Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trusting the Cloud: A PROV + RBAC Approach

This paper describes a provenance-based access control system for the cloud. The system relies on provenance (PROV-DM, PROV-O) and access-control models (RBAC) together with a distributed rule-based mechanism. The system allows rule propagation (in the cloud) and uses a central execution engine for enforcing security and trustworthiness. This paper provides a comparison between PROV-DM and PROV-O in terms of efficiency and expressiveness regarding Provenance graphs.
Single Molecule Analysis of Laser Localized Interstrand Crosslinks

DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) block unwinding of the double helix, and have always been regarded as major challenges to replication and transcription. Compounds that form these lesions are very toxic and are frequently used in cancer chemotherapy. We have developed two strategies, both based on immunofluorescence (IF), for studying cellular responses to ICLs. The basis of each is psoralen, a photoactive (by long wave ultraviolet light, UVA) DNA crosslinking agent, to which we have linked an antigen tag. In the one approach, we have taken advantage of DNA fiber and immuno-quantum dot technologies for visualizing the encounter of replication forks with ICLs induced by exposure to UVA lamps. In the other, psoralen ICLs are introduced into nuclei in live cells in regions of interest defined by a UVA laser. The antigen tag can be displayed by conventional IF, as can the recruitment and accumulation of DNA damage response proteins to the laser localized ICLs. However, substantial difference between the technologies creates considerable uncertainty as to whether conclusions from one approach are applicable to those of the other. In this report, we have employed the fiber/quantum dot methodology to determine lesion density and spacing on individual DNA molecules carrying laser localized ICLs. We have performed the same measurements on DNA fibers with ICLs induced by exposure of psoralen to UVA lamps. Remarkably, we find little difference in the adduct distribution on fibers prepared from cells exposed to the different treatment protocols. Furthermore, there is considerable similarity in patterns of replication in the vicinity of the ICLs introduced by the two techniques.
Compiling and Managing a Bilingual Lexicon in METIS-II

This paper describes a project to manage a bilingual German-English lexical resource and to integrate and compile it into a consistent database. Entries are lemmatised and morphologically analyzed to increase their coverage. A number of methods and tools aim at ensuring consistency and quality of the lexicon. Inconsistent entries are detected and marked to be amended by a lexicographer. The tools respond to the requirements of the entries to match on discontinuous verbal and nominal phrases and to improve the precision of the matching process.
A speech processing front-end with eigenspace normalization for robust speech recognition in noisy automobile environments

A new front-end processing scheme for robust speech recognition is proposed and evaluated on the multi-lingual Aurora 3 database. The front-end processing scheme consists of Mel-scaled spectral subtraction, speech segmentation, cepstral coefficient extraction, utterance-level frame dropping and eigenspace feature normalization. We also investigated performance on all language databases by post-processing features extracted by the ETSI advanced front-end with an additional eigenspace normalization module. This step consists in linear PCA matrix feature transformation followed by mean and variance normalization of the transformed cepstral coefficients. In speech recognition experiments, our proposed front-end yielded better than 16 percent relative error rate reduction over the ETSI front-end on the Finnish language database. Also, more than 6% in average relative error reduction was observed over all languages with the ETSI front-end augmented by eigenspace normalization.
Logsum Using Garbled Circuits

Secure multiparty computation allows for a set of users to evaluate a particular function over their inputs without revealing the information they possess to each other. Theoretically, this can be achieved using fully homomorphic encryption systems, but so far they remain in the realm of computational impracticability. An alternative is to consider secure function evaluation using homomorphic public-key cryptosystems or Garbled Circuits, the latter being a popular trend in recent times due to important breakthroughs. We propose a technique for computing the logsum operation using Garbled Circuits. This technique relies on replacing the logsum operation with an equivalent piecewise linear approximation, taking advantage of recent advances in efficient methods for both designing and implementing Garbled Circuits. We elaborate on how all the required blocks should be assembled in order to obtain small errors regarding the original logsum operation and very fast execution times.
Novel iteration schemes for the Cluster Variation Method

The Cluster Variation method is a class of approximation methods containing the Bethe and Kikuchi approximations as special cases. We derive two novel iteration schemes for the Cluster Variation Method. One is a fixed point iteration scheme which gives a significant improvement over loopy BP. mean field and TAP methods on directed graphical models. The other is a gradient based method, that is guaranteed to converge and is shown to give useful results on random graphs with mild frustration. We conclude that the methods are of significant practical value for large inference problems.
Stochastic skyline route planning under time-varying uncertainty

Different uses of a road network call for the consideration of different travel costs: in route planning, travel time and distance are typically considered, and green house gas (GHG) emissions are increasingly being considered. Further, travel costs such as travel time and GHG emissions are time-dependent and uncertain. To support such uses, we propose techniques that enable the construction of a multi-cost, time-dependent, uncertain graph (MTUG) model of a road network based on GPS data from vehicles that traversed the road network. Based on the MTUG, we define stochastic skyline routes that consider multiple costs and time-dependent uncertainty, and we propose efficient algorithms to retrieve stochastic skyline routes for a given source-destination pair and a start time. Empirical studies with three road networks in Denmark and a substantial GPS data set offer insight into the design properties of the MTUG and the efficiency of the stochastic skyline routing algorithms.
A robust and scalable technique for the constraints solving problem in high-level verification

Constraints solving is an important problem in a random simulation-based functional verification methodology. Constraints are used to model the environmental restrictions of the design under verification and the job of the constraints solver is to produce multiple random solutions that satisfy the constraints. We present RACE, a new word-level ATPG-based system for solving combinational constraint expressions. RACE builds a high-level circuit model to represent the constraints and implements a branch-and-bound algorithm to solve them. Experimental results on industrial test cases demonstrate the effectiveness of RACE. RACE has been successfully used for random stimulus generation in the context of a commercial high-level test-bench automation tool with simulation for RTL verification.
A wide-range DC/DC converter with 2nd order digital compensation and direct battery connection in 40nm CMOS

This paper presents a digital DC-DC converter with 2nd order compensation and direct battery connect capability in 40nm CMOS. A combination of circuit and process technology is used to achieve an input range up to 5.5V with peak efficiencies of 95%. It also outlines an approach to optimize a control loop based on a sigma-delta ADC and higher order digital filter, which is demonstrated on a prototype achieving step response times under load below 38µs/V.
An Energy Consumption Model for Java Virtual Machine

In recent years we have seen an explosion of markets for portable electronic devices such as PDAs, personal communicators and mobile phones. The size and complexity of applications, but also development constraints like getting the product to market on time make the use of high-level languages like Java necessary. Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) has emerged as a good solution for developing applications on those platforms. The main goal of Java language is to allow applications development with an abstraction of the target platform, making the concept “write once, run it anywhere” possible. The Java Virtual machine (JVM) is an abstract machine, making the interface between platform independent applications and the hardware, through a possible operating system. Thus the use of Java language can be seen as adding one more layer, the Java virtual machine, between the hardware and software layers. In this paper we establish a general framework for estimating the energy consumption of an embedded Java virtual machine. We have designed a number of experiments to find the constants overhead of the Virtual Machine and establish energy consumption cost for individual Java Opcodes. The results show that there is a basic constant overhead that is equal for every Java program, and a that a subset of Java opcodes have an almost constant energy cost. We also show that memory access is a crucial energy consumption component.
Quantitative Colocalization Analysis of Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy Images

Colocalization is an important finding in many cell biological studies. This unit describes a protocol for quantitative evaluation of images with colocalization based on the calculation of a number of specialized coefficients. First, images of double‐stained sections are subjected to background correction. Then, various coefficients are calculated. Meanings of the coefficients and a guide to interpretation of their results indicating either presence or absence of colocalization are given. Success in colocalization studies depends on the quality of analyzed images, proper preparation of them for coefficients calculations, and correct interpretation of obtained results. This protocol helps to ensure reliability of colocalization coefficients calculations. Curr. Protoc. Cell Biol. 39:4.19. 1‐4.19. 16. © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
MODULAR ANALYSIS OF DISCRETE CONTROLLERS FOR DISTRIBUTED HYBRID SYSTEMS

