Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SPAIN : Design and Algorithms for Constructing Large DataCenter Ethernets from Commodity Switches

Operators of data centers want a scalable network fabric that supports high bisection bandwidth and host mobility, but which costs very little to purchase and administer. Ethernet almost solves the problem – it is cheap and supports high link bandwidths – but traditional Ethernet does not scale, because its spanning-tree topology forces traffic onto a single tree. Many researchers have described “scalable Ethernet” designs to solve the scaling problem, by enabling the use of multiple paths through the network. However, most such designs require specific wiring topologies, which can create deployment problems, or changes to the network switches, which could obviate the commodity pricing of these parts. In this paper, we describe SPAIN (“Smart Path Assignment In Networks”). SPAIN provides multipath forwarding using inexpensive, commodity off-the-shelf (COTS) switches, over arbitrary topologies. SPAIN pre-computes a set of paths that exploit the redundancy in a given network topology, then merges these paths into a set of trees; each tree is mapped as a separate VLAN onto the physical Ethernet. SPAIN requires only minor end-host software modifications, including a simple algorithm that chooses between pre-installed paths to efficiently spread load over the network. We demonstrate SPAIN’s ability to improve bisection bandwidth over both simulated and real data-center networks. External Posting Date: October 8, 2009 [Fulltext] Approved for External Publication Internal Posting Date: October 8, 2009 [Fulltext] © Copyright 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. SPAIN: Design and Algorithms for Constructing Large Data-Center Ethernets from Commodity Switches Jayaram Mudigonda∗ Jayaram.Mudigonda@hp.com Praveen Yalagandula∗ Praveen.Yalagandula@hp.com Mohammad Al-Fares malfares@cs.ucsd. edu Jeffrey C. Mogul∗ Jeff.Mogul@hp.com ∗HP Labs, Palo Alto, CA 94304 UC San Diego
Re-framing the desktop interface around the activities of knowledge work

The venerable desktop metaphor is beginning to show signs of strain in supporting modern knowledge work. In this paper, we examine how the desktop metaphor can be re-framed, shifting the focus away from a low-level (and increasingly obsolete) focus on documents and applications to an interface based upon the creation of and interaction with manually declared, semantically meaningful activities. We begin by unpacking some of the foundational assumptions of desktop interface design, describe an activity-based model for organizing the desktop interface based on theories of cognition and observations of real-world practice, and identify a series of high-level system requirements for interfaces that use activity as their primary organizing principle. Based on these requirements, we present the novel interface design of the Giornata system, a prototype activity-based desktop interface, and share initial findings from a longitudinal deployment of the Giornata system in a real-world setting.
Analysis of vocabulary difficulty using Wiktionary

Assessing vocabulary difficulty is useful for finding and creating texts at low reading levels. Prior work has focused on characteristics such as word length and word frequency. In this work, we explore whether other cues might be useful, using features extracted from Wiktionary entries. Comparing words in comparable articles in Standard and Simple English Wikipedia, we find that words that appear in Standard but not Simple English tend to have shorter definitions, fewer part-of-speech types and word senses, and fewer languages that they have been translated into.
A computationally efficient robust adaptive beamforming for general-rank signal model with positive semi-definite constraint

The robust adaptive beamforming problem for general-rank signal model with positive semi-definite (PSD) constraint is considered. The existing approaches for solving the corresponding non-convex optimization problem are iterative methods for which the convergence is not guaranteed. Moreover, these methods solve the problem only suboptimally. We revisit this problem and develop a new beamforming method based on a new solution for the corresponding optimization problem. The new proposed method is iterative and is based on a reformulation and then linearization of a single non-convex difference-of-two-convex functions (DC) constraint. Our simulation results confirm that the new proposed method finds the global optimum of the problem in few iterations and outperforms the state-of-the-art robust adaptive beamforming methods for general-rank signal model with PSD constraint.
A New Shape Distance for Content Based Image Retrieval

