Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
From software metrics to software measurement methods: a process model

Presents a process model for software measurement methods. The proposed model details the distinct steps from the design of a measurement method, to its application, then to the analysis of its measurement results, and lastly to the exploitation of these results in subsequent models, such as in quality and estimation models. From this model, a validation framework can be designed for analyzing whether or not a software metric could qualify as a measurement method. The model can also be used for analyzing the coverage of the validation methods proposed for software metrics.
Modelling of non-linear switching effects in piezoceramics: a three-dimensional polygonal finite-element-based approach applied to oligo-crystals

A polygonal finite-element formulation is applied to solve electromechanically coupled inhomogeneous boundary value problems for polycrystalline materials. Each grain is discretised by one single polygonal finite element, which allows the efficient simulation of general boundary value problems which still resolves individual grains in space. The constitutive model proposed for switching in piezoceramics makes use of a volume-fraction-based framework, where the respective volume fractions refer to the respective crystallographic variants and take the interpretation as internal variables. Their evolution is combined with non-linear hardening-type functions which additionally account for grain-size dependencies. The computational model is shown to reproduce typical hysteresis and butterfly curves on the polycrystalline level under complex electromechanical loading conditions. The results are obtained by direct volume-averaging with respect to the discretised domain and are in good qualitative agreement with experimental data. Moreover, grain-size effects, such as an increase in the coercive electric field value with decreasing grain size, are also captured.
Latent Bayesian melding for integrating individual and population models

In many statistical problems, a more coarse-grained model may be suitable for population-level behaviour, whereas a more detailed model is appropriate for accurate modelling of individual behaviour. This raises the question of how to integrate both types of models. Methods such as posterior regularization follow the idea of generalized moment matching, in that they allow matching expectations between two models, but sometimes both models are most conveniently expressed as latent variable models. We propose latent Bayesian melding, which is motivated by averaging the distributions over populations statistics of both the individual-level and the population-level models under a logarithmic opinion pool framework. In a case study on electricity disaggregation, which is a type of single-channel blind source separation problem, we show that latent Bayesian melding leads to significantly more accurate predictions than an approach based solely on generalized moment matching.
Preclinical Animal Models in Trauma Research

Preclinical modeling of human disease with animals has not been standardized for many common pathologic processes. Assorted animal models are being used to investigate the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of disease processes. Certainly it is difficult to interpret the current literature because there are diverse and often irrelevant models being implemented. Some models are used for reasons of size or ease rather than the true modeling of a physiological process. Application to granting agencies and design of animal studies is difficult without standardization of the ideal preclinical model for disease states. The current article addresses the preclinical animal modeling of osteoporosis, infection, bone defects, and cartilage injury. This article is a discussion of the current literature, commonly used models, and suggests preferred preclinical models for future research design.
Resolving PP attachment Ambiguities with Memory-Based Learning

In this paper we describe the application of Memory-Based Learning to the problem of Prepositional Phrase attachment disambiguation. We compare Memory-Based Learning, which stores examples in memory and generalizes by using intelligent similarity metrics, with a number of recently proposed statistical methods that are well suited to large numbers of features. We evaluate our methods on a common benchmark dataset and show that our method compares favorably to previous methods, and is well-suited to incorporating various unconventional representations of word patterns such as value difference metrics and Lexical Space.
Improving estimation of high accuracy optical flow by unstable region detection

This paper presents a new approach to estimate the optical flow problem. Many estimation methods have been proposed, but instabilities at boundaries of moving objects still presents a challenge in assessing optical flow. In this approach, we propose a new algorithm which is used to detect and readjust quickly unstable regions in result of estimating optical flow. Besides, we propose an anisotropic diffusion filter based on context. It is significant in processing intermediary data. Our approach is compared to other optical flow estimation methods taken over a number of real and synthetic sequences. Results indicate that the approach produces more accurate results for sequences with known ground truth.
Cross-Framework Evaluation for Statistical Parsing

A serious bottleneck of comparative parser evaluation is the fact that different parsers subscribe to different formal frameworks and theoretical assumptions. Converting outputs from one framework to another is less than optimal as it easily introduces noise into the process. Here we present a principled protocol for evaluating parsing results across frameworks based on function trees, tree generalization and edit distance metrics. This extends a previously proposed framework for cross-theory evaluation and allows us to compare a wider class of parsers. We demonstrate the usefulness and language independence of our procedure by evaluating constituency and dependency parsers on English and Swedish.
Combining expert neural networks using reinforcement feedback for learning primitive grasping behavior

