Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
T Why Electric Propulsion? Lngjournal Electric Propulsion for Lng Carriers Power and Propulsion for Lng Carriers

he current world usage of LNG is about 110 million tons per year and current analysis indicates this growing in the next 10 years by 70 to 100 million tons. This may lead to demand for more than 80 new LNG carriers by 2010, in addition to those already under construction. Traditionally LNG carriers have been propelled by steam turbines, as this has proved to be a simple and reliable solution for these ships. However the relatively low efficiency of the propulsion system (<30%) and possible increased size of future LNG carriers has initiated investigations into utilizing alternative propulsion systems. Electric propulsion has as a result of these investigations been shown to be an attractive alternative with high overall efficiency (~42%). The first three LNG carriers with electric propulsion are now under construction at Chantiers de l'At-lantique in France for the French owner Gaz de France, where ABB is delivering the propulsion system on the second and third vessel, which are the world's first vessels with full size cargo capacity (154,000 m 3) utilizing an electric propulsion system. In the last years the power plant for the cargo handling system has changed from a 440 V system to a medium voltage system (3.3 kV or 6.6 kV) due to increased installed power for the cargo pumps as the ship sizes have increased. Electric propulsion would be the natural extension utilizing the already installed medium voltage power system also for powering the propeller. With the development of the Dual Fuel (DF) engines, which can operate both on gas and diesel oil, electric propulsion has become an attractive solution, due to increased efficiency, increased cargo capacity and reduced operational costs. The boil-off gas (BOG) is used directly in the medium speed engines, and the propulsion power is transferred to the propellers by the electric power and propulsion plant. Other essential criteria for selecting a propulsion system are the availability and reliability of the propulsion equipment. LNG carriers have long time charters with fixed schedules, and a high penalty of not making the schedule in time. The availability of the conventional steam turbine has proven to be very high, and any alternative solution to be considered must comply with at least the same level of availability. With the inbuilt redundancy in the electric propulsion system and using reliable components these requirements are met. The concept of electric propulsion is not new, the idea …
From sensitive historical issues to history teachers’ sensibility: a look across and within countries

ABSTRACT The present study is about sensitive issues in history teaching that have probably been experienced by most teachers in the field. We conducted a questionnaire study in Austria, Belarus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Serbia and The Netherlands to assess which issues were experienced as sensitive in class, what the reasons were for sensitivity, and what personal and institutional conditions might help teachers in overcoming such situations. Results were analysed from the perspective of both collective and individual differences. At the collective level it was found that contrary to previous studies teachers tended to attribute low sensitivity to difficult histories, to teach sensitive issues frequently and they reported little intervention and few sanctions from peers or superiors. Historical issue sensitivity was found to have some relationship to national political climate, external threat and teacher organization. From an individual difference perspective it appeared that sensitivity was not only a characteristic of an issue or topic, but was also bound to the sensibility of the teachers and their perceptions of the teaching setting. The findings are discussed in the context of nations’ self-image and the positive side-effects of analysing sensitive issues in class, with an emphasis on teacher perception, agency and need for support.
Inaccessible Worlds and Irrelevance: Preliminary Report

Recently, the relationship between several forms of default reasoning based on conditional defaults has been investigated, In particular, the systems based on e-semantics, preferential models and (fragments of) modally-defined conditional logics have been shown to be equivalent. These systems form a plausible core for default inference, but are too weak in general, failing to deal adequately with irrelevance. We propose an extension of the (modal) conditional logics in which one can express the truth of sentences at inaccessible possible worlds and show how this logic can be used to axiomatize a simple preference relation on the modal structures of this logic. This preferential semantics is shown to be equivalent to 1-entailment and rational closure. We suggest that many metalogical systems of default inference can be axiomatized within this logic, using the notion of inaccessible worlds.
The Diffusion of Second-Generation Statistical Techniques in Information Systems Research from 1990-2008

Second-generation statistical techniques like Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) are being used more frequently by IS researchers to evaluate theoretical models. The purpose of this study is three-fold. First, we aim to ascertain whether there is a “fit” between IS researchers' choice of analytic method and theoretical models when they use second-generation techniques. Second, we seek to determine the degree to which IS researchers have internalized knowledge about second-generation techniques. Finally, we want to see how these factors have changed over time. Analysis of four leading IS journals between 1990 and 2008 matched the use of second-generation techniques to rational reasons for using a specific analytic technique and the degree of knowledge internalization found in 265 published empirical articles. In the early period (1990–2002), we found the use of second-generation techniques was not associated with rational choices or reasons for their use. Once researchers had ready access to Gefen et al.'s (2000) work presenting the proper use of SEM-based analytical tools (referred to as the "later period" between 2003–2008), we found their use was associated with rational choice and there was a higher degree of knowledge internalization. Our findings suggest that, over time, researchers were able to leverage their internalized knowledge of second-generation techniques when testing mediation and moderation models as indicated by the higher ratio of internal to external method citations. The paper concludes with implications for IS research.
Efficient quality management of human-based electronic services leveraging group decision making

