Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rethinking performativity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advance a critical realist perspective on performativity and use it to examine how novel conceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have performative effects. Design/methodology/approach To illustrate how the authors’ critical realist understanding of performativity can play out, the authors offer a field study of an Australian packaging company and engage in retroductive and retrodictive theorising. Findings In contrast to most prior accounting research, the authors advance a structuralist understanding of performativity that pays more systematic attention to the causal relationships that underpin performative tendencies. The authors explain how such tendencies are conditioned by pre-existing, social structures, conceptualised in terms of multiple, intersecting norm circles. The authors illustrate their argument empirically by showing how specific conceptions of CSR, centred on the notion of “shared value”, were cemented by the interplay between the causal powers embedded in such norm circles and how this suppressed alternative conceptions of this phenomenon. Research limitations/implications The findings draw attention to the structural boundary conditions under which particular conceptions of CSR can be expected to become performative. Greater attention to such boundary conditions, denoting the social structures that reinforce and counteract performative tendencies, is required to further cumulative, yet context-sensitive, theory development on this topic. Originality/value The paper is the first to adopt a critical realist perspective on performativity in the accounting literature. This perspective strikes a middle path between the highly constructivist ontology, adopted in most accounting research concerned with performativity and realist criticisms of this ontological position for de-emphasising the influence of pre-existing, objective realities on performativity.
Artificial neural networks for spatial perception: Towards visual object localisation in humanoid robots

In this paper, we present our on-going research to allow humanoid robots to learn spatial perception. We are using artificial neural networks (ANN) to estimate the location of objects in the robot's environment. The method is using only the visual inputs and the joint encoder readings, no camera calibration and information is necessary, nor is a kinematic model. We find that these ANNs can be trained to allow spatial perception in Cartesian (3D) coordinates. These lightweight networks are providing estimates that are comparable to current state of the art approaches and can easily be used together with existing operational space controllers.
Low-voltage low-power CMOS rail-to-rail V-I converters

This paper presents three compact and simple CMOS voltage-to-current (V-I) converter schemes attaining rail-to-rail operation with a highly linear V-I relationship over a (−40, +140 °C) temperature range. Based on an OTA/common source amplifier configuration, the key idea to reach rail-to-rail operation is reducing the voltage across the linear resistor that performs the V-I conversion to keep the output current mirroring transistor working in the saturation region over the complete input range. Results for 1.2 V – 0.18 µm CMOS implementations show that all the proposed converters operate over the entirely input range with GM errors below 2.5 %, linearity errors below 0.011 % and power consumptions below 70 µW, which makes them suitable for portable applications.
Use of Family Life Review with Older Adults and Families Adjusting to the Late Life Transition of Relocation

A 200 word abstract should be included in BOTH the main manuscript file as well as uploaded into the abstract section of ScholarOne. Abstracts for original research reports and conceptual reviews should be structured to include 5 headings: objectives, methods, results, conclusions, and clinical implications. Abstracts for clinical comments may be structured if appropriate, but for case studies may be in paragraph form. Please pay special attention to the preparation of a clear, concise, and transparent abstract as many readers use the abstract to digest the main point of the article and determine whether to read the full article.
Medical image reconstruction using an exact formula for solid angle of view

Modeling of the tomographic weights usually incorporates angle of view, decay and attenuation. A usual assumption is that the gamma camera is a long way from the object, this leads to the approximation that the angle of view subtending the front of the collimator tube is the same as that subtending the back [6]. If, however, the distance between camera and subject is small then this approximation may not be good enough and artifacts may be produced. In this paper, the derivations of the angle of view and the solid angle of view are analyzed considering distances when the camera is close to the body. The solid angle is explained by an appropriate formula which is defined as the exact solid angle of view. The effect of the solid angle of view for different distances is examined. A comparison between exact solid angle and the approximate solid angle formula of Weir is presented. Finally the effects of the two formulae on reconstruction are studied using simulated data from circular gamma camera rotation systems.
Relevance of SIR Model for Real-world Spreading Phenomena: Experiments on a Large-scale P2P System

Understanding the spread of information on complex networks is a key issue from a theoretical and applied perspective. Despite the effort in developing theoretical models for this phenomenon, gauging them with large-scale real-world data remains an important challenge due to the scarcity of open, extensive and detailed data. In this paper, we explain how traces of peer-to-peer file sharing may be used to this goal. We also perform simulations to assess the relevance of the standard SIR model to mimic key properties of real spreading cascades. We examine the impact of the network topology on observed properties and finally turn to the evaluation of two heterogeneous extensions of the SIR model. We conclude that all the models tested failed to reproduce key properties of such cascades: real spreading cascades are relatively "elongated" compared to simulated ones. We have also observed some interesting similarities common to all SIR models tested.
guitAR: supporting guitar learning through mobile projection

