Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Worst-Case I/O-Efficient Skyline Algorithms

We consider the <i>skyline problem</i> (aka the <i>maxima problem</i>), which has been extensively studied in the database community. The input is a set <i>P</i> of <i>d</i>-dimensional points. A point <i>dominates</i> another if the coordinate of the former is at most that of the latter on every dimension. The goal is to find the <i>skyline</i>, which is the set of points <i>p</i> ∈ <i>P</i> such that <i>p</i> is not dominated by any other point in <i>P</i>. The main result of this article is that, for any fixed dimensionality <i>d</i> ≥ 3, in external memory the skyline problem can be settled by performing <i>O</i>((<i>N</i>/<i>B</i>)log<sub>M/B</sub><sup>d−2</sup>(<i>N</i>/<i>B</i>)) I/Os in the worst case, where <i>N</i> is the cardinality of <i>P, B</i> the size of a disk block, and <i>M</i> the capacity of main memory. Similar bounds can also be achieved for computing several skyline variants, including the <i>k-dominant skyline, k-skyband</i>, and <i>α-skyline</i>. Furthermore, the performance can be improved if some dimensions of the data space have small domains. When the dimensionality <i>d</i> is not fixed, the challenge is to outperform the naive algorithm that simply checks all pairs of points in <i>P</i> × <i>P</i>. We give an algorithm that terminates in <i>O</i>((<i>N</i>/<i>B</i>) log<sup>d − 2</sup> <i>N</i>) I/Os, thus beating the naive solution for any <i>d</i> = <i>O</i>(log <i>N</i> / log log <i>N</i>).
Developing Slow Start over Wireless Networks

In wired networks, congestion is the main reason for most of the packet losses and the original TCP is the best option to implement. However, in wireless networks, these losses will arise for reasons other than congestion. TCPW has been proved to work better in performance and bandwidth utilization than Reno and New Reno in wireless networks. Our research mainly focuses on the slow-start phase of TCPW and develops an algorithm to divide the phase into two parts. In this paper, we propose a simple refinement of slow-start algorithm of TCP Westwood (TCPW), which is a TCP variant focused on to achieve higher performance in wireless and wired networks. We show by results that the new theme could reduce possibility of packet loss in wireless networks. In the first half of slow-start, we use the exponential increase just like the original slow-start. Moreover, we grow the congestion window gradually to decrease packet burstiness in the second half of slow-start.
When Software Architecture Leads to Social Debt

Social and technical debt both represent the state of software development organizations as a result of accumulated decisions. In the case of social debt, decisions (and connected debt) weigh on people and their socio-technical interactions/characteristics. Digging deeper into social debt with an industrial case-study, we found that software architecture, the prince of development artefacts, plays a major role in causing social debt. This paper discusses a key circumstance wherefore social debt is connected to software architectures and what can be done and measured in response, as observed in our case-study. Also, we introduce DAHLIA, that is "Debt-Aimed Architecture-Level Incommunicability Analysis" - a framework to elicit some of the causes behind social debt for further analysis.
Algebraic Reconstruction Technique Class for Linear Scan CT of Long Object

The nondestructive testing (NDT) of long object (su ch as pipeline) has significant value. Computed tomography (CT) is able to generate 3D images and d isplay the inner defects of the inspected object. Sometimes the long object fixed outdoors can’t be r otated, and the rotating of the X-ray source and de tector is also difficult. So the linear scan CT, translating the X-ray source and detector along longitude of lo ng bject synchronously, is considered. However, the projecti on data of linear scan CT is incomplete because of the limit of the ray-beam flare angle. The algebraic reconstr uction technique is able to generate higher quality images compared with the filtered back projection (FBP) me thod when the projection data is noisy or incomplet e. In this paper, simultaneous algebraic reconstruction t echnique (SART) and Ordered Subsets Expectation Maximization (OSEM) are realized for linear scan CT . Further more, some simulation experiments with different translation step and different flare angl e are realized. The results show that the algebraic reconstruction technique class can generate approvi ng CT image in linear scan CT.
Dielectrophoretic trapping of dissociated fetal cortical rat neurons

