Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MMS: Multi merge and split buffer management scheme for Video-on-Demand systems

The interval caching buffer management scheme uses temporal locality of a group of I/O streams serving videos on demand. A group of I/O streams served by a single stream is called a session. In such cases, all I/O streams in the session, except one, will experience buffer hits. Also, the I/O stream of the client may leave the session resulting in a wastage of memory as the Video-on-Demand (VoD) system provides VCR-like functions e.g. play, pause, rewind and fast-forward. Our proposed interval-based buffer management technique merges the streams of a number of sessions and returns the same number of sessions with minimum memory wastage. In the MMS buffer management scheme, the number of streams of the sessions are grouped together to form the same number of sessions by using a greedy approach to reduce the memory requirement. An integer constant called block-factor is defined to be a limiting factor for the extra blocks allocated for a new stream to be grouped with the existing session. The simulation study shows that the MMS buffer management scheme reduces memory wastage as the block-factor increases.
PuppyIR : Designing an Open Source Framework for Interactive Information Services for Children

One of the main aims of the PuppyIR project is to provide an open source framework for the development of Interactive Information Retrieval Services. The main focus of the project is directed towards developing such services for children, which introduces a number of novel and challenging issues to address (such as language development, security, moderation, etc). In this poster paper, we outline the preliminary high-level design of the open source framework. The framework uses a layered architecture to minimize dependencies between the user-side concerns of interaction and presentation, and the system-side concerns of aggregating content from multiple sources and processing information appropriately. Each layer will consist of a series of interchangeable components, which can be interconnected to form a complete service. To facilitate the construction of diverse information services, a dataflow language is proposed to enable the assembly of the components in an intuitive and visual manner. One of the the design goals of the architecture, and ultimate measures of success, is to provide a “lego” style building block environment in which researchers and developers of any age can build their own information service. This poster provides the starting point for the design of the framework and aims to seek comments, feedback and suggestions from the community in order to improve and refine the architecture.
Discovering both positive and negative co-location rules from spatial data sets

With the explosive growth and extensive applications of spatial data sets, it is becoming more and more important to solve the problem how to discover knowledge automatically from spatial data sets. Co-location patterns discovery is an important branch in spatial data mining. Traditional algorithms for co-location patterns mining can only find positive co-location patterns. However, negative co-location patterns, which are strong negative associated but whose participation index are less than a minimum prevalence threshold, sometimes would include great valuable information. In this paper, the concept of the negative co-location patterns is defined. Based on the analysis of the relationship between negative and positive participation index, methods for negative participation index calculation and negative patterns pruning strategies are given. The methods make it possible to discover both positive and negative co-locations efficiently. The applications of the proposed algorithm are studied using the plant data sets of the "Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas". Finally, an extensive experimental analysis is done to show the effectiveness and efficiency of the algorithms.
Optimal control design for VSC-HVDC systems

This paper deals with modeling and optimal control design of VSC-HVDC transmission system in order to enhance system stability. The steady of the state mathematical model for GL (Generator-Load) VSC-HVDC system is developed and the decoupled relationship between the controlling variables is proposed. Furthermore, this work focuses on the design of optimal PI (proportional-integral) controller which aims to maintain DC link voltage and control the reactive power. The effectiveness of the proposed optimal control scheme is proved through digital simulation studies on a VSC-HVDC power system, using MATLAB/Simulink software. The simulation results shows that the proposed optimal PI controller is effective to enhance power system stability.
Potential signiﬁcance of genomic imprinting defects for reproduction and assisted reproductive technology

Recent studies suggest a possible link between human assisted reproductive technology and genomic imprinting disorders. Assisted reproductive technology includes the isolation, handling and culture of gametes and early embryos at times when imprinted genes are likely to be particularly vulnerable to external inﬂuences. Evidence of sex-speciﬁc differences in imprint acquisition suggests that male and female germ cells may be susceptible to perturbations in imprinted genes at speciﬁc prenatal and postnatal stages. Imprints acquired ﬁrst during gametogenesis must be maintained during preimplantation development when reprogramming of the overall genome occurs. In this review, we will discuss both new developments in our understanding of genomic imprinting including the mechanisms and timing of imprint erasure, acquisition and maintenance during germ cell development and early embryogenesis as well as the implications of this research for future epigenetic studies in reproduction and assisted reproductive technology.
Ecological niche modelling of two cryptic bat species calls for a reassessment of their conservation status

