julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The Phenomenal Character of Emotional Experience: A Look at Perception Theory
2015-09-01

In this paper I examine whether different suggestions made in the philosophy of perception can help us to explain and understand the phenomenal character of emotional experience. After having introduced the range of possible positions, I consider qualia-theory, reductive pure intentionalism and reductive impure intentionalism. I argue that qualia-theory can easily explain why emotions are phenomenal states at all but that it cannot account for the "inextricable link thesis" which is quite prominent in the philosophy of emotion. Reductive pure and impure intentionalism, in turn, seem to fit better with this thesis but they have difficulties to explain what makes emotions phenomenal states at all. Therefore, I finally discuss whether non-reductive intentionalism might be an option for explaining the phenomenal character of emotional experience.
Psignifit 4: Pain-free Bayesian Inference for Psychometric Functions
2015-09-01

Psychometric functions are frequently used in vision science to model task performance. These sigmoid functions can be fit to data using likelihood maximization, but this ignores the reliability or variance of the point estimates. In contrast Bayesian methods automatically calculate this reliability. However, using Bayesian methods in practice usually requires expert knowledge, user interaction and computation time. Also most methods---including Bayesian ones---are vulnerable to non-stationary observers (whose performance is not constant). For such observers all methods, which assume a stationary binomial observer are overconfident in the estimates. We present Psignifit 4, a new method for fitting psychometric functions, which provides an efficient Bayesian analysis based on numerical integration, which requires little user-interaction and runs in seconds on a common office computer. Additionally it fits a beta-binomial model increasing the stability against non-stationarity and contains standard settings including a heuristic to set the prior based on the interval of stimulus levels in the experimental data. Obviously all properties of the analysis can be adjusted. To test our method it was run on extensive simulated datasets. First we tested the numerical accuracy of our method with different settings and found settings which calculate a good estimate fast and reliably. Testing the statistical properties, we find that our method calculates correct or slightly conservative confidence intervals in all tested conditions, including different sampling schemes, beta-binomial observers, other non-stationary observers and adaptive methods. When enough data was collected to overcome the small sample bias caused by the prior, the point estimates are also essentially unbiased. In summary we present a user-friendly, fast, correct and comprehensively tested Bayesian method to fit psychometric functions, which handles non-stationary observers well and is freely available as an MATLAB implementation online. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015
A PILOT DEEP SURVEY FOR X-RAY EMISSION FROM fuvAGB STARS
2015-09-01

We report the results of a pilot survey for X-ray emission from a newly discovered class of AGB stars with far-ultraviolet excesses (fuvAGB stars) using XMM-Newton and Chandra. We detected X-ray emission in 3 of 6 fuvAGB stars observed -- the X-ray fluxes are found to vary in a stochastic or quasi-periodic manner on roughly hour-long times-scales, and simultaneous UV observations using the Optical Monitor on XMM for these sources show similar variations in the UV flux. These data, together with previous studies, show that X-ray emission is found only in fuvAGB stars. From modeling the spectra, we find that the observed X-ray luminosities are ~(0.002-0.2 ) Lsun, and the X-ray emitting plasma temperatures are ~(35-160) x 10^6 K. The high X-ray temperatures argue against the emission arising in stellar coronae, or directly in an accretion shock, unless it occurs on a WD companion. However, none of the detected objects is a known WD-symbiotic star, suggesting that if WD companions are present, they are relatively cool (<20,000 K). In addition, the high X-ray luminosities specifically argue against emission originating in the coronae of main-sequence companions. We discuss several models for the X-ray emission and its variability and find that the most likely scenario for the origin of the X-ray (and FUV) emission involves accretion activity around a companion star, with confinement by strong magnetic fields associated with the companion and/or an accretion disk around it.
Estimating climate-change effects on a Mediterranean catchment under various irrigation conditions
2015-09-01

Study region: The Lerma catchment, a small (7.3 km2) sub-catchment of the Ebro Basin in northern Spain. Study focus: The Lerma catchment underwent a monitored transition to irrigated agriculture, using water from outside the catchment, between 2006 and 2008. This transition has successfully been simulated using the partial-differential-equation-based model HydroGeoSphere, simulating coupled evapotranspiration, surface water, and groundwater flow in the catchment. We use the calibrated model to study how irrigation practices influence the response of the Lerma catchment to the climate change projected for northern Spain. We consider four different irrigation scenarios: no irrigation, present irrigation, climate-adapted irrigation with current crops, and adapted irrigation for crops requiring less water. The climate scenarios are based on four regional climate models and two downscaling methods. New hydrological insight: The simulated catchment responses to climate change show clear differences between the irrigation scenarios. In future climate, groundwater levels and base flows decrease more when irrigation is present than without irrigation, because groundwater levels and base flow in present climate are already at low levels without irrigation. In contrast, annual peak discharges increase more in non-irrigated cases than in irrigated cases. Irrigation increases water availability and an associated rise in potential evapotranspiration results in higher actual evapotranspiration during summer. In non-irrigated scenarios, by contrast, actual evapotranspiration in summer is controlled by precipitation and thus decreases in future climate.
Sperm metabolism is altered during storage by female insects: evidence from two-photon autofluorescence lifetime measurements in bedbugs
2015-09-01

