Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of DSP soft real-time multiprocessor systems-on-silicon

The convergence of applications (Internet and embedded applications) and technology (reuse and very high integration level) trends resulted in a strong need for design of soft real-time DSP systems-on-silicon. We developed a new hierarchical modular approach for synthesis of area efficient soft real-time DSP systems-on-silicon. This synthesis strategy employs a number of optimization intensive scheduling, performance monitoring, and allocation steps. The backbone of the optimization approach is a novel online scheduling algorithm which uses meta-algorithmic techniques for on-the-fly heuristic selection and parameter tuning. Resource allocation refers to a predetermined lower-bound system performance, to perform a branch-and-bound resource allocation search for an area-efficient multiprocessor configuration where each processor has local instruction and data cache. In order to bridge the gap between the profiling, modeling, and synthesis tools of the two traditionally independent synthesis domains (architecture and CAD), we develop a new synthesis and evaluation platform which integrates the existing modeling, profiling, and simulation tools with the new developed system-level synthesis tools. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated on the industrial strength MediaBench benchmark suite.
The QuORRUM protocol: efficient tree repair for qualification-based multicast

Increasing sophistication of Internet services requires more refined methods of service differentiation in the delivery of data and media flows. Earlier work on quality-of-service (QoS) routing has focused on the network mechanics to find the best path for admitted connections under specific QoS constraints, and to maximize global resource utilization. We look at the related notion of qualification-based routing, where routers check on the fulfillment of one or more constraints before handling a particular packet flow. Packets are demarcated and evaluated by qualifiers in their headers, which may indicate for example an authorization level in secure transmissions, or a payment receipt for a media-on-demand application. In particular, this paper explores the coordinative processes for tree formation and repair in qualification-based multicast routing, with the goal to leverage group-centric communication for future mass media Internet applications. We introduce the QuORRUM protocol to implement qualifier-driven sparse-mode tree building and repair and show that it performs better than other protocols in terms of bandwidth usage and repair times
An Empirical Study on Privacy and Secure Multi-party Computation Using Exponentiation

Protocols for secure multi-party computation allow participants to share a computation while each party learns only what can be inferred from their own inputs and the output of the computation. However, the execution time of a secure protocol may be too high therefore it is not practical unless some tradeoffs are made between data access and confidentiality. This paper aims to provide some empirical basis for making such tradeoffs in computing exponentiation. We have designed exponentiation protocols for secure two-party computation using scalar products as the basic building blocks. A detailed performance evaluation was carried out by taking advantage of the compositional nature of our protocols. We have come up with a time function which provides good prediction of the execution time of the proposed exponentiation protocols based on the execution time of scalar products. Using the time function, we have obtained several interesting tradeoffs between execution time and privacy. In particular, compromising some private information enables a reduction in the execution time from years, if not centuries, to days or even minutes. Based on our results, we argue that there are indeed reasonable tradeoffs between privacy and execution time. Furthermore, our study indicates that a system intelligently offering users possible tradeoff options will make secure multi-party computation a more attractive approach to enhancing privacy in practice.
Statistical machine translation gains respect

Relatively few researchers have worked on approaches that compare and analyze documents and their already-available translations to determine statistically, without prior linguistic knowledge, the likely meanings of phrases. These statistical systems use this information to translate new documents. For years, because processors were not fast enough to handle the extensive computation these systems require, many experts considered statistical systems inferior to rule-based systems. However, when the Speech Group of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology's Information Access Division tested 20 machine translation technologies, a statistical system developed by Google finished in first place. The NIST test results' significance is that Google and other organizations will invest more time, money, and talent into researching this approach. Meanwhile, faster processors and other advances are making statistical translation technology more accurate and thus more useful. However, the approach must still clear several hurdles - such as still inadequate accuracy and problems recognizing idioms - before it can be useful for mission-critical tasks.
Model-Based Reinforcement Learning with an Approximate, Learned Model

Model-based reinforcement learning, in which a model of the environment's dynamics is learned and used to supplement direct learning from experience, has been proposed as a general approach to learning and planning. We show that Trajectory Sampling may be advantageous to other model-based methods. Utilizing large number of model-based updates speeds the convergence. The study of input representation of a model reveals the advantage of a generalizable model. Finally, we demonstrate how hybrid methods mitigate learning with inherently biased models.
Relation of Instruction and Poverty to Mathematics Achievement Gains during Kindergarten

