Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design and implementation of SSD aware Heterogeneous cache Algorithm: A Two-level caching algorithm for RAID storage systems

Existing conventional RAID storage systems are unable to provide expected storage performance under the explosive growth in data volumes. One of the solution is introducing SSDs (Solid State Drives), a promising storage medium which provides high performance and power efficiency, as a cache to loosen the performance bottleneck of RAID storage systems. However, using DRAM as a universe buffer area roughly, regardless of different characteristics between SSDs and the RAID, is inefficient. This paper proposes SHA (SSD aware Heterogeneous cache Algorithm), which divides the DRAM area into two regions: the SSD region and the RAID region, and adaptively adjusts these two regions according to the workload. The SSD region uses a victim-cost based replacement algorithm, and cached blocks are evaluated by their access patterns and the price of evicting them. The RAID region uses a LRU algorithm at the stripe granularity. This algorithm explores the parallelism of RAIDs and aggregates writes to reduce write penalties. Besides, a hot data filter is used to detect the temporal locality of evicted blocks from the RAID region, and blocks with temporal locality are sent to SSDs. This paper introduces the design of the SHA in detail, and performs intensively performance evaluations on the SHA.
Can free strings propagate across plane wave singularities

We study free string propagation in families of plane wave geometries developing strong scale-invariant singularities in certain limits. We relate the singular limit of the evolution for all excited string modes to that of the center-of-mass motion (the latter existing for discrete values of the overall plane wave profile normalization). Requiring that the entire excitation energy of the string should be finite turns out to be quite restrictive and essentially excludes consistent propagation across the singularity, unless dimensionful scales are introduced at the singular locus (in an otherwise scale-invariant space-time).
Enhanced TDMA based MAC protocol for adaptive data control in wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we propose an adaptive time division multiple access based medium access control (MAC) protocol, called bitmap-assisted shortest job first based MAC (BS-MAC), for hierarchical wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The main contribution of BS-MAC is that: (a) It uses small size time slots. (b) The number of those time slots is more than the number of member nodes. (c) Shortest job first (SJF) algorithm to schedule time slots. (d) Short node address (1 byte) to identify members nodes. First two contributions of BS-MAC handle adaptive traffic loads of all members in an efficient manner. The SJF algorithm reduces node's job completion time and to minimize the average packet delay of nodes. The short node address reduces the control overhead and makes the proposed scheme an energy efficient. The simulation results verify that the proposed BS-MAC transmits more data with less delay and energy consumption compared to the existing MAC protocols.
How Financial Innovations and Accelerators Drive Booms and Busts in U.S. Consumption

The post-1980 downward trend in the U.S. saving rate and the recent consumption boom and bust have been attributed to changes in the supply of credit and the liquidity of housing wealth, factors which are not directly observed. Our indexes of unsecured consumer credit availability and the liquidity of housing wealth address this gap. The liquidity of housing wealth is estimated as a common unobservable state in a jointly estimated, non-linear state space model of consumption and mortgage refinancing. The resulting credit augmented, life cycle model of consumption shows that financial innovations and frictions play critical roles in the booms and busts in U.S. consumption.
Greft: Arbitrary Fault-Tolerant Distributed Graph Processing

Many large-scale computing problems can be modeled as graphs. Example areas include the web, social networks, and biological systems. The increasing sizes of datasets has led to the creation of various distributed large scale graph processing systems, e.g., Google Pregel. Although these systems tolerate crash faults, the literature suggests they are vulnerable to a wider range of accidental arbitrary faults (also called Byzantine faults). In this paper we present an algorithm and a prototype of a distributed large-scale graph processing system that can tolerate arbitrary faults. The prototype is based on GPS, an open source implementation of Pregel. Experimental results of the prototype in Amazon AWS are presented, showing that it uses only twice the resources of the original implementation, instead of 3-4 times as usual in Byzantine fault-tolerant systems. This cost may be acceptable for critical applications that require this level of fault tolerance.
Context aware door access control on private room using fuzzy logic: Case study of smart home

In a smart home, main access of private room is protected from unknown resident by a smart door system. The system has to understand resident's current state to produce a securing respond that fit the situation and the context. The system also has to give a quick respond while the resident needs them in exact time. A Fuzzy control system model is implemented to help system producing a quick, precise and fit response to the resident's needs. The implemented model's testing result shows 76.67 % appropriate result with expected result based on resident's situation. With the effort of fuzzy control system implementation, the result is good enough to be implemented into a system that uses various components.
The stability of spot patterns for the Brusselator reaction-diffusion system in two space dimensions : periodic and finite domain settings

