Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the efficiency of automated testing

The aim of automated program testing is to gain confidence about a program's correctness by sampling its input space. The sampling process can be either systematic or random. For every systematic testing technique the sampling is informed by the analysis of some program artefacts, like the specification, the source code (e.g., to achieve coverage), or even faulty versions of the program (e.g., mutation testing). This analysis incurs some cost. In contrast, random testing is unsystematic and does not sustain any analysis cost. In this paper, we investigate the theoretical efficiency of systematic versus random testing. First, we mathematically model the most effective systematic testing technique S_0 in which every sampled test input strictly increases the "degree of confidence" and is subject to the analysis cost c. Note that the efficiency of S_0 depends on c. Specifically, if we increase c, we also increase the time it takes S_0 to establish the same degree of confidence. So, there exists a maximum analysis cost beyond which R is generally more efficient than S_0. Given that we require the confidence that the program works correctly for x% of its input, we prove an upper bound on c of S_0, beyond which R is more efficient on the average. We also show that this bound depends asymptotically only on x. For instance, let R take 10ms time to sample one test input; to establish that the program works correctly for 90% of its input, S_0 must take less than 41ms to sample one test input. Otherwise, R is expected to establish the 90%-degree of confidence earlier. We prove similar bounds on the cost if the software tester is interested in revealing as many errors as possible in a given time span.
Obtaining Predictive Results with an Objective Evaluation of Spoken Dialogue Systems: Experiments with the DCR Assessment Paradigm

The DCR methodology is a framework that proposes a generic and detailed evaluation of spoken dialog systems. We have already detailed (Antoine et al., 1998) the theoretical bases of this paradigm. In this paper, we present some experimental results on spoken language understanding that show the feasibility and the reliability of the DCR evaluation as well as its ability to provide a detailed diagnosis of the system’s behaviour. Finally, we highlight the extension of the DCR methodology to dialogue management.
Genetic Differentiation Among Populations of House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) Breeding at a Multiple-Barn, Egg-Laying Facility in Central Minnesota

Abstract Mitochondrial gene diversity was used in house fly, Musca domestica L. , populations to examine gene flow within and among 16 sealed barns in a large egg-laying facility in Renville, MN. Haplotypes in poultry barns were compared with those in outdoor house fly populations nearby and in St. Paul, MN. Haplotype diversities were greater in the closed than in the open populations. There was significant gene flow among poultry barns, and export of flies from barns was observed. Nevertheless, of three haplotypes detected in the closed populations, one was undetected in the open populations. A significant change in haplotype frequencies within poultry barns between years is attributed to genetic drift. The geographical origin of one haplotype is obscure.
Altered cortical activation from the hand after facial botulinum toxin treatment

Plastic interactions between face and hand cortical tactile circuits occur after severe injuries that affect the hand such as in amputation or spinal cord injury. However, whether loss of facial movements alters the cortical circuits involved in processing tactile inputs from the hand remains unknown. In this prospective observational study we used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure cortical activity evoked by tactile stimulation of the hands before and after botulinum toxin‐A‐induced facial paralysis. We found a reduction in the tactile event‐related potentials (ERPs) 6 weeks after the treatment. This suggests that the limited paralysis of facial muscles induced during cosmetic interventions designed to smooth lines and wrinkles on the face is sufficient to alter the cortical processing of tactile inputs from the hand.
Corpus callosum signal intensity in patients with bipolar and unipolar disorder

Background: Anatomical abnormalities in the corpus callosum have been reported in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in patients with bipolar but not unipolar disorder. MRI signal intensity can be used as a putative index of corpus callosum myelination. Objectives: To measure MRI signal intensity in patients with bipolar and unipolar disorder to investigate abnormalities of corpus callosum myelination. Methods: The study involved 29 DSM-IV bipolar patients (mean (SD) age, 35 (11) years; 16 male, 13 female), 23 DSM-IV unipolar patients (41 (10) years; 4 male, 19 female), and 36 healthy controls (37 (10) years; 23 male, 13 female). A 1.5T GE Signa magnet was employed, with a fast spin echo sequence. Corpus callosum signal intensity was obtained blindly using the semiautomated software NIH Image 1.62. Results: Bipolar patients had lower corpus callosum signal intensity for all callosal subregions (genu, anterior and posterior body, isthmus, splenium) than healthy controls (ANCOVA, age and sex as covariates, p<0.05). No significant differences were found between unipolar and healthy subjects (ANCOVA, age and sex as covariates, p>0.05). Conclusions: The findings suggest abnormalities in corpus callosum white matter in bipolar but not unipolar patients, possibly because of altered myelination. Such abnormalities could lead to impaired interhemispheric communication in bipolar disorder. Longitudinal MRI studies involving first episode and early onset bipolar patients will be necessary for a better understanding of the potential role of abnormalities of corpus callosum myelination in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder.
Lean Product Development in Early Stage Startups

