Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is It Better to Think Unconsciously or to Trust Your First Impression?

According to unconscious thought theory, complex decisions are best made after a period of distraction assumed to elicit “unconscious thought. ” Here, the authors suggest instead that the superiority of decisions made after distraction results from the fact that conscious deliberation can deteriorate impressions formed on-line during information acquisition. The authors found that participants instructed to form an impression made better decisions after distraction than after deliberation, thereby replicating earlier findings. However, decisions made immediately were just as good as decisions made after distraction, which suggests (a) that people had already made their decision during information acquisition, (b) that deliberation without attention does not occur during distraction, and (c) that ruminating about one's first impression can deteriorate decision quality. Strikingly, in another condition that should have favored unconscious thought even more, deliberated decisions were better than immediate or distracted decisions. These findings were replicated in a field study.
Evaluation of a Simplified Hueckel Edge-Line Detector

The Hueckel edge detector is one of a class of edge detectors which operate by approximating the image input by a truncated series of orthogonal functions. The number of terms in the expansion determines the accuracy of approximation and also t, he complexity of the process. In this paper, effects of reducing the terms used for expansion are examined. Experimental results indicate a significant loss in performance by such simplifications.
A Robust Automated Cataract Detection Algorithm Using Diagnostic Opinion Based Parameter Thresholding for Telemedicine Application

This paper proposes and evaluates an algorithm to automatically detect the cataracts from color images in adult human subjects. Currently, methods available for cataract detection are based on the use of either fundus camera or Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera; both are very expensive. The main motive behind this work is to develop an inexpensive, robust and convenient algorithm which in conjugation with suitable devices will be able to diagnose the presence of cataract from the true color images of an eye. An algorithm is proposed for cataract screening based on texture features: uniformity, intensity and standard deviation. These features are first computed and mapped with diagnostic opinion by the eye expert to define the basic threshold of screening system and later tested on real subjects in an eye clinic. Finally, a tele-ophthamology model using our proposed system has been suggested, which confirms the telemedicine application of the proposed system.
Organizing Violence

In stateless societies, coercion is privately provided; violence is employed to engage in, and to defend against, predation. At best, violence results in mere redistribution; being destructive, it more often results in a loss of social welfare. When organized, however, violence can be socially productive; it can be employed to defend property rights, thereby strengthening the incentives to engage in productive activity. To explore how violence can be rendered a source of welfare, the authors develop a model of a stateless society in which people's rights to the product of their labor are secure only if they possess coercive capabilities. Using case materials and formal logic, the authors then compare this outcome with that obtained when private agents reward specialists in violence for defending property rights. In doing so, we plumb the role of the state.
Working Both (Positivist) Ends Toward a New (Pragmatist) Middle in Environmental Law

This review of Daniel Farber's recent book Eco-pragmatism, in which he argues on behalf of taking more pragmatic approaches to the development of environmental policy, provides both the background necessary for appreciating Farber's union of ecosystem dynamics science and environmental pragmatism philosophy, and the basis for extending the new "eco-pragmatism" approach into natural resources conservation settings. Eco-pragmatism implies the intersection of two components-the eco, being the rich and developing field of ecosystem science and management, and the pragmatism, being the classical American pragmatist philosophy represented today in environmental settings through the emergence of environmental pragmatism philosophy. Unfortunately, Eco-pragmatism provides little background on either of these sources of eco-pragmatist approaches to environmental law. The review demonstrates that the science of ecology and the philosophy of environmental pragmatism do indeed make a fitting pair, and that Farber has provided the service of combining them in an approach that is adapted to modern environmental law and policy. The eco-pragmatist approach is different from either of the existing models for environmental decision making in they each relies on positivist foundations that portray environmental decisions as matters purely of economic efficiency (one extreme) or environmental preservation (the opposite extreme), whereas pragmatism looks to experience rather than dogma as its source of theoretical foundation. As Farber describes it, eco-pragmatism uses dynamical regulatory frameworks to blend economic efficiency and environmental protection in an approach that uses environmental goals to maintain a baseline of protection and economic analysis to place a check on overprotection. Unfortunately, Farber demonstrates the force of the eco-pragmatist approach only in the narrow setting of pollution and its public health consequences. The review demonstrates that eco-pragmatism also has value in the natural resource conservation setting, where emerging themes of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and adaptive management correspond to Farber's framework for environmental baseline, economic backstop, and dynamical regulation. Eco-pragmatism thus offers some deliverance from the seemingly endless warfare between the positivist ends that has burdened environmental policy in all its applications.
Illumination-invariant Face Recognition by Kalman Filtering

