Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The right tool for the job: Switching data centre management strategies at runtime

Applications are shifting into large scale, virtualized data centres that provide resources on a pay-per-usage basis. Data centres must minimize resource consumption while providing enough resources to meet application requirements. To meet highly variable application demands, a dynamic approach to virtual machine (VM) management is required. This involves three basic management operations: (i) placing newly arrived VMs, (ii) migrating (moving) VMs off of highly utilized machines to avoid performance degradation, and (iii) migrating VMs off of underutilized machines so that they may be shut down to save power. We define a management strategy to consist of a set of policies that guide these three operations. We consider the goals of minimizing Service Level Agreement violations and minimizing power consumption. Developing a management strategy to achieve both of these goals is challenging, as the goals are often in conflict. We propose achieving both goals through dynamically switching between two management strategies, each with a single goal, depending on current data centre state. We propose three methods of dynamically switching strategies, and evaluate these methods through simulation. Dynamic strategy switching offers improved results over a single management strategy.
Remote Sensing of Deformation of a High Concrete-Faced Rockfill Dam Using InSAR: A Study of the Shuibuya Dam, China

Settlement is one of the most important deformation characteristics of high concrete faced rockfill dams (CFRDs, >100 m). High CFRDs safety would pose a great threat to the security of people’s lives and property downstream if this kind of deformation were not to be measured correctly, as traditional monitoring approaches have limitations in terms of durability, coverage, and efficiency. It has become urgent to develop new monitoring techniques to complement or replace traditional monitoring approaches for monitoring the safety and operation status of high CFRDs. This study examines the Shuibuya Dam (up to 233.5 m in height) in China, which is currently the highest CFRD in the world. We used space-borne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) time series to monitor the surface deformation of the Shuibuya Dam. Twenty-one ALOS PALSAR images that span the period from 28 February 2007 to 11 March 2011 were used to map the spatial and temporal deformation of the dam. A high correlation of 0.93 between the InSAR and the in-situ monitoring results confirmed the reliability of the InSAR method; the deformation history derived from InSAR is also consistent with the in-situ settlement monitoring system. In addition, the InSAR results allow continuous investigation of dam deformation over a wide area that includes the entire dam surface as well as the surrounding area, offering a clear picture continuously of the dam deformation.
A microRNA signature profile in EBV+ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the elderly

Currently, there is no characteristic microRNA (miRNA) expression pattern in Epstein-Barr virus+ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the elderly (EBV+DLBCLe). This study aims to characterize a signature profile and identify miRNAs that can be used as biomarkers and alternative therapeutic targets for EBV+DLBCLe. Seventy-one DLBCL patients aged 50 years and older were included and four EBV+ and four EBV– samples were analyzed in two miRNA array platforms (pilot study). A larger multicenter cohort (29 EBV+DLBCLe and 65 EBV–DLBCL patients) was used to validate the results by real-time polymerase chain reaction. In the pilot study, 9% of DLBCL were EBV+DLBCLe by in situ hybridization. In multicenter study, EBV+DLBCLe group showed a predominance of non-germinal center B-cell origin. Overall survival duration of EBV+DLBCLe was significantly inferior to that of EBV–DLBCL patients. We found 10 deregulated miRNAs in the two groups, but only seven were statistically different. We confirmed overexpression of hsa-miR-126, hsa-miR-146a, hsa-miR-146b, hsa-miR-150, and hsa-miR-222 and underexpression of hsa-miR-151 in EBV+DLBCLe cases compared to EBV–DLBCL cases. Hsa-miR-146b and hsa-miR-222 showed high specificity for identifying EBV+DLBCLe. The present study proposed a miRNA signature for EBV+DLBCLe and our findings suggest that hsa-miR-146b and hsa-miR-222 could be biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Frequent interspecific genetic exchange between commensal neisseriae and Neisseria meningitidis

Natural sequence variation was investigated among serogroup A subgroup IV‐1 Neisseria meningitidis isolated from diseased patients and healthy carriers in The Gambia, West Africa. The frequencies of DNA import were analysed by sequencing fragments of four linked genes encoding the immunogenic outer membrane proteins TbpB (transferrin binding protein B) and OpaA (an adhesin) plus two housekeeping enzymes. Seventeen foreign tbpB alleles were independently imported into the 98 strains tested, apparently due to immune selection. The median size of the imported DNA fragments was 5 kb, resulting in the occasional concurrent import of linked housekeeping genes by hitchhiking. Sequences of tbpB from other strains of N. meningitidis as well as commensal Neisseria lactamica and Neisseria spp. isolated from the same geographical area revealed that these species share a common tbpB gene pool and identified several examples of interspecific genetic exchange. These observations indicate that recombination can be more frequent between related species than within a species and indicate that effective vaccination against serogroup B meningococcal disease may be difficult to achieve.
Jumping coefficients of multiplier ideals

We study in this paper some local invariants attached via multiplier ideals to an effective divisor or ideal sheaf on a smooth complex variety. First considered (at least implicitly) by Libgober and by Loeser and Vaquie, these jumping coefficients consist of an increasing sequence of rational numbers beginning with the log canonical threshold of the divisor or ideal in question. They encode interesting geometric and algebraic information, and we show that they arise naturally in several different contexts. Given a polynomial f having only isolated singularities, results of Varchenko, Loeser and Vaquie imply that if \xi is a jumping number of f = 0 lying in the interval (0, 1], then -\xi is a root of the Bernstein-Sato polynomial of f. We adapt an argument of Kollar to show prove that this holds also when the singular locus of f has positive dimension. In a more algebraic direction, we show that the number of such jumping coefficients bounds the uniform Artin-Rees number of the principal ideal (f) in the sense of Huneke: in the case of isolated singularities, this in turn leads to bounds involving the Milnor and Tyurina numbers of f . Along the way, we establish a general result relating multiplier to Jacobian ideals. We also explore the extension of these ideas to the setting of graded families of ideals. The paper contains many concrete examples.
A simple generative model of collective online behavior

Significance One of the most common strategies in studying complex systems is to investigate and interpret whether any “hidden order” is present by fitting observed statistical regularities via data analysis and then reproducing such regularities with long-time or equilibrium dynamics from some generative model. Unfortunately, many different models can possess indistinguishable long-time dynamics, so the above recipe is often insufficