Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding Ethics: An Introduction to Moral Theory

This non-technical introduction to ethics explores how we find true or reasonable moral principles, applicable to practical cases. The reader is presented with seven radically different basic moral theories. Each theory attempts to provide an ultimate answer to the question, what ought to be done - and why? Each theory is carefully described, put into historical perspective and critically assessed. The theories covered are: utilitarianism (the idea that we ought always to act so as to maximize the sum total of welfare in the universe); egoism (the idea that we ought always to act so as to maximize the sum total of our own welfare); deontological ethics (according to which there are absolute duties or prohibitions, binding upon the agent irrespective of the consequences of following them); the ethics of rights (according to which each moral subject has certain rights that no one is entitled to violate, no matter how urgent this may seem); virtue ethics (according to which the most basic question in ethics is, not what we ought to do, but what kind of persons we ought to be); feminist ethics (according to which women and men tend to think differently about moral and practical problems and according to which the typically female way of thinking deserves particular attention); and environmental or ecological ethics (according to which not only human beings and other sentient beings have moral status, but also nature itself; we have duties to preserve nature, irrespective of the consequences for sentient beings of doing so). The book is intended for undergraduate students of philosophy but it should also appeal to any general reader who is prepared to ask probing and challenging questions in the search for a consistent moral outlook.
Discriminant Incoherent Component Analysis

Face images convey rich information which can be perceived as a superposition of low-complexity components associated with attributes, such as facial identity, expressions, and activation of facial action units (AUs). For instance, low-rank components characterizing neutral facial images are associated with identity, while sparse components capturing non-rigid deformations occurring in certain face regions reveal expressions and AU activations. In this paper, the discriminant incoherent component analysis (DICA) is proposed in order to extract low-complexity components, corresponding to facial attributes, which are mutually incoherent among different classes (e.g., identity, expression, and AU activation) from training data, even in the presence of gross sparse errors. To this end, a suitable optimization problem, involving the minimization of nuclear-and ℓ1-norm, is solved. Having found an ensemble of class-specific incoherent components by the DICA, an unseen (test) image is expressed as a group-sparse linear combination of these components, where the non-zero coefficients reveal the class(es) of the respective facial attribute(s) that it belongs to. The performance of the DICA is experimentally assessed on both synthetic and real-world data. Emphasis is placed on face analysis tasks, namely, joint face and expression recognition, face recognition under varying percentages of training data corruption, subject-independent expression recognition, and AU detection by conducting experiments on four data sets. The proposed method outperforms all the methods that are compared with all the tasks and experimental settings.
Ethics of using assistive technology in the care for community-dwelling elderly people: An overview of the literature

Objectives: This article provides an overview of the international literature on the most important ethical considerations in the field of assistive technology (AT) in the care for community-dwelling elderly people, focused on dementia. Method: A systematic literature review was performed. Results: A total of 46 papers met the inclusion criteria. Three main themes were found. The first theme, personal living environment, involves the subthemes privacy, autonomy and obtrusiveness. The second theme, the outside world, involves the subthemes stigma and human contact. The third theme, the design of AT devices, involves the subthemes individual approach, affordability and safety. The often referred to umbrella term of ‘obtrusiveness’ is frequently used by many authors in the discussion, while a clear description of the concept is mostly absent. Conclusion: When it comes to AT use in the care for elderly people living at home, ethical debate appears not to be a priority. The little discussion there relies heavily on thick concepts such as autonomy and obtrusiveness which seem to complicate the debate rather than clarify it, because they contain many underlying ambiguous concepts and assumptions. Most encountered ethical objections originate from the view that people are, or should be, independent and self-determinant. It is questionable whether the view is correct and helpful in the debate on AT use in the care for (frail) elderly people. Other ethical approaches that view people as social and reciprocal might be more applicable and shed a different light on the ethical aspects of AT use.
Numerical Approximations for Stochastic Differential Games: The Ergodic Case

The Markov chain approximation method is a widely used, relatively easy to use, and efficient family of methods for the bulk of stochastic control problems in continuous time for reflected-jump-diffusion-type models. It has been shown to converge under broad conditions, and there are good algorithms for solving the numerical problems if the dimension is not too high. We consider a class of stochastic differential games with a reflected diffusion system model and ergodic cost criterion and where the controls for the two players are separated in the dynamics and cost function. It is shown that the value of the game exists and that the numerical method converges to this value as the discretization parameter goes to zero. The actual numerical method solves a stochastic game for a finite state Markov chain and ergodic cost criterion. The essential conditions are nondegeneracy and that a weak local consistency condition hold "almost everywhere" for the numerical approximations, just as for the control problem.
MX/G/1 queuing model with state dependent arrival and Second Optional Vacation