1. Conservation priorities are set on the basis of existing knowledge of the species concerned. Identification of cryptic species within former single taxa may significantly change the perspective on distribution and abundance which, in turn, might impact the species? conservation status. 2. In the 1990? s it was discovered that one of the most abundant bat species in Europe actually consists of two cryptic species, P. pipistrellus and P. pygmaeus. We systematically recorded echolocation calls from both species along road transects driven across Switzerland. Subsequently, we have used presence data obtained to analyse the species? habitat selection and respective ecological niches by GIS-modelling and by discriminant analysis. 3. Habitats mostly associated with P. pygmaeus presence are wide rivers and lakes, human settlements and open woodland habitats. P. pygmaeus is patchily distributed and only occurs in its optimum habitats, i.e. in areas characterized by the simultaneous presence of all habitats mentioned above. 4. P. pipistrellus has similar habitat preferences, but unlike P. pygmaeus, it is very tolerant with regard to deviations from its optimal habitat. The overall niche of P. pipistrellus encompasses nearly the entire global habitat availability. In contrast, the niche of P. pygmaeus is narrow and mostly included in one end of the niche of P. pipistrellus. 5. Due to its wide distribution and abundance P. pipistrellus sensu lato was ranked «not endangered» in Switzerland. In this study we found P. pipistrellus to occur in a 30-fold higher abundance than P. pygmaeus. However the rarity of P. pygmaeus and its restricted distribution significantly change the conservation status of this cryptic species. Extrapolated habitat suitability maps help to focus conservation efforts to protect important hunting areas (i.e. riparian woodlands) in regions with highest probability of occurrence. 6. Synthesis and applications. The present example points out that conservation status attributed to taxa encompassing sibling species may be misleading and needs to be changed constantly according to scientific advances. Progress in systematics will spawn more cryptic species in the near future. Ecological studies are required to assess their environmental requirements and provide the necessary baseline information for appropriate conservation.
Comparative Study of Content-Centric vs. Content Delivery Networks: Quantitative Viewpoints

You may remember the battle between Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and IP/Ethernet in late 90s. When the ATM was first conceived, it was believed as the only viable technology that will allow true broadband networking services. Many research results strongly supported such beliefs for ATM, however, the markets today are not in favor of ATM any longer. Recently, Content-Centric Networking (CCN) is architected to bring significant advantages over current IP-based Internet, especially in reducing the traffic by eliminating redundant data transmissions. However, IP-based solutions such as Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) have already been widely deployed to cope with the same problem. Some comparison studies on this issue have been known, but they were done only in a qualitative manner. We have a strong sense of deja vu of the late 90s' battle. Qualitative comparison showing advantages and disadvantages of those technologies have failed to predict the final winner in the real world. This paper compares CCN and CDN in a quantitative manner by considering feasible CCN router implementation and typical CDN deployment topologies. Although we admit that our result may not be able to predict the final winner in the complex and uncertain future for now, we believe that it provides valuable insights in comparing the two continuously evolving networking technologies.
IT-Enabled Product and Process Innovations in Transition Markets: The Moderating Role of Dysfunctional Competition

Since transition markets are playing an increasingly important role in the global economy and in the international innovation arena, there is a need to understand how IT affects firms’ process and product innovations and ultimately their competitive performance in these markets. Drawing on innovation literature and the IT capabilities portfolio perspective as well as the distinctive environment of the transition markets, we compare and contrast how IT internal integration and IT market integration affect process and product innovations, which in turn lead to competitive performance under different levels of dysfunctional competition. We test our model and hypotheses using data collected from 241 firms in China, one of the largest and fastest growing transition economies. The results reveal how dysfunctional competition shapes the efficacy of ITenabled product and process innovations. We find IT internal integration has a greater positive effect on process innovation and on product innovation, and consequently, competitive performance, when dysfunctional competition is high. In contrast, IT market integration is more effective in influencing process and product innovations when dysfunctional competition is low. Furthermore, when dysfunctional competition is high, it becomes harder for firms to obtain value from their investment in product innovation, while the performance return from process innovation increases. We discuss the implications, for theory and practice, of the role IT integration capabilities have on innovation in transition economies.
Bifidobacteria Prevent Tunicamycin-Induced Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Subsequent Barrier Disruption in Human Intestinal Epithelial Caco-2 Monolayers

