Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Software-Defined Data Protection: Low Overhead Policy Compliance at the Storage Layer is Within Reach!

Most modern data processing pipelines run on top of a distributed storage layer, and securing the whole system, and the storage layer in particular, against accidental or malicious misuse is crucial to ensuring compliance to rules and regulations. Enforcing data protection and privacy rules, however, stands at odds with the requirement to achieve higher and higher access bandwidths and processing rates in large data processing pipelines. In this work we describe our proposal for the path forward that reconciles the two goals. We call our approach "Software-Defined Data Protection" (SDP). Its premise is simple, yet powerful: decoupling often changing policies from request-level enforcement allows distributed smart storage nodes to implement the latter at line-rate. Existing and future data protection frameworks can be translated to the same hardware interface which allows storage nodes to offload enforcement efficiently both for company-specific rules and regulations, such as GDPR or CCPA. While SDP is a promising approach, there are several remaining challenges to making this vision reality. As we explain in the paper, overcoming these will require collaboration across several domains, including security, databases and specialized hardware design.
Pressure cycling for purging of dead spaces in high‐purity gas delivery systems

The purging of stagnant or dead volumes in gas distribution systems is an important method for removing impurities and maintaining cleanliness. A combination of experimental investigation and computational process modeling is used to study the dynamics of impurity removal under variety of purge conditions. The controlled cycling of pressure during purge is found to enhance the cleaning process significantly, particularly in dead spaces. The process simulator was used to develop and analyze a pressure-cyclic purge (PCP) method and understand the conditions that would make PCP advantageous over steady-state purge (SSP). In particular, the effect of geometric factors, impurity surface interactions, flow rate, and cycle characteristics on PCP and its comparison with SSP was studied. The advantage of the PCP method, in terms of both purge time and gas usage, becomes more pronounced in systems with larger number and size of dead spaces and impurities that interact strongly with the surfaces. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2015
Diffusion coefficients of polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in polydimethylsiloxane and low‐density polyethylene polymers

Diffusion coefficients (D) of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined by film-stacking technique in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and two types of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) (also known as silicone rubber, SR) with the trade names AlteSil (TM) and Silastic. The estimated values of D for PCBs and PAHs over a wide range of hydrophobicity were 2-2.5 orders of magnitude lower in LDPE than in SR polymers. Log D (m(2) s(-1)) of PCBs ranged from -10.1 to -10.9 for SRs and from -12.4 to -13.7 for LDPE. For PAHs these ranges were -9.8 to -11.4 for SRs and -11.9 to -13.7 for LDPE. Compared with the D values calculated in water, D were 1-2 and 3-4 orders of magnitude lower in SR and LDPE, respectively. For PAH molecules, D was lower than for PCBs with a similar molecular weight, probably because of their more rigid structure. The range of log D for PCBs in SR was only 0.5 log units (factor of 3.2) versus 1.2 log units (factor of 16) in LDPE. Although compound classes showed different relations, a linear relation of D with total surface area was the most universal. This relation may be used for prediction of D values in SR and LDPE polymers for other organic compounds. (C) 201.0 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 116: 1803-1810, 2010
Communications of the Association for Information Systems Communications of the Association for Information Systems

: Due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many educational institutions have transitioned to online instruction. As a result, instructors need to investigate online small group learning opportunities to bond with their students who feel isolated from their peers due to social-distancing guidelines. In this paper, we discuss three key issues in online hands-on learning: 1) interactions, 2) equity and inclusive participation, and 3) students’ readiness for hands-on or higher-level cognitive learning. We reflect on our teaching experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and offer suggestions to help instructors plan and implement online small group hands-on learning.
Cadmium Oxide Nano Particles by Sol-Gel and Vapour- Liquid-Solid Methods

Cadmium Oxide (CdO) Nano particles were prepared by simple spray pyrolysis technique. For calculating particle size, dspacing value and structure of the CdO nanopartic le X-ray diffractogram spectrum were taken. Presence of cadmium and oxygen verified by FTIR spectrum. Size of the CdO nano particles were detected by Scanning Electron Micro scope picture.
Trace Element Determination by ICP‐AES and ICP‐MS: Developments and Applications Reported During 2004 and 2005

This review describes significant developments in trace element determination using inductively coupled plasma‐atomic emission spectrometry (ICP‐AES) and inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) that were reported in 2004 and 2005. It focuses on the application of ICP techniques to geological and environmental samples; fundamental studies in ICP‐MS and ICP‐AES instrumentation are not included. The literature reviewed indicated that the majority of new publications concerned advances in ICP‐MS analysis rather than ICP‐AES. However, ICP‐AES developments are still being published, particularly in the areas of sample preconcentration and sample introduction. The trend in increasing publication of developments in hyphenated speciation techniques looks set to persist as knowledge of elemental speciation becomes critical for many environmental studies. Collision or reactions cells were the most reported technique for spectral interference removal in ICP‐MS, probably reflecting the growing adoption of cell instruments in laboratories during the last few years.
Epoch-based Commit and Replication in Distributed OLTP Databases

