A stable graph-based representation for object recognition through high-order matching

Many Object recognition techniques perform some flavour of point pattern matching between a model and a scene. Such points are usually selected through a feature detection algorithm that is robust to a class of image transformations and a suitable descriptor is computed over them in order to get a reliable matching. Moreover, some approaches take an additional step by casting the correspondence problem into a matching between graphs defined over feature points. The motivation is that the relational model would add more discriminative power, however the overall effectiveness strongly depends on the ability to build a graph that is stable with respect to both changes in the object appearance and spatial distribution of interest points. In fact, widely used graph-based representations, have shown to suffer some limitations, especially with respect to changes in the Euclidean organization of the feature points. In this paper we introduce a technique to build relational structures over corner points that does not depend on the spatial distribution of the features. © 2012 ICPR Org Committee.

Engaging autobiography:mobility trauma and international relations

This article outlines the possibilities of autobiographical stories to criticize status quo iterations of International Relations (IR). The article draws on the personal experiences of the author’s deportation order issued by the United Kingdom’s Home Office and its associated Border Agency (UKBA) to challenge the accepted assumptions of a cosmopolitan worldview as it relates to orderly international institutional design. It highlights the possibilities of trauma when border management and personal mobility collide. It suggests that mobility trauma ensues when the expectations of human mobility, outlined in Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, infringe the state’s role as security provider. It begins in part one with a challenge to the traditional role and understanding of international borders that sustain order within the international. It examines the unacknowledged role that human vulnerability plays within IR and institutional design while frankly engaging with human vulnerability and trauma in the second section. This section details the experiences of the author when her mobility rights were curtailed and the ensuing identity crisis prompted by such events. The final section investigates the ideas of critical cosmopolitan scholarship demanding that such discourses acknowledge and work through the possibility of failed agency when the demands of state security supersede individual mobility rights. It turns to the possibility of traumatic iterations of IR in order to probe such possibilities. The article suggests, in its conclusion, the possibility of storytelling and psychoanalysis to endorse unorthodox agency, and the possibility of a dynamic international institutional design, that challenges the status quo iterations of IR.

Analyzing lexical emergence in Modern American English online

This paper introduces a quantitative method for identifying newly emerging word forms in large time-stamped corpora of natural language and then describes an analysis of lexical emergence in American social media using this method based on a multi-billion word corpus of Tweets collected between October 2013 and November 2014. In total 29 emerging word forms, which represent various semantic classes, grammatical parts-of speech, and word formations processes, were identified through this analysis. These 29 forms are then examined from various perspectives in order to begin to better understand the process of lexical emergence.

Designed for Patience. The Significance of International Factors in the Ukrainian and Belarusian Transitions

This paper focuses on Belarus in order to find explanation as to why could Lukashenko remain the authoritarian leader of Belarus, while in Ukraine the position of the political elite had proved less stable and collapsed in 2004. We seek to determine whether the internal factors (macroeconomic conditions, standard of living, the oppressive nature of the political system) play a significant role in the operation of the domino effect. This article emphasises the determining role of immanent internal factors, thus the political stability in Belarus can be explained by the role of the suppressing political regime, the hindrance of democratic rights and the relatively good living conditions that followed the transformational recession. Whilst in Ukraine, the markedly different circumstances brought forth the success of the Orange Revolution.

Hungarian International Development Cooperation: Context, Stakeholders and Performance

This paper explores the domestic and international context of Hungary's emerging international development policy. Specifically, it looks at three factors that may influence how this policy operates: membership in the European Union (EU) and potential ‘Europeanization’, Hungary's wider foreign policy strategy, and the influence of domestic stakeholders. In order to uncover how these factors affect the country's international development policy, semi-structured interviews were carried out with the main stakeholders. The main conclusions are: (1) While accession to the EU did play a crucial role in restarting Hungary's international development policy, the integration has had little effect since then; (2) international development policy seems to serve mainly Hungary's regional strategic foreign policy and economic interests, and not its global development goals; and (3) although all the domestic development stakeholders are rather weak, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) still seems to play a dominating role. Convergence with European requirements and best practices is, therefore, clearly hindered by foreign policy interests and also by the weakness of non- governmental stakeholders.

Obama és az új világrend a gazdasági válság tükrében (Obama and the new world order in light of the economic crisis)

Napjainkban a nemzetközi kapcsolatok meghatározó jelensége a gazdasági világválság, amelynek kezelése kapcsán egyre gyakrabban merül fel a politikusok és az elemzők szóhasználatában az „új világrend” fogalma. ____ In treating the current global economic crisis, politicians and analysts increasingly refer to a "new world order". The paper examines this concept, its different meanings and historical evolution, as well as the role it plays in the rhetoric of the Obamaadministration.

