Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Smart: an advanced shared-memory simulator-towards a system-level simulation environment

System-level events, such as process switching and task migration, have a major effect on the performance of computer systems. "Smart" is a new simulation environment that extends existing simulators, such as MINT, with the capability to emulate the effect of such mechanisms. "Smart" provides a user friendly interface (GUI) that allows control of different system parameters and mechanisms e.g. the type of cache coherency protocols, cache organization, scheduling policies of processes and threads, etc. The Smart environment can be used either for monitoring, analyzing and measuring different system events, or as a powerful visual based debugging tool. This paper describes the "Smart" environment and demonstrates the importance of simulating system-level mechanisms and events in order to understand the overall performance of modern architectures. The Smart simulator presented here was developed to support the simulation of shared memory architectures, and we indicate that similar software environments can be developed to simulate other parallel and distributed architectures as well.
TR 11-013 TMA : Trajectory-based Multi-Anycast for Multicast Data Delivery in Vehicular Networks

This paper describes Trajectory-based MultiAnycast (TMA) Forwarding, tailored and optimized for the multicast data delivery in vehicular networks. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to investigate the efficient multicast data delivery in vehicle networks based on the trajectories of vehicles in the multicast group. Due to the privacy concern, we assume only a central server knows the trajectory of each vehicle and the estimated current location of the vehicle. Therefore, after receiving a request of multicast data delivery from a source vehicle, the central server has to figure out how the data has to be delivered to the vehicles in the multicast group. For a given target vehicle in the multicast group, multiple packet-andvehicle rendezvous points are computed as a set of relay nodes to temporarily hold the data, considering the vehicle’s trajectory. This set of rendezvous points can be considered an Anycast set for the target vehicle. We have formulated the multicast data delivery as the data delivery to the anycast sets of the multicast group vehicles. Through theoretical analysis and extensive simulation, it is shown that our design provides an efficient multicast for moving vehicles under a variety of vehicular traffic conditions.
Increased cyclin D 1 in vulnerable neurons in the hippocampus after ischaemia and epilepsy : a modulator of in vivo programmed cell death ?

Several observations suggest that delayed neuronal death in ischaemia, epilepsy and other brain disorders includes an apoptotic component, involving programmed cell death (PCD). PCD is hypothesized to result, in part, from aberrant control of the cell cycle. Because they are instrumental in mitosis, cyclins D are key markers to evaluate whether neurons indeed progress into the cell cycle in situations of pathology. Therefore, we investigated in rat brains, the expression of cyclins D in the delayed neuronal death that occurs following transient global ischaemia and kainate-induced seizures. Following a four-vessel occlusion insult, quantitative in situ hybridization revealed a highly significant and persistent 100% increase of cyclin D1 mRNA in the vulnerable pyramidal neurons of the CA1 hippocampal region. Ischaemia also induced a smaller and transient cyclin D1 mRNA increase in the resistant CA3 area and dentate gyrus. In contrast, the cyclin D2 and D3 mRNAs, expressed constitutively in the adult rat hippocampus, were not upregulated. Following kainate-induced seizures, cyclin D1 mRNA was induced in the vulnerable CA3 region, and to a lesser extent, in non-vulnerable regions. Cyclin D1 immunohistochemistry revealed increased protein levels in the cytoplasm and nucleus of neurons commited to die after ischaemia. Double labelling experiments indicate that cyclin D1 is also expressed in reactive astrocytes but not in microglial cells. Finally, we report that in neurons, cyclin D1 expression peaks before nuclear condensation and the appearance of DNA fragmentation. We propose that cyclin D1, when expressed at high levels in lesioned neurons, may act as a modulator of apoptosis.
Measuring the New Economy

This paper provides background information on the new economy and how it relates to BEA’s economic accounts. It is designed to answer the following questions: What is the new economy? Why is it important that the new economy be captured in GDP and BEA’s other economic accounts estimates? What do we know now about the size and impact of the new economy? Where does the new economy show up in the accounts? How well is the new economy recorded in the accounts? What should be BEA’s highest priority in improving the capacity of the accounts to measure the new economy?
Evaluation of the residual stress distribution in thin films by means of the ion beam layer removal method

A microelectronic device, designed from multiple structured thin films of different materials deposited on each other, can have a very complex shape. Such a structure can show relatively high residual stresses, which lead to malfunctions and a decrease in lifetime of the device. In this paper a numerical method relying on an inverse optimization algorithm and a finite element (FE) simulation for calculating these stresses is introduced. The evaluation of the residual stress distribution makes use of the so-called ion beam layer removal (ILR) method, where layers of material are removed from a specific region of a micro-cantilever. As a result it is shown that a thin film of material, deposited on a substrate, is occupied by evolving residual stresses through the layer thickness. The calculations and analysis are done automatically using an in-house developed graphical user interface (GUI).
A true random number generator based on hyperchaos and digital sound

