Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maple: simplifying SDN programming using algorithmic policies

Software-Defined Networking offers the appeal of a simple, centralized programming model for managing complex networks. However, challenges in managing low-level details, such as setting up and maintaining correct and efficient forwarding tables on distributed switches, often compromise this conceptual simplicity. In this pa- per, we present Maple, a system that simplifies SDN programming by (1) allowing a programmer to use a standard programming language to design an arbitrary, centralized algorithm, which we call an algorithmic policy, to decide the behaviors of an entire network, and (2) providing an abstraction that the programmer-defined, centralized policy runs, conceptually, "afresh" on every packet entering a network, and hence is oblivious to the challenge of translating a high-level policy into sets of rules on distributed individual switches. To implement algorithmic policies efficiently, Maple includes not only a highly-efficient multicore scheduler that can scale efficiently to controllers with 40+ cores, but more importantly a novel tracing runtime optimizer that can automatically record reusable policy decisions, offload work to switches when possible, and keep switch flow tables up-to-date by dynamically tracing the dependency of policy decisions on packet contents as well as the environment (system state). Evaluations using real HP switches show that Maple optimizer reduces HTTP connection time by a factor of 100 at high load. During simulated benchmarking, Maple scheduler, when not running the optimizer, achieves a throughput of over 20 million new flow requests per second on a single machine, with 95-percentile latency under 10 ms.
The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: Probing the Evolution of Dark Matter Halos around Isolated Galaxies from z ~ 1 to z ~ 0

Using the first 25% of the DEEP2 Redshift Survey data, we probe the line-of-sight velocity dispersion profile for isolated galaxies with absolute B-band magnitude -22 < MB - 5 log(h) < -21 at z = 0.7-1.0, using satellite galaxies as luminous tracers of the underlying velocity distribution. Measuring the velocity dispersion beyond a galactocentric radius of ~200 h-1 kpc (physical) permits us to determine the total mass, including dark matter, around these bright galaxies. Tests with mock catalogs based on N-body simulations indicate that this mass measurement method is robust to selection effects. We find a line-of-sight velocity dispersion (σlos) of 162 km s-1 at ~110 h-1 kpc, 136 km s-1 at ~230 h-1 kpc, and 150 km s-1 at ~320 h-1 kpc. Assuming an NFW model for the dark matter density profile, this corresponds to a mass within r200 of M200 = 5.5 × 1012 h-1 M☉ for our sample of satellite hosts with mean luminosity ~2.5L*. Roughly ~60% of these host galaxies have early-type spectra and are red in rest-frame (U - B) color, consistent with the overall DEEP2 sample in the same luminosity and redshift range. The halo mass determined for DEEP2 host galaxies is consistent with that measured in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey for host galaxies within a similar luminosity range relative to M. This comparison is insensitive to the assumed halo mass profile and implies an increase in the dynamical mass-to-light ratio (M200/LB) of isolated galaxies that host satellites by a factor of ~2.5 from z ~ 1 to z ~ 0. Our results can be used to constrain the halo occupation distribution and the conditional luminosity function used to populate dark matter halos with galaxies. In particular, our results are consistent with scenarios in which galaxies populate dark matter halos similarly from z ~ 0 to z ~ 1, except for ~1 mag of evolution in the luminosity of all galaxies. With the full DEEP2 sample, it will be possible to extend this analysis to multiple luminosity or color bins.
Van Der Waerden's Theorem: Exposition and Generalizations

as a, a + p1(d), a + p2(d), . , a + pk−1(d) where pi(d) = id. Why these functions? We ponder replacing pi with other functions. The following remarkable theorem was first proved by Bergelson and Leibman [1]. They proved it by first proving the polynomial version of the Hales-Jewitt Theorem [2] (see Section 4 for a statement and proof of the original Hales-Jewitt Theorem), from which Theorem 1.8 follows easily. Their proof of the polynomial version of the Hales-Jewitt Theorem used ergodic methods. A later proof by Walters [7] uses combinatorial techniques. Hence, putting all of this together, there is a combinatorial proof of Theorem 1.8. The purpose of this note is to put all of this together in a self-contained way.
Real-Time Monitoring of Tumorigenesis, Dissemination, & Drug Response in a Preclinical Model of Lymphangioleiomyomatosis/Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

