Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improved multispectral aggregate channel for pedestrian detection

To solve the problem of low pedestrian detection accuracy in a single band due to variability and complexity of external environment, an improved pedestrian detection algorithm based on multispectral aggregate channel feature is proposed. The aggregate channel features of visible images and infrared images are extracted, respectively. The pixel contrast rule is changed and the results are compared with the adaptive threshold. The im-proved central symmetric local binary pattern feature is added to the feature channels. Different filter banks are designed to filter the multispectral aggregate channel features. The classifier is trained to realize the multispectral pedestrian detection. Experiments show that the improved local binary pattern feature can describe the symmetry of pedestrians of infrared images better and the intermediate filter layer enriches the candidate feature pool. The algorithm can effectively detect pedestrians in various scenes and improve the pedestrian detection accuracy. Compared with the previous multispectral aggregate channel detection work, the algorithm reduces the log-average miss rate.
Awareness of Hygiene and Safety Practices on Raw Milk Produced and Consumed in Kiambu County, Kenya

Background: In Kenya Food safety has been a subject of concern in the recent past due to an increase in chronic illnesses. This was triggered by challenges in quality control, unregulated trade of milk by hawkers, and a minimal level of safety awareness among the farmers. Objective: The study was aimed at finding out awareness of safety practices on raw milk produced and consumed in Kiambu County. Methods: A cross-section study was carried out, to examine hygiene standards and safety aspects among dairy farmers at Gatundu South Constituency, mainly in three regions namely Kiganjo, Gatei and Gatundu town. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 33 participants in each locality. Results: The study showed small scale farmers accounted for (98%) who keep 2 to 3 cows. The quality assurance of the products accounted for more than (97%) hence not significant (p>0.05). The record management at the farm level had less than 40% of farmers, hence no significance difference (p>0.05). The milk rejection accounted for 97%, and there was a significant ((p˂0.05)). In contamination with antibiotics and preservatives. Brokers who vend milk in the sub-urban centers in Thika town, Ruiru town, and Nairobi accounted for (14%). The use of health records was not a priority among the farmers, coupled with irregular withdrawal periods; ranging from 48 hours to 72 hours. Conclusion: Hygiene standards and safety aspects among dairy farmers in Kiambu County are compromised. Subsequently, there is a need to enforce controls in; informal marketing channels, besides training, infrastructural development, code of practice and inspections to enhance the quality and safety of dairy products along the supply chain.
Cryptocurrencies in Nigeria: A Legal Analysis

Cryptocurrencies, the talk of the town, have emerged as a subset of alternative currencies to fiat currencies. Representing money in digital form, they differ, markedly, from conventional currencies as well as digital payment services or mediums. Formally introduced in 2009 with the advent of Bitcoin (the first and basic cryptocurrency), this genus of currency has waxed stronger as there are now no less than a thousand different types of cryptocurrencies globally. Despite this increasing escalation of cryptocurrencies, its reception as well as legal status varies considerably across Jurisdictions. Whilst some countries have clearly permitted their use and trade, others have restricted them or proscribed them outright. Yet some others are yet to definitively define their attitude to them. Even among countries that have taken a stand on cryptocurrencies, the nature of their classifications of cryptocurrencies differs. These issues, coupled with concerns of an unregulated global economy associated with cryptocurrencies, have made cryptocurrencies more topical now than ever before. It is against this background that this article seeks to analyse the emergence of cryptocurrencies in commerce and investments in Nigeria, and its legal implications. Towards this end, this article shall first clarify and expound on what cryptocurrencies are, including their various types, their operations and how they differ from conventional currency system. Afterwards, we would examine cryptocurrencies as currency or money and thereafter undertake a review of current Nigerian currency laws with a view to discern whether and to what extent cryptocurrencies are or could be accommodated under current Nigerian law. We would next examine the response of Nigerian regulators to the emergence of cryptocurrencies in Nigeria and then appraise the reception and treatment of cryptocurrencies across varying national jurisdictions. Finally, we would conclude the article and make recommendations as may be necessary. This paper contends that, ultimately, there is more to be done at the international level to address the challenges posed by this staggering invention as local treatments of the challenges might not suffice.
Information Technology Integration Effect on Operational Performance of Kenya’s Public Health Sector

