Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient caching for constrained skyline queries

Constrained skyline queries retrieve all points that optimize some user’s preferences subject to orthogonal range constraints, but at significant computational cost. This paper is the first to propose caching to improve constrained skyline query response time. Because arbitrary range constraints are unlikely to match a cached query exactly, our proposed method identifies and exploits similar cached queries to reduce the computational overhead of subsequent ones. We consider interactive users posing a string of similar queries and show how these can be classified into four cases based on how they overlap cached queries. For each we present a specialized solution. For the general case of independent users, we introduce the Missing Points Region (MPR), that minimizes disk reads, and an approximation of the MPR. An extensive experimental evaluation reveals that the querying for an (approximate) MPR drastically reduces both fetch times and skyline computation.
Influence of autonomy and type of home assistance on the prevention of peritonitis in assisted automated peritoneal dialysis patients. An analysis of data from the French Language Peritoneal Dialysis Registry.

BACKGROUND In France, 48% of home-based peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients require assistance to perform their exchange and manage their treatment. A total of 7% are aided by their family, and 41% by a private nurse. Of all the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients, 61.7%, and among automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) patients 23%, are assisted at home for their bag exchanges and connections. Assisted APD patients (AAPD) are more comorbid and elderly so that a home helper is not always available: this explains why most helpers at home are private visiting nurses paid by the National Social Security. In addition to the home helper (nurse or family), 58% of centres make regular additional home visits to check the respect of procedures previously taught during the initial training of the nurse or the family helper. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the type of home assistance received by dependent patients had an influence on peritonitis rates, and if home visits done by nurses of training centres may improve results. METHODS Peritonitis rates and the probability of being peritonitis free were analysed for 1624 new APD patients recorded in the French PD Registry (RDPLF) between 2000 and 2004, and followed-up until early 2005. RESULTS Nurse-assisted APD patients had a peritonitis rate of one episode every 36 months, and family-assisted patients one episode every 45 months; using Poisson analysis this trend was not significant (P=0.11). However, the probability of being peritonitis free was significantly higher for family-assisted (69.8% at 2 year) compared with home nurse-aided persons (54.4%) after adjustment for age, diabetes and the Charlson comorbidity index. This difference disappeared when nurses from the training centre regularly visited PD patients at their home in the presence of their helper, whichever type of assistance they received. In addition, when the nurses from the training centres visited private nurse-assisted patients, the probability of being peritonitis free was significantly improved in comparison with those persons who did not receive home visits, from 33.9% to 50.8% at 3 years (P=0.028). CONCLUSIONS APD patients assisted at home by a private nurse have a higher risk of developing peritonitis than family-assisted patients, unless additional regular home visits are organized by the original training centre. Therefore, we recommend that home visits be regularly made for dependent PD patients to optimize the quality of care provided by the helper.
Links in the Chain of Adversity following Job Loss: How Financial Strain and Loss of Personal Control Lead to Depression, Impaired Functioning, and Poor Health Models of the Stress Process That Link Stressors to Adverse Health and Mental Health Outcomes

The authors tested hypotheses concerning risk mechanisms that follow involuntary job loss resulting in depression and the link between depression and poor health and functioning. A 2-year longitudinal study of 756 people experiencing job loss indicates that the critical mediating mechanisms in the chain of adversity from job loss to poor health and functioning are financial strain (FS) and a reduction in personal control (PC). FS mediates the relationship of job loss with depression and PC, whereas reduced PC mediates the adverse impacts of FS and depression on poor functioning and self-reports of poor health. Results suggest that loss of PC is a pathway through which economic adversity is transformed into chronic problems of poor health and impaired role and emotional functioning. Job loss is a discrete life event with multiple adverse health and mental health impacts including depression, health complaints, and impaired psycho-However, the mechanisms by which job loss leads to these long-term outcomes remain poorly understood. The present study drew on models of the stress process to test hypotheses regarding the role of risk mechanisms that link job loss to depression and then subsequently link depression to two additional adverse outcomes: declines in per-basis of a 2-year longitudinal sample of individuals experiencing involuntary job loss, we tested hypotheses linking employment status, financial strain, depression , personal control, role and emotional functioning , and health. Two related and complementary theoretical traditions link stressors to negative physical and psychological health. One well-known model describes stress as a process by which social and physical stressors result in poor health outcomes (Kahn, 1981). The model suggests that social and physical stressors result in short-term psychological and social responses including heightened arousal, distress, withdrawal, and lower motivation that, in some cases, lead to chronic health problems. Kahn (1981) proposed that the strength of the causal links among initial stressors, short-term responses, and long-term health and mental health consequences can be influenced by a wide range of social, biological, chemical, and environmental factors. The model has heuristic value in identifying pathways by which acute responses to stressors may become chronic and also in identifying potential points where it may be possible to influence or prevent the development of disorder. In a parallel formulation, Pearlin (1989) and his colleagues (Pearlin et al., 1981; Pearlin & Schooler, 1978) proposed that stress exposure, either due to discrete life events such as job loss or due to enduring …
Investigating how ostracizing others affects one’s self-concept