The guitar is one of the most widespread instruments amongst autodidacts, but even though a huge amount of learning material exists, it is still hard to learn especially without a guitar teacher. In this paper we propose an Augmented Reality application called guitAR that assists guitar students mastering their instrument using a projector phone. With the projector phone mounted at the headstock of the guitar, the fret board and the strings of the guitar are in the field of projection of the phone. By projecting instructions directly onto the strings of the guitar the user is easily able to realize where the fingers have to be placed on the fretboard (fingering) to play a certain chord or a tone sequence correctly.
Protocol Based Approach on Vulnerability Detection Tools of SQLIA along with Monitoring Tools

SQL injection attacks pose a serious threat to the security of Web applications and web services because they can give attackers unrestricted access to databases that contain sensitive information. In this paper, we proposed a new, protocol based approach to easily identify the vulnerability taking place in web applications and web services. Our approach has both conceptual and practical advantages. We have presented an experimental evaluation of security vulnerabilities occurring in web applications and services with the protocols used for them. The different approaches to test web applications for vulnerabilities given the experimental results and statistical analysis based on today's trend. Solutions are provided for parameter tampering in SOAP protocol with detection process. As attacks are taking place on protocols, finally to take control over SQLIAs, evaluation of attacks on protocols presented with the help of monitoring tools-a new innovation. Keywords—Web services, Web applications, Protocols, SQLIA, Vulnerabilities, Vulnerability Scanners, Monitoring tools.
Vertex Reordering Algorithms for Cluster Identification

In this paper we present two graph-theoretic algorithms for cluster identification and demonstrate the effectiveness of their combined use. Building on the results of our previous study using sparse matrix reordering schemes to generate clusters, we modify the most promising algorithms to take advantage of similarity scores to produce orderings that nearly recover known clusters. Both algorithms, built on connected components and depth first search are efficient and can be applied to large data sets. When combined with similarity matrix visualizations, complex interand intra-cluster relationships can be identified.
RF CMOS low-phase-noise LC oscillator through memory reduction tail transistor

Based on the understanding of flicker noise generation in "silicon metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors" (MOSFETs), a novel method for improving the phase noise performance of a CMOS LC oscillator is presented. Zhou et al. and Hoogee have suggested that the 1/f noise can be reduced through a switched gate, and the flicker noise generated is inversely proportional to the gate switching frequency. The novel tail transistor topology is compared to the two popular tail transistor topologies, namely, the fixed biasing tail transistor and without tail transistor. Through this technique, a figure of merit of 193 dB is achieved using a fully integrated CMOS oscillator with a tank quality factor of about 9.
Studies of acid-base status and regulation 9

The emerging threat of ocean acidifi cation for marine life has re-emphasised the crucial importance of acidbase status and regulation in whole organism functional maintenance and enantiostasis. pH values in different body compartments are widely accepted to play a key role in the maintenance of physiological function or their limitation under functional or environmental stress. pH affects protein function in metabolism and oxygen transport. Also, acid-base and metabolic regulation are interdependent processes in a way that changes in pH affect metabolic rate, the mode of catabolism and energetic parameters (Pörtner, 1989).
Interference mitigation using channel shortening pre-filter for SIMO-OFDM systems

In this work, we explore the channel shortening pre-filter (CSP) for single-input multi-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (SIMO-OFDM) system in the presence of co-channel interference (CCI), inter-block-interference (IBI) and inter-carrier-interference (ICI). Here, IBI and ICI are caused by the fact that the delay spreads of the multi-path impulse response are longer than the cyclic prefix duration for either the desired signal or the interfering signal, or both. We analytically derive the minimum order of the CSP which cancels a single strong CCI, IBI and ICI using three or more receive antennas. Simulation results show that the uncoded bit-error-rate (BER) curve does not floor at higher value of Eb/N0 for this minimum choice of CSP order. Interference suppression with only two receive antennas are simulated to show that multiuser diversity gain obtained due to narrow-band resource allocation is also important to mitigate CCI, IBI and ICI. However, the receiver with CSP can provide nearly 2-orders of magnitude lower BER when compared to a receiver without CSP.
Roles of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Vascular Dysfunction in Hypertension

