future spread of these resistancet strains.
Electrofusion of protoplasts of anther-derived dihaploid lines of commercial potato cultivars

Protoplasteilla tarkoitetaan soluja, joiden solunseina on poistettu entsymaattisesti. Tallaisia soluja voidaan fuusioida yhteen, jolloin kahden eri perunalinjan yhdistelmasta muodostuu solujen kasvatuksen jalkeen somaattisia hybrideja. Somaattiset hybridit ovat perunan jalostukselle tarkeita, koska tavanomainen jalostus, joka tapahtuu tetraploidien (4x) kasvien suvullisin risteytyksin, tarvitsee runsaasti risteytyksia ja suuren maaran jalkelaisia. Kayttamalla hyvaksi dihaploideja (2x) perunoita ja fuusioimalla linjoja yhteen (2x + 2x),voidaan perunan jalostusta seka nopeuttaa etta tehostaa. Tassa tyossa ponsiviljelylla tuotetuista dihaploideista perunalinjoista (peraisin lajikkeista Matilda, Nicola, Pito, Stina, Van Gogh ja White Lady) eristettiin protoplasteja, joita fuusioitiin sahkoisesti. Kahden eri dihaploidin protoplasteja fuusioimalla saatiin tuotettua somaattisia hybrideja. Saadut kuusi uutta fuusioyhdistelmaa analysoitiin kayttamalla RAPIDmerkkeja. Oletetut hybridit maaritettiin useimmiten kahdella alukkeella, jotka kumpikin tuottivat dihaploideille vanhempaislinjoille spesifisen merkin. Useimmat tuotetut somaattiset hybridit olivat tetraploideja (4x), mutta neljasta fuusioidusta yhdistelmasta muodostui myos kasveja, joilla oli joko heksaploidinen (6x), oktoploidinen (8x) tai miksoploidinen genomi. Tama tutkittiin laskemalla hybridien kromosomit tai analysoimalla kasvit virtaussytometrilla. Somaattisten hybridien DNA-pitoisuuksien oletettiin olevan yhta suuria kuin tetraploidien perunoiden DNA-pitoisuudet tai dihaploidien fuusiovanhempien DNA-pitoisuuksien summat. Kuitenkin useiden tetra- ja heksaploidien hybridien DNA-pitoisuuksien keskiarvot olivat pienempia kuin oletetut DNA-pitoisuudet.
H∞ Output Anti-Disturbance Control of Stochastic Markov Jump Systems With Multiple Disturbances

This article is concerned with the anti-disturbance control for Markov jump systems with matched and mismatched disturbances. First, the matched part is estimated by an output-based disturbance observer. Meanwhile, the mismatched part is attenuated by the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H_{\infty }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> controller. Therefore, a composite static output control scheme is built to make the closed-loop system stable with the required <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H_{\infty }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> performance. Second, an integral sliding-mode output (ISMO) control approach is proposed to restrain the mentioned disturbances by using the upper bounds of disturbances. Third, an ISMO anti-disturbance strategy is established to integrate the advantages of the above two methods. It is noteworthy to point out that the proposed output observer structure could be reduced to the state case. Moreover, the diagonal constraint on Lyapunov variables is removed in this article. Finally, a numerical example is simulated to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Analysis of congested schedule on competition external load in field hockey. [Análisis de la carga externa de competición en un periodo de congestión en hockey hierba].

This study aimed to investigate the variation in players’ physical demands profile during a major national men field hockey tournament which consisted of 3 matches on consecutive days. Ten Spanish National League hockey players participated in the study (age: 24.2 ± 2.6 years; body mass: 74.2 ± 5.7 kg; height 176.8 ± 5.1 cm). Participants ́ physical demands were monitored using global positioning system devices (SPI Elite, GPSports). Activity was categorized into total distance (m), relative total distance (m·min-1), low speed running (LSR; <15.0 km·h-1 m·min-1); moderate speed running (MSR; 15.1-18.9 km·h-1 m·min-1), high speed running (HSR; >19 km·h-1 m·min-1), sprinting relative to minute played (SR; >23.0 km·h-1 m·min-1) and number of sprints (SN; >23.0 km·h-1/ n/min). The number of acceleration and deceleration efforts were analyzed using intensity thresholds (low: 1-1.9 m·s-2 n·min-1; moderate: 2-2.9 m·s-2 n·min-1; high: >3 m·s-2 n·min-1). The data were analyzed using one-way repeated measures ANOVA coupled with magnitude-based inferences. Players reduced distance covered at moderateand high-speed running, sprints relative minute played and the number of moderate accelerations, and moderate and high decelerations per minute played in the third match compared to the first match. The results of this investigation show that intensity activity were the most affected variables with congestion schedule.