The purpose of the research is to examine the effect of information technology integration on the operational performance of the of Kenya’s public health sector level five hospitals in Kenya. The study examined the moderating role of public procurement to the relationship between information technology integration and operational performance. To test the extent of information technology integration and relationship with the operational performance of level five hospitals in Kenya was empirically tested utilizing a causal, non-experimental, and cross-sectional research design. Regression analysis was carried out based on data from 164 respondents. In general, the study results support the idea that information technology integration has a significant effect on operational performance (β1=0.411, p <0.05) with R2 of 0.449 implying that 44.9% of the variation of operational performance is attributed to information technology integration. Information technology integration is vital in coordinating the SCI dimensions leading to the improved operational performance of the health facilities. It finds that public procurement mediates the relationship between information technology integration and operational performance of the health sector as it is an enabler of improved working relationships with the suppliers.
Reliable M2M/IoT data delivery from FANETs via satellite

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is rising in several application fields. This work deals with the communication challenges in UAV swarms, or flying ad hoc network (FANET), when taking into account non–line‐of‐sight scenarios. The use of satellites is a necessity in such operating conditions; thus, this work provides architectural considerations and performance assessments when several (FANETs) share an uplink random access satellite channel, fed with M2M/IoT traffic generated from on‐board sensors, to be reliably delivered to a remote ground destination.
Impact of selected factors on the perception of the macroeconomic and financial environment of SMES (empirical study from Czech republic and Slovak republic)

The business environment is the one of the most important cause of successful business. The important role plays macroeconomic and financial environment and entrepreneur’s perceptions of them. The aim of the article is to evaluate and compare the perception of business environment and its impact on entrepreneurship in the Czech Republic and in the Slovak Republic. The article deals with the results of the empirical questionnaire survey, which was completed in 2018 in the Czech Republic. The research works with 641 valid answers. Research focused on small and medium-sized enterprises, as they are a major catalyst for the economic growth of individual economies. Two main research questions were set to compare the perception of macroeconomic environment and financial environment and its impact on business in selected countries. Another 4 research questions were formulated in relation to compare two main research questions in relation to selected factors (length of the business and entrepreneur’s education). In process of solving the formulated research questions tables, descriptive characteristics and Person coefficient of contingency were used. Despite the fact that the macroeconomic environment in the Czech Republic and Slovakia is comparable, perceptions of the business environment differ in several aspects.
Translational health economics—delivering the return on investment for laboratory medicine

The implementation of new technology is known to be a very slow process, and there are recognised translational gaps in this process. The return on investment (ROI) in laboratory medicine is described in the value proposition for a test intervention in a care pathway, which indicates the potential benefits to all of those stakeholders involved in delivering the care pathway when implementing a new test, or as part of a quality improvement initiative. Articulation of the value proposition and ROI from a test result is a key guide to the quality of the health care service provided and it is measured in terms of the impact on clinical outcomes, resource utilisation and process efficiency. Delivery of the ROI, therefore, requires all of the stakeholders (including patient, carer, clinician, provider organisation and purchaser) working as a team. Translational health economics is a translational tool that can be employed in the implementation of new laboratory medicine interventions, that can inform the changes in resource utilisation required to deliver value for money in service transformation.
Financial Conditions and Purchasing Managers’ Indices: Exploring the Links

Purchasing managers' indices (PMIs) have found a place in global conjunctural analysis and quarterly GDP nowcasting, serving as reliable concurrent indicators of real economic activity. They also closely mirror changes in equity prices and corporate bond spreads. More surprisingly, PMIs react to changes in the dollar index, and do so in a way that runs counter to a trade competitiveness explanation. We show that the financial variables help predict PMIs and explain a significant proportion of their variation. The two seem to be linked through shifts in macroeconomic sentiment and global financing conditions.
Sustainable Consumption Behaviour Spill-Over from Workplace to Private Life: Conceptual Framework

The paper seeks to reveal the holistic approach to the sustainable consumption behaviour spill-over from workplace to private life. The results of theoretical research contribute to the development of sustainable consumption theory highlighting the importance of adequate human resource management practices for the spill-over effect. Previous research on the topic indicate their focus on the spill-over across domains, such as water, energy, etc. Consequently, there is a lack of conceptual background for further research, so the aim of the paper is to determine patterns how sustainable consumption behaviour can be spilled-over from workplace to private life. Conceptual framework is based on the preposition that workplace is considered as an inducing source, which can stimulate or draw-back sustainable behaviour both at workplace and in private life. The main findings of theoretical research, herewith the main elements of conceptual model are organizational and private life settings and their interrelation drivers which enable the sustainable consumption behaviour spill-over from workplace to private life.
Sustainability Concerns and Investor Responses to Earnings Announcements