Software startup s are more popular than ever and growing in numbers. They operate under conditions of extreme uncertainty and face plenty of challenges, underlined by their high failure rate. Using Design Science Research, these challenges were investigated. A literature study showed that in recent years, several authors have suggested ways to increase the odds of succeeding as a startup, such as customer focused development, fact based decision making, pivoting and agile/lean thinking. Interviews with industry professiona ls showed that few used these Lean Startup practices: many found them difficult to implement in practice. In response, we developed the Early Stage Software Startup Development Model (ESSSDM) for managing early stage software startups by applying Lean Star tup principles. The model is novel in that it supports managing a portfolio of product ideas and provides clear criteria for when to move forward with product ideas, when to abandon product ideas as well as recommends what concrete techniques that can be u sed and when, in order to achieve this. The process w as instantiated and evaluated on a startup project in an incubator setting.
Deformation at ambient and high temperature of in situ Laves phases-ferrite composites

Abstract The mechanical behavior of a Fe80Zr10Cr10 alloy has been studied at ambient and high temperature. This Fe80Zr10Cr10 alloy, whoose microstructure is formed by alternate lamellae of Laves phase and ferrite, constitutes a very simple example of an in situ CMA phase composite. The role of the Laves phase type was investigated in a previous study while the present work focuses on the influence of the microstructure length scale owing to a series of alloys cast at different cooling rates that display microstructures with Laves phase lamellae width ranging from ∼50 nm to ∼150 nm. Room temperature compression tests have revealed a very high strength (up to 2 GPa) combined with a very high ductility (up to 35%). Both strength and ductility increase with reduction of the lamella width. High temperature compression tests have shown that a high strength (900 MPa) is maintained up to 873 K. Microstructural study of the deformed samples suggests that the confinement of dislocations in the ferrite lamellae is responsible for strengthening at both ambient and high temperature. The microstructure scale in addition to CMA phase structural features stands then as a key parameter for optimization of mechanical properties of CMA in situ composites.
Identifying montages that best detect electrographic seizure activity during polysomnography.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Recognizing epileptic seizures during video polysomnography (VPSG) can be challenging, particularly when using standard, limited EEG montages and paper speed. Few sleep laboratories have PSG equipment that allows for the recording of 18 channels of EEG without compromising the ability to detect sleep apnea, periodic limb movements, and parasomnias. We studied the ability of sleep medicine- and EEG-trained polysomnographers to correctly identify epileptic seizures during PSG using 4, 7, and 18 channels of simultaneous EEG, recording at conventional PSG and EEG paper speeds. The purpose of this study was to determine the value of limited EEG montages viewed with EEG reformatting capability in the identification of seizures during PSG. DESIGN Blinded EEG analysis of seizures and arousals during VPSG. SETTING Tertiary care hospital with sleep laboratory and epilepsy monitoring unit. PATIENTS Subjects with focal (partial) epilepsy that underwent video-EEG monitoring. INTERVENTIONS We designed two 7-channel EEG montages that might facilitate the identification of seizures arising from the frontal and temporal lobes. Sleep medicine- and EEG-trained polysomnographers were asked to review tracings containing frontal or temporal lobe epileptic seizures and arousals from sleep. Utilizing the capability of our digital recording equipment to reformat EEG channels and change paper speeds, we asked the readers to classify events recorded with 4, 7, and 18 channels of simultaneous EEG, at paper speeds of 10 and 30 mm/sec. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS 6 readers viewed 32 sleep-related events (13 frontal lobe seizures, 11 temporal lobe seizures, and 8 arousals). The following factors were analyzed for their influence on accuracy of event detection: 1) the type of training of the reader (EEG vs. sleep medicine); 2) the number of EEG channels (4, 7, or 18); and 3) paper speed (10 vs. 30 mm/sec). Pair-wise comparisons and generalized estimating equations were used to identify factors leading to more accurate detection of seizures and arousals. 77% of events were correctly identified: 74% of seizures and 88% of arousals. Seizure detection was better using 7 and 18 channels (sensitivity of 82% and 86%, respectively) than 4 EEG channels (sensitivity of 67%) for temporal lobe seizures only. The number of EEG channels did not affect the accuracy of frontal lobe seizure detection. For EEG-trained readers, accuracy was greater using 30 mm/sec than 10 mm/sec paper speed (85% vs. 78% correct, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Adding EEG channels and EEG reformatting capabilities to PSG interpretation improves the detection of some types of epileptic seizures. Accuracy of temporal lobe seizure detection using an abbreviated 7-channel montage approximates that of an 18-channel EEG recording. However, the same is not true of frontal lobe seizures in which accuracy was similar regardless of the number of EEG channel available. Further studies are needed to identify specific EEG montages that would best detect epileptiform activity during VPSG.
Symmetry for Architectural Design