Human-based electronic services (people services) provide a powerful way of outsourcing tasks to a large crowd of remote workers over the Internet. Because of the limited control over the workforce in a potentially globally distributed environment, efficient quality management mechanisms are a prerequisite for successful implementation of the people service concept in a business context. Research has shown that multiple redundant results delivered by different workers can be aggregated in order to achieve a reliable result. However, existing implementations of this approach are highly inefficient as they multiply the effort for task execution and are not able to guarantee a certain quality level. Our weighted majority vote (WMV) approach addresses this issue by dynamically adjusting the level of redundancy depending on the historical error rates of the involved workers and the level of agreement among them. A practical evaluation in an OCR scenario demonstrates that the approach is capable of gaining reliable results at significantly lower costs compared to existing procedures.
Cross‐Borehole Flowmeter Tests for Transient Heads in Heterogeneous Aquifers

Cross‐borehole flowmeter tests have been proposed as an efficient method to investigate preferential flowpaths in heterogeneous aquifers, which is a major task in the characterization of fractured aquifers. Cross‐borehole flowmeter tests are based on the idea that changing the pumping conditions in a given aquifer will modify the hydraulic head distribution in large‐scale flowpaths, producing measurable changes in the vertical flow profiles in observation boreholes. However, inversion of flow measurements to derive flowpath geometry and connectivity and to characterize their hydraulic properties is still a subject of research. In this study, we propose a framework for cross‐borehole flowmeter test interpretation that is based on a two‐scale conceptual model: discrete fractures at the borehole scale and zones of interconnected fractures at the aquifer scale. We propose that the two problems may be solved independently. The first inverse problem consists of estimating the hydraulic head variations that drive the transient borehole flow observed in the cross‐borehole flowmeter experiments. The second inverse problem is related to estimating the geometry and hydraulic properties of large‐scale flowpaths in the region between pumping and observation wells that are compatible with the head variations deduced from the first problem. To solve the borehole‐scale problem, we treat the transient flow data as a series of quasi–steady flow conditions and solve for the hydraulic head changes in individual fractures required to produce these data. The consistency of the method is verified using field experiments performed in a fractured‐rock aquifer.
Cognitive Map Architecture Facilitation of Human–Robot Interaction in Humanoid Robots

ion Certain components serve as intermediaries between high-level decision components and low-level robot behavior. Specifically, they transform high-level directives to low-level expressions of behavior. The Task Matrix allows high-level symbolic commands to be transformed into physically realizable actions. The Multimodal Communication component takes symbolic utterances and coordinates both speech and gestures. Superficially, this role seems similar to the executive layer in layered robot architectures like 3T. However, in our architecture the entire layer has been encapsulated and partitioned into several different components with clear responsibilities. This modularity allows these behaviors to be managed and maintained separately without refactoring other parts of the architecture. For example in the Task Matrix, by employing a plug-in based mechanism for expanding the number of tasks, and providing access to all tasks through a single component interface, a cleaner mechanism for dynamically adding and removing tasks is achieved. If the robot’s hardware or joint configuration is modified, changes only need be made in the Task Matrix while keeping the rest of the system untouched. The Multimodal Communication module separates the content in the application from the style in which that content is expressed during communication. Any changes done in this component will result in immediately changed behavior in all applications that use it.
Research on the Identification of Opinion Topic Expressed in Chinese Network Reviews

Opinion analysis of network reviews provides a channel to find out the viewpoint of the common people in time, and opinion topic identification, as a significant part of opinion analysis, is aimed to identify the objects for the expressed opinions. This paper proposes an opinion topic identification algorithm in independent domain. The algorithm, based on the mode of opinion topic generation in network reviews, employs the process to identify the topics from inner to outer, and the process is finished through four-step procedure: Inner topic word identification, Inner topic constitution, Outer topic identification, and Topic organization. Experiment in real network reviews corpus proves that the algorithm can identify opinion topic in network reviews effectively.
Temperature Supervision of an Integrated Starter Generator