A globálisan növekvő hulladékmennyiség és a kezelésére irányuló nemzetközi törekvések (International efforts to cope with globally increasing waste amounts)

Sokoldalú nemzetközi megállapodások és programok foglalkoznak a hulladékok keletkezésének és az országhatárokon átterjedő hatásainak problémájával, a nemzetközi együttműködést szükségessé tevő megoldásokkal. A leginkább átfogó megközelítést a probléma hajtóerőinek szentelt globális programok tartalmazzák, de a fenntarthatóság alapelveire támaszkodó termelési eljárásokra és fogyasztási szokásokra, a zöld gazdaságra való áttérést szorgalmazó dokumentumok nem tartalmaznak számon kérhető kötelezettségeket. A konkrétabb hulladékkeletkezési és hatásterjedési ügyekben – mindenekelőtt a veszélyes hulladékok és a nemzeti fennhatóság alá nem tartozó területekre eljutó vagy ott keletkező hulladékok esetében – jóval konkrétabb nemzetközi megállapodások és programok léteznek. Ezek szabályozási, szakpolitikai, technológiai célokat, feladatokat határoznak meg az országok és az érintett ágazati szereplők szintjén is. Egyes problémák kapcsán és egyes térségekben a hulladékgazdálkodás jelentős eredményeket tud felmutatni, de általában véve a nemzetközi megállapodások hatékony végrehajtásával komoly gondok vannak. Továbbá a meglévő nemzetközi eszközök összességükben még teljes körű végrehajtásuk esetén sem lennének képesek ellensúlyozni a hulladékprobléma globális szintű növekedését. Következésképpen további erőfeszítésekre van szükség – minden kormány, érintett nem-kormányzati szervezet és az ágazatok részéről – különösen a megelőzés vonatkozásában. ____ Various multilateral agreements and programmes deal with the problems of waste generation and its transboundary impacts, and those solutions, which necessitate international co-operation. Those global programmes include the most comprehensive approach, which are dedicated to the drivers of these problems, however, these documents promoting the transition to sustainable production and consumption, or to the green economy do not consist of binding commitments. In case of more concrete issues of waste generation and transboundary impacts there are much more concrete international agreements and programmes, especially, for the hazardous waste streams and the waste transmitted to and/or generated in areas outside national jurisdiction. These determine regulatory, policy, technological goals and tasks for the participating countries and the relevant sectors. Significant progress is demonstrated for some specific problems and in certain regions, but in general, there are serious concerns about the efficient implementation of the international agreements in their entirety. Moreover, even if those were fully accomplished, the existing set of the international instruments would be unable to counterweigh the global increase of the waste problem. Consequently, further efforts are needed by all countries, the relevant non-governmental organisations and sectors, primarily in order to prevent the further global escalation of the problem.

Challenges the finance profession has been facing following the 2008-2009. A multi-country research

In the successful strategic management of the modern companies each function plays their specific role. While today’s businesses in many ways are different from their ancestors, the key fundamentals are derived from the same roots. Their main purpose of existence is to serve the needs of their shareholders and stakeholders by creating value (Pike et al., 1993). To achieve this effectively and efficiently the various functions need to work in close cooperation with each other. The global crisis, starting in 2008, proved that volatility is higher for the financial markets and the ordinary businesses that have been anticipated before. As the recession started as a financial crisis many people started to blame – amongst others – banks and financial institutions for excessive risk taking and taking short profits ahead of long term sustainable growth. Accordingly the lost confidence in the financial institutions has taken a toll on the reputation of other Finance professionals such as accountants, book keepers, treasury, tax people and others. The finance function’s strategic importance is linked to its ability to help interpreting the business performance and provide transparency. In order to restore the trust the finance profession is now facing one of the biggest challenges of its history, the need to reinvent itself. This paper presents the findings of a recent international research conducted in the United Kingdom, France, Hungary and Poland interviewing 169 executives of the business sector plus the review of 237 job descriptions of finance professionals in order to understand the challenges of the modern finance function. The findings of the study could provide relevant answers and help to overcome a very current problem that Finance is facing today, how to rebuild reputation and to stay a trusted partner and enabler for long term business strategy.

A posztmodern marketing elvei és gyakorlata a turizmus piacán - Mátrix és turizmus (Theories and practice of the post-modern marketing on tourism market – Matrix and tourism)

Jelen tanulmány a posztmodern kor fogyasztási tendenciáit és a posztmodern marketing sajátos fejlődését elemzi, elsősorban a turizmus példáján. A szerzők a hazai és a nemzetközi szakirodalom, illetve saját kutatásaik és megfigyeléseik alapján ütköztetik az ismert és elfogadott elveket, elméleteket a gyakorlattal, és felhívják a figyelmet a marketingtevékenység alkalmazkodásának hazai problémáira. A Vezetéstudomány című folyóirat 2008/9. számában rendkívül érdekes tanulmány jelent meg Mitev Ariel Zoltán és Horváth Dóra tollából „A posztmodern marketing rózsaszirmai” címmel. A tanulmány előremutató, érdekfeszítő és minden tekintetben konstruktív, újszerű. Jelen tanulmány szerzőire is nagy hatást gyakorolt a cikk, nagyrészt felsorolt erényei miatt, de egyes esetekben kiegészítést kívánva. Mindenképpen inspirálta a továbblépést, az újabb adalékok megfogalmazását, amire ezúton e tanulmány szerzői kísérletet tettek. A cikk egyben szerves gondolati folytatása a szerzőpáros korábbi közös publikációinak, elsősorban a Marketing & Menedzsment folyóiratban megjelent cikknek. _______ In this article the author will analyze consumption tendencies of post-modern age, mainly using tourism marketing examples. Their analysis has been based on results of their own researches and researches published in Hungarian and international marketing literature. In this article they try to confront different theories of post-modern marketing and they will analyze problems of applicability of these theories in Hungarian marketing problem solving. An extremely interesting article was published in Vezetéstudomány (2008/9), written by Zoltán Mitev Ariel and Dóra Horváth, and this article, by its interesting, innovative and constructive aspect has largely influenced authors of present article to continue the path proposed in the abovementioned article. The article, in the same time, is an organic continuation of the earlier common publications of the authors, e.g. the recent article in Marketing & Menedzsment journal.

Square and compass: Freemasonry's tools for constructing a global civil society

The concept of a global civil society is gaining greater acceptance among International Relations (IR) scholars, yet few studies exist that look at the role of fraternal organizations and their influence in constructing this realm. Freemasonry, one of the oldest fraternal orders, exerts a powerful influence on its membership through its symbolism, architecture and ritual, based on the tenets of mutual respect and tolerance towards all human beings. Such principles helped in creating a body of practices and institutions as early as the eighteenth century which two hundred years later were identified and conceptualized as global civil society. ^ The allegations of anti-Masons and conspiracy theorists offer a continuous account of Masonry's influence on the political scene since its modern founding in 1717 Great Britain. Conspiracy theorists portray the coming of a New World Order, orchestrated and directed by a secret hierarchy of Masons/Illuminati. Even though the lens of conspiracy theories paints a distorted view of reality, it does focus attention to Freemasonry's activities as a major player in politics over the span of three centuries. Not only do such theories challenge the novelty of practices that make up a global civil society, but also the notion that it is an inclusive and growing sector that unites people across the globe. They also provide a valuable critique by pointing out the inconsistencies and discriminatory practices of Masonry as contrasted with the lofty ideals and aims for humanity. ^ The Masonic influence in the social world is perceived as one that reflects the liberal worldview where the nation-state and power structures are in pursuit of human progress, or profit. The symbolism of Masonry, however, carries a message that can be characterized as representing republican ideals. Masonic symbolism and ritual create spaces of meaning where the contradictions between the ideals and the structures of inequality and elitism can be resolved. Freemasonry as a symbolic system proclaiming their inherent republican values does have a global reach. However, the effectiveness of these values is bounded by the constraints that are inherent in a liberal world dominated by nation-states. ^

Trading democracy for security? The effects of the international drug war on the quality of democracy in the Dominican Republic, 1996–2008

The purpose of the research is to study the relationship between international drug interdiction policies and domestic politics in fragile democracies, and to demonstrate how international drug control policies and the use of force fit the rhetoric of war, are legitimized by the principles of a just war, but may also cause collateral damage and negative unintended consequences. The method used is a case study of the Dominican Republic. The research has found that international drug control regimes, primarily led by the U.S. and narrowly focused on interdiction, have influenced an increasingly militarized approach to domestic law enforcement in the Dominican Republic. The collateral damage caused by militarized enforcement comes in the form of negative perceptions of citizen security, loss of respect for the rule of law and due process, and low levels of civil society development. The drug war has exposed the need for significant reform of the institutions charged with carrying out enforcement, the police force and the judicial system in particular. The dissertation concludes that the extent of drug trafficking in the Dominican Republic is beyond the scope of domestic reform efforts alone, but that the programs implemented do show some potential for future success. The dissertation also concludes that the framework of warfare is not the most appropriate for the international problems of drug traffic and abuse. A broader, multipronged approach should be considered by world policy makers in order to address all conditions that allow drugs to flourish without infringing upon democratic and civil rights in the process.

Essays on international lending and increasing returns to scale

Standard economic theory suggests that capital should flow from rich countries to poor countries. However, capital has predominantly flowed to rich countries. The three essays in this dissertation attempt to explain this phenomenon. The first two essays suggest theoretical explanations for why capital has not flowed to the poor countries. The third essay empirically tests the theoretical explanations.^ The first essay examines the effects of increasing returns to scale on international lending and borrowing with moral hazard. Introducing increasing returns in a two-country general equilibrium model yields possible multiple equilibria and helps explain the possibility of capital flows from a poor to a rich country. I find that a borrowing country may need to borrow sufficient amounts internationally to reach a minimum investment threshold in order to invest domestically.^ The second essay examines how a poor country may invest in sectors with low productivity because of sovereign risk, and how collateral differences across sectors may exacerbate the problem. I model sovereign borrowing with a two-sector economy: one sector with increasing returns to scale (IRS) and one sector with diminishing returns to scale (DRS). Countries with incomes below a threshold will only invest in the DRS sector, and countries with incomes above a threshold will invest mostly in the IRS sector. The results help explain the existence of a bimodal world income distribution.^ The third essay empirically tests the explanations for why capital has not flowed from the rich to the poor countries, with a focus on institutions and initial capital. I find that institutional variables are a very important factor, but in contrast to other studies, I show that institutions do not account for the Lucas Paradox. Evidence of increasing returns still exists, even when controlling for institutions and other variables. In addition, I find that the determinants of capital flows may depend on whether a country is rich or poor.^

Disciplining democracy: United Nations peacekeeping, international security and democratization in the post -Cold War era

After the end of the Cold War, democratization and good governance became the organizing concepts for activities of the United Nations, regional organizations and states in the fields of peace, development and security. How can this increasing interest in democratization and its connection with international security be explained? This dissertation applies the theoretical tools developed by Michel Foucault in his discussions of disciplinarity and government to the analysis of the United Nations debate on democracy in the 1990s, and of two United Nations pro-democracy peacekeeping operations and their aftermath: the United Nations interventions in Haiti and Croatia. It probes “how” certain techniques of power came into being and describes their effects, using as data the texts that elaborate the United Nations understanding of democracy and the texts that constitute peacekeeping. ^ In the face of the proliferation of unpredictable threats in the last decades of the twentieth century a new form of international power emerged. Order in the international arena increasingly was maintained through activities aimed at reducing risk and increasing predictability through the normalization of “rogue” states. The dissertation shows that in the context of these activities, which included but were not limited to UN peacekeeping, normality was identified with democracy, non-democratic regimes with international threats, and democratization with international security. “Good governance” doctrines translated the political debate on democracy into the technical language of functioning state institutions. International organizations adopted good governance as the framework that made democratization a universal task within the reach of their expertise. In Haiti, the United Nations engaged in efforts to transform punishment institutions (the judiciary, police and the prison) into disciplined and disciplinary machines. In Croatia, agreements signed in the context of peacekeeping established in detail the rules of functioning of administrations and the monitoring mechanisms for their implementation. However, in Haiti, the institutions promoted were not sustainable. And in Croatia reforms are stalled by lack of consensus. ^ This dissertation puts efforts to bring about democracy through peacekeeping in the context of a specific modality of power and suggests caution in engaging in universal normalizing endeavors. ^

Analysis of global compliance and implementation of the goals of international environmental treaties: A case study of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD)

The Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) was created in 1992 to coordinate global governments to protect biological resources. The CBD has three goals: protection of biodiversity, achievement of sustainable use of biodiversity and facilitation of equitable sharing of the benefits of biological resources. The goal of protecting biological resources has remained both controversial and difficult to implement. This study focused more on the goal of biodiversity protection. The research was designed to examine how globally constructed environmental policies get adapted by national governments and then passed down to local levels where actual implementation takes place. Effectiveness of such policies depends on the extent of actual implementation at local levels. Therefore, compliance was divided and examined at three levels: global, national and local. The study then developed various criteria to measure compliance at these levels. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze compliance and implementation. The study was guided by three questions broadly examining critical factors that most influence the implementation of biodiversity protection policies at the global, national and local levels. Findings show that despite an overall biodiversity deficit of 0.9 hectares per person, global compliance with the CBD goals is currently at 35%. Compliance is lowest at local levels at 14%, it is slightly better at national level at 50%, and much better at the international level 64%. Compliance appears higher at both national and international levels because compliance here is paper work based and policy formulation. If implementation at local levels continues to produce this low compliance, overall conservation outcomes can only get worse than what it is at present. There are numerous weaknesses and capacity challenges countries are yet to address in their plans. In order to increase local level compliance, the study recommends a set of robust policies that build local capacity, incentivize local resource owners, and implement biodiversity protection programs that are akin to local needs and aspirations.^