22,312 research outputs found
NFT-Related Companies: Token Sale Returns
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have emerged as a new means of digital asset ownership and many companies are building projects that revolve around the technology. These companies are blockchain-based and raise capital for their projects through cryptocurrency token sales, which have become a new mechanism of entrepreneurial finance. In a sample of 62 NFT-related companies, I examine which company, fundraising, and token sale process characteristics are associated with the performance of 7-day and 60-day market returns after a token’s public listing. A multivariate regression analysis finds that the total amount of capital raised before a token launch has a negative relationship with the 7-day and 60-day market returns. Ethereum returns, the length of the team token lock-up period and the presence of a vesting schedule have positive relationships with 60-day token returns
Upgrading Urban Services Through BPL: Practical Applications for Smart Cities
Current initiatives related to smart cities in LATAM reveal an increasing interest in the improvement of cities and the wellbeing of their citizens. In addition, specific working groups have been created for this purpose. In this sense, the communication technologies set the basis for gathering, transporting, and managing the large amount of data generated in cities to provide a wide range of services. Within the many alternatives available, BPL positions as a promising technology, since smart cities can greatly benefit of its higher data rates and low latency. In addition, since the medium is already deployed and most of the assets and sensors are connected to the same medium, the cost of the communication systems will be reduced in price and simplicity. The work presents four practical applications: smart buildings, urban lighting, energy assets management and broadband access, in which the possibilities and advantages of BPL are further addressed. Finally, some conclusions and key aspects relating BPL to the success of smart cities are identified.Eusko Jaurlaritza IT-1234-19, KK-202
The applied psychology of addictive orientations : studies in a 12-step treatment context.
The clinical data for the studies was collected at The PROMIS Recovery Centre, a Minnesota Model treatmentc entre for addictions,w hich encouragesth e membership and use of the 12 step Anonymous Fellowships, and is abstinence based. The area of addiction is contextualised in a review chapter which focuses on research relating to the phenomenon of cross addiction. A study examining the concept of "addictive orientations" in male and female addicts is described, which develops a study conductedb y StephensonM, aggi, Lefever, & Morojele (1995). This presents study found a four factor solution which appeared to be subdivisions of the previously found Hedonism and Nurturance factors. Self orientated nurturance (both food dimensions, shopping and caffeine), Other orientated nurturance (both compulsive helping dimensions and work), Sensation seeking hedonism (Drugs, prescription drugs, nicotine and marginally alcohol), and Power related hedonism (Both relationship dimensions, sex and gambling. This concept of "addictive orientations" is further explored in a non-clinical population, where again a four factor solution was found, very similar to that in the clinical population. This was thought to indicate that in terms of addictive orientation a pattern already exists in this non-clinical population and that consideration should be given to why this is the case. These orientations are examined in terms of gender differences. It is suggested that the differences between genders reflect power-related role relationships between the sexes. In order to further elaborate the significance and meaning behind these orientations, the next two chapters look at the contribution of personality variables and how addictive orientations relate to psychiatric symptomatology. Personality variables were differentially, and to a considerable extent predictably involved with the four factors for both males and females.Conscientiousness as positively associated with "Other orientated Nurturance" and negatively associated with "Sensation seeking hedonism" (particularly for men). Neuroticism had a particularly strong association with the "Self orientated Nurturance" factor in the female population. More than twice the symptomatology variance was explained by the factor scores for females than it was for males. The most important factorial predictors for psychiatric symptomatology were the "Power related hedonism" factor for males, and "Self oriented nurturance" for females. The results are discussed from theoretical and treatment perspectives
Strung pieces: on the aesthetics of television fiction series
As layered and long works, television fiction series have aesthetic properties that are built over time, bit by bit. This thesis develops a group of concepts that enable the study of these properties, It argues that a series is made of strung pieces, a system of related elements. The text begins by considering this sequential form within the fields of film and television. This opening chapter defines the object and methodology of research, arguing for a non-essentialist distinction between cinema and television and against the adequacy of textual and contextual analyses as approaches to the aesthetics of these shows. It proposes instead that these programmes should be described as televisual works that can be scrutinised through aesthetic analysis. The next chapters propose a sequence of interrelated concepts. The second chapter contends that series are composed of building blocks that can be either units into which series are divided or motifs that unify series and are dispersed across their pans. These blocks are patterned according to four kinds of relations or principles of composition. Repetition and variation are treated in tandem in the third chapter because of their close connection, given that variation emerges from established repetition. Exception and progression are also discussed together in the fourth chapter since they both require a long view of these serial works. The former, in order to be recognised as a deviation from the patterns of repetition and variation. The latter, In order to be understood in Its many dimensions as the series advances. Each of these concepts is further detailed with additional distinctions between types of units, motifs, repetitions, variations, and exceptions, using illustrative examples from numerous shows. In contrast, the section on progression uses a single series as case study, CarnivĂ le (2003-05), because this is the overarching principle that encompasses all the others. The conclusion considers the findings of the research and suggests avenues for their application
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NOAH-H, a deep-learning, terrain classification system for Mars: Results for the ExoMars Rover candidate landing sites
In this investigation a deep learning terrain classification system, the “Novelty or Anomaly Hunter – HiRISE” (NOAH-H), was used to classify High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images of Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis. A set of ontological classes was developed that covered the variety of surface textures and aeolian bedforms present at both sites. Labelled type-examples of these classes were used to train a Deep Neural Network (DNN) to perform semantic segmentation in order to identify these classes in further HiRISE images.
