Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Discovery Through Gossip

We study randomized gossip‐based processes in dynamic networks that are motivated by information discovery in large‐scale distributed networks such as peer‐to‐peer and social networks. A well‐studied problem in peer‐to‐peer networks is resource discovery, where the goal for nodes (hosts with IP addresses) is to discover the IP addresses of all other hosts. Also, some of the recent work on self‐stabilization algorithms for P2P/overlay networks proceed via discovery of the complete network. In social networks, nodes (people) discover new nodes through exchanging contacts with their neighbors (friends). In both cases the discovery of new nodes changes the underlying network — new edges are added to the network — and the process continues in the changed network. Rigorously analyzing such dynamic (stochastic) processes in a continuously changing topology remains a challenging problem with obvious applications.
Device-Parameter Estimation through IDDQ Signatures

We propose a novel technique for the estimation of deviceparameters suitable for postfabrication performance compensation and adaptive delay testing, which are effective means to improve the yield and reliability of LSIs. The proposed technique is based on Bayes’ theorem, in which the device-parameters of a chip, such as the threshold voltage of transistors, are estimated by current signatures obtained in a regular IDDQ testing framework. Neither additional circuit implementation nor additional measurement is required for the purpose of parameter estimation. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed technique can achieve 10-mV accuracy in threshold voltage estimations. key words: IDDQ testing, statistical leakage current analysis, Bayes’ theorem
V-PFORDelta: Data Compression for Energy Efficient Computation of Time Series

Chip multiprocessors (CMPs) and heterogeneous architectures have become predominant in all market segments, from embedded to high performance computing. These architectures exacerbate on-chip data requirements, creating additional pressure on the memory subsystem. Consequently, efficient utilization of on-chip memory space becomes critical for data intensive applications. A promising means of addressing this challenge is to use an effective compression method to reduce the data transmitted along the memory hierarchy. In this paper we present V-PFORDelta, a real-time vectorized integer differential compression method for memory bound applications. We evaluate the effectiveness of our SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data stream) based compression method on an industrial hydrological time series data processing kernel. We analyzed both Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE) and Advanced Vector Extensions 2 (AVX2) versions of the compression method. Results show that the performance and energy efficiency can be improved up to a factor of 3.1 and 8.2, respectively. The proposed method not only outperforms the uncompressed SIMD implementations of the hydrological kernel, but also reduces the data storage requirements by a factor of 1.56x to 3.38x, depending on the analyzed dataset.
Smoothed Pointing: A User-Friendly Technique for Precision Enhanced Remote Pointing

This paper presents Smoothed Pointing, a velocity-based precision enhancing technique for remote pointing by means of absolute devices. After discussing the most recent related work concerning the problem of accuracy in remote pointing by handheld input devices, we introduce the distinctive features of the control-to-display ratio adaptation technique we have designed to: i) reduce the effect of both noise in input device signals and of hand tremors on the cursor stability; and ii) increase the accuracy of pointing when performed on large, high resolution displays. Moreover, we describe a 10 second calibration procedure to determine the filtering parameters, so as to free the user from a manual set up.
Assessment and Treatment of Distorted Schemas in Sexual Offenders

The aim of this review is to examine the literature related to the assessment and treatment of sex offenders’ distorted schemas. Where appropriate, the review draws upon current insights from the field of social cognition to aid in the critical evaluation of the findings. First, the review considers the various different methodologies for assessing distorted schemas, discussing their strengths and limitations. Second, the review examines the work related to the treatment of sex offenders’ schemas. Suggestions for future research, and the implications for clinical practice, are highlighted in the article.
Dietary patterns are associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in a representative study population of German adults

Studies that investigated complex actual eating behaviours of the general population and their relation to cardiometabolic risk markers are sparse. We aimed to identify dietary patterns within a nationally representative sample of 4025 German adults by factor analysis based on validated dietary history interviews. Furthermore, we evaluated associations of the derived dietary patterns with abnormalities clustered within the metabolic syndrome and related metabolic markers by logistic regression models and ANCOVA. A high adherence to the ‘processed foods’ pattern reflected a high intake of refined grains, processed meat, red meat, high-sugar beverages, eggs, potatoes, beer, sweets and cakes, snacks and butter, whereas a high adherence to the ‘health-conscious’ pattern represented a high intake of vegetables, vegetable oils, legumes, fruits, fish and whole grains. For subjects in the highest compared with those in the lowest quintile of the processed foods pattern, the occurrence of abdominal obesity was 88 (95 % CI 31, 169) % higher, hypertension was 34 (95 % CI − 4, 86) % higher, hypertriacylglycerolaemia was 59 (95 % CI 11, 128 ) % higher and the metabolic syndrome was 64 (95 % CI 10, 143) % higher when adjusted for age, sex, energy intake, socio-economic status, sport activity and smoking. Furthermore, subjects in the highest quintile had statistically significantly higher uric acid concentrations and lower folate concentrations (P for trend < 0·05). In contrast, subjects in the highest quintile of the health-conscious pattern had a 30 (95 % CI 10, 46) % lower occurrence of hypertension, higher folate concentrations and lower homocysteine and fibrinogen concentrations (P for trend < 0·05). These data strengthen the findings from non-representative studies and emphasise the importance of healthy overall food patterns for preventing metabolic disturbances.
Understanding social interaction in world of warcraft