In this thesis, we asymptotically construct steady-state localized spot solutions to the Brusselator reaction-diffusion system in the semi-strong interaction regime characterized by an asymptotically large diffusivity ratio. We consider two distinct settings: a periodic pattern of localized spots in R2 concentrating at lattice points of a Bravais lattice, and multi-spot solutions that concentrate around some discrete points inside a finite domain. We use the method of matched asymptotic expansions, Floquet-Bloch theory, and the study of certain nonlocal eigenvalue problems to perform a linear stability analysis of these patterns. This analysis leads to a two-term approximation for a certain stability threshold characterized by a zero-eigenvalue crossing. Numerical results for the stability threshold are obtained, and compared with various approximations. For the periodic problem, a key feature for the determination of the stability threshold is to use an Ewald summation method to derive an explicit expression for the regular part of the Bloch Green function. Moreover, such an expression allows for the identification of the lattice that offers the optimum stability threshold. For the finite domain problem, we implement our asymptotic theory by calculating the stability threshold for an N -spot pattern where the spots are equidistantly spaced on a circular ring that is concentric within the unit disk.
Hierarchical Phrase-Based Translation with Jane 2

Hierarchical Phrase-Based Translation with Jane 2 In this paper, we give a survey of several recent extensions to hierarchical phrase-based machine translation that have been implemented in version 2 of Jane, RWTH's open source statistical machine translation toolkit. We focus on the following techniques: Insertion and deletion models, lexical scoring variants, reordering extensions with non-lexicalized reordering rules and with a discriminative lexicalized reordering model, and soft string-to-dependency hierarchical machine translation. We describe the fundamentals of each of these techniques and present experimental results obtained with Jane 2 to confirm their usefulness in state-of-the-art hierarchical phrase-based translation (HPBT).
Student Readers as Authors: Analyzing Markings Made on E-documents in Private or Shared Reading Environments

The main purpose of this study was to examine participating readers’ text markings when they interacted with electronic documents during an active reading process. The readings took place in a private setting, where the readers read e-document for self-use, and in a document sharing setting where each document was shared among a group of students. Based on the results from descriptive and statistical tests, a user-marking taxonomy was derived, which led to the development of a framework for marking ontology. The proposed ontology can then be utilized by web searching agents to enhance the information retrieval capabilities of users working with digital library resources in a semantic web environment.
Processing of Azimuth-Invariant Bistatic SAR Data Using the Range Doppler Algorithm

This paper discusses bistatic synthetic aperture radar processing (complex image formation) using the Range Doppler Algorithm. The key step is to use an analytical form of the signal spectrum derived by the method of series reversion. The spectrum is used for secondary range compression (SRC), range cell migration correction, and azimuth compression. The algorithm is able to focus the azimuth-invariant bistatic configuration where the transmitter and receiver platforms are moving in parallel tracks with identical velocities. Moreover, the algorithm is able to handle reasonably high squints and wide apertures because SRC can be performed in the 2-D frequency domain.
Clickthrough Log Analysis by Collaborative Ranking

Analyzing clickthrough log data is important for improving search performance as well as understanding user behaviors. In this paper, we propose a novel collaborative ranking model to tackle two difficulties in analyzing clickthrough log. First, previous studies have shown that users tend to click top-ranked results even they are less relevant. Therefore, we use pairwise ranking relation to avoid the position bias in clicks. Second, since click data are extremely sparse with respect to each query or user, we construct a collaboration model to eliminate the sparseness problem. We also find that the proposed model and previous popular used click-based models address different aspects of clickthrough log data. We further propose a hybrid model that can achieve significant improvement compared to the baselines on a large-scale real world dataset.
Algorithms to solve the Sutherland model

We give a self-contained presentation and comparison of two different algorithms to explicitly solve quantum many body models of indistinguishable particles moving on a circle and interacting with two-body potentials of 1/ sintype. The first algorithm is due to Sutherland and well-known; the second one is a limiting case of a novel algorithm to solve the elliptic generalization of the Sutherland model. These two algorithms are different in several details. We show that they are equivalent, i.e., they yield the same solution and are equally simple.
Modeling and control of a 4-wheel skid-steering mobile robot

A mathematical model of a 4-wheel skid-steering mobile robot is presented in a systematic way. The robot is considered as a subsystem consisting of kinematic, dynamic and drive levels. Next, a designing process of a kinematic controller based on the algorithm introduced by (Dixon et al., 2001) is shown. An extension of the kinematic control law at the dynamic and motor levels using the Lyapunov analysis and the backstepping technique is developed. To validate the designed algorithm, extensive simulation results for trajectory tracking and set-point cases are discussed. Some deliberations concerning the tuning of the controller are presented, too.
Fixed-Mobile Convergence Based on WiMAX Using Spatial Access