This contribution discusses the methods and results of the study from a geomorphologists perspective, providing a case study applying machine learning to a landscape classification task. Our aim is to highlight considerations about how to compile training datasets, select ontological classes, and understand what such systems can and cannot do. We highlight issues that arise when adapting a traditional planetary mapping workflow to the production of training data. We discuss both the pixel scale accuracy of the model, and how qualitative factors can influence the reliability and usability of the output.
We conclude that “landscape level” reliability is critical for the use of the output raster by humans. The output can often be more useful than pixel scale accuracy statistics would suggest, however the product must be treated with caution, and not considered a final arbiter of geological origin. A good understanding of how and why the model classifies different landscape features is vital to interpreting it reliably. When used appropriately the classified raster provides a good indication of the prevalence and distribution of different terrain types, and informs our understanding of the study areas. We thus conclude that it is fit for purpose, and suitable for use in further work
Facial expression recognition and intensity estimation.
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Facial Expression is one of the profound non-verbal channels through which human emotion state is inferred from the deformation or movement of face components when facial muscles are activated. Facial Expression Recognition (FER) is one of the relevant research fields in Computer Vision (CV) and Human-Computer Interraction (HCI). Its application is not limited to: robotics, game, medical, education, security and marketing. FER consists of a wealth of information. Categorising the information into primary emotion states only limit its performance. This thesis considers investigating an approach that simultaneously predicts the emotional state of facial expression images and the corresponding degree of intensity. The task also extends to resolving FER ambiguous nature and annotation inconsistencies with a label distribution learning method that considers correlation among data. We first proposed a multi-label approach for FER and its intensity estimation using advanced machine learning techniques. According to our findings, this approach has not been considered for emotion and intensity estimation in the field before. The approach used problem transformation to present FER as a multilabel task, such that every facial expression image has unique emotion information alongside the corresponding degree of intensity at which the emotion is displayed. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with a sigmoid function at the final layer is the classifier for the model. The model termed ML-CNN (Multilabel Convolutional Neural Network) successfully achieve concurrent prediction of emotion and intensity estimation. ML-CNN prediction is challenged with overfitting and intraclass and interclass variations. We employ Visual Geometric Graphics-16 (VGG-16) pretrained network to resolve the overfitting challenge and the aggregation of island loss and binary cross-entropy loss to minimise the effect of intraclass and interclass variations. The enhanced ML-CNN model shows promising results and outstanding performance than other standard multilabel algorithms. Finally, we approach data annotation inconsistency and ambiguity in FER data using isomap manifold learning with Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN). The GCN uses the distance along the isomap manifold as the edge weight, which appropriately models the similarity between adjacent nodes for emotion predictions. The proposed method produces a promising result in comparison with the state-of-the-art methods.Author's List of Publication is on page xi of this thesis
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Using Digital Storytelling in Science: Meaning Making with Students aged 10-12 years old
Meaning making is an essential aspect of learning as a process of interpreting and negotiating information while sharing it with others. One way of meaning making is through (digital) storytelling. The process of creating and telling a story depends on how one can see their understanding of something come together and make sense and it is considered a (socio) constructivist strategy of learning. The purpose and contribution of this research are to explore how digital storytelling may support engagement in meaning-making as students externalise their understanding of the science topic of matter. To this aim, two digital storytelling activities were constructed – SEeDS (Sequencing of Events enabling Digital Storytelling) and Narration. The two activities included the same content but differed in structure. SEeDS presented the story scenes in an order that was not predefined and Narration in a predefined order. Both activities derived elements from the theoretical concept of Tricky Topics and Stumbling Blocks (SBs). This research was informed by the theory of Problem-based learning.
