Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ARMA: a scalable secure routing protocol with privacy protection for mobile ad hoc networks

With the rapidly growing popularity of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), many security concerns have arisen from this type of network. In particular, malicious nodes will jeopardize the security of mobile networks if the issues of secure data exchange are not handled properly. Encryption cannot fully protect the data communicated between nodes, as routing information may expose the identities of the communicating nodes and put their relationships at risk. In this paper, we propose an efficient anonymous routing protocol that uses a mobile agent paradigm for MANETs, which we refer to as ARMA. In our protocol, we take advantage of a trust system to prevent effectively the misbehavior of malicious nodes so that only trustworthy nodes are allowed to participate in communications. Furthermore, we present the Malicious Encryption and Malicious ID attacks, as well as other attacks, and note how our scheme is robust to them. Through the proof of protocol correctness, our protocol is analyzed to show how it offers provable security properties. Finally, we provide its performance evaluation based on simulation experiments implemented in an ns-2 simulator. Compared to the secure distributed route construction protocol (SDAR) protocol, our experimental results demonstrate that our scheme not only achieves the necessary anonymity in wireless and mobile networks, but also provides more security with reasonably little additional overhead. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Malicious nodes will jeopardize the security of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) if the issues of secure data exchange are not handled properly, as routing information may expose the identities of the communicating nodes and put their relationships at risk. The proposed anonymous routing protocol employs a mobile agent paradigm for MANETs and a trust system to prevent effectively the misbehavior of malicious nodes so that only trustworthy nodes are allowed to participate in communications.
How to Integrate the Electronic Health Record and Patient-Centered Communication Into the Medical Visit: A Skills-Based Approach

Background: Implementation of the electronic health record (EHR) has changed the dynamics of doctor–patient communication. Physicians train to use EHRs from a technical standpoint, giving only minimal attention to integrating the human dimensions of the doctor–patient relationship into the computer-accompanied medical visit. Description: This article reviews the literature and proposes a model to help clinicians, residents, and students improve physician–patient communication while using the EHR. Evaluation: We conducted a literature search on use of communication skills when interfacing with the EHR. We observed an instructional gap and developed a model using evidence-based communication skills. Conclusion: This model integrates patient-centered interview skills and aims to empower physicians to remain patient centered while effectively using EHRs. It may also serve as a template for future educational and practice interventions for use of the EHR in the examination room.
2-1/2D texture mapping: real-time perceptual surface roughening

We applied fundamental perceptual and physico-mathematical studies to a fast method for luminance remapping of 2D texture maps which enhances perceived surface roughness in comparison with conventional 2D texture mapping. The fundamental physical mechanism underlying the method is the fact that texture contrast increases as the incident illumination tends towards grazing for rough matte surfaces, actually "exploding" near the shadow edge [Pont and Koenderink 2005]. A psychophysical study by Ho et al. [Ho et al. 2006] confirmed that human observers use texture contrast as a cue for relief-depth or surface roughness. Thus, 2D texture-mapped objects will appear to have a rougher surface if the texture contrast is increased as a function of the local illumination angle. In particular, we increase the bidirectional texture contrast in close accordance with the contrast gradients measured for real objects with rough surfaces. The method presented works well for random textures of locally-matte surfaces if the original texture does not have a contrast that is too high. This modification is in addition to the usual attenuation of the surface irradiance due to the angle of the incident illumination and the computational costs of the technique are similar to that of conventional diffuse shading. This low cost makes it straightforward to implement the technique with real-time shaders which allow interactive rendering on modern graphics hardware.
Trace Norm Regularization: Reformulations, Algorithms, and Multi-Task Learning

We consider a recently proposed optimization formulation of multi-task learning based on trace norm regularized least squares. While this problem may be formulated as a semidefinite program (SDP), its size is beyond general SDP solvers. Previous solution approaches apply proximal gradient methods to solve the primal problem. We derive new primal and dual reformulations of this problem, including a reduced dual formulation that involves minimizing a convex quadratic function over an operator-norm ball in matrix space. This reduced dual problem may be solved by gradient-projection methods, with each projection involving a singular value decomposition. The dual approach is compared with existing approaches and its practical effectiveness is illustrated on simulations and an application to gene expression pattern analysis.
MRI: a mixed reality interface for the masses

The MRI mixed reality interface provides three degrees of freedom (two coordinates and one angle) control for real-time 3D visualization applications. As opposed to commonly known control devices, the MRI does not demand any training or experience. Instead, operating it can be learned by watching other people use it. This property makes it useful for a large group of people including elderly people, small children or handicapped persons.
Puncturing of CRC Codes for IEEE 802.11ah