WiMAX technology is an attractive candidate for the next generation networks due to the diversity of possibilities to operate in wide areas and offering high data rates. The convergence of wireless mobile and fixed subscribers spatially accessing a common WiMAX system is presented in this paper. Results shows that mobile/fixed users can co-exist under the same WiMAX network even for the worst propagation conditions. As expected, the use of the spatial domain impacts favorably in the system performance. that mobile/fixed users can co-exist under the same WiMAX network even for the worst propagation conditions. As expected, the use of the spatial domain impacts favorably in the system performance.
Simplifying administration through dynamic reconfiguration. in a cooperative cluster storage system

Cluster storage systems where storage devices are distributed across a large number of nodes are able to reduce the I/O bottleneck problems present in most centralized storage systems. However, such distributed storage devices are hard to manage efficiently. In this paper, we examine the use of explicit, component-based (command and data) paths between hosts and disks as a vehicle for performing nondisruptive storage system reconfiguration. We describe the mechanisms necessary to perform reconfigurations and show how they can be used to handle two management tasks: migration between network technologies and rebuilding a disk in a mirror. Our approach is validated through initial performance measurements of these two tasks using a prototype implementation. The results show that online reconfiguration is possible at a modest cost
The contribution of word stress and vowel reduction to the intelligibility of the speech of Canadian French second language learners of English

ions, going from the acoustic signal, to low-level linguistic or perceptual units, to lexically based representations and ultimately to syntactic and semantic properties of the spoken input. Most speech processing models are made up of at least two stages, the prelexical stage, which can be made up of one or more levels and may include phoneme nodes, or sub-phonemic representations like acoustic features, etc., and the lexical stage, where information about the sound shape of words is stored, This is illustrated below in (1).
Optimization of chirped mirrors

Refinement of spectral characteristics of chirped mirrors with numerical optimization algorithms is presented. We discuss different forms of merit function. Conjugate gradient method for numerical optimization is used for improvement of single chirped mirrors design as well as chirped mirrorspsila pair. A novel technique based on variation of Bragg wavelength curvature is proposed in order to achieve target phase shift. It allows us to manipulate the dispersion curve of a chirped mirror and particularly half period shift of quasiperiodic GDD resulted in subtraction of GDD oscillations. This is important for designing of complementary chirped mirrorspsila pair.
Robust and secure hashing using Gabor filter and Markov absorption probability

We proposed, a perceptual robust image hashing using random Gabor filtering and Markov Absorption Probability. The global as well as local features are extracted for the formation of the hash. Gabor filter is applied to extract global features. The conventional Gabor filter is modified to have good invariant property against rotation and the rotation-invariant filter is randomized to facilitate secure feature extraction. Markov Absorption Probability is applied for detection of salient regions and then position and texture vectors are calculated to extract the local features. Individual element saliency is obtained from Markov absorption probability. Mathematically, Markov absorption probability is determined by virtual boundary nodes, both left and top nodes, having maximum similarity. Secret keys are incorporated in feature extraction and hash construction for security. The use of Markov Absorption Probability improves the forgery classification. A test image subjected to content-preserving operation is considered for evaluation of the algorithm performance. A superior robustness is observed in the proposed algorithm comparative to the state-of-art algorithms, specifically in rotation performance.
Nonlinear Least Squares Theory 8.1 Nonlinear Specifications

For real world data, it is hard to believe that linear specifications are " universal " in characterizing all economic relationships. A straightforward extension of linear specifications is to consider specifications that are nonlinear in parameters. For example, the function α+ βx γ offers more flexibility than the simple linear function α+ βx. Although such an extension is quite natural, it also creates various difficulties. First, deciding an appropriate nonlinear function is typically difficult. Second, it is usually cumbersome to estimate nonlinear specifications and analyze the properties of the resulting estimators. Last, but not the least, estimation results of nonlinear specification may not be easily interpreted. Despite these difficulties, more and more empirical evidences show that many economic relationships are in fact nonlinear. Examples include nonlinear production functions , regime switching in output series, and time series models that can capture asym-metric dynamic patterns. In this chapter, we concentrate on the estimation of and hypothesis testing for nonlinear specifications. For more discussion of nonlinear regressions We consider the nonlinear specification y = f (x; β) + e(β), (8.1) where f is a given function with x an × 1 vector of explanatory variables and β a k × 1 vector of parameters, and e(β) denotes the error of the specification. Note that for 209
Wolbachia restricts insect-specific flavivirus infection in Aedes aegypti cells

