Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cyrus: unintrusive application-level record-replay for replay parallelism

Architectures for deterministic record-replay (R&R) of multithreaded code are attractive for program debugging, intrusion analysis, and fault-tolerance uses. However, very few of the proposed designs have focused on maximizing replay speed -- a key enabling property of these systems. The few efforts that focus on replay speed require intrusive hardware or software modifications, or target whole-system R&R rather than the more useful application-level R&R. This paper presents the first hardware-based scheme for unintrusive, application-level R&R that explicitly targets high replay speed. Our scheme, called Cyrus, requires no modification to commodity snoopy cache coherence. It introduces the concept of an on-the-fly software Backend Pass during recording which, as the log is being generated, transforms it for high replay parallelism. This pass also fixes-up the log, and can flexibly trade-off replay parallelism for log size. We analyze the performance of Cyrus using full system (OS plus hardware) simulation. Our results show that Cyrus has negligible recording overhead. In addition, for 8-processor runs of SPLASH-2, Cyrus attains an average replay parallelism of 5, and a replay speed that is, on average, only about 50% lower than the recording speed.
The Dimensions of Negative Messages

Candidates and campaign strategists believe that negative campaigning works—negative messages depress citizen's evaluations of targeted candidates. However, scholars have been unable to validate consistently the claims of practitioners. To better understand how negative campaigning influences the electorate, it is necessary to consider the relevance and civility of negative messages. In particular, do citizens make distinctions concerning the relevance and civility of campaign messages? If so, do citizens' views about the relevance and civility of negative messages influence how they evaluate candidates? We rely on an experimental research design embedded in a public opinion survey to examine people's reactions to negative commercials. Based on a national survey of nearly 700 respondents, we find citizens differentiate between negative advertisements in meaningful and consistent ways. Furthermore, the civility and relevance of the negative commercials significantly influences people's evaluations of the targeted candidates in several ways, including trait, affect, and issue evaluations.
A Phase I-II Study of Docetaxel and Atrasentan in Men with Castration-Resistant Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Purpose: The primary aims of this phase I-II study were to determine the maximum tolerated dose, dose-limiting toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of the combination of docetaxel and the endothelin A receptor antagonist atrasentan as first-line treatment for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Experimental Design: Patients were treated with docetaxel at doses ranging from 60 to 75 mg/m2 every 21 days, with daily oral atrasentan 10 mg starting on day 3. Patients were treated until evidence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Results: Thirty-one patients were enrolled over three docetaxel dose levels (8 at 60 mg/m2, 19 at 70 mg/m2, and 4 at 75 mg/m2) including dose expansion at 70 mg/m2. The maximum tolerated dose of docetaxel was 70 to 75 mg/m2. Drug-related grade 3-4 toxicities included neutropenia (50-63%) and febrile neutropenia (16-25%); other grade 1-2 toxicities included fatigue, peripheral edema, diarrhea, headache, rhinitis, anorexia, and nausea. Confirmed prostate-specific antigen (PSA) responses were observed in 23% [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 10-41%]; the rate of >30% declines in PSA was 35% (95% CI, 19-55%). Median overall survival was 17.6 months (95% CI, 13.0-23.2) and median progression-free survival was 4.2 months (95% CI, 2.3-5.8). Significant declines in bone alkaline phosphatase and serum N-telopeptides were observed with therapy. Conclusions: The maximum tolerated dose of every-3-week docetaxel with 10 mg atrasentan is 70 to 75 mg/m2. Overall survival and progression-free survival are comparable to that seen with docetaxel and prednisone, whereas the rates of PSA decline are slightly lower than expected. A phase III study of this combination with prednisone has been initiated and is ongoing.
Ectopic beats canceler for improved atrial activity extraction from holter recordings of Atrial Fibrillation

In this work, a new method for ectopics removal from ECG recordings is proposed. The method distinguish between normal and ectopic beats through a forward/backward level windowing strategy. Next, by using an adaptive correlation index, the 15 most similar ectopic beats to the one under cancellation are clustered, thus serving to get their eigenvector matrix by singular value decomposition. Finally, the highest variance eigenvector is taken as the template for ectopic beat cancellation. In order to evaluate the proposed method performance, an index called reduction ectopic rate (RER) was defined. The proposed technique has been compared with previously published average QRST cancellation techniques. Twenty 5 hour-length segments extracted from Holter ECG recordings of 20 different AF patients, with a high percentage of ectopic beats, were used in the study. Results provided maximum RER values of 5.76 and minimum of 1.67 being, in average, of 3.57±0.25. In contrast, when ectopic beats were considered as normal beats, maximum RER was 1.49 and minimum 0.88, being in average 1.11 ± 0.25. To sum up, the proposed method is able to improve notably the AA extraction from Holter ECG recordings by reducing notably the residua provoked by the presence of ectopic beats.
On The Parallelization Of Integer Polynomial Multiplication

