Perspective View Research Articles

LgNet: A Local-Global Network for Action Recognition and Beyond

This work addresses the task of action recognition in video sequences. In real world applications, this task is quite challenging due to the complex background of video content, the similarities between different types of actions, the dependence on a large amount of annotated data, and so on. Most of the existing methods fail to distinguish similar actions with the same static appearance and motion pattern. We attempt to address this issue from the perspective of a local-global view, considering videos as combinations of a set of action units (local semantic information) and their relations along temporal dimension (global relation information). To achieve this end, we propose a novel Local-global Networks (LgNet) to enhance recognition of similar action. Besides, we propose an end-to-end training method to decrease the reliance on annotated data. It combines self-supervised learning and supervised learning, which not only enables the model to learn video representations from a large number unannotated data but also avoids subsequent finetuning. The proposed training method can be flexibly equipped to a wide array of vision tasks. Experiments on several benchmark datasets show that our proposed model and training method achieve state-of-the-art performance.

Smooth, Bumpy and Ghostly Rides: (Re)Viewing the American Landscape and Travel Imagery in Bill Morrison’s Night Highway (1990), The Death Train (1993), City Walk (1999) and Ghost Trip (2000)

In this paper I analyze various ways in which Bill Morrison’s travel films, Night Highway (1990), The Death Train (1993), City Walk (1999) and Ghost Trip (2000), tend to challenge the concept of the American landscape through the use of cinematic conventions traditionally associated with early cinema’s phantom rides as well as contemporary travel ride films and road movies. Particularly, I argue that Morrison’s experimental pictures, while simultaneously drawing on and playing with selected phantom ride, travel ride film and road movie tropes, exploit the dynamics between the spectator’s unique frontal perspective, visual mobilities and distant panoramic views as well as evoke a distorted experience of sensational and contemplative voyages, hence challenging panoramic perception and an idealized image of American (film) landscape intrinsically bound with the natural and technological sublime. To achieve this particular effect, the analyzed material incorporates such elements as deteriorated footage, manipulated travel imagery and image looping enhanced by atmospheric scores, slow and fast motion cinematography or more conventional traditions of abstract formalism.

Rethinking Open Innovation from Resources Based View and Dynamic Capability Perspective: Determinants and Its Consequences

Rethinking Open Innovation from Resources Based View and Dynamic Capability Perspective: Determinants and Its Consequences

Creating a favorable environment for outsourcing relationships in the agro-industrial complex of Kazakhstan

The article explores the problems of increasing the efficiency of agricultural enterprises based on the application of the outsourcing model of business organization, proposes a concept for the development of outsourcing relations in the agricultural sector and examines the advantages of this form of management for improving the efficiency of agricultural formations in conditions of competition in the agricultural sector. The current perspective views outsourcing as a highly effective business model that necessitates significant organizational restructuring to optimize the division of labor, resulting in successful agricultural outsourcing development. The study places particular emphasis on exploring the regional dimension of outsourcing processes, as part of building and advancing sectoral competitiveness. The purpose of the research is to elaborate practical approaches to the formation of the concept of outsourcing in agriculture and to substantiate the organizational and economic mechanism for implementing the outsourcing model of management in the regional agro-indistrial complex. The scientific novelty of the research lies in solving the problem of ameliorating the management mechanism and increasing the efficiency of the regional agricultural complex using rational methods of outsourcing relations. The research methodology is founded on the principles and rules of the dialectical, systematic, and comprehensive approach to investigating outsourcing processes in the agro-indistrial complex. The research hypothesis is grounded on a system of author's ideas about the demand and relevance of the outsourcing model of doing business in the conditions of increasing competition in the agro-indistrial complex.

Hybrid Deep Learning-Improved BAT Optimization Algorithm for Soil Classification Using Hyperspectral Features

Now a days, Remote Sensing (RS) techniques are used for earth observation and for detection of soil types with high accuracy and better reliability. This technique provides perspective view of spatial resolution and aids in instantaneous measurement of soil’s minerals and its characteristics. There are a few challenges that is present in soil classification using image enhancement such as, locating and plotting soil boundaries, slopes, hazardous areas, drainage condition, land use, vegetation etc. There are some traditional approaches which involves few drawbacks such as, manual involvement which results in inaccuracy due to human interference, time consuming, inconsistent prediction etc. To overcome these draw backs and to improve the predictive analysis of soil characteristics, we propose a Hybrid Deep Learning improved BAT optimization algorithm (HDIB) for soil classification using remote sensing hyperspectral features. In HDIB, we propose a spontaneous BAT optimization algorithm for feature extraction of both spectral-spatial features by choosing pure pixels from the Hyper Spectral (HS) image. Spectral-spatial vector as training illustrations is attained by merging spatial and spectral vector by means of priority stacking methodology. Then, a recurring Deep Learning (DL) Neural Network (NN) is used for classifying the HS images, considering the datasets of Pavia University, Salinas and Tamil Nadu Hill Scene, which in turn improves the reliability of classification. Finally, the performance of the proposed HDIB based soil classifier is compared and analyzed with existing methodologies like Single Layer Perceptron (SLP), Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Deep Metric Learning (DML) and it shows an improved classification accuracy of 99.87%, 98.34% and 99.9% for Tamil Nadu Hills dataset, Pavia University and Salinas scene datasets respectively.

Extensive characterization of 28 complete chloroplast genomes of Hydrangea species: A perspective view of their organization and phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships

The tribe Hydrangeeae displays a unique, distinctive disjunct distribution encompassing East Asia, North America and Hawaii. Despite its complex trait variations and polyphyletic nature, comprehensive phylogenomic and biogeographical studies on this tribe have been lacking. To address this gap, we sequenced and characterized 28 plastomes of Hydrangeeae. Our study highlights the highly conserved nature of Hydrangeaceae chloroplast (cp) genomes in terms of gene content and arrangement. Notably, synapomorphic characteristics of tandem repeats in the conserved domain of accD were observed in the Macrophyllae, Chinenses, and Dichroa sections within the Hydrangeeae tribe. Additionally, we found lower expression of accD in these sections using structure prediction and quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Phylogenomic analyses revealed the subdivision of the Hydrangeeae tribe into two clades with robust support values. Consistent with polyphyletic relationships, sect. Broussaisia was identified as the basal group in the tribe Hydrangeeae. Our study also provides insights into the phylogenetic relationships of Hydrangea petiolaris in the Jeju and Ulleung Island populations, suggesting the need for further studies with more samples and molecular data. Divergence time estimation and biogeographical analyses suggested that the common ancestors of the tribe Hydrangeeae likely originated from North America and East Asia during the Paleocene period via the Bering Land Bridge, potentially facilitating migration within the tribe between these regions. In conclusion, this study enhances our understanding of the evolutionary history and biogeography of the tribe Hydrangeeae, shedding light on the dispersal patterns and origins of this intriguing plant group with its unique disjunct distribution.

E-Commerce in the Perspective of the Qur’an and Its Implementation in the 4.0 Era for the Development of the Islamic Economy in Indonesia

Al-Qur’an is one law source in Islam that regulates Muslims’ various activities. The role of the Qur’an includes law in the economic field. This research then examines how the Al-Qur’an perspective views e-commerce and its implementation in the 4.0 era. This research was conducted using a qualitative approach. The data used in this study comes from various previous research results or studies that still have relevance to the contents of this study. The results of this study then found that legal transactions and e-commerce is permitted by Islamic law because technology is part of human needs. As long as weaknesses and deviations from sharia-compliant are avoided, e-commerce is permissible. But of course, various forbidden transactions, such as liquor, are still illegal in e-commerce. In addition, e-commerce transactions can be permissible according to Islam based on the principles of trade according to Islam, especially analogous to the principle of as-salam transactions.

Hubble-constant crisis

The Hubble constant quantitatively characterizes the expansion rate of the current Universe, and its precise measurement has become a crucial scientific problem. In recent years, there has been an increasingly serious discrepancy between the local direct measurements of the Hubble constant and the global fitting results, where the local direct measurements come from the local distance ladder measurements of the late universe, and the global fitting results come from fitting the standard model of cosmology to the microwave background radiation from the early universe. If this discrepancy is not caused by the observation error and systematic error of any of the observation methods, it probably means that there is a new physics beyond the existing standard model of cosmology. This article briefly reviews the Hubble constant problem from two aspects with observational and theoretical points of view, and finally provide a perspective view from both observational and theoretical aspects by combining the author’s research on this problem in recent years. The observational review includes cosmological observations from both early Universe (either depending or independent of the CMB measurements) and late Universe (either depending or independent of the distant-ladder measurements), and the theoretical review includes model buildings from modifying both early Universe (either recombination history or expansion history) and late Universe (either homogeneous modifications or inhomogeneous modifications). The final observational perspective includes both local and non-local cosmic variances with their Hubble residual correlated to the matter density contrasts of observer and sample, respectively, and the final theoretical perspective concludes the interacting dark energy model as the most promising candidate for both Hubble tension and <i>S</i><sub>8</sub> tension, which can be specifically realized in a chameleon dark energy model, pointing to a scale-dependent effective cosmological constant.

An Automated Impact Analysis Approach for Test Cases based on Changes of Use Case based Requirement Specifications

Change Impact Analysis (CIA) is essential to the software development process that identifies the potential effects of changes during the development process. The changing of requirements always impacts on the software testing because some parts of the existing test cases may not be used to test the software. This affects new test cases to be entirely generated from the changed version of software requirements specification that causes a considerable amount of time and effort to generate new test cases to re-test the modified system. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel automatic impact analysis approach of test cases based on changes of use case based requirement specification. This approach enables a framework and CIA algorithm where the impact of test cases is analysed when the requirement specification is changed. To detect the change, two versions as before-change and after-change of the use case model are compared. Consequently, the patterns representing the cause of variable changes are classified and analysed. This results in the existing test cases to be analysed whether they are completely reused, partly updated as well as additionally generated. The new test cases are generated automatically by using the Combination of Equivalence and Classification Tree Method (CCTM). This benefits the level of testing coverage with a minimised number of test cases to be enabled and the redundant test cases to be eliminated. The automation of this approach is demonstrated with the developed prototype tool. The validation and evaluation result with two real case studies from Hospital Information System (HIS) together with perspective views of practical specialists confirms the contribution of this tool that we seek.

Supply Chain Quality Integration in Manufacturing Firms: Examining the Role of Intellectual Capital and Absorptive Capacity In a Developing Economy

This paper explores the direct relationship between intellectual capital and supply chain quality integration (SCQI). Furthermore, the indirect effect of intellectual capital through absorptive capacity is also explored. Based on the resource-based view, dynamic capabilities perspective and relational view, a theoretical model developed from the extant literature was empirically validated through a cross-sectional survey of 101 manufacturing firms in Uganda. The data were analysed by using correlations and regressions. The findings revealed that intellectual capital has a positive and significant effect on absorptive capacity – absorptive capacity also positively and significantly influences SCQI. Moreover, intellectual capital significantly influences SCQI both directly and indirectly through the partial mediation of absorptive capacity. The fundamental novelty of this article is contribution to the limited empirical studies on SCQI and its antecedents by incorporating the three components of intellectual capital besides unveiling empirical evidence confirming the partial mediating role of absorptive capacity in the intellectual capital- SCQI relationship in manufacturing firms in a developing country context.

Shaping of Moral People Towards Law Compliance from A Western Theory Perspective

A moral person is a personal characteristic in terms of good and bad behavior that is prominent and accepted in a community context. Law compliance is a necessity in an individual's life that is surrounded by various codes of conduct and ethics to create a perfect life. Shaping moral people from various perspectives is a basis and guide to life. This article discusses the view of the western theoretical perspective in shaping law compliance. As a bibliographic study, this paper presents qualitative findings based on detailed references from journals, articles, books and newspapers. The findings are then elaborated thematically with narrative writing. Based on the findings of the study, shaping moral people towards law compliance can be practiced through the perspective of three western theories, namely utilitarianism, personality virtue and deontology theories. Research findings are also discussed based on examples and descriptions.

