Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the Virtual Interface Architecture

To provide a faster path between applications and the network, researchers have advocated removing the operating system kernel and its centralized networking stack from the critical path and creating a user level network interface. With these interfaces, designers can tailor the communication layers each process uses to the demands of that process. Consequently, applications can send and receive network packets without operating system intervention, which greatly decreases communication latency and increases network throughput. Unfortunately, the diversity of approaches and lack of consensus has stalled progress in refining research results into products-a prerequisite to the widespread adoption of these interfaces. Recently, however, Intel, Microsoft, and Compaq have introduced the Virtual Interface Architecture, an emerging standard for cluster or system area networks. Products based on the VIA have already surfaced, notably GigaNet's GNN1000 network interface. As more products appear, research into application level issues can proceed and the technology of user level network interfaces should mature. Several prototypes-among them Cornell University's U-Net2-have heavily influenced the VIA. We describe the architectural issues and design trade-offs at the core of these prototype designs.
MHV, CSW and BCFW : field theory structures in string theory amplitudes

Motivated by recent progress in calculating field theory amplitudes, we study applications of the basic ideas in these developments to the calculation of amplitudes in string theory. We consider in particular both non-Abelian and Abelian open superstring disk amplitudes in a flat space background, focusing mainly on the four-dimensional case. The basic field theory ideas under consideration split into three separate categories. In the first, we argue that the calculation of α'-corrections to MHV open string disk amplitudes reduces to the determination of certain classes of polynomials. This line of reasoning is then used to determine the α'3-correction to the MHV amplitude for all multiplicities. A second line of attack concerns the existence of an analog of CSW rules derived from the Abelian Dirac-Born-Infeld action in four dimensions. We show explicitly that the CSW-like perturbation series of this action is surprisingly trivial: only helicity conserving amplitudes are non-zero. Last but not least, we initiate the study of BCFW on-shell recursion relations in string theory. These should appear very naturally as the UV properties of the string theory are excellent. We show that all open four-point string amplitudes in a flat background at the disk level obey BCFW recursion relations. Based on the naturalness of the proof and some explicit results for the five-point gluon amplitude, it is expected that this pattern persists for all higher point amplitudes and for the closed string.
On the realization of a generalized data fusion and network anomaly detection framework

In this paper, a generalized data fusion and network anomaly detection methodology is introduced and described. The proposed data fusion approach provides an integrated way of taking into consideration and combining effectively correlated performance metrics, for improving the anomaly detection capabilities and the corresponding network operational effectiveness. This is achieved by designing a methodology of applying Principal Component Analysis based technique simultaneously on several metrics of one or more links, instead of applying it on each metric individually. The numerical results presented in this paper demonstrate that the proposed generalized anomaly detection framework, is capable of detecting not only volume based anomalies, but a much wider range of classes of anomalies, such as the ones that may result in alterations in traffic composition or traffic paths
Adaptive identification and tracking of doubly selective fading channels for wireless MIMO-OFDM systems

In wireless MIMO-OFDM systems, accurate channel state information at the receiver is a prerequisite for large diversity and multiplexing gains. Here, we propose a pilot symbol assisted, LMS based, adaptive channel identification/tracking scheme for time-varying, delay-spread MIMO channels. Our scheme features automatic tuning of the LMS adaptation constants and modest computational complexity. No prior knowledge of channel statistics is required. Simulation results demonstrate the good performance of our algorithm for a wide range of SNR, maximum delay, and maximum Doppler.
Mind wandering during lectures II: Relation to academic performance.

We explored whether students’ (N = 154) engagement in mind wandering (both intentional and unintentional forms) throughout a 12-week undergraduate course was related to their performance on in-class quiz questions and later course exams. Intermittently presented thought-probes sampled mind-wandering rates during lectures, and retention of lecture information was gauged by later quiz and exam performance. A number of self-report measures including overall grade-point average (GPA), motivation to learn, and overall propensity to mind wander were also collected. Among the many results of our study, we found that at the group level students’ bouts of intentional, t = 2.37, p < . 05, but not unintentional, t = 1.39, p = . 17, mind wandering resulted in poorer quiz scores than did periods of on-task focus. At the level of individual differences, regression and mediation analyses revealed that intentional mind wandering was most strongly linked to short-term performance costs, measured by quiz performance (intentional: β = −.23, p < .01; unintentional: β = −.16, p = .06). Conversely, unintentional mind wandering was most strongly related to longer term performance costs, measured by exam performance (intentional: β = −.01, p = .90; unintentional: β = −.14, p = .06). Interestingly, mind wandering was found to be associated with performance independently of other known determinants of performance (e.g., GPA, class attendance). Together these findings provide evidence that (a) mind wandering during university lectures is associated with significant performance costs, and (b) the nature of these costs depends on whether the mind-wandering episode was intentional or unintentional.
Integrated hardware-software co-synthesis for design of embedded systems under power and latency constraints