Many modern data-oriented applications are built on top of distributed OLTP databases for both scalability and high availability. Such distributed databases enforce atomicity, durability, and consistency through two-phase commit (2PC) and synchronous replication at the granularity of every single transaction. In this paper, we present COCO, a new distributed OLTP database that supports epoch-based commit and replication. The key idea behind COCO is that it separates transactions into epochs and treats a whole epoch of transactions as the commit unit. In this way, the overhead of 2PC and synchronous replication is significantly reduced. We support two variants of optimistic concurrency control (OCC) using physical time and logical time with various optimizations, which are enabled by the epoch-based execution. Our evaluation on two popular benchmarks (YCSB and TPC-C) show that COCO outperforms systems with fine-grained 2PC and synchronous replication by up to a factor of four.
FREDE: Anytime Graph Embeddings

Low-dimensional representations, or embeddings , of a graph's nodes facilitate several practical data science and data engineering tasks. As such embeddings rely, explicitly or implicitly, on a similarity measure among nodes, they require the computation of a quadratic similarity matrix, inducing a tradeoff between space complexity and embedding quality. To date, no graph embedding work combines (i) linear space complexity, (ii) a nonlinear transform as its basis, and (iii) nontrivial quality guarantees. In this paper we introduce FREDE ( FREquent Directions Embedding ), a graph embedding based on matrix sketching that combines those three desiderata. Starting out from the observation that embedding methods aim to preserve the covariance among the rows of a similarity matrix, FREDE iteratively improves on quality while individually processing rows of a nonlinearly transformed PPR similarity matrix derived from a state-of-the-art graph embedding method and provides, at any iteration , column-covariance approximation guarantees in due course almost indistinguishable from those of the optimal approximation by SVD. Our experimental evaluation on variably sized networks shows that FREDE performs almost as well as SVD and competitively against state-of-the-art embedding methods in diverse data science tasks, even when it is based on as little as 10% of node similarities.
Modeling shear-induced phase transitions of binary polymer mixtures

The shear-induced phase transitions of binary polymer mixtures have been studied. We solved the two-fluid model numerically in a high Weissenberg number and infinite Peclet number flow regime without linearization of the diffusive equation or the adiabatic approximation. Our simulations have captured key features of flow-induced phase transitions, such as the shift in the phase boundary from the equilibrium phase diagram under flow conditions. Both shear-induced mixing and demixing phenomena have been reproduced. The dynamic phase behavior of polymer mixtures is governed by parameters including φA and χ for thermodynamic forces, τ′ and G′ for the degree of dynamical asymmetry in polymer mixtures, and the imposed nominal shear rate. Dynamic phase diagrams are obtained for steady state flow. We have identified correlations between the microstructure evolution and rheology, and a mechanism to reach the steady state. The rheological signature of demixing fluids under shear is that the dependence of the steady.
Efficient Join Algorithms For Large Database Tables in a Multi-GPU Environment

Relational join processing is one of the core functionalities in database management systems. It has been demonstrated that GPUs as a general-purpose parallel computing platform is very promising in processing relational joins. However, join algorithms often need to handle very large input data, which is an issue that was not sufficiently addressed in existing work. Besides, as more and more desktop and workstation platforms support multi-GPU environment, the combined computing capability of multiple GPUs can easily achieve that of a computing cluster. It is worth exploring how join processing would benefit from the adaptation of multiple GPUs. We identify the low rate and complex patterns of data transfer among the CPU and GPUs as the main challenges in designing efficient algorithms for large table joins. To overcome such challenges, we propose three distinctive designs of multi-GPU join algorithms, namely, the nested loop, global sort-merge and hybrid joins for large table joins with different join conditions. Extensive experiments running on multiple databases and two different hardware configurations demonstrate high scalability of our algorithms over data size and significant performance boost brought by the use of multiple GPUs. Furthermore, our algorithms achieve much better performance as compared to existing join algorithms, with a speedup up to 25X and 2.8X over best known code developed for multi-core CPUs and GPUs respectively.
Rh and Pt nanoparticles supported by CeO2: Metal–support interaction upon high-temperature reduction observed by electron microscopy

