Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Materialism and Living Well

: Materialism is a psychological construct reflecting the extent to which an individual believes that it is important to attain money, possessions, image, and status, relative to other aims in life. This chapter reviews evidence showing that materialism is a fundamental aspect of the human value system that stands in relative conflict with intrinsic values concerning personal growth, close interpersonal relationships, and helping others. Meta-analytic results and longitudinal studies demonstrate that people report lower levels of well-being when they prioritize materialistic values and goals. Because materialism is also negatively associated with pro-social and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors, a strong focus on such aims is likely to undermine the well-being of other people, other species, and future generations. Recent studies show that materialism can diminish when people receive interventions that encourage intrinsic values, that involve deep inward reflections, or that lead them to disengage from and question the messages of consumer culture.
Enhancing Brand Image through Corporate Social Responsibility in Mexican Small Business

Brands are considered in the current literature as one of the most important intangible resources for any organization, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), allowing a close relationship with both customers and with consumers of products or services generated by companies, but brands acquire more relevance when they are directly related to the activities of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The inconsistent results obtained in the relationship between brand image and CSR, makes it necessary conducting more studies providing theoretical and empirical evidence of the effects exerted by CSR activities in the brand image. Therefore, the main objective of this research is the analysis and discussion of existing effects between CSR activities and brand image of SMEs, using a sample of 308 companies in Mexico. The obtained results show that CSR activities have significant positive impact on the brand image of the products or services produced by SMEs
Revisiting Mountains and Stationary Waves : the Importance of the Zonal 1 Mean Response

The impact of global orography on wintertime climate is revisited using a state-of-the-art climate model, with sophisticated parameterization of the impacts of sub-gridscale orography (the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model, WACCM). The main impact of orography is to amplify the stationary waves produced by land-sea thermal contrasts, as evidenced by the strong spatial resemblance between the stationary wave pattern in a nomountain (NM) simulation with that induced by orography. Orography amplifies extratropical NM stationary waves at all levels, with an amplification factor of a∼ 1.6 in the mid-latitudes, increasing to a> 1.9 in the high-latitude stratosphere. Orography also decelerates the zonal mean zonal wind poleward of 40◦N throughout the troposphere and stratosphere. The effect of the weakening of the zonal winds on stationary waves is twofold: it amplifies the thermal forcing and it amplifies the planetary-wave response to a prescribed thermal forcing. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Ouroboros Chronos: Permissionless Clock Synchronization via Proof-of-Stake

Clock synchronization allows parties to establish a common notion of global time by leveraging a weaker synchrony assumption, i.e., local clocks with approximately the same speed. The problem has long been a prominent goal for fault-tolerant distributed computing with a number of ingenious solutions in various settings. However, despite intensive investigation, the existing solutions do not apply to common blockchain protocols, which are designed to tolerate variable—and potentially adversarial—participation patterns, e.g., sleepiness and dynamic availability. Furthermore, because such blockchain protocols rely on freshly joining (or re-joining) parties to have a common notion of time, e.g., a global clock which allows knowledge of the current protocol round, it is not clear if or how they can operate without such a strong synchrony assumption. In this work, we show how to solve the global synchronization problem by leveraging proof of stake (PoS). Concretely, we design and analyze a PoS blockchain protocol in the above dynamic-participation setting, that does not require a global clock but merely assumes that parties have local clocks advancing at approximately the same speed. Central to our construction is a novel synchronization mechanism that can be thought as the blockchain-era analogue of classical synchronizers: It enables joining parties— even if upon joining their local time is off by an arbitrary amount—to quickly calibrate their local clocks so that they all show approximately the same time. As a direct implication of our blockchain construction—since the blockchain can be joined and observed by any interested party—we obtain a permissionless PoS implementation of a global clock that may be used by higher level protocols that need access to global time.
Open-Set Acoustic Scene Classification with Deep Convolutional Autoencoders

Acoustic scene classiﬁcation is the task of determining the environment in which a given audio ﬁle has been recorded. If it is a priori not known whether all possible environments that may be encountered during test time are also known when training the system, the task is referred to as open-set classiﬁcation. This paper contains a description of an open-set acoustic scene classiﬁcation system submitted to task 1C of the Detection and Classiﬁcation of Acoustic Scenes and Events (DCASE) Challenge 2019. Our system consists of a combination of convolutional neural networks for closed-set identiﬁcation and deep convolutional autoencoders for outlier detection. On the evaluation dataset of the challenge, our proposed system signiﬁcantly outperforms the baseline system and improves the score from 0 . 476 to 0 . 621 . Moreover, our submitted system ranked 3rd among all teams in task 1C.
High Sensitivity Interferometric Detection of Partial Discharges for High Power Transformer Applications

