Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Normativity, Commitment, and Instrumental Reason

R. Jay Wallace There are two tendencies in our thinking about instrumental rationality that do not seem to cohere very well. On the one hand, the instrumental principle—enjoining us to take the means that are necessary relative to our ends—does not seem to apply indifferently to any end that we might be motivated to pursue. There is, for instance, no genuine requirement to take the means that are necessary for realizing ends that one merely happens to desire. This encourages what we might call a moralizing tendency in reflection about instrumental reason: the supposition that instrumental requirements come on the scene only in relation to ends that have themselves been endorsed in some way by the agent, as ends that it would be good or desirable to achieve. On the other hand, it seems undeniable that agents can display a kind of instrumental rationality in the pursuit of ends that they do not themselves endorse, when for instance they are in the grip of akrasia. People sometimes exhibit great intelligence and skill in executing plans that they view as dubious or questionable—think, for instance, of the extraordinary talent many of us display at procrastinating when it comes to tasks that we regard as worthy but difficult. It seems plausible to regard this kind of intelligence—cleverness, as we might call it—as a form of instrumental rationality, relative to the ends that we are in fact pursuing. This verdict, however, conflicts with the moralizing tendency in our reflection about the instrumental principle, since the cases at issue are precisely ones in which
A Comprehensive Review of the Prevention and Treatment of Heart Disease with a Plant-Based Diet

This prompted research on using a vegetarian diet as a treatment for coronary artery disease. For over 45 years, evidence from interventional studies has strongly indicated that a low-fat plant-based diet is both safe and efficacious in the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD). It’s particularly effective in the treatment angina pectoris. Interventional studies have shown that a low-fat plant-based diet is a safe and efficacious alternative to other treatments. This treatment can be used alone or in combination with standard treatment regimens, including medication, stenting and CABG. Treatment with the plant-based diet has the distinct advantages of having no adverse reactions or contraindications, is affordable, effectively treats common comorbidities and has been shown to have a high patient compliance.
Detection based on Enhanced Multichannels MSER and a Fast Text Grouping Process

Scene text detection has become a popular research in computer vision and pattern recognition field in recent years because of the accurate and rich information carried by scene text. Now component-based methods have become the trend, and the detection result is largely determined by the success of filtering text-like non-text regions. The main task of this paper is to reduce the time complexity without a big fall in recall. First an enhanced multi-channels MSER model is introduced. Before extracting MSER, the image is sharpened by using the Laplacian and Gaussian blur and multi-channel is utilized, then the step of the threshold used in MSER algorithm is set to the minimum in order to get add the more refined MSERs. Second, two novel scene text features local contrast and boundary key points are proposed to better distinguish text regions from non-text regions. Finally, a fast text grouping algorithm is achieved which reduces the time complexity from O (n2) to O(nlog2n). Experiments on both ICDAR 2011 and ICDAR 2013 show that the recall of the proposed method is improved by 3%.
A Turbulent Acceleration into the Stretto

Just over twenty years ago, Todd and Clarke suggested that performers of Western art music use expressive devices in order to clarify their own perspective on the structure of a composition. Performance analysis can study the characteristics of a performance in order to discover those structural features of the composition which are highlighted in the interpretation. In an earlier paper, we called this analytical process “inverse interpretation”. 2 This article presents our inverse interpretation of Martha Argerich’s expressive timing during bars 13-16 of Chopin’s Prelude op. 28/4 in E minor on her 1975 Deutsche Grammophon studio recording. We focus on a few seconds of music in order to analyze them in detail. We intend to demonstrate that Argerich shapes her accelerando of bars 13-16 in response to certain structural features of Chopin’s composition.
Effect of graphite content on cell performance and microstructure in solid oxide fuel cells

The presence of graphite materials in the anode composites of high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells exerts a significant effect on the microstructure of the electrodes and electrochemical performance of the cells. Herein, the amount of graphite in the anode materials was intentionally varied during the electrode processing steps. The effect of graphite content on cell performance was evaluated in terms of the resultant microstructure, mechanical strength, and electrochemical performance. A higher quantity of graphite in the anode composite leads to higher porosity, and consequently, to the opposing effects of enhanced electrochemical performance during the initial stages and faster degradation of the current-voltage characteristics. However, among the evaluated graphite-controlled anodes, the one with the lowest graphite content exhibited the slowest degradation rate and a fairly poor electrochemical performance. The balance between the microstructure and the corresponding electrochemical performance is discussed in terms of the optimization of high-performance solid oxide fuel cells.
Segmentation of Buildings for 3 D-Generalisation