Wigner inverse transform based computer generated hologram for large object at far field from its perspective light field

Wigner inverse transform based light field computer generated hologram (WignerLFH) synthesizes complex optical field of three-dimensional objects from its view array without a depth map. Higher resolution than the traditional hogel-based methods, complete control on the carrier wave, and no need for the depth map are its major advantages. However, the WignerLFH method requires the view array in orthographic projection geometry which prohibits its application to real scene and limits the depth range only around the hologram plane. In this paper, we propose a novel WignerLFH technique using perspective projection geometry. The proposed technique synthesizes a hologram of large three-dimensional objects at a far distance from its perspective views. Numerical simulations and optical experiments verify the feasibility of the proposed technique.

Smart HRM 4.0 for achieving organizational performance: a dynamic capability view perspective

PurposeThe research examines the role of Smart HRM 4.0 in developing dynamic capabilities and its impact on human resources and organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a grounded theory approach and conducted interviews of 39 senior HR managers from IT, ITeS, consulting, services and E-commerce companies through a semi-structured questionnaire. The authors analyzed the interview data with NVivo 8.0 to identify the themes related to the dynamic capabilities to Smart 4.0 HR practices.FindingsThe study provides a conceptual framework for organizational performance using dynamic capabilities built due to Smart HRM 4.0 practices. Organizations use Smart HRM 4.0 to develop dynamic capabilities: building learning and knowledge sharing capability and integration, reconfiguration capabilities. Further, the dynamic capabilities contribute to HR and organizational performance.Originality/valueThis study divulges the role of Smart HRM 4.0 practices in developing dynamic capabilities in Indian firms. The study provides an appealing insight into the structural link between Smart HRM 4.0 and dynamic capabilities, which are yet to be explored. This study extends the Smart HRM 4.0 and dynamic capabilities concepts for senior HR professionals and contributes to human resource management and organizational performance literature.

"Madonna Ukraine" in Ivan Karabyts’s Pop Song: View through the Prism of National Collective Thinking

"Madonna Ukraine" in Ivan Karabyts’s Pop Song: View through the Prism of National Collective Thinking The purpose of the work is to substantiate the characteristic features of the “Madonna Ukraine” image as a corresponding archetype symbol of national collective thinking in Ivan Karabyts’s pop and song works. The research methodology is based on the use of cultural and analytical methods, on the identification of mental foundations and the result of the embodiment of the “Madonna Ukraine” archetype in the artist’s pop song. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the creation of a specified view perspective on Ivan Karabyts’s pop art. Conclusions. The conducted research made it possible to draw the conclusion that Ivan Karabyts transforms deep-mental primitives on a generalised level in the creation of the Native Land archetype. The artist creates the essence of the archetype of Ukraine as Madonna, Mother Earth and Woman, through the prism of reflecting the Aura and Memory categories (M. Kopytsia), as well as, let us add, of Love, Beauty, and Inspiration. The patriotism feeling is manifested with special filial respect and the national collective thinking cornerstones reveals in this. The feedback of such an artistic message in contemporary art, in our opinion, is a question that determines the prospects for further research into this issue. Key words: Ivan Karabyts’s pop song, “Madonna Ukraine”, collective thinking, archetype, Ukrainian music

Disentangling the performance implications of new venture status: competitive vulnerability, resource scarcity or strategic flexibility?

PurposeNew venture status is the most prominent feature of entrepreneurial startups, but its performance implications have remained under-studied. This study aims to bridge this knowledge void and offer precise guidelines for startup managers in boosting performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study develops and tests a multi-perspective model on the linkage between new venture status and firm performance by integrating I/O economics, resource-based view and dynamic capability perspective. The arguments from the first two perspectives point to an adverse effect of new venture status, which is contingent, respectively, on business differentiation and resource endowments. The third perspective grounds a positive relationship between new venture status and performance, which is more pronounced for firms with weaker dynamic capabilities.FindingsQuantitative evidence from a sample of new and established firms in China shows that the direct effect of new venture status is negative but insignificant. Neither business differentiation nor dynamic capabilities moderate the relationship. Low resource endowments, however, reinforce the negative influence of new venture status. New venture status, thus, shapes firm performance through resource scarcity from resource-based view rather than competitive vulnerability from I/O economics or strategic flexibility from dynamic capability perspective.Originality/valueNewness and new venture performance have both been extensively examined in literature. But the relationship between them has remained largely omitted. The multi-perspective model and the findings in this study help clarify the confusion as to whether newness is good or bad in the context of an emerging market and reveals the subtle mechanism the effect of newness unfolds.