We propose a novel algorithm for the identification of faces from image samples. The algorithm uses the Kalman filter to identify significant facial traits. Kalmanfaces are compact visual models that represent the invariant proportions of face classes. We employ the Kalmanfaces approach on the physics-based face database (provided by the University of Oulu), a collection of face images that were recorded under varying illumination conditions. Kalmanfaces show robustness against luminance changes and outperform the classic eigenfaces approach in terms of identification performance and algorithm speed. The paper discusses Kalmanfaces extraction, application, tunable parameters, experimental results and relatedwork on Kalman filter application in face recognition
On GMM Kalman predictive coding of LSFS for packet loss

Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM)-based Kalman predictive coders have been shown to perform better than baselineGMM Recursive Coders in predictive coding of Line Spectral Frequencies (LSFs) for both clean and packet loss conditions However, these stationary GMM Kalman predictive coders were not specifically designed for operation in packet loss conditions. In this paper, we demonstrate an approach to the the design of GMM-based predictive coding for packet loss channels. In particular, we show how a stationary GMM Kalman predictive coder can be modified to obtain a set of encoding and decoding modes, each with different Kalman gains. This approach leads to more robust performance of predictive coding of LSFs in packet loss conditions, as the coder mismatch between the encoder and decoder are minimized. Simulation results show that this Robust GMM Kalman predictive coder performs better than other baseline GMM predictive coders with no increase in complexity. To the best of our knowledge, no previous work has specifically examined the design of GMM predictive coders for packet loss conditions.
Do Foreclosures Cause Crime ? June 2011

The mortgage foreclosure crisis has generated increasing concerns about the effects of foreclosed properties on their surrounding neighborhoods, and on criminal activity in particular. There are a number of potential ways in which a foreclosed property might increase the payoffs to committing crime and decrease the likelihood of being caught. Reduced property maintenance by foreclosed owners may serve as a visual signal of increasing disorder and decreased monitoring by neighborhood residents. Residential turnover precipitated by foreclosure may further weaken the informal social networks that prevent crime. Vacant foreclosed properties may provide opportunities for more serious and lucrative crimes. Using point-specific, longitudinal crime, foreclosure, and other property data from New York City, this paper determines whether foreclosed properties affect criminal activity on the surrounding blockface – an individual street segment including properties on both sides of the street, looks separately at how foreclosures affect different types of crime, examines whether foreclosures that result in long-term bank owned status have larger impacts than foreclosures that are resolved by a sale to a new owner, and compares the marginal effect of additional foreclosures across neighborhoods with differing concentrations of criminal and foreclosure activity. We find that additional foreclosures on a blockface lead to additional violent crimes and public order crimes. These effects are largest when foreclosure activity is measured by the number of bank-owned properties on a blockface. We find that effects are largest in neighborhoods with lower levels of crime, and effects appear to be heightened when foreclosure activity is concentrated.
Levodopa versus non-levodopa brain language fMRI in Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE To identify the effect of levodopa in language areas in Parkinson's disease patients. METHODS We evaluated 50 patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease, age and gender paired to 47 healthy volunteers. We selected two homogeneous groups of 18 patients taking levodopa and 7 no levodopa patients. The functional magnetic resonance imaging verbal fluency task, with low and high cognitive demands, was performed at a 3T magnetic resonance imaging equipment. Data was analyzed with XBAM software for group maps and ANOVA comparison. RESULTS Patients without levodopa had more activation than the ones with levodopa in the medial frontal and in the left frontal and parieto-occipital areas. The striatal activation in patients taking levodopa had similar result of the activation detected in the healthy volunteer group. Parieto-occipital areas were less activated in the levodopa group than in the no levodopa one. CONCLUSION Parkinson's disease patients without levodopa replacement, during a verbal fluency effort, had more diffuse and intense cerebral activation in left hemisphere, mainly in the frontal and parieto-occipital areas. The striatal activation in verbal fluency of patients with levodopa intake was more similar to the activation found in healthy volunteers. These initial evidences suggested a role of levodopa inhibiting activation in parieto-occipital compensating areas.
MIREX 2010 Audio Onset Detection