In some cases, like the proposed IEEE 802.11ah draft specification, there arises a need to have a short Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) code to detect errors on the information bits in the various signal fields. While an optimum CRC of the required length can be chosen for this, in order to minimize complexity it may be desirable to "puncture" an existing CRC generator to reduce the number of parity bits transmitted. In this paper we evaluate puncturing of a CRC-8 generator to generate a 4-bit CRC such that the minimum Hamming distance of the resultant code is 2.
Development of megestrol acetate solid dispersion nanoparticles for enhanced oral delivery by using a supercritical antisolvent process

In the present study, solid dispersion nanoparticles with a hydrophilic polymer and surfactant were developed using the supercritical antisolvent (SAS) process to improve the dissolution and oral absorption of megestrol acetate. The physicochemical properties of the megestrol acetate solid dispersion nanoparticles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, and a particle-size analyzer. The dissolution and oral bioavailability of the nanoparticles were also evaluated in rats. The mean particle size of all solid dispersion nanoparticles that were prepared was <500 nm. Powder X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry measurements showed that megestrol acetate was present in an amorphous or molecular dispersion state within the solid dispersion nanoparticles. Hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) solid dispersion nanoparticles significantly increased the maximum dissolution when compared with polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 solid dispersion nanoparticles. The extent and rate of dissolution of megestrol acetate increased after the addition of a surfactant into the HPMC solid dispersion nanoparticles. The most effective surfactant was Ryoto sugar ester L1695, followed by D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate. In this study, the solid dispersion nanoparticles with a drug:HPMC:Ryoto sugar ester L1695 ratio of 1:2:1 showed >95% rapid dissolution within 30 minutes, in addition to good oral bioavailability, with approximately 4.0- and 5.5-fold higher area under the curve (0–24 hours) and maximum concentration, respectively, than raw megestrol acetate powder. These results suggest that the preparation of megestrol acetate solid dispersion nanoparticles using the supercritical antisolvent process is a promising approach to improve the dissolution and absorption properties of megestrol acetate.
Valuing high technology growth firms

For the valuation of fast growing innovative firms Schwartz and Moon (Financ Anal J 56:62–75, 2000), (Financ Rev 36:7–26, 2001) develop a fundamental valuation model where key parameters follow stochastic processes. While prior research shows promising potential for this model, it has never been tested on a large scale dataset. Thus, guided by economic theory, this paper is the first to design a large-scale applicable implementation on around 30,000 technology firm quarter observations from 1992 to 2009 for the US to assess this model. Evaluating the feasibility and performance of the Schwartz-Moon model reveals that it is comparably accurate to the traditional sales multiple with key advantages in valuing small and non-listed firms. Most importantly, however, the model is able to indicate severe market over- or undervaluation from a fundamental perspective. We demonstrate that a trading strategy based on our implementation has significant investment value. Consequently, the model seems suitable for detecting misvaluations as the dot-com bubble.
The Frontal Eye Field Is Involved in Visual Vector Inversion in Humans – A Theta Burst Stimulation Study

In the antisaccade task, subjects are requested to suppress a reflexive saccade towards a visual target and to perform a saccade towards the opposite side. In addition, in order to reproduce an accurate saccadic amplitude, the visual saccade vector (i.e., the distance between a central fixation point and the peripheral target) must be exactly inverted from one visual hemifield to the other. Results from recent studies using a correlational approach (i.e., fMRI, MEG) suggest that not only the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) but also the frontal eye field (FEF) might play an important role in such a visual vector inversion process. In order to assess whether the FEF contributes to visual vector inversion, we applied an interference approach with continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) during a memory-guided antisaccade task. In 10 healthy subjects, one train of cTBS was applied over the right FEF prior to a memory-guided antisaccade task. In comparison to the performance without stimulation or with sham stimulation, cTBS over the right FEF induced a hypometric gain for rightward but not leftward antisaccades. These results obtained with an interference approach confirm that the FEF is also involved in the process of visual vector inversion.
Predicting Convergence Time for GeneticAlgorithmsSushil

It is diicult to predict a genetic algorithm's behavior on an arbitrary problem. Combining genetic algorithm theory with practice we use the average hamming distance as a syntactic metric to derive bounds on the time convergence of genetic algorithms. Analysis of a at function provides worst case time complexity for static functions. Further, employing linearly computable runtime information, we provide bounds on the time beyond which progress is unlikely on arbitrary static functions. As a byproduct, this analysis also provides qualitative bounds by predicting average tness.
Noncoherent turbo decoding

