Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Theory and Practice of Transactional Method Caching

Nowadays, tiered architectures are widely accepted for constructing large scale information systems. In this context application servers often form the bottleneck for a system's efficiency. An application server exposes an object oriented interface consisting of set of methods which are accessed by potentially remote clients. The idea of method caching is to store results of read-only method invocations with respect to the application server's interface on the client side. If the client invokes the same method with the same arguments again, the corresponding result can be taken from the cache without contacting the server. It has been shown that this approach can considerably improve a real world system's efficiency. This paper extends the concept of method caching by addressing the case where clients wrap related method invocations in ACID transactions. Demarcating sequences of method calls in this way is supported by many important application server standards. In this context the paper presents an architecture, a theory and an efficient protocol for maintaining full transactional consistency and in particular serializability when using a method cache on the client side. In order to create a protocol for scheduling cached method results, the paper extends a classical transaction formalism. Based on this extension, a recovery protocol and an optimistic serializability protocol are derived. The latter one differs from traditional transactional cache protocols in many essential ways. An efficiency experiment validates the approach: Using the cache a system's performance and scalability are considerably improved.
The rate of high ovarian response in women identified at risk by a high serum AMH level is influenced by the type of gonadotropin

Abstract The aim was to compare ovarian response and clinical outcome of potential high-responders after stimulation with highly purified menotropin (HP-hMG) or recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH) for in vitro fertilisation/intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Retrospective analysis was performed on data collected in two randomized controlled trials, one conducted following a long GnRH agonist protocol and the other with an antagonist protocol. Potential high-responders (n = 155 and n = 188 in the agonist and antagonist protocol, respectively) were defined as having an initial anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) value >75th percentile (5.2 ng/ml). In both protocols, HP-hMG stimulation in women in the high AMH category was associated with a significantly lower occurrence of high response (≥15 oocytes retrieved) than rFSH stimulation; 33% versus 51% (p = 0.025) and 31% versus 49% (p = 0.015) in the long agonist and antagonist protocol, respectively. In the potential high-responder women, trends for improved live birth rate were observed with HP-hMG compared with rFSH (long agonist protocol: 33% versus 20%, p = 0.074; antagonist protocol: 34% versus 23%, p = 0.075; overall population: 34% versus 22%, p = 0.012). In conclusion, the type of gonadotropin used for ovarian stimulation influences high-response rates and potentially clinical outcome in women identified as potential high-responders.
Answering Table Queries on the Web using Column Keywords

We present the design of a structured search engine which returns a multi-column table in response to a query consisting of keywords describing each of its columns. We answer such queries by exploiting the millions of tables on the Web because these are much richer sources of structured knowledge than free-format text. However, a corpus of tables harvested from arbitrary HTML web pages presents huge challenges of diversity and redundancy not seen in centrally edited knowledge bases. We concentrate on one concrete task in this paper. Given a set of Web tables T1,. , Tn, and a query Q with q sets of keywords Q1,. , Qq, decide for each Ti if it is relevant to Q and if so, identify the mapping between the columns of Ti and query columns. We represent this task as a graphical model that jointly maps all tables by incorporating diverse sources of clues spanning matches in different parts of the table, corpus-wide co-occurrence statistics, and content overlap across table columns. We define a novel query segmentation model for matching keywords to table columns, and a robust mechanism of exploiting content overlap across table columns. We design efficient inference algorithms based on bipartite matching and constrained graph cuts to solve the joint labeling task. Experiments on a workload of 59 queries over a 25 million web table corpus shows significant boost in accuracy over baseline IR methods.
pxn-1 and pxn-2 May Interact Negatively during Neuronal Development and Aging in C. elegans

C. elegans has two functional peroxidasins (PXN), PXN-1 and PXN-2. PXN-2 is essential to consolidate the extracellular matrix during development and is suggested to interact with PXN-1 antagonistically. pxn-1 is involved in neuronal development and possibly maintenance; therefore, we investigated the relationship between pxn-1 and pxn-2 in neuronal development and in aging. During neuronal development, defects caused by pxn-1 overexpression were suppressed by overexpression of both pxn-1 and pxn-2. In neuronal aging process, pxn-1 mutants showed less age-related neuronal defects, such as neuronal outgrowth, neuronal wavy processes, and enhanced short-term memory performance. In addition, pxn-2 overexpressing animals retained an intact neuronal morphology when compared with age-matched controls. Consistent with these results, overexpression of both pxn-1 and pxn-2 restored the severe neuronal defects present with pxn-1 overexpression. These results implied that there is a negative relationship between pxn-1 and pxn-2 via pxn-1 regulating pxn-2. Therefore, pxn-1 may function in neuronal development and age-related neuronal maintenance through pxn-2.
The 'Depreciation Capital-Allowance Transform' (D-CAT) Model: Decomposing the Divergence between Accounting Depreciation and Tax Depreciation