With the advent of hardware accelerator technologies, multi-core processors and GPUs, much effort for taking advantage of those architectures by designing parallel algorithms has been made. To achieve this goal, one needs to consider both algebraic complexity and parallelism, plus making efficient use of memory traffic, cache, and reducing overheads in the implementations. Polynomial multiplication is at the core of many algorithms in symbolic computation such as real root isolation which will be our main application for now. In this thesis, we first investigate the multiplication of dense univariate polynomials with integer coefficients targeting multi-core processors. Some of the proposed methods are based on well-known serial classical algorithms, whereas a novel algorithm is designed to make efficient use of the targeted hardware. Experimentation confirms our theoretical analysis. Second, we report on the first implementation of subproduct tree techniques on manycore architectures. These techniques are basically another application of polynomial multiplication, but over a prime field. This technique is used in multi-point evaluation and interpolation of polynomials with coefficients over a prime field.
Evolution of the most massive galaxies to z ∼ 0.6 – II. The link between radio AGN activity and star formation

We analyze the optical spectra of massive (log M∗/M⊙ > 11.4) radio-loud galaxies at z � 0.2 and z � 0.6. Our samples are generated by crossmatching the SDSS DR7 and BOSS spectroscopic galaxy catalogues with the FIRST and NVSS radio continuum surveys. By comparing stellar population parameters of these radio-loud samples with radio-quiet control samples matched in stellar mass, velocity dispersion and redshift, we investigate how the presence of a radio-emitting jet relates to the recent star formation history of the host galaxy. We also investigate how the emissionline properties of the radio galaxies evolve with redshift by stacking their spectra. Our main results are the following. (1) Both at low and at high redshift, half as many radio-loud as radio-quiet galaxies have experienced significant star formation in the past Gyr. This difference in star formation history is independent of the luminosity of the radio AGN, except at radio luminosities greater than 10 25.5 W Hz −1 , where it disappears. (2) The Balmer absorption line properties of massive galaxies that have experienced recent star formation show that star formation occurred as a burst in many of these systems. (3) Both the radio and the emission-line luminosity of radio AGN evolve significantly with redshift. The average [O iii] rest equivalent width increases by 1 dex from z = 0.2 to z = 0.6, and emission line ratios change from LINER-like at low redshift to Seyfert-like at high redshift. However, radio galaxies with similar stellar population parameters, have similar emission-line properties both at high- and at low-redshift. These results suggest that massive galaxies experience cyclical episodes of gas accretion, star formation and black hole growth, followed by the production of a radio jet that shuts down further activity. The behaviour of galaxies with log M∗/M⊙ > 11.4 is the same at z = 0.6 as it is at z = 0.2, except that higher redshift galaxies experience more star formation and black hole growth and produce more luminous radio jets during each accretion cycle.
Arrangements and their applications in robotics: recent developments

We survey a collection of recent combinatorial and al gorithmic results in the study of arrangements of low degree algebraic surface patches in three or higher di mensions The new results extend known results in volving dimensional arrangements and they almost settle several conjectures posed eight years ago Ar rangements play a central role in the design and anal ysis of geometric algorithms and they arise in a vari ety of seemingly unrelated applications In this survey we concentrate on the application of the new results to problems involving collision free motion planning with three degrees of freedom and visibility over polyhedral terrains
Deconvolved Conventional Beamforming for a Horizontal Line Array

Horizontal line arrays are often used in underwater environments to detect/separate a weak signal and estimate its direction of arrival from many loud interfering sources and ambient noise. Conventional beamforming is robust but suffers from fat beams and high-level sidelobes. High-resolution beamforming, based on the inverse of the signal covariance matrix, such as minimum-variance distortionless response (MVDR), yields narrow beamwidths and low sidelobe levels but is sensitive to signal mismatch and requires many snapshots of data. This paper applies a deconvolution algorithm used in image deblurring to the conventional beam power of a uniform line array (spaced at half-wavelength) to avoid the instability problems of common deconvolution methods. The deconvolved beam power yields narrow beams, and low sidelobe levels similar to or better than high-resolution beamforming and at the same time retains the robustness of conventional beamforming. It yields a higher output signal-to-noise ratio than conventional (and MVDR) beamforming for isotropic noise. Performance is evaluated with simulated and real data.
Managerial Expectations for New Hires