Hypertension is a complex condition and is the most common cardiovascular risk factor, contributing to widespread morbidity and mortality. Approximately 90% of hypertension cases are classified as essential hypertension, where the precise cause is unknown. Hypertension is associated with inflammation; however, whether inflammation is a cause or effect of hypertension is not well understood. The purpose of this review is to describe evidence from human and animal studies that inflammation leads to the development of hypertension, as well as the evidence for involvement of oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction—both thought to be key steps in the development of hypertension. Other potential proinflammatory conditions that contribute to hypertension—such as activation of the sympathetic nervous system, aging, and elevated aldosterone—are also discussed. Finally, we consider the potential benefit of anti-inflammatory drugs and statins for antihypertensive therapy. The evidence reviewed suggests that inflammation can lead to the development of hypertension and that oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction are involved in the inflammatory cascade. Aging and aldosterone may also both be involved in inflammation and hypertension. Hence, in the absence of serious side effects, anti-inflammatory drugs could potentially be used to treat hypertension in the future.
Use of network analysis to capture key traits affecting tomato organoleptic quality

The long-term objective of tomato breeders is to identify metabolites that contribute to defining the target flavour and to design strategies to enhance it. This paper reports the results of network analysis, based on metabolic phenotypic and sensory data, to highlight important relationships among such traits. This tool allowed a reduction in data set complexity, building a network consisting of 35 nodes and 74 links corresponding to the 74 significant (positive or negative) correlations among the variables studied. A number of links among traits contributing to fruit organoleptic quality and to the perception of sensory attributes were identified. Modular partitioning of the characteristics involved in fruit organoleptic perception captured the essential fruit parameters that regulate interactions among different class traits. The main feature of the network was the presence of three nodes interconnected among themselves (dry matter, pH, and °Brix) and with other traits, and nodes with widely different linkage degrees. Identification of strong associations between some metabolic and sensory traits, such as citric acid with tomato smell, glycine with tomato smell, and granulosity with dry matter, suggests a basis for more targeted investigations in the future.
Gap junctions between cultured astrocytes: immunocytochemical, molecular, and electrophysiological analysis

The properties of astroglial gap junction channels and the protein that constitutes the channels were characterized by immunocytochemical, molecular biological, and physiological techniques. Comparative immunocytochemical labeling utilizing different antibodies specific for liver connexin 32 and connexin 26 and antibodies to peptides corresponding to carboxy-terminal sequences of the heart gap junction protein (connexin 43) indicates that the predominant gap junction protein in astrocytes is connexin 43. The expression of this connexin in cultured astrocytes was also established by Western and Northern blot analyses. Cultured astrocytes expressed connexin 43 mRNA and did not contain detectable levels of the mRNAs encoding connexin 32 or connexin 26. Further, the cells contained the same primary connexin 43 translation product and the same phosphorylated forms as heart. Finally, electrophysiological recordings under voltage-clamp conditions revealed that astrocyte cell pairs were moderately well coupled, with an average junctional conductance of about 13 nS. Single-channel recordings indicated a unitary junctional conductance of about 50–60 pS, which is of the same order as that found in cultured rat cardiac myocytes, where the channel properties of connexin 43 were first described. Thus, physiological properties of gap junction channels appear to be determined by the connexin expressed, independent of the tissue type.
Increased production of superoxide anion by macrophages exposed in vitro to muramyl dipeptide or lipopolysaccharide

After in vitro exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or muramyl dipeptide (MDP), cultured resident mouse peritoneal macrophages were primed to display enhanced generation of superoxide anion (O2-) in response to stimulation by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or opsonized zymosan. Priming with LPS (1 microgram/ml) produced a sevenfold enhancement of PMA-stimulated O2- generation; priming was detected within 30 min and persisted for at least 4 d. Exposure to MDP (1 muM) primed the macrophages to double their O2- release; the response was first observed after 4 h and persisted for at least 3 d. The priming response was not observed with stereoisomers of MDP, which are inactive as adjuvants. LPS and MDP appeared to work directly on the macrophages rather than indirectly by interacting with adherent lymphocytes: (a) Addition of nonadherent cell populations that contained lymphocytes had no effect on the response. (b) The response was normal with cells from nude mice, which lack mature T lymphocytes. (c) Macrophages from C3H/HeJ mice, whose B lymphocytes fail to respond to LPS, were weak in their response to priming LPS; the addition of normal (C3Heb/FeJ) nonadherent cells had no effect on this weak response. (d) The macrophage-like cell line J774.1 also showed enhanced O2--generating capacity after a 4-h exposure to LPS or MDP. The O2--generating capacity of macrophages primed with LPS in vitro was equivalent to that previously observed with cells elicited in vivo by injection of LPS or activated by infection with Bacille Calmette-Guerin. The data suggest that previous exposure to bacterial products could prime macrophages to respond with increased production of toxic oxygen metabolites on contact with invading microorganisms or tumor cells.
Improving Multilabel Analysis of Music Titles: A Large-Scale Validation of the Correction Approach