Partial Discharges are a clear cause and symptom of transformer degradation. This paper focuses on interferometric fibre optic system developed for the detection of partial discharges in transformers allowing knowledge of the status of degradation. The results obtained presents an interferometric signal associated to acoustic patterns with a 20 kHz frequency spectrum, which is a typical value in transformers. These results are compared with signals obtained using commercial piezoelectric sensors, with the results showing that fibre optic sensing is more accurate.
Assessment of the effects of a violence prevention programme on cognitive and behavioural factors from the subjective perception of teachers and adolescents

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the Dando pasos hacia la paz (Taking steps towards peace) intervention programme, which seeks to encourage respect for human rights and prevent violence. The sample consisted of 191 15-17 year old teenagers (M =15.54, SD = 0.69) and 9 teachers who implemented the programme. The teenagers were 10 grade students from schools in the Autonomous Region of the Basque Country. The intervention consisted of ten 90-minute sessions at the end of which the teachers and teenagers completed a questionnaire assessing their experience of the programme and evaluating its effects on people‘s social and emotional development. The findings showed that the teachers who had implemented the programme: 1. positively assessed 14 of its qualitiesutilities; 2. regarded that, in general terms, the experience was very positive and they were going to keep implementing it in the future, and 3. noticed that their students showed a medium-high level of change in 7 social and emotional development factors, namely communication, social behaviour, emotions, violence, conflict resolution, prosocial and human right values, and psychological well-being. The teachers‘ perception coincided with that of the students‘ perception of change. The debate now turns around the potential roles of these programmes in the prevention of political violence.
Ospemifene 60 mg tablets ( Senshio ® ) For The Treatment Of Moderate To Severe Symptomatic Vulvar And Vaginal Atrophy ( VVA ) In Post-Menopausal Women Who Are Not Candidates For Local Vaginal Oestrogen Therapy

• Ospemifene is the first oral treatment for VVA and provides an alternative treatment for patients unsuitable for vaginal oestrogens (including where treatment is deemed inconvenient, messy or exposing a partner to an acceptable risk of vaginal oestrogen). • No active comparators were included in the pivotal trials for ospemifene, although an indirect comparison of ospemifene with vaginal oestrogens demonstrated similar magnitudes of effects relative to placebo. • Statistical superiority of ospemifene to placebo for improvement in the most bothersome symptom “vaginal dryness” was only demonstrated in one of the two pivotal trials. However, both studies permitted the use of non-hormonal lubricants in all patient groups making superiority for vaginal dryness symptoms more difficult to demonstrate. • Increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) cannot be excluded due to the wide confidence intervals of the VTE safety data submitted to the EMA and observed increases in VTEs across the SERMs drug class. • Assuming that no active switching occurs of the approximately 14,000 patients already receiving treatment for VVA and 5-30% of the 7,350 remaining eligible patients were treated with ospemifene for a full year (annual cost of ospemifene 60mg tablets = £514.68), the total annual acquisition cost of ospemifene for the Lancashire and South Cumbria CCGs would be:
1 # 46 DOES URBAN DENSITY FOLLOW CENTRALITY ? Empirical study on the influence of street network centrality on urban density and its implications for the prediction of pedestrian flows

The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between space syntax measures of network centrality and measures of urban density. To what extent do they correspond? How can space syntax parameters be optimized to account for urban density? We present findings from an empirical study where a range of urban density parameters are tested against space syntax measures of network centrality. Space Syntax as an analytical framework has gained much attention due to its ability to predict complex behavioural phenomena such as movement flows or land use distribution using only little information about the environment. The movement network is modelled as a collection of visual axes and their relations, with no additional information about the environment included. This is rooted in the assumption that additional environmental variables, such as building density or land use, are either equally distributed or follow the centrality properties of the network (Hillier, 1999; Hillier 1996). Thus, all other environmental properties are treated as inherently embedded in the network configuration and therefore redundant. Indeed, empirical evidence shows that in many cases “over 60% of human movement can be predicted or explained purely from a topological point of view” (Lerman Rofe & Omer 2014). Arguably, it is the extreme reduction of environmental complexity which has been the main innovation, but also the source of critical discourse about the Space Syntax method (Montello, 2007). Indeed, building densities and land use might sharply contrast with properties of network configuration, suggesting unresolved implications for the applicability of Space Syntax method as a movement predictor (Ratti, 2004). Space Syntax analysis has been highly successful at interpreting aggregate movement flows in a network. However, this paper reflects the clear need to define under which conditions Proceedings of the 11th Space Syntax Symposium DOES URBAN DENSITY FOLLOW CENTRALITY? : Empirical study on the influence of street network centrality on urban density and its implications for the prediction of pedestrian flows 46.2 Space Syntax analysis might be treated not only as measure of potential, but also as reliable predictor of human behaviour. For this purpose, we conducted a series of empirical studies testing the core assumption of the Space Syntax model about the multi-collinearity between configurational properties and a set of established urban density
Code Acquisition in Asynchronous DS / CDMA Systems , Markov and i . i . d . Codes in Multiuser Scenario