Turning Angles Representation (TA) is considered one of the most interestingmethods for representing object shapes in content-based image retrieval systems. Nevertheless, the distance commonly used to measure the similarity between shapes represented by TAs, the Euclidean one, is generally too sensitive to small variations in the shapes. In this paper we present a new distance between shapes represented by TA, namely the Median distance, specially devised to minimize the e ects of small variations in the shapes. Its analytical properties are discussed and experimental results are provided by comparison against those obtained by applying traditional techniques based on Euclidean distance. The Median distance has been implemented in the Automatic Image Storage and Retrieval (AISR) system, which allows storage and content-based retrieval of 2-D images.
Action to Language via the Mirror Neuron System: Lending a helping hand to hearing: another motor theory of speech perception

© Cambridge University Press 2006. … any comprehensive account of how speech is perceived should encompass audiovisual speech perception. The ability to see as well as hear has to be integral to the design, not merely a retro-fitted after-thought. Summerfield (1987) The “lack of invariance problem” and multisensory speech perception In speech there is a many-to-many mapping between acoustic patterns and phonetic categories. That is, similar acoustic properties can be assigned to different phonetic categories or quite distinct acoustic properties can be assigned to the same linguistic category. Attempting to solve this “lack of invariance problem” has framed much of the theoretical debate in speech research over the years. Indeed, most theories may be characterized as to how they deal with this “problem. ” Nonetheless, there is little evidence for even a single invariant acoustic property that uniquely identifies phonetic features and that is used by listeners (though see Blumstein and Stevens, 1981; Stevens and Blumstein, 1981). Phonetic constancy can be achieved in spite of this lack of invariance by viewing speech perception as an active process (Nusbaum and Magnuson, 1997). Active processing models like the one to be described here derive from Helmholtz who described visual perception as a process of “unconscious inference” (see Hatfield, 2002). That is, visual perception is the result of forming and testing hypotheses about the inherently ambiguous information available to the retina.
Architecture description and packing for logic blocks with hierarchy, modes and complex interconnect

The development of future FPGA fabrics with more sophisticated and complex logic blocks requires a new CAD flow that permits the expression of that complexity and the ability to synthesize to it. In this paper, we present a new logic block description language that can depict complex intra-block interconnect, hierarchy and modes of operation. These features are necessary to support modern and future FPGA complex soft logic blocks, memory and hard blocks. The key part of the CAD flow associated with this complexity is the packer, which takes the logical atomic pieces of the complex blocks and groups them into whole physical entities. We present an area-driven generic packing tool that can pack the logical atoms into any heterogeneous FPGA described in the new language, including many different kinds of soft and hard logic blocks. We gauge its area quality by comparing the results achieved with a lower bound on the number of blocks required, and then illustrate its explorative capability in two ways: on fracturable LUT soft logic architectures, and on hard block memory architectures. The new infrastructure attaches to a flow that begins with a Verilog front-end, permitting the use of benchmarks that are significantly larger than the usual ones, and can target heterogenous FPGAs.
Rho-Kinase Mediates Hypoxia-Induced Downregulation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase

Background—Hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Hypoxia induces pulmonary vasoconstriction, in part, by decreasing endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression. The mechanism by which hypoxia decreases eNOS expression is not known but may involve Rho-kinase–induced actin cytoskeletal changes in vascular endothelial cells. Methods and Results—To determine whether hypoxia regulates eNOS expression through Rho-kinase, we exposed human saphenous and pulmonary artery endothelial cells to hypoxia (3% O2) with and without a Rho-kinase inhibitor, hydroxyfasudil (0.1 to 100 &mgr;mol/L), for various durations (0 to 48 hours). Hypoxia increased Rho-kinase expression and activity by 50% and 74%, decreased eNOS mRNA and protein expression by 66±3% and 57±5%, and inhibited eNOS activity by 48±9%. All of these effects of hypoxia on eNOS were reversed by cotreatment with hydroxyfasudil. Furthermore, inhibition of Rho by Clostridium botulinum C3 transferase or Rho-kinase by overexpression of dominant-negative Rho-kinase reversed hypoxia-induced decrease in eNOS expression. Indeed, disruption of the actin cytoskeleton, the downstream target of Rho-kinase, by cytochalasin D also upregulated eNOS expression. Hypoxia reduced eNOS mRNA half-life from 22±2 to 13±2 hours, which was reversed by cotreatment with hydroxyfasudil. However, neither hypoxia nor hydroxyfasudil had any effects on eNOS gene transcription. Conclusions—These results indicate that hypoxia-induced decrease in eNOS expression is mediated by Rho-kinase and suggest that Rho-kinase inhibitors may have therapeutic benefits in patients with hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.
Fast SPA-Resistant Exponentiation Through Simultaneous Processing of Half-Exponents