Abstract Social relationships are connected with an individual’s self-concept, so events that influence one’s relationships subsequently influence one’s self-concept. Ostracism, being excluded and ignored, is an aversive experience involving both a target (the one being ostracized) and source (the one ostracizing). We will discuss previous limitations of source paradigms and how we addressed them when developing our paradigms. We will also highlight current source research, from a co-edited special issue, and how this research is relevant to an individuals’ self-concept. Lastly, we will suggest how cognitive dissonance work can ground source research within a larger theoretical framework and inspire future research. We consider how one’s self-concept influences cognitive dissonance related to knowingly harming others through ostracism.
Estimating Grammeme Redundancy by Measuring Their Importance for Syntactic Parser Performance

Redundancy is an important psycholinguistic concept which is often used for explanations of language change, but is notoriously difficult to operationalize and measure. Assuming that the reconstruction of a syntactic structure by a parser can be used as a rough model of the understanding of a sentence by a human hearer, I propose a method for estimating redundancy. The key idea is to compare performances of a parser on a given treebank before and after artificially removing all information about a certain grammeme from the morphological annotation. The change in performance can be used as an estimate for the redundancy of the grammeme. I perform an experiment, applying MaltParser to an Old Church Slavonic treebank to estimate grammeme redundancy in Proto-Slavic. The results show that those Old Church Slavonic grammemes within the case, number and tense categories that were estimated as most redundant are those that disappeared in modern Russian. Moreover, redundancy estimates serve as a good predictor of case grammeme frequencies in modern Russian. The small sizes of the samples do not allow to make definitive conclusions for number and tense.
IGEL: a virtual heat cutter for 3D shape modeling

Heat cutter is a tool for processing styrene forms. Since blades of cutters are steal wires, user can freely bend them. We think this operation is intuitive for 3D shape modeling. IGEL virtually realizes the operation of the heat cutters by a sketch input system. IGEL has two different modes, 2D and 3D modes, and users can switch them freely. In 2D mode, users can draw the shapes of cutters freely. In 3D mode, users can cut the styrene forms using their own cutters. Our implementation represents the styrene forms as triangular meshes, and cuts the meshes according to the user's operation.
Degradation of rise time in NAND gates using 2.0 nm gate dielectrics

CMOS NAND gate circuit performance degradation caused by a single pMOSFET wearout induced by constant voltage stress in 2.0 nm gate dielectrics is examined using a switch matrix technique. The NAND gate rise time is found to increase by approximately 64%, which may lead to timing errors in high frequency digital circuits. The degraded pMOSFET reveals that a decrease in drive current by 41% and an increase in threshold voltage by 18% are directly proportional to an increase in channel resistance, thereby substantially increasing the NAND gate circuit timing delay.
Dense stereo correspondence based on recursive adaptive size multi-windowing

An efficient technique of stereo matching to compute dense disparity map is presented. The technique is point -oriented and uses multiple windows to enhance the strategy of finding a best match. In addit ion to that, a novel technique for adapting the window size based on multiple windows is discussed. The window size is recursively adapted using normalized sum of squared differences similarity measure and also the output of the multi-windowing method. Several constraints like epipolar constraint, uniqueness constraint and mutual correspondence constraint are also incorporated into the algorithm to prune bad matches. The results of the technique which has been tested on real images are also presented.
Searching for Better Logic Circuits: Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques to Automate Digital Design.