This paper presents an integrated approach to hardwaresoftware co-synthesis and HLS for design of low-power embedded systems. The main motivation for this work is that fine trade-offs between latency and power can be explored at the system level only with a detailedknowledge of used hardware resources. Integrated method was realized as a simulated annealing based solution-space exploration. Exploration is guided by Performance Models, that exactly capture the relationship between performances i.e. power consumption and latency and design decisions i.e. binding and scheduling. The proposed approach permits not only a more accurate latency and power estimation but also the exposure of RTL-level design decisions at the system level. As a result, more effective power-latency trade-offs are possible during co-synthesis as compared to traditional task-level methods.
Resolution and brightness characteristics of short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) images

We previously described a novel beamforming method that images the spatial correlation of an echo wave field with demonstrated applications to clutter reduction in high-noise environments. In this paper, several characteristics of the resolution and brightness of short-lag spatial coherence (SLSC) images formed by this method are compared with B-mode images formed by conventional delay-and-sum beamforming methods. Point target widths were measured to estimate resolution, the autocorrelation of image texture was measured to estimate texture size, and the contrast (i.e., brightness ratio) of clinically relevant targets was assessed. SLSC images demonstrate improved resolution and contrast with increasing values of channel noise and clutter, whereas B-mode resolution was degraded in the presence of high noise (i.e., > -12 dB channel noise-to-signal ratios) and high clutter magnitudes (i.e., > -21 dB relative to point target magnitude). Lateral resolution in SLSC images was improved with increasing lag value, whereas axial resolution was degraded with increasing correlation kernel length. The texture size of SLSC images was smaller than that of matched B-mode images. Results demonstrate that the resolution and contrast of coherence-based images depend on a range of parameters, but are generally superior to those of matched B-mode images under challenging imaging conditions.
Hyper-Erlang Software Reliability Model

This paper proposes a hyper-Erlang software reliability model (HErSRM) in the framework of non-homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) modeling. The proposed HErSRM is a generalized model which contains some existing NHPP-based SRMs like Goel-Okumoto SRM and Delayed S-shaped SRM, and can represent a variety of software fault-detection patterns. Such characteristics are useful to solve the model selection problem arising in the practical use of NHPP-based SRMs. More precisely, we discuss the statistical inference of HErSRM based on the EM (expectation-maximization) algorithm. In numerical experiments, we show that the HErSRM outperforms conventional NHPP-based SRMs with respect to fitting ability.
Screening of Two Neighboring CFTR Mutations in Iranian Infertile Men with Non-Obstructive Azoospermia

The genetic association between cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene mutations and male infertility due to congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens (CBAVD) is well established. Mutant CFTR, however may also be involved in the etiology of male infertility in non-CBAVD cases. The present study was conducted to estimate the frequency of ∆I507 and ∆F508 CFTR gene mutations in Iranian infertile males. We undertook the first study of association between these CFTR mutations and non-obstructive azoospermia in Iran. In this case-control study, 100 fertile healthy fathers and 100 non-obstructive azoospermia’s men were recruited from Isfahan Infertility Center (IIC) and Sari Saint Mary’s Infertility Center, between 2008 and 2009. Screening of F508del and I507del mutations was carried out by the multiplex-ARMS-PCR. Significance of differences in mutation frequencies between the patient and control groups was assessed by Fisher’s exact test. The ΔF508 was detected in three patients. However there are no significant association was found between the presence of this mutated allele and infertility [OR=9.2 (allele-based) and 7.2 (individual-based), P=0.179]. None of the samples carried the ΔI507 mutation. Altogether, we show that neither ΔI507 nor ΔF508 is involved in this population of Iranian infertile males with non-obstructive azoospermia.
The Application of Mindfulness Meditation in Mental Health: Can Protocol Analysis Help Triangulate a Grounded Theory Approach?