ABSTRACT The vacation ownership (timeshare) industry is the fastest growing segment in the hospitality industry. With this growth is the need to attain qualified managers and hospitality programs must ascertain the skills that are necessary to meet the demands of this market. The purpose of this study was to discover if there were any significant differences between traditional lodging managers and timeshare managers based upon a manager's knowledge, ability, and attitude related to their job duties. The study did discover some areas that were deemed more important to timeshare managers. These results could be used to help potential employees in the lodging industry discover what type of environment would best match their skill set.
The Effects of Aerobic Versus Resistance Training on Cardiovascular Fitness in Obese Sedentary Females

Purpose The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of aerobic and strength training on cardiac variables such as blood pressure, heart rate (HR), and metabolic parameters like cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides and anthropometric parameters of obese women of Punjab. Methods This study was performed as an experimental study, in which subjects were randomly selected. There were thirty obese women, aged between 35-45yrs with body mass index (BMI) of above 30. Subjects were grouped into control (n=10), aerobic training (n=10) and resistance training (n=10). Aerobic training was given for three days a week at 60-70% of maximum HR for 6 weeks. Resistance training (Delorme and Watkins Technique) was given for alternate days for 6 weeks. HR and blood pressure were measured before and after the exercise. Recovery HR was also measured. Results The findings of the study indicate statistically significant differences in recovery heart rate [Pre-exercise: 97.40± 5.378 (mean±standard deviation (SD)), post-exercise: 90.70±4.599, t=8.066, P<0.001] and in post-diastolic blood pressure [Pre-exercise: 85±3.265, post-exercise: 86.20±2.820, P<0.001] in aerobic training and in systolic blood pressure [Pre- and post-exercise] in both training groups (P<0.001). Significant differences were observed in very low-density lipoprotein [pre-exercise: 28.10±1.415, post-exercise: 26.86±0.760, t=5.378] and HDL [pre-exercise: 45.40±3.533, post-exercise: 53.60±3.134, t=6.318] levels in aerobic training group with P<0.001. BMI and body fat percentage showed significant improvements in both training groups. Conclusion Aerobic training is more beneficial and can be used as a preventive measure in patients who are at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases due to obesity.
Organization of Concepts Relevant to Emotions and their Regulation During Test Taking

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess aspects of college students' organization of concepts related to emotions and their regulation during test taking. The authors also evaluated whether students who report having problems with test anxiety hold a different conceptual organization about test taking compared with students who do not report having such problems. Concepts relevant to emotions and their regulation during test taking were sampled from the emotion and emotional regulation literature. Participants rated how similar these concepts were during test taking. These ratings were then submitted to multidimensional scaling analyses (MDS). The resulting arrangement of concepts provides insight into the underlying organizational conceptions held by low, moderate, and high test-anxious participants. Students' organizational schemes surrounded 2 dimensions: (a) task-focus and (b) pleasantness. High test-anxious participants had differing conceptual organizations about test taking than moderate and low test-anxious participants with regard to pleasantness. In addition, the high test-anxious participants saw task-focused processes such as reading directions during test taking as more highly related to unpleasant emotions like anxiety than moderate and low test-anxious participants.
Trabajando duro todos los dias : Learning from the life experiences of Mexican-origin migrant families

Abstract: The agricultural economy in the United States has relied heavily on migrant farmworkers and, in particular, on Latinos. However, migrant families remain one of the most disadvantaged groups in the United States. This research focuses on a subsample of migrant families of Mexican origin (n= 13), who participated in the Rural Families Speak multistate study. Qualitative findings described numerous challenges that Mexican-origin migrant families continue to experience. Results were also illustrative of the resilience of migrant families, which is influenced by specific Latino cultural values and is reflected in the successful adaptation of these families to the challenges associated with a migrant lifestyle.
Teachers' ratings of children's behaviour in relation to blood lead levels

Teachers rated the behaviour of 166 children whose blood lead levels had previously been determined. Ratings were made on the Conners Scale, the Rutter Scale B(2), and Needleman's Scale. The results broadly replicated the findings of Needleman et al. (1979) in so far as they indicate a relationship between difficulties in attention and increased blood lead levels over the normal range of blood lead values. ‘Hyperactivity’ on the Rutter and Conners scales were found to be significantly related to children's blood lead levels, independent of chronological age. Social factors remain uncontrolled in this pilot study.
Association of major depressive disorder with altered functional brain response during anticipation and processing of heat pain.

