Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Finding Almost-Invariants in Distributed Systems

It is notoriously hard to develop dependable distributed systems. This is partly due to the difficulties in foreseeing various corner cases and failure scenarios while implementing a system that will be deployed over an asynchronous network. In contrast, reasoning about the desired distributed system behavior and the corresponding invariants is easier than reasoning about the code itself. Further, the invariants can be used for testing, theorem proving, and runtime enforcement. In this paper, we propose an approach to observe the system behavior and automatically infer invariants which reveal implementation bugs. Using our tool, Avenger, we automatically generate a large number of potentially relevant properties, check them within the time and spatial domains using traces of system executions, and filter out all but a few properties before reporting them to the developer. Our key insight in filtering is that a good candidate for an invariant is the one that holds in all but a few cases, i.e., an "almost-invariant". Our experimental results with the XORP BGP implementation demonstrate Avenger's ability to identify the almost-invariants that lead the developer to programming errors.
Trabecular bone microstructure scales allometrically in the primate humerus and femur

Most analyses of trabecular microarchitecture in mammals have focused on the functional significance of interspecific variation, but they have not effectively considered the influence of body size or phylogeny on bone architecture. The goals of this study were to determine the relationship between trabecular bone and body size in the humeral and femoral heads of extant primates, and to assess the influence of phylogeny on bone microstructure. Using a sample of 235 individuals from 34 primate species, ranging in body size from 0.06 to 130 kg, the relationships between trabecular bone structure and body size were assessed by using conventional and phylogenetic regression analyses. Bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness and trabecular spacing increase with body size, whereas bone surface-area-to-volume ratio decreases. Shape variables such as trabecular number, connectivity density and degree of anisotropy scale inversely with size. Most of these variables scale with significant negative allometry, except bone surface-area-to-volume ratio, which scales with slight positive allometry. Phylogenetic regressions indicate a relatively weak phylogenetic signal in some trabecular bone variables. These data demonstrate that, relative to body size, large primates have thinner and more tightly packed trabeculae than small primates. The relatively thin trabeculae in large primates and other mammals, coupled with constraints on trabecular thickness related to osteocyte function, suggest that increased skeletal loads in the postcranial joints of large mammals are probably mitigated not only through alterations in trabecular microarchitecture, but also through other mechanisms such as changes in cortical bone distribution, limb posture and gait speed.
Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL) is Associated with Neurite Pathology and Its Levels Are Markedly Reduced in the Dentate Gyrus of Alzheimer’s Disease Brains

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is involved in regulation of fatty acid metabolism, and facilitates cellular uptake of lipoproteins, lipids and lipid-soluble vitamins. We evaluated LPL distribution in healthy and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain tissue and its relative levels in cerebrospinal fluid. LPL immunostaining is widely present in different neuronal subgroups, microglia, astrocytes and oligodendroglia throughout cerebrum, cerebellum and spinal cord. LPL immunoreactivity is also present in leptomeninges, small blood vessels, choroid plexus and ependymal cells, Schwann cells associated with cranial nerves, and in anterior and posterior pituitary. In vitro studies have shown presence of secreted LPL in conditioned media of human cortical neuronal cell line (HCN2) and neuroblastoma cells (SK-N-SH), but not in media of cultured primary human astrocytes. LPL was present in cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions of neuronal cells and astrocytes in vitro. LPL immunoreactivity strongly associates with AD-related pathology, staining diffuse plaques, dystrophic and swollen neurites, possible Hirano bodies and activated glial cells. We observed no staining associated with neurofibrillary tangles or granulovacuolar degeneration. Granule cells of the dentate gyrus and the associated synaptic network showed significantly reduced staining in AD compared to control tissue. LPL was also reduced in AD CSF samples relative to those in controls.
Fully coupled dynamic electro-thermal simulation

Fully coupled dynamic electro-thermal simulation on chip and circuit level is presented. Temperature dependent thermal conductivity of silicon is taken into account, thus solving the nonlinear heat diffusion equation. The numerical solution is carried out by using the industry-standard simulator SABER, therefore for electro-thermal simulations we are able to use the common electrical compact models by adding a heat source and thermal pins to them. The application of this technique and need for electro-thermal simulation is illustrated with the simulation of a current control circuit built into a multiwatt package.
The ADHD debate and the philosophy of truth