This paper deals with the use of an extended Kalman filter (EKF) for the temperature observation of an induction starter generator. At first, we remind considerations about temperature supervision. Then we present a classical method based on a parameter observer. Problems encountered with such an observer are presented in the framework of our application. To overcome these problems we propose a second observer extended to temperature variation using a priori knowledge on parameters evolution model. Experimental results are presented and commented in the last section
Collaborative construction planning: Towards 4D visualizations adapted to practitioners requirements

Managing the intervention of various actors during the construction phase is a recurrent issue in the construction sector. This is partly due to the multiplicity of stakeholders and the need to manage interfaces necessary for efficient planning and coordination of construction tasks. 4D CAD technology appears to be an innovative approach to answer such issues. It consists in combining a 3D model with the time dimension, in order to simulate the progress of works construction along the time. Our main hypothesis is that the use of 4D to support the actors' collaborative work is not adapted enough to the need of the sector because the classical view (Gantt + 3D model) does not take into account the specific requirements related to particular usages (planning of interventions and reservations request for a contractor; simulation and integration of works' interfaces for an engineer, etc.). It is therefore challenging to adapt the visualization to business needs of users. Developments in Human-Machine Interface and Information Visualization fields could allow us selecting user views properties (I.e. Structure, Quantity of information displayable, Graphical attributes, Content description, Interaction principles, Business view) and compose "business views". Therefore, the article propose taxonomy to describe user views in order to setup a method for business visualization design, enabling to: 1) Identify business tasks (usages) related to the roles of different users, 2) Offer services tailored to different usages, and 3) Suggest visualization modes fitting each usage on the basis of our visualization model. In a case study we formalize a collaborative process to identify the usages of each practitioners involved in the collaboration construction process planning. It especially targets collaborative management of works' interfaces. Then, after defining the required services, we suggest combining visualization methods suitable for each use in order to achieve views composition for each stakeholder.
Anterior Chamber Angle Evaluation with Fourier-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

New advances in anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology development allow visualizing the anterior chamber angle of the eye with high speed and high resolution. Fourier-domain (FD) OCT instruments working at 840 nm can reliably identify fine angle structures such as the Schwalbe's line. This paper demonstrates quantitative angle assessment with 840 nm FD-OCT and provides diagnostic cutoff values for occludable angle detection. This is useful for angle closure glaucoma diagnosis and management. Moreover, 840 nm FD-OCT is a useful tool for postsurgical evaluation in glaucoma patients.
Discussing Public Policy Online The case of the European Commission’s Digital Agenda Assembly 2012 online platform

This thesis aims at looking into whether democratic processes and deliberative policy discussion can take place online. In addition by using a grounded theory approach this thesis aims at expanding the current theories on how online public policy discussions work. As fears have been raised over decreasing citizen participation in political processes which then again can cause problems of accountability and legitimacy there have been attempts to find new and more deliberative ways to engage the citizens in the democratic decision making. This need for new places of policy discussion accompanied with the huge leaps in information and communications technologies have also resulted in attempts to bring policy discussions online. This thesis analyses the case of the European Commission’s Digital Agenda online engagement platform and how one of the ten discussion groups on the platform facilitated public policy deliberation. The methodological approach in this study is grounded theory and the tool used for the analysis is qualitative content analysis. The results of this thesis firstly give inputs regarding how policy discussions take place online and secondly raises some concerns over the actual deliberativeness of the online discussion on the platform. These results however should not be seen as diminishing the power of Internet as a tool for crowdsourcing the public opinion, in which the case of this study succeeded very well. In the light of this case, the online public policy discussions could therefore act as an additional tool in democratic processes.
Cooperative Abnormality Detection via Diffusive Molecular Communications

In this paper, we consider abnormality detection via diffusive molecular communications (MCs) for a network consisting of several sensors and a fusion center (FC). If a sensor detects an abnormality, it injects a number of molecules into the medium which is proportional to its sensing output. Two transmission schemes for releasing molecules into the medium are considered. In the first scheme, each sensor releases a different type of molecule (DTM), whereas in the second scheme, all sensors release the same type of molecule (STM). The molecules released by the sensors propagate through the MC channel and some may reach the FC where the final decision regarding whether or not an abnormality has occurred is made. We derive the optimal decision rules for both DTM and STM. However, the optimal detectors entail high computational complexity as log-likelihood ratios (LLRs) have to be computed. To overcome this issue, we show that the optimal decision rule for STM can be transformed into an equivalent low-complexity decision rule. Since a similar transformation is not possible for DTM, we propose simple low-complexity sub-optimal detectors based on different approximations of the LLR. The proposed low-complexity detectors are more suitable for practical MC systems than the original complex optimal decision rule, particularly when the FC is a nano-machine with limited computational capabilities. Furthermore, we analyze the performance of the proposed detectors in terms of their false alarm and missed detection probabilities. Simulation results verify our analytical derivations and reveal interesting insights regarding the tradeoff between complexity and performance of the proposed detectors and the considered DTM and STM schemes.
Bayesian Versus Maximum Quasi-Likelihood Methods for Sire Evaluation with Categorical Data

