Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Specification-Based Approach to the Testing of Java Memory Bloat

Inefficient use of memory may cause memory bloat, and the bloat may lead to performance slowdowns or even crashes. To address the problem, lots of efforts have been devoted to the diagnosing of bloat, especially the bloat caused by memory leaks. However, testing and identifying the executions potentially containing bloat, which act as key steps before diagnosing, are still challenging. In this paper, we introduce a memory specification tool named MemSpec to help programmers test memory inefficiencies in Java programs. The specification works as a test oracle to automatically determine whether a program suffers from memory bloat. Users can write their own memory specifications using our specification language. MemSpec weaves the specification checking mechanisms into the tested programs. During test runs, memory bloat will be reported if the some specifications are not satisfied. With this specification-based approach, a tester does not need to manually watch the program executions to identify bloat. The automatically reporting of memory bloat can reduce the manual efforts in memory inefficiency testing. We test the proposed approach on ArgoUML. The initial results show that it is effective.
Transcending the Confines of Political and Economic Organization

Although the critical reconceptualization of Corporate Citizenship (CC) proposed by Neron and Norman appropriately focuses on connotations that enable us to distinguish between CC and the all-inclusive notion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), I argue that they fail to properly account for the misguiding potential of the features of political citizenship they propose to develop further in CC theorizing. It is concluded that the notion of CC is better dispensed with altogether, and that a reorientation on concepts that can truly transcend the boundaries of economic and political organization would benefit the field of business and society.
Exogenous lysozyme influences Clostridium perfringens colonization and intestinal barrier function in broiler chickens

Necrotic enteritis is a worldwide poultry disease caused by the overgrowth of Clostridium perfringens in the small intestine. An experiment with a 2×2 factorial design (supplementation with or without 40 mg lysozyme/kg diet for chickens challenged with or without C. perfringens) was conducted to investigate the inhibitory efficacy of exogenous lysozyme against intestinal colonization by C. perfringens in chickens subject to oral inoculation of C. perfringens type A on days 17 to 20. The C. perfringens challenge resulted in significant increase of C. perfringens, Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus populations in the ileum, bacteria translocation to the spleen, the intestinal lesion scores , There was significantly lower intestinal lysozyme activity in the duodenum and jejunum and weight gain during days 14 to 28 of the experiment. The addition of exogenous lysozyme significantly reduced the concentration of C. perfringens in the ileum and the intestinal lesion scores, inhibited the overgrowth of E. coli and Lactobacillus in the ileum and intestinal bacteria translocation to the spleen, and improved intestinal lysozyme activity in the duodenum and the feed conversion ratio of chickens. These findings suggest that exogenous lysozyme could decrease C. perfringens colonization and improve intestinal barrier function and growth performance of chickens.
Blind widely linear adaptive MMSE criterion for Multicarrier CDMA

I. INTRODUCTION Multiuser detection (MUD) techniques for demodulation of Multicarrier CDMA signals have received a great deal of attention. This is because the pioneering work by Verdu [1] demonstrated that the near-far problem suffered from the conventional matched-filter detector. The difficulty can be overcome by resorting to more sophisticated structure, which accounts for the presence of the other users. In the future, wireless communication system must support the demand of a large number of users and high data rate transmission such as multimedia data. The DS-CDMA (Direct Sequence Code-Division Multiple-Access) technique can meet the above requirement. However, it suffers from InterSymbol Interference (ISI) due to multipath signal and interference from other users in the system. In DS-CDMA receiver system, the ISI can be reduced by using a RAKE receiver, but the complexity of the receiver will increase exponentially as the data transmission rate increases. To overcome this problem, the multicarrier CDMA (MC-CDMA) scheme has been proposed in [1]-[3]. The MC-CDMA is the combination of CDMA scheme and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technique, therefore the ISI can be reduced when data is transmitted at higher rate. In this paper, we propose an adaptive widely linear MMSE algorithm, called adaptive WL-MMSE, for receiver applied to the MC-CDMA systems. In the proposed algorithm, the weight vector is first update by short training process.The approach of LCL time-varying filtering has already been applied in the CDMA context, to mitigate the effects of narrowband interference (NBI). In this paper, by applying WL estimation concepts to MC-CDMA multiuser detection, we propose a class of WL-MUD's, aimed at improving the suppression of both wideband multiple-access interference (MAI) and NBI. The performance advantage of WL-MUD's over conventional L-MUD's is motivated theoretically and can be substantiated by computer simulation examples.
ALGAE: A Fast Algebraic Estimation of Interferogram Phase Offsets in Space-Varying Geometries