This investigation deals with single server state dependent queuing systems, wherein the arrivals of units are in batches and follow the Poisson process with state dependent arrival rates. After availing of the First Regular Vacation (FRV) in a case when there is no customer in the system, the server may also take a Second Optional Vacation (SOV). By using supplementary variable techniques, the probability generating function of the queue length distribution is established to study various performance measures. The maximum entropy approach is also used to find queue length distribution for evaluation of steady state probabilities in all different states. Numerical illustrations are provided to verify the tractability of performance measures obtained analytically.
A Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy Study of Cubic and Orthorhombic C3A and Their Hydration Products in the Presence of Gypsum

This paper shows the microstructural differences and phase characterization of pure phases and hydrated products of the cubic and orthorhombic (Na-doped) polymorphs of tricalcium aluminate (C3A), which are commonly found in traditional Portland cements. Pure, anhydrous samples were characterized using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and demonstrated differences in the chemical and mineralogical composition as well as the morphology on a micro/nano-scale. C3A/gypsum blends with mass ratios of 0.2 and 1.9 were hydrated using a water/C3A ratio of 1.2, and the products obtained after three days were assessed using STXM. The hydration process and subsequent formation of calcium sulfate in the C3A/gypsum systems were identified through the changes in the LIII edge fine structure for Calcium. The results also show greater Ca LII binding energies between hydrated samples with different gypsum contents. Conversely, the hydrated samples from the cubic and orthorhombic C3A at the same amount of gypsum exhibited strong morphological differences but similar chemical environments.
Gastric HCO3− secretion induced by mucosal acidification: Different mechanisms depending on acid concentration

We compared the HCO3− secretory responses induced by mucosal acidification at different HCl concentrations (100 and 200 mM HCl) in the rat stomach. Under urethane anesthesia, the stomach was mounted on an ex vivo chamber and perfused with saline under inhibition of acid secretion by omeprazole (60 mg/kg, i.p.). The HCO3− secretion was measured at pH 7.0 using a pH-stat method and by adding 2 mM HCl. The acidification was performed by exposure of the mucosa to 100 mM or 200 mM HCl for 10 min. The secretion of HCO3− was increased by acidification of the mucosa at both 100 and 200 mM of HCl, and the maximal HCO3− response was 1.5-times greater at the latter concentration. The HCO3− responses induced by 100 and 200 mM HCl were both totally inhibited by prior administration of indomethacin, an inhibitor of prostaglandin (PG) production. The HCO3− stimulatory effect of 200 mM HCl was also significantly attenuated by pre-treatment with NG-nitro L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), the inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase, as well as chemical ablation of capsaicin-sensitive afferent neurons, whereas that of 100 mM HCl was affected by neither of these treatments. We conclude that the mucosal acidification stimulates gastric HCO3− secretion in different mechanisms, depending on the concentration of acid; the response caused by 100 mM HCl is mediated only by PGs, while that caused by 200 mM HCl is mediated by both capsaicin-sensitive afferent neurons and NO, in addition to PGs.
Frequency domain analysis based RBF networks and their applications to function approximations

Time-domain analysis and frequency-domain analysis are two angles of view for us to study and survey a continuous function. We observe the function approximation problems from the frequency domain. We consider that a single-frequency sine function can be approximated by two Gaussian kernels in one period. According to that, we present that the first maximum amplitudes as well as their frequencies and initial phases can be used to determine the initial number, centers and widths of radial basis function (RBF) kernels. After the initial structure of an RBF network is determined like that, a small number of RBF kernels can be added in order to further improve the local approximation accuracy. The above viewpoint is verified by two approximation examples.
Effect of flow fluctuations and nonflow on elliptic flow methods

We discuss how the different estimates of elliptic flow are influenced by flow fluctuations and nonflow effects. It is explained why the event-plane method yields estimates between the two-particle correlation methods and the multiparticle correlation methods. It is argued that nonflow effects and fluctuations cannot be disentangled without other assumptions. However, we provide equations where, with reasonable assumptions about fluctuations and nonflow, all measured values of elliptic flow converge to a unique mean v_2,PP elliptic flow in the participant plane and, with a Gaussian assumption on eccentricity fluctuations, can be converted to the mean v_2,RP in the reaction plane. Thus, the 20percent spread in observed elliptic flow measurements from different analysis methods is no longer mysterious.
Adaptive Automated Teller Machines — Part II