Background TSC2-deficient cells can proliferate in the lungs, kidneys, and other organs causing devastating progressive multisystem disorders such as lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Preclinical models utilizing LAM patient-derived cells have been difficult to establish. We developed a novel animal model system to study the molecular mechanisms of TSC/LAM pathogenesis and tumorigenesis and provide a platform for drug testing. Methods and Findings TSC2-deficient human cells, derived from the angiomyolipoma of a LAM patient, were engineered to co-express both sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) and green fluorescent protein (GFP). Cells were inoculated intraparenchymally, intravenously, or intratracheally into athymic NCr nu/nu mice and cells were tracked and quantified using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and computed tomography (CT). Surprisingly, TSC2-deficient cells administered intratracheally resulted in rapid dissemination to lymph node basins throughout the body, and histopathological changes in the lung consistent with LAM. Estrogen was found to be permissive for tumor growth and dissemination. Rapamycin inhibited tumor growth, but tumors regrew after the drug treatment was withdrawn. Conclusions We generated homogeneous NIS/GFP co-expressing TSC2-deficient, patient-derived cells that can proliferate and migrate in vivo after intratracheal instillation. Although the animal model we describe has some limitations, we demonstrate that systemic tumors formed from TSC2-deficient cells can be monitored and quantified noninvasively over time using SPECT/CT, thus providing a much needed model system for in vivo drug testing and mechanistic studies of TSC2-deficient cells and their related clinical syndromes.
Estimating the State of Charge for Ni-MH Battery in HEV by RBF Neural Network

Forecasting of the state of charge (SOC) of Ni-MH battery is the most important task for battery management system of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). On the basis of analyzing charging and discharging characteristics of Ni-MH battery and using the advantages of radial basis function (RBF) neural network, model for estimating the state of charge for Ni-MH battery was established with the piecewise modeling idea. The model was tested with data which was from battery experiments. Results show that the operation speed and estimation accuracy of forecasting model can meet the demands in practice and the model has certain value of application.
On non-Lyapunov stability of linear discrete time delay systems: LMIs approach

This paper gives new contributions to the area of non-Lyapunov (finite time stability, technical stability, practical stability, final stability) for the particular class of linear discrete time delay systems. The idea of attractive practical stability is introduced for the first time. Moreover, based on the matrix inequalities and Lyapunov-like functions, some new sufficient conditions under which the linear discrete time delay system is finite time stable are given. Finally, an example is employed to verify the efficiency of the proposed Theorems as well as to show that results derived upon LMIs are less restrictive than those based on a classical approach. To the best knowledge of authors, such results have not been reported yet.
Trends in Diabetes Incidence: The Framingham Heart Study

OBJECTIVE Obesity and type 2 diabetes continue to increase in prevalence in the U.S. Whether diabetes incidence continues to increase in recent times is less well documented. We examined trends in diabetes incidence over the previous four decades. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Framingham Heart Study participants ages 40–55 years and free of diabetes at baseline (n = 4,795; mean age 45.3 years; 51.6% women) were followed for the development of diabetes in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Diabetes was defined as either fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL or use of antidiabetes medication. Poisson regression was used to calculate sex-specific diabetes incidence rates for a 47-year-old individual in each decade. Rates were also calculated among obese, overweight, and normal weight individuals. RESULTS The annualized rates of diabetes per 1,000 individuals were 2.6, 3.8, 4.7, and 3.0 (women) and 3.4, 4.5, 7.4, and 7.3 (men) in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, respectively. Compared with the 1970s, the age- and sex-adjusted relative risks of diabetes were 1.37 (95% CI 0.87–2.16; P = 0.17), 1.99 (95% CI 1.30–3.03; P = 0.001), and 1.81 (95% CI 1.16–2.82; P = 0.01) in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, respectively. Compared with the 1990s, the relative risk of diabetes in the 2000s was 0.85 (95% CI 0.61–1.20; P = 0.36). CONCLUSIONS In our community-based sample, the risk of new-onset diabetes continued to be higher in the 2000s compared with the 1970s. In the past decade, diabetes incidence remained steady despite the ongoing trend of rising adiposity.
Vulnerability of People and the Environment : Challenges and Opportunities

D Section Many people, individually and collectively, contribute, often inadvertently, to the suffering of others while improving their own well-being. This can result from environmental changes which are linked across scales and between geographical regions through both biophysical and social processes. Vulnerability depends on exposure, sensitivity to impacts and the ability or inability to cope or adapt. It needs to be seen within a global context of demographic change, patterns of poverty, health, globalization, conflict and governance. Broad representative patterns of vulnerability to environmental and socioeconomic changes are identified in this chapter. This provides a basis for an analysis of the interacting pressures. It shows opportunities for reducing vulnerability and increasing human well-being, while protecting the environment. The following are the main messages: Significant improvements in human well-being have been achieved over the last 20 years. However, there are more than 1 billion poor people. They are found in all regions. They lack essential services, making them vulnerable to environmental and socioeconomic changes. Many countries will not meet the Millennium Development Goals' 2015 targets. But, dealing with vulnerability provides opportunities to meet these goals. Analysis of patterns of vulnerability shows the unequal distribution of risks for specific groups of people. The most vulnerable groups include the poor, indigenous populations, women and children in both developing and developed countries. Improving human well-being – the extent to which individuals have the ability to live the kind of lives they value, and the opportunities to achieve their potential – is at the heart of development. This is not just a moral imperative, but is also a critical aspect of human rights. It is essential for reducing vulnerability and achieving sustainable use of the environment. Gains in life expectancy and per capita health expenditures, as well as declines in child mortality have been systematically greater in those countries with more equitable income distribution and access to medical treatment. It is, however, paradoxical that opulence and consumerism, as well as relative poverty, contribute to ill health in many wealthier societies. International trade has helped increase income, and has helped millions of people out of poverty, but it is also sustaining unequal patterns of consumption. Outsourcing the extraction of natural resources, as well as production and manufacturing to developing countries, means they must struggle to deal with their resulting hazardous wastes and other environmental impacts. Conflicts, violence and persecution regularly displace large civilian populations, forcing millions …
Alternating groups and rational functions on surfaces