Already synchronized users’ signals are subtracted from the total received signal to aid code acquisition of new users at the base station of a direct sequence code division multiple access (DS/CDMA) system. Explicit expressions for the expectation and variance of correlator output corresponding to a synchronization chip and otherwise are derived for the asynchronous environment and a detector based on a posteriori probability threshold rule is proposed for code acquisition. This method can be used to acquire Spread Spectrum (SS) signals modulated by Markovian codes. Performance of Markov codes is found superior to i.i. d codes in this multiuser code acquisition system too.
Coarse-to-Fine 3 D Face Reconstruction

Reconstructing accurate 3D shapes of human faces from a single 2D image is a highly challenging Computer Vision problem that was studied for decades. Statistical modeling techniques, such as the 3D Morphable Model (3DMM), have been widely employed because of their capability of reconstructing a plausible model grounding on the prior knowledge of the facial shape. However, most of them derive a and smooth approximation of the real shape, without accounting for the surface details. In this work, we propose an approach based on a Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (CGAN) for refining the reconstruction provided by a 3DMM. The latter is represented as a threechannel image, where the pixel intensities represent, respectively, the depth and the azimuth and elevation angles of the surface normals. The network architecture is an encoderdecoder, which is trained progressively, starting from the lower-resolution layers; this technique allows a more stable training, which led to the generation of high quality outputs even when high-resolution images are fed during the training. Experimental results show that our method is able to produce detailed realistic reconstructions and obtain lower errors with respect to the 3DMM. Finally, a comparison with a state-of-the-art solution evidences competitive performance and a clear improvement in the quality of the generated models.
Trade Liberalization , Market Structure , and Firm Markup : Theory and Evidence from China ∗

In an imperfectly competitive market, input tariff reduction may induce importers to partly pass-through the cost reductions and consequently increase their markups. Such effect is heterogeneous across industries, depending on the market structure. We utilize an unprecedented liberalization episode in China, namely its WTO accession, to estimate such heterogeneous impact of trade reform on firm markup. The results show that input tariff reduction increases firm markup, but only for importers. Furthermore, market structure matters: importers’ markups increase more due to input tariff reduction in less competitive industries. Finally, in contrast to output tariff, input tariff reduction increases industry markup dispersion.
The impact of external graphical representations in different knowledge domains: is there a domain specific effect?

In this paper three studies question the generalizability of Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) to the knowledge domain of the social sciences. The first research builds on the assumption that this knowledge domain differs in the way instructional designers develop depictive external graphical representations and the way students understand these representations. The key variable in this process is being (un)acquainted with the iconic sign system that is used to develop the representations in this knowledge domain. The research results reveal that studying learning materials enriched with external graphical representations in the social sciences domain does not result in higher test performance and does not result in lower levels of cognitive load. The second research builds on these former results and questions under which condition the performance on retention and transfer tests can be increased. Therefore a new design principle activation is put forward. Results show that the performance on the retention and transfer tests is higher when the learner actively builds his/her personal external graphical representations. The active construction of personal external graphical representations positively influences the performance on retention and transfer tests. The results of the second study are the starting point of the third research that focuses on the differential impact of the types of personal external graphical representations learners add to textual learning materials. Multimedia Learning in Social Sciences: Impact of the Knowledge Domain The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML), put forward by Mayer (2001a), presents a clear framework to direct instructional design of both printed and interactive multimedia materials. Despite the theoretical and practical appeal of the theory for instructional designers, daily teaching experience of the authors of the present paper, responsible for freshman courses in the knowledge domain of educational sciences, is not always in line with the CTML. It appears that students cope with external graphical representations such as schemas, tables and graphs added to learning materials. And, as will be discussed in the next sections, recent research is not always able to replicate the positive findings that have been reported in earlier CTML-studies in other knowledge domains. The authors suggest that the nature of the knowledge domain and the nature of the external graphical representations interact with the validity of the CTML-design principles. By testing the original CTML-design principles in another knowledge domain questions about extending and/or generalizing the cognitive theory of multimedia learning are raised.
Contagious Switching

