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Abstract:
* Studies of the internationalization-performance (I-P) relationship for emerging market multinational enterprises (EM MNEs) have yielded ...
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We present an approach for probabilistic contour prediction within the framework of an object tracking system. We combine level-set methods for image segmentation with optical flow estimations based on probability distribution functions (pdfs) calculated at each image position. Unlike most recent level-set methods that consider exclusively the sign of the level-set function to determine an object and its background, we introduce a novel interpretation of the value of the level-set function that reflects the confidence in the contour. To this end, in a sequence of consecutive images, the contour of an object is transformed according to the optical flow estimation and used as the initial object hypothesis in the following image. The values of the initial level-set function are set accordi...
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Organisational spirituality has gained popularity. While some authors see a spiritually fulfilling workplace as a benefit for employees and organisations alike, critical authors point out the potentially totalising effects of organisations that try to colonise employees' minds, hearts and souls. Whereas most existing critical studies are based on literature analyses and mainly refer to societal developments and how organisations are affected by them, the paper at hand provides a single case study on the organisational level. The case study allows a more detailed examination of how organisations can employ spirituality to serve organisational goals. The article identifies three aspects in which workplace spirituality can be misused: to mislead members about the nature of their work, abou...
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The centre of a communications network is a vertex set. The distances between every vertex in the centre set and all other vertices of the network are minimal. In some cases, the centre of the network can be a path, which includes a desired number of vertices. This centre is called a path centre of the network. In this paper, we aim to find a path centre of a given network with the needed number of vertices. We give the distance measures of the network and represent an algorithm searching the path centre of the network.
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Was will diese Musik? In welchem Kontext kann man sie sich vorstellen? Kann man sich dazu einen verschwitzten Club vorstellen, eine vollgestopfte Saun...
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We consider the problem of separating noisy overcomplete sources from linear mixtures, i.e., we observe N mixtures of M > N sparse sources. We show that the "Sparse Coding Neural Gas" (SCNG) algorithm [8, 9] can be employed in order to estimate the mixing matrix. Based on the learned mixing matrix the sources are obtained by orthogonal matching pursuit. Using synthetically generated data, we evaluate the influence of (i) the coherence of the mixing matrix, (ii) the noise level, and (iii) the sparseness of the sources with respect to the performance that can be achieved on the representation level. Our results show that if the coherence of the mixing matrix and the noise level are sufficiently small and the underlying sources are sufficiently sparse, the sources can be estimated from ...
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Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) response of healthy humans and cancer (Ca) patients to specific tumor antigen and nonspecific (LDV - lactate dehydrogenase virus) antigen, and of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and schizophrenia (Sch) patients to nonspecific antigen was investigated. Large differences of CMI response of healthy humans in comparison with Ca, AMI, Sch patients were found. CMI response to antigens displays transferred information about cells under immune surveillance. LDV disturbs the oxidative energy production system. We assume that CMI response to LDV antigen monitors pathological states of mitochondrial energy production which results in disturbances of electromagnetic activity of living cells.
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A trial of analogies utilization among electrical, mechanical and information circuits is presented. The concepts of Information Power and significant proximity of the measure of information and knowledge could enable upgrading these analogies for solving important tasks from the area of Systems Engineering. This attempt seems to be attractive, as it could help in using the well-established and proved methodologies from the classical areas of electricity or mechanics.
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Abstract:
* Drawing upon interdisciplinary literature, particularly institutional theory, we tested Nonaka's (1994) predictors of individual knowled...
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Problems of justice, such as high managerial salaries or the introduction of minimum wages, today arouse a lot of public attention and debate. This hints at the general fact that "justice" cannot be reduced to mere efficiency questions as economists very often tend to assume. Therefore, this paper deals with opportunities to include aspects of social justice in economic analyses. The authors describe the historical development from the Aristotelian concept of justice via the medieval idea of pretium iustum towards the classical liberal approach of Adam Smith. The limits of a pure liberal concept of justice even in modern market societies are revealed which in turn indicate the necessity of an integrated approach that applies the instruments of contemporary economics, but also allows for...