Background Policy discussion to change the nature of teaching practices overshadows how social and economic inequalities contribute to unequal education outcomes. Research on how teaching practices contribute to the variance in test scores on a broad scale or on whether the relation of instruction to test scores is moderated by social and economic inequalities among students is thin. This is the focus of this article. Purpose Two questions are addressed. The first question has to do with the relation of instruction and poverty at the individual and classroom levels to mathematics scores. The second question has to do with whether the relation between instruction and mathematics scores is moderated by poverty among students. This article examines test scores in five mathematics subtests. Research Design The sample consists of 13,054 students in 822 public and private kindergarten programs from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort data. The statistical model accounts for the unobserved heterogeneity among students who are taught by the same teacher using a fixed effect model of students nested in the same classrooms. Results The portion of the variance attributable to actions occurring in the classroom (between-classroom variance) ranges from 15% to 25%, depending on the subtest examined. Of this estimated variance, instruction explains 4%; the concentration of poverty in the classroom explains about 20%; and teacher characteristics (education, professional development, experience) explain about 2%. For the first question, the results show that activities with worksheets, building students’ analytic and reasoning abilities, and activities in collaborative groups are significantly associated with mathematics scores. Worksheets are not very effective in improving scores in the addition and subtraction subtest, whereas building students’ analytic and reasoning abilities does improve scores in that subtest. The adverse effects of poverty on test scores are larger than the positive effects associated with instruction. For the second question, the results show that analytic and reasoning activities are significantly related to the test scores of students in high-poverty classrooms, but this is not the case with students in low-poverty classrooms. The findings suggest that students in poverty would benefit to be in classrooms that emphasize problem-solving and reasoning skills with greater frequency. Conclusions The relation of instruction to test scores is generally modest when compared with poverty, suggesting that minimizing the social inequities that contribute to the adverse effects of poverty will play a greater role in closing the poverty score gaps in mathematics in elementary grades.
Optimal execution strategies in limit order books with general shape functions

We consider optimal execution strategies for block market orders placed in a limit order book (LOB). We build on the resilience model proposed by Obizhaeva and Wang (2005) but allow for a general shape of the LOB defined via a given density function. Thus, we can allow for empirically observed LOB shapes and obtain a nonlinear price impact of market orders. We distinguish two possibilities for modelling the resilience of the LOB after a large market order: the exponential recovery of the number of limit orders, i.e. of the volume of the LOB, or the exponential recovery of the bid–ask spread. We consider both of these resilience modes and, in each case, derive explicit optimal execution strategies in discrete time. Applying our results to a block-shaped LOB, we obtain a new closed-form representation for the optimal strategy of a risk-neutral investor, which explicitly solves the recursive scheme given in Obizhaeva and Wang (2005). We also provide some evidence for the robustness of optimal strategies with respect to the choice of the shape function and the resilience-type.
Comparison of dogs and humans in visual scanning of social interaction

Previous studies have demonstrated similarities in gazing behaviour of dogs and humans, but comparisons under similar conditions are rare, and little is known about dogs' visual attention to social scenes. Here, we recorded the eye gaze of dogs while they viewed images containing two humans or dogs either interacting socially or facing away: the results were compared with equivalent data measured from humans. Furthermore, we compared the gazing behaviour of two dog and two human populations with different social experiences: family and kennel dogs; dog experts and non-experts. Dogs' gazing behaviour was similar to humans: both species gazed longer at the actors in social interaction than in non-social images. However, humans gazed longer at the actors in dog than human social interaction images, whereas dogs gazed longer at the actors in human than dog social interaction images. Both species also made more saccades between actors in images representing non-conspecifics, which could indicate that processing social interaction of non-conspecifics may be more demanding. Dog experts and non-experts viewed the images very similarly. Kennel dogs viewed images less than family dogs, but otherwise their gazing behaviour did not differ, indicating that the basic processing of social stimuli remains similar regardless of social experiences.
A Transistor-Level Stochastic Approach for Evaluating the Reliability of Digital Nanometric CMOS Circuits

