Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consistent Implementations of Replicated Objects

Shared objects are used in the distributed environment for synchronization, date sharing and service provision. They are usually replicated in a distributed system for higher availability and fault tolerance. Coherent or strongly consistent implementation of replicated objects has been studied extensively in the literature. This paper concentrates on a general method for specifying and implementing replicated objects that may require weaker consistency conditions. The weakness of the objects is left open and users are allowed to specify their objects by defining how concurrent sets of operations should be performed. The implementation of a replicated object consists of two modules: one module is an algorithm to identify concurrent sets from a distrihuted computation and the other module is a user-defined procedure to process the concurrent sets. We show examples of weaker objects that can be defined and implemented more efficiently because of the less stringent requirements imposed on these objects. Several objects, including a shared dictionary, are used to demonstrate our scheme and we show that non-blocking implementations of some of these objects are possible.
An Optimal Shape Design Problem for Fan Noise Reduction

The objective of the present article is to find an optimal design of a fan inlet to reduce the amount of noise radiated to the far field from the system. Against the gradient-based optimization algorithms, we employ here a method based on measure theory which does not require any information of gradients and the differentiability of cost function.
A Conic Quadratic Programming Approach to Physical Layer Multicasting for Large-Scale Antenna Arrays

We investigate the problem of downlink physical layer multicasting that aims at minimizing the transmit power with a massive antenna array installed at the transmitter site. We take a solution based on semidefinite relaxation (SDR) as our benchmark. It is shown that instead of working on the semidefinite program (SDP) naturally produced by the SDR, the dual counterpart of the same problem may provide a more efficient numerical implementation. Later, by using a successive convex approximation strategy, we arrive at a provably convergent iterative second-order cone programming (SOCP) solution. Our thorough numerical investigations report that the newly proposed SOCP solution offers improved power efficiency and a massively reduced computational complexity. Therefore, the SOCP solution is seen as a suitable candidate for obtaining beamformers that minimize transmit power, especially, when a very large number of antennas is used at the transmitter.
Genital morphology and fertilization success in the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus: an example of sexually selected male genitalia

In animals with internal fertilization and promiscuous mating, male genitalia show rapid and divergent evolution. Three hypotheses have been suggested to explain the evolutionary processes responsible for genital evolution: the lock–and–key hypothesis, the pleiotropy hypothesis and the sexual–selection hypothesis. Here, we determine whether variation in male genital morphology influences fertilization success in the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus, as predicted by the sexual–selection hypothesis. Variation in four out of five genital sclerites of the endophallus influenced a male's fertilization success, supporting the general hypothesis that male genitalia can evolve under sexual selection. Furthermore, different genital sclerites were found to enhance first versus second male paternity, indicating that different sclerites serve offensive and defensive roles. Genital–trait variability was comparable to that in other species but was less variable than a non–genital sexually selected trait (head horns). We suggest that directional selection for genital elaboration may be countered by natural selection, which should favour genitalia of a size and shape necessary for efficient coupling and sperm transfer.
Changes in HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and behaviors in Malawi

The three chapters of this dissertation collectively assess how HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes are behaviors are changing in Malawi. The first chapter assesses how married individuals use knowledge of HIV status to make behavioral changes to reduce HIV risk or make decisions about divorce. Instrumental variable models controlling for selection into HIV testing are estimated using data from the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH). Results indicate that knowledge of HIV status does not affect chances of divorce but does reduce the number of reported sexual partners among HIV-positive respondents, and increases reported condom use with spouses for both HIV-negative and HIV-positive respondents. The goals of the second and third chapters are to dig beneath behavior itself and look at how potential behavioral changes are motivated, as well as how basic HIV knowledge has changed. Chapter 2 examines ways that HIV prevention efforts may have changed beliefs and attitudes towards HIV risk and HIV prevention, in particular attitudes towards a woman's right to protect against HIV risk. Using MLSFH data, I compare participants and non-participants in a program providing extensive HIV counseling and testing. Results suggest that participants are more likely to believe that women have the right to take steps to protect themselves from HIV risk, are less likely to be extremely worried about HIV infection, and are more likely to think condom use is an acceptable means of protection against HIV. Chapter 3 explores how individuals update knowledge of HIV/ AIDS transmission and prevention over time in Malawi. HIV knowledge uptake could potentially be different according to an individual's age, the time frame in which an individual was born, or could be changing predominately over time for all individuals (age, period or cohort). Using Demographic and Health Surveys Data for Malawi in cross-classified random effect age-period-cohort models, I find that period effects dominate over cohort or age effects, meaning that knowledge of effective HIV prevention tactics has increased most strongly over time, net of age and birth cohort effects. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Demography First Advisor Hans-Peter Kohler
Protective role of L-carnitine and vitamin E on the testis of atherosclerotic rats