Recording and stimulating neuronal activity at multiple sites can be realized with planar microelectrode arrays. Efficient use of such arrays requires each site to be covered by at least one neuron. By application of dielectrophoresis (DEP), neurons can be trapped onto these sites. This study investigates negative dielectrophoretic trapping of fetal cortical rat neurons. A planar quadrupole microelectrode structure was used for the creation of a nonuniform electric field. The field was varied in amplitude (1, 3, and 5 V) and frequency (10 kHz-50 MHz). Experimental results were compared with a theoretical model to investigate the yield (the number of neurons trapped in the center of the electrode structure) with respect to time, amplitude and frequency of the field. The yield was a function of time/sup 1/3/ according to theory. However, unlike the model predicted, an amplitude-dependent frequency behavior was present and unexpected peaks occurred in the DEP-spectra above 1 MHz. Gain/phase measurements showed a rather unpredictable behavior of the electrode plate above 1 MHz, and temperature measurement showed that heating of the medium influenced the trapping effect, especially for larger amplitudes and higher frequencies.
Nutritional Management during Gestation : Impacts on Lifelong Performance

Effective nutritional management during gestation has long been recognized as an important component of sound livestock production practices (Bull and Carroll, 1937; Barcroft, 1946; Morrison, 1949; Maynard and Loosli, 1956; Crampton and Lloyd, 1959; NRC, 1970). Recent observation in the area of developmental programming (Barker et al., 1992; Barker et al., 1993; Godfrey and Barker, 2000; Barker, 2004) has elevated the concept of maternal onset of adult disease and lifelong performance to the forefront of investigation in several national and international laboratories. In addition, the 2007 Aspen Perinatal Biology Symposium http://www.med.uc.edu/obgyn/aspen/index.html and the 2007 5th International Congress on Developmental Origins of Health & Disease, which is sponsored by the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease http://www.congresswest. com.au/dohad/index.html both focus on developmental programming and have major sections that highlight relevance in animal agricultural. Clearly, research in these directions with livestock species (and other animal models) has and will likely continue to produce relevant data for both livestock and biomedical interests. In this report, several aspects of existing data with livestock species are reviewed and potentially relevant aspects to both livestock management and biomedicine are highlighted. The importance of nutritional management during gestation in regards to fetal programming, livestock production, and human health are addressed. Impacts of nutritional management during gestation on outcomes during the peri-conceptional period, fetal growth and development, birth to weaning, and weaning to adulthood are also discussed.
ow second generation SAR systems are impacting the analysis of round deformation

In recent years, a second generation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite sensor has been designed and, partially, put into operation, leading to an important breakthrough in Earth Science studies. The common characteristics of such new systems are, indeed, a reduced revisit time (as short as a few days) and, in most cases, an improved spatial resolution (as small as a few meters), providing scientists with unprecedented data for the mapping and monitoring of natural and human-induced hazards. This paper provides an overview on the new observational capability offered by the second generation of SAR sensors, especially in the field of ground deformation analysis for mitigating the risk associated with natural and human-induced hazards. In particular, we exploit the high resolution X-band data acquired by the COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) constellation to show how deformation phenomena characterized by limited spatial extent and extremely fast dynamics can be detected and investigated in details. Whenever possible, we compare the achieved results with those obtained by using data collected by the first generation ERS-1/2 and ENVISAT systems. A comparison with one ALOS satellite dataset is also included. Most of the results, based on the application of Differential SAR Interferometry (DInSAR) techniques, highlight how this technology is not anymore just a sophisticated tool for remotely studying surface deformation phenomena, but it is becoming an operational system for near-real time deformation
How to Focus on Memory Allocation Strategies

In the first 30 years or so of the dynamic storage allocation history, people focused on allocation speed and memory fragmentation, for these were the dominant operations. While both goals still persist today, in the last decade the ever-increasing memory latency gap has been emerging as another dominant goal. To address this goal, new allocation strategies need to be further explored. Nonetheless, experimenting with new allocation strategies can be a daunting task as programmers lack appropriate support. To address this issue, we present a formalism which generalizes the memory management and allocation problem. This formalism allows programmers to focus on the allocation strategies rather than implementation. We implemented this formalism as a generic library. This library is to memory allocation what the C++ Standard Template Library is to programming. With this library, we build two new allocators which exploit data locality and reduce the overall execution time and the memory usage, when compared to state of the art allocators . Their implementation required several lines of code which stands as testimony to the efficacy of our formalism. Note: Each bibliography entry has an embedded external http link to its content for easy exploration of the bibliography. Jula and Rauchwerger, TR07-003, Parasol Lab, Texas A&M University 1
A Locus Encompassing the Epstein-Barr Virus bglf4 Kinase Regulates Expression of Genes Encoding Viral Structural Proteins