Let X be a smooth complex projective surface and let C(X) denote the field of rational functions on X. In this paper, we prove that for any m > M(X), there exists a rational dominant map $f \colon X \to Y$, which is generically finite of degree m, into a complex rational ruled surface Y, whose monodromy is the alternating group Am. This gives a finite algebraic extension C(X): C(x1, x2) of degree m, whose normal closure has Galois group Am.
Ranking Network of a Captive Rhesus Macaque Society: A Sophisticated Corporative Kingdom

We develop a three-step computing approach to explore a hierarchical ranking network for a society of captive rhesus macaques. The computed network is sufficiently informative to address the question: Is the ranking network for a rhesus macaque society more like a kingdom or a corporation? Our computations are based on a three-step approach. These steps are devised to deal with the tremendous challenges stemming from the transitivity of dominance as a necessary constraint on the ranking relations among all individual macaques, and the very high sampling heterogeneity in the behavioral conflict data. The first step simultaneously infers the ranking potentials among all network members, which requires accommodation of heterogeneous measurement error inherent in behavioral data. Our second step estimates the social rank for all individuals by minimizing the network-wide errors in the ranking potentials. The third step provides a way to compute confidence bounds for selected empirical features in the social ranking. We apply this approach to two sets of conflict data pertaining to two captive societies of adult rhesus macaques. The resultant ranking network for each society is found to be a sophisticated mixture of both a kingdom and a corporation. Also, for validation purposes, we reanalyze conflict data from twenty longhorn sheep and demonstrate that our three-step approach is capable of correctly computing a ranking network by eliminating all ranking error.
Temperature dependence of the energy dissipation in dynamic force microscopy

The dissipation of energy in dynamic force microscopy is usually described in terms of an adhesion hysteresis mechanism. This mechanism should become less efficient with increasing temperature. To verify this prediction we have measured topography and dissipation data with dynamic force microscopy in the temperature range from 100 K up to 300 K. We used 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic-dianhydride (PTCDA) grown on KBr(001), both materials exhibiting a strong dissipation signal at large frequency shifts. At room temperature, the energy dissipated into the sample (or tip) is 1.9 eV/cycle for PTCDA and 2.7 eV/cycle for KBr, respectively, and is in good agreement with an adhesion hysteresis mechanism. The energy dissipation over the PTCDA surface decreases with increasing temperature, yielding a negative temperature coefficient. For the KBr substrate, we find the opposite behaviour: an increase of dissipated energy with increasing temperature. While the negative temperature coefficient in the case of PTCDA agrees rather well with the adhesion hysteresis model, the positive slope found for KBr points to a hitherto unknown dissipation mechanism.
From Reconstruction to Reform: Modernization and the Interest Group State, 1875–1900

The rise of voluntary associations in the late nineteenth century has received significant scholarly attention over the last few decades. Some studies argue that modernization facilitates group formation, but other analyses (e.g., Crowley and Skocpol 2001; Gamm and Putnam 1999) find little support for the argument that modernization caused group formation. Here, we extend this debate to the study of the strength of state-level, voluntary associations with clear political objectives. Using state-level dues paid to national organizations as a measure of group strength, we find evidence that more modernized states typically had the strongest state-level organizations in the 1880s and 1890s. These empirical findings lend support to the modernization thesis but also suggest that group formation and strength may be explained by different processes.
Correcting Urban Bias in Large-scale Temperature Records in China , 1 1980 – 2009 2 3 4

