Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A methodology for implementing highly concurrent data structures

A concurrent object is a data structure shared by concurrent processes. Conventional techniques for implementing concurrent objects typically rely on critical sections: ensuring that only one process at a time can operate on the object. Nevertheless, critical sections are poorly suited for asynchronous systems: if one process is halted or delayed in a critical section, other, non-faulty processes will be unable to progress. By contrast, a concurrent object implementation is non-blocking if it always guarantees that some process will complete an operation in a finite number of steps, and it is wait-free if it guarantees that each process will complete an operation in a finite number of steps. This paper proposes a new methodology for constructing non-blocking and wait-free implementations of concurrent objects. The object's representation and operations are written as stylized sequential programs, with no explicit synchronization. Each sequential operation is automatically transformed into a non-blocking or wait-free operation using novel synchronization and memory management algorithms. These algorithms are presented for a multiple instruction/multiple data (MIMD) architecture in which n processes communicate by applying read, write, and compare&swap operations to a shared memory.
A new hybrid geometrical optics and radiance based scattering model for ray tracing applications

This paper presents a new hybrid geometrical optics (GO) and radiance based rough surface scattering model for use in ray tracing propagation models. The reflectance model includes the effects of both specular and diffuse reflection. The specular component is modelled using GO Fresnel reflections, while the diffuse components are modelled using radiance reflectance. The hybrid scattering model is then developed and implemented within an existing three-dimensional microcellular ray tracing model. Comparisons of predicted path loss and rms delay spread are made at 1.92 GHz using site specific measurements in an urban environment. The results demonstrate that scattering can be an important mechanism at this frequency. Significant improvements in prediction accuracy are demonstrated with the new hybrid scattering model.
Combined Approach to Lysis Utilizing Eptifibatide and Recombinant Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator in Acute Ischemic Stroke-Full Dose Regimen Stroke Trial

Background and Purpose— The Combined Approach to Lysis Utilizing Eptifibatide and Recombinant Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator (r-tPA; CLEAR) in Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) and CLEAR-Enhanced Regimen (CLEAR-ER) trials demonstrated safety of reduced dose r-tPA plus the glycoprotein 2b/3a inhibitor, eptifibatide, in AIS compared with r-tPA alone. The objective of the CLEAR-Full Dose Regimen (CLEAR-FDR) trial was to estimate the rate of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) in AIS patients treated with the combination of full-dose r-tPA plus eptifibatide. Methods— CLEAR-FDR was a single-arm, prospective, open-label, multisite study. Patients aged 18 to 85 years treated with 0.9 mg/kg IV r-tPA within 3 hours of symptom onset were enrolled. After obtaining consent, eptifibatide (135 &mgr;g/kg bolus and 2-hour infusion at 0.75 &mgr;g/kg per minute) was administered. The primary end point was the proportion of patients who experienced sICH within 36 hours. An independent clinical monitor adjudicated if an sICH had occurred and an independent neuroradiologist reviewed all images. The stopping rule was 3 sICHs within the first 19 patients or 4 sICHs within 29 patients. Results— From October 2013 to December 2014, 27 patients with AIS were enrolled. Median age was 73 years (range, 34–85; interquartile range, 65–80) and median National Institute of Health stroke scale score was 12 (range, 6–26; interquartile range, 9–16). One sICH (3.7%; 95% confidence interval, 0.7%–18%) was observed. Conclusions— These results demonstrate comparable safety of full-dose r-tPA plus eptifibatide with historical rates of sICH with r-tPA alone and support proceeding with a phase 3 trial evaluating full-dose r-tPA combined with eptifibatide to improve outcomes after AIS.
ISAR 2-D Imaging of Uniformly Rotating Targets via Matching Pursuit

An algorithm based on matching pursuit (MP) is proposed for inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) two-dimensional (2-D) imaging of uniformly rotating targets. The ISAR echo is decomposed into many subsignals that are generated by discretizing spatial domain and synthesizing the ISAR data for every discretized spatial position. The subsignals that indeed contribute to the ISAR echo are selected by the MP, and their coefficients represent the superresolution image. The target rotation rate is estimated by combining MP with maximum contrast search.
A fast, parallel spanning tree algorithm for symmetric multiprocessors