LAMMERT, ADAM CRAWFORD. Searching for Better Logic Circuits: Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques to Automate Digital Design. (Under the direction of Dr. Edward Willmore Davis Jr.) Logic circuits are at the core of modern computing. The process of designing circuits which are efficient is thus of critical importance. Usually, logic circuits are designed by human beings who have a specific repertoire of conventional design techniques. These techniques limit the solutions that may be considered during the design process in both form and quality. The limits guide designers through the immense realm of possible circuits, thus making the problem more manageable. Simultaneously, the limits sometimes eliminate from consideration circuits which are optimal in terms of size, depth, etc. By exploring the full range of possible solutions, circuits could be discovered which are superior to the best known human designs. Automated design techniques borrowed from artificial intelligence have allowed exactly that. Specifically, the application of genetic algorithms has allowed the creation of circuits which are substantially superior to the best known human designs. This paper expands on such previous research with a three-fold approach. This approach is comprised of (1) two distinct optimizations for the application of genetic algorithms to design, (2) the formulation and implementation of a systematic search technique to the problem and (3) a comparison of the relative merits of the optimized genetic algorithm and the systematic search technique. It is contended that both genetic algorithms and systematic search can be preferable depending on the situation at hand. SEARCHING FOR BETTER LOGIC CIRCUITS: USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNIQUES TO AUTOMATE DIGITAL DESIGN by ADAM CRAWFORD LAMMERT A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science
"The day after tomorrow": anatomy of an 'r' strategist aquatic invasion.

Invasive alien species, following an arrival, undergo different colonization stages. The full pattern of an invasion is seldom tracked as many studies on invasive processes only take place over a few years. In this study the invasion of the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771), was followed for more than a ten-year period. It developed an expansion stage with peak abundance (outbreak) four to six years following arrival. Thereafter the population entered an accommodation stage at a lower level of abundance and biomass. This pattern was repeated for two separate lakes on the Shannon River in Ireland. In concert with the biomass at each invasion stage there were changes to the transparency and chlorophyll a levels of lake water. Based on the results of the current study, revision of the terminology of invasion stages is suggested. Providing some additional insight into the invasion process, it can be accorded with existing frameworks and bioinvasion impact assessment approaches. The sequence of invasion stages with corresponding direct (semi-quantitative) and indirect (qualitative) features as well as examples of empirical evidence is presented in this account.
Interaction of the TNFR-Receptor Associated Factor TRAF1 with I-Kappa B Kinase-2 and TRAF2 Indicates a Regulatory Function for NF-Kappa B Signaling

Background I-kappa B kinase 2 (IKK2 or IKK-beta) is one of the most crucial signaling kinases for activation of NF-kappa B, a transcription factor that is important for inflammation, cell survival and differentiation. Since many NF-kappa B activating pathways converge at the level of IKK2, molecular interactions of this kinase are pivotal for regulation of NF-kappa B signaling. Methodology/Principal Findings We searched for proteins interacting with IKK2 using the C-terminal part (amino acids 466–756) as bait in a yeast two-hybrid system and identified the N-terminal part (amino acids 1–228) of the TNF-receptor associated factor TRAF1 as putative interaction partner. The interaction was confirmed in human cells by mammalian two-hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation experiments. The IKK2/TRAF1 interaction seemed weaker than the interaction between TRAF1 and TRAF2, an important activating adapter molecule of NF-kappa B signaling. Reporter gene and kinase assays using ectopic expression of TRAF1 indicated that it can both activate and inhibit IKK2 and NF-kappa B. Co-expression of fluorescently tagged TRAF1 and TRAF2 at different ratios implied that TRAF1 can affect clustering and presumably the activating function of TRAF2 in a dose dependent manner. Conclusions/Significance The observation that TRAF1 can either activate or inhibit the NF-kappa B pathway and the fact that it influences the oligomerization of TRAF2 indicates that relative levels of IKK2, TRAF1 and TRAF2 may be important for regulation of NF-kappa B activity. Since TRAF1 is an NF-kappa B induced gene, it might act as a feedback effector molecule.
Social security and the search behaviour of workers approaching retirement

This paper explores the links between unemployment, retirement and their associated public insurance programs. It is a contribution to a growing body of literature focused on a better understanding of the labor behavior of advanced-age workers, which has gained importance as the pension crisis looms. It also contributes to the literature of optimal unemployment insurance by exploring the interaction of unemployment benefits and retirement pensions. The analysis combines the development of a new theoretical model and a detailed exploration of the empirical regularities using the Spanish Muestra Continua de Vidas Laborales (MCVL) dataset. The model is an extension of the standard search model, designed to reproduce the non-stationary environment faced by workers of advanced ages (in the age range 50/65). Via calibrated simulations we show that the basic empirical re-employment and retirement patterns can be considered as rational responses to both the labor market conditions and the institutional incentives. Generous Unemployment Benefits (for durations of up to two years) together with very significant early retirement penalties, make optimal to stay unemployed without searching for large groups of unemployed workers. This moral hazard problem can be substantially alleviated through institutional reform. We explore several potential reforms and find that changing the details of early retirement pensions seems more promising than changing the Unemployment Benefit system.
Mirroring the intentionality and gesture of a piano performance. An interpretation of 72 Etudes Karnatiques

