Concept Of Coherence Research Articles

On Why Quine’s Ontological Relativity Requires Reconsideration

We aim to show from a new perspective that Quine’s ontological relativity, based largely on his so-called “proxy-function argument”, falls short of being a rigorously coherent philosophical conception, as it exhibits significant formal defects. This new perspective enables exposing the shortcomings of Quine's position and suggests a possible reformulation of the original position. Moreover, we argue that his ontological relativity is inconsistent with the empirical data associated with some of our best physical theories, such as quantum mechanics. We refer to fundamental concepts of philosophy and the foundations of mathematics in order to clarify our critique of Quine’s position concerning the relation between formalized theories and both what we can know about the real world and how we come to know it.

SentiStory: A Multi-Layered Sentiment-Aware Generative Model for Visual Storytelling

The visual storytelling (VIST) task aims at generating reasonable, human-like and coherent stories with the image streams as input. Although many deep learning models have achieved promising results, most of them do not directly leverage the sentiment information of stories. In this paper, we propose a sentiment-aware generative model for VIST called SentiStory. The key of SentiStory is a multi-layered sentiment extraction module (MLSEM). For a given image stream, the higher layer gives coarse-grained but accurate sentiments, while the lower layer of the MLSEM extracts fine-grained but usually unreliable ones. The two layers are combined strategically to generate coherent and rich visual sentiment concepts for the VIST task. Results from both automatic and human evaluations demonstrate that with the help of the MLSEM, SentiStory achieves improvement in generating more coherent and human-like stories.

Exploiting Deep Generative Prior for Versatile Image Restoration and Manipulation.

Learning a good image prior is a long-term goal for image restoration and manipulation. While existing methods like deep image prior (DIP) capture low-level image statistics, there are still gaps toward an image prior that captures rich image semantics including color, spatial coherence, textures, and high-level concepts. This work presents an effective way to exploit the image prior captured by a generative adversarial network (GAN) trained on large-scale natural images. As shown in Fig. 1, the deep generative prior (DGP) provides compelling results to restore missing semantics, e.g., color, patch, resolution, of various degraded images. It also enables diverse image manipulation including random jittering, image morphing, and category transfer. Such highly flexible restoration and manipulation are made possible through relaxing the assumption of existing GAN inversion methods, which tend to fix the generator. Notably, we allow the generator to be fine-tuned on-the-fly in a progressive manner regularized by feature distance obtained by the discriminator in GAN. We show that these easy-to-implement and practical changes help preserve the reconstruction to remain in the manifold of nature images, and thus lead to more precise and faithful reconstruction for real images. Code is available at https://github.com/XingangPan/deep-generative-prior.

Landscape engineering and aesthetics approaches to design a community garden: Social activity zones appraisal in the envisaged Drwinka River Park (Kraków, Poland)

As cities are developed in line with sustainable development, space needs to be efficiently utilized. A balance must be achieved between investment sites and naturally active areas in order to shape the urban environment. In the public city, green spaces represent an indisputable element and are essential. An urban greenery plan is an essential component of a city's economic development. In recent years, spatial planning has been gaining government attention, particularly green development. Responsible management of these spaces is essential. However, urban foliage management appears to be a challenge for local authorities. In a spatial development plan, new greenery may be created, destroyed green spaces should be renovated, or brownfields must be repurposed. The purpose of this paper is to present a coherent concept for reclaiming the estate in Krakow, focusing especially on landscaping the Riverside Park. The design will create a friendly space that can be used by residents for rest and meetings, as well as enhance aesthetics and quality of life. Parks and community gardens are listed as strategic components for equipping the city with public spaces for meetings and recreation as well as other activities.

Gendun Chopel: Tibet's First Modern Artist

Gendun Chopel: Tibet's First Modern Artist

Conceptualising social wellbeing using an international Group Concept Mapping study

Physical, mental and social components of wellbeing are known to be important to health. However, in health research and practice much of the focus has been on physical and mental wellbeing with less attention paid to social components, which we assert detrimentally affects the development of health policies and practices. A systematic measure of wellbeing, which captures both mental (internal) and social (external) wellbeing is needed to offer a richer, nuanced, and more complex multi-dimensional account of wellbeing. We report on using Group Concept Mapping (GCM) to define a social conception of wellbeing. The aim was to capture the complex multi-dimensional aspects of the ‘social resources’ that people access, and the ‘social worlds’ they inhabit. We highlight why it is necessary to separate and promote different components of wellbeing simultaneously, and why a multi-dimensional definition of social wellbeing is needed. We discuss the importance of promoting social wellbeing in health and social care settings, with reference to social prescribing. The paper demonstrates how a theoretically coherent and workable conception of social wellbeing may support scale development i.e., the South Wales Social Wellbeing Scale (SWSWBS). It is anticipated that such a tool would measure the quality of respondents’ overall experience of social wellbeing via the external social resources they possess, their perceived ability to engage in and enjoy the social world in which they live, and, as a result, their capacity for human functioning and flourishing.