Summary form only given. We focus on implementing parallel spanning tree algorithms on SMPs. Spanning tree is an important problem in the sense that it is the building block for many other parallel graph algorithms and also because it is representative of a large class of irregular combinatorial problems that have simple and efficient sequential implementations and fast PRAM algorithms, but often have no known efficient parallel implementations. Experimental studies have been conducted on related problems (minimum spanning tree and connected components) using parallel computers, but only achieved reasonable speedup on regular graph topologies that can be implicitly partitioned with good locality features or on very dense graphs with limited numbers of vertices. We present a new randomized algorithm and implementation with superior performance that for the first-time achieves parallel speedup on arbitrary graphs (both regular and irregular topologies) when compared with the best sequential implementation for finding a spanning tree. This new algorithm uses several techniques to give an expected running time that scales linearly with the number p of processors for suitably large inputs (n>p/sup 2/). As the spanning tree problem is notoriously hard for any parallel implementation to achieve reasonable speedup, our study may shed new light on implementing PRAM algorithms for shared-memory parallel computers. The source code for these algorithms is freely-available from our Web site hpc.ece. unm.edu. This work was supported in part by NSF Grants CAREER ACI-00-93039, ITR ACI-00-81404, DEB-99-10123, ITR EIA-01-21377, Biocomplexity DEB-01-20709, and ITR EF/BIO 03-31654.
Temperature‐related natural selection in a wind‐pollinated tree across regional and continental scales

Adaptive genetic variation is a key factor in evolutionary biology, but the detection of signatures of natural selection remains challenging in nonmodel organisms. We used a genome scan approach to detect signals of natural selection in the Black alder (Alnus glutinosa), a widespread wind‐pollinated tree. Gene flow through pollen dispersal is believed to be high in this species, and we therefore expected to find a clear response to natural selection. In combination with two different landscape genetic approaches, we determined which environmental variables were most associated with the inferred selection. This analysis was performed on a regional scale (northern Belgium) and on a continental scale (Europe). Because climate‐related differences are much more pronounced at the continental scale, we expected to find more selection‐sensitive genetic markers across Europe than across northern Belgium. At both spatial scales, a substantial number of genetic loci were considered outliers, with respect to neutral expectations, and were therefore identified as selective. Based on results from our combined approach, four putative selective loci (or 2.5%) were recovered with high statistical support. Although these loci seemed to be associated with different environmental variables, they were mainly temperature‐related. Our study demonstrates that the use of complementary methods in landscape genetics allows the discovery of selective loci which otherwise might stay hidden. In combination with a genome scan, the selective loci can be verified and the nature of the selection pressure can be identified.
Spatial degrees of freedom of MIMO systems in line-of-sight environment

While the efficiency of MIMO transmissions in a rich scattering environment has been demonstrated, less is known about the situation where the fading matrix coefficients come from a line-of-sight model. In this paper, we study in detail how this line-of-sight assumption affects the performance of distributed MIMO transmissions between far away clusters of nodes in a wireless network. Our analysis pertains to the study of a new class of random matrices.
Implementation Through Risk Mitigation

This article explores theory, concepts, and mechanisms concerning the implementation of strategic plans in the nonprofit organization (NPO). The authors’ model shows how risk-mitigating behaviors can facilitate strategic processes by promoting the harmonious interaction of internal and external stakeholders. Using an exploratory case study approach, the authors identify a set of enabling mechanisms for the NPO to overcome organizational resistance in the implementation phase of a strategic process. These adaptive mechanisms and iterative feedback tend to allow the NPO to implement strategy while mitigating the risk involved, thereby protecting the unique values, mission, and human fabric that characterize such organizations.
New Generation of Computer-Assisted Learning Tools for Students with Disabilities

ment process-few complicated and expensive modifications need to be made down the road. Among other capabilities, these hardware/ software innovations increasingly can assess; tutor and instruct; translate ; use and understand natural language; permit oral commands and dictation in place of typing; and monitor, automatically correct, or contingently instruct about such features as word choice, grammar, and spelling. However, as technology has become more &dquo;intelligent,&dquo; with a far greater potential for adaptation to individual differences, it also has become more complex for students to learn and for teachers to integrate with instruction. Although these
BOURDIEU'S CONCEPT OF REFLEXIVITY AS METALITERACY

For Bourdieu, the extent to which agents can attain knowledge of, and negotiate, various cultural fields is dependent upon, and explicable in terms of, two epistemological types. The first is a practical sense (the ‘logic of practice’), while the second involves a sort of conscious comprehension that he names ‘reflexivity’. Bourdieu defines reflexivity as an interrogation of the three types of limitations (of social position, of field and of the scholastic point of view) that are constitutive of knowledge itself. But the reflexive relation to the habitus, the demands and influences exerted by cultural fields, and one's own practices within those fields, cannot be understood simply as something that is obtained by the subject; rather, any reflexive relation to the doxa and illusio of the field must be a constitutive part of that field. This paper identifies a number of principles taken from Bourdieu's work that clarify how, where and why the reflexive ‘surpassing’ of literacy might occur. But we also suggest, contra Bourdieu, that only fields that are informed or characterized by the scholastic point of view are likely to be characterized by the set of conditions constitutive of reflexive knowledge; and that the scholastic point of view is therefore, simultaneously, both a potential impediment to, and a condition (almost necessary) of the production of reflexive knowledge.
A 13.2-dBm, 138-GHz I/Q RF-DAC with 64-QAM and OFDM free-space constellation formation