True random number generators (TRNG) play an important role in many fields that require unpredictable and nondeterministic random number sequences. Unlike their pseudorandom counterparts, TRNGs are more computationally expensive as they need to harvest entropy from physical phenomena. To generate high quality true random numbers at a fast rate, this paper introduces a new TRNG based on hyperchaos and digital sound. The characteristics of a hyperchaotic map such as sensitivity to initial conditions and complex behavior amplifies noise obtained by sampling environmental sound through a computer microphone. The random numbers generated are then evaluated using statistical test suites such as NIST SP 800-22, DIEHARD and ENT. Because nondeterminism cannot be proved by merely running test suites, entropy analysis is performed to determine the unpredictability of these sequences. Results show that the proposed TRNG can generate true random numbers at a high rate while maintaining strong statistical quality. In addition, the entropy source requires only an inexpensive computer microphone which is already built into many laptops and handheld devices. Therefore, the proposed generator provides a low-cost and easily obtainable option for applications that require true random numbers.
International Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences and Technology Effects of Varying Angle of Incidence on Wireless Signal Propagation

For different wall thicknesses, the effect of varying angle of incidence on wireless signal propagation through concrete walls is presented in this paper. In indoor and outdoor built sites RF signal attenuations are caused by losses due to reflected wave among other causes for example multipath, and non-line of sight blockage. The effects of varying angle of incidence on signal strength at 2.457 GHz were determined by using a Hameg HM8135 signal generator and a spectrum analyzer Tektronix RSA3303B. Results showed that signal attenuation levels reduced with an increase of angles of incidences. It was found that there were no significant differences between the model and measured values with 95% confidence for all tests. Results also showed that the Friis model for wireless link need to be modification depending on what type of site conditions and equipment used.
Compliant motion control for robust robotic surface finishing

With the emergence of stable and responsive robotic compliant motion control, introducing robotic grinding and deburring to industry may soon be feasible. Technical needs for this transition include means to accommodate imprecise fixturing, a method for simple, intuitive and dependable programming, and the ability to monitor process progress online. We describe a new hybrid form of Natural Admittance Control that is used to address these challenges.
Internationalized Resource Identifiers (IRIs)

This document defines a new protocol element, the Internationalized Resource Identifier (IRI), as a complement of the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI). An IRI is a sequence of characters from the Universal Character Set (Unicode/ISO 10646). A mapping from IRIs to URIs is defined, which means that IRIs can be used instead of URIs, where appropriate, to identify resources. The approach of defining a new protocol element was chosen instead of extending or changing the definition of URIs. This was done in order to allow a clear distinction and to avoid incompatibilities with existing software. Guidelines are provided for the use and deployment of IRIs in various protocols, formats, and software components that currently deal with URIs.
User Acceptance of 'Smart Products': An Empirical Investigation

Smart Products pose a new class of IT artifacts based on sensors, ID-tags, haptic user interfaces, and other technologies usually subsumed under the notion of 'ubiquitous computing'. Such devices differ in many ways from traditional computers, e.g., with regard to their physical shape, computing power, and interaction paradigms. While a substantial body of literature already exists on underlying technological design challenges, only few researchers have attempted to quantitatively explore factors influencing user acceptance of Smart Products. Against this background, the present study is concerned with the use of Smart Products in a kitchen environment. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), we develop and empirically test a structural model of technology acceptance including five moderating factors. Our results indicate high overall acceptance of the proposed scenarios, corroborate the applicability of the UTAUT model for smart home environments, and confirm significant effects for two moderators
Quantum Algorithms for Algebraic Problems ∗

In this paper we present quantum query and time complexity bounds for several group testing problems. For a set S and a binary operation on S, we consider the decision problems whether a given structure with the promise of being a groupoid, semigroup, monoid or quasigroup is in fact a semigroup, monoid, quasigroup or a group. In particular, we give the first application of the new quantum random walk technique by Magniez, Nayak, Roland, and Santha [MNRS07] that improves the previous bounds by Ambainis [Amb04] and Szegedy [Sze04]. Our quantum algorithms for these problems improve the best known classical complexity bounds. We also present upper and lower bounds for testing distributivity and commutativity.
Runtime Protection via Dataflow Flattening