Abstract The algorithmic analysis of control systems for large and distributed hybrid systems is considerably restricted by its computational complexity. In order to enable the verification of discrete controllers for such hybrid systems, this contribution proposes an approach that combines decomposition, model checking and deduction. The system under examination is first decomposed into a set of modules represented by communicating linear hybrid automata. The Assumption/Commitment method is used to to prove properties of coupled modules and to derive conclusions about the behavior of the entire system. The individual Assumption/Commitment-pairs are proven using established methods for model checking.
Cognitive Maps for Mobile Robot Navigation : A Hybrid Representation Using Reference Systems 1

Extracting useful information from the environment has an important effect over the autonomous robot navigation process. In this paper, we describe a hybrid representation model for robot navigation in indoor environments, which uses local reference systems as basic elements. We present a model, which integrates quantitative and qualitative information, relating in a natural way the different working scales of an autonomous robot navigation system. An algorithm for the extraction of local reference systems from the environment is showed. Integration of quantitative and qualitative information, obtaining a hybrid description of the world, is explained. We also describe an algorithm to extract a topological map as a natural extension from the hybrid description. Finally, we will show how a cognitive map can emerge from the hybrid description and the topological map.
Update Monads: Cointerpreting Directed Containers

We introduce update monads as a generalization of state monads. Update monads are the compatible compositions of reader and writer monads given by a set and a monoid. Distributive laws between such monads are given by actions of the monoid on the set. We also discuss a dependently typed generalization of update monads. Unlike simple update monads, they cannot be factored into a reader and writer monad, but rather into similarly looking relative monads. Dependently typed update monads arise from cointerpreting directed containers, by which we mean an extension of an interpretation of the opposite of the category of containers into the category of set functors.
Deploying and testing a NGN testbed IST-daidalos testbed

In the last 3 years a medium size NGN testbed was deployed at the Instituto de Telecomunicações of Aveiro in order to support the validation of the project IST-Daidalos. This paper intends to describe not only the work done in order to setup and maintain this testbed but also to elucidate the community of some of the caveats of creating and managing such a testbed in a environment where most of the prototypes are under specification and requirements change quickly. In this paper we also present some of the methodology used in order to extract results from this testbed and an insight to what can be done in the future.
Cash-in-The-Market Pricing and Optimal Resolution of Bank Failures

As the number of bank failures increases, the set of assets available for acquisition by the surviving banks enlarges but the total amount of available liquidity within the surviving banks falls. This results in ‘cash-in-the-market’ pricing for liquidation of banking assets. At a sufficiently large number of bank failures, and in turn, at a sufficiently low level of asset prices, there are too many banks to liquidate and inefficient users of assets who are liquidity-endowed may end up owning the liquidated assets. In order to avoid this allocation inefficiency, it may be ex-post optimal for the regulator to bail out some failed banks. We show however that there exists a policy that involves liquidity assistance to surviving banks in the purchase of failed banks and that is equivalent to the bailout policy from an ex-post standpoint. Crucially, the liquidity provision policy gives banks incentives to differentiate, rather than to herd, makes aggregate banking crises less likely, and, thereby dominates the bailout policy from an ex-ante standpoint.
Use of in-hop cooperative relays in trajectory-based forwarding in dense wireless sensor networks

Source routing techniques like Trajectory Based Forwarding (TBF) are suitable for dense wireless sensor networks (WSNs) due to their low power requirement. Though usual opportunistic coordination adds reliability to TBF, it also increases delay and coordination complexity. Alternatively, this work proposes the use of multiple cooperative relays within every single hop of a trajectory so that two adjacent forwarders do not communicate directly. While minimizing energy consumption further, this novel arrangement ensures an upper bound on delay, which is essential for delay-sensitive mission-critical WSNs. Analytical results show that the use of in-hop relays improves both energy efficiency and robustness.
Second order-based image retrieval algorithm