Participants were sixty-one Greek primary students aged 10-12 years old and twenty-two English secondary students aged 11-12 years old. Half students worked through the SEeDS activity and the rest through the Narration activity. Students worked cooperatively in small teams to implement the two activities. A systematic analysis of the collected data was conducted using qualitative methods. Findings revealed that the two activities had supported the Greek and English students in externalising their understanding of many scientific concepts included in the topic of matter, while it identified gaps in their prior knowledge. The two activities have also facilitated the instinctive use of exploratory talk over the other two types (cumulative and disputational talk) that can often be found in peer talk in science learning. Finally, the two activities appeared to have engaged students in the two contexts, as they allowed them to own the story creation whilst working independently. Finally, the Greek and English students viewed the SEeDS activity as challenging, making it hard to complete and at times tiring and confusing, and the Narration activity as easy to implement, giving students the opportunity to mainly focus on inventing the story plot.
This research makes a valuable contribution to the literature on making meaning in science, offering new insights about the use of problem-based stories supported by mobile technology. The findings provide opportunities to further explore the practical application of problem-based digital storytelling activities, which are hard thinking and challenging, across different age groups and cultural contexts. There is a need for teaching practices to be based on socio-constructivist learning approaches that focus on students’ thinking, not performance. Therefore, the implications of this research are relevant to a number of educational contexts and levels
Spattered with Words: a stylistic toolkit accounting for the 'theatricality' behind the playwright/screenwriter's use of real and improvised language in creating drama texts.
This thesis documents investigations into the success (or not) of real, spontaneous dialogue when applied to the creation of a script for dramatic performance. The accounting for such success delves into different theoretical frameworks: conversation theory, stylistics, Cognitive Poetics, narratology, and extended cognition. This is therefore an interdisciplinary perspective, with ideas emerging from the fields of psychology, philosophy, literary stylistics and linguistics; yet all applied within the context of drama and performance. As such, this thesis may be seen as a playwright's 'toolbox' where the different views, as they necessarily overlap, can be seen as elements, which, when taken together, account for (and help in) the decisions an author may make in creating a text out of improvised speech. The investigation is also a search for the notion of 'theatricality' in the context of authentic speech and uses various forms of theatrical performance as examples, ranging from amateur improvisation to TV and film productions, Commedia dell'Arte to modern, immersive theatre. Finally, application of the theoretical frameworks is made to a current theatre project, The Plant
FORTHEM Alliance Universities’ Selected Good Practices in R&I. Towards a European University
Libro sobre buenas prácticas en universidades FORTHEM en 5 áreas clave: internacionalización, ciencia abierta, co-creación con el ecosistema social y empresarial, y comunicación de la ciencia.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101017248.Book on existing good practices developed in FORTHEM universities regarding the key research areas identified - on the topics: internationalisation, open science, co-creation with the social and business ecosystem, and communication of scienc
Social Entrepreneurship Within A Capitalist Economy
Recent world events have reignited awareness and conversations about income inequality across the world and even in the richest country on the planet, the United States. Social unrest and a pandemic have thrust the staggering gap between the haves and the have-nots front and center and become a part of regular public discourse – specifically as it pertains to those who are considered corporate benefactors versus the production mechanism, i.e. the workers. Attempts to remedy some of the societal ills sowed by capitalism have been put forth by corporations via various initiatives and activities known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). However, CSRs while proven to generate positive associations, are voluntary and often serve more of the interest of those who control the funding and do not necessarily benefit the employees or society at large. This leads us to question if and how it is even possible for CSR in the form of Social Enterprise to exist sustainably within a capitalistic economy. This research is a qualitative case study designed to investigate an exemplar social enterprise operating in the United States, Chime Solutions. The research examines how such an entity is able to be developed and survive the natural tensions that exists between growing profit for owners versus creating an inclusive economy and seeks to produce a generalizable framework for establishing and anchoring for-profit companies that also benefit their employees and communities in an inclusive manner. The study also finds that research conducted in using social entrepreneurship to develop inclusive economies in emerging markets may be generalizable for efforts to create an inclusive economy within an existing fully developed capitalistic economy
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