This paper present an architecture for combining a mixture of experts. The architecture has two unique features: 1) it assumes no prior knowledge of the size or structure of the mixture and allows the number of experts to dynamically expand during training, and 2) reinforcement feedback is used to guide the combining/expansion operation. The architecture is particularly suitable for applications when there is a need to approximate a many-to-many mapping. An example of such a problem is the task of training a robot to grasp arbitrarily shaped objects. This task requires the approximation of a many-to-many mapping, since various configurations can be used to grasp an object, and several objects can share the same grasping configuration. Experiments in a simulated environment using a 28-object database showed how the algorithm dynamically combined and expanded a mixture of neural networks to achieve the learning task. The paper also presents a comparison with two other nonlearning approaches.
The Meaning of “Design”

Abstract: Our universe obeys elegant laws that permit living beings to evolve. This can suggest divine design. So can fine tuning of physical and cosmological parameters in ways that seem essential to life. Understanding the idea of design is, however, difficult for many reasons. For instance, could a designer be said to “fine tune” through choosing all‐dictating laws very carefully? Again, would taking advantage of early quantum indeterminacies be a case of design, or would it be design‐destroying interference? Can we speak of “design” if God is not a mind but an abstract Platonic principle? And what if, as Spinoza believed, the structure of our universe is just the structure of divine thinking? If such thinking extended to other universes which were lifeless, could those “exhibit design” simply through being orderly?
Rapid quantitative pharmacodynamic imaging by a novel method: theory, simulation testing and proof of principle

Pharmacological challenge imaging has mapped, but rarely quantified, the sensitivity of a biological system to a given drug. We describe a novel method called rapid quantitative pharmacodynamic imaging. This method combines pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling, repeated small doses of a challenge drug over a short time scale, and functional imaging to rapidly provide quantitative estimates of drug sensitivity including EC50 (the concentration of drug that produces half the maximum possible effect). We first test the method with simulated data, assuming a typical sigmoidal dose-response curve and assuming imperfect imaging that includes artifactual baseline signal drift and random error. With these few assumptions, rapid quantitative pharmacodynamic imaging reliably estimates EC50 from the simulated data, except when noise overwhelms the drug effect or when the effect occurs only at high doses. In preliminary fMRI studies of primate brain using a dopamine agonist, the observed noise level is modest compared with observed drug effects, and a quantitative EC50 can be obtained from some regional time-signal curves. Taken together, these results suggest that research and clinical applications for rapid quantitative pharmacodynamic imaging are realistic.
Case Study Method of Instruction in Engineering Classrooms

For more than a decade, American businesses and industries have complained that the skills of engineers entering the workforce are not sufficient to meet the challenges of a high-performance workplace. Despite progress on strengthening the bond between higher education and the needs of industry, a systemic customer-supplier relationship between the two sectors has not yet matured (Van Horn, 1995). U.S. universities lose 40 percent of freshmen students admitted to engineering programs by the end of their sophomore year. Discussing this trend, NSF Acting Deputy Director Joseph Bordogna states that developing their communication and leadership skills are critical since in a single project an engineer may have to learn how to approach not just a product but finance, safety, environmental, and public policy issues (Codispoti, 1997). Stressing these requirements, ABET requires engineering programs to develop students' ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice (Schmitt, 1996). The need for engineering courses that integrate theory and practice was very well articulated by Prados (1997), Editor of the ASEE Journal of Engineering Education, when he said, "Today, the environment for engineering practice is changing dramatically and irreversibly. Employers increasingly emphasize that success as an engineer requires, in addition to strong technical capabilities, skills in communication and persuasion, ability to lead and work effectively as a member of a team, and understanding of the non-technical forces that profoundly affect engineering decisions. Acquiring such characteristics in a four, five, or even six year program is unlikely with traditional,
Monomeric Nucleoprotein of Influenza A Virus

Isolated influenza A virus nucleoprotein exists in an equilibrium between monomers and trimers. Samples containing only monomers or only trimers can be stabilized by respectively low and high salt. The trimers bind RNA with high affinity but remain trimmers, whereas the monomers polymerise onto RNA forming nucleoprotein-RNA complexes. When wild type (wt) nucleoprotein is crystallized, it forms trimers, whether one starts with monomers or trimers. We therefore crystallized the obligate monomeric R416A mutant nucleoprotein and observed how the domain exchange loop that leads over to a neighbouring protomer in the trimer structure interacts with equivalent sites on the mutant monomer surface, avoiding polymerisation. The C-terminus of the monomer is bound to the side of the RNA binding surface, lowering its positive charge. Biophysical characterization of the mutant and wild type monomeric proteins gives the same results, suggesting that the exchange domain is folded in the same way for the wild type protein. In a search for how monomeric wt nucleoprotein may be stabilized in the infected cell we determined the phosphorylation sites on nucleoprotein isolated from virus particles. We found that serine 165 was phosphorylated and conserved in all influenza A and B viruses. The S165D mutant that mimics phosphorylation is monomeric and displays a lowered affinity for RNA compared with wt monomeric NP. This suggests that phosphorylation may regulate the polymerisation state and RNA binding of nucleoprotein in the infected cell. The monomer structure could be used for finding new anti influenza drugs because compounds that stabilize the monomer may slow down viral infection.
Heterogeneous Information and the Labor Market