Over the last few decades, most quantitative measures of VLSI performance have improved by many orders of magnitude, this has been achieved by the unabated scaling of the sizes of MOSFETs. However, scaling also exacerbates noise and reliability issues, thus posing new challenges in circuit design. Reliability becomes a major concern due to many and often correlated factors, such as parameter variations and soft errors. Existing reliability evaluation tools focus on algorithmic development at the logic level that usually uses a constant error rate for gate failure and thus leads to approximations in the assessment of a VLSI circuit. This paper proposes a more accurate and scalable approach that utilizes a transistor-level stochastic analysis for digital fault modeling. It accounts for very detailed measures, including the probability of failure of individual transistors, the topology of logic gates, timing sequences and the applied input vectors. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate both the efficiency and the accuracy of the proposed approach.
Test–re-test reliability of the virtual planning test in individuals with traumatic brain injury

Primary objective: To determine test–re-test reliability of the VIrtual Planning Test (VIP) in a group of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Research design: Single-group repeated measures design. Methods and procedures: Seventy-five individuals with TBI were administered the VIP, with 6–8 weeks between the two test sessions. Main outcomes and results: Test–re-test reliability on VIP scoring parameters—as measured by Pearson correlation coefficients—ranged from 0.341–0.855, with five of the seven scoring parameters exhibiting r > 0.6. Conclusions: Based on the findings of the current study, the VIP has overall moderate test–re-test reliability when administered to individuals with TBI. Some VIP scoring parameters, i.e. Total correct/accuracy and Total absence, demonstrated high test–re-test reliability. Others, i.e. Planning time and Total wrong order, demonstrated low test–re-test reliability.
Andrology: Kinematics of capacitating human spermatozoa analysed at 60 Hz

Hyperactivation is a concomitant of eutherian sperm capacitation, characterized by the development of high amplitude flagellar waves with a corresponding increase in velocity. In humans, kinematic values have been derived which describe the movement characteristics of spermatozoa analysed at 30 images/s. However, these values are frame rate-dependent, and modern computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) instruments used for studying sperm movement now use 60 images/s. This study used first-principles manual track analysis to derive the range of movement characteristics which describe hyperactivated motility of human spermatozoa at 60 images/s. Standard terminology for centroid-derived movement characteristics, as recommended by the World Health Organization, was used. US-standard (NTSC) video recordings of capacitating human sperm populations were replayed using a noninterlaced freeze-frame video cassette recorder, and individual tracks reconstructed on acetate overlays. Tracks were classified as either forward progressive or hyperactivated based upon flagellar beating patterns, then reconstructed manually at X 3540 and analysed using both manual methods and basic geometric calculations from (x, y) coordinates (Cartesian methods) similar to those used by CASA instruments. In all, 40 hyperactivated and 40 forward progressive tracks were studied. A set of Boolean arguments defining hyperactivated motility was derived, and there was generally good agreement between the limits derived by manual and Cartesian methods. The limits for the definition of hyperactivated motility of human spermatozoa at 60 Hz derived by Cartesian methods were: curvilinear velocity ≥180 μm/s AND linearity ≤45% AND wobble: 6.0 μm OR ALH max >10.0 μm. The same limits were derived by manual methods, except for ALH max >7.0 μm. It is suggested that the manually derived limits be applied in CASA instruments which use adaptive smoothing programs to derive the average path
Software rejuvenation

Software rejuvenation is a technique of proactive fault tolerance that designs the system for periodic reboots. This paper contains three patterns of which Software Rejuvenation is the first. The second, Count the Black Sheep, provides a solution to the problem of knowing precisely what fault has activated. This information is needed to recover quickly and to be able to provide effective long-term treatment. N-Version Programming completes this collection. Multiple versions of an implementation are created to prevent incorrect understanding of the requirements causing operational failures. All the versions will be executed simultaneously and the correct output chosen.
Perceptions of the Frequency and Importance of Social Support by Students Classified as Victims, Bullies, and Bully/Victims in an Urban Middle School

Abstract The present study examined the perceptions of the frequency and importance of social support for students classified as bullies, victims, bully-victims, and comparison students (nonbully/nonvictim). The sample included 499 sixth-through eighth-grade students from a predominantly Hispanic urban middle school. Students completed an anonymous survey that included 18 questions on both the receipt and provision of bullying behavior and were categorized into four groups (bully, victim, bully/victim, and comparison). Perceptions of both the frequency and importance of social support from parents, teachers, classmates, close friends, and the school were assessed via the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale—Revised (CASSS-R; Malecki, Demaray, & Elliott, 2000). The goals of the current study were to (a) present descriptive data on bullying behavior; (b) investigate differences in the frequency and importance ratings of perceived social support by bully status (bully, victim, bully/victim, and comparison); and (c) investigate what sources of support were most related to victim, bully, bully/victim, and comparison students' scores. Significant differences were found among the four groups on both the frequency and importance of total social support and support from the various sources. Results and implications are discussed.
Socioeconomic factors and cardiovascular disease: a review of the literature.