In einer Studie uber Achtsamkeits-Meditation, wie sie von Teilnehmer(inne)n mit einer Vorgeschichte von Depression praktiziert wird, wurden die Methoden der Grounded Theory und der Protokollanalyse trianguliert. Die Protokollanalyse ist eine empirische qualitative Methode (mit einem quantitativen Teil), die fur eine Triangulation mit anderen qualitativen Methoden wie der Grounded Theory bisher noch wenig berucksichtigt wurde. Die Protokollanalyse wurde auf Daten angewendet, die mit Hilfe der Technik des "lauten Denkens" im Rahmen einer Phase einer instruktionsgeleiteten Meditation gewonnen worden waren. Die Reliabilitat eines einfachen Kodiersystems erwies sich als vielversprechend und deutete darauf hin, dass aufgabenbezogene mentale Aktivitaten auf einem einfachen, deskriptiven Niveau kodiert werden konnen. Die Ergebnisse der Protokollanalyse werden im Licht der Kategorien diskutiert, die mit Hilfe der Grounded Theory entwickelt und an anderer Stelle beschrieben wurden. Der Grad der Ubereinstimmung und die gegenseitige Unterstutzung waren bezuglich zweier Aspekte frappierend: Erstens spiegelten sich die Erfahrungen der Teilnehmer in beiden Methoden wieder. Zweitens wurden verschiedene Kategorien der Theorie durch die Protokollanalyse erklart und exemplifiziert. Einige potentielle Schwierigkeiten beim Vergleich von Ergebnissen aus unterschiedlichen Methoden werden diskutiert. Als zusatzliche Begrenzung stellte sich heraus, dass eine erweiterte Quantifizierung der Kodekategorien aus der Protokollanalyse nicht moglich war. Es wird jedoch angenommen, dass aus einer zukunftigen Theorie uberprufbare Hypothesen abgeleitet werden konnen, so dass die Protokollanalyse als ein starker formalisierter Test der Theorie genutzt werden kann. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs020119
Longitudinal Effects of Improving Inter-Parental Relationships in Low-Income Couples: Child Outcomes

Poverty and economic hardship create tremendous stress for families, and subsequently are risk factors for child psychopathology. The Fatherhood, Relationship, and Marriage Education (FRAME) program is a 14-hour psychoeducation intervention developed specifically to strengthen the ability of low-income mothers and fathers to reduce conflict, cope with stress, and co-parent effectively, hopefully helping to create more stable and secure environments for children. The FRAME study is a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a couples-based intervention in a sample of 301 ethnically diverse low-income cohabiting mothers and fathers who are parenting at least one child together. Couples were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups or to an assessment-only control condition. The current research evaluated the impact of the intervention program on a range of parenting behaviors and child outcomes across four time points for both mothers and father, and examined relationships between economic strain and parenting, and parenting and symptoms of psychopathology across four time points. Hierarchical linear modeling was used for primary analyses. FRAME effectiveness results showed significant time by group interactions for Anxious/ Depressed and Thought Problems symptoms, as well as Parent-Child Positive Interaction, indicating improvements for intervention participants as opposed to controls, as well as a
Pengaruh Work-life Balance (Keseimbangan Kehidupan Kerja) terhadap Kepuasan Kerja Perawat pada Tenaga Kerja Perawat di Badan Layanan Umum Daerah (Blud) Rumah Sakit Konawe Selatan Tahun 2016

Keseimbangan kehidupan kerja adalah kemampuan untuk menyeimbangkan antara tuntutan pekerjaan dengan kebutuhan pribadi dan keluarga. Berdasarkan hasil wawancara awal dengan kepala unit kepegawaian di BLUD Rumah Sakit Konawe Selatan, jumlah tenaga perawat sebanyak 84 orang yang terdiri dari 23 orang PNS dan 61 orang tenaga honorer. Diketahui bahwa ada perubahan jumlah tenaga kerja yaitu seorang perawat yang berstatus PNS mengajukan surat permohonan untuk pindah (mutasi) dengan alasan bahwa keluarganya mengkhawatirkan keselamatan pegawai tersebut karena jarak dari tempat tinggal ke rumah sakit sangat jauh. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh work-life balance terhadap kepuasan kerja perawat baik dari segi keseimbangan waktu, keseimbangan keterlibatan dan keseimbangan kepuasan di BLUD Rumah Sakit Konawe Selatan tahun 2016. Adapun Jenis penelitian ini penelitian kuantitatif dengan menggunakan pendekatan survei. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh tenaga perawat pelaksana yang bertugas di BLUD Rumah Sakit Konawe Selatan sebanyak 84 orang. Sampel dalam penelitian ini yaitu 84 responden dengan menggunakan teknik exhaustive sampling. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tidak ada pengaruh yang signifikan antara keseimbangan waktu terhadap kepuasan kerja perawat (ρ value = 0,360) dan ada pengaruh yang signifikan antara keseimbangan keterlibatan (ρ value = 0,022) dan keseimbangan kepuasan (ρ value = 0,014) terhadap kepuasan kerja perawat. Kata kunci : keseimbangan kehidupan kerja, keseimbangan waktu, keseimbangan keterlibatan, keseimbangan kepuasan
Towards an Efficient Policy Evaluation Process in Multi-Tenancy Cloud Environments