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is caused by accumulation of unfolded and misfolded proteins in the ER, thereby compromising its vital cellular functions in protein production and secretion. Genome wide association studies in humans as well as experimental animal models linked ER stress in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) with intestinal disorders including inflammatory bowel diseases. However, the mechanisms linking the outcomes of ER stress in IECs to intestinal disease have not been clarified. In this study, we investigated the impact of ER stress on intestinal epithelial barrier function using human colon carcinoma-derived Caco-2 monolayers. Tunicamycin-induced ER stress decreased the trans-epithelial electrical resistance of Caco-2 monolayers, concomitant with loss of cellular plasma membrane integrity. Epithelial barrier disruption in Caco-2 cells after ER stress was not caused by caspase- or RIPK1-dependent cell death but was accompanied by lysosomal rupture and up-regulation of the ER stress markers Grp78, sXBP1 and Chop. Interestingly, several bifidobacteria species inhibited tunicamycin-induced ER stress and thereby diminished barrier disruption in Caco-2 monolayers. Together, these results showed that ER stress compromises the epithelial barrier function of Caco-2 monolayers and demonstrate beneficial impacts of bifidobacteria on ER stress in IECs. Our results identify epithelial barrier loss as a potential link between ER stress and intestinal disease development, and suggest that bifidobacteria could exert beneficial effects on this phenomenon.
Semiparametric Differential Graph Models

In many cases of network analysis, it is more attractive to study how a network varies under different conditions than an individual static network. We propose a novel graphical model, namely Latent Differential Graph Model, where the networks under two different conditions are represented by two semiparametric elliptical distributions respectively, and the variation of these two networks (i.e., differential graph) is characterized by the difference between their latent precision matrices. We propose an estimator for the differential graph based on quasi likelihood maximization with nonconvex regularization. We show that our estimator attains a faster statistical rate in parameter estimation than the state-of-the-art methods, and enjoys oracle property under mild conditions. Thorough experiments on both synthetic and real world data support our theory.
1 Spiral Texture Mapping

Spiral texture mapping extends and combines two main categories of texture mapping approaches, namely, displacement texture mapping and view-dependent texture mapping. A spiral texture contains two components: a view-independent one and a view-dependent one. The first component contains a layered depth image, which stores the depth information and the extracted diffuse color information of the underlining object. The second component can be considered as a set of images, which uniformly sample the highlights and reflections of the object from different directions. The rendering algorithm uses the first component to solve visibility problems, and then uses the second component to produce highlights and reflections. Since spiral textures can produce both parallax effects and non-diffuse effects, they can be used to represent shiny complex real objects or environments. In addition, a novel sampling technique, which is based on the shape of a spiral, is proposed in this paper and used to sample the view-dependent component. The new sampling scheme can evenly sample all rays that pass through a planar rectangular texture. The experimental results show that our approach can generate very good results with a reasonable number of samples.
Statistical Analysis of Broadband Wireless Links in Rural Areas

Third-generation (3G) cellular systems are often considered as a promising strategy for high-speed internet deployment in rural areas. However, bandwidth in 3G systems is a limited resource and can be quite different from the advertised bandwidth. In addition, in wireless applications such as voice over IP, video-conference, remote monitoring and telemetry (e.g., for healthcare applications) the Quality of Service (QoS) is critical. It is therefore important to understand how different factors affect the QoS requirements of real-time applications. Focusing on the reverse link (or uplink), we performed an assessment of the bandwidth and packet loss rate in a real network environment, using test data collected with two wireless data cards from different providers, in both rural and urban locations. The main contribution of this paper is the presentation of a formal statistical method – a Design of Experiments (DOE) analysis - that can be used to analyze the interactions between different variables, such as packet size, location, buffer size, and wireless provider. With a better understanding of the impact of such factors and their interactions, the end-user may be able to make the best selection of certain controllable parameters, in an effort to improve the QoS of the 3G connection. This is especially important for users located in rural areas, where cellular coverage is limited.
A review and comparison of data visualization techniques used in building design and in building simulation

This paper will present a review, for a range of building design and performance issues, of the visualization language used in building design and in building simulation, and identify the overlaps and divergences in their use. There is a plethora of techniques available ranging from textual data to graphical representation, from 2D drawings to 3D representations, and from static images to interactive animations and virtual reality. The review has been undertaken using taxonomy of visualization techniques based on data type and analytic task. The review and classification of available techniques also enables a comparative study of the various ways to visualize specific data and thus, attempts to identify the most effective visualization technique for different analyses aimed at the design community as users. The results are used to propose a new interface “look and feel” for early-stage design analysis software.
A useful shift in our perspective: integrating social movement framing into social marketing