Symmetry and regularity abound in architectural models, often as a result of economical, manufacturing, functional, or aesthetic considerations. We show how recent work on symmetry detection and structure discovery can be utilized to analyze architectural designs and real-world artifacts digitized using 3D scanning technology. This allows reverse engineering of procedural models that facilitate effective exploration of the underlying design space and the synthesis of new models by modifying the parameters of the extracted structures and symmetries. We demonstrate the effectiveness of such an approach on a number of example designs.
Assessment of Web Portal Data Quality using Bayesian networks

The Internet has established itself as an environment for data administration, exchange and publication. A great variety of Web applications have appeared to support this phenomenon. Amongst these applications, Web portals are becoming an important means by which to access data. Many people need to use these applications to obtain data for different purposes: to do their work, to make decisions, for their business, for entertainment, etc. So, they need to assess the quality of data to ensure that what they have obtained is suitable for their needs. In recent years, several research projects have been conducted on the topic of Web Data Quality. There is, however, still a lack of specific proposals for data quality in Web portals which take the data consumer’s point of view into account. In this paper, we will introduce a data quality model for Web portals (PDQM). This model focuses on the point of view of data consumers and uses a probabilistic approach (based on Bayesian networks) for data quality evaluation.
Internet-based psychological and oral medical treatment compared to psychological treatment alone for ED.

INTRODUCTION Sexual function through pregnancy and the postpartum period is an important aspect of quality of life. Despite this, prospective studies are limited, and the impact of body image on sexual function has not been explored. AIMS The current study reports on a pilot study that evaluated the effectiveness of a combined Internet-based psychological treatment program and oral medication compared to an Internet-based psychological program. METHODS Twelve men with ED participated in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Assessments were made pre and postintervention on ED, relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, self-esteem, and quality of life. RESULTS Multivariate analyses of variance demonstrated that both treatment conditions showed improvements from pretest to posttest in sexual functioning, relationships, and personal well-being. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates the importance of targeting psychological and relationship variables in the treatment of ED. Further research with larger numbers of participants is necessary for a more rigorous evaluation of treatment programs that combine psychological and medication interventions for ED.
Power output from a flight muscle of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. III. Power during simulated flight

1. The work loop approach was used to measure mechanical power output from an asynchronous flight muscle, the dorso-ventral muscle of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. Measurements were made at the optimum muscle length for work output at 30 °C and at a muscle temperature (40 °C) and oscillatory frequency (141­173 Hz, depending on the size of the animal) characteristic of free flight. Oscillatory strain amplitude was adjusted to maximize power output. 2. There was much preparation-to-preparation variability in power output. Power output in the muscles with the highest values was slightly greater than 100 W kg-1. It is argued that there are many experimental factors which might reduce measured power output below that in the living bumblebee, and no obvious factors which might lead to overestimates of muscle power. The conclusion is that flight muscle in the intact bumblebee can produce at least 100 W kg-1.
Comparison , Categorization , and Perceptual Dimensions : A Connectionist Model of the Development of the Notion of Sameness

The process of comparison is fundamental to behaving organisms. Generalization from past to present experience involves a measure of the similarity of present perceptual input to what has been perceived before. The likelihood that we call some object a dog is a function of the perceptual similarity of that candidate object to other objects known to be dogs. But humans do far more than simply categorize objects into a single basic level. At various times and for various purposes, we compare objects in terms of their overall similarity to one another and along a wide array of perceptual dimensions. For example, we might judge a dog to be brown, to be the same color as our cat, to be large for dogs in general. Indeed, what we consider higher mental functioning|metaphor, poetry, science itself|involves pointing to and discovering novel kinds of similarity. The problem of how a child develops a system of multiple kinds of perceptual similarity together with devices for linguistically communicating about similarity is clearly of great importance to cognitive science. This is an area in which there is rich and detailed data about human development, but no current theory that adequately explains it. In this paper we describe a connectionist model of some of the basic facts of comparison along perceptual dimensions. The workings of the model are based on the idea that categorization along dimensions (what color is it? ) and comparison along dimensions (is X the same color as Y? ) make use of the same dimension representations and the same internal representations for objects. We propose that these representations develop in response to the demands of the two kinds of tasks. Our model should yield behavior which qualitatively ts the developmental data from children.
A General Rate Duality of the MIMO Multiple Access Channel and the MIMO Broadcast Channel