This paper deals with the estimation of terrain topography from multipass synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry (InSAR), focusing on the case where variation of the system geometry within the imaged swath is relevant. A typical case is represented by airborne multipass interferometric campaigns where, due to the closeness between the radar sensor and the targets, the incidence-angle sensitivity undergoes a dramatic increase with respect to the spaceborne case, resulting in a high spatial variability of the normal baselines. The space-varying nature of the system geometry gives rise to a major issue in multipass InSAR analyses in that it prevents from compensating for the presence of interferogram phase offsets by simply phase locking the data stack to a reference point, therefore hindering the retrieval of terrain topography. To cope with this issue properly, we propose a novel approach that exploits the algebraic properties of the problem. Such an approach allows casting the problem in terms of identification of a null-space component for terrain topography after which both topography and the interferogram phase offsets are quickly obtained without exploiting calibration points. Experimental results are shown based on a P-band data set acquired by the Experimental SAR (E-SAR) airborne system, operated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), in the framework of the European Space Agency (ESA) campaign BIOSAR 2008.
Accurate yet fast modeling of real-time communication

Accurate modeling of communication is a necessary part of system level design for real-time safety-critical applications. For efficient prediction of a system's performance, transaction level modeling (TLM) is often used which increases the simulation speed by orders of magnitude. The speed advantage, however, comes at the cost of low accuracy. In this paper, we use a novel modeling technique, called result oriented modeling (ROM), which yields 100% accuracy in timing, yet approaches the same speed as traditional TLM. ROM also abstracts away internal details of the communication but, in contrast to TLM, fully maintains accurate timing. ROM optimistically predicts the timing and retroactively takes corrective measures, if necessary. In this paper, we compare the ROM technique to TLM at different levels of abstraction, using a controller area network (CAN) bus example. Our results show that ROM yields a simulation speedup close to the traditional TLM, yet exhibits the same timing accuracy as a bus functional model. Thus, for safety-critical real-time applications, ROM is a viable replacement for the inaccurate TLM.
Satellite Multicast for Relieving Terrestrial eMBMS: System-Level Study

This paper demonstrates that satellite can relieve the LTE terrestrial network of a significant part of the evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) traffic. A system level simulator was designed in order to simulate with a high level of accuracy point to point communications, eMBMS, and satellite broadcast. A Video on Demand scenario was chosen to illustrate the system performance. Firstly, it is shown that mobile users in a suburban environment can benefit from broadcast services directly from the satellite. It is then demonstrated that the performance of satellite broadcast is comparable to eMBMS in areas where eNBs are sparsely located. However, in such areas, simulations show that allocating resources to eMBMS dramatically decreases unicast network performance. The study allows concluding that service providers could benefit from the use of satellite to release precious resources in suburban areas covered by the satellite beam.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Making Stone Soup : Evaluating a Recall-Oriented Multi-Stream Question Answering Stream for

We describe the participation of the University of Amsterdam in the Question Answering track at CLEF 2004. We took part in the monolingual Dutch task and, for the first time, also in the bilingual English to Dutch task. This year’s system is a further elaboration and refinement of the multi-stream architecture we introduced last year, extended with improved candidate answer re-ranking and filtering, and with additional answer finding strategies. We report the evaluation results for the whole system and its various components. The results indicate the recall-oriented approach to QA is an effective one.
IoT Localization for Bistatic Passive UHF RFID Systems With 3-D Radiation Pattern

Passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems carry critical importance for Internet of Things (IoT) applications due to their energy harvesting capabilities. RFID-based position estimation, in particular, is expected to facilitate a wide array of location-based services for IoT applications with low-power requirements. In this paper, considering monostatic and bistatic configurations and 3-D antenna radiation pattern, we investigate the accuracy of received signal strength-based wireless localization using passive ultra high frequency RFID systems. The Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the localization accuracy is derived, and is compared with the accuracy of maximum likelihood estimators for various RFID antenna configurations. Numerical results show that due to RFID tag/antenna sensitivity, and the directional antenna pattern, the localization accuracy can degrade at blind locations that remain outside of the RFID reader antennas’ main beam patterns. In such cases optimizing elevation angle of antennas are shown to improve localization coverage, while using bistatic configuration improves localization accuracy significantly.
A Refined Analysis of LSH for Well-dispersed Data Points

Near neighbor problems are fundamental in algorithms for high-dimensional Euclidean spaces. While classical approaches suffer from the curse of dimensionality, locality sensitive hashing (LSH) can effectively solve a-approximate r-near neighbor problem, and has been proven to be optimal in the worst case. However, for real-world data sets, LSH can naturally benefit from well-dispersed data and low doubling dimension, leading to significantly improved performance. In this paper, we address this issue and propose a refined analyses for running time of approximating near neighbors queries via LSH. We characterize dispersion of data using N_b, the number of b*r-near pairs among the data points. Combined with optimal data-oblivious LSH scheme, we get a new query time bound depending on N_b and doubling dimension. For many natural scenarios where points are well-dispersed or lying in a low-doubling-dimension space, our result leads to sharper performance than existing worst-case analysis. This paper not only present first rigorous proof on how LSHs make use of the structure of data points, but also provide important insights into parameter setting in the practice of LSH beyond worst case. Besides, the techniques in our analysis involve a generalized version of sphere packing problem, which might be of some independent interest.
Corynebacterium diphtheriae: Identification and Characterization of a Channel-Forming Protein in the Cell Wall