Software running on an open architecture, such as the PC, is vulnerable to inspection and modification. Since software may process valuable or sensitive information, many defenses against data analysis and modification have been proposed. This paper complements existing work and focuses on hiding data location throughout program execution. To achieve this, we combine three techniques: (i) periodic reordering of the heap, (ii) migrating local variables from the stack to the heap and (iii) pointer scrambling. By essentially flattening the dataflow graph of the program, the techniques serve to complicate static dataflow analysis and dynamic data tracking. Our methodology can be viewed as a data-oriented analogue of control-flow flattening techniques. Dataflow flattening is useful in practical scenarios like DRM, information-flow protection, and exploit resistance. Our prototype implementation compiles C programs into a binary for which every access to the heap is redirected through a memory management unit. Stack-based variables may be migrated to the heap, while pointer accesses and arithmetic may be scrambled and redirected. We evaluate our approach experimentally on the SPEC CPU2006 benchmark suite.
Deriving Merchantable Volume in Poplar through a Localized Tapering Function from Non-Destructive Terrestrial Laser Scanning

Timber volume is an important ecological component in forested landscapes. The application of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to volume estimation has been widely accepted though few species have well-calibrated taper functions. This research uses TLS technology in poplar (Populus × canadensis Moench cv. ‘I-72/58’) to extract stem diameter at different tree heights and establish the relationship between point cloud data and stem curve, which constitutes the basis for volume estimation of single trees and the stand. Eight plots were established and scanned by TLS. Stem curve functions were then fitted after extraction of diameters at different height, and tree heights from the point cloud data. Lastly, six functions were evaluated by R2 and RMSE. A modified Schumacher equation was the most suitable taper function. Volume estimates from the TLS-derived taper function were better than those derived using the stem-analysis data. Finally, regression analysis showed that predictions of stem size were similar when data were based on TLS versus stem analysis. Its high accuracy and efficiency indicates that TLS technology can play an important role in forest inventory assessment.
Asian Outtow to the Paciic Ocean in Springtime: a 3d Simulation of the Pem-west (b) Mission with Assimilated Meteorology

We present an analysis of the Asian outtow of CO, ozone, and nitrogen oxides (NO x) over the Paciic by using the GEOS-CHEM global 3-D model of tropospheric chemistry to simulate observations from the PEM-West B aircraft mission in February-March 1994. The GEOS-CHEM model uses assimilated meteorological elds from the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS). It reproduces well the main features of tropospheric ozone and related species, including the latitudinal and vertical gradients of the Asian pollution outtow over the western Paciic observed in PEM-West B. We use CO as a long-lived tracer to diagnose the processes contributing to this outtow. The highest concentrations in the outtow are in the boundary layer (0-2 km), but the strongest outtow uxes are in the lower free troposphere (2-5 km). The latter reeects the episodic lifting of pollution over central and eastern China ahead of eastward-moving cold fronts. This frontal lifting, followed by westerly transport in the lower free troposphere, is the principal process responsible for export of both anthropogenic and biomass burning pollution from East Asia. For the period of PEM-West B (February-March), we estimate that fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning make comparable contributions to the budgets of CO, ozone, and NO x in the Asian outtow. We nd that 13% of NO x emitted in eastern Asia is exported as NO x or PAN, a smaller fraction than for the United States because of higher aerosol concentrations that promote heterogeneous conversion of NO x to HNO 3. Production and export of ozone from East Asia is much greater than from the United States because of the higher photochemical activity. Examination of intercontinental contributions to the Asian outtow in the model indicates that anthropogenic emissions from Europe and biomass burning emissions from Africa make major contributions. European sources dominate the outtow in the lower troposphere at high latitudes while African sources are important in the upper troposphere at low latitudes. 3
An empirical study on object-oriented metrics

The objective of this study is the investigation of the correlation between object-oriented design metrics and the likelihood of the occurrence of object oriented faults. Such a relationship, if identified, can be utilized to select effective testing techniques that take the characteristics of the program under test into account. Our empirical study was conducted on three industrial real-time systems that contain a number of natural faults reported for the past three years. The faults found in these three systems are classified into three types: object-oriented faults, object management faults and traditional faults. The object-oriented design metrics suite proposed by Chidamber and Kemerer (1994) is validated using these faults. Moreover, we propose a set of new metrics that can serve as an indicator of how strongly object-oriented a program is, so that the decision to adopt object oriented testing techniques can be made, to achieve more reliable testing and yet minimize redundant testing efforts.
Skimming Digits: Neuromorphic Classification of Spike-Encoded Images

