Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variability management of plugin‐based systems using feature models

Plugin‐based systems are typically realized with resort to a component framework that offers an infrastructure for assembling plugin components, which can be composed to form system variants. Feature models have been proposed as an abstraction to manage software variability, where feature configurations describe variants of a software system. In this paper, we propose an automated approach to map the artifacts of plugin‐based component frameworks to feature models. We describe a methodology for structuring the architecture of a plugin‐based system, so that the variability space and variants are reflected in a feature model and its configurations. We materialized the proposed approach for the Eclipse Equinox component framework in a tool to visualize the variability of plugin‐based systems in feature diagrams, which can be used to generate system variants. We carried out an experiment where we developed a small plugin‐based product line on top of Equinox in the context of an advanced software development course. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PLUM: A Photograph Browser with a Layout-Upon-Maps Algorithm

This paper presents “PLUM”, a photograph browser that places clusters of photographs onto a map while drawing trajectories of photographers. PLUM is useful to look at photographs while observing their activities. PLUM firstly clusters photographs based on places and times, and places representative photographs of the clusters onto a map. PLUM shows all photographs in the specified cluster when a user interactively selects a representative photograph on the map. It features an algorithm to avoid overlap among photographs and trajectories on the map to realize their all-in-one display.
kBF: A Bloom Filter for key-value storage with an application on approximate state machines

Key-value (k-v) storage has been used as a crucial component for many network applications, such as social networks, online retailing, and cloud computing. Such storage usually provides support for operations on key-value pairs, and can be stored in memory to speed up responses to queries. So far, existing methods have been deterministic: they will faithfully return previously inserted key-value pairs. Providing such accuracy, however, comes at the cost of memory and CPU time. In contrast, in this paper, we present an approximate k-v storage that is more compact than existing methods. The tradeoff is that it may, theoretically, return a null value for a valid key with a low probability, or return a valid value for a key that was never inserted. Its design is based on the probabilistic data structure called the “Bloom Filter”, which was originally developed to test element membership in sets. In this paper, we extend the bloom filter concept to support key-value operations, and demonstrate that it still retains the compact nature of the original bloom filter. We call the resulting design as the kBF (key-value bloom filter), and systematically analyze its performance advantages and design tradeoffs. Finally, we apply the kBF to a practical problem of implementing a state machine in network intrusion detection to demonstrate how the kBF can be used as a building block for more complicated software infrastructures.
Three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D IC) Floorplan and Power/Ground Network Co-synthesis

Three Dimensional Integrated Circuits (3D ICs) are currently being developed to improve existing 2D designs by providing smaller chip areas and higher performance and lower power consumption. However, before 3D ICs become a viable technology, the 3D design space needs to be fully explored and 3D EDA tools need to be developed. To help explore the 3D design space and help fill the need for 3D EDA tools, the 3D Floorplan and Power/Ground (P/G) Co-synthesis tool is developed in this work, which develops the floorplan and the P/G network concurrently. Most current 3D IC floorplanners neglect the effects of the 3D P/G network on the design, which may lead to large IR drops in the circuit. To create feasible floorplans with efficient P/G networks, the 3D Floorplan and P/G Co-synthesis tool optimizes the floorplan in terms of wirelength, area and P/G routing area and IR drops. The tool integrates a 3D B*-tree floorplan representation, a resistive P/G mesh, and a Simulated Annealing (SA) engine to explore the 3D floorplan and P/G network. The results of experiments using the 3D Floorplan and P/G Co-synthesis tool show that 3D ICs tend to increase the P/G routing area while decreasing the IR drops in the circuit. By considering the IR drop while floorplanning, exploring the 3D P/G design space, and evaluating 3D IC's effect on 3D P/G networks, the 3D Floorplan and P/G Co-synthesis tool can develop a more efficient 3D IC.
PixelVault: Using GPUs for Securing Cryptographic Operations

Protecting the confidentiality of cryptographic keys in the event of partial or full system compromise is crucial for containing the impact of attacks. The Heartbleed vulnerability of April 2014, which allowed the remote leakage of secret keys from HTTPS web servers, is an indicative example. In this paper we present PixelVault, a system for keeping cryptographic keys and carrying out cryptographic operations exclusively on the GPU, which allows it to protect secret keys from leakage even in the event of full system compromise. This is possible by exposing secret keys only in GPU registers, keeping PixelVault's critical code in the GPU instruction cache, and preventing any access to both of them from the host. Due to the non-preemptive execution mode of the GPU, an adversary that has full control of the host cannot tamper with PixelVault's GPU code, but only terminate it, in which case all sensitive data is lost. We have implemented a PixelVault-enabled version of the OpenSSL library that allows the protection of existing applications with minimal modifications. Based on the results of our evaluation, PixelVault not only provides secure key storage using commodity hardware, but also significantly speeds up the processing throughput of cryptographic operations for server applications.
Fine structure of a transplanted chemically induced nonlymphoid thymoma.