The Concept of Motion in Ancient Greek Thought: Foundations in Logic, Method, and Mathematics

<i>The Concept of Motion in Ancient Greek Thought: Foundations in Logic, Method, and Mathematics</i>

Optical transitions, exciton radiative decay, and valley coherence in lead chalcogenide quantum dots

We propose the concept of valley coherence and superradiance in the reciprocal space and show that it leads to an $N$-fold decrease of the bright exciton radiative lifetime in quantum dots (QDs) of an $N$-valley semiconductor. Next we explain why, despite this, the exciton radiative lifetimes in PbX (X = S, Se, Te) QDs, measured from the photoluminescence decay, are in the microsecond range. We also address peculiarities of the light-matter interaction in nanostructures made of narrow-gap materials with strong inter-band coupling.

Equivalence and polyvalence: A case for the stratification of semantics

The article presents a semantic theory suggesting that equivalence and polyvalence are closely con­nected phe­nomena. The connection between them is utilised by making equivalence the basis of an argu­­ment for polyvalence within semantics, or in other terms, for a stratified semantics encompassing two levels of description. This argument from equivalence lends new support to frameworks assuming a strati­fied se­man­tics. For the argument to work properly, it is necessary to distinguish between equivalences that are facts of language and equi­valences that depend on extralinguistic circum­stances. A few other re­quire­ments for a coherent concept of equi­valence are also introduced. A major part of the article is devoted to an investiga­tion of previous accounts of equi­valence and of the conceptual underpinnings of these ac­counts. The investigation shows that all previous accounts have failed to make the necessary dis­tinction. Close examination of various cases of equivalence reveals differences that are cap­tured by the proposed dis­tinction, thus providing evidence for its ac­cu­racy. The article concludes that the argument from equi­valence strengthens the case for a stra­tified seman­tics pro­vided that the concept of equivalence has been ap­propriately delimited and defined.

THE INJUSTICE OF UNDER-POLICING IN AMERICA

THE INJUSTICE OF UNDER-POLICING IN AMERICA

A Complex Confucian Conception of Distributive Justice

Distributive justice is generally important to persons in society. This was widely recognized by early Confucian thinkers, particularly Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi, in ancient China. Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi had developed, in varying degrees and with different emphases, their respective conceptions of distributive justice to address the relevant social problems in their times. These conceptions not only are intrinsically valuable political thoughts, but may prove useful in dealing with current or future social issues. Thus in this essay, first I provide a detailed interpretation of each of those thinkers’ conceptions of distributive justice, then I combine some essential elements of those conceptions to form a general and coherent conception, which is called a complex Confucian conception of distributive justice, and finally I evaluate this conception by considering some of its implications and limitations, in theory and in practice. This aims mainly at exploring the meaning and practical bearing of basic Confucian conceptions of distributive justice.

Peter Bergmann on observables in Hamiltonian General Relativity: A historical-critical investigation

The problem of observables and their supposed lack of change has been significant in Hamiltonian quantum gravity since the 1950s. This paper considers the unrecognized variety of ideas about observables in the thought of constrained Hamiltonian dynamics co-founder Peter Bergmann, who trained many students at Syracuse and invented observables. Whereas initially Bergmann required a constrained Hamiltonian formalism to be mathematically equivalent to the Lagrangian, in 1953 Bergmann and Schiller introduced a novel postulate, motivated by facilitating quantum gravity. This postulate held that observables were invariant under transformations generated by each individual first-class constraint. While modern works rely on Bergmann's authority and sometimes speak of “Bergmann observables,” he had much to say about observables, generally interesting and plausible but not all mutually consistent and much of it neglected.On occasion he required observables to be locally defined (not changeless and global); at times he wanted observables to be independent of the Hamiltonian formalism (implicitly contrary to a definition involving separate first-class constraints). But typically he took observables to have vanishing Poisson bracket with each first-class constraint and took this result to be justified by the example of electrodynamics. He expected observables to be analogous to the transverse true degrees of freedom of electromagnetism. Given these premises, there is no coherent concept of observables which he reliably endorsed, much less established.A revised definition of observables that satisfies the requirement that equivalent theories should have equivalent observables using the Rosenfeld–Anderson–Bergmann–Castellani gauge generator G, a tuned sum of first-class constraints that changes the canonical action ∫dt(pq̇−H) by a boundary term. Bootstrapping from theory formulations with no first-class constraints, one finds that the “external” coordinate gauge symmetry of GR calls for covariance (a transformation rule and hence a 4-dimensional Lie derivative for the Poisson bracket), not invariance (0 Poisson bracket), under G (not each first-class constraint separately).