Research has argued that social interaction is a primary driving force for gamers to continue to play Massive Multiple Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs). However, one recent study argues that gamers don't really socialize with other players but play alone. Part of the confusion over whether players socialize much and/or enjoy socializing while playing MMORPGs may be due to the lack of a conceptual framework that adequately articulates what is meant by 'social interaction in MMORPGs to understand how users experience interactions within the game. This study utilized ethnography to map out social interaction within the game World of Warcraft. It provides a broad framework of the factors affecting social interaction. The framework developed can be further verified and modified for future research.
Improving Awareness of Intelligent Virtual Agents

Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs) are interactive characters controlled by software agents that exhibit human-like qualities. When interacting with human participants in virtual communities, an IVA is expected to be intelligent, as well as believable. A major factor that determines the intelligence and believability of an IVA is its ability to be aware of its physical and social environments. An important aspect of physical environment awareness is the ability of an agent to refer at an abstract level to the interactions of entities (avatars and objects) in its surrounding environment. However, sensor data received from many virtual worlds describe the agent’s environment at the level of objects and avatars. This has introduced an information representation gap between virtual worlds and IVAs implemented using agent systems such as those based on the BDI architecture. In this thesis, the dynamic virtual environment of an IVA is described using entity relationships that abstractly describe the state of the environment, communication actions included in the messages exchanged in chat channels, complex events that take place, and situations that are unfolding. An abstract model of virtual environments is formulated to describe these different virtual environment elements, and their interrelationships. A set of data inference mechanisms is identified, which interprets the low-level sensor data received from virtual worlds into the aforementioned elements of dynamic virtual environments. A framework implementing these data inference mechanisms is used to process sensor data received by Jason agents deployed in the popular multi-purpose virtual world Second Life.
Optimization between AES security and performance for IEEE 802.15.3 WPAN

Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a new technology that enables wireless connectivity with consistent high data rates across multiple devices, such as high-definition television (HDTV) receivers, PCs, printers and digital cameras, within the digital home, and the office. In this paper, we focus on UWB transmissions where multiple accesses to the channel are coordinated by the IEEE 802.15. 3 medium access control mechanism proposed in the IEEE 802.15. 3a task group. Advanced encryption standard (AES), the most popular encryption cipher used nowadays, is used to ensure the security of the transmission. We study the overhead introduced by applying the AES cipher to the transmitted frames. Specifically, we analyze the tradeoff between throughput, payload size, and channel error when AES is used to encrypt the frames.
Practice and Prospects of Medium-term Economic Forecasting

Summary Government agencies and other national and international institutions are asked to perform forecasts over the medium term. In particular, the EU Stability and Growth Pact contains the obligation to formulate stability programmes over four years, covering a general economic outlook as well as the projected development of public finances. However, the current practice of performing medium-term economic projections is unsatisfactory from a methodological point of view as the applied methodology has been developed for short-run forecasting and it is questionable whether these methods are useful for the medium term. In particular, currently medium-term projections are mostly based on the neoclassical Solow growth model with an aggregate production function with labour, capital and exogenous technological progress. It might be argued, however, that for medium-run projections endogenous growth models might be better suited. In this paper we give an overview of currently used methods for medium-term macroeconomic projections. Then we analyse the performance of medium-term forecasts for Austria to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the typical approach. In particular, the five-year projections of real GDP growth, inflation and the unemployment rate are investigated. Finally, we describe some approaches to improve medium-run projections.
[Pediatric kidney transplantation and living donors--invaluable by virtue of necessity].