We explore the possibility of characterizing sperm cells without the need to stain them using spectral and fluorescence lifetime analyses after multi-photon excitation in an insect model. The autofluorescence emission spectrum of sperm of the common bedbug, Cimex lectularius , was consistent with the presence of flavins and NAD(P)H. The mean fluorescence lifetimes showed smaller variation in sperm extracted from the male (tau m, τ m = 1.54–1.84 ns) than in that extracted from the female sperm storage organ (tau m, τ m = 1.26–2.00 ns). The fluorescence lifetime histograms revealed four peaks. These peaks (0.18, 0.92, 2.50 and 3.80 ns) suggest the presence of NAD(P)H and flavins and show that sperm metabolism can be characterized using fluorescence lifetime imaging. The difference in fluorescence lifetime variation between the sexes is consistent with the notion that female animals alter the metabolism of sperm cells during storage. It is not consistent, however, with the idea that sperm metabolism represents a sexually selected character that provides females with information about the male genotype.
Regulatory fit buffers against disidentification from groups.
2015-09-01

Disidentification refers to people’s active psychological distancing from a group due to a negative self-defining affiliation with the group. Because disidentification can threaten group survival and group functioning, it is important to gain insight into factors that potentially buffer its occurrence. A field study and an experiment (with 2 replications) suggest that regulatory fit between group regulatory focus and individual regulatory focus can reduce group members’ tendency to disidentify from their group. Specifically, we found that in promotion-focused groups, members’ promotion focus reduced disidentification whereas in prevention-focused groups, members’ prevention focus reduced disidentification. These findings suggest groups and organizations aiming to reduce lack of effort, attrition, and turnover associated with disidentification, might do so by tailoring the work environment to the individual’s self-regulatory preferences.
Long range traversable region detection based on superpixels clustering for mobile robots
2015-09-01

Traversable region detection is important for autonomous visual navigation of mobile robots.Only short range traversable regions can be detected using traditional methods based on stereo vision because of the limited image resolution and baseline of stereo vision.In this paper, we propose a novel method to detect long range traversable regions without using any supervised or self-supervised learning process.Superpixels are clustered using an improved spectral clustering algorithm to segment the image effectively, and after integrating short range traversable region detection based on u-v-disparity, the traversable region can be extended to long range naturally.The experimental results show that the proposed method works well in different outdoor/field environments, and the detecting range can be improved greatly in comparison with traditional methods.Furthermore, the proposed superpixels clustering algorithm can also be applied in other robot vision tasks like road detection and object recognition.
Acquisition and Use of Mobility Habits for Personal Assistants
2015-09-01

With large parts of human population increasingly living in big cities, the mobility behavior of humans is about to change faster than ever before. Not only convenience and increasing ecological awareness lead to more intermodal mobility behavior, also the rise of new mobility options like car-or bike sharing are becoming more and more common. Wide distribution of smartphones and the on-trip availability of high-speed Internet let users inform themselves about a vast variety of mobility options. This information overload can overburden users who often have the simple wish to conveniently travel from A to B. Digital Mobility Assistants ease the burden of selecting the best mobility option for a particular user by incorporating the users' habits and preferences and providing relevant information at just the right time. To enable such intelligent assistance, we propose to create personalized mobility models that include not only information about habitual trips and destinations, but also allow for the detection of preferred travel modes. Our system is specifically designed to use sparse sensor data from mobile devices, such as smartphones, to offer an adequate balance between battery-life and data quality.
The reproductive performance of the Red-Algae shrimp Leander paulensis (Ortmann, 1897) (Decapoda, Palaemonidae) and the effect of post-spawning female weight gain on weight-dependent parameters
2015-09-01

AbstractDecapod species have evolved with a variety of reproductive strategies. In this study reproductive features of the palaemonid shrimp Leander paulensiswere investigated. Individuals were collected in the coastal region of Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. In all, 46 ovigerous females were examined in terms of the following reproductive traits: fecundity, reproductive output, brood loss and egg volume. Leander paulensis produces a large number of small eggs with an average fecundity of 635 ± 246 eggs. Egg volume increased significantly from early (0.034 ± 0.008 mm3) to late development stage (0.05 ± 0.012 mm3). The reproductive output did not correlate with female size. The weight of females bearing stage 2 eggs was significantly higher than that of females carrying stage 1 eggs. We assume that the reason for this weight gain is the recovery of female reserves that have been depleted for egg production. Moreover, we emphasize that this weight gain must be considered when evaluating weight-dependent variables such as reproductive output or brood loss in relation to female weight. Otherwise, an overestimation of these variables might lead to inaccurate results.
A robust nonlinear controller for nontrivial quadrotor maneuvers: Approach and verification
2015-09-01