The growing demands placed upon the field of computer vision have renewed the focus on alternative visual scene representations and processing paradigms. Silicon retinea provide an alternative means of imaging the visual environment, and produce frame-free spatio-temporal data. This paper presents an investigation into event-based digit classification using N-MNIST, a neuromorphic dataset created with a silicon retina, and the Synaptic Kernel Inverse Method (SKIM), a learning method based on principles of dendritic computation. As this work represents the first large-scale and multi-class classification task performed using the SKIM network, it explores different training patterns and output determination methods necessary to extend the original SKIM method to support multi-class problems. Making use of SKIM networks applied to real-world datasets, implementing the largest hidden layer sizes and simultaneously training the largest number of output neurons, the classification system achieved a best-case accuracy of 92.87% for a network containing 10,000 hidden layer neurons. These results represent the highest accuracies achieved against the dataset to date and serve to validate the application of the SKIM method to event-based visual classification tasks. Additionally, the study found that using a square pulse as the supervisory training signal produced the highest accuracy for most output determination methods, but the results also demonstrate that an exponential pattern is better suited to hardware implementations as it makes use of the simplest output determination method based on the maximum value.
Generating TCP/UDP network data for automated unit test generation

Although automated unit test generation techniques can in principle generate test suites that achieve high code coverage, in practice this is often inhibited by the dependence of the code under test on external resources. In particular, a common problem in modern programming languages is posed by code that involves networking (e.g., opening a TCP listening port). In order to generate tests for such code, we describe an approach where we mock (simulate) the networking interfaces of the Java standard library, such that a search-based test generator can treat the network as part of the test input space. This not only has the benefit that it overcomes many limitations of testing networking code (e.g., different tests binding to the same local ports, and deterministic resolution of hostnames and ephemeral ports), it also substantially increases code coverage. An evaluation on 23,886 classes from 110 open source projects, totalling more than 6.6 million lines of Java code, reveals that network access happens in 2,642 classes (11%). Our implementation of the proposed technique as part of the EVOSUITE testing tool addresses the networking code contained in 1,672 (63%) of these classes, and leads to an increase of the average line coverage from 29.1% to 50.8%. On a manual selection of 42 Java classes heavily depending on networking, line coverage with EVOSUITE more than doubled with the use of network mocking, increasing from 31.8% to 76.6%.
Competitive dynamics of lexical innovations in multi-layer networks

We study the introduction of lexical innovations into a community of language users. Lexical innovations, i.e. new term added to people's vocabulary, plays an important role in the process of language evolution. Nowadays, information is spread through a variety of networks, including, among others, online and offline social networks and the World Wide Web. The entire system, comprising networks of different nature, can be represented as a multi-layer network. In this context, lexical innovations diffusion occurs in a peculiar fashion. In particular, a lexical innovation can undergo three different processes: its original meaning is accepted; its meaning can be changed or misunderstood (e.g. when not properly explained), hence more than one meaning can emerge in the population. Lastly, in the case of a loan word, it can be translated into the population language (i.e. defining a new lexical innovation or using a synonym) or into a dialect spoken by part of the population. Therefore, lexical innovations cannot be considered simply as information. We develop a model for analyzing this scenario using a multi-layer network comprising a social network and a media network. The latter represents the set of all information systems of a society, e.g. television, the World Wide Web and radio. Furthermore, we identify temporal directed edges between the nodes of these two networks. In particular, at each time-step, nodes of the media network can be connected to randomly chosen nodes of the social network and vice versa. In doing so, information spreads through the whole system and people can share a lexical innovation with their neighbors or, in the event they work as reporters, by using media nodes. Lastly, we use the concept of "linguistic sign" to model lexical innovations, showing its fundamental role in the study of these dynamics. Many numerical simulations have been performed to analyze the proposed model and its outcomes.
Uncertainty analysis for wheelchair propulsion dynamics.

Wheelchair propulsion kinetic measurements require the use of custom pushrim force/moment measuring instruments which are not currently commercially available. With the ability to measure pushrim forces and moments has come the development of several dynamic metrics derived for analyzing key aspects of wheelchair propulsion. This paper presents several of the equations used to calculate or derive the primary variables used in the study of wheelchair propulsion biomechanics. The uncertainties for these variables were derived, and then numerically calculated for a current version of the SMARTWheel. The uncertainty results indicate that the SMARTWheel provides data which has better than 5 to 10% uncertainty, depending upon the variable concerned, at the maximum, and during most of the propulsion phase the uncertainty is considerably smaller (i.e., approximately 1%). The uncertainty analysis provides a more complete picture of the attainable accuracy of the SMARTWheel and of the degree of confidence with which the data can be recorded. The derivations and results indicate where improvements in measurement of wheelchair propulsion biomechanical variables are likely to originate. The most efficient approach is to address those variables in the design of the system which make the greatest contribution to the uncertainty. Future research will focus on the point of force application and examination of nonlinear effects.