Nowadays, the banking sector is increasingly relying on Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in order to provide services to its customers. Although thousands of ATMs exist across many banks and different locations, the GUI and content of a typical ATM interface remains, more or less, the same. For instance, any ATM provides typical options for withdrawal, electronic funds transfer, viewing of mini-statements etc. However, such a static interface might not be suitable for all ATM customers, e.g., some users might not prefer to view all the options when they access the ATM, or to view specific withdrawal amounts less than, say, ten thousand. Hence, it becomes important to data mine the ATM transactions in order to extract and understand useful patterns concerning the customers' behaviors. In this work, we aim to address this requirement. This paper is the second one (Part II) in a series of two papers (Part I and Part II). In Part I, we have described the selection and pre-processing of an ATM transaction dataset (from an international bank based in Kuwait). We have also described its conversion into the MXML format, in order to data mine it through the ProM tool. In this paper, we import this MXML file into ProM and apply diverse types of data mining algorithms on it. Our results reveal that customers perform money-withdrawing transaction most frequently. Also, it is possible to design adaptive ATM interfaces which cater for the ATM terminal (location) at which the withdrawal is being made, the time of this withdrawal, the number of customers accessing the terminal at this time, and the range of money withdrawn in this time.
Enhancing noise margins of FinFET SRAM by integrating Vth-controllable flexible-pass-gates

We propose a flexible-pass-gate (Flex-PG) FinFET SRAM to enhance both the read and write noise margins. The flip-flop in the Flex-PG SRAM cell consists of usual FinFETs while its pass gates consist of Vth-controllable four-terminal (4T) FinFETs with independent double-gates. We experimentally demonstrate that the proposed Flex-PG SRAM increases both the read and write margins by controlling the Vth of the pass gates.
Sensitivity study and optimization of a 3D electric impedance tomography prostate probe

In current clinical practice, the primary diagnostic method for testing for prostate cancer is ultrasound-guided biopsy. In this paper, we consider using a sonolucent array of electrodes, printed on a thin Kapton layer and positioned on the imaging window of a transrectal ultrasound probe, as a method for providing coregistered electrical and ultrasound imaging of the prostate. As the electrical properties of malignant tissues have been shown to differ significantly from benign tissues, the estimation of the electrical properties is expected to be helpful in distinguishing certain beginning pathologies from cancer and in improving the detection rate that current biopsy methods provide. One of the main difficulties in estimating electrical properties of tissues with this electrode configuration is the rapid decay of the sensitivity with distance from the sensing array. In order to partially overcome this difficulty, we propose to use prior information from the ultrasound (US). Specifically we intend to delineate the boundaries of the prostate from the US, to subdivide the organ into a small number of voxels and to estimate the conductivity as constant on each of these subvolumes. We use a 3D forward model based on the finite element method for studying the sensitivity of a simulated segmented prostate for three different electrode array designs. The three designs present different electrode areas and inter-electrode gaps. Larger electrodes are desirable as they present a better contact, but we show that as they result in smaller inter-electrode gaps, shunting currents can be significant and the sensitivity is reduced. Because our clinical measurement system employs a single current source, we consider tetrapolar measurement patterns for evaluating these electrode configurations. Optimal measurement patterns are well defined for adaptive systems, where multiple currents are injected at the same time. For the electrode array designs we consider, which are three dimensional, there are no established systematic methods for forming sets of linearly independent tetrapolar measurement patterns. We develop a novel method for automatically computing a full set of independent tetrapolar measurement patterns that maximizes the sensitivity in a region of interest (ROI). We use these patterns in the forward modeling and sensitivity studies. In addition to the electrode arrays on the probe, we study the use of a further configuration, where a distal electrode is positioned on the exterior of the body and used for current injection.
Diabetes burden and access to preventive care in the rural United States.