UNLABELLED Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice for paediatric patients with end-stage renal failure. Living donor transplantation (LDT) has become an important therapeutic option due to the shortage of cadaver donors and increasingly long waiting times. METHODS Between 1992 and 1999, a total of 48 paediatric and adolescent patients underwent renal transplantation in Zurich. Of these, 21 patients (44%) received a kidney from a living related donor. 11 patients had been dialysed before LDT over a period of 0.2-5.7 years (median 0.6), and 10 were transplanted preemptively. Triple immunosuppression consisted of cyclosporine A, azathioprine or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF; since 1998), and prednisone. The observation period was 0.5-7.3 years (median 2). RESULTS Recipients were 2-18 (median 10.5) years old at transplantation. One third had either a congenital malformation, an inherited disease, or an acquired disorder. One patient died of an associated cardiac disease at 4 months with functioning graft, and one functional graft loss occurred after 2.8 years. 9 patients were switched from cyclosporine to tacrolimus, 7 for biopsy-proven rejection and 2 for cosmetic reasons (hypertrichosis). No antibody preparations were used. Median glomerular filtration rate (51Cr-EDTA), measured after one year in 11 donor/recipients, was 64 (55-95) and 54 (32-82) ml/min/1.73 m2, respectively. The most recent estimated renal function (Schwartz formula) of 19 functioning grafts was 37-79 ml/min/1.73 m2 (median 63). Median body height of 16 patients with no associated extrarenal disease was -0.9 SDS (standard deviation score); the remaining 3--with serious extra-renal disease--were considerably growth retarded. Main complications were reversible rejection episodes in 19 (90%), arterial hypertension (16), CMV disease (2) and asymptomatic CMV infection (3), pyelonephritis (3), and recurrence of the primary renal disease, seizures, diabetes mellitus and non-compliance (one each). Actuarial patient and graft survival (Kaplan-Meier) after 3 years was 95 and 83% respectively. This was not statistically different from the cadaveric donor group (n = 27) with 100 and 80% survival respectively. Overall rehabilitation was excellent. The donors were 12 mothers, 8 fathers and one grandmother aged 31 to 50 (median 39) years; none of them experienced serious postoperative problems. CONCLUSIONS The paediatric transplantation programme would no longer be feasible in Switzerland without LDT. The results are very encouraging; preemptive transplantation makes it possible to avoid dialysis in half of the patients. The risk for the donor is small, and careful evaluation without putting pressure on the family is essential.
The Cortical Topography of Visual Evoked Potentials Elicited by Chromatic and Luminance Motion

When motion-onset VEPs are elicited by moving luminance patterns, the motion specific component of the response, N2, is more prominent at electrode sites that overlay the lateral occipito-parietal cortex close to area V5/MT, than over the primary visual cortex. Functional segregation suggests that colour and motion processing should take place along different ventral occipito-temporal and lateral occipito-parietal pathways, respectively. Hence, a different topographical distribution might be expected for the motion-onset VEPs elicited by chromatic and luminance motion stimuli. We recorded motion-onset VEPs to moving luminance or isoluminant chromatic sinusoidal grating stimuli from five electrodes sites located at Oz, and at four locations (T1-T4) lateral to Oz, at intervals of 5% of the head circumference. Responses were recorded from 6 subjects over a range of speeds and contrasts. The results showed that the N2 component was maximal at similar lateral electrode locations (T2) for both luminance-defined and chromatically-defined motion. The earlier P1 component was of greatest magnitude at the occipital pole (Oz) and decreased with more lateral electrode placement and again this was the same for colour and luminance responses. These similarities suggest a common origin for VEPs elicited by colour and luminance defined motion.
Lazy multivariate higher-order forward-mode AD

A method is presented for computing all higher-order partial derivatives of a multivariate function R n → R. This method works by evaluating the function under a nonstandard interpretation, lifting reals to multivariate power series. Multivariate power series, with potentially an infinite number of terms with nonzero coefficients, are represented using a lazy data structure constructed out of linear terms. A complete implementation of this method in Scheme is presented, along with a straightforward exposition, based on Taylor expansions, of the method's correctness.
Web search result summarization: title selection algorithms and user satisfaction

Eye tracking experiments have shown that titles of Web search results play a crucial role in guiding a user's search process. We present a machine-learned algorithm that trains a boosted tree to pick the most relevant title for a Web search result. We compare two modeling approaches: i) using absolute editorial judgments and ii) using pairwise preference judgments. We find that the pairwise modeling approach gives better results in terms of three offline metrics. We present results of our models in four regions. We also describe a hybrid user satisfaction evaluation process -- search success -- that combines page relevance and user click behavior, and show that our machine-learned algorithm improves in search success.
Are we evolved to live with mobiles? An evolutionary view of mobile communication

By providing ultimate explanations for human behaviors, an evolutionary perspective lends itself to understanding why and how mobile communication occupies an ever increasingly critical role in modern life. From the perspective of evolution, human behaviors - in interaction with the environment - are driven by, and can be made understandable through the pursuit of physical and social survival and reproductive success. An evolutionary perspective can yield insight into commonalities observed in mobile communication across societies and cultures. To achieve these objectives, we revisit and reanalyze existing research on mobile communication through an evolutionary lens. In the process, we demonstrate that seemingly inexplicable activities from a conventional communication perspective can be meaningfully interpreted from an evolutionary perspective. We extend the evolutionary perspective on mobile communication to examine implications for social policy and further research.
Gene expression profiling of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) stimulated primary human tenon fibroblasts reveals an inflammatory and wound healing response in vitro