An I/Q RF-DAC featuring two 6-bit DAC elements driven in quadrature, each with its own on-die antenna, and a total EIRP of 13.2 dBm, is demonstrated in a 45-nm SOI-CMOS technology. The 129–143-GHz carrier signal is first amplified by the 30-dB gain LO path and is directly modulated by the 12 baseband bit streams, without linear upconversion or power amplification. QPSK, 8-PSK, 16-QAM, 32-QAM, and 64-QAM single-carrier and OFDM constellations are formed in free-space, measured above the die at data rates up to 12 Gb/s, and at distances over 15 cm. The prototype consumes a total of 1.25 W, with an energy efficiency of 104 pJ/b.
Social Mobilization and Collective Violence: Vigilantes and Militias in The Lowlands of Plateau State, Central Nigeria

The collective violence in rural areas of southern and central Plateau State between June 2002 and May 2004 was accompanied by widespread social mobilization and heightened ethnic and religious divisions. Vigilantes adapted to the new insecurity and were important local actors in the crisis, but became polarized along religious lines. Their emphasis shifted from vigilance against theft within villages to vigilance against the more serious threats posed by armed militias. The intersection of vigilantes and militias was situational; where there was less violence vigilantes were more prominent, but elsewhere their functions merged. Social action and the patterns of violence were shaped by power relations between identity groups and the struggle for territory. The notion of indigeneity continues to be used by all sides to make territorial claims, and historical narratives of belonging and grievance are actively put forward to bolster political legitimacy. The violence was also strongly defined by religion – the political dominance of Muslims, especially in Wase, generating particular animosity. Religious and cultural beliefs were also expressed by vigilantes and militias themselves, and, while not a direct cause of violence, supernatural beliefs did affect forms of mobilization and decision making. La violence collective survenue dans les zones rurales du sud et du centre de l'État du Plateau entre juin 2002 et mai 2004 était accompagnée d'une vaste mobilisation sociale et d'une intensification des divisions ethniques et religieuses. Les groupes de vigilantes se sont adaptés à cette nouvelle insécurité et ont joué un rôle local important dans cette crise, mais se sont divisés sur des lignes religieuses. Leur priorité est passée de la surveillance contre le vol dans les villages à la surveillance contre les menaces plus graves posées par les milices armées. L'intersection des groupes de vigilantes et des milices était situationnelle ; la violence était moindre là où les groupes de vigilantes étaient plus proéminents mais, ailleurs, leurs fonctions se confondaient. L'action sociale et les schémas de violence étaient déterminés par les relations de pouvoir entre les groupes d'identité et par la lutte pour le territoire. La notion d'indigénéité continue d'être utilisée par tous les bords à des fins de revendications territoriales, et les récits historiques d'appartenance et d'injustice sont activement mis en avant pour conforter une légitimité politique. La violence était également fortement définie par la religion, la domination politique des musulmans, notamment à Wase, générant une animosité particulière. Les croyances religieuses et culturelles s'exprimaient également à travers les groupes de vigilantes et les milices et, bien que n'étant pas une cause de violence directe, les croyances surnaturelles ont eu une incidence sur des formes de mobilisation et de prise de décision.
Peer-review under Responsibility of Daaam International Vienna Comparison of Detection Techniques for Multipath Propagation of Pseudolite Signals Used in Dense Industrial Environments

Modern industrial environments with automated production machinery often require special indoor positioning and localization techniques, due to the presence of objects and of the infrastructure that may obstruct the line-of-sight propagation or interfere with the behaviour of electromagnetic waves. These challenges are difficult to overcome by the widely employed GNSS positioning system designed for use in outdoor areas. One of existing indoor positioning systems are the pseudolites, which transmit positioning signals similar to the ones used by GNSS systems. One of the sources of errors for pseudolites is the multipath propagation. Our paper compares the performances of several multipath propagation detection techniques, using Binary Offset Carrier (BOC) navigation signal and determines that errors increases sharply when the receiver uses navigation signals that have multipath propagation. The techniques that we present improve the positioning accuracy, which leads to more precise industrial processes.
Power Consumption Analysis of Operating Systems for Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper four wireless sensor network operating systems are compared in terms of power consumption. The analysis takes into account the most common operating systems—TinyOS v1.0, TinyOS v2.0, Mantis and Contiki—running on Tmote Sky and MICAz devices. With the objective of ensuring a fair evaluation, a benchmark composed of four applications has been developed, covering the most typical tasks that a Wireless Sensor Network performs. The results show the instant and average current consumption of the devices during the execution of these applications. The experimental measurements provide a good insight into the power mode in which the device components are running at every moment, and they can be used to compare the performance of different operating systems executing the same tasks.
Investigating the impacts of training data set length (T) and the aggregation unit size (M) on the accuracy of the self-exciting point process (SEPP) hotspot method