There is ongoing and wide-ranging dispute over the proliferation of childhood behaviour disorders. In particular, the veracity of the category Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), has been the subject of considerable scepticism. With no end to the debate in sight, it will be argued here that the problem might effectively be approached, not by addressing the specific features of ADHD itself, but rather by a philosophical analysis of one of the terms around which this entire problem revolves: that is, the notion of truth. If we state: 'It is true that ADHD is a real disorder', what exactly do we mean? Do we mean that it is an objective fact of nature? Do we mean that it fits seamlessly with other sets of ideas and explanations? Or do we simply mean that it works as an idea in a practical sense? This paper will examine the relationship between some of the dominant models of truth, and the assertions made by those in the field of ADHD. Specifically, the paper will contrast the claim that ADHD is a real disorder, with the claim that ADHD is a product of social governance. The objectives of this paper are: first, to examine the central tenets of the philosophy of 'truth'; second, and as a result of this examination, to place some significant qualifications upon the validity of the truth-claims made by ADHD advocates; and finally, to re-emphasize the potential and promise of philosophical investigation in providing productive new ways of thinking about some obstinate and seemingly intractable educational problems.
Modality specific neural correlates of auditory and somatic hallucinations

Somatic hallucinations occur in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, although auditory hallucinations are more common. Although the neural correlates of auditory hallucinations have been described in several neuroimaging studies, little is known of the pathophysiology of somatic hallucinations. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to compare the distribution of brain activity during somatic and auditory verbal hallucinations, occurring at different times in a 36 year old man with schizophrenia. Somatic hallucinations were associated with activation in the primary somatosensory and posterior parietal cortex, areas that normally mediate tactile perception. Auditory hallucinations were associated with activation in the middle and superior temporal cortex, areas involved in processing external speech. Hallucinations in a given modality seem to involve areas that normally process sensory information in that modality.
ON THE ORIGIN OF THE LIGHTEST MOLYBDENUM ISOTOPES

We discuss implications of recent precision measurements for the 93Rh proton separation energy for the production of the lightest molybdenum isotopes in proton-rich Type II supernova (SN II) ejecta. It has recently been shown that a novel neutrino-induced process makes these ejecta a promising site for the production of the light molybdenum isotopes and other “p-nuclei” with atomic mass near 100. The origin of these isotopes has long been uncertain. A distinguishing feature of nucleosynthesis in neutrino-irradiated outflows is that the relative production of 92Mo and 94Mo is set by a competition governed by the proton separation energy of 93Rh. We use the detailed nuclear network calculations and the recent experimental results for this proton separation energy to place constraints on the outflow characteristics that produce the lightest molybdenum isotopes in their solar proportions. It is found that for the conditions calculated in recent two-dimensional SN simulations, and also for a large range of outflow characteristics around these conditions, the solar ratio of 92Mo to 94Mo cannot be achieved. This suggests that either proton-rich winds from SNe II do not exclusively produce both isotopes, or that these winds are qualitatively different than calculated in today's SN models.
SENSING OF AUTOMOTIVE ENVIRONMENTS USING STEREO VISION

97RO044 Abstract This paper presents a vision system to be used on moving vehicles to increment road safety. Pairs of images acquired by two stereo cameras installed on the vehicle are processed in order to detect both generic obstacles on the path of the vehicle and the road position. Both stereo images are used for the detection of the free-space in front of the vehicle, while only the left one is used for the identifi cation of the road, which is performed through the detection of lane markings. The two functionaliti es share the same underlying approach, thus easing the fusion of the results of the two processings. The system has been tested both in laboratory and on board of MOB-LAB experimental vehicle and has demonstrated to be robust with respect to shadows, different road textures and vehicle movements.
Validation of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer leaf area index product in croplands of Alpilles, France

[1] This paper presents results of validating the Collection 4 Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) leaf area index (LAI) product using LAI data collected in a 3 × 3 km agricultural (grasses and cereal crops) area near Avignon, France, and 30 m resolution Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) image. Estimates of the accuracy, precision, and uncertainty with which the ETM+ data convey information about LAI underlie the derivation of a 30 m resolution reference LAI map by accounting for both field measurement and satellite observation errors. The 30 m reference LAI was then extrapolated from sampling points to a 58 km2 area without loss in the quality and was degraded to a 1 km resolution LAI map. The latter was taken as a reference to assess the quality of the MODIS LAI product. Comparison of the reference and corresponding MODIS retrievals suggests that Collection 4 MODIS LAI is accurate to within an accuracy of 0.3 with a precision and uncertainty of 0.23 and 0.38, respectively. It was found that the Collection 3 MODIS land cover product, input to the Collection 4 operational LAI algorithm, misclassified the 58 km2 area as broadleaf crops. The use of correct biome type in the operational processing improves the accuracy in LAI by a factor of 2 with an almost unchanged precision and uncertainty. Our results also indicate that the retrieval of LAI from satellite data is an ill-posed problem; that is, small variations in input due to observation errors result in a very low precision of the desired parameter. Any retrieval technique based on a simple model inversion or empirical relationships is unable to generate stable retrievals. The use of information on input errors in the retrieval technique is necessary to generate solutions to the ill-posed problem. The MODIS operational LAI algorithm meets this requirement.
Embodied Symbol Emergence Based on Mimesis Theory

