Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Discovering Computers 2008: Complete

Discovering Computers 2008 provides a current and thorough introduction to computers by integrating usage of the World Wide Web with the printed text. This Shelly Cashman Series text offers a complete and engaging solution to successfully teach basic computer concepts with new exercises, case studies, and online tools on the Online Companion. Updated for currency, the latest trends in technology and computer concepts are covered.
SIMD-parallel understanding of natural language with application to magnitude-only optical parsing of text

A novel parallel model of natural language (NL) understanding is presented which can realize high levels of semantic abstraction, and is designed for implementation on synchronous SIMD architectures and optical processors. Theory is expressed in terms of the Image Algebra (IA), a rigorous, concise, inherently parallel notation which unifies the design, analysis, and implementation of image processing algorithms. The IA has been implemented on numerous parallel architectures, and IA preprocessors and interpreters are available for the FORTRAN and Ada languages. In a previous study, we demonstrated the utility of IA for mapping MEA- conformable (Multiple Execution Array) algorithms to optical architectures. In this study, we extend our previous theory to map serial parsing algorithms to the synchronous SIMD paradigm. We initially derive a two-dimensional image that is based upon the adjacency matrix of a semantic graph. Via IA template mappings, the operations of bottom-up parsing, semantic disambiguation, and referential resolution are implemented as image-processing operations upon the adjacency matrix. Pixel-level operations are constrained to Hadamard addition and multiplication, thresholding, and row/column summation, which are available in magnitude-only optics. Assuming high parallelism in the parse rule base, the parsing of n input symbols with a grammar consisting of M rules of arity H, on an N-processor architecture, could exhibit time complexity of T(n) <EQ O(MHn/N). When N equals O (Mn), which is feasible with massive parallelism, the computational cost is constant and of order H. Since H < < n is typical, we claim a fundamental complexity advantage over the current O(n) theoretical time limit of MIMD parsing architectures. Additionally, we show that inference over a semantic net is achievable is parallel in O(m) time, where m corresponds to the depth of the search tree. Results are evaluated in terms of computational cost on SISD and SIMD processors, with discussion of implementation on electro-optic architectures.
A case-based reinforcement learning for probe robot path planning

This paper discusses the application of case-based learning for probe robot path planning in unknown environments. Case-based learning which makes use of past experience, is an incremental learning process. This paper proposes an algorithm of introducing reinforcement learning to case-based-reasoning, which makes full use of knowledge acquired by reinforcement learning to construct and extend the case-library. This method can enhance the adaptability of robot to unknown environments and solve the problem of case acquiring as well as poor real-time performance, high learning risk of reinforcement learning. Also, with the forget-rule, case-library can be updated in time so that efficiency of case searching and learning is increased. As the learning progressing and the case-library dynamically updated, robot's intelligence has been greatly improved. A simulation shows the validity and feasibility of this method.
Sensor planning for novel view generation by camera networks

This document describes a system for generating novel views of an indoor visual scene by gathering successive 2D images from a set of independent networked robotic cameras. Specifically, the robotic cameras work to seek out texture and geometric information needed to generate the specified synthetic view or views, aiming to–with each successive camera move–increase confidence in the estimates of the pixel intensities in the novel view(s). This system lays the groundwork for future explorations in multi-camera video recording for electroholography and image-based rendering. Thesis Supervisor: V. Michael Bove, JR Title: Principal Research Scientist, Program in Media Arts and Sciences
A case study of collaborative facilities use in engineering design

In this paper we describe the use of visualization tools and facilities in the collaborative design of a replacement weapons system, the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW). We used not only standard collaboration methods but also a range of visualization software and facilities to bring together domain specialists from laboratories across the country to collaborate on the design and integrate this disparate input early in the design. This was the first time in U.S. weapons history that a weapon had been designed in this collaborative manner. Benefits included projected cost savings, design improvements and increased understanding across the project.
EMERALD: An object-based language for distributed programming