Atherosclerosis is a condition caused by lipid build-up and inflammation in the arteries, so hyperlipidemia is the major reason for atherosclerosis. Testis was found to be negatively affected by hyperlipidemia which leads to its impaired functions. Vitamin E and l-carnitine have well-known lipid-lowering and antioxidative activities. Triton WR 1339 is a non-ionic detergent, which induces severe hyperlipidemia by inhibition of lipoprotein lipase. The present study evaluates the protective role of vitamin E and l-carnitine on the testis in atherosclerosis and detects the most effective choice for protection against atherosclerosis; vitamin E, l-carnitine or a combination of both. A total of 80 albino male rats were divided into eight groups (10 rats for each group): control (G1), triton (G2), l-carnitine (G3), triton + l-carnitine (G4), vitamin E (G5), triton + vitamin E (G6), l-carnitine + vitamin E (G7) and triton + l-carnitine + vitamin E (G8). Data showed a significant increase in the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), 17 beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17 β HSD), testicular catalase and malondialdehyde (MDA) in G2 when compared with G1, whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), serum testosterone, testicular 17 ketosteroid reductase (17 KSR), total thiol and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) data showed a significant decrease in G2 when compared with G1. Treatment with l-carnitine or/and vitamin E helps in improving the adverse effect of triton; also the histological changes confirm this finding. So the present study recommends all people to include l-carnitine and vitamin E in their diet to be protected against atherosclerosis.
Classification of crossed immunoelectrophoretic patterns using digital image processing and artificial neural networks

A method is presented which makes it possible to present crossed immunoelectrophoretic patterns to an artificial neural network. The electrophoretic patterns are presented for the artificial neural network as three‐dimensional vectors and it is shown that it is possible with this representation to train the network to learn the patterns and classify them. It was found that the ability to generalize was substantially increased by the addition of noise to the input patterns during training. Furthermore, the addition of noise decreased the number of presentations needed to reach the predetermined error level. The trained neural network was able to classify all distorted patterns correctly within an error range of 1%.
Comparing cache architectures and coherency protocols on x86-64 multicore SMP systems

Across a broad range of applications, multicore technology is the most important factor that drives today's microprocessor performance improvements. Closely coupled is a growing complexity of the memory subsystems with several cache levels that need to be exploited efficiently to gain optimal application performance. Many important implementation details of these memory subsystems are undocumented. We therefore present a set of sophisticated benchmarks for latency and bandwidth measurements to arbitrary locations in the memory subsystem. We consider the coherency state of cache lines to analyze the cache coherency protocols and their performance impact. The potential of our approach is demonstrated with an in-depth comparison of ccNUMA multiprocessor systems with AMD (Shanghai) and Intel (Nehalem-EP) quad-core x86-64 processors that both feature integrated memory controllers and coherent point-to-point interconnects. Using our benchmarks we present fundamental memory performance data and architectural properties of both processors. Our comparison reveals in detail how the microarchitectural differences tremendously affect the performance of the memory subsystem.
MODELING EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AND SURFACE ENERGY BUDGETS ACROSS A WATERSHED