General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Edinburgh Research Explorer is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The University of Edinburgh has made every reasonable effort to ensure that Edinburgh Research Explorer content complies with UK legislation. If you believe that the public display of this file breaches copyright please contact openaccess@ed.ac. uk providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Abstract 17 Trends in urban fraction around meteorological station are used to quantify the 18 relationship between urban growth and local urban warming rate in records from 19 Chinese temperature stations. Urban warming rates are estimated by comparing 20 observed temperature trends with those derived from ERA-Interim reanalysis data. 21 With urban expansion surrounding observing stations, daily minimum temperatures 22 are enhanced, and daily maximum temperatures slightly reduced. On average, a 23 change in urban fraction from 0% to 100% induces additional warming in daily 24 minimum temperature of +1.7±0.3 º C; daily maximum temperature changes due to 25 urbanization are-0.4±0.2 º C. Based on this, the regional area-weighted average trend 26 of urban-related warming in daily minimum (mean) temperature in eastern China is 27 estimated to be +0.042±0.007 (+0.017±0.003) º C/decade, representing about 9% (4%) 28 of overall warming trend and reducing the diurnal temperature range by-0.05 29 º C/decade. No significant (at a 95% confidence level) relationship between 30 background temperature anomalies and the strength of urban warming were found.
BHPMF – a hierarchical Bayesian approach to gap-filling and trait prediction for macroecology and functional biogeography

Aim Functional traits of organisms are key to understanding and predicting biodiversity and ecological change, which motivates continuous collection of traits and their integration into global databases. Such trait matrices are inherently sparse, severely limiting their usefulness for further analyses. On the other hand, traits are characterized by the phylogenetic trait signal, trait–trait correlations and environmental constraints, all of which provide information that could be used to statistically fill gaps. We propose the application of probabilistic models which, for the first time, utilize all three characteristics to fill gaps in trait databases and predict trait values at larger spatial scales. Innovation For this purpose we introduce BHPMF, a hierarchical Bayesian extension of probabilistic matrix factorization (PMF). PMF is a machine learning technique which exploits the correlation structure of sparse matrices to impute missing entries. BHPMF additionally utilizes the taxonomic hierarchy for trait prediction and provides uncertainty estimates for each imputation. In combination with multiple regression against environmental information, BHPMF allows for extrapolation from point measurements to larger spatial scales. We demonstrate the applicability of BHPMF in ecological contexts, using different plant functional trait datasets, also comparing results to taking the species mean and PMF. Main conclusions Sensitivity analyses validate the robustness and accuracy of BHPMF: our method captures the correlation structure of the trait matrix as well as the phylogenetic trait signal – also for extremely sparse trait matrices – and provides a robust measure of confidence in prediction accuracy for each missing entry. The combination of BHPMF with environmental constraints provides a promising concept to extrapolate traits beyond sampled regions, accounting for intraspecific trait variability. We conclude that BHPMF and its derivatives have a high potential to support future trait-based research in macroecology and functional biogeography.
Reflecting on the Use and Abuse of Scientific Data Facilitates Students' Ethical and Epistemological Development.

Scientists use judgment in deciding what and how much data to present in publications but science degrees rarely address this issue. Instead, scientific knowledge is presented as certain and students have limited opportunities to use their own judgment in the laboratory. A consequence of this may be that students approach science with a moral absolutist mindset, believing that science is about learning facts and scientists have little need to exercise ethical judgments in relation to data. Students may also hold different ethical standards for themselves and professional scientists. We draw on data from a first-year science module to show that these views can be challenged by encouraging students to reflect on their own behaviour and that of famous scientists in situations with varying degrees of professional ethical ambiguity. We provide evidence of significant transitions in students’ thinking, suggesting that reflection on these issues may lead to substantial epistemological and ethical development. By the end of the module, many students had moved from an initial position of certainty to the acceptance of multiple viewpoints or to a more mature understanding of the evidence-based nature of science, as well as gaining the ability to critique decisions and make ethical judgments.
Echoes of the Brain within the Posterior Cingulate Cortex

There is considerable uncertainty about the function of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). The PCC is a major node within the default mode network (DMN) and has high metabolic activity and dense structural connectivity to widespread brain regions, which suggests it has a role as a cortical hub. The region appears to be involved in internally directed thought, for example, memory recollection. However, recent nonhuman primate work provides evidence for a more active role in the control of cognition, through signaling an environmental change and the need to alter behavior. For an organism to flexibly react to a changing environment, information processed in functionally distinct brain networks needs to be integrated by such a cortical hub. If the PCC is involved in this process, its brain activity should show a complex and dynamic pattern that partially reflects activity in other brain networks. Using fMRI in humans and a multivariate analysis, we demonstrate that the PCC shows this type of complex functional architecture, where echoes of multiple other brain networks are seen in separable yet overlapping subregions. For example, a predominantly ventral region shows strong functional connectivity to the rest of the DMN, whereas two subregions within the dorsal PCC show high connectivity to frontoparietal networks involved in cognitive control. PCC subregions showed distinct patterns of activity modulation during the performance of an attentionally demanding task, suggesting that parts of the dorsal PCC interact with frontoparietal networks to regulate the balance between internally and externally directed cognition.