Distributed systems have become more common, however constructing distributed applications remains a very difficult task. Numerous operating systems and programming languages have been proposed that attempt to simplify the programming of distributed applications. We present a programming language called Emerald that simplifies distributed programming by extending the concepts of object-based languages to the distributed environment. Emerald supports a single model of computation: the object. Emerald objects include private entities such as integers and Booleans, as well as shared, distributed entities such as compilers, directories, and entire file systems. Emerald objects may move between machines in the system, but object invocation is location independent. The uniform semantic model used for describing all Emerald objects makes the construction of distributed applications in Emerald much simpler than in systems where the differences in implementation between local and remote entities are visible in the language semantics. Emerald incorporates a type system that deals only with the specification of objects--ignoring differences in implementation. Thus two different implementations of the same abstraction may be freely mixed in an Emerald program. Emerald has been implemented. The compiler accepts the responsibility of providing an efficient implementation from object definitions, generating multiple implementations tuned to different usage patterns from the same source code. We discuss these implementation considerations and provide performance data to justify our claim that Emerald can be efficiently implemented.
A comparison of machine learning techniques for hand shape recognition

There are five fundamental parameters that characterize any sign language gesture. They are hand shape, orientation, motion and location, and facial expressions. The SASL group at the University of the Western Cape has created systems to recognize each of these parameters in an input video stream. Most of these systems make use of the Support Vector Machine technique for the classification of data due to its high accuracy. It is, however, unknown how other machine learning techniques compare to Support Vector Machines in the recognition of each of these parameters. This research lays the foundation for the process of determining optimum machine learning techniques for each parameter by comparing Support Vector Machines to Artificial Neural Networks and Random Forests in the context of South African Sign Language hand shape recognition. Li, a previous researcher at the SASL group, created a stateof-the-art hand shape recognition system that uses Support Vector Machines to classify hand shapes. This research re-implements Li’s feature extraction procedure but investigates the use of Artificial Neural Networks and Random Forests in the place of Support Vector Machines as a comparison. The machine learning techniques are optimized and trained to recognize ten SASL hand shapes and compared in terms of classification accuracy, training time, optimization time and classification time.
Optimizing the Performance of Machine Learning Based Traffic Classification

Traffic classification is a critical technology in the areas of network management and security monitoring. Traditional port-based and payload-based classification are no longer effective due to the fact that many applications utilize unpredictable port numbers and packet encryption. Researchers tend to apply machine learning (ML) techniques to identify the traffic flows by recognizing statistical features. Unfortunately, looking back upon the related work, most of the ML-based classification algorithms have similar performance, and what really matters now is how to optimize these techniques. In this paper, we analyzed two critical issues (Feature Selection, Configuration of Parameters) of ML classification, and presented the corresponding viable methods to optimize the classification model. This paper also reported the experimental evaluation to assess the performance improvements introduced by our optimized methods; experimental results on real-life datasets and network traffic show that the classification model successfully achieves significant accuracy improvement.
Faktor-Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Perubahan Identitas Kota di Kawasan Kota Tua Muara Tebo Kabupaten Tebo Provinsi Jambi