Transport of mass and energy between and within soils, canopies, and the atmosphere is an area of increasing interest in hydrology and meteorology. On arid and semiarid rangelands, evapotranspiration (ET) can account for over 90% of the precipitation, making accurate knowledge of the surface energy balance particularly critical. Recent advances in measurement and modeling have made the accurate estimate of ET and the entire surface energy balance possible. The Simultaneous Heat and Water (SHAW) model, a detailed physical process model capable of simulating the effects of a multispecies plant canopy on heat and water transfer, was applied to 2 years of data collected for three vegetation types (low sagebrush, mountain big sagebrush, and aspen) on a semiarid watershed. Timing and magnitude of ET from the three sites differed considerably. Measured and simulated ET for approximately 26 days of measurement in 1990 were 41 and 44 mm, respectively, for the low sagebrush, 74 and 69 mm for the mountain big sagebrush, and 85 and 89 mm for the aspen. Simulated and measured cumulative ET for up to 85 days of measurement at the three sites in 1993 differed by 3–5%. Simulated diurnal variation in each of the surface energy balance components compared well with measured values. Model results were used to estimate total ET from the watershed as a basis for a complete water budget of the watershed.
Evaluation and surgical management of isolated sphenoid sinus disease.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the pathologic conditions, preoperative evaluation, treatment, and clinical outcomes associated with sphenoid sinus disease. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Tertiary university-based referral center. PATIENTS All patients with isolated sphenoid sinus disease managed surgically or in which surgery was considered a primary treatment option. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Demographic data, presenting signs and symptoms, endoscopic and imaging findings, surgical management, surgical pathology, and clinical outcomes were investigated in patients presenting with sphenoid sinus disease to the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 2001. RESULTS The study population included 17 women and 12 men with a mean age of 52.3 years (range, 15-82 years). The most common presenting symptom was headache (20 patients [69%]). Imaging evaluation included computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging studies in all cases. Sphenoid sinus abnormality was variable and included sinusitis (11 patients [38%]), tumor (7 [24%]), mucocele (5 [17%]), fungal process (3 [10%]), and cerebrospinal fluid fistula (3 [10%]). Twenty-one cases (72%) were managed endoscopically and 4 (14%) were managed with a transseptal approach. One patient (3%) underwent combined extracranial-endoscopic transnasal approach, while another (3%) underwent a midface degloving approach. The remaining 2 patients (7%) did not undergo surgical intervention. CONCLUSIONS Given the high prevalence of noninflammatory lesions within the sphenoid sinus, thorough preoperative evaluation is imperative. Initially, this should include nasal endoscopy and computed tomography to help define the location, extent, and character of the lesion. In some cases, magnetic resonance imaging may help further define the nature and extent of a lesion. Angiography should be considered if a vascular lesion is suspected. The clinical and imaging findings should all be taken into consideration when the surgical approach is planned.
ECLAIR: An Extensible Class Library for Information Retrieval

This paper describes ECLAIR, an extensible object-oriented class library, which can be used to construct information retrieval systems and applications. ECLAIR is implemented in C++ and uses an object-oriented database management system for persistent object storage. The library provides data structures and operations necessary to allow the efficient indexing, storage and retrieval of data items based on their text content using automatic indexing and best-match retrieval techniques. By exploiting the object-oriented paradigm, we have been able to develop a library which is usable by any application requiring information retrieval functionality, and further, is extensible such that many of the functions provided by the library can be changed as required by an application. Additionally, applications can exploit the features of the underlying object-oriented database management system, which include support for persistence of data (objects), modelling complex objects, concurrent access to data, and reliable processing of data in the presence of system failures. In the paper we consider how to deliver information retrieval functionality to the developers of application systems and we evaluate current approaches. The design and implementation of ECLAIR is described in detail. A number of experiments applying ECLAIR are reported.
Semi-synchronous Channel Access for Full-Duplex Wireless Networks

Full-duplex radios are often envisioned to double wireless link capacity. Substantial work has focused on redesigning the radio hardware to achieve this theoretical gain. From a network-protocol perspective, however, it remains an open problem how to exploit full-duplex radio, and how much gain it can achieve in practical multi-cell wireless LANs. In this paper, we propose FuMAC, a channel access protocol tailored for full-duplex radios to optimally exploit their unique capabilities. FuMAC addresses a unique trade off between PHY-layer full duplex transmission and MAC-level spatial reuse, through a semi synchronous channel access principle. Its design is enabled by a novel self-interference cancellation mechanism called Active Antenna Cancellation. We verify FuMAC using software-radio implementation combined with large scale simulation. The results demonstrate that conventional MAC protocols severely underutilize full-duplex's potential. In contrast, FuMAC can achieve more-than-doubled throughput gain over half-duplex wireless LANs and significantly outperform alternative full-duplex MAC designs, while maintaining a much higher level of fairness.
Democratizing Business Process Management: Empowering Process Participants to Contribute to the Enactment of Business Processes