Despite recent declines in mortality, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States today. It appears that many of the major risk factors for coronary disease have been identified. Researchers are still learning about different modifiable factors that may influence cardiovascular diseases. Socioeconomic status may provide a new focus. The principal measures of SES have been education, occupation, and income or combinations of these. Education has been the most frequent measure because it does not usually change (as occupation or income might) after young adulthood, information about education can be obtained easily, and it is unlikely that poor health in adulthood influences level of education. However, other measures of SES have merit, and the most informative strategy would incorporate multiple indicators of SES. A variety of psychosocial measures--for example, certain aspects of occupational status--may be important mediators of SES and disease. The hypothesis that high job strain may adversely affect health status has a rational basis and is supported by evidence from a limited number of studies. There is a considerable body of evidence for a relation between socioeconomic factors and all-cause mortality. These findings have been replicated repeatedly for 80 years across measures of socioeconomic level and in geographically diverse populations. During 40 years of study there has been a consistent inverse relation between cardiovascular disease, primarily coronary heart disease, and many of the indicators of SES. Evidence for this relation has been derived from prevalence, prospective, and retrospective cohort studies. Of particular importance to the hypothesis that SES is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease was the finding by several investigators that the patterns of association of SES with coronary disease had changed in men during the past 30 to 40 years and that SES has been associated with the decline of coronary mortality since the mid-1960s. However, the declines in coronary mortality of the last few decades have not affected all segments of society equally. There is some evidence that areas with the poorest socioenvironmental conditions experience later onset in the decline in cardiovascular mortality. A number of studies suggest that poor living conditions in childhood and adolescence contribute to increased risk of arteriosclerosis. Some of these studies have been criticized because of their nature, and others for inadequate control of confounding factors. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Differentiating requirement types from instances : architectural thinking as a pre-design activity

The success of an OO project hinges on the integrity of its OO architecture. How sure can one be that a proposed object model is sound and will not change structurally as requirements are ‘fleshed in’ during development? This question becomes particularly critical in a software reengineering/redesign scenario in which business rules may already be known and documented in some detail, so that the development team is expected to transition into design and implementation even before current business functionality is comprehensively understood. In such a scenario, thinking of software architecture as a design activity may not be entirely appropriate. In this paper we address the above issue by showing how the use of a simple but highly effective and shop-usable approach to understanding and abstracting a set of requirements leads to crucial early insights on OO architecture. We thus argue that architectural thinking can begin in a natural way during requirements specification. As a corollary, the approach also injects much-needed clarity into the definition of what must constitute an initial executable
Avoiding Robot Faux Pas: Using Social Context to Teach Robots Behavioral Propriety

Contextual cues strongly influence the behavior of people in social environments, and people are very adept at interpreting and responding to these cues. While robots are becoming increasingly present in these spaces, they do not yet share humans' essential sense of contextually-bounded social propriety. However, it is essential for robots to be able to modify their behavior depending on context so that they operate in an appropriate manner across a variety of situations. In our work, we are building models of context for social robots, that operate on real-world, naturalistic, noisy data, across multi-context and multi-person settings. In this paper, we discuss one aspect of this work, which concerns teaching a robot an appropriateness function for interrupting a person in a public space. We trained a support-vector machine (SVM) to learn an association between contextual cues and the reaction of people being interrupted by a robot across three different contexts. Overall, our results are promising, and further work on integrating context models into social robots could lead to interesting and impactful findings across the HRI community.
On Parallel Selection and Searching in Partial Orders: Sorted Matrices

Parallel algorithms for the problems of selection and searching on sorted matrices are formulated. The selection algorithm takesO(lognlog lognlog*n) time withO(n/lognlog*n) processors on an EREW PRAM. This algorithm can be generalized to solve the selection problem on a set of sorted matrices. The searching algorithm takesO(log logn) time withO(n/log logn) processors on a Common CRCW PRAM, which is optimal. We show that no algorithm using at mostnlogcnprocessors,c? 1, can solve the matrix search problem in time faster than ? (log logn) and that ? (logn) steps are needed to solve this problem on any model that does not allow concurrent writes.