This paper presents an approach for the Audio Onset Detection task [1], which is submitted to MIREX 2010. In MIREX 2009, we presented our approach that utilizes information on the general characteristics of the notes for onset categorization, as well as integrates energy-based and pitch-based detection results. In MIREX 2010, we extend our submission to MIREX 2009 by parameters fine-tuning and incorporation of machine learning techniques, focusing on the improvement of the solo singing voice onset detections.
Does Business Model Affect CSR Involvement? A Survey of Polish Manufacturing and Service Companies

The study explores links between types of business models used by companies and their involvement in CSR. As the main part of our conceptual framework we used a business model taxonomy developed by Dudzik and Witek-Hajduk, which identifies five types of models: traditionalists, market players, contractors, distributors, and integrators. From shared characteristics of the business model profiles, we proposed that market players and integrators will show significantly higher levels of involvement in CSR than the three other classes of companies. Among other things, both market players and integrators relied strongly on building own brand value and fostering harmonious supply channel relations, which served as a rationale for our hypothesis. The data for the study were obtained through a combined CATI and CAWI survey on a group of 385 managers of medium and large enterprises. The sample was representative for the three Polish industries of chemical manufacturing, food production, and retailing. Statistical methods included confirmatory factor analysis and one-way ANOVA with contrasts and post hoc tests. The findings supported our hypothesis, showing that market players and integrators were indeed more engaged in CSR than other groups of firms. This may suggest that managers in control of these companies could bolster the integrity of their business models by increasing CSR involvement. Another important contribution of the study was to propose and validate a versatile scale for assessing CSR involvement, which showed measurement invariance for all involved industries.
Distributed hybrid simulation using the HLA and the Functional Mock-up Interface

High Level Architecture (HLA) and Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) are two simulation interoperability standards. The HLA is older, well established and popular in industry. The FMI is a new standard, with plenty of support from the open source community and scientists. In this paper, it is presented how the strengths of both, the HLA and the FMI, can be utilized to realize a distributed hybrid (or heterogeneous) simulation platform. Two different algorithms are proposed for such a platform. To demonstrate the correctness of algorithms, and their performance comparison, a simulation example is chosen from the domain of complex energy systems.
Genus Tinospora: Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology

The genus Tinospora includes 34 species, in which several herbs were used as traditional medicines by indigenous groups throughout the tropical and subtropical parts of Asia, Africa, and Australia. The extensive literature survey revealed Tinospora species to be a group of important medicinal plants used for the ethnomedical treatment of colds, headaches, pharyngitis, fever, diarrhea, oral ulcer, diabetes, digestive disorder, and rheumatoid arthritis. Indian ethnopharmacological data points to the therapeutic potential of the T. cordifolia for the treatment of diabetic conditions. While Tinospora species are confusing in individual ingredients and their mechanisms of action, the ethnopharmacological history of those plants indicated that they exhibit antidiabetic, antioxidation, antitumor, anti-inflammation, antimicrobial, antiosteoporosis, and immunostimulation activities. While the clinical applications in modern medicine are lacking convincing evidence and support, this review is aimed at summarizing the current knowledge of the traditional uses, phytochemistry, biological activities, and toxicities of the genus Tinospora to reveal its therapeutic potentials and gaps, offering opportunities for future researches.
Fuzzy Adaptive PBIL based sensor placement in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, a Fuzzy Adaptive Population-Based Incremental Learning algorithm (FAPBIL) is presented based on analyzing the characteristics of traditional PBIL algorithm. Overcoming disadvantages of traditional PBIL algorithm, the proposed FAPBIL algorithm can adjust learning rate and mutation probability automatically according to the evolution degree of the algorithm's searching performed using Fuzzy Controller. Extensive computational tests are carried out with Sensor Placement problem. The results compared with Random Search algorithm, standard PBIL algorithms and LAEDA show that the proposed algorithm performs them in calculation efficiency and search capability. The proposed algorithm can acquire stable high quality solution.
Minimization of phase noise in scaled device coupled mode oscillators

The performance of the electronic system strongly depends on the speed of devices, and device scaling has driven this momentum towards achieving faster speed and high level of integration. This paper describes the impact of phase noise in scaled SiGe HBTs coupled mode oscillators topology, which has recently emerged as a strong contender for RF and mixed signal applications. The relative contribution of the broadband (thermal and shot noise) and low frequency (1 / f noise) noise sources are examined with respect to the device scaling. A method of minimizing the phase noise with respect to the device scaling is discussed, and demonstrated for planar coupled resonators based VCO. The circuit topology is not limited to these frequencies, and easily amenable for integration in MMIC form.
Phase-Inversion Waves in Oscillators Coupled by Two Kinds of Inductors as a Ladder