ABSTRAK Keberadaan kota tidak lepas dari identitasnya, bahwa semua kota mempunyai identitas yang berbeda, baik yang positif maupun negatif. Identitas sebuah kota adalah keunikan kondisi dan karakteristik yang membedakannya dengan kota lainya. Kawasan Kota Tua Kabupaten Tebo memiliki suatu identitas dengan sejarah keberadaannya, namun karena adanya perkembangan arahan pembangunan Kota Tebo, kawasan ini mulai mengalami perubahan identitas kotanya yang saat ini secara fisik hanya dikenal sebagai kawasan pasar lama dan secara non fisik hanya menjadi kawasan yang tidak dikenal sebagai awal mula kota Kabupaten Tebo . Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah deduktif kuantitatif rasionalistik dengan teknik analisis deskriptif empiris dan analisis faktor statistik. Faktor yang mempengaruhi perubahan identitas kota di Kawasan Kota Tua Muara Tebo Kabupaten Tebo dtemukan 2 (dua) faktor, yaitu faktor fisik (organisasi ruang) dan faktor non fisik (aktivitas dan kebijakan ruang), serta 10 (sepuluh) faktor identitas kota. Rekomendasi yang diberikan adalah memperhatikan dan mempertimbangkan setiap kebijakan pembangunan dengan didasarkan kondisi attachment, perhatian pada perkembangan kota di masa depan dan karakter visual kawasan. Kata Kunci : Faktor-faktor, Perubahan dan Identitas Kota .
A Methodology for the Identification of Topic Transitions in Interaction

Many analysts use the notion of “topic” to describe segments of discourse, whether written or spoken, and many regret that even though a considerable amount of work has been devoted to understanding and defining the notion of discourse topic, the analyst is often left without a robust methodology to apply to their own data. This paper uses a mixed-methods approach that draws on the qualitative-oriented theoretical frameworks of Conversational Analysis and Interactional Linguistics, and combines them with quantitative methods used in other sub-fields of linguistics, such as the coding schemes and inter-rater agreement measures used in Corpus Linguistics. The goal of this study is not to provide a new understanding of “topic”, but rather to propose 1) a rich definition compiled from various earlier studies and suited to the analysis of talk-in-interaction, and 2) a systematic way to apply it to new data. The ambition of the paper is to provide a methodology for a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods analysis of topic-related phenomena in interaction, as one step among many in various research protocols. It provides empirical grounds for the claim that a research methodology based on the analyst’s intuitions may be a valid and robust way to identify topic transitions – if a number of precautionary steps are taken. It also proposes a practical guide to the systematic analysis of topic in interaction.
Resource management in federated computing environments

This dissertation demonstrates that resource management mechanisms designed to support several degrees of autonomy allow the establishment of effective cooperation among autonomous computing sites. Using two distinct resources, storage and processing, this dissertation introduces two distinct notions for autonomy: functional autonomy and service autonomy. For functional autonomy, it is shown that is practical to implement a network file system that provides increased client independence from the file server while maintaining a useful level of functionality. For service autonomy, a load sharing mechanism has been implemented that provides sites' owners with ways to control how much performance degradation local jobs will perceive when remote jobs are serviced. This dissertation claims that, although some very large distributed systems will be formed by the growth of integrated distributed systems, most will be created by joining together a number of separate, already existing, and independent distributed systems. In an environment composed of a multitude of cooperating sub-systems the autonomy of each entity must be respected in order to convince the owners of each of the separate components to join the federation. Consequently, any viable distributed system architecture must support the notion of autonomy if it is to scale at all in the real world.
Visitors and Residents in Library Web Spaces

Libraries have been considering visitor use of their physical buildings for a long time. Spaces have been reconfigured and updated as times have changed. In some libraries, patrons are making themselves more at home in library group areas, even moving the library’s furniture to accommodate their own needs. More recently, libraries have been looking at user behavior in Web spaces and are asking questions similar to those confronting physical building planners. Several articles in this issue serve to highlight investigations in this area. My dean recently led a discussion among James Madison University’s library and educational technology faculty about the issues raised by David White in his video Visitors & Residents (2010). White said that rather than classifying people as “digital natives” versus “digital immigrants,” as Marc Prensky did in 2001, an updated classification might be “visitors,” who see the Web as a toolbox with tools to be employed when useful, and “residents,” who see the Web as more of a public park where people socialize in numerous, manifold ways. He noted that people may play a visitor role in one aspect of life and a resident role in another—White considers himself a resident professionally but a visitor privately. A question posed in the ensuing discussion was whether our library Web spaces should be designed to support the habits of residents as opposed to visitors. An immediate point made was that some tools don’t lend themselves to this distinction. Google, for example, has failed to successfully implement social spaces, despite its centrality to most Web users’ lives—visitors and residents alike. Libraries have had both successful and unsuccessful experiments with Facebook, tagging, and other Web 2.0 tools. As White points out, the issues at hand have more to do with social culture than with technology. The question is not whether libraries or patrons know how to use Facebook technologically—it’s whether the participants consider themselves visitors or residents when operating in the space at hand. This may be why academic library liaisons may experience success with social technologies when using them for interaction with their departments (they are acting as residents of a space to extend existing relationships), but their library’s organizational presence on Facebook might never take off—at least in a
MapReduce-Based Parallel Linear Regression for Face Recognition