Purpose The elaboration of framing in social movement theory offers a different perspective than is typically taken in social marketing. This paper explores how social marketing may benefit from this alternate lens. Design/methodology/approach The construction, features and processes associated with collective action frames in social movements are examined and explored via two social causes: obesity and disaster preparation. Findings A social movement perspective on framing highlights the need to better understand variations in how groups may perceive a problem and its solutions. It suggests a range of considerations and options in constructing and participating in the development of collective action frames, which are suggested to benefit social marketing initiatives and, thus, society. Research limitations/implications Further research in societal well-being and the meso-level of social change should consider adopting a social movement framing perspective. A list of questions is provided to guide future research. Practical implications Mobilising a group into action is often a necessary and effective step in realising social change. The questions raised in social movement framing will equip practitioners and researchers with greater understanding of the issue, the context and potential solutions, ultimately to encourage positive social movements and social benefit. Originality/value While calls have been made for broader perspectives in social marketing, little attention has been given to social movements. This paper offers a way forward with respect to framing.
Basic Communication Course Students’ Perceptions of the Purpose and Their Role in the Peer Feedback Process

Students enrolled in the basic communication course often engage in peer feedback workshops to enhance presentational speaking competence. As such, peer feedback workshops in the basic communication course provide an opportunity for students to provide and receive feedback on speech form, structure, and delivery (Broeckelman-Post & Hosek, 2014). The present study qualitatively examined data from 110 students enrolled in a basic communication course to determine their perceptions of the peer feedback process and what role(s), if any, they believed they had in the peer feedback process. Our thematic analysis revealed that students’ perceive peer feedback as a form of agency, influence, and skill building and perceive their role as a content editor, audience/body, and performance evaluator. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.
Automatic graph classification

In educational measurement, the objective is to measure some unknown latent variable or variables that represent a student’s underlying ability or abilities in a subject domain. The first step in this process is to collect observable data from the student that will provide a window into these latent variables. Typically, this takes the form of a student’s response to a test question (usually called a test “item”). Multiple-choice has proven to be the most popular item format for large-scale assessments because of the ease of automatically scoring student responses. However, multiple-choice items provide only a limited view into a student’s knowledge and understanding, and the proliferation of test prep companies shows that multiple-choice items can be easily gamed. Because of these weaknesses, an ongoing avenue of research in educational measurement focuses on richer environments for assessing student knowledge, such as questions that ask students to highlight a phrase in text, drag items into the proper place in the periodic table, and create concept maps (Zenisky & Sireci, 2002). But many of these methods are simply glorified multiple-choice questions—they do not provide a truly open environment for students to produce responses. When it comes to scoring open-ended responses, the Educational Testing Service has made progress with a trio of projects; the e-rater and c-rater projects score essays and natural-language responses (Attali & Burstein, 2006; Leacock & Chodorow, 2003), and the m-rater project scores equations and graphs (Livingston, 2009). It is this latter problem—the problem of scoring a student’s graphical response to a mathematics question—that we will examine in this paper. A weakness of the m-rater system is that it asks a student to generate a graph using a proprietary graphing tool, and then it tests the correctness of the graph by converting the graph to an equation or testing points (Livingston, 2009). An arguably
Ultrastructural Changes in Spinal Motoneurons and Locomotor Functional Study after Sciatic Nerve Repair in Conduit Tube

Objective(s) Motor deficit and neuron degeneration is seen after nerve transection. The aim of this study is to determine whether a poled polyvinelidene fluoride (PVDF) tube with other supportive strategies can protect the neuronal morphology and motor function after sciatic nerve transaction in rats. Materials and Methods After transection of the left sciatic nerve in 60 male Wistar rats (200-250 g), the epineural group was sutured end to end. In the autograft rats, a 10 mm piece of sciatic nerve was rotated 180 °C and sutured back into the nerve gap. In the nerve guidance channel (NGC) group, polarized piezoelectric PVDF tube containing NGF and collagen gel was sutured in the gap. In control group sciatic nerve was removed (10 mm) without repair. After one, four and eight weeks, the L4-L6 spinal cord segment was removed for histological study using transmission electron microscope. Functional outcome was assessed using the Basso, Bresnahan and Beattie (BBB) locomotor scale at both four and eight weeks after the lesion. Results Chromatin condensation was seen after 4 weeks in the repair groups. Cell membrane shrinkage and mitochondrial degeneration was observed after 4 and 8 weeks respectively, in the autografted and NGC rats. In the control group, chromatin condensation, cell membrane shrinkage with mitochondrial degeneration and vacuolization of perikaryon was seen after 1, 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. At 56 days, the functional recovery of the epineural rats significantly increased in comparison to the other groups (P< 0.05). Conclusion The epineural suture has more efficacies, and NGC may be used as a proper substitute for autograft in nerve injury.