A diffraction experiment at the near field: the homemade Talbot effect

Diffraction refers to a kind of optical phenomena which occurs when light approaches an element (object or aperture) whose features are in the range of the illuminating wavelength (small apertures, sharp edges). It can be explained by means of the undulatory nature of light or also geometrically by using simple ray optics. Diffraction phenomena are impressive and not intuitive, so it makes them very interesting to bring examples to the classroom. The most popular diffraction experiments show effects in Fraunhofer regime, that is to be said, far from the diffractive object. Common examples are the single or double slit experiments. In this manuscript, we propose and show a less common diffractive effect that occurs in the Fresnel regime, near to the diffractive object. It is the Talbot effect or self-imaging phenomenon, which appears by illuminating a diffraction grating with a collimated monochromatic beam. It consists of the apparition of replicas (self-images) of the grating intensity pattern at periodic distances, multiples of the so-called Talbot distance. We show how this effect may be shown into the classroom with cheap and easy to find elements. In addition, we take advantage of its dependence on the coherence degree of the source to introduce the concept of optical coherence and show its effect on the contrast of the Talbot self-images. These experiments could be appropriate for undergraduate students or introductory physics courses.

The Ordeal of a Sixth-Century Josef K: Boethius’ De Consolatione Philosophiae as a Modernist Drama

In recent scholarship, several views have been propounded on the argumentative inconsistencies in Boethius’ De consolatione Philosophiae&amp;nbsp;and the inconclusiveness of its ending. In this article, it is argued that modern scholars still, perhaps unconsciously, adhere to aristotelian concepts of unity, coherence, and closure, which may not be helpful in assessing what Boethius is really trying to say. When analysed from a perspective usually associated with modernist literature, it becomes clear that Boethius’ swan song is neither a deconstruction of “pagan” philosophy nor an implicit plea for Christian spirituality but a an existential drama in which religion and philosophy do not provide any consolation.

May the 4C's be with you: an overview of complexity-inspired frameworks for analysing resting-state neuroimaging data.

Competing and complementary models of resting-state brain dynamics contribute to our phenomenological and mechanistic understanding of whole-brain coordination and communication, and provide potential evidence for differential brain functioning associated with normal and pathological behaviour. These neuroscientific theories stem from the perspectives of physics, engineering, mathematics and psychology and create a complicated landscape of domain-specific terminology and meaning, which, when used outside of that domain, may lead to incorrect assumptions and conclusions within the neuroscience community. Here, we review and clarify the key concepts of connectivity, computation, criticality and coherence—the 4C's—and outline a potential role for metastability as a common denominator across these propositions. We analyse and synthesize whole-brain neuroimaging research, examined through functional magnetic imaging, to demonstrate that complexity science offers a principled and integrated approach to describe, and potentially understand, macroscale spontaneous brain functioning.

Channel-based coherence of quantum states

Quantum coherence is one of the most fundamental and striking features in quantum physics. Considered the standard coherence (SC), the partial coherence (PC) and the block coherence (BC) as variance of quantum states under some quantum channels (QCs) [Formula: see text], we propose the concept of channel-based coherence of quantum states, called [Formula: see text]-coherence for short, which contains the SC, PC and BC, but does not contain the positive operator-valued measure (POVM)-based coherence. By our definition, a state [Formula: see text] is said to be [Formula: see text]-incoherent if it is a fixed point of a QC [Formula: see text], otherwise, it is said to be [Formula: see text]-coherent. First, we find the set [Formula: see text] of all [Formula: see text]-incoherent states for some given channels [Formula: see text] and prove that the set [Formula: see text] forms a nonempty compact convex set for any channel [Formula: see text]. Second, we define [Formula: see text]-incoherent operations ([Formula: see text]-IOs) and prove that the set of all [Formula: see text]-IOs is a nonempty convex set. We also establish some characterizations of a [Formula: see text]-IO in terms of its Kraus operators. Lastly, we discuss the problem of quantifying [Formula: see text]-coherence and prove some related properties.

Coherence between theory and policy in Nudge and Boost: Is it relevant for evidence-based policy-making?