ABSTRACT The cell wall fraction of the gram-positive, nontoxic Corynebacterium diphtheriae strain C8r(−) Tox− (= ATCC 11913) contained a channel-forming protein, as judged from reconstitution experiments with artificial lipid bilayer experiments. The channel-forming protein was present in detergent-treated cell walls and in extracts of whole cells obtained using organic solvents. The protein had an apparent molecular mass of about 66 kDa as determined on Tricine-containing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels and consisted of subunits having a molecular mass of about 5 kDa. Single-channel experiments with the purified protein suggested that the protein formed channels with a single-channel conductance of 2.25 nS in 1 M KCl. Further single-channel analysis suggested that the cell wall channel is wide and water filled because it has only slight selectivity for cations over anions and its conductance followed the mobility sequence of cations and anions in the aqueous phase. Antibodies raised against PorA, the subunit of the cell wall channel of Corynebacterium glutamicum, detected both monomers and oligomers of the isolated protein, suggesting that there are highly conserved epitopes in the cell wall channels of C. diphtheriae and PorA. Localization of the protein on the cell surface was confirmed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The prospective homology of PorA with the cell wall channel of C. diphtheriae was used to identify the cell wall channel gene, cdporA, in the known genome of C. diphtheriae. The gene and its flanking regions were cloned and sequenced. CdporA is a protein that is 43 amino acids long and does not have a leader sequence. cdporA was expressed in a C. glutamicum strain that lacked the major outer membrane channels PorA and PorH. Organic solvent extracts of the transformed cells formed in lipid bilayer membranes the same channels as the purified CdporA protein of C. diphtheriae formed, suggesting that the expressed protein is able to complement the PorA and PorH deficiency of the C. glutamicum strain. The study is the first report of a cell wall channel in a pathogenic Corynebacterium strain.
Transient reference values for impulse oscillometry for children aged 3–18 years

Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is a technique of assessing mechanical properties of respiratory system by means of measuring resistances and reactances in a number of frequencies during tidal breathing. It is especially useful in preschool children, however has also been validated in older children and adults. The aim of the present study was to construct equations describing normal values of oscillatory parameters in pediatric population of healthy polish children. Six hundred twenty‐six healthy children aged 3.1–18.9 years (278 boys and 348 girls) completed the study. Analysis revealed that body height was the best predictor and resistances are best described with exponential model while reactances with linear one, with correlation coefficient r reaching the value of 0.9. Oscillometric resistances decrease with height, while reactances increase. Reference values for children and adolescents will allow not only the interpretation of the measurement, but also will make possible to study changes of oscillometric indices during growth. Pediatr. Pulmonol. 2008; 43:1193–1197. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On-the-fly Network Pruning for Object Detection

Object detection with deep neural networks is often performed by passing a few thousand candidate bounding boxes through a deep neural network for each image. These bounding boxes are highly correlated since they originate from the same image. In this paper we investigate how to exploit feature occurrence at the image scale to prune the neural network which is subsequently applied to all bounding boxes. We show that removing units which have near-zero activation in the image allows us to significantly reduce the number of parameters in the network. Results on the PASCAL 2007 Object Detection Challenge demonstrate that up to 40% of units in some fully-connected layers can be entirely eliminated with little change in the detection result.
Experimental demonstration of the importance of competition under disturbance