Mosquito-borne viruses are known to cause disease in humans and livestock and are often difficult to control due to the lack of specific antivirals and vaccines. The Wolbachia endosymbiont has been widely studied for its ability to restrict positive-strand RNA virus infection in mosquitoes, although little is known about the precise antiviral mechanism. In recent years, a variety of insect-specific viruses have been discovered in mosquitoes and an interaction with mosquito-borne viruses has been reported for some of them; however, nothing is known about the effect of Wolbachia on insect-specific virus infection in mosquitoes. Here, we show that transinfection of the Drosophila-derived wMelPop Wolbachia strain into Aedes aegypti-derived cells resulted in inhibition and even clearance of the persistent cell-fusing agent flavivirus infection in these cells. This broadens the antiviral activity of Wolbachia from acute infections to persistent infections and from arboviruses to mosquito-specific viruses. In contrast, no effect on the Phasi Charoen-like bunyavirus persistent infection in these cells was observed, suggesting a difference in Wolbachia inhibition between positive- and negative-strand RNA viruses.
Long-and Short-termWeight Change and Incident Coronary Heart Disease and Ischemic Stroke The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Weight gain increases the prevalence of obesity, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, unintentional weight loss can be a harbinger of health problems. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (1987– 2009) included 15,792 US adults aged 45–64 years at baseline and was used to compare associations of long-term (30 years) and short-term (3 years) weight change with the risks of coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke. Age-, gender-, and race-standardized incidence rates were 4.9 (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.6, 5.2) per 1,000 person-years for CHD and 2.5 (95% CI: 2.3, 2.8) per 1,000 person-years for stroke. After controlling for baseline body mass index and other covariates, long-term weight gain (since age 25 years) of more than 2.7% was associated with elevated CHD risk, and any long-term weight gain was associated with increased stroke risk. Amongmiddle-aged adults, short-term (3-year) weight loss of more than 3%was associated with elevated immediate CHD risk (hazard ratio = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.81) and stroke risk (hazard ratio = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.92). Risk tended to be larger in adults whose weight loss did not occur through dieting. Avoidance of weight gain between early and middle adulthood can reduce risks of CHD and stroke, but short-term, unintentional weight loss in middle adulthood may be an indicator of immediate elevated risk that has not previously been well recognized.
Privacy-Preserving Triggers for Pervasive Spaces

Providing pervasive services often necessitates gathering information about individuals that may be considered sensitive. Often, one is forced to make a difficult choice: either to risk loss of privacy or to let go of the benefits pervasive technology offers. Our conjecture is that such a choice is not always necessary. It is possible to design data collection strategies in such a way that services offered by pervasive environments do not come at the expense of individuals’ privacy. Specifically, we consider a trigger-based pervasive environment in which end-user services are built using triggers over events detected through sensors. Privacy concerns in such a pervasive space are analogous to disclosure and misuse of event logs. We use cryptographic techniques to prevent loss of privacy, but that raises a fundamental challenge of evaluating triggers over the encrypted data representation. We address this challenge for a class of triggers that are powerful enough to realize multiple pervasive functionalities. We use the techniques proposed to develop a middleware framework for privacy-preserving pervasive spaces. We discuss a specific application, viz. privacy-preserving surveillance which we have built using the framework developed. We also perform experimental studies to assess the overheads and scalability of our proposed strategies.
Optimal Approach to Load Progressions during Strength Training in Older Adults

ABSTRACT Progressive resistance training (RT) is one of the most effective interventions for reducing age-related deficits in muscle mass and functional capacity. Purpose To compare four approaches to load progressions in RT for older adults to determine if an optimal method exists. Methods Eighty-two healthy community-dwelling older adults (71.8 ± 6.2 yr) performed 11 wk of structured RT (2.5 d·wk−1) in treatment groups differing only by the method used to increase training loads. These included percent one repetition maximum (%1RM): standardized loads based on a percentage of the one repetition maximum (1RM); rating of perceived exertion (RPE): loads increased when perceived difficulty falls below 8/10 on the OMNI-Resistance Exercise Scale perceived exertion scale; repetition maximum (RM): loads increased when a target number of repetitions can be completed with a given load; repetitions in reserve (RiR): identical to RM except subjects must always maintain ≥1 “repetition in reserve,” thus avoiding the possibility of training to temporary muscular failure. Results Multiple analyses of covariance indicated no significant between-group differences on any strength (chest press 1RM; leg press 1RM) or functional performance outcome (usual walking speed, maximum walking speed, 8-ft timed up-and-go, gallon jug transfer test, 30 s sit-to-stand). The RPE group found the exercise to be significantly more tolerable and enjoyable than subjects in the RiR, RM, and %1RM groups. Conclusion Given the RM, RPE, %1RM, and RiR methods appear equally effective at improving muscular strength and functional performance in an older population, we conclude that the RPE method is optimal because it is likely to be perceived as the most tolerable and enjoyable, which are two important factors determining older adults’ continued participation in RT.