The Indian music heritage constitutes a strong source of inspiration for western modern contemporary composers who want to expand their composing technique by fusing the Western and Eastern musical horizons. This study explores the influence Indian music had over two French composers with a kinship for being teacher and pupil: Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) and Jacques Charpentier (19332017). The aim is to point out which are specifically the philosophy, aesthetics and musical structures both composers extrapolated from Indian music tradition and elaborated in their piano compositions. A musical analysis is conducted to retrace how Indian ragas and talas contributed to the development of Messiaen and Charpentier’s conception of melody, harmony, rhythm, musical form and timbre. The Indian music retrospective retraced in this analysis is a useful knowledge for an original interpretation and performance of this French contemporary piano reportoire, especially the 72 Etudes Karnatiques by Charpentier, which is a fairly unknown piano piece. 1 This chapter presents a we-form because it consists of a paper originally published in French: Caruso, G. & Leman, M. (2015). Le patrimoine musical indien dans le répertoire pour piano d'Olivier Messiaen et de Jacques Charpentier. In Cahiers internationaux de symbolisme, (C. LEJEUNE, Ed.) 140-142 (Patrimoines), 23–56. My main contribution was in providing the content and in writing the paper.
Task Taxonomy for Cartograms

Cartograms are maps in which areas of geographic regions (countries, states) appear in proportion to some variable of interest (population, income). Despite the popularity of cartograms and the large number of cartogram variants, there are few studies evaluating the effectiveness of cartograms in conveying information. In order to design cartograms as a useful visualization tool and to be able to compare the effectiveness of cartograms generated by different methods, we need to study the nature of information conveyed and the specific tasks that can be performed on cartograms. In this paper we consider a set of cartogram visualization tasks, based on standard taxonomies from cartography and information visualization. We then propose a cartogram task taxonomy that can be used to organize not only the tasks considered here but also other tasks that might be added later.
Avatar anthropomorphism and acrophobia

In this paper, we investigate the impact of avatar anthropomorphism on the fear of heights, when using full body avatar embodiment under an immersive virtual reality (VR) setting. Clear differences could be found in perceived anthropomorphism, but preliminary results do not show differences in stress level between Human and Non-Human avatars, although a high level of perceived secureness was reported with Non-Human avatars.
Substrate-aware placement and routing

This paper presents a system which uses the adaptive simulated annealing algorithm to optimize placement of modules (e.g. transistors or subcircuits) and (glob al) routing between these modules. This is achieved through user-specified performance constraints, precomputed sens itivities of the nodes in the circuit and modeling of substrat e effects between modules connected to critical nodes. This substrate-aware placement and routing will improve the performance and reliability of the designed circuit.
Cuing and Coordination in American Elections ∗

Cuing and Coordination in American Elections I use evolutionary game models based on pure imitation to reexamine recent findings that strategic coordination characterizes the American electorate. Imitation means that voters who are dissatisfied with their strategy adopt the strategy of the first voter they encounter who is similar to them. In the replicator dynamics such imitation implies, everyone ultimately uses the coordinating strategy, but I study what happens over time spans that are relevant for voters. I consider three evolutionary models, including two that involve partisan cuing. Simulations using National Election Studies data from presidential years 1976–96 suggest that many voters use an unconditional strategy, usually a strategy of voting a straight ticket matching their party identification. I then estimate a choice model that incorporates an approximation to the evolutionary dynamics. The results support partisan cuing and confirm that most voters vote unconditionally. The estimates also support previous findings regarding policy moderation and institutional balancing.
The Trade Comovement Problem in International Macroeconomics

Recent empirical research finds that pairs of countries with stronger trade linkages tend to have more highly correlated business cycles. We assess whether the standard international business cycle framework can replicate this intuitive result. We employ a three-country model with transportation costs. We simulate the effects of increased goods market integration under two asset market structures: complete markets and international financial autarky. Our main finding is that under international financial autarky the model can generate stronger correlations for pairs of countries that trade more, but the increased correlation falls far short of the empirical findings. In our benchmark calibrations, the model explains at most 6 percent of the responsiveness of GDP correlations to trade found in the empirical research. This result is robust to many combinations of shock specifications, import shares, and elasticities of substitution. Because the difference between business cycle theory and the empirical results cannot be resolved by changes in parameter values and the structure of the standard models, we call this discrepancy the trade comovement problem.