Pt and Rh nanoparticles obtained by epitaxial growth on NaCl (001) were coated with a crystalline ceria support and subjected to systematic hydrogen reduction in the temperature range 573 K ≤ T ≤ 973 K. The structural and morphological changes were examined by high resolution electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction. Metal–support interaction between Pt particles and ceria becomes apparent after reduction in hydrogen at 723 K and results in alloy formation and reconstruction of the metal into regular cube-like Pt3Ce particles which are stable up to 973 K. In contrast, the reduction of the comparable rhodium-ceria system leads to larger particles of undefined shape which start to develop below 673 K and increase in size up to reduction at 973 K. Electron diffraction reveals again alloy formation, but unlike on Pt, several alloy phases (Rh3Ce, Rh2Ce and RhCe) are developed simultaneously and a defined topotactic growth does not occur. The thermal stability of the resulting phases and their resistance toward oxidation are discussed.
The Sol Concentration Effect in n-Butylammonium Vermiculite Swelling

The swelling of n-butylammonium vermiculite in water was investigated as a function of the sol concentration (r), the salt concentration (c) and the temperature (T). The interlayer spacing in the gel phase was investigated as a function of r and c by neutron diffraction and by laboratory experiments which measured how many times its own volume a crystal would absorb. The salt concentration was found to be the stronger variable with the interlayer spacing decreasing proportional to c0.5, which is consistent with previous results and with the Coulombic attraction theory. The sol concentration was found to affect the swelling for two reasons, the salt fractionation effect and the trapped salt effect. Both of these cause the salt concentration in the supernatant fluid to be greater than that originally added to the crystals and so reduce the swelling.A new method was used for extracting the solution from inside the gels by collapsing the gels by the addition of potassium hydrogen carbonate. The Volhardt titration was carried out on the extracted and supernatant solutions from about 250 gels. The ratio of the external to the internal chloride concentration was found to be approximately constant across the range of salt concentrations. Its average value was equal to 2.6, again in agreement with Coulombic attraction theory and showing the surface potential to be constant at about 70 mV.The (r, c, T) boundary of the two phase colloid region was investigated by three methods. A plot of log c against Tc was linear within experimental accuracy, with a gradient of 0.077 K−1 or 13 K per log unit. This shows that the surface potential varies by only 1 mV per decade in the salt concentration. The system is therefore governed by the Dirichlet boundary condition and not by the Nernst equation.
Teseo and the Analysis of Structural Dynamic Graphs

We present Teseo, a new system for the storage and analysis of dynamic structural graphs in main-memory and the addition of transactional support. Teseo introduces a novel design based on sparse arrays, large arrays interleaved with gaps, and a fat tree, where the graph is ultimately stored. Our design contrasts with early systems for the analysis of dynamic graphs, which often lack transactional support and are anchored to a vertex table as a primary index. We claim that the vertex table implies several constraints, often neglected, that can actually impair the generality, the robustness and extension opportunities of these systems. We compare Teseo with other dynamic graph systems, showing a high resilience to workload and input changes, while achieving comparable, if not superior, throughputs in updates and latencies in raw scans.
Persistent Memory Hash Indexes: An Experimental Evaluation

Persistent memory (PM) is increasingly being leveraged to build hash-based indexing structures featuring cheap persistence, high performance, and instant recovery, especially with the recent release of Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory Modules. However, most of them are evaluated on DRAM-based emulators with unreal assumptions, or focus on the evaluation of specific metrics with important properties sidestepped. Thus, it is essential to understand how well the proposed hash indexes perform on real PM and how they differentiate from each other if a wider range of performance metrics are considered. To this end, this paper provides a comprehensive evaluation of persistent hash tables. In particular, we focus on the evaluation of six state-of-the-art hash tables including Level hashing, CCEH, Dash, PCLHT, Clevel, and SOFT, with real PM hardware. Our evaluation was conducted using a unified benchmarking framework and representative workloads. Besides characterizing common performance properties, we also explore how hardware configurations (such as PM bandwidth, CPU instructions, and NUMA) affect the performance of PM-based hash tables. With our in-depth analysis, we identify design trade-offs and good paradigms in prior arts, and suggest desirable optimizations and directions for the future development of PM-based hash tables.
Association of sociodemographic factors with various domains of alcohol-induced sexual dysfunction – An Indian perspective

Background: Sexual dysfunction is frequently seen in alcohol-use disorders. The available research on this topic has studied erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation using nonvalidated scales. This study was undertaken to study the other major domains of sexual dysfunction, namely sexual desire, orgasmic dysfunction and satisfaction, and their association with sociodemographic factors. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used and 78 male patients were recruited. The assessment was conducted using a specially designed intake pro forma, International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) Scale, DSM-5 and International Classification of Disease, 10th revision, diagnostic criteria for research. A correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed and its effect on various domains of sexual dysfunction was also carried out using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: The sociodemographic profile was studied in association with the overall (total) IIEF-15 subscale using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Statistically significant differences were observed among age groups, education subgroups, marital disharmony, years of alcohol use, and lifetime alcohol use. Further, since the values of ANOVA were significant, Tukey's post hoc analysis was carried out which showed a statistically significant difference among the groups. Various domains of sexual dysfunction showed a strongly negative correlation for overall IIEF subscale followed by intercourse satisfaction, sexual desire, and orgasmic function with years of alcohol use and lifetime alcohol use. Conclusion: Sexual dysfunction in alcohol dependence patients was significantly associated with a family history of paternal alcohol abuse, lower educational background, increasing age, and marital disharmony. This study also found a strongly negative correlation between various domains of sexual functioning and years of alcohol use/lifetime alcohol use.
Helmet shielding effect in mandibular fractures during road traffic accident