I present a mathematical model that directly links Accounting Depreciation and Capital Allowance (Tax Depreciation), describing the numerical process in which the former can be transformed into the latter. Applying this model to Deferred Taxation, I propose that the “movement of temporary difference” (arising from the divergence between Depreciation and Capital Allowance) can be decomposed and explained as the interaction of the following 3 effects: (1) “Rate” effect – different rates between Accounting and Tax Depreciation(2) “Initial Allowance” effect – Initial Allowance occurs only under Tax Depreciation but is absent from Accounting Depreciation(3) “Asset Exclusion” effect – different asset stream from which Accounting and Tax Depreciation is computed.The D-CAT model may find use as a numerical predictor of Tax Depreciation, as a teaching tool to better understand the differences between Accounting and Tax Depreciation, and as a theoretical framework for understanding the components of the specific temporary differences (for deferred tax purposes) arising from Property, Plant and Equipment. A practical application of the above is Attribution Analysis where the component effects are quantified to identify the dominant component for monitoring, for research modeling or possibly for heightening financial reporting.The D-CAT model has been developed within the framework of Malaysia’s income tax laws and Malaysian accounting standards. Since the latter is closely alignment with global practices, it is envisaged that the model can be adapted internationally to any accounting and tax framework based on Straight-Line method of Accounting Depreciation and Tax Depreciation (with or without an Initial Allowance).
Team learning and emotions during teamwork: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT This study provides in depth understanding of the occurrence of team learning activities and social–emotional reactions within team meetings and their relationships by observing team meetings. In addition, the teams’ assessment regarding both their teamwork and emotions they experienced during their teamwork were investigated by conducting team discussions with two of the observed teams. The findings revealed that all of the team members of all teams engaged in different kinds of team learning activities such as sharing experiences and reflecting about work tasks. The researchers also observed various social-emotional reactions such as solidarity, cheerfulness and tension. They identified patterns of positive social-emotional reactions and team learning activities in the data. The findings of the analysis of the team discussions provided additional information about the interpretation of the teamwork as well as the emotions team members experienced during their teamwork. The present study highlights that the use of observations in combination with team discussions is appropriate to gain in depth understanding of team learning in relation to emotions during teamwork.
Non-Classical Hot-Electron Gate Current in the Deep Submicrometer N-MOS Flash Memory Cell

In this paper, experimental features of a non-classical hot-electron gate current I<sub>g</sub> <sup>e</sup> obtained under V<sub>b</sub> = 0, similar to those reported earlier under reverse V<sub>b</sub> are presented. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first direct observation of this non-classical I<sub>g</sub> <sup>e</sup> component in deep submicrometer N-channel MOSFET under conventional CHE biasing, i.e. when V<sub>g</sub> ap V<sub>d</sub> and V<sub>b</sub> = 0. Based on the results, a phenomenological explanation as well as some further supporting experimental evidence is also presented here
A degrees of freedom-optimal scheme for SISO X channel with synergistic alternating CSIT

In this paper, the degrees of freedom (DoF) of the two-user single input single output (SISO) X channel are investigated. Three cases are considered for the availability of channel state information at the transmitters (CSIT); perfect, delayed, and no-CSIT. A new achievable scheme is proposed to elucidate the potency of interference creation-resurrection (IRC) when the available CSIT alternates between these three cases. For some patterns of alternating CSIT, the proposed scheme achieves 4/3 DoF, and hence, coincides with the information theoretic upper bound on the DoF of the X channel with perfect and instantaneous CSIT. The CSIT alternation patterns are investigated where the patterns that provide extraordinary synergistic gain and dissociative ones are identified.
Unification and refactoring of clones

Code duplication has been recognized as a potentially serious problem having a negative impact on the maintain-ability, comprehensibility, and evolution of software systems. In the past, several techniques have been developed for the detection and management of software clones. Existing code duplication can be eliminated by extracting the common functionality into a single module. However, the unification and refactoring of software clones is a challenging problem, since clones usually go through several modifications after their initial introduction. In this paper we present an approach for the unification and refactoring of software clones that overcomes the limitations of previous approaches. More specifically, our approach is able to detect and parameterize non-trivial differences between the clones. Moreover, it can find an optimal mapping between the statements of the clones that minimizes the number of differences. We compared the proposed technique with a competitive clone refactoring tool and concluded that our approach is able to find a significantly larger number of refactorable clones.
The potential role of the computer in intuition and self development