This paper presents a nonlinear control approach for quadrotor Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs), which combines a backstepping-like regulator based on the solution of a certain class of global output regulation problems for the rigid body equations on SO(3), a robust controller for the system with bounded disturbances, as well as a trajectory generator using a model predictive control method. The proposed algorithm is endowed with strong convergence properties so that it allows the quadrotor MAVs to reach almost all the desired attitudes. The control approach is implemented on a high-payload-capable quadcopter with unstructured dynamics and unknown disturbances. The performance of our algorithm is demonstrated through a series of experimental evaluations and comparisons with another control method on normal and aggressive trajectory tracking tasks.
Robustness Evaluation and Improvement for Vision-Based Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
2015-09-01

In this paper we propose a novel method of robustness evaluation and improvement. The required amount of on-road records used in the design and validation of vision-based advanced driver assistance systems and fully automated driving vehicles is reduced by the use of fitness landscaping. This is realized by guided application of simulated environmental conditions to real video data. To achieve a high test coverage of advanced driver assistance systems many different environmental conditions have to be tested. However, it is by far too time-consuming to build test sets of all environmental combinations by recording real video data. Our approach facilitates the generation of comparable test sets by using largely reduced amounts of real on-road records and subsequent application of computer-generated environmental variations. We demonstrate this method using virtual prototypes of an automotive traffic sign recognition system and a lane detection system. The robustness of these systems is evaluated and improved in a second step.
Variable Expression of Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule Isoforms in Renal Tissue: Possible Role in Incipient Renal Fibrosis
2015-09-01

Rare neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) positive cells have been previously described within the normal human adult kidney interstitium, speculating that they could increase in the interstitium with incipient interstitial renal fibrosis (IRF). In the present study, among 93 biopsy samples of various kidney diseases, NCAM+ interstitial cells were detected in 62.4% cases. An increased number of NCAM+ cells was significantly observed only in incipient IRF compared to normal renal tissues and advanced IRF stages (p<0.001), independently of underlying diseases (p = 0.657). All three major NCAM isoforms' RT-PCR bands were visible either in normal or in kidneys with incipient IRF, albeit their mRNA expression levels measured by qRT-PCR were different. Applying qRT-PCR on pure NCAM+ cells population, obtained by laser capture microdissection, significant mRNA over-expression of NCAM140kD isoform was found in NCAM+ cells within incipient IRF (p = 0.004), while NCAM120kD and NCAM180kD isoforms were not changed significantly (p = 0.750; p = 0.704; respectively). Simultaneously, qRT-PCR also showed significant αSMA (p = 0.014) and SLUG (p = 0.004) mRNAs up-regulation within the NCAM+ cells of incipient IRF, as well as highly decreased matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) -2 and -9 mRNAs (p = 0.028; p = 0.036; respectively). However, using double immunofluorescence MMP-9 could still be detectable on the protein level in rare NCAM+ cells within the incipient IRF. Further characterization of NCAM+ cells by double immunofluorescent labeling revealed their association with molecules involved in fibrosis. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) and α5β1 integrin were extensively expressed on NCAM+ cells within the incipient IRF areas, whereas human epididymis protein-4 (HE4) was found to be present in few NCAM+ cells of both normal and interstitium with incipient fibrosis. Heterogeneity of NCAM+ interstitial cells in normal and incipient IRF, concerning molecules related to fibrosis and variable expression of NCAM isoforms, could suggest diverse role of NCAM+ cells in homeostasis and in regulation of renal fibrosis in diseased kidneys.
3D hydrodynamic simulations of the Galactic supernova remnant CTB 109
2015-09-01