In this paper, we analyze the propagation of recessions across countries. We construct a model with multiple qualitative state variables that evolve in a VAR setting. The VAR structure allows us to include country-level variables to determine whether policy also propagates across countries. We consider two different versions of the model. One version assumes the discrete state of the economy (expansion or recession) is observed. The other assumes that the state of the economy is unobserved and must be inferred from movements in economic growth. We apply the model to Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. to test if spillover effects were similar before and after NAFTA. We find that trade liberalization has increased the degree of business cycle propagation across the three countries.
Accentedness, Comprehensibility, Intelligibility, and Interpretability of NNESTs

Forty ESL students responded to extemporaneous stimuli produced by 4 ESL teachers of different language backgrounds. The listeners rated each stimulus for foreign accentedness and comprehensibility (estimation of difficulty in understanding an utterance) on 9-point scales. They also answered comprehension questions to measure speakers’ interpretability and transcribed each stimulus in standard orthography to assess speakers’ intelligibility. The results showed that accentedness, perceived comprehensibility, intelligibility, and interpretability of NNESTs were all independent dimensions, except for an influence of accentedness on perceived comprehensibility (r = 0.503, p < 0.001, 2-tailed). Foreign-accented speech was only believed to be difficult to understand. Thus, the hypothesis that ESL students’ negative attitudes are the result of reduced intelligibility and interpretability of NNESTs’ foreign-accented speech was not supported in this study. Interestingly, students’ high word-recognition rate did not entail better understanding of the utterance.
Teaching in a Digital Age: How Educators Use Technology to Improve Student Learning

Abstract A successful digital conversion for classrooms, districts, and states is not determined by the technology, but by how technology enables teaching and learning. The purpose of our multisite case study was to document digital instructional strategies teachers use to enhance and transform student learning, and align that use with learning research. We conducted focus groups and interviews, and observed classrooms in seven exemplary schools across the United States. We surveyed teachers' familiarity, use, and comfort with technology as well. We document six common strategies used across the seven sites and identify five roles that technology plays in enhancing teaching and learning, and discuss how these strategies benefit teachers and learners. (Keywords: technology integration, digital instructional strategies)
VALIDATION OF TWO MOBILE APPS TO PREDICT MAXIMAL STRENGTH

Through recent advances in smartphone technology, two mobile applications (apps), LizaPlus and PowerLift, have been developed to monitor strength training and predict 1RM based on maximal concentric velocity during submaximal exercises. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the two apps to predict 1RM using the bench press exercise. Strong correlations were found between actual 1RM and predicted 1RM values (r-values: 0.80 to 0.86, p < 0.001). Bland and Altman plots show a systematic bias such that predicted 1RMs tend to be higher than actual 1RM for both apps. Results indicate both apps are valid in predicting 1RM but there appears to be systematic bias to overestimate actual 1RM. Caution should be used when basing training loads on these predicted 1RM values as there is an increased risk of injury through prescription of excessive training load.
Cross-Sectional Dispersion of Risk in Trading Time

We study the temporal behavior of the cross-sectional distribution of assets' market exposure, or betas, using a large panel of high-frequency returns. The asymptotic setup has the sampling frequency of the returns increasing to infinity, while the time span of the data remains fixed, and the cross-sectional dimension is fixed or increasing. We derive a Central Limit Theorem (CLT) for the cross-sectional beta dispersion at a point in time, enabling us to test whether this quantity varies across the trading day. We further derive a functional CLT for the dispersion statistics, allowing us to test if the beta dispersion, as a function of time-of-day, changes across days. We extend this further by developing inference techniques for the entire cross-sectional beta distribution at fixed points in time. We demonstrate, for constituents of the S&P 500 index, that the beta dispersion is elevated at the market open, gradually declines over the trading day, and is less than half the original value by the market close. The intraday beta dispersion pattern also changes over time and evolves differently on macroeconomic announcement days. Importantly, we find that the intraday variation in market betas is a source of priced risk.
ynesthesia in twins : Incomplete concordance in monozygotes uggests extragenic factors

Colored-sequence synesthesia (CSS) is a neurological condition in which sequential stimuli such as letters, numbers, or days of the week trigger simultaneous, involuntary color perception. Although the condition appears to run in families and several studies have sought a genetic link, the genetic contribution to synesthesia remains unclear. We conducted the first comparative twin study of CSS and found that CSS has a pairwise concordance of 73.9% in monozygotic twins, and a pairwise concordance of 36.4% in dizygotic twins. In line with previous studies, our results suggest a heritable element of synesthesia.