This study aims to examine the effects of corporate sustainability concerns on investor responses to earnings announcements (earnings response coefficient). The study was conducted on 110 companies that announced sustainability disclosures based on Global Reporting Initiative standards during the 2008–2017 observation period. With multiple linear regression models, the results of the study show that companies' concerns regarding economic, environmental, and social sustainability have a positive effect on investor response to earnings announcements. The results of this study imply that investors have the awareness and confidence that financial performance manifesting as an investment return is not an instant goal, but must be sustainable over the long–term. Investors are aware that investment returns, directly or indirectly, are influenced by social stability and environmental sustainability.
Wine consumers’ willingness to adopt environmentally friendly packaging practices at tasting rooms

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers’ wine preferences, recycling attitudes and behaviors and socio-demographic data in an effort to build market segment profiles of those willing to transport wine bottles back to winery tasting rooms to be recycled, interest in standard-weight glass-alternative packaging and, various cork-alternative bottle closures. Design/methodology/approach A two-stage online survey was administered to 714 wine consumers residing in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA during two periods in March 2016. Exhaustive chi-square automatic interaction detector (ECHAID) decision tree predictive analysis was used to identify the market segments. Findings A majority of survey participants were willing to bring empty wine bottles to a winery for recycling (85 percent). Collectively, 77 percent of participants were members of just three of the eight segments developed using a decision tree predictive algorithm, with 90 percent of participants in these segments willing to bring empty wine bottles to a winery tasting room to be recycled. Two segments were comprised of Millennials and Generation X, and the third of Baby Boomers, two having a moderate to extreme interest in natural cork used to seal wine bottles, and similar. Originality/value An ECHAID classification tree method was used to develop eight consumer segments. Identifying characteristics that describe consumers likely to return empty wine bottles to a winery benefits recycling efforts and could possibly encourage additional sales.
Challenges to the sustainability of small-scale fishers livelihood in Banyuwangi regency, East Java, Indonesia

Small-scale fishers in Indonesia face various challenges that threaten sustainability of their livelihood. However, since Indonesia consists of diverse sosio-cultural and natural resources conditions, the precise characteristics and nature of the challenges may vary from one location to anothers. Therefore, it is important to study these challenges in certain places in Indonesia. This study was conducted in two villages in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java Province, March-April 2018. Using a qualitative approach, this study shows that small-scale fishers of the research locations face a variety of challenges to their livelihoods. These challenges are two both from nature as well as from sosio-economics conditions. As from nature, climate change and environmental degradation are the most felt by the fishers. Mean while, as from the socio-economic dimensions, patron-client relations and Government policies, such as the prohibition of catching fries, are most felt problems.
Visual Report Generation Tool for Grammar-Based Classifier System

Grammar-based Classifier System (GCS) is one of the evolutionary approached context-free grammar induction methods. Any learning process creates a large amount of data, which is hard to analyze in a raw form. In the present paper we aim to present a reporting tool, created to facilitate analysis and conclusion drawing by presenting learning data in a neat and readable form, yet fully conveying its complexity.
Investment Banks as Financial Advisors in Malaysian Mergers and Acquisitions

Our study examines the factors that affect the choice of hiring an investment bank as financial advisor in merger and acquisition transactions of Malaysian acquirers. In the period from January 1995 to December 2012, approximately 38.6 percent of the Malaysian acquirers hire an investment bank when conducting M&A transactions. On the other hand, 23.8 percent of the target firms employ at least one investment bank as financial advisor when dealing with Malaysian bidders. Our findings reveal that both participants tend to hire an investment bank when the acquirer operates in the technology sector, the deal takes place in crisis period and the value of transaction is high. Acquirer who has high debt ratio is less likely to employ an investment bank and a publicly traded target is more likely to employ an investment bank in their M&A transactions. Moreover, our results show that employing investment banks as financial advisors have no impact on the valuation of the targets.
How Can Local Policy Uncertainty Encourage Firm Innovation: A Competitive Advantage Channel

Exploring the turnovers of city heads in China, I find that local policy uncertainty can encourage firm innovation. This positive relation is concentrated in state-owned enterprises (SOEs), which possess competitive advantages (especially resource-based) due to innate government connections. Additionally, for SOEs, invention patents filed despite local policy uncertainty contribute to higher sales growth and an increase in product market shares. My findings indicate that innate government connections enable firms to mitigate local policy uncertainty and explore first-mover advantages through innovation activities.
Antecedents to consumer buying behavior: the case of consumers in a developing country