Straightforward implementations of binary exponentiation algorithms make the cryptographic system vulnerable to side-channel attacks; specifically, to Simple Power Analysis (SPA) attacks. Most solutions proposed so far introduce a considerable performance penalty. A method exists that introduces SPA-resistance to certain types of binary exponentiation algorithms while introducing zero computational overhead, at the cost of a small amount of storage—O( √ ` ), where ` is the bit length of the exponent. In this work, we present several new SPA-resistant algorithms that result from combining that technique with an alternative binary exponentiation algorithm where the exponent is split in two halves for simultaneous processing, showing that by combining the two techniques, we can make use of signed-digit representations of the exponent to further improve performance while maintaining SPA-resistance. In particular, we combine this idea with the use of Joint Sparse Form (JSF) for the representation of the two exponent halves, as well as signed-digit base-4 representation derived from the Non-Adjacent Form (NAF) representation of the exponent, and base-8 derived from the JSF representation. Experimental results are presented as well, confirming our performance analysis for the various methods presented.
Fission Yeast Num1p Is a Cortical Factor Anchoring Dynein and Is Essential for the Horse-Tail Nuclear Movement During Meiotic Prophase

During meiotic prophase in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the nucleus oscillates between the two ends of a cell. This oscillatory nuclear movement is important to promote accurate pairing of homologous chromosomes and requires cytoplasmic dynein. Dynein accumulates at the points where microtubule plus ends contact the cell cortex and generate a force to drive nuclear oscillation. However, it remains poorly understood how dynein associates with the cell cortex. Here we show that S. pombe Num1p functions as a cortical-anchoring factor for dynein. Num1p is expressed in a meiosis-specific manner and localized to the cell cortex through its C-terminal PH domain. The num1 deletion mutant shows microtubule dynamics comparable to that in the wild type. However, it lacks cortical accumulation of dynein and is defective in the nuclear oscillation as is the case for the dynein mutant. We also show that Num1p can recruit dynein independently of the CLIP-170 homolog Tip1p.
Dendritic spine changes in medial prefrontal cortex of male diabetic rats using Golgi-impregnation method.

BACKGROUND Neuropathy is one of the major complications contributing to morbidity in patients with diabetes mellitus. The effect of diabetes on brain has not been studied so much and no gross abnormality has been found in the central nervous system of patients with diabetic neuropathy. This study was conducted to evaluate the time-dependent structural changes in medial prefrontal cortex of male diabetic rats using Golgi-impregnation method. METHODS Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control and diabetic groups. For induction of diabetes, a single dose of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally. At the end of the first and second months, the rats were transcardially perfused with a solution of phosphate buffer containing paraformaldehyde and Golgi-impregnated method was used to evaluate the changes of dendritic spines in medial prefrontal cortex. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in the mean density of pyramidal neuron dendritic spines in the layers II and III of medial prefrontal cortex only after 2 months in the diabetic group compared to age-matched controls (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Diabetes induces a reduction in the spine density of apical dendrites of medial prefrontal cortex only in two-month diabetic rats.
Activation of InsP 3 receptors is sufﬁcient for inducing graded intrinsic plasticity in rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons

Activation of InsP 3 receptors is sufﬁcient for inducing graded intrinsic plasticity in rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons. J 2002–2013, 2015. The synaptic plasticity literature has focused on establishing necessity and sufﬁciency as two essential and distinct features in causally relating a signaling molecule to plasticity induction, an approach that has been surprisingly lacking in the intrinsic plasticity literature. In this study, we complemented the recently established necessity of inositol trisphosphate (InsP 3 ) receptors (InsP 3 R) in a form of intrinsic plasticity by asking if InsP 3 R activation was sufﬁcient to induce intrinsic plasticity in hippocampal neurons. Speciﬁcally, incorporation of D -myo-InsP 3 in the recording pipette reduced input resistance, maximal impedance amplitude, and temporal summation but in- creased resonance frequency, resonance strength, sag ratio, and impedance phase lead. Strikingly, the magnitude of plasticity in all these measurements was dependent on InsP 3 concentration, emphasizing the graded dependence of such plasticity on InsP 3 R activation. Mech- anistically, we found that this InsP 3 -induced plasticity depended on hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels. More- over, this calcium-dependent form of plasticity was critically reliant on the release of calcium through InsP 3 Rs, the inﬂux of calcium through N -methyl- D -aspartate receptors and voltage-gated calcium channels, and on the protein kinase A pathway. Our results delineate a causal role for InsP 3 Rs in graded adaptation of neuronal response dynamics, revealing novel regulatory roles for the endoplasmic retic- ulum in neural coding and homeostasis. Borosilicate electrodes, micropipette from capillaries 1.5-mm outer and inner (Sutter), with resistance of 3–7 M (cid:4) were used for patch-clamp recordings. The intracellular pipette -phosphocreatine, Series resistance was monitored and compensated online using the bridge-balance circuit of the am-pliﬁer. Experiments were discarded only if the initial resting mem- brane potential depolarized than (cid:5) if series resistance (cid:4) , or if were ﬂuctuations in temperature during the course of the experiment. Unless otherwise stated, exper- iments were performed at the initial resting membrane potential of the cell. Voltages have not been corrected for the liquid junction potential, which was experimentally measured to be (cid:3) 8 mV. Control recordings were performed at regular intervals to ensure that there were no time-dependent changes (over a 45-min period) in any of the intrinsic properties when electrophysiological recordings were performed in the absence of any pharmacological agent.
Wireless sensor networks for structural health monitoring

Sukun Kim†, Shamim Pakzad‡, David Culler†, James Demmel† Gregory Fenves‡, Steve Glaser‡, Martin Turon? {binetude, culler, demmel}@eecs.berkeley. edu {shamimp, fenves, glaser}@ce.berkeley. edu mturon@xbow.com † Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences and ‡ Civil and Environmental Engineering ? Crossbow Technology, Inc. University of California at Berkeley 4145 N. First Street Berkeley, CA 94720 San Jose, CA 95134
Athermal and Achromatic Design for a Night Vision Camera Using Tolerable Housing Boundary on an Expanded Athermal Glass Map

We propose a new graphical method for selecting a pair of optical and housing materials to simultaneously athermalize and achromatize an LWIR optical system. To have a much better opportunity to select the IR glasses and housing materials, an athermal glass map is expanded by introducing the DOE with negative chromatic power. Additionally, from the depth of focus in an LWIR optical system, the tolerable housing boundary is provided to realize an athermal and achromatic system even for not readily available housing material. Thus, we can effectively determine a pair of optical and housing materials by reducing the thermal shift to be less than the depth of focus. By applying this method to design a night vision camera lens, the chromatic and thermal defocuses are reduced to less than the depth of focus, over the specified waveband and temperature ranges.
Linear viscoelastic and fatigue characteristics of styrene-butadiene-styrene modified asphalt mixtures