In order to solve the problem of high time complexity of Linear Regression Classification algorithm,we propose a Mapreduce-based parallel linear regression classification algorithm. The map task uses the test image vector and the vector subspace to predict the response vector for one class, then calculates the distance measure between the predicted response vectory and the original response vector. The reduce task processes the data which are generated by the mappers, the test image is assigned to the nearest class. The experiments shows that the MapReduce-based parallel linear regression classifier can significantly improve the efficiency of Face Recognition.
Towards torque control of the CRAB rover

This paper presents the preliminary results of a research aiming at implementing an enhanced control to drive the six wheeled rover CRAB based on an optimal set of torques. The results include testing and comparison of the controller with a standard velocity controller in simulation which showed very promising performance. Further, the development of a tactile wheel, which allows measuring the wheel ground contact angle, is described. This component completes the necessary hardware setup for real testing of torque control.
Penerapan Java Dynamic Compilation Pada Metode Java Customized Class Loader Untuk Memperbaharui Perangkat Lunak Pada Saat Runtime Dengan Lebih Efisien

Proses pembaharuan perangkat lunak diperlukan untuk menjaga kehandalan sebuah perangkat lunak agar bisa berjalan dengan baik. Sebuah perangkat lunak yang memiliki tingkat operasional tinggi sehingga tidak diperbolehkan untuk melakukan restart, memerlukan sebuah metode dimana metode tersebut dapat melakukan proses pembaharuan dengan cepat tanpa melakukan restart. Untuk mengatasi hal tersebut, Java Customized Class Loader (JCCL) merupakan metode yang paling banyak digunakan oleh peneliti dalam bidang pembaharuan perangkat lunak tanpa melakukan restart ( Dyanamic Software Update ). Penerapan JCCL untuk melakukan pembaharuan perangkat lunak dengan tidak memperbolehkan restart memiliki kendala yaitu lambatnya proses pembaharuan. Dalam penelitian ini, penerapan Java Dynamic Compilation (JDC) diharapkan mampu meningkatkan efisiensi metode JCCL dalam melakukan pembaharuan perangkat lunak tanpa melakukan restart. Untuk menerapkan JDC kedalam metode JCCL, penelitian ini memiliki dua kegiatan utama yaitu: (1) Menganalisa metode-metode untuk melakukan pembaharuan perangkat lunak dimana tidak memperbolehkan untuk restart , (2) Penerapan metode JDC untuk meningkatkan efisiensi JCCL dalam melakukan proses pembaharuan. Metode-metode mengenai pembaharuan perangkat lunak tanpa melakukan restart atau pada saat runtime dianalisa kelemahan dan kekurangan yang dimiliki berdasarkan penelitian sebelumnya, berdasarkan hasil analisa yang dilakukan maka didapat bahwa metode JCCL adalah metode yang paling banyak digunakan. Dan berdasarkan hasil analisa mengenai metode untuk mengoptimalkan proses kinerja Java didapat data bahwa metode JDC adalah metode yang tepat untuk digunakan dalam mengoptimalkan metode JCCL ketika melakukan proses pembaharuan, maka dalam penelitian ini diterapkan metode JDC dimana metode ini adalah metode yang digunakan untuk meningkatkan kinerja Java didalam Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Untuk menguji coba hasil ekperiment yang dilakukan dalam penelitian ini, digunakan aplikasi permainan snake game aplikasi permainan ini telah digunakan juga pada penelitian sebelumnya. Setelah melakukan dua kegiatan utama diatas, sebagai hasil dari penelitian ini adalah terciptanya metode untuk melakukan proses pembaharuan perangkat lunak pada saat runtime atau tanpa melakukan restart dengan waktu yang efisien. Berdasarkan hasil analisa, metode yang dihasilkan dalam penelitian ini (JCCL+JDC) memiliki waktu yang lebih efisien dari metode JCCL sebelum dioptimalkan dengan metode JDC,waktu yang dihasilkan dari metode yang diusulkan menyesuaikan kompleksitas alghoritma dari setiap method yang ditambahkan dalam proses pembaharuan. Hal tersebut yang menjadi kontribusi penelitian dalam penelitian ini.
Capacitive driven–right–leg circuit design