Behavioral policies Nudge and Boost are often advocated as good candidates for evidence-based policy. Nudges present or “frame” options in a way that trigger people’s decision-making flaws and steer into the direction of better choices. Nudge aims to do this without changing the options themselves. Boosts also present choices in alternative ways without changing options. However, rather than steering, Boosts are aimed to increase people’s competences. Nudge and Boost originated in extensive research programs: the “heuristics-and-biases program” and the “fast-and-frugal heuristics program,” respectively. How exactly do Nudge and Boost policies relate to the theories they originated from in the first place? Grüne-Yanoff and Hertwig labeled this a question of “theory-policy coherence” and propose to use it for determining the evidence-base of Nudge and Boost. I explore the question: “In how far is theory-policy coherence in Nudge and Boost relevant for evidence-based policymaking?.” I argue that the implications of (weaker or stronger) theory-policy coherence are relevant in two ways. First, Grüne-Yanoff and Hertwig show that theory-policy coherence between Nudge and Boost and the research programs is not as strong as often assumed. It is crucial for the evidence-based policymaker to realize this. Assuming theory-policy coherence while it does not exist or is weaker than assumed can lead to an incorrect assessment of evidence. Ultimately it can even lead to adoption of policies on false grounds. Second, the concept of theory-policy coherence may assist the policymaker in the search and evaluation of (mechanistic) evidence. However, in order to do so, it is important to consider the limitations of theory-policy coherence. It can neither be employed as the (sole) criterion with which to determine how well-grounded a policy is in theory, nor be the (sole) basis for making comparative evaluations between policies.

An Approach to Assessing Spatial Coherence of Current and Voltage Signals in Electrical Networks

In the context of energy industry decentralization, electrical networks encounter deviations of power quality indices (PQI), including violations of the sinusoidality of current and voltage signals, which increase errors in the joint digital processing of spatially separated signals in digital devices. This paper addresses specific features of using the concept of spatial coherence in the measurement and digital processing of current and voltage signals. Methods for assessing the coherence of current and voltage signals during synchronized measurements are considered for the case of PQI deviation. The example of a double-ended transmission line fault location (hereafter, DTLFL) demonstrates that the lower the cross-correlation coefficient, the higher the error and the lower the accuracy of calculating the distance to the fault site. The nature of the influence of spatial coherence violations on errors in DTLFL depends on the expression used to calculate the distance to the fault point. The application of a normalized cross-correlation coefficient for finding errors in the digital processing of current and voltage signals, in the case of spatial coherence violation, was substantiated. The influence of interharmonics and noise on errors in DTLFL, in the case of violations of spatial coherence of signals, was investigated. The magnitude of distortions and error in estimating the current and voltage amplitude depends on the ratio between the amplitudes and phases of the fundamental and distorting interharmonics. Filtration of the original and decimated signals based on the discrete Fourier transform eliminates the noise components of the power frequency harmonics.

How green are our laws? Presenting a normative coherence for sustainable development methodology

AbstractPolicy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD) has become a pillar of supranational sustainable development agendas, promoting “whole of government approaches.” The concept of normative coherence for sustainable development (NCSD) has emerged as a new stage of policy coherence for sustainable development analysis. NCSD is a policy approach that aims to promote transformative development by examining the relationship between policies and key sustainability norms, such as those expressed in the sustainable development goals. Normative coherence for sustainable development is recognized in recent scholarship but it remains generalized, lacking operationalization. This article proposes an NCSD methodology for analysis of legal frameworks. Qualitative empirical research tested this approach in Mexico by focusing on federal laws as well as those in two states: Aguascalientes and Veracruz. The analysis which examined four dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social, security, and environmental) showed that the environmental dimension of Mexico's legal framework is the least prioritized, suggesting that this framework is not very “green” even though environmental laws are the most transversal in content, which indicate significant levels of mainstreaming. Sustainable development experts were then contacted by the research team to validate the findings and interpret the results. This normative coherence for sustainable development methodology aims to situate normative considerations at the center of evaluation in order to promote domestic transformative sustainable development strategies and the “greening” of legal frameworks.

Quantum Incoherence Based Simultaneously on k Bases.

Quantum coherence is known as an important resource in many quantum information tasks, which is a basis-dependent property of quantum states. In this paper, we discuss quantum incoherence based simultaneously on k bases using Matrix Theory Method. First, by defining a correlation function of two orthonormal bases e and f, we investigate the relationships between sets and of incoherent states with respect to e and f. We prove that if and only if the rank-one projective measurements generated by e and f are identical. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for the intersection to include a state except the maximally mixed state. Especially, if two bases e and f are mutually unbiased, then the intersection has only the maximally mixed state. Secondly, we introduce the concepts of strong incoherence and weak coherence of a quantum state with respect to a set of k bases and propose a measure for the weak coherence. In the two-qubit system, we prove that there exists a maximally coherent state with respect to when and it is not the case for .