Three styrene–butadiene–styrene coblock polymer modified asphalt concrete mixtures (70/100M5, 160/220M5, and 160/220M10) are characterized using complex modulus and fatigue testing. The compositions of the materials investigated are identical (aggregate size distribution, binder, and void contents) and differ solely regarding binder characteristics. The modified binders are manufactured using two base bitumens (70/100 and 160/220) modified by a styrene–butadiene–styrene coblock polymer. The fatigue tests are carried out at three different temperatures (0, 10, and 20°C) using both stress- and strain-controlled modes. A continuum damage model is used to investigate its ability to characterize fatigue of polymer modified mixtures. The results indicate that the continuum damage model is suitable for characterizing the materials at the test conditions used (mode of loading, excitation amplitude, and testing temperature) in that visually similar material functions are obtained. Using statistical analysis, it was indicated that strain amplitude does not significantly influence the model parameters of the characteristic material functions. However, even though different loading conditions lead to apparently similar material functions, the model parameter values were actually significantly affected by the testing temperature used. Predictions of fatigue path, including number of cycles to failure, based on the material functions indicate reasonable accuracy.
Bayesian Depth-From-Defocus With Shading Constraints

We present a method that enhances the performance of depth-from-defocus (DFD) through the use of shading information. DFD suffers from important limitations-namely coarse shape reconstruction and poor accuracy on textureless surfaces-that can be overcome with the help of shading. We integrate both forms of data within a Bayesian framework that capitalizes on their relative strengths. Shading data, however, is challenging to accurately recover from surfaces that contain texture. To address this issue, we propose an iterative technique that utilizes depth information to improve shading estimation, which in turn is used to elevate depth estimation in the presence of textures. The shading estimation can be performed in general scenes with unknown illumination using an approximate estimate of scene lighting. With this approach, we demonstrate improvements over existing DFD techniques, as well as effective shape reconstruction of textureless surfaces.
A Metamodel-Based Approach for Customizing and Assessing Agile Methods

In today's dynamic market environments, producing high quality software rapidly and efficiently is crucial. In order to allow fast and reliable development processes, several agile methodologies have been designed and are now quite popular. Although existing agile methodologies are abundant, companies are increasingly interested in the construction of their own customized methods to fit their specific environment. In this paper, we investigate how agile methods can be constructed in-house to address specific software process needs. First, we examine a case study focusing on the tailoring of two agile methodologies, XP and Scrum. Then, we focus on the high-level scope of any agile method customization and investigate an approach based on the Situational Method Engineering (SME) paradigm that includes measurement concepts for constructing context specific agile methodologies. We also examine several existing metamodels proposed for use in SME. Finally, we introduce an agile metamodel designed to support the construction of agile methods and relying on measurements to provide guidance to agile methodologists during the construction phase and throughout the development process itself.
Designs and codes in affine geometry

Classical designs and their (projective) q-analogs can both be viewed as designs in matroids, using the matroid of all subsets of a set and the matroid of linearly independent subsets of a vector space, respectively. Another natural matroid is given by the point sets in general position of an affine space, leading to the concept of an affine design. Accordingly, a t-(n, k, λ) affine design of order q is a collection B of (k − 1)-dimensional spaces in the affine geometry A = AG(n− 1, q) such that each (t− 1)-dimensional space in A is contained in exactly λ spaces of B. In the case λ = 1, as usual, one also refers to an affine Steiner system S(t, k, n). In this work we examine the relationship between the affine and the projective q-analogs of designs. The existence of affine Steiner systems with various parameters is shown, including the affine q-analog S(2, 3, 7) of the Fano plane. Moreover, we consider various distances in matroids and geometries, and we discuss the application of codes in affine geometry for error-control in a random network coding scenario.
Semi-Explicit First-Class Polymorphism for ML

We propose a modest conservative extension to ML that allows semi-explicit first-class polymorphism while preserving the essential properties of type inference. In our proposal, the introduction of polymorphic types is fully explicit, that is, both introduction points and exact polymorphic types are to be specified. However, the elimination of polymorphic types is semi-implicit: only elimination points are to be specified as polymorphic types themselves are inferred. This extension is particularly useful in objective ML where polymorphism replaces subtyping.