Ecologists have long recognized the roles of competition and disturbance in shaping ecological communities, and the combinatorial effects of these two factors have been the subject of substantial ecological research. Nevertheless, it is still unclear whether competition remains as an important structuring force in habitats strongly influenced by disturbance. The conventional belief remains that the importance of competition decreases with increasing disturbance, but limited theory suggests otherwise. Using protist communities established in laboratory microcosms, we demonstrate that disturbance does not diminish the importance of competition. Interspecific competition significantly increased rates of species extinction over a broad disturbance gradient, and increasing disturbance intensities increased, rather than decreased, the tempo of competitive exclusion. This community-level pattern is linked to the species-level pattern that interspecific competition led to most frequent extinctions of each species at the highest level of disturbance that the species can tolerate. Consequently, despite a strong tradeoff between competitive ability and disturbance tolerance across the competing species, species diversity generally declined with disturbance. The consistent structuring role of competition throughout the disturbance gradient underscores the need to understand competitive interactions and their consequences even in highly disturbed habitats.
[Antiphospholipid autoantibodies in women treated for infertility].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate an occurrence of selected antiphospholipid antibodies (APL) in infertility women. STUDY DESIGN An enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) has been used to determine a titre of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA). APTT (activated partial thromboplastin time) and PT (prothrombin time) measurements and direct commercial assay have been also used to study occurrence of LAC (lupus anticoagulant antibodies). The group of 268 observed women has been divided into five subgroups according to the cause of infertility: I-endometriosis, II-tubal occlusion caused by others diseases than endometriosis, III-occurrence of antisperm antibodies (ASA), IV-polycystic ovariorum syndrome (PCOS) and V-unexplained etiology. Results have been compared to 44 healthy controls. RESULTS Occurrence of ACA has been found statistically more often in patients suffering from infertility than in controls (17.9% vs 4.5%, p < 0.05). Moreover ACA have been statistically more often observed in patients with endometriosis (21 from 44, 47.7%). ACA were more common in patients with other cause of infertility (except PCOS) compared to controls, though statistically this was not significant. Frequency of ACA was also more common than LAC (17.9% vs 13.6%). Compared to controls LAC tests were more often positive in infertile women with endometriosis (I), tubal occlusion (II) and with the occurrence of antisperm antibodies (III) but results were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Antiphospholipid antibodies are observed more often in patients suffering from infertility compared to women with a regular fertility. This suggests a role of APL in etiology of infertility. The occurrence of anticardiolipin antibodies in almost every second woman suffering from endometriosis suggests existing of autoimmunologic disturbances in this disease.
Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Oncology Exercise in Prevention and Management of Cancer

Purpose To present an overview of exercise interventions in cancer patients during and after treatment and evaluate dose-training response considering type, frequency, volume, and intensity of training along with expected physiological outcomes. Methods The review is divided into studies that incorporated cardiovascular training, combination of cardiovascular, resistance, and flexibility training, and resistance training alone during and after cancer management. Criteria for inclusion were based on studies sourced from electronic and nonelectronic databases and that incorporated preintervention and postintervention assessment with statistical analysis of data. Results Twenty-six published studies were summarized. The majority of the studies demonstrate physiological and psychological benefits. However, most of these studies suffer limitations because they are not randomized controlled trials and/or use small sample sizes. Predominantly, studies have been conducted with breast cancer patients using cardiovascular training rather than resistance exercise as the exercise modality. Recent evidence supports use of resistance exercise or “anabolic exercise” during cancer management as an exercise mode to counteract side effects of the disease and treatment. Conclusion Evidence underlines the preliminary positive physiological and psychological benefits from exercise when undertaken during or after traditional cancer treatment. As such, other cancer groups, in addition to those with breast cancer, should also be included in clinical trials to address more specifically dose-response training for this population. Contemporary resistance training designs that provide strong anabolic effects for muscle and bone may have an impact on counteracting some of the side effects of cancer management assisting patients to improve physical function and quality of life. J Clin Oncol 23:899-909. © 2005 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Performance Comparison of Three Rapid Tests for the Diagnosis of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Background The aim of this study was to compare the performance of several recently developed assays for the detection of multi- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR-TB) in a large, multinational field trial. Methods Samples from 1,128 M/XDR-TB suspects were examined by Line Probe Assay (LPA), Pyrosequencing (PSQ), and Microscopic Observation of Drug Susceptibility (MODS) and compared to the BACTEC MGIT960 reference standard to detect M/XDR-TB directly from patient sputum samples collected at TB clinics in India, Moldova, and South Africa. Results Specificity for all three assays was excellent: 97–100% for isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), moxifloxacin (MOX) and ofloxacin (OFX) and 99–100% for amikacin (AMK), capreomycin (CAP) and kanamycin (KAN) resistance. Sensitivities were lower, but still very good: 94–100% for INH, RIF, MOX and OFX, and 84–90% for AMK and CAP, but only 48–62% for KAN. In terms of agreement, statistically significant differences were only found for detection of RIF (MODS outperformed PSQ) and KAN (MODS outperformed LPA and PSQ) resistance. Mean time-to-result was 1.1 days for LPA and PSQ, 14.3 days for MODS, and 24.7 days for MGIT. Conclusions All three rapid assays evaluated provide clinicians with timely detection of resistance to the drugs tested; with molecular results available one day following laboratory receipt of samples. In particular, the very high specificity seen for detection of drug resistance means that clinicians can use the results of these rapid tests to avoid the use of toxic drugs to which the infecting organism is resistant and develop treatment regiments that have a higher likelihood of yielding a successful outcome.