Cloud computing offers most of its services under multi-tenancy environments. To satisfy security requirements among collaborating tenants, each tenant may define a set of access control policies to secure access to shared data. Several cloud solutions make use of XACML to specify such policies. However, existing implementations of XACML perform a brute force search to compare a request to all existing rules in a given XACML policy. This decreases the decision process (i.e., policy evaluation) performance especially for policies with a large number of rules. In this paper, we propose an automata-based approach for an efficient XACML policy evaluation. We implemented our approach in a cloud policy engine called X2Automata. The engine first converts both XACML policies and access requests to automata. Second, it combines the two automata by a synchronous product. Third, it applies an evaluation procedure to the resulting automaton to decide whether an access request is granted or not. To highlight the efficiency of X2Automata, we compare its performance, based on the OpenStack cloud environment, with the XACML implementation named Balana.
Energy advisors at work: charity work practices to support people in fuel poverty

We present an ethnographic study of energy advisors working for a charity that provides support, particularly to people in fuel poverty. Our fieldwork comprises detailed observations that reveal the collaborative, interactional work of energy advisors and clients during home visits, supplemented with interviews and a participatory design workshop with advisors. We identify opportunities for Ubicomp technologies that focus on supporting the work of the advisor, including complementing the collaborative advice giving in home visits, providing help remotely, and producing evidence in support of accounts of practices and building conditions useful for interactions with landlords, authorities and other third parties. We highlight six specific design challenges that relate the domestic fuel poverty setting to the wider Ubicomp literature. Our work echoes a shift in attention from energy use and the individual consumer, specifically to matters of advice work practices and the domestic fuel poverty setting, and to the discourse around inclusive Ubicomp technologies.
A Measurement System and the TUG-EEC-Channels Database for the Aeronautical Voice Radio

A system for measuring time-variant impulse responses and a database of such measurements for the aeronautical voice channel are presented. Maximum length sequences (MLS) are transmitted over the voice channel with a standard aeronautical radio and the received signals are recorded. For the purpose of synchronisation, both the transmitted and received signals are recorded in parallel with a GPS-based timing signal. The flight path of the aircraft is accurately tracked. A collection of recordings of MLS transmissions is generated during flights with a general aviation aircraft. The measurements cover a wide range of typical flight situations as well as static back-to-back calibrations. The resulting database is made available under a public licence free of charge. The estimated time-variant impulse responses provide a characterisation of the aeronautical voice channel. This characterisation is needed for improvements and add-ons to voice communication systems as in air traffic control, where the analogue radio will remain in use for many years to come.
Skewed partial bitvectors for list intersection

This paper examines the space-time performance of in-memory conjunctive list intersection algorithms, as used in search engines, where integers represent document identifiers. We demonstrate that the combination of bitvectors, large skips, delta compressed lists and URL ordering produces superior results to using skips or bitvectors alone. We define semi-bitvectors, a new partial bitvector data structure that stores the front of the list using a bitvector and the remainder using skips and delta compression. To make it particularly effective, we propose that documents be ordered so as to skew the postings lists to have dense regions at the front. This can be accomplished by grouping documents by their size in a descending manner and then reordering within each group using URL ordering. In each list, the division point between bitvector and delta compression can occur at any group boundary. We explore the performance of semi-bitvectors using the GOV2 dataset for various numbers of groups, resulting in significant space-time improvements over existing approaches. Semi-bitvectors do not directly support ranking. Indeed, bitvectors are not believed to be useful for ranking based search systems, because frequencies and offsets cannot be included in their structure. To refute this belief, we propose several approaches to improve the performance of ranking-based search systems using bitvectors, and leave their verification for future work. These proposals suggest that bitvectors, and more particularly semi-bitvectors, warrant closer examination by the research community.
Heterozygote Advantage Probably Maintains Rhesus Factor Blood Group Polymorphism: Ecological Regression Study

Rhesus factor polymorphism has been an evolutionary enigma since its discovery in 1939. Carriers of the rarer allele should be eliminated by selection against Rhesus positive children born to Rhesus negative mothers. Here I used an ecologic regression study to test the hypothesis that Rhesus factor polymorphism is stabilized by heterozygote advantage. The study was performed in 65 countries for which the frequencies of RhD phenotypes and specific disease burden data were available. I performed multiple multivariate covariance analysis with five potential confounding variables: GDP, latitude (distance from the equator), humidity, medical care expenditure per capita and frequencies of smokers. The results showed that the burden associated with many diseases correlated with the frequencies of particular Rhesus genotypes in a country and that the direction of the relation was nearly always the opposite for the frequency of Rhesus negative homozygotes and that of Rhesus positive heterozygotes. On the population level, a Rhesus-negativity-associated burden could be compensated for by the heterozygote advantage, but for Rhesus negative subjects this burden represents a serious problem.