Employee empowerment, meaning among other granting employees discretion to change work processes, has been identified as mean to improve the performance of an organization. Although the involvement of business process participants has been identified as one of the key success factors for BPM projects, end users are typically not participating in the modeling process nor are they involved in the implementation of the modelled processes based on supporting IT systems. Therefore the direct influence of employees on their work processes supported by IT systems is limited. To overcome this limitation this paper presents an agile business process management approach based on a strong involvement of process participants. To foster the involvement we propose a reduced model size and complexity, the iterative enrichment of the process model with exceptional paths and the possibility to migrate process instances to newer process model versions. We show which parts of this proposal are already used today, which additional requirements exist, which available research helps to propose solutions for the open issues and which hypothesis lying beyond our proposal we're planning to test.
Mutual information applied to coreference : an information-theoretic evaluation measure

The accurate communication of references to entities is viewed here from an information-theoretic perspective. The successful transmission of references amounts to an similar distribution of coreferent expressions for the sender and for the receiver of a discourse, which is an alternative view with regard to equivalence classes for the coreference relation. Mutual information can be used to define entropybased recall and precision for the evaluation of reference resolution. This measure and others proposed in this domain are illustrated here on various texts to determine their relevance.
Quality Based Cloud Service Broker for Optimal Cloud Service Provider Selection

Cloud consumers (CC) are confounded while taking the choice of selecting Cloud service provider (CSP) to accomplish Cloud services. Large number of CSPs are present in the market, which provide diverse cloud administrations viz Platform-as-a-Service PaaS, Infrastructure-as-a-Service IaaS and Software-as-a-Service SaaS. CSPs are conveying their Cloud services to CC in light of Service Level Agreement (SLA). In this archive, every one of the transactions have been obviously characterized, what nature of administration will CSP give and what the consumer should pay have been dispassionately characterized. Unfortunately, SLA is not strictly pursued; quality of service is not accomplished. In several events, availability of administration is not up to the mark, reliability is traded off. Cloud service broker (CSB) is an entity which can resolve all these issues. The problem which we will take up in the present research paper is the selection of Quality based Cloud service provider. This procedure will be accomplished by Cloud service broker.
Fast Computation of Sparse Datacubes

Datacube queries compute aggregates over database relations at a variety of granularities, and they constitute an important class of decision support queries. Real-world data is frequently sparse, and hence efficiently computing datacubes over large sparse relations is important. We show that current techniques for computing datacubes over sparse relations do not scale well with the number of CUBE BY attributes, especially when the relation is much larger than main memory. We propose a novel algorithm for the fast computation of datacubes over sparse relations, and demonstrate the efficiency of our algorithm using synthetic, benchmark and real-world data sets. When the relation fits in memory, our technique performs multiple in-memory sorts, and does not incur any I/O beyond the input of the relation and the output of the datacube itself. When the relation does not fit in memory, a divideand-conquer strategy divides the problem of computing the datacube into several simpler computations of sub-datacubes. Often, all but one of the sub-datacubes can be computed in memory and our in-memory solution applies. In that case, the total I/O overhead is linear in the number of CUBE BY attributes. We demonstrate with an implementation that the CPU cost of our algorithm is dominated by the I/O cost for sparse relations. ‘The research of Kenneth A.
Reconstructing X'-deterministic extended Petri nets from experimental time-series data X'

This work aims at reconstructing Petri net models for biological systems from experimental time-series data X ′. The reconstructed models shall reproduce the experimentally observed dynamic behavior in a simulation. For that, we consider Petri nets with priority relations among the transitions and control-arcs, to obtain additional activation rules for transitions to control the dynamic behavior. The contribution of this paper is to present an integrative reconstruction method, taking both concepts, priority relations and control-arcs, into account. Our approach is based on previous works for special cases and shows how these known steps have to be modified and combined to generate the desired integrative models, called X ′-deterministic extended Petri nets.
Unsupervised classification and spectral unmixing for sub-pixel labelling

The unsupervised classification of hyperspectral images containing mixed pixels is addressed in this paper. Hyperspectral images are characterized by a trade-off between the spectral and the spatial resolution, this leading to data sets containing mixed pixels, e.g. pixels jointly occupied by more than a single land cover class. In [1], a preliminary research based on spectral unmixing concepts was conducted, in order to handle mixed pixels and to obtain thematic maps at a finer spatial resolution. In this work, we extend the investigation by proposing a new methodology based on image clustering. Experiments conducted on real data show the comparative effectiveness of the proposed method, which provides good results in terms of accuracy and is less sensitive to pixels with extreme values of reflectance.