The mechanism regulating expression of late genes, encoding viral structural components, is an unresolved problem in the biology of DNA tumor viruses. Here we show that BGLF4, the only protein kinase encoded by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), controls expression of late genes independent of its effect on viral DNA replication. Ectopic expression of BGLF4 in cells lacking the kinase gene stimulated the transcript levels of six late genes by 8- to 10-fold. Introduction of a BGLF4 mutant that eliminated its kinase activity did not stimulate late gene expression. In cells infected with wild-type EBV, siRNA to BGLF4 (siG4) markedly reduced late gene expression without compromising viral DNA replication. Synthesis of late products was restored upon expression of a form of BGLF4 resistant to the siRNA. Studying the EBV transcriptome using mRNA-seq during the late phase of the lytic cycle in the absence and presence of siG4 showed that BGLF4 controlled expression of 31 late genes. Analysis of the EBV transcriptome identified BGLF3 as a gene whose expression was reduced as a result of silencing BGLF4. Knockdown of BGLF3 markedly reduced late gene expression but had no effect on viral DNA replication or expression of BGLF4. Our findings reveal the presence of a late control locus encompassing BGLF3 and BGLF4 in the EBV genome, and provide evidence for the importance of both proteins in post-replication events that are necessary for expression of late genes.
The Possible Trajectory of Relationship Satisfaction Across the Longevity of a Romantic Partnership

This cross-sectional research investigation examined how relationship satisfaction varies as individuals in romantic partnerships become parents, as subsequent children join the family, and as children age. Results indicated individuals in romantic partnerships without children report greater, overall, levels of relationship satisfaction, more affectional expression than those with two children, and greater couple cohesion compared to those with three children. Of all the individuals in romantic partnerships with children, those who have a child between the ages of 8 and 12 report the greatest amount of relationship satisfaction. Research findings may guide counselors when counseling new parents providing information concerning what relationship changes to expect when they become parents and also to provide hope that as children age the couple may face less relationship stress.
Spectro-Temporal Features with Noise-Adaptive Competition

Common spectral speech features as the Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs) or RelAtive SpectrAl (RASTA) features [2] show good performance in clean conditions but strongly deteriorate in presence of noise. However, Spectro-temporal features gave promising results in such situations [3]. Unlike standard features, they are able to detect for instance steady formant transitions in the spectro-temporal representation. Most of them use Gabor filters [4], whereas we developed features inspired by a hierarchical system for visual object recognition [5] . We refer to them as Hierarchical Spectro-Temporal (HIST) features [6] with their extraction scheme depicted in Fig. 1. Inspired by findings of studies conducted on mammals, which showed the rapid adaptation of the shape of their receptive fields on the current task [7], we introduce a new adaptive feature competition in the HIST feature extraction process. In our approach the features are firstly learned in a noisefree environment, then they are tested by adapting the feature competition to the current noise condition. We propose here not an adaptive preprocessing but an adaptive feature extraction. We show that the adaptation of the feature competition with respect to the noise level improves the recognition rate.
Leveraging 3D technologies for hardware security: Opportunities and challenges

3D die stacking and 2.5D interposer design are promising technologies to improve integration density, performance and cost. Current approaches face serious issues in dealing with emerging security challenges such as side channel attacks, hardware trojans, secure IC manufacturing and IP piracy. By utilizing intrinsic characteristics of 2.5D and 3D technologies, we propose novel opportunities in designing secure systems. We present: (i) a 3D architecture for shielding side-channel information; (ii) split fabrication using active interposers; (iii) circuit camouflage on monolithic 3D IC, and (iv) 3D IC-based security processing-in-memory (PIM). Advantages and challenges of these designs are discussed, showing that the new designs can improve existing counter-measures against security threats and further provide new security features.
Global wave-equation reflection tomography

In tomography it has been recognized that the finiteness of the frequency content of seismic data leads to interference effects in the process of medium reconstruction, that need to be accounted for. Various ways of looking at these effects in the framework of transmission tomography can be found in the literature. Here, we consider single-scattered body waves and develop from our earlier work on inverse scattering a method of wave-equation reflection tomography – which in exploration seismics is identified as a method of wave-equation migration velocity analysis – admitting bandlimited data. In the transition from transmission tomography to reflection tomography the usual cross correlation between modelled and observed data is replaced by modelled annihilators applied to the observed data. Using the generalized screen expansion for one-way wave propagation, we derive the Fréchet or sensitivity kernels and explain how they can be evaluated with an adjoint state method.
Building Discriminative User Profiles for Large-scale Content Recommendation