This study examines the impacts of two variables; the training data lengths (T) and the aggregation unit sizes (M); on the accuracy of the self-exciting point process (SEPP) model during crime prediction. A case study of three crime types in the South Chicago area is presented, in which different combinations of values of T and M are used for 100 daily consecutive crime predictions. The results showed two important points regarding the SEPP model: first is that large values of T are likely to improve the accuracy of the SEPP model and second is that, a small aggregation unit, such as a 50m x 50m grid, is better in terms of capturing local repeat and near-repeat patterns of crimes.
Religious programs and recidivism among former inmates in Prison Fellowship programs: A long-term follow-up study

In the mid-1990s, Prison Fellowship (PF), a nonprofit religious ministry to prisoners, commissioned a study to determine the relationship, if any, between religious programming and recidivism. Subsequent research found no difference between PF and non-PF inmates on measures of recidivism. Inmates most active in PF Bible studies, however, were significantly less likely to be arrested during a 1-year follow-up period. This study extends and improves on previous research by: (1) increasing the recidivism window from 1 to 8 years; (2) incorporating new approaches to measuring program participation; (3) including two measures of recidivism—rearrest and reincarceration; and (4) using survival analysis and proportional hazards modeling to present and analyze the data. Results from survival analyses indicate: (1) no difference in median time to rearrest or reincarceration between PF and non-PF groups throughout the 8-year study period; (2) participants with higher levels of participation in Bible studies were less likely to be rearrested at 2 and 3 years after release, though the effect diminishes over time; (3) statistical differences across groups only border significance at 2 and 3 years for reincarceration; and (4) proportional hazards modeling shows that high participation in Bible studies significantly reduces the hazard of rearrest at years 2 and 3.
Epitope profiling via mixture modeling of ranked data

We propose the use of probability models for ranked data as a useful alternative to a quantitative data analysis to investigate the outcome of bioassay experiments when the preliminary choice of an appropriate normalization method for the raw numerical responses is difficult or subject to criticism. We review standard distance‐based and multistage ranking models and propose an original generalization of the Plackett–Luce model to account for the order of the ranking elicitation process. The usefulness of the novel model is illustrated with its maximum likelihood estimation for a real data set. Specifically, we address the heterogeneous nature of the experimental units via model‐based clustering and detail the necessary steps for a successful likelihood maximization through a hybrid version of the expectation–maximization algorithm. The performance of the mixture model using the new distribution as mixture components is then compared with alternative mixture models for random rankings. A discussion on the interpretation of the identified clusters and a comparison with more standard quantitative approaches are finally provided. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HRAS is silenced by two neighboring G-quadruplexes and activated by MAZ, a zinc-finger transcription factor with DNA unfolding property

The HRAS promoter contains immediately upstream of the transcription start site two neighboring G-elements, each capable of folding into a G-quadruplex structure. We have previously found that these G-quadruplexes bind to the zinc-finger transcription factors MAZ and Sp1. In the present study we have examined the interaction between the HRAS promoter and MAZ, demonstrating for the first time that the protein unfolds the G-quadruplex structures. We also demonstrate that MAZ-GST, in the presence of the complementary strands, promotes a rapid transformation of the two HRAS quadruplexes into duplexes. By a mutational analysis of the HRAS G-elements, we dissected the MAZ-binding sites from the quadruplex-forming motifs, finding that the two neighboring G-quadruplexes bring about a dramatic repression of transcription, in a synergistic manner. We also discovered that the two G-quadruplexes are strong targets for small anticancer molecules. We found that a cell-penetrating anthratiophenedione (ATPD-1), which binds tightly to the G-quadruplexes (ΔT > 15°C), promotes the total extinction of HRAS transcription. In contrast, when one of the two G-quadruplexes was abrogated by point mutations, ATPD-1 repressed transcription by only 50%. Our study provides relevant information for the rationale design of targeted therapy drugs specific for the HRAS oncogene.