A chemically induced, serially transplanted nonlymphoid thymoma capable of immunologic restoration of neonatally thymectomized mice was examined by electron microscopy. The cytoplasm of most of the cells in this tumor is filled with single ribosomes and polysomes. A moderate amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum is present. Cells with the identifying characteristics of normal thymic epithelial cells are absent. Dense granules similar to those in thymic epithelial cells are observed in some tumor cells. Type A virus particles are present in association with rough endoplasmic reticulum.
A quality-model-based approach for describing and evaluating software packages

Selection of software packages from user requirements is a central task in software engineering. Selection of inappropriate packages may compromise business processes and may interfere negatively in the functioning of the involved organization. Success of package selection is endangered because of many factors, one of the most important being the absence of structured descriptions of both package features and user quality requirements. In this paper, we propose a methodology for describing quality factors of software packages using the ISO/IEC quality standard as a framework. Following this standard, relevant attributes for a specific software domain are identified and structured as a hierarchy, and metrics for them are chosen. Software packages in this domain can then be described in a uniform and comprehensive way. Therefore, selection of packages can be ameliorated by transforming user quality requirements into requirements expressed in terms of quality model attributes. We illustrate the approach by presenting, in some depth, a quality model for the mail server domain.
UV-Spectrophotometric Methods for Determination of Aceclofenac and Diacerein in Pharmaceutical Formulation

Three simple, specific, reproducible methods have been developed and validated for the simultaneous estimation of Aceclofenac and Diacerein in pharmaceutical formulation by UV-Spectrophotometric methods viz; Method I, Absorbance Correction method, Method II, Simultaneous Equation method and Method III, Absorbance Ratio method. For development of Method I, wavelengths selected were 277.0 nm λmax for ACE and 341.5 nm λmax for DIA. For method II, wavelengths selected were 256.5 nm and 277.0 nm for estimation of DIA and ACE respectively, while for Method III, 277.0 nm λmax for ACE and 267.5 nm an isoabsorptive point of ACE and DIA. The two drugs follow Beer-Lambert’s law over the concentration range of 10-50 μg/mL for ACE and 5-25 μg/mL for DIA for all three methods. The percent recovery of the drugs was found to be nearly 100 % representing the accuracy of the all three methods. Validation of the proposed methods was carried out for its accuracy, precision, specificity and ruggedness according to ICH guidelines. The proposed methods can be successfully applied in routine work for the determination of ACE and DIA in combined dosage form.
RBFN Networks-based Models for Estimating Software Development Effort: A Cross-validation Study

Software effort estimation is very crucial and there is always a need to improve its accuracy as much as possible. Several estimation techniques have been developed in this regard and it is difficult to determine which model gives more accurate estimation on which dataset. Among all proposed methods, the Radial Basis Function Neural (RBFN) networks models have presented promising results in software effort estimation. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the RBFN networks construction based on both hard and fuzzy C-means clustering algorithms using cross-validation approach. The objective of this replication study is to investigate if the RBFN-based models learned from the training data are able to estimate accurately the efforts of yet unseen data. This evaluation uses two historical datasets, namely COCOMO81 and ISBSG R8.
Key principles for a national clinical decision support knowledge sharing framework: synthesis of insights from leading subject matter experts

OBJECTIVE To identify key principles for establishing a national clinical decision support (CDS) knowledge sharing framework. MATERIALS AND METHODS As part of an initiative by the US Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) to establish a framework for national CDS knowledge sharing, key stakeholders were identified. Stakeholders' viewpoints were obtained through surveys and in-depth interviews, and findings and relevant insights were summarized. Based on these insights, key principles were formulated for establishing a national CDS knowledge sharing framework. RESULTS Nineteen key stakeholders were recruited, including six executives from electronic health record system vendors, seven executives from knowledge content producers, three executives from healthcare provider organizations, and three additional experts in clinical informatics. Based on these stakeholders' insights, five key principles were identified for effectively sharing CDS knowledge nationally. These principles are (1) prioritize and support the creation and maintenance of a national CDS knowledge sharing framework; (2) facilitate the development of high-value content and tooling, preferably in an open-source manner; (3) accelerate the development or licensing of required, pragmatic standards; (4) acknowledge and address medicolegal liability concerns; and (5) establish a self-sustaining business model. DISCUSSION Based on the principles identified, a roadmap for national CDS knowledge sharing was developed through the ONC's Advancing CDS initiative. CONCLUSION The study findings may serve as a useful guide for ongoing activities by the ONC and others to establish a national framework for sharing CDS knowledge and improving clinical care.
Fecal Calprotectin Levels Predict the Clinical Course in Patients With New Onset of Ulcerative Colitis