Using detailed 3D hydrodynamic simulations we study the nature of the\\nGalactic supernova remnant (SNR) CTB 109 (G109.1-1.0), which is well-known for\\nits semicircular shape and a bright diffuse X-ray emission feature inside the\\nSNR. Our model has been designed to explain the observed morphology, with a\\nspecial emphasis on the bright emission feature inside the SNR. Moreover, we\\ndetermine the age of the remnant and compare our findings with X-ray\\nobservations. With CTB 109 we test a new method of detailed numerical\\nsimulations of diffuse young objects, using realistic initial conditions\\nderived directly from observations. We performed numerical 3D simulations with\\nthe RAMSES code. The initial density structure has been directly taken from\\n CO emission data, adding an additional dense cloud, which, when it is\\nshocked, causes the bright emission feature. From parameter studies we obtained\\nthe position for an elliptical\\ncloud with based on the preshock density\\nfrom Chandra data and a maximum diameter of 4.54 pc, whose encounter with the\\nsupernova (SN) shock wave generates the bright X-ray emission inside the SNR.\\nThe calculated age of the remnant is about 11,000 yr according to our\\nsimulations. In addition, we can also determine the most probable site of the\\nSN explosion. Hydrodynamic simulations can reproduce the morphology and the\\nobserved size of the SNR CTB 109 remarkably well. Moreover, the simulations\\nshow that it is very plausible that the bright X-ray emission inside the SNR is\\nthe result of an elliptical dense cloud shocked by the SN explosion wave. We\\nshow that numerical simulations using observational data for an initial model\\ncan produce meaningful results.\\n
Update on the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis &ndash; role of apremilast
2015-09-01

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis (PsO). The treatment of PsA can be challenging and includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs, and biologicals. One novel oral compound that has been recently established for the treatment of PsO and PsA is apremilast, a small molecule PDE4 inhibitor. The inhibition of PDE4 results in increased intracellular cAMP levels and modulates the expression of inflammatory mediators critically involved in PsO and PsA pathogenesis like TNF, IL-12, IL-17, and IL-23. Apremilast received US Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of PsO and PsA in 2014 and received approval from the European Medicines Agency in early 2015. This article summarizes the pharmacology of apremilast, its efficacy and safety in clinical studies, and its potential position in modern PsO/PsA management.
Safe and Efficient Runtime Resource Management in Heterogeneous Systems for Automated Driving
2015-09-01

In this paper, we present a novel runtime resource management approach that obeys automotive safety constraints. We specifically target emerging heterogeneous embedded plat-forms which promise potential to ease the ever-growing gap between demanded processing power and feasible efficient em-bedded realization of modern assistance systems by allowing both, hardware and software implementations of automotive driver assistance tasks. Our approach proposes runtime concepts that are mandatory for efficiently utilizing those heterogeneous architectures, specifically taking into account hard automotive safety requirements. Our dynamic management is complemented by a fail-operational scheme that ensures permanent safe vehicle operation. For evaluation, we implement a modern heterogeneous embedded platform as both, an in-vehicle prototype platform using a near-series CMOS sensor and as hardware-in-the-loop prototype, concurrently executing two complex assistance applications, a traffic light recognition and a traffic sign recognition, demonstrating the feasibility of our approach.
Governing airport security between the market and the public good
2015-09-01

Airport security is increasingly governed in liberal ways, allowing for flexibilized and marketized ways of outsourcing and contracting service provisions to the private sector. This article draws on expert interviews from the aviation sector, finding that liberal security governance at German airports enables public bodies not only to cut costs through competitive tendering practices, but also to re-locate accountability for security provision to private companies. The role of the public sector subsequently becomes one of managerialism and audits. However, there is a considerable downside to the promises of market regulation, putting severe hardships on the private security workforce and potentially undermining the quality of service provision. Thus, this article ultimately claims that public bodies should choose not to marketize security, as the value of security itself could be substantially undermined by neoliberal logics.
Spectral response of magnetically trapped Bose gases to weak microwave fields
2015-09-01

Microwave fields can be used to drive local spin transitions in quantum gases and for outcoupling of cold atomic beams from magnetic traps. In this paper, we derive an analytic theory for the outcoupling rate as a response to weak microwave fields of varying frequency and power. The theory holds for thermal clouds and Bose-Einstein condensates. It allows for calculating transition rates in arbitrary magnetic trap geometries and includes the effect of gravity. We verify our theory by measuring the flux of outcoupled atoms at the single-particle level. The derived spectral response is important for magnetic noise spectroscopy with quantum gases, and for probing quantum gas dynamics with single atom detectors in real time.
Exploiting Pretended Networking for Energy Saving in Automotive Networks
2015-09-01

In this paper we propose an approach on energy management in automotive CAN networks based on static scheduling of AUTOSAR runnables. The approach exploits the energy saving potential of the pretended networking mechanism defined by AUTOSAR. The mechanism selectively turns the Electronic Control Units (ECUs) into a lower power mode while they are not permanently used during operation. In the first step, our approach allocates as much continuous slack time as possible to enter pretended mode by static scheduling. In the second step, further optimization is achieved by exploiting the varying response times of the CAN messages in different vehicle states. At last, an online algorithm puts the ECUs into pretended mode dynamically during vehicle operation. Experimental results of the first optimization step show up to 31.3% saving potential of the ECUs energy consumption. Additional 8.2% energy saving can be achieved by the second optimization step. The proposed online algorithm can save up to 30.3% more energy compared with the pure static approach in the first step.