Three-dimensional city models are getting increasingly popular and widely used. There are many applications from visualisation over planning to simulations. However, different applications need different levels of detail. The generation of lower detailed data from higher is a generalisation problem. The generalisation has to preserve the main characteristics of the building like parallelity, orthogonality, horizontality, verticality, co planarity, etc. To save these characteristics of buildings the smaller semantic structures on the boundary have to be considered. Windows, doors, chimneys, balconies, etc. are such structures. The paper presents an approach using an adaptation of the algorithm of Ribelles et al. [2001]. The building model is intersected with one or more planes of its boundary. All bumps, holes and notches will be detected. The so-called features will be ranked in quality order. Only the best feature is kept. Then the resulting features and the rest will be recursively segmented. For good performance, it is not possible to intersect the polyhedron with all combinations of the bordering planes. Therefore, the intersection is done first only with one plane and only if there are no good results a second, third or fourth plane is added. The results of the segmentation are in most cases convex features stored as cell complex and as CSG-tree. The cell model represents the topological adjacency of the features; the CSG-tree logs the history of the partitioning. Based on the structures found, the semantics of the features can be assigned which, in turn, is used for an object dependent generalisation, e.g. merging of adjacent windows, enlarging a door or omitting a window, etc.
A Central Limit Theorem for Fleming-Viot Particle Systems 1

Fleming-Viot type particle systems represent a classical way to approximate the distribution of a Markov process with killing, given that it is still alive at a final deterministic time. In this context, each particle evolves independently according to the law of the underlying Markov process until its killing, and then branches instantaneously from the state of another randomly chosen particle. While the consistency of this algorithm in the large population limit has been recently studied in several articles, our purpose here is to prove Central Limit Theorems under very general assumptions. For this, the key suppositions are that the particle system does not explode in finite time, and that the jump and killing times have atomless distributions. In particular, this includes the case of elliptic diffusions with hard killing. Index Terms — Sequential Monte Carlo, Interacting particle systems, Process with killing 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 82C22, 82C80, 65C05, 60J25, 60K35, 60K37 This work was partially supported by the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche, under grant ANR-14-CE23-0012, and by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013) / ERC Grant Agreement number 614492. Corresponding author.
Convex functions and matrix inequalities

Let f be a convex function defined on an interval I , 0 ≤ α ≤ 1 and let A,B be n×n complex Hermitian matrices with spectrum in I . It is proved that the eigenvalues of f(αA + (1 − α)B) are weakly majorized by the eigenvalues of αf(A)+(1−α)f(B). Further if f is log-convex it is proved that the eigenvalues of f(αA+(1−α)B) are weakly log-majorized by the eigenvalues of f(A)αf(B)1−α . If I = [0,∞), f(0) ≤ 0 and f is monotone, then it is proved that there exits unitaries U, V such that Uf(A)U∗+V f(B)V ∗ ≤ f(A+B). As applications we shall obtain generalizations of the famous Golden-Thomson trace inequality, a representation theorem and a harmonic-geometric mean inequality. Some related inequalities are also discussed. AMS classification: 47A30; 47B15; 15A60
Chlorophyll a Self‐assembly in Polar Solvent–Water Mixtures †

The conversion of chlorophyll a (Chl a) monomers into large aggregates in six polar solvents upon addition of water has been studied by means of absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime measurements for the purpose of elucidating the various environmental factors promoting Chl a self‐assembly and determining the type of its organization. Two empirical solvent parameter scales were used for quantitative characterization of the different solvation properties of the solvents and their mixtures with water. The mole fractions of water f1/2 giving rise to the midpoint values of the relative fluorescence quantum yield were determined for each solvent, and then various solvent–water mixture parameters for the f1/2 values were compared. On the basis of their comparison, it is concluded that the hydrogen‐bonding ability and the dipole–dipole interactions (function of the dielectric constant) of the solvent–water mixtures are those that promote Chl a self‐assembly. The influence of the different nature of the nonaqueous solvents on the Chl aggregation is manifested by both the different water contents required to induce Chl monomer → aggregate transition and the formation of two types of aggregates at the completion of the transition: species absorbing at 740–760 nm (in methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, acetone) and at 667–670 nm (in pyridine and tetrahydrofuran). It is concluded that the type of Chl organization depends on the coordination ability and the polarizability (function of the index of refraction) of the organic solvent. The ordering of the solvents with respect to the f1/2 values—methanol < ethanol < acetonitrile < acetone < pyridine < tetrahydrofuran—yielded a typical lyotropic (Hofmeister) series. On the basis of this solvent ordering and the disparate effects of the two groups of solvents on the Chl a aggregate organization, it is pointed out that the mechanism of Chl a self‐assembly in aqueous media can be considered a manifestation of the Hofmeister effect, as displayed in the lipid‐phase behavior (Koynova et al., Eur. J. Biophys. 25, 261–274, 1997). It relates to the solvent ability to modify the bulk structure and to distribute unevenly between the Chl–water interface and bulk liquid.
Effect of Low-Temperature for the Treatment of Municipal Wastewater in a Full-Scale BAF