Background:The clinical course of ulcerative colitis (UC) is unpredictable. During recent years, the ability of fecal biomarkers to predict relapse in inflammatory bowel disease has been evaluated. The objective of this study was to assess fecal calprotectin (FC) as a predictor of disease recurrence in patients with new onset of UC. Methods:Sixty-nine patients were included. After the initial treatment, patients were followed up after 3 months and then yearly for 3 years. The prognostic role of FC 3 months after the initial therapy was evaluated. Results:The FC levels 3 months after the diagnosis were higher in patients experiencing a relapsing disease course compared with those with a mild disease course during 1 year (median, 263; interquartile range [IQR], 100–634 &mgr;g/g versus median, 102; IQR, 38–225 &mgr;g/g; P = 0.009) and 3 years of follow-up (median, 280; IQR, 102–622 &mgr;g/g versus median, 118; IQR, 39–219 &mgr;g/g; P = 0.01). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves using calprotectin to predict a relapsing disease course during 1 year and 3 years were 0.69 (95% confidence interval, 0.56–0.82) and 0.70 (95% confidence interval, 0.57–0.83), respectively. In the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, a FC level >262 &mgr;g/g was associated with an increased risk of a relapsing disease course during the study period (P = 0.003). In logistic regression analysis, only FC and age were found to be independent predictors of having a relapsing disease course. Conclusions:Levels of FC 3 months after the initial therapy in patients with new onset of UC predict the disease course over the following years, and they are of value in the clinical management of these patients.
Color Calibration Method Based on Spectrally Reproduced Colors and its Application to XYZ-Type Digital Camera

This paper presents the development of a color calibration method based on spectrally reproduced colors produced by multi-primary color narrow-band LED’s. The additive mixture of the primary colors can spectrally reproduce an object color. This approach has been used in our work to overcome the insufficient calibration results obtained by commonly used color targets such as the Macbeth Chart. The method has been tested using a developed prototype of digitally controlled light source calibrated to simulate object color under D65 Daylight standard illumination. The method allows for obtaining of the average color difference for the calibrated XYZ camera of ∆E=0.79 and shows significant improvement in comparison with calibration using standard Macbeth (∆E=1.47). Moreover, we explain the advantages of color calibration with usage of multi-primary light source with regard to the amount of the primary colors.
PLSA-Based Query Expansion

The problem of word mismatch is fundamental to informationretrieval. The primary goal of this paper is effectively solve theabove-mentioned problem by presenting a novel approach to queryexpansion to LSA and factor analysis, that has a solid statisticalfoundation, called PLSA, since it is based on the likelihoodprinciple and defines a proper generative model of the data.Theexperiment result on TREC data collection shows the method proposedby the paper is effective.
Modeling of Structural-Acoustic Interaction Using Coupled FE/BE Method and Control of Interior Acoustic Pressure Using Piezoelectric Actuators

A coupled finite element (FE) and boundary element (BE) approach is presented to model full coupled structural/acoustic/piezoelectric systems. The dual reciprocity boundary element method is used so that the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the coupled system can be obtained, and to extend this approach to time dependent problems. The boundary element method is applied to interior acoustic domains, and the results are very accurate when compared with limited exact solutions. Structural-acoustic problems are then analyzed with the coupled finite element/boundary element method, where the finite element method models the structural domain and the boundary element method models the acoustic domain. Results for a system consisting of an isotropic panel and a cubic cavity are in good agreement with exact solutions and experiment data. The response of a composite panel backed cavity is then obtained. The results show that the mass and stiffness of piezoelectric layers have to be considered. The coupled finite element and boundary element equations are transformed into modal coordinates, which is more convenient for transient excitation. Several transient problems are solved based on this formulation. Two control designs, a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) and a feedforward controller, are applied to reduce the acoustic pressure inside the cavity based on the equations in modal coordinates. The results indicate that both controllers can reduce the interior acoustic pressure and the plate deflection.
Graph kernels between point clouds

Point clouds are sets of points in two or three dimensions. Most kernel methods for learning on sets of points have not yet dealt with the specific geometrical invariances and practical constraints associated with point clouds in computer vision and graphics. In this paper, we present extensions of graph kernels for point clouds, which allow one to use kernel methods for such objects as shapes, line drawings, or any three-dimensional point clouds. In order to design rich and numerically efficient kernels with as few free parameters as possible, we use kernels between covariance matrices and their factorizations on probabilistic graphical models. We derive polynomial time dynamic programming recursions and present applications to recognition of handwritten digits and Chinese characters from few training examples.
EPCS 2002 ARE TAX STRUCTURES CONVERGING IN THE LONG TERM ? +