CONTEXT National databases can be used to investigate diabetes prevalence and health care use. Guideline-based care can reduce diabetes complications and morbidity. Yet little is known about the prevalence of diabetes and compliance with diabetes care guidelines among rural residents and whether different national databases provide similar results. PURPOSE To examine rural-urban differences in the prevalence of diabetes and compliance with guidelines, and to compare the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS). METHODS Data for 2001-2002 were analyzed and compared by rural-urban status. Prevalence was calculated as simple unadjusted, weighted unadjusted, and weighted adjusted using a multivariate approach. Results from the 2 databases were compared. FINDINGS A slightly higher prevalence of diabetes among rural residents, 7.9% versus 6.0% in MEPS and 7.6% versus 6.6% in BRFSS, was found and persisted after adjustment for age, BMI, insurance coverage, and other demographic characteristics (adjusted OR 1.16 [1.02-1.31] in MEPS; 1.19 [1.01-1.20] in BRFSS). Rural persons in MEPS were less likely to receive an annual eye examination (aOR = 0.85) and a feet check (aOR = 0.89). A significantly (P < .05) smaller proportion of rural residents in BRFSS received an annual eye examination (aOR = 0.88), feet check (aOR = 0.85), or diabetes education (aOR = 0.83). Rural residents in both datasets were more likely to get a quarterly HbA1c test done. CONCLUSION Rural residents in both datasets had higher prevalence of diabetes. Though not always statistically significant, the trend was to less guideline compliance in rural areas.
Designing Distributed, Component-Based Systems for Industrial Robotic Applications

The design of industrial robotic applications is dramatically changing as the result of rapid developments in underlying technologies and novel user requirements. Communication and computing technologies provide new standards and higher levels of performance. Meanwhile, novel and more capable robotic platforms and sensors have become available. In industrial automation, this technology push has opened up new application areas, while raising the expectations casted upon robotic systems in terms of overall performance and functionality. In next generation robotic applications, robots will turn from traditional preprogrammed, stationary systems into machines capable of modifying their behaviour based on the interaction with the environment and other robots. Changes are also induced by user requirements demanding higher efficiency, functionality and performance in the control of industrial plants. In a modern manufacturing scenario, interaction with customers and suppliers must increasingly occur remotely and on-line, e.g. for just-in-time manufacturing, remote maintenance, and quality monitoring. For a number of reasons, transparent and widespread access to run-time production data and internal control variables of robotic systems must be provided. This requirement highlights the distinct transition beyond the conventional idea of isolated robotic workcell. As an added element of com plexity, integration between different technologies in the shop floor and in the design and production management departments is required to achieve the full potential of computer-integrated manufacturing. The growth in complexity in industrial robotic applications demands higher levels of
A Comparative Study of Genetic Algorithms Using a Direct and Indirect Representation in Solving the South African School Timetabling Problem

Previous work applying genetic algorithms to solve the school timetabling problem have generally used a direct representation, in which each chromosome represents a timetable directly. This study proposes and evaluates a genetic algorithm employing an indirect chromosome representation. Each chromosome is a string comprised of instructions which are used to build a timetable. The fitness of each chromosome is a function of the hard and soft constraint violations of the timetable constructed using the chromosome. Tournament selection is used to choose parents which the mutation and crossover operators are applied to in order to create successive generations. The performance of the genetic algorithm using an indirect representation (IGA) was compared to that using a direct representation (DGA) in solving the school timetabling problem for a South African primary and high school. Both genetic algorithms were able to produce feasible timetables of good quality with the IGA performing better than the DGA. The difference in performance was found to be statistically significant.
31. Exploring Motivational and Learning Differences With Mature Students in Post-Secondary Education

This study examines the differences that exist among various age cohorts attending a post-secondary educational institution. Respondents were from the New Brunswick Community College’s six separate campuses (n=251). Significant differences were found to exist predominantly around social and family issues. Although differences did appear based on age groupings, a small amount of variation appeared when compared with theoretical literature. The largest barrier to post-secondary education that existed, regardless of age, was the financial burden placed upon the learner.
Nursing Home Statutes: Mistreatment Definitions

ABSTRACT Introduction. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia have adult protective services (APS) related statutes that define adult/elder mistreatment found in domestic settings. Institutional adult/elder mistreatment laws are administered by the nursing home licensing agencies and may contain different or duplicate APS-related mistreatment definitions. The purposes of this paper are to describe and summarize the mistreatment definitions in the nursing home licensure statutes and compare those definitions with the definitions found in the APS-related statutes. Methods. Westlaw and Lexis-Nexis law database systems were used to retrieve all adult protective services statutes and institutional licensure statutes. Each statute's text was reviewed and coded by two researchers. Results. Institutional mistreatment definitions are addressed in 14 of the states and District of Columbia's nursing home statutes. No one state has a list of the 27 different definitions of mistreatment identified in the literature search. The common types of mistreatment described were physical and emotional abuse, neglect, financial and property exploitation, and sexual abuse. Conclusion. Standardized definitions of resident-to-resident and institutional specific types of mistreatment need to be included in nursing home statutes.