Capacitive electrodes allow to pick–up biopotentials through a dielectric layer, without using electrolytes. However, this technique is vulnerable to electric–field interference, mainly to common mode voltages produced by the 50 Hz power–line. A fully Capacitive Driven Right Leg (CDRL) circuit is proposed to reduce the patient common mode voltage vCM. The design of this circuit takes into account several factors as electrode impedance, stray coupling capacitances and amplifier transfer function response. All these parameters are addressed to ensure the circuit's stability in most biopotential acquisition scenarios. Monte Carlo analyses were performed to find the worst conditions, resulting in a maximum CDRL gain between 70 and 80 dB. The CDRL was implemented as an independent block that can be used for different applications such as ECG, EMG or EEG. Several experimental results are presented, showing good quality recordings even using SE amplifiers, an appropriate approach for multichannel acquisition systems.
Kernel Korner: The ELF Object File Format: Introduction

A process for the washing or rinsing of dyed or printed, continuously advancing width of textile materials, whereby a foam is uniformly applied to one side of the textile material. The foam is produced from a liquid containing one or several surface active agents, together with a compound soluble in the liquid, and having no affinity to the fibers of the textile material to be treated, but displaying a high adsorption capacity for the substances to be washed from the textile material. Immediately following the application of the foam, the widths of the textile material are exposed to a steam treatment and then rinsed. A two-stage embodiment of the process in which immediately preceding the application of the foam a similar foam is applied and removed together with a part of the substances to be washed or rinsed from the textile material. The second stage, which includes the steam treatment, then merely removes the residual substances to be washed or rinsed out.
Where, why, and how? Topophones in Ray Bradbury's science fiction

Abstract The article highlights the category of literary space, connecting different topophones with the author's worldview. Topophones in the works by Ray Bradbury are used not only for identifying the place where the events unfold but they equally serve as the background to the expression of the author's evaluative characteristics of the modern world, his attitude to science, the latest technologies, and the human beings who are responsible for all the events, which take place not only on the Earth, but also far away from it.
Augmenting the Optimal Selection Theory for Superconcurrency

An approach for jinding the optimal configuration of heterogeneous computer systems to solve supercomputing problem is presented. Superconcurrency as a form of distributed heterogeneous supercomputing is an approach for matching and managing an optimally configured suite of super-speed machines to minimize the execution time on a given task. The approach performs best when the computational requirements for a given set of tasks are diverse. A supercomputing application task is decomposed into a collection of code segments, where the processing requirement is homogeneous in each code segment. The optimal selection theory has been proposed to choose the optimal configuration of machines for a supercomputing problem. This technique is based on code projiling and analytical benchmarking. Here, the previously presented optimal selection theory approach is augmented in two ways: the performance of code segments on non-optimal machine choices is incorporated and non-uniform &compositions of code segments are considered.