From 1966--69, several colleagues and I had opportunity to design and implement a prototypical ISVD (Information System for Vocational Decisions). Dr. JoAnn Harris has been good enough to record that the ISVD and several sister computer guidance systems forecast and piloted the following advances in uniting the capabilities of computers and the purposes of guidance: 1. "Increased use of visuals to supplement words. 2. "Development of programs which will allow counselees to simulate vocational, educational, and personal-social experiences. 4. "Development of languages which allow the student to respond to the computer in his own language. 5. "Development of programs which will allow the counselee to prepare his own instructions to the computer and thus alter the pre-designed processes. "
A bio-inspired model for multi-scale representation of even order Gaussian derivatives

A linear combination of Gaussian functions at various scales is being suggested as a suitable model for the human visual system. It reduces to the DOG (difference of Gaussian) model at the most primitive level of processing. The model is actually equivalent to the experimentally observed receptive field profiles that can be fitted by various even order derivatives of Gaussians, the order being determined by the number of Gaussians in the linear combination, once again reducing to the DOG-LOG (Laplacian of Gaussian) equivalence at the most primary level of visual signal processing. The role of amacrine cells in the retina is explained in this light and the inherent multi-scale property of the model is looked upon as a suitable mechanism for enabling a unified representation for the various classes of retinal ganglion cells differing in their receptive field profiles.
Validation of self-reported height and weight in fifth-grade Korean children

Height and weight are important indicators to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI); measuring height and weight directly is the most exact method to get this information. However, it is ineffective in terms of cost and time on large population samples. The aim of our study was to investigate the validity of self-reported height and weight data compared to our measured data in Korean children to predict obese status. Four hundred twenty-two fifth-grade (mean age 10.5 ± 0.5 years) children who had self-reported and measured height and weight data were final subjects for this study. Overweight/obese was defined as a BMI of or above the 85th percentile of the gender-specific BMI for age in the 2007 Korean National Growth Charts or a BMI of 25 or higher (underweight : < 5th, normal : ≥ 5th to < 85th, overweight : ≥ 85th to < 95th). The differences between self-reported and measured data were tested using paired t-test. Differences based on overweight/obese status were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear trends. Pearson's correlation and Cohen's kappa were tested to examine agreements between the self-reported and measured data. Although measured and self-reported height, weight and BMI were significantly different and children tended to overreport their height and underreport their weight, the correlation between the two methods of height, weight and BMI were high (r = 0.956, 0.969, 0.932, respectively; all P < 0.001), and both genders reported their overweight/non-overweight status accurately (Cohen's kappa = 0.792, P < 0.001). Although there were differences between the self-reported and our measured methods, the self-reported weight and height was valid enough to classify overweight/obesity status correctly, especially in non-overweight/obese children. Due to bigger underestimation of weight and overestimation of height in obese children, however, we need to be aware that the self-reported anthropometric data were less accurate in overweight/obese children than in non-overweight/obese children.
Statistical Properties of Bright Galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Photometric System

We investigate the photometric properties of 456 bright galaxies using imaging data recorded during the commissioning phase of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Morphological classification is carried out by correlating results of several human classifiers. Our purpose is to examine the statistical properties of color indices, scale lengths, and concentration indices as functions of morphology for the SDSS photometric system. We find that u′-g′, g′-r′, and r′-i′ colors of SDSS galaxies match well with those expected from the synthetic calculation of spectroscopic energy distribution of template galaxies and with those transformed from UBVRCIC color data of nearby galaxies. The agreement is somewhat poor, however, for the i′-z′ color band, with a discrepancy of 0.1–0.2 mag. With the aid of the relation between surface brightness and radius obtained by Kent in 1985, we estimate the averages of the effective radius of early-type galaxies and the scale length of exponential disks both to be 2.6 kpc for L* galaxies. We find that the half-light radius of galaxies depends slightly on the color bands, consistent with the expected distribution of star-forming regions for late-type galaxies and with the known color gradient for early-type galaxies. We also show that the (inverse) concentration index, defined by the ratio of the half-light Petrosian radius to the 90% light Petrosian radius, correlates tightly with the morphological type; this index allows us to classify galaxies into early (E/S0) and late (spiral and irregular) types, allowing for a 15%–20% contamination from the opposite class compared with eye-classified morphology.
Inter-Parliamentary Union