While consumers play a very crucial role in the marketing strategies of companies, effective development of strategies must satisfy their needs and wants. Therefore, an evaluation and understanding of the underlying factors and/or dimensions influencing consumer buying behavior are critical for supermarkets to both retain and acquire new customers. The article reports on factors impacting the consumer buying behavior and the relationship among the factors. The study uses data from a cross-sectional survey conducted within a random sample of 699 customers at 17 supermarkets in Nairobi, Kenya. Reliability and factorial validity of the self-administered questionnaire were evaluated and considered satisfactory, while structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test several hypotheses. Social characteristics were a good predictor of the consumers’ inclination to patronize a supermarket, thus directly influencing the buying behavior. A strong positive connection between psychological factors and buying behavior was ascertained based on income, which suggests that although psychological characteristics impact consumer attitudes towards the supermarket, income and education levels may well play a determining role in this regard. Retail marketers in general and in Kenya in particular are encouraged to be cognizant of the above when developing strategic marketing programs to increase the level of patronage. As a research paper, the study is limited to the data and prior empirical research. It offers the benefit of new research directions for marketing managers in understanding and satisfying the consumers. The main contribution of the present research, interdisciplinary in nature due to combining elements linked to both marketing and psychology, is its focus on consumer buying behavior towards supermarkets in a developing country, thus producing revealing insights.
Performance of Contrarian Investing for Shariah Compliant Stock Portfolio

Contrarian strategy is applied in the stock market by buying past losers and selling past winners. In this study, the profitability of contrarian strategy on Shariah compliant stock is explored for Malaysian stock market and the application is targeted for individual investors. Monthly closing price of 50 Shariah Compliant individual stock from January 2012 to December 2016 are utilized in this study. Shariah compliant individual stock portfolios based on contrarian strategy are constructed and the performance of the developed portfolio are measured. This study utilizes three ranking and holding period strategy which are the 12/12 strategy, 12/6 strategy and 6/6 strategy. The results indicate that contrarian investment strategy is profitable in Malaysian market using short-term ranking and holding period which is the 6/6 strategy. The return generated is 3.42% as compared to market benchmark of 2.78% for the same period. Thus, the strategy beats the market benchmark by 0.64%. Furthermore, this strategy gives the highest return per unit of risk taken by investors as measured by the portfolio volatility. This means that shortterm contrarian strategies may provide abnormal returns for Shariah compliant investors.
Waste Management Law by Example of a Small European Commune

The aim of this article was to present the rules governing the waste management system (WMS) and identify the changes emerging as a result of new regulations being introduced by example of Wołomin commune. European, Polish and Czech regulations clearly indicate the value of the hierarchy of waste management (WM). A response to the amended law was the modification of the WMS in communes, including the Wołomin commune. Based on performed analysis and discussions, it can be stated that the municipal waste management system (MWMS) in the commune of Wołomin meets the requirements imposed by the legislator, works efficiently and positively influences the condition of the natural environment. In addition, the information obtained has been generalized and compared with the situation in the Czech Republic (CR).
The more the better? Exploring the effects of reviewer social networks on online reviews

ABSTRACT Conventional wisdom suggests that firms leverage key influencers (e.g. individuals with high centrality) in online communities to stimulate buzz. Using a large panel dataset including 1,569,264 online Yelp reviews and the ego-network of 366,715 individual reviewers over a nine-year period, this study examines the effects of number of ties and network density on the volume and valence of online reviews. In contrast with the general belief that key influencers always generate positive buzz, the findings show that they can adversely affect future review valence. Specifically, reviewers with many connections on Yelp can reduce the positivity of reviews of the same business in the next period. This finding has implications for marketing practice in online community management and social media intervention.
Offshoring and Organizational Innovation: The Moderating Roles of Absorptive Capacity and Inter-Functional Integration

The paper extends previous research on the relationship between offshoring and organizational innovation. Building on prior research that suggested a curvilinear relationship between offshoring and innovation, the paper aims to increase our understanding about the relationship by introducing two moderators. It proposes that when offshoring, organizations with higher absorptive capacity are more likely to innovate than those with lower levels. Additionally, it suggests that organizations with higher levels of inter-functional integration are expected to benefit more from offshoring than those with lower levels. The paper concludes with discussions on managerial implications as well as areas for future research.