I introduce dispersed information in a search and matching model of the labor market, where rms are hit by aggregate and idiosyncratic productivity shocks. The latter induce larger responses in recruiting activity than the former - because aggregate shocks are relatively less persistent and more importantly, have general equilibrium eects which partially oset the change in fundamentals. Informational frictions prevent
QualiHM: A requirement engineering toolkit for efficient user interface design

An effective User Interface (UI) is a key success factor for interactive systems. Hence, particular attention should be paid to the UI design during the Requirement Engineering process (RE). Several RE tools have been proposed in order to support the UI design. However, these tools have limitations in terms of requirements completeness, requirements quality analysis and UI generation from requirements. In this paper, we present a new RE toolkit called QualIHM, that deals with the limitations of the existing RE. The toolkit supports the description of requirements in different formats. In addition, QualiHM facilitates the UI design by transforming requirement formats from one to another, generating the UI code and providing feedback about the aesthetic of the UI.
Natural proofs for structure, data, and separation

We propose natural proofs for reasoning with programs that manipulate data-structures against specifications that describe the structure of the heap, the data stored within it, and separation and framing of sub-structures. Natural proofs are a subclass of proofs that are amenable to completely automated reasoning, that provide sound but incomplete procedures, and that capture common reasoning tactics in program verification. We develop a dialect of separation logic over heaps, called Dryad, with recursive definitions that avoids explicit quantification. We develop ways to reason with heaplets using classical logic over the theory of sets, and develop natural proofs for reasoning using proof tactics involving disciplined unfoldings and formula abstractions. Natural proofs are encoded into decidable theories of first-order logic so as to be discharged using SMT solvers. We also implement the technique and show that a large class of more than 100 correct programs that manipulate data-structures are amenable to full functional correctness using the proposed natural proof method. These programs are drawn from a variety of sources including standard data-structures, the Schorr-Waite algorithm for garbage collection, a large number of low-level C routines from the Glib library and OpenBSD library, the Linux kernel, and routines from a secure verified OS-browser project. Our work is the first that we know of that can handle such a wide range of full functional verification properties of heaps automatically, given pre/post and loop invariant annotations. We believe that this work paves the way for deductive verification technology to be used by programmers who do not (and need not) understand the internals of the underlying logic solvers, significantly increasing their applicability in building reliable systems.
RELATION BETWEEN DURABILITY OF CONCRETE AND DURABILITY OF AGGREGATES

THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR DURABILITY ARE THE USE OF SOUND AND DURABLE AGGREGATES, AND MAXIMUM RESISTANCE TO THE ENTRANCE OF WATER. THE AGGREGATES PLAY A DOUBLE ROLE SINCE THE RANGE OF SIZES PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN PRODUCING IMPERMEABILITY. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AGGREGATES WHICH AFFECT THEIR DURABILITY IN CONCRETE, AND THE EFFECTS OF OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS PERMEABILITY, WATER ABSORPTION, ETC., ARE NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD, AND THOROUGH INVESTIGATIONS ARE NEEDED. CONCRETE LABORATORY STUDIES TOWARD THE FORMULATION OF STANDARD TESTS FOR DURABILITY, AND FIELD INVESTIGATIONS TO CORRELATE LABORATORY AND STRUCTURAL EXPERIENCE ARE URGED. OUTLINES FOR RESEARCH WORK ARE PRESENTED.
Wideband MgB2 Hot-Electron Bolometer Mixers: IF Impedance Characterisation and Modeling

In this paper, we present a method for low-signal S11 parameter vector measurements of a cryogenic device in the microwave frequency range. In particular, the intermediate frequency (IF) impedance of MgB2 hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers was investigated over a frequency range of 100 MHz to 10 GHz. A new cryogenic calibration technique, which employs the HEB as a calibration kit and requires two consecutive thermal cycles, was developed for this purpose. The real part of measured IF impedance showed a strong correlation with the differential resistance (dV/dI) obtained from the dc I-V curves, whereas the imaginary part was capacitive for almost the entire frequency range.
Effect of raised extracellular calcium on cell spread area in quail medullary bone osteoclasts