This chapter is based on extensive research into historical and legal aspects of the 120-year history of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (Kissling 2006a). Its goal is twofold: first, to cover the history of the IPU, including its political and legal work, its related success stories and failures in influencing international and global politics, and, closely linked, its political and legal relevance from its early years until now. A special focus in this regard is put on the discussion of global democracy and world parliamentary ideas within the Union and among its members in an historic perspective, and the handling of the question of whether the IPU itself would qualify as and would be willing to strive to transform itself into something like a global parliament. Second, this chapter looks at the (internal) democratic features and democratization processes within the Union as an inter-parliamentary organization active at the global level and measures them by resorting to International Democracy Watch and its macro-indicators appointment: democracy at the national level, input legitimacy, participation, control, interstate democracy, supranationalism, power limitation, human rights and output legitimacy.
One-pass GPRS and IMS authentication procedure for UMTS

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) supports Internet protocol (IP) multimedia services through IP multimedia core network subsystem (IMS). Since the IMS information is delivered through the general packet radio service (GPRS) transport network, a UMTS mobile station (MS) must activate GPRS packet data protocol (PDP) context before it can register to the IMS network. In the Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications, authentication is performed at both the GPRS and the IMS networks before an MS can access the IMS services. We observe that many steps in this 3GPP "two-pass" authentication procedure are identical. Based on our observation, this paper proposes an one-pass authentication procedure that only needs to perform GPRS authentication. At the IMS level, authentication is implicitly performed in IMS registration. Our approach may save up to 50% of the IMS registration/authentication traffic, as compared with the 3GPP two-pass procedure. We formally prove that the one-pass procedure correctly authenticate the IMS users.
Study of the Nutrient Composition of Organic Fertilizers in the Zone of Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso)

This study has the aim to do a chemical characterization of the organic fertilizers used in the urban agriculture in Bobo-Dioulasso. For this reason, seven (07) fertilizers of animal's origin were taken away and analyzed in the laboratory. The comparison of the nitrogen averages shows that the poultry droppings and the pig's manure have the respective highest contents of 2.5% and of 2.6% of the studied sample. The poultry droppings (total P=2.7%) were the most affluent in phosphorus followed by the pig's manure (1.4%), while donkeys manure had the lowest content (0.7%). The monogastric animals (poultry, pigs, and rabbits) had the highest contents in total N, total P and the C:N ratio. The lower content in total K was the rabbits and the pig's manure. These results give the possibility to optimize the recovering as fertilizers of the cultures or to make the soils more affluent.
BANKING SYSTEM FAILURES IN DEVELOPING AND TRANSITION COUNTRIES: DIAGNOSIS AND PREDICTION

BASLE BIS Working Papers are written by members of the Monetary and Economic Department of the Bank for International Settlements and published by the Bank. The papers are on subjects of topical interest and are technical in character. The views expressed in them are those of their authors and not necessarily the views of the BIS. Abstract Understanding what caused the recent costly wave of banking system failures in developing and transition economies is the key to preventing a recurrence. It is important to distinguish between epidemics of the macroeconomic and micro-economic varieties, and between these and the syndrome of endemic failure, associated with pervasive government involvement. Each type has its characteristic warning signs – the availability of the relevant indicators is discussed in some detail – and a comprehensive prevention policy must take account of each. Thus, for example, it is unwise to defer macroeconomic stabilisation in the hope of concealing banking sector weakness. Likewise, a rigorous application to developing and transition economies of the consensus approach to microeconomic regulation should not be deferred. Political interference is the Achilles heel of any regulatory system: among other mechanisms, it may be possible to use disclosure rules and the pressures of globalisation to increase the political attraction of regulatory enforcement.
High performance XML parsing using parallel bit stream technology

Parabix (parallel bit streams for XML) is an open-source XML parser that employs the SIMD (single-instruction multiple-data) capabilities of modern-day commodity processors to deliver dramatic performance improvements over traditional byte-at-a-time parsing technology. Byte-oriented character data is first transformed to a set of 8 parallel bit streams, each stream comprising one bit per character code unit. Character validation, transcoding and lexical item stream formation are all then carried out in parallel using bitwise logic and shifting operations. Byte-at-a-time scanning loops in the parser are replaced by bit scan loops that can advance by as many as 64 positions with a single instruction. A performance study comparing Parabix with the open-source Expat and Xerces parsers is carried out using the PAPI toolkit. Total CPU cycle counts, level 2 data cache misses and branch mispredictions are measured and compared for each parser. The performance of Parabix is further studied with a breakdown of the cycle counts across the core components of the parser. Prospects for further performance improvements are also outlined, with a particular emphasis on leveraging the intraregister parallelism of SIMD processing to enable intrachip parallelism on multicore architectures.