In this study, nonlinear wave phenomena related to transmissions and reflections of the phase-inversion waves around a discontinuity of a coupled system consisting of two kinds of arrays of van der Pol oscillators are investigated. By computer simulations, behavior of the phaseinversion waves around the discontinuity in the coupled system is classified into eight types. Further, the mechanisms of the transmission and the reflection of a phase-inversion wave at the discontinuity are explained. Circuit experiments confirm the simulated results. key words: coupled oscillators, synchronization, wave propagation, phase difference, phase-inversion wave
STATs: An Old Story, Yet Mesmerizing

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) are cytoplasmic transcription factors that have a key role in cell fate. STATs, a protein family comprised of seven members, are proteins which are latent cytoplasmic transcription factors that convey signals from the cell surface to the nucleus through activation by cytokines and growth factors. The signaling pathways have diverse biological functions that include roles in cell differentiation, proliferation, development, apoptosis, and inflammation which place them at the center of a very active area of research. In this review we explain Janus kinase (JAK)/STAT signaling and focus on STAT3, which is transient from cytoplasm to nucleus after phosphorylation. This procedure controls fundamental biological processes by regulating nuclear genes controlling cell proliferation, survival, and development. In some hematopoietic disorders and cancers, overexpression and activation of STAT3 result in high proliferation, suppression of cell differentiation and inhibition of cell maturation. This article focuses on STAT3 and its role in malignancy, in addition to the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) on STAT3 activation in certain cancers.
THE HUMAN BODY IN CONVENTIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES

This paper aims to explore two opposite concepts of the human body – according to conventional medicine and according to alternative (holistic) medicine – and to show the mutual interpenetration of these two concepts in the modern world. Conventional medicine sees the body as an endless collection of symptoms spread all over its surface. It presents the body as a way of localizing pain, so in the biomedical discourse the body appears as a place of defining and describing pain. It is located in individual parts, organs, limbs, etc. Alternative medicine looks at the human body from the perspective of structural, chemical and psychological unity, which constantly adapts to the changing conditions of the external environment. It sees illness not as a disorder of one particular organ or system, but as a disorder of the whole organism. However, regardless of the clear distinction between these two concepts in the legal, scientific and ethical spheres and regardless of the general medicalisation of the modern world, these two approaches to the human body are simultaneously accepted by patients.
OpenJIT 2: The Design and Implementation of Application Framework for JIT Compilers

We are currently working on a new architecture for Java JIT compilers to allow coexistence of multiple, customized JIT compilers in a single Java VM simultaneously without prohibitive space or programming costs, called OpenJIT2. The project builds on the success of OpenJIT1, the first open-ended JIT compiler for Java written in Java. Not only that our new architecture subsumes the so-called 'bi-level' or 'tri-level' JIT compilers of today, but allows application, environment, or user-specific JIT compilers to coexist and invoked at appropriate moments as decided by the runtime. The compiler fragment modules can either be built-in or even dynamically downloaded from the network on demand to tailor the compiler for specific needs. We believe such customization allows the best performance to be squeezed out of applications in a way not possible with generic optimization strategies. OpenJIT2 will also be publically distributed for free and supported just as was with OpenJIT1 to serve as application framework for general compiler research by others, having a very clean and customizable object-oriented framework structure as opposed to OpenJIT1. We also hope that it will serve as commercial quality replacement JIT compiler for various platforms.
A distributed performance analysis architecture for clusters

The use of a cluster for distributed performance analysis of parallel trace data is discussed. We propose an analysis architecture that uses multiple cluster nodes as a server to execute analysis operations in parallel and communicate to remote clients where performance visualization and user interactions occur. The client-server system developed, VNG, is highly configurable and is shown to perform well for traces of large size, when compared to leading trace visualization systems.
Can Polarization Be Positive? Conflict and Institutional Development in Africa

Can political polarization, typically viewed as detrimental for political development, have positive effects on institution-building and democratization in the long run? This article argues that the overall impact of polarization on a political system is determined by two factors: the character of preexisting identity cleavages and the balance of forces between groups on either side of the political divide. Where there exists a history of formal group exclusion or differential citizenship rights, political polarization is more likely to result in large-scale violence and democratic breakdown. Where power is strongly imbalanced, on the other hand, polarization is unlikely to be sustained, and the status quo ante will be retained. When these two conditions are absent, however, a relatively high degree of polarization can have surprising institution-building effects for new democracies. The article illustrates these arguments with reference to four key cases in sub-Saharan Africa.