Content recommendation systems are typically based on one of the following paradigms: user based customization, or recommendations based on either collaborative filtering or low rank matrix factorization methods, or with systems that impute user interest profiles based on content browsing behavior and retrieve items similar to the interest profiles. All of these systems have a distinct disadvantage, namely data sparsity and cold-start on items or users. Furthermore, very few content recommendation solutions explicitly model the wealth of information in implicit negative feedback from the users. In this paper, we propose a hybrid solution that makes use of a latent factor model to infer user interest vectors. The hybrid approach enables us to overcome both the data sparsity and cold-start problems. Our proposed method is learned purely on implicit user feedback, both positive and negative. Exploiting the information in the negative feedback allows the user profiles generated to be discriminative. We also provide a Map/Reduce framework based implementation that enables scaling our solution to real-world recommendation problems. We demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed approach with both offline experiments and A/B tests on live traffic on Yahoo properties.
Quality-by-Design III: Application of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Monitor Roller Compaction In-process and Product Quality Attributes of Immediate Release Tablets

The objective of this study is to use near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with multivariate chemometric models to monitor granule and tablet quality attributes in the formulation development and manufacturing of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CIP) immediate release tablets. Critical roller compaction process parameters, compression force (CFt), and formulation variables identified from our earlier studies were evaluated in more detail. Multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square (PLS) models were developed during the development stage and used as a control tool to predict the quality of granules and tablets. Validated models were used to monitor and control batches manufactured at different sites to assess their robustness to change. The results showed that roll pressure (RP) and CFt played a critical role in the quality of the granules and the finished product within the range tested. Replacing binder source did not statistically influence the quality attributes of the granules and tablets. However, lubricant type has significantly impacted the granule size. Blend uniformity, crushing force, disintegration time during the manufacturing was predicted using validated PLS regression models with acceptable standard error of prediction (SEP) values, whereas the models resulted in higher SEP for batches obtained from different manufacturing site. From this study, we were able to identify critical factors which could impact the quality attributes of the CIP IR tablets. In summary, we demonstrated the ability of near-infrared spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics as a powerful tool to monitor critical quality attributes (CQA) identified during formulation development.
Costly Strategy Adjustment Lowers Cooperation Rate In the Indefinitely Repeated Prisoner ’ s Dilemma

We study cooperation in the indefinitely repeated prisoner’s dilemma when it is costly for players to change their strategies. In contrast to standard repeated games experiments, in which players directly choose an action each period, subjects in our experiment design a comprehensive strategy, which then selects actions for them. Subjects are also able to adjust their strategies continuously during the supergames. We find that cooperation rates are significantly lower when strategy adjustment is costly than when it is not.
How good is random linear coding based distributed networked storage

We consider the problem of storing a large file or multiple large files in a distributed manner over a network. In the framework we consider, there are multiple storage locations, each of which only have very limited storage space for each file. Each storage location chooses a part (or a coded version of the parts) of the file without the knowledge of what is stored in the other locations. We want a file-downloader to connect to as few storage locations as possible and retrieve the entire file. We compare the performance of three strategies: uncoded storage, traditional erasure coding based storage, random linear coding based storage motivated by network coding. We demonstrate that, in principle, a traditional erasure coding based storage (eg: Reed-Solomon Codes) strategy can almost do as well as one can ask for with appropriate choice of parameters. However, the cost is a large amount of additional storage space required at the centralized server before distribution among multiple locations. The random linear coding based strategy performs as well without suffering from any such disadvantage. Further, with a probability close to one, the minimum number of storage location a downloader needs to connect to (for reconstructing the entire file), can be very close to the case where there is complete coordination between the storage locations and the downloader. We also argue that an uncoded strategy performs poorly.
Effects of dyadic communication on race-based impressions and memory

In an experimental study, we examined the effects of dyadic communication and implicit racial attitudes on impressions formed of Black versus White individuals. Participants viewed a graduate application of a student depicted as a Black or White male and then had a conversation about the applicant with another student (or not) before individually rendering judgments of him. Subjective impressions were more favorable for the Black than White applicant among participants in the communication condition, conversations about Whites included more negations, and participants wrote longer narratives in which they were less likely to mention race when they had previously communicated than when they had not. Communication also disrupted the association between implicit racial attitudes and memory for the applicant’s Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores: Those with negative racial attitudes remembered the Black applicant as having lower GRE scores than the White applicant, but this effect was eliminated following communication. Findings are discussed with reference to audience tuning, shifting standards, and attitude–behavior consistency models.