CONTEXT Chronic pain and depression are highly comorbid conditions, yet little is known about the neurobiological basis of pain processing in major depressive disorder (MDD). OBJECTIVE To examine the neural substrates underlying anticipation and processing of heat pain in a group of unmedicated young adults with current MDD. DESIGN Functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging data were collected during an event-related factorial experimental pain paradigm. Painful and nonpainful heat stimuli were applied to the left volar forearm while different color shapes explicitly signaled the intensity of the upcoming stimulus. SETTING University brain imaging center. Patients Fifteen (12 female) young adults with current MDD and 15 (10 female) healthy subjects with no history of MDD were recruited and matched for age and level of education. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV was administered to all participants by a board-certified psychiatrist. Main Outcome Measure Between-group differences in blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging signal change to anticipation and processing of painful vs nonpainful temperature stimuli. RESULTS Subjects with MDD compared with healthy controls showed (1) increased activation in the right anterior insular region, dorsal anterior cingulate, and right amygdala during anticipation of painful relative to nonpainful stimuli, (2) increased activation in the right amygdala and decreased activation in periaqueductal gray matter and the rostral anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices during painful stimulation relative to nonpainful stimulation, and (3) greater activation in the right amygdala during anticipation of pain, which was associated with greater levels of perceived helplessness. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that increased emotional reactivity during the anticipation of heat pain may lead to an impaired ability to modulate pain experience in MDD. Future studies should examine the degree to which altered functional brain response during anticipatory processing affects the ability to modulate negative affective states in MDD, which is a core characteristic of this disorder.
Just a knock back? Identity bruising on the route to becoming a male primary school teacher

Men who choose to do ‘women’s work’ and enter the female culture of the primary school can often initially face a range of stereotyped responses to their choice. Drawing on stories from a small sample of trainee and serving male teachers, we adopt the term ‘identity bruising’ to describe the ‘knock backs’ that occur to them in primary schools. How the men react to ‘bruising’ is of considerable interest, given the current concern in the UK to improve the recruitment and retention of men in primary training and teaching. An inductive and reflexive methodology is used whereby we work with the men to explore how they become aware of, understand and negotiate the problematic nature and gendered assumptions of masculinities that underpin the restrictions that they encounter.
Deep recurrent de-noising auto-encoder and blind de-reverberation for reverberated speech recognition

This paper describes our joint efforts to provide robust automatic speech recognition (ASR) for reverberated environments, such as in hands-free human-machine interaction. We investigate blind feature space de-reverberation and deep recurrent de-noising auto-encoders (DAE) in an early fusion scheme. Results on the 2014 REVERB Challenge development set indicate that the DAE front-end provides complementary performance gains to multi-condition training, feature transformations, and model adaptation. The proposed ASR system achieves word error rates of 17.62 % and 36.6 % on simulated and real data, which is a significant improvement over the Challenge baseline (25.16 and 47.2 %).
Fuzzy Approach to Landslide Susceptibility Zonation

The paper addresses a landslide-prone area on Fruška Gora Mt. in NW Serbia. It proposes a model of relative landslide susceptibility based on fuzzy sets. Having a variety of spatial attributes (proven statistically significant) at disposal, as well as present landslide inventory map, we conducted systematic analysis through (i) assigning fuzzy memberships to attribute categories, and (ii) combining the memberships by means of fuzzy operators. The performance defined by Area Under Curve parameter of the Receiver Operating Characteristics curve, led to preference of Frequency Ratio method for assigning memberships, and Fuzzy Gamma Operator for combining those memberships in 2level experimenting configuration. Results are also well related with previous investigations with different approaches.
LOW COMPLEXITY H . 264 TO VC-1 TRANSCODER

The high definition video adoption has been growing rapidly for the last two years. The blue ray high definition format has mandated MPEG-2, H.264 and VC-1 as video compression formats. The co-existence of these different video coding standards creates a need for transcoding. In this paper, an efficient transcoding algorithm from H.264 video to VC-1 video is discussed. The proposed architecture, which considers I and P frames, is a low complexity transcoder which re-uses mode decisions, macroblock partition sizes and motion vectors, obtained from the incoming H.264 coded video bitstream, to make intelligent and fast decisions in the transcoding process. The simulation results show comparable video quality as that of the cascaded architecture with 80% lesser encoding time. The proposed architecture thus offers a real time solution for mobile applications and devices with less power and memory. Vidhya Vijayakumar hails from Chennai (Madras), capital city of the southern state of Tamil Nadu in India. She received her bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication from Sathyabama Deemed University, Chennai in May 2005. After her bachelors, she worked in the Digital Signal Processing and Multimedia group at Wipro technologies. To pursue her interest in academia, she later joined the graduate program at University of Texas at Arlington (UT Arlington). During her stay at UT Arlington, she was a member of the Multimedia Processing Lab, headed by Dr. K.R. Rao. She did her internship with Adobe Inc working in their Advanced Technology Lab. She worked as a Graduate Researcher for the Multimedia laboratory, headed by Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad. She was also awarded the Dean’s Masters Scholarship at UT Arlington for the year 2008-10 for academic excellence. Her research interests are in the field of video compression, transcoding and wireless communications. Authors' biography Click here to download Authors' biography: VidhyaBio.doc