Understanding and predicting the determinants of blockchain technology adoption and SMEs' performance

PurposeThe success of SMEs' financial and market performance (MAP) depends on the firms' level of blockchain technology adoption (BCA) and identifying the crucial antecedents that influence SMEs' adoption. Therefore, this research attempts to develop an integrated model to understand and predict the determinants of BCA and its effect on SMEs' performance. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical foundations are the technology–organization –environment (TOE) framework and the resource-based view (RBV) perspective. The authors distributed a survey to SMEs in South Africa and received 311 responses. The covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) followed by the artificial neural network (ANN) technique was used for the data analysis.FindingsThe SEM results showed that SMEs' relative advantage, compatibility, top management support (TMS), organizational readiness (ORD), competitive pressures (COP), external support, regulations and legislation significantly influence SMEs' BCA. However, complexity negatively impacts SMEs' BCA. The analysis results also revealed that SMEs' BCA significantly influences the financial performance of the firms, followed by MAP. Furthermore, model determinants were input to an ANN modeling. The ANN results showed that TMS is the most critical predictor of SMEs' BCA, followed by ORD, COP, external support, and regulations and legislation.Practical implicationsThe results provide valuable information for SMEs when maneuvering their adoption strategies in the scope of blockchain technology. Additionally, from the perspective of an emerging market, the study has successfully contributed the TOE framework and the RBV.Originality/valueThis study is the first work to explore the determinants of BCA in the context of SMEs from a developing country. This paper is also one pioneer in attempts to develop a causal and predictive statistical model for predicting the determinants of BCA in SMEs' performance.

CONTEMPORARY TERRORISM: A WORLD SYSTEM PERSPECTIVE

A trajectory view of the world system perspective reveals a fundamental engagement of protest against the ways we have thought or come to know the world around us. This realization only serves as an expression of the real protest concerning the deep inequalities of world system which have become politically central in our current times. This paper draws theoretical resources from the world system perspective and capping it with the terminal current unitary world and the place of terrorism in such system. Peripheral analysis of the world system was undertaken to expose the place and roles of nations globally and domestically in the development of contemporary terrorism. Lopsided economic structure, injustice, poverty and deprivation were identified as major factors facilitating the use of terrorist’s strategies by poor nations (referred to as semi-periphery nations) and individuals in drawing attention to their plights. A review of the western economic mechanism (Globalisation) and how it engenders terrorism in the present world was undertaken. An excursion was also undertaken to explore the various instances of global terrorism and the Nigerian situation as well as the analysis of the fundamental reasons behind terrorism and the modern-day tools for terrorists with a view to advancing some antidotes towards addressing global and domestic terrorism and its implications for national development. The paper concludes by advocating that irrespective of the divide we find ourselves we must all return to the pristine foundation of rational humanism and the reinstatement of mutually beneficial relations between the human world and the natural world.

Entrepreneurial ecosystem and urban economic growth-from the knowledge-based view

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems and economic growth at the urban level from the knowledge-based view. This paper also scrutinizes the moderating roles of industrial diversities and digital technology service. Based on the data of 32 cities in China from 2008 to 2018, the findings show that entrepreneurial ecosystems' development promotes municipal economic growth significantly via knowledge creation and knowledge flow. Moreover, industrial diversity and digital technology service are found to positively moderate the relationship between entrepreneurial ecosystems’ development and the urban economic growth. This study extends the literature on entrepreneurial ecosystems and regional economic development at the urban level from the perspective of knowledge-based view. The findings also provide policymakers and stakeholders a different mentality when forming strategies and policies on entrepreneurship.

The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985

The Project of Independence: Architectures of Decolonization in South Asia, 1947–1985

The Equations for Consciousness: A Reply to “Tracking the Travels,” a Review of Journey of the Mind

The Equations for Consciousness: A Reply to “Tracking the Travels,” a Review of <i>Journey of the Mind</i>