The impact of temperature on nitrification in biological aerated filter (BAF), process was studied in order to improve the nitrification performance in municipal wastewater treatment. When the water temperature dropped, the nitrification performance obviously deteriorated. Effects of important process variables such as DO concentration and backwash period to nitrification performance were investigated when the water temperature dropped from 23&#8451; to 9&#8451;. The study shown that by raising the DO concentration to enhance nitrification performance was not available in low water temperature environment and by extending the backwash period to enhance nitrification was available. The effluent NH4-N concentration reduced from 8mg/L to 6.5mg/L, when the backwash period extended from 48 hours to 65 hours and the the effluent concentration of SS and head loss were all in a permissible range.
IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON DESIGN FLOOD USING NON STATIONARY IDF CURVE BASED ON RCP 8 . 5 CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARION

The traditional hydrologic frequency analysis assumes that climate, and hence the frequency of hydrologic events is unchanging over time. But, Hydrologists have always known our world is inherently non-stationary, and they routinely deal with this in management and planning. The goal of this paper is to give a brief introduction to non-stationary extreme value analysis methods and how does climate change effect on Design flood estimation in Korea. The design approach of the drainage system has limitation not to consider the extreme rainfall condition of which I-D-F curve is non-stationary by climate change and variability. In this paper, design rainfall by rainfall duration and non-stationary I-D-F curve are derived by the conditional GEV distribution. Furthermore, the effect of design flood with increase of rainfall intensity was analyzed by distributed rainfall-runoff model, S-RAT. Although there are some difference by rainfall duration, the traditional I-D-F curves underestimates the extreme rainfall events for high-frequency rainfall condition. As a result, this paper suggests that traditional I-D-F curves could not be suitable for the design of drainage system under climate change condition.
Brg 1 promotes osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells by regulating Runx 2-mediated Wnt and PI 3 K / AKT pathways

Objective: Brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1) has been reported to be related with osteoblast differentiation; however, exact mechanism is unclear. We aimed to investigate the functional role of Brg1 in osteoblast differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as well as underlying mechanism. Methods: MSCs obtained from bone marrow of rats were transfected with pcDNA3.1-Brg1 or empty vector, and the transfection efficiency was confirmed. Thereafter, effects of Brg1 overexpression on osteogenesis markers Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), special protein 7 (Sp7), collagen I and osteopontin (OPN) were investigated, as well as cell viability, adhesion ability and migration ability of MSCs. In addition, the interaction between Brg1 and Runx2 was explored by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Moreover, after transfection with pcDNA3.1-Brg1, MSCs were incubated with or without the inhibitor of Runx2, CADD522, and then the expression of Wnt and PI3K/AKT pathways key proteins was determined. Results: Brg1 expression vector was successfully transfected into MSCs. Overexpression of Brg1 significantly upregulated expression of Runx2, Sp7, collagen I and OPN, cell viability and adhesion ability (all P < 0.05), but had no effect on migration ability. Additionally, Runx2 was able to coprecipitate with Brg1 and was regulated by Brg1. The expressions of Wnt and PI3K/AKT pathways key proteins were statistically increased by overexpression of Brg1 (P < 0.05); however, administration of CADD522 markedly reversed the effects (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Conclusion: Brg1 promotes osteogenic differentiation of MSCs, and the effects might be by regulating Runx2-mediated downstream Wnt and PI3K/AKT pathways.
Coordination of a dual-channel closed-loop supply Chain with demand disruption under revenue-sharing contract

A manufacturer and a retailer coexist in a dual channel supply chain, where the retailer has a traditional channel and the manufacturer owns an online channel. In the dual channel, the manufacturer is also responsible for recycling remanufactured products. When the supply chain system is in a stable state, we calculate the optimal price, the sales quantity and the recovery rate. However, when demand disruption happens, the manufacturer does not need to adjust production planning within a certain range. In addition, the recovery rate and the change of demand disruption are negatively correlated. Under this circumstance, revenue-sharing contract in the stable state is no longer appropriate to coordinate the supply chain. Instead, an improved revenue-sharing contract is designed to coordinate the dual-channel closed-loop supply chain with the consideration of demand disruption
An Integrated IoT Architecture for Smart Metering

Advanced meter infrastructures (AMIs) are systems that measure, collect, and analyze utilities distribution and consumption, and communicate with metering devices either on a schedule or on request. AMIs are becoming a vital part of utilities distribution network and allow the development of Smart Cities. In this article we propose an integrated Internet of Things architecture for smart meter networks to be deployed in smart cities. We discuss the communication protocol, the data format, the data gathering procedure, and the decision system based on big data treatment. The architecture includes electricity, water, and gas smart meters. Real measurements show the benefits of the proposed IoT architecture for both the customers and the utilities.
Visualisation et exploration du capital documentaire d'une organisation au travers d'une interface multifacette