We propose a new turbo code noncoherent detection scheme based on a novel a-priori probability processor (APP). Using this method, many turbo encoders can be used without a change in the code or in the modulation, and without a significant change in the structure of the iterative decoder. Simulation results of this method are presented for various phase noise levels. We show a degradation of 0.7 dB from the coherent detection of the same codes.
Enhancing InfiniBand with OpenFlow-Style SDN Capability

InfiniBand is the de facto networking technology for commodity HPC clusters and has been widely deployed. However, most production large-scale InfiniBand clusters use simple routing schemes such as the destination-mod-k routing to route traffic, which may result in degraded communication performance. In this work, we investigate using the OpenFlow-style Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technology to overcome the routing deficiency in InfiniBand. We design an enhanced InfiniBand with OpenFlow-style SDN capability and demonstrate a use case that illustrates how the SDN capability can be exploited in HPC clusters to improve the system and application performance. Finally, we quantify the potential benefits of InfiniBand with OpenFlow-style SDN capability in balancing the network load by simulating job traces from production HPC clusters. The results indicate that InfiniBand with SDN capability can achieve much better network load balancing than traditional InfiniBand for HPC clusters.
Efficiently support MapReduce-like computation models inside parallel DBMS

While parallel DBMSs do support large scale parallel query processing on partitioned data, the reach of more general applications relies on User Defined Functions (UDFs). However, the existent UDF technology is insufficient both conceptually and practically. A UDF is not a relation-in, relation-out operator, which restricts its ability to model complex applications defined on a set of tuples rather than on a single one, and to be composed with other relational operators in a query. Further, to interact with the query execution efficiently, a UDF must be coded with complex interactions with DBMS internal data structures and system calls which is often beyond the expertise of an analytics application developer. To solve these problems, we start with wrapping general applications with Relation Valued Functions (RVFs); then based on the notion of invocation patterns, we provide focused system support for efficiently integrating RVF execution into the query processing pipeline. We further distinguish the system responsibility and the user responsibility in RVF development, by separating an RVF into the RVF-Shell for dealing with system interaction, and the user-function for pure application logic, such that the RVF-Shell can be constructed in terms of high-level APIs. These mechanisms enable us to solve the essential problems in supporting MapReduce and other analytics computation models inside a parallel database engine: modeling complex applications, integrating them into query processing, and shielding analytics developers from DBMS internal details. Prototyped on a commercial and proprietary parallel database engine, our experience reveals the practical value of the proposed approaches.
Years of Newest Vertex Bisection

One aspect of adaptive mesh refinement in the finite element method for solving partial differential equations is the method by which elements are refined. In the early 1980’s the dominant method for refining triangles was the red-green algorithm of Bank and Sherman. The red refinements are the desired refinements, but will result in an incompatible mesh when used alone. The green refinements are used to recover compatibility for stability of the finite element discretization, and are removed before the next adaptive step. Prof. Bob Skeel raised the question as to whether it is possible to perform adaptive refinement of triangles without this complicated patching/unpatching process. As a result, a new triangle refinement method, called newest vertex bisection, was devised as an alternative to red-green refinement in the mid 1980’s. The new approach is simpler and maintains compatibility of the mesh at all times, avoiding the patching/unpatching of the green refinement. In this historical paper we review the development of the newest vertex bisection method for adaptive refinement, and subsequent extensions of the method. c © 2017 European Society of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering
Estimation of Thalamocortical and Intracortical Network Models from Joint Thalamic Single-Electrode and Cortical Laminar-Electrode Recordings in the Rat Barrel System