This paper addresses the problem of automatically extracting perceptive information from acoustic signals, in a supervised classification context. Global labels, i.e., atomic information describing a music title in its entirety, such as its genre, mood, main instruments, or type of vocals, are entered by humans. Classifiers are trained to map audio features to these labels. However, the performances of these classifiers on individual labels are rarely satisfactory. In the case we have to predict several labels simultaneously, we introduce a correction scheme to improve these performances. In this scheme-an instance of the classifier fusion paradigm-an extra layer of classifiers is built to exploit redundancies between labels and correct some of the errors coming from the individual acoustic classifiers. We describe a series of experiments aiming at validating this approach on a large-scale database of music and metadata (about 30 000 titles and 600 labels per title). The experiments show that the approach brings statistically significant improvements.
Robust Human Detection with Low Energy Consumption in Visual Sensor Network

In this paper, we try to address the difficult problem of detecting humans robustly with low energy consumption in the visual sensor network. The proposed method contains two parts: one is an ESOBS (Enhanced Self-Organizing Background Subtraction) based foreground segmentation module to obtain active areas in the observed area from the visual sensor; the other is a HOG (Histograms of Oriented Gradients) based detection module to detect the appearance shape from the foreground areas. Moreover, we create a large pedestrian dataset according to the specific scene in visual sensor networks. Numerous experiments are conducted. The experimental results show the effectiveness of our method.
Comparing Cueing and Constraints Interventions for Increasing Launch Angle in Baseball Batting

What is the most effective coaching intervention for assisting a skilled athlete in modifying their technique? The present study directly compared 2 types of attentional cueing (internal focus [IF] and external focus [EF]) with a constraints-led approach (CLA) manipulation for teaching experienced batters to increase their launch angle in a baseball batting virtual environment. CLA training involved adding the constraint of a barrier that must be hit over and adjusting barrier distance and height based on performance. Following 6 weeks of training, the CLA group had significantly higher launch angle, higher exit velocity, more fly balls, and more home runs as compared with the other two groups. These variables were also significantly greater for the EF group than the IF group. For both the CLA and EF groups, there was a significant quadratic trend in the bat path angle variability across training blocks, whereas there was no significant change in this variable for the IF group. The CLA is more effective for changing the technique of a skilled athlete than attentional cueing alone because it promotes a greater degree of exploration of the perceptual-motor space.
Design and Implementation of a Low Cost Energy Efficient IEEE 802 . 11-based Ad Hoc Network

—Network energy consumption is a critical issue in mobile communications and especially so in ad-hoc and sensor networks where small sized battery operated nodes must communicate for a long duration in dynamic network topologies. This paper presents a low cost energy efficient solution for IEEE 802.11 based ad hoc networks. Energy efficiency is achieved by the combination of a low power mode algorithm and a power aware routing strategy in order to reduce communication energy consumption and increase node lifetime. Another objective of the proposed routing strategy is the selection of stable links in order to achieve robust network operation. Simulation studies indicate a reduction in energy consumption and a significant increase in node lifetime whereas the network performance (delivery ratio and routing overhead) is not affected significantly. Finally, the hardware/software architecture of the wireless nodes is presented for a low cost design implementation.
Antibiotics and Micronutritional Blend to Enhance Fertility Potential in Male Having Abnormal Semen Parameters

Objective: Objective of this study was to explore the effect of empirical antibiotics and micro nutritional blends in infertile men having idiopathic oligospermia, asthenospermia and oligoasthenospermia Materials and Methods: This prospective cross sectional study was undertaken in a tertiary level infertility care unit of Dhaka between September 2005 and December 2007. Two hundred and seven oligo, astheno and oligoasthenospermic patients were the target population for this study. Thorough infertility evaluation was done to identify idiopathic oligo, astheno and oligoasthenospermia. Female partners were also evaluated to exclude bilateral tubal blockage, pelvic inflammatory diseases, endometriosis, uterine pathology and resistant PCOS. Male partners were divided into three groups for I) Antibiotics and micronutrients, II) only micronutrients and III) no intervention as control. Treatment was continued for three months. Semen analysis was repeated at the end of two and three months. Main outcome measures were improvement of semen parameters and pregnancy rate. Results: Before treatment all patients' characteristics were comparable. After treatment there was significant improvement both in count and motility in groups I and II p 0.05. Six patients (8.70%) from group I and 12 patients (17.29%) from group II got pregnant within 6 months of observation. No one got pregnant from group III. Conclusion: Empirical use of antibiotics and micronutrients in idiopathic oligo, astheno and oligoasthenospemia can improve sperm quantity and quality and aid a couple in achieving pregnancy.