Purpose The biologic relevance of human connective tissue growth factor (hCTGF) for primary human tenon fibroblasts (HTFs) was investigated by RNA expression profiling using affymetrixTM oligonucleotide array technology to identify genes that are regulated by hCTGF. Methods Recombinant hCTGF was expressed in HEK293T cells and purified by affinity and gel chromatography. Specificity and biologic activity of hCTGF was confirmed by biosensor interaction analysis and proliferation assays. For RNA expression profiling HTFs were stimulated with hCTGF for 48h and analyzed using affymetrixTM oligonucleotide array technology. Results were validated by real time RT–PCR. Results hCTGF induces various groups of genes responsible for a wound healing and inflammatory response in HTFs. A new subset of CTGF inducible inflammatory genes was discovered (e.g., chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 1 [CXCL1], chemokine [C-X-C motif] ligand 6 [CXCL6], interleukin 6 [IL6], and interleukin 8 [IL8]). We also identified genes that can transmit the known biologic functions initiated by CTGF such as proliferation and extracellular matrix remodelling. Of special interest is a group of genes, e.g., osteoglycin (OGN) and osteomodulin (OMD), which are known to play a key role in osteoblast biology. Conclusions This study specifies the important role of hCTGF for primary tenon fibroblast function. The RNA expression profile yields new insights into the relevance of hCTGF in influencing biologic processes like wound healing, inflammation, proliferation, and extracellular matrix remodelling in vitro via transcriptional regulation of specific genes. The results suggest that CTGF potentially acts as a modulating factor in inflammatory and wound healing response in fibroblasts of the human eye.
Evidence for an African Cluster of Human Head and Body Lice with Variable Colors and Interbreeding of Lice between Continents

Background Human head lice and body lice have been classified based on phenotypic characteristics, including geographical source, ecotype (preferred egg laying site hair or clothes), shape and color. More recently, genotypic studies have been based on mitochondrial genes, nuclear genes and intergenic spacers. Mitochondrial genetic analysis reclassified lice into three genotypes (A, B and C). However, no previous study has attempted to correlate both genotypic and phenotypic data. Materials and Methods Lice were collected in four African countries: Senegal, Burundi, Rwanda and Ethiopia and were photographed to compare their colors. The Multi-Spacer-Typing (MST) method was used to genotype lice belonging to the worldwide Clade A, allowing a comparison of phenotypic and genotypic data. Results No congruence between louse color and genotype has been identified. Phylogenetic analysis of the spacer PM2, performed including lice from other sources, showed the existence of an African cluster of human lice. However, the analysis of other spacers suggested that lice from different areas are interbreeding. Conclusions We identified two geotypes of Clade A head and body lice including one that is specifically African, that can be either black or grey and can live on the head or in clothing. We also hypothesized that lice from different areas are interbreeding.
Digitally enabled affordances for community‐driven environmental movement in rural Malaysia

The immense environmental challenges facing society today have necessitated a research effort toward exploring digitally enabled solutions for environmental problems. Only limited research exists today to inform our understanding on how technology could assist groups of individuals in cultivating collective commitment and engaging in actions for environmental sustainability. By presenting an in‐depth case study of a social media‐enabled grassroots environmental movement in rural Malaysia, this paper aims to illuminate and understand an underresearched phenomenon of community‐driven environmental sustainability. This study makes 2 contributions: (1) we draw on the perspective of technology affordances to shed light on both the enabling power and unintended consequences of social media in the pursuit of environmental sustainability; and on that account, (2) we contribute rich, empirically informed insights toward understanding the underresearched phenomenon of digitally enabled, community‐driven environmental sustainability.
Two-dimensional FDTD analysis of a pulsed microwave confocal system for breast cancer detection: fixed-focus and antenna-array sensors

A novel focused active microwave system is investigated for detecting tumors in the breast. In contrast to X-ray and ultrasound modalities, the method reviewed here exploits the breast-tissue physical properties unique to the microwave spectrum, namely, the translucent nature of normal breast tissues and the high dielectric contrast between malignant tumors and surrounding lesion-free normal breast tissues. The system uses a pulsed confocal technique and time-gating to enhance the detection of tumors while suppressing the effects of tissue heterogeneity and absorption. Using published data for the dielectric properties of normal breast tissues and malignant tumors, the authors have conducted a two-dimensional (2-D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) computational electromagnetics analysis of the system. The FDTD simulations showed that tumors as small as 2 mm in diameter could be robustly detected in the presence of the background clutter generated by the heterogeneity of the surrounding normal tissue. Lateral spatial resolution of the tumor location was found to be about 0.5 cm.