Abstract Binary variables arising from an underlying normal distribution with a fixed threshold were simulated in a two-stage selection scheme with a sire model. The model had herd-year-seasons and groups as fixed effects and sires as random variables; a heritability of . 25 was used in the simulation. The "best" 20% of the sires were allowed to have additional progeny in the second stage. The criteria used to select these sires were breeding values predicted with a Bayesian procedure or with a maximum quasi-likelihood approach. Heritability was estimated from the data used to compute the sire evaluations. The two methods were compared in terms of empirical sampling bias, variance, and mean squared error of estimates of fixed effects and of heritability. The ability of selection based on the two methods to elicit genetic change was studied in terms of realized response to sire selection. Under the conditions examined, the maximum quasi-likelihood procedure had a larger mean squared error of estimates of heritability and of differences between genetic groups. Heritability estimates were biased upwardly by both methods. Differences between true transmitting abilities of bulls selected by each of the methods were negligible. It appears that sire evaluations for categorical data obtained with the Bayesian method are not improved upon by maximum quasi-likelihood.
An information system for the cutting stock problem with optimization of retail materials in stock

Considering the new paradigm in the industry, where clients request small amounts of a growing range of products, the times of crisis and the fierce competition for businesses survival, it is crucial for Organizations to be able to reduce the waste of raw materials. In the manufacturing industry, the waste of materials could be minimized with the introduction of decision support systems in the process. In this paper we propose an information system that enables the optimization of purchases and consumption of materials, promoting waste reduction and boosting profitability.
Evaluation of an Automated Analysis Tool for Prostate Cancer Prediction Using Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic performance of an automated analysis tool for the assessment of prostate cancer based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) of the prostate. Methods A fully automated analysis tool was used for a retrospective analysis of mpMRI sets (T2-weighted, T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced, and diffusion-weighted sequences). The software provided a malignancy prediction value for each image pixel, defined as Malignancy Attention Index (MAI) that can be depicted as a colour map overlay on the original images. The malignancy maps were compared to histopathology derived from a combination of MRI-targeted and systematic transperineal MRI/TRUS-fusion biopsies. Results In total, mpMRI data of 45 patients were evaluated. With a sensitivity of 85.7% (with 95% CI of 65.4–95.0), a specificity of 87.5% (with 95% CI of 69.0–95.7) and a diagnostic accuracy of 86.7% (with 95% CI of 73.8–93.8) for detection of prostate cancer, the automated analysis results corresponded well with the reported diagnostic accuracies by human readers based on the PI-RADS system in the current literature. Conclusion The study revealed comparable diagnostic accuracies for the detection of prostate cancer of a user-independent MAI-based automated analysis tool and PI-RADS-scoring-based human reader analysis of mpMRI. Thus, the analysis tool could serve as a detection support system for less experienced readers. The results of the study also suggest the potential of MAI-based analysis for advanced lesion assessments, such as cancer extent and staging prediction.
Model-based teeth reconstruction

In recent years, sophisticated image-based reconstruction methods for the human face have been developed. These methods capture highly detailed static and dynamic geometry of the whole face, or specific models of face regions, such as hair, eyes or eye lids. Unfortunately, image-based methods to capture the mouth cavity in general, and the teeth in particular, have received very little attention. The accurate rendering of teeth, however, is crucial for the realistic display of facial expressions, and currently high quality face animations resort to tooth row models created by tedious manual work. In dentistry, special intra-oral scanners for teeth were developed, but they are invasive, expensive, cumbersome to use, and not readily available. In this paper, we therefore present the first approach for non-invasive reconstruction of an entire person-specific tooth row from just a sparse set of photographs of the mouth region. The basis of our approach is a new parametric tooth row prior learned from high quality dental scans. A new model-based reconstruction approach fits teeth to the photographs such that visible teeth are accurately matched and occluded teeth plausibly synthesized. Our approach seamlessly integrates into photogrammetric multi-camera reconstruction setups for entire faces, but also enables high quality teeth modeling from normal uncalibrated photographs and even short videos captured with a mobile phone.