A new method is presented for extraction of population firing-rate models for both thalamocortical and intracortical signal transfer based on stimulus-evoked data from simultaneous thalamic single-electrode and cortical recordings using linear (laminar) multielectrodes in the rat barrel system. Time-dependent population firing rates for granular (layer 4), supragranular (layer 2/3), and infragranular (layer 5) populations in a barrel column and the thalamic population in the homologous barreloid are extracted from the high-frequency portion (multi-unit activity; MUA) of the recorded extracellular signals. These extracted firing rates are in turn used to identify population firing-rate models formulated as integral equations with exponentially decaying coupling kernels, allowing for straightforward transformation to the more common firing-rate formulation in terms of differential equations. Optimal model structures and model parameters are identified by minimizing the deviation between model firing rates and the experimentally extracted population firing rates. For the thalamocortical transfer, the experimental data favor a model with fast feedforward excitation from thalamus to the layer-4 laminar population combined with a slower inhibitory process due to feedforward and/or recurrent connections and mixed linear-parabolic activation functions. The extracted firing rates of the various cortical laminar populations are found to exhibit strong temporal correlations for the present experimental paradigm, and simple feedforward population firing-rate models combined with linear or mixed linear-parabolic activation function are found to provide excellent fits to the data. The identified thalamocortical and intracortical network models are thus found to be qualitatively very different. While the thalamocortical circuit is optimally stimulated by rapid changes in the thalamic firing rate, the intracortical circuits are low-pass and respond most strongly to slowly varying inputs from the cortical layer-4 population.
The Space of Jumping Emerging Patterns and Its Incremental Maintenance Algorithms

The concept of jumping emerging patterns (JEPs) has been proposed to describe those discriminating features which only occur in the positive training instances but do not occur in the negative class at all; JEPs have been used to construct classifiers which generally provide better accuracy than the state-of-the-art classifiers such as C4.5. The algorithms for maintaining the space of jumping emerging patterns (JEP space) are presented in this paper. We prove that JEP spaces satisfy the property of convexity. Therefore JEP spaces can be concisely represented by two bounds: consisting respectively of the most general elements and the most specific elements. In response to insertion of new training instances, a JEP space is modified by operating on its boundary elements and the boundary elements of the JEP spaces associated with the new instances. This strategy completely avoids the need to go back to the most initial step to build the new JEP space. In addition, our maintenance algorithms can well handle such other cases as deletion of instances, insertion of new attributes, and deletion of attributes.
Polycarbonate Microfoams with a Smooth Surface and Higher Notched Impact Strength

Polycarbonate microfoams produced by physical blowing agents usually have an unacceptable surface quality. The surface is rough and the visual difference in the surface quality is striking. However, the surface quality can be improved by the gas counterpressure technology. Polycarbonate has a high elongation at break but a low notched impact strength. Earlier, the microfoams showed higher notched impact strength, but a considerably reduced elongation at break. Foams produced by the gas counter-pressure technology have both these positive mechanical properties.
SceneNet RGB-D: 5M Photorealistic Images of Synthetic Indoor Trajectories with Ground Truth

We introduce SceneNet RGB-D, expanding the previous work of SceneNet to enable large scale photorealistic rendering of indoor scene trajectories. It provides pixel-perfect ground truth for scene understanding problems such as semantic segmentation, instance segmentation, and object detection, and also for geometric computer vision problems such as optical flow, depth estimation, camera pose estimation, and 3D reconstruction. Random sampling permits virtually unlimited scene configurations, and here we provide a set of 5M rendered RGB-D images from over 15K trajectories in synthetic layouts with random but physically simulated object poses. Each layout also has random lighting, camera trajectories, and textures. The scale of this dataset is well suited for pre-training data-driven computer vision techniques from scratch with RGB-D inputs, which previously has been limited by relatively small labelled datasets in NYUv2 and SUN RGB-D. It also provides a basis for investigating 3D scene labelling tasks by providing perfect camera poses and depth data as proxy for a SLAM system. We host the dataset at this http URL
Trends in Self-Employment Among White and Black Men: 1910-1990

We examine trends in self-employment among white and black men from 1910 to 1990 using Census and CPS microdata. Self-employment rates fell over most of the century and then started to rise after 1970. For white men, we find that the decline was due to declining rates within industries, but was counterbalanced somewhat by a shift in employment towards high self-employment industries. Recently, the increase in self-employment was caused by an end to the within industry decline and the continuing shift in employment towards high self-employment industries. We find that the trends in self-employment average returns do not easily explain the decline in self-employment from 1950 to 1970, nor the increase from 1970 to 1990. We also find that changes in tax rates, social security benefits, and immigration patterns do not explain the recent upturn in self-employment. For black men, we find that the self-employment rate remained at a level of roughly one-third the white rate from 1910 to 1990. The large and constant gap between the black and the white rates is not due to blacks being concentrated in low self-employment rate industries, but is consistent with job opportunities outside of self-employment increasing relative to those in self-employment. However, more recently the relative earnings of blacks in self-employment rose more than relative earnings for whites the near constancy of the relative self-employment rates more surprising. We also find that absent continuing forces holding down black self-employment, a simple inter-generational model of self-employment suggests that black and white rates would converge quickly.