The internationalisation of economic and political life leads to a growing interdependency of public policies. In the field of taxation, two behavioural responses are possible: co-operative harmonisation or non-cooperative competition. From a positive perspective, interdependencies might or might not lead to a convergence in tax structures. We address this empirical issue and analyse the evolution of tax structures in OECD countries. Previous work has shown how tax structures have converged in the past (1965-1995) though an analysis of the time-series properties has revealed significant persistence to shocks. In this paper, using panel based unit root tests, we investigate the convergence process in more detail. This allows us to better identify the precise nature of the (evolution of the) fiscal interdependencies among countries. We show that there is evidence that tax structures do undergo significant "convergent forces" but this evidence is not overwhelming. However, the effectiveness of such forces may depend on the precise nature of the individual taxes. Notably the mobility of the tax base is expected to be a crucial determinant. To investigate this issue we analyse the convergence process for income taxation (the single most important revenue source). We find clear evidence that convergent forces are more explicit for the corporate income tax than for the personal income tax (which has a much less mobile tax base). Draft submitted for consideration for presentation in the regular sessions * Corresponding author + The authors are grateful to participants at the IIPF Conference, Linz for helpful discussion, in particular, Walter Hettich for incisive comments, on a previous draft.
Chloride binding to calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) in cement paste: a molecular dynamics analysis

A research study was recently conducted using the molecular dynamics approach to investigate the physico-chemical nature of interactions between chloride ions and various hydration products of cement that could lead to chloride accumulation in concrete. This paper presents the findings of one primary focus of the study, i.e. studying the transport behaviour of chloride ions in the calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) phases of cement paste. Based on a comprehensive review, three reprehensive hydrated compounds, i.e. the portlandite, tobermorite and jennite, were modelled to evaluate the transport property of generic C-S-H phases in cement paste. Using the 35Cl nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy technique, the MD models were validated and used to study the binding capacity of C-S-H phases towards the migrating chloride ions at the water–solid interfaces. The macroscopic transport phenomenon of chloride in C-S-H phases was studied in terms of the effective diffusion coefficient computed using a mean-square displacement approach.
A framework for the evaluation of intrusion detection systems

Classification accuracy in intrusion detection systems (IDSs) deals with such fundamental problems as how to compare two or more IDSs, how to evaluate the performance of an IDS, and how to determine the best configuration of the IDS. In an effort to analyze and solve these related problems, evaluation metrics such as the Bayesian detection rate, the expected cost, the sensitivity and the intrusion detection capability have been introduced. In this paper, we study the advantages and disadvantages of each of these performance metrics and analyze them in a unified framework. Additionally, we introduce the intrusion detection operating characteristic (IDOC) curves as a new IDS performance tradeoff which combines in an intuitive way the variables that are more relevant to the intrusion detection evaluation problem. We also introduce a formal framework for reasoning about the performance of an IDS and the proposed metrics against adaptive adversaries. We provide simulations and experimental results to illustrate the benefits of the proposed framework
Using Vacuum Deposition Technologyfor the Manufacturing of Electro-Conductive Layers on the Surface of Textiles

*Department of Clothing Technology and Textronics, Technical University of Lodz, ul. Żeromskiego 116 90-924 Łodź, Poland E-mail: stemp@p.lodz. pl Abstract Work associated with obtaining an electroconductive layer on the surface of selected textile structures using vacuum deposition technology is described in the paper. The vacuum deposition method gives the opportunity to receive products if the metal layers obtained have good electrical conductivity with just the adhesion of particles to the textile substrate. The experimental work on the application of metallic layers on fabric samples were divided into three stages. At each stage, the conductivity of the layers obtained was investigated. A microscopic examination was carried out using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy in order to evaluate the continuity of the electroconductive layers deposited. Based on the work, it was found that the sputtered layers are characterised by an electrical conductivity depending on the process parameters.
Research of Event Pronoun Resolution

Event anaphora resolution plays an important role in discourse analysis. In comparison with general noun phrases, pronouns carry little information of themselves, resolving the event pronouns is a more difficult task. This paper proposes a machine learning-based framework for event pronoun resolution. All kinds of features, including both flat and structural features, are explored for event pronoun resolution. Experiments on OntoNotes corpus show that both flat and structural features are very effective for this task.
TREC 2002 QA at BBN: Answer Selection and Confidence Estimation

We focused on two issues: answer selection and confidence estimation. We found that some simple constraints on the candidate answers can improve a pure IR-based technique for answer selection. We also found that a few simple features derived from the questionanswer pairs can be used for effective confidence estimation. Our results also confirmed findings by Dumais et al, 2002 that the World-Wide Web is a very useful resource for answering TREC-style factoid questions.