Objective: The objectives of this study are to evaluate the proportion of helmeted and nonhelmeted patients sustaining mandibular fractures. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 200 patients reporting to oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) unit, trauma center, and department of OMFS. A predesigned questionnaire was used to collect the necessary data. Patients were evaluated for age, gender, mode of transport (2/4 wheeler), presence of safety measure at the time of accident (helmet/seatbelt), maxillofacial injury in two wheeler (with helmet and without helmet), type of impact, and its association to maxillofacial fractures, particularly site of maxillofacial fractures. The association between mode of injury, presence of safety measures, impact type, and site of maxillofacial injuries was assessed using the Chi-square test. P < 0.5 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of patients was 30 years, and approximately 92.5% of accidents patients were male. In this study, 35% nonhelmeted riders were reported head injury and 5% of the helmeted rider reported head injury. 54.5% of the patients suffered frontal impact, 28% collision, and 17.5% lateral slide collision. Head injuries are the main cause of death among the riders of all two wheelers. Lateral sliding collision injuries (17.5%) resulted 60.6% of the fractures mandible, 24.2% midface injury, and associated injury (15.15%). Conclusion: The use of helmet is strongly recommended to prevent head injuries and facial injuries. In the nonhelmeted riders in motorcycle accidents, the incidence of mandible fractures increases proportionally.
Surgical scar revision using silicone gel sheet as an adjunct

Introduction: Scar is often referred to as an unattractive mark after healing of a wound. An undesirable scar may have negative social, emotional, and functional impact on the patient. It is our job as surgeons to adequately understand the expectations of the patient and counsel them for a successful procedure. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients were randomly chosen for the study, of which five were males and seven were females. The scar tissue was removed surgically, and silicone gel sheets (SGSs) were applied on the 14th postoperative day, and the dimensions of the new scar was measured periodically up to 12 months. Results: The study comprised of 12 patients- 5 males and 7 females. The descriptive statistics were calculated as median and interquartile range and comparison between time intervals was done using Wilcoxon signed rank test. Out of the 12 patients, 10 showing complete resolution of the scar and 2 patients had partial relapse of scar. However, they were satisfied with the final outcome. Conclusion: Our study found that SGSs applied to surgically revised scars significantly improves their appearance. The ease of use of the SGSs also makes it patient friendly. We observed almost complete resolution of the scar in ten patients and two patients exhibited partial relapse of the scar. However, there was a significant improvement in the overall appearance of the scar, and the patients were satisfied with the results of the procedure.
Correlation between Body Mass Index and Gleason Score in Men with Prostate Cancer in Southeastern Nigeria

Introduction: Prostate cancer has an increasing global burden. The clinical course varies from an indolent disease to a rapidly aggressive cancer. It is associated with higher mortality in less developed nations due to late presentation. The Gleason scoring system for prostatic adenocarcinoma has prognostic implications in diagnosed cases. Obesity has been associated with the evolution of many cancers including prostate cancer. There are conflicting reports on the relationship between obesity, as measured by body mass index (BMI), and prostate cancer aggressiveness, as measured by Gleason score. This study is aimed to determine if a correlation exists between BMI and Gleason score in men with prostate cancer. Methodology: This was a prospective, hospital-based, cross-sectional study involving consecutive patients with prostate cancer. Clinical evaluation including anthropometry, digital rectal examination, and relevant investigations were done for each patient and data collected with pro forma. This was followed by prostate needle biopsy and those diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the prostate had their Gleason grades and scores obtained. Data were analyzed statistically using Spearman Correlation. Results: The mean age of the patients was 69.54 ± 8.61 years (range 47–83 years). The BMI ranged from 16.98 to 36.45 kg/m2, with a mean of 27.03 ± 5.03 kg/m2. Twenty-six of the patients (36.1%) were overweight and 34.7% were obese. The mean total prostate-specific antigen was 118.65 ± 84.43 ng/ml, with a range of 31–406 ng/ml. The modal Gleason score was 9 with a range of 4–10. There was a strong positive correlation between BMI and Gleason score (r = 0.817, P = 0.0003). Conclusion: The BMI of patients with prostate cancer correlated positively with their Gleason score.