“Mimesis” theory focused in the cognitive science field and “mirror neurons” found in the biology field show that the behavior generation process is not independent of the behavior cognition process. The generation and cognition processes have a close relationship with each other. During the behavioral imitation period, a human being does not practice simple joint coordinate transformation, but will acknowledge the parents’ behavior. It understands the behavior after abstraction as symbols, and will generate its self-behavior. Focusing on these facts, we propose a new method which carries out the behavior cognition and behavior generation processes at the same time. We also propose a mathematical model based on hidden Markov models in order to integrate four abilities: (1) symbol emergence; (2) behavior recognition; (3) self-behavior generation; (4) acquiring the motion primitives. Finally, the feasibility of this method is shown through several experiments on a humanoid robot.
Kriging Controllers for Cloud Applications

The infrastructure-as-a-service paradigm for cloud computing lets service providers execute applications on third-party infrastructures with a pay-as-you-go billing model. Providers can balance operational costs and quality of service by monitoring application behavior and changing the deployed configuration at runtime as operating conditions change. Current approaches for automatically scaling cloud applications exploit user-defined rules that respond well to predictable events but don't react adequately to unexpected execution conditions. The authors' autonomic controllers, designed using Kriging models, automatically adapt to unpredicted conditions by dynamically updating a model of the system's behavior.
Investigating the Genetics of Hippocampal Volume in Older Adults without Dementia

Hippocampal atrophy is observed with ageing and age-related neurodegenerative disease. Identification of the genetic correlates of hippocampal volume (HV) and atrophy may assist in elucidating the mechanisms of ageing and age-related neurodegeneration. Using two community cohorts of older Caucasians we estimated the heritability of HV and examined associations of HV with previously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In addition we undertook genome-association studies (GWAS) examining HV and HV atrophy. Participants were community-dwelling non-demented older adults from the longitudinal Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (Sydney MAS) (N = 498) and the Older Australian Twins Study (OATS) (N = 351) aged 65 and over. HV was measured using T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. Heritability of HV was estimated in OATS. Genome-wide genotyping was imputed using the 1K Genomes reference set. Associations with HV-candidate and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related SNPs were investigated. A GWAS examining HV (in both cohorts) and an exploratory GWAS of HV atrophy over two years (in Sydney MAS only) were also undertaken. HV heritability was estimated at 62–65%. The previously identified GWAS HV SNP (rs6581612) and the candidate BDNF SNP (rs6265) were nominally significant (p = 0.047 and p = 0.041 respectively). No AD-related SNPs, including the APOE ε4 polymorphism, were significant. No significant results were observed for either of the GWAS undertaken. Despite our estimate of a high heritability of HV, our results are consistent with a highly polygenic model suggesting that SNPs identified from prior studies, including GWAS meta-analyses, can be difficult to replicate in smaller samples of older adults.
Neuropsychologie et neuroimagerie des troubles de cognition sociale dans l’épilepsie du lobe temporal

Chez les patients souffrants d’epilepsie du lobe temporal (ELT), des troubles cognitifs sont frequemment decrits. Toutefois, certaines capacites cognitives restent a ce jour peu explorees dans le domaine de la recherche en epileptologie et non evaluees en pratique clinique, telles que les capacites de cognition sociale. Pourtant, des difficultes psychosociales et psychocomportementales ainsi qu’une alteration de la qualite de vie (notamment dans sa dimension sociale) sont relevees chez les patients ELT et elles pourraient etre en relation avec des perturbations de la cognition sociale. Par ailleurs, les anomalies cerebrales retrouvees chez ces patients, situees a proximite mais egalement plus a distance du foyer epileptique, comprenent des structures sous-tendant les capacites de cognition sociale. Dans ce contexte, l’objectif general de cette these etait la caracterisation des capacites de cognition sociale des patients ELT d’un point de vue comportemental et en neuroimagerie. Les etudes comportementales menees ont permis de preciser l’impact d’une ELT unilaterale sur les capacites de cognition sociale. Il est notamment mis en evidence chez les patients ELT : (i) des troubles de reconnaissance emotionnelle en modalite visuelle et auditive associes a la presence de biais emotionnels, (ii) une modification de l’experience emotionnelle, et (iii) des deficits de theorie de l’esprit (TdE) plus particulierement prononces sur le versant affectif de cette capacite. Certaines caracteristiques cliniques (âge de debut, duree, lateralite de l’epilepsie, presence d’une sclerose hippocampique) peuvent moduler la severite de ces troubles. Par ailleurs, ces troubles sont associes a certaines perturbations psychocomportementales (anhedonie, apathie, modifications de l’affectivite et de l’empathie) et a une alteration de la qualite de vie des patients. Sur base de ces etudes comportementales, nous avons identifie que les troubles de TdE apparaissent frequents, affectant plus de 80% des patients ELT. Une etude en neuroimagerie fonctionnelle et l’analyse de donnees d’imagerie structurelle preliminaires ont permis de preciser l’impact d’une ELT sur le reseau cerebral sous-tendant les capacites de TdE. Nous relevons notamment que chez les patients ELT mesial avec sclerose hippocampique, les troubles de TdE semblent liees a des anomalies cerebrales situees principalement a distance du foyer epileptique, dependantes de la lateralite de l’ELT et modulees par l’âge de debut et la duree de l’epilepsie. En conclusion, dans une perspective de comprehension et de prise en charge globale des patients ELT, il convient de ne pas negliger l’etude des troubles de cognition sociale chez ces patients, et leur evaluation en pratique clinique devrait etre plus systematique.
HUMAN-CENTERED VS. USER-CENTERED APPROACHES TO INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN

Despite continuing debates about the "user" emphasis in HCI, new design approaches, such as interaction design, continue to focus on humans as technology users, constraining the human-centeredness of design outcomes. This paper argues that the difference between "user" focus and a human-centered focus lies in the way in which technology is designed. The emphasis on problem closure that is embedded in current approaches to designing information systems (IS) precludes an examination of those issues central to human-centered design. The paper reviews recent approaches to user-centered IS design and concludes that these methods are targeted at the closure of technology-centered problems, rather than the investigation of suitable changes to a system of humanactivity supported by technology. A dual-cycle model of human-centered design is presented, that balances systemic inquiry methods with human-centered implementation methods. The paper concludes with a suggestion that IS design should be viewed as a dialectic between organizational problem inquiry and the implementation of business process change and technical solutions.
Apparecium: Revealing Data Flows in Android Applications

With Android applications processing not only personal but also business-critical data, efficient and precise data flow analysis has become a major technique to detect apps handling critical data in unwanted ways. Although data flow analysis in general is a thoroughly researched topic, the event-driven lifecycle model of Android has its own challenges and practical application requires for reliable and efficient analysis techniques. In this paper we present Apparecium, a tool to reveal data flows in Android applications. Apparecium has conceptual differences to other techniques, and can be used to find arbitrary data flows inside Android applications. Details about the used techniques and the differences to existing data flow analysis tools are presented, as well as an evaluation against the data flow analysis framework Flow Droid.
Computer Game Criticism: A Method for Computer Game Analysis

In this paper, we describe a method to analyse computer games. The analysis method is based on computer games in particular and not some kind of transfer from other fi eld or studies ‐ even though of course it is inspired from other kinds of analysis methods from varying fi elds of studies. The method is based on seven different layers of the computer game: hardware, program code, functionality, game play, meaning, referentiality, and socio-culture. Each of these layers may be analysed individually, but an entire analysis of any computer game must be analysed from every angle. Thereby we are analysing both technical, aesthetic and socio-cultural perspectives.
Leptospira Exposure and Waste Pickers: A Case-Control Seroprevalence Study in Durango, Mexico

Background Infection with Leptospira may occur by contact with Leptospira-infected animals. Waste pickers are in contact with rodents and dogs while picking in the garbage. Whether waste pickers are at risk for Leptospira infection is largely unknown. This study was aimed to determine the association of Leptospira IgG seroprevalence with the occupation of waste picking, and to determine the epidemiological characteristics of the waste pickers with Leptospira exposure. Methods Through a case-control study, we determined the seroprevalence of anti-Leptospira IgG antibodies in 90 waste pickers and 90 age- and gender-matched control subjects in Durango City, Mexico using an enzyme immunoassay. Data were analyzed by bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results The prevalence of anti-Leptospira IgG antibodies was similar in waste pickers (4/90: 4.4%) to that in control subjects (5/90: 5.6%) (P = 1.00). Bivariate analysis showed that Leptospira exposure in waste pickers was associated with increasing age (P = 0.009), no education (P = 0.008), and consumption of rat meat (P = 0.04). However, these associations were no longer found by multivariate analysis. Leptospira exposure in waste pickers was not associated with health status, duration in the activity, wearing hand gloves and facemasks, history of injuries with sharp material of the garbage, or contact with animals or soil. Conclusions This is the first study about Leptospira exposure in waste pickers. Results suggest that waste pickers are not at increasing risk for Leptospira exposure in Durango City, Mexico. Further research with a larger sample size to elucidate the association of Leptospira exposure with waste picking activity is needed.