Knowledge workers organize in their personal information space (PIS) the docu- ments they use for their daily tasks. In an organizational context, people's PIS constitute an in-house value-added capital. Paradoxically, this information source is poorly exploited, as people tend to use external sources such as the web, although seeming less appropriate. To overcome this issue, we define an interface aiming to explore the organizational capital by browsing "facets. " They provide content-based and usage-based access to documents and peo- ple from the organization. This approach, which exploits the organizational IS, intends to make PIS management-related efforts profitable, thanks to the proposed mutual benefit interface.
EXACT DARK SOLITON , PERIODIC SOLUTIONS AND CHAOTIC DYNAMICS IN A PERTURBED GENERALIZED NONLINEAR SCHRODINGER EQUATION

For the cubic-quintic generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation (GNLS), the exact dark soliton solution and periodic solutions are given. The persistence of dark solition and chaotic dynamics of the traveling wave solutions for the perturbed cubic-quintic GNLS-equation are rigorously proved. To guarantee the existence of the above solutions, all parameter conditions are determined.
An identification scheme combining first principle knowledge, neural networks, and the likelihood function

An identification scheme is described for modeling uncertain systems. The method combines a physics-based model with a nonlinear mapping for capturing unmodeled physics and a statistical estimation procedure for quantifying any remaining process uncertainty. The technique has been used in predictive maintenance applications to detect operational changes of mechanical equipment by comparing the model output with the actual process output. Tests conducted on a peristaltic pump to detect incipient failure are described. The inclusion of unmodeled physics and a statistical representation of uncertainties results in lower false alarm and missed detection rates than other methods.
A-031 A CAUSALITY BASED IMAGING METHOD

An imaging condition is derived based on the causality principle. This condition determines directly the velocity contrast over an interface, using the wavefields measured at this interface. We assume the velocity below the interface is constant in vertical (but not necessarily in lateral) direction for a thin layer. Using the reciprocity theorem, we can now calculate the wavefield below this thin layer in the case it was removed and replaced by a layer with the background velocity. If the imaging condition is applied to this field, we can calculate the velocity of the next thin layer. The imaging condition proves to give very good results for 1D and 2D-horizontally layered media.
hin-film repulsive-force electrostatic actuators than

We demonstrate thin-film repulsive-force electrostatic actuators that employ a new electrode pattern and are useful for low-force actuation applications. Compared to prior patterns, the new electrode geometry increases electrostatic force production by an order of magnitude (at equal voltages) and eliminates the most common shorting failure modes. These electrostatic actuators have stable open-loop operation with no pull-in instability, low mechanical hysteresis, and peak force in rest configurations. The actuators are fabricated with a planar, flex-circuit manufacturing process, allowing production at scale and over large areas. Two-layer out-of-plane linear actuators (25 × 10 mm electrode area) were characterized:
DP 2009 / 13 The “ suite ” smell of success : Complementary personnel practices and firm performance

How do personnel practices affect firm performance? To examine this issue we use a panel of over 1,500 New Zealand firms, drawn from a diverse range of industries. The panel comprises respondents to official surveys of management practices in 2001 and 2005. These surveys ask a wide range of comparable qualitative questions covering organisational practices including human resource management (HRM). To this panel, we link longitudinal firm performance data from Statistics New Zealand’s Longitudinal Business Database. We find that suites of complementary HRM-related practices impact positively on firm productivity and wages; effects on employee turnover depend on the practices considered. ∗ The Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s discussion paper series is externally refereed. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. The authors wish to thank Statistics New Zealand for access to the data, Dave Maré for supplying the worker fixed effects estimates and providing very helpful feedback on the paper, and the external referee for insightful comments. † Richard Fabling: Reserve Bank of New Zealand (richard.fabling@rbnz.govt.nz); Motu Economic and Public Policy Research. Arthur Grimes: Motu Economic and Public Policy Research (arthur.grimes@motu.org.nz); University of Waikato. ISSN 1177-7567 c ©Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Speeding Up the Recommender Systems by Excluding the Low Rated Items

—Recommender systems (RSs) have become an important tool to help users in searching for their favorite items in many real life applications. A Collaborative Filtering is a commonly used technique in RS. In order to recommend items to the active user (the user we want to make recommendation for), collaborative ﬁltering-based RS uses similar users to the active user and/or latent factor techniques. In our project, we show that excluding the items I that have not been rated high by any user speeds up the recommendation process and gives better accuracy, precision, and recall. The RSs recommend the items that have been rated high by the similar users to the active user. No item from I has been rated high by the similar users and, hence, will not be recommended to the active user. As far as we know, there is no similar work in the literature.