Under the environment of big data, retrieval becomes a crucial technology and image retrieval is paid more attention and widely used. The paper proposes a second-order retrieval algorithm, of which can be used to retrieval the similar images. Firstly, extracting image sift features. Then, build frequency table of characteristic words by k-means clustering and bag of word algorithm. Finally, based on word frequency table, first retrieve the images that have similar distribution characteristics of the structure. The second-order retrieval implement accurate retrieval of images according to the proportion of the corresponding feature points that belonging to the same class. The experimental results show that this method has good recall factor and good effect on query efficiency. It's a kind of method can be used.
3D measurement of a moving object using 3D accelerometer attached to moving camera

A measuring method by using a moving camera and a 3D accelerometer attached under the camera is proposed to identify the distance from the camera to the surface of the moving object and the position movement of the object in continuous two frame images. It makes possible to measure 3D position of a moving object with a half computational cost by keeping the same accuracy comparing to the method using stereo camera. The 3D measurement experiments with several original images show that the computation time of the proposed method is about 2 times faster than that of stereo camera method. The proposed method is planning to be used to avoid obstacles for vehicles or mobile robots, and the utilization as a depth measuring device is also investigated.
A Bayesian Approach to Testing for Markov Switching in Univariate and Dynamic Factor Models

Though Hamilton's (1989) Markov-switching model has been widely estimated in various contexts, formal testing for Markov-switching is not straightforward. Univariate tests in the classical framework by Hansen (1992) and Garcia (1998) do not reject the linear model for GDP. We present Bayesian tests for Markov-switching in both univariate and multivariate settings based on sensitivity of the posterior probability to the prior. We find that evidence for Markov-switching, and thus the business cycle asymmetry, is stronger in a switching version of the dynamic factor model of Stock and Watson (1991) than it is for GDP by itself.
Usage of tagging for research paper recommendation

Tagging has become a common service on Web2.0 application. This kind of service allows users to share and annotate interesting web resources. CiteULike is an example of Web2.0 application that allows its users to share research papers based on their interest. It also allows the users to create annotations or tags attached to the research papers. This paper examined the use of tagging for research paper recommendation. A research paper recommendation mechanism based on tagging was proposed. This mechanism recommends a research paper according a set of tags they have created. The result suggested that tags created by each user could be used as a user individual profile. The profile then compared with research paper index to compute a similarity score. The result of experiment showed that the accuracy of the proposed research paper recommendation is 79% with f-measure value at 82%.
Identification of Flutter Parameters for a Wing Model

A flexible mounting system has been developed for flutter tests with rigid wings in wind tunnel. The two-degree-of-freedom flutter obtained with this experimental system can be described as the combination of structural bending and torsion vibration modes. Active control schemes for flutter suppression, using a trailing edge flap as actuator, can be tested using this experimental setup. Previously to the development of the control scheme, dynamic and aeroelastic characteristics of the system must be investigated. Experimental modal analysis is performed and modes shape and frequencies are determined. Then, wind tunnel tests are performed to characterize the flutter phenomenon, determining critical flutter speed and frequency. Frequency response functions are also obtained for the range of velocities below the critical one showing the evolution of pitch and plunge modes and the coupling tendency with increasing velocity. Pitch and plunge data obtained in the time domain during these tests are used to evaluate the ability of the Extended Eigensystem Realization Algorithm to identify flutter parameter with increasing velocity. The results of the identification process are demonstrated in terms of the evolution of frequency and damping of the modes involved in flutter. Keywords : Identification, flutter, EERA, aeroelasticity
The FCS1: a language independent assessment of CS1 knowledge

A primary goal of many CS education projects is to determine the extent to which a given intervention has had an impact on student learning. However, computing lacks valid assessments for pedagogical or research purposes. Without such valid assessments, it is difficult to accurately measure student learning or establish a relationship between the instructional setting and learning outcomes. We developed the Foundational CS1 (FCS1) Assessment instrument, the first assessment instrument for introductory computer science concepts that is applicable across a variety of current pedagogies and programming languages. We applied methods from educational and psychological test development, adapting them as necessary to fit the disciplinary context. We conducted a large scale empirical study to demonstrate that pseudo-code was an appropriate mechanism for achieving programming language independence. Finally, we established the validity of the assessment using a multi-faceted argument, combining interview data, statistical analysis of results on the assessment, and CS1 exam scores.