The present study reports on the effects of extracellular calcium ([Ca2+]o) elevation and ionomycin on cell spread area of medullary bone osteoclasts freshly isolated from egg‐laying Japanese quail. The responses were compared with those demonstrated in osteoclasts cultured for periods of 5–8 days and also to those previously demonstrated in neonatal rat osteoclasts. Freshly isolated medullary bone osteoclasts, unlike rat osteoclasts, were refractory to 20 mM [Ca2+]o, in that they showed no change in cell spread area. They did, however, show a modest (15%) reduction in cell spread area to ionomycin (7–50 microM), applied for 15–30 min. When medullary bone osteoclasts were precultured for 5–8 days, they exhibited a well‐developed response to 20 mM [Ca2+]o with a 46% reduction in cell spread area. They also showed a similar reduction in cell spread area in response to ionomycin (4 microM). It is concluded that, unlike freshly isolated neonatal rat osteoclasts, those obtained from quail medullary bone appear refractory to inhibitory factors such as [Ca2+]o. However, when the avian cells are cultured for a few days they appear to recover their ability to respond to [Ca2+]o.
Priority mechanisms for OLTP and transactional Web applications

Transactional workloads are a hallmark of modern OLTP and Web applications, ranging from electronic commerce and banking to online shopping. Often, the database at the core of these applications is the performance bottleneck. Given the limited resources available to the database, transaction execution times can vary wildly as they compete and wait for critical resources. As the competitor is "only a click away", valuable (high-priority) users must be ensured consistently good performance via QoS and transaction prioritization. This paper analyzes and proposes prioritization for transactional workloads in traditional database systems (DBMS). This work first performs a detailed bottleneck analysis of resource usage by transactional workloads on commercial and noncommercial DBMS (IBM DB2, Post-greSQL, Shore) under a range of configurations. Second, this work implements and evaluates the performance of several preemptive and nonpreemptive DBMS prioritization policies in PostgreSQL and Shore. The primary contributions of this work include (i) understanding the bottleneck resources in transactional DBMS workloads and (ii) a demonstration that prioritization in traditional DBMS can provide 2x-5x improvement for high-priority transactions using simple scheduling policies, without expense to low-priority transactions.
An Efficient SQL-based RDF Querying Scheme

Devising a scheme for efficient and scalable querying of Resource Description Framework (RDF) data has been an active area of current research. However, most approaches define new languages for querying RDF data, which has the following shortcomings: 1) They are difficult to integrate with SQL queries used in database applications, and 2) They incur inefficiency as data has to be transformed from SQL to the corresponding language data format. This paper proposes a SQL based scheme that avoids these problems. Specifically, it introduces a SQL table function RDF_MATCH to query RDF data. The results of RDF_MATCH table function can be further processed by SQL's rich querying capabilities and seamlessly combined with queries on traditional relational data. Furthermore, the RDF_MATCH table function invocation is rewritten as a SQL query, thereby avoiding run-time table function procedural overheads. It also enables optimization of rewritten query in conjunction with the rest of the query. The resulting query is executed efficiently by making use of B-tree indexes as well as specialized subject-property materialized views. This paper describes the functionality of the RDF_MATCH table function for querying RDF data, which can optionally include user-defined rulebases, and discusses its implementation in Oracle RDBMS. It also presents an experimental study characterizing the overhead eliminated by avoiding procedural code at runtime, characterizing performance under various input conditions, and demonstrating scalability using 80 million RDF triples from UniProt protein and annotation data.
Adaptive Configuration an Object Structural Pattern for Adaptive Applications

The Adaptive Configuration pattern described in this paper decouples the compositional structure of modules, which perform transformations on a data stream, from the algorithms used to implement these modules. Both may be changed dynamically and independently, to allow an implementation to adapt its functionality and resource requirements to the run-time environment. This pattern distinguishes itself from purely configurable pipeline patterns by addressing the tension between modularity and performance.
The open loop resonant characteristics analysis of photovoltaic grid-connected multi-inverter system

For the harmonic resonance problem of the photovoltaic multi-inverter parallel grid-connected system, this paper mainly analyzes the resonant characteristics of the LCL interface circuit. The model of the LCL interface circuit is given, and with the increase of grid-connected inverter number, the resonant characteristics are analyzed respectively which the circuit system is stimulated by the harmonic waves from the inverter itself excitation source, from the other inverter harmonic excitation source and from the complex power grid background harmonic excitation source. To reveal the resonance law of the multi-inverter grid-connected system an important theoretical analysis method is provided. Finally the simulation results show the effectiveness of the analysis method proposed.