We present a general rate duality between the multiple access channel (MAC) and the broadcast channel (BC) which is applicable to systems with and without nonlinear interference cancellation. Different to the state-of-the-art rate duality with interference subtraction from Vishwanath et al., the proposed duality is filter-based instead of covariance-based and exploits the arising unitary degree of freedom to decorrelate every point- to-point link. Therefore, it allows for noncooperative stream-wise decoding which reduces complexity and latency. Moreover, the conversion from one domain to the other does not exhibit any dependencies during its computation making it accessible to a parallel implementation instead of a serial one. We additionally derive a rate duality for systems with multi-antenna terminals when linear filtering without interference (pre-)subtraction is applied and the different streams of a single user are not treated as self-interference. Both dualities are based on a framework already applied to a mean-square-error duality between the MAC and the BC. Thanks to this novel rate duality, any rate-based optimization with linear filtering in the BC can now be handled in the dual MAC where the arising expressions lead to more efficient algorithmic solutions than in the BC due to the alignment of the channel and precoder indices.
Direct Detection of Viable Bacteria, Molds, and Yeasts by Reverse Transcriptase PCR in Contaminated Milk Samples after Heat Treatment

ABSTRACT A fast, sensitive, and target contaminant-modulable method was developed to detect viable bacteria, molds, and yeasts after heat treatment. By reverse transcriptase PCR with elongation factor gene (EF-Tu or EF-1α)-specific primers, the detection level was 10 cells ml of milk−1. The simplicity and rapidity (4 h) of the procedure suggests that this method may be easily transposable to other foods and other contaminants.
Can C‐peptide mediated anti‐inflammatory effects retard the development of microvascular complications of type 1 diabetes?

Hyperglycemia is considered to be the major cause of microvascular complications of diabetes. Growing evidence highlights the importance of hyperglycemia‐mediated inflammation in the initiation and progression of microvascular complications in type 1 diabetes. We hypothesize that lack of proinsulin C‐peptide and lack of its anti‐inflammatory properties contribute to the development of microvascular complications. Evidence gathered over the past 20 years shows that C‐peptide is a biologically active peptide in its own right. It has been shown to reduce formation of reactive oxygen species and nuclear factor‐κB activation induced by hyperglycemia, resulting in inhibition of cytokine, chemokine and cell adhesion molecule formation as well as reduced apoptotic activity. In addition, C‐peptide stimulates and induces the expression of both Na+, K+‐ATPase and endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Animal studies and small‐scale clinical trials in type 1 diabetes patients suggest that C‐peptide replacement combined with regular insulin therapy exerts beneficial effects on kidney and nerve dysfunction. Further clinical trials in patients with microvascular complications including measurements of inflammatory markers are warranted to explore the clinical significance of the aforementioned, previously unrecognized, C‐peptide effects. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electro-optic polymeric reflection modulator based on plasmonic metamaterial

A novel low power design for polymeric Electro-Optic reflection modulator is proposed based on the Extraordinary Reflection of light from multilayer structure consisting of a plasmonic metasurface with a periodic structure of sub wavelength circular apertures in a gold film above a thin layer of EO polymer and above another thin gold layer. The interference of the different reflected beams from different layer construct the modulated beam, The applied input driving voltage change the polymer refractive index which in turn determine whether the interference is constructive or destructive, so both phase and intensity modulation could be achieved. The resonant wavelength is tuned to the standard telecommunication wavelength 1. 55μm, at this wavelength the reflection is minimum, while the absorption is maximum due to plasmonic resonance (PR) and the coupling between the incident light and the plasmonic metasurface.
Lessons Learned from Using an Online Platform to Conduct Large-Scale, Online Controlled Security Experiments with Software Developers

Security and privacy researchers are increasingly conducting controlled experiments focusing on IT professionals, such as software developers and system administrators. These professionals are typically more difficult to recruit than general end-users. In order to allow for distributed recruitment of IT professionals for security user studies, we designed Developer Observatory, a browser-based virtual laboratory platform that enables controlled programming experiments while retaining most of the observational power of lab studies. The Developer Observatory can be used to conduct largescale, reliable online programming studies with reasonable external validity. We report on our experiences and lessons learned from two controlled programming experiments (n>200) conducted using Developer Observatory.
The design and implementation of a multicast address moving target defensive system for internet-of-things applications

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks serve to diminish the ability of the network to perform its intended function over time. The paper presents the design, implementation and analysis of a protocol based upon a technique for address agility called DDoS Resistant Multicast (DRM). After describing the our architecture and implementation we show an analysis that quantifies the overhead on network performance. We then present the Simple Agile RPL multiCAST (SARCAST), an Internet-of-Things routing protocol for DDoS protection. We have implemented and evaluated SARCAST in a working IoT operating system and testbed. Our results show that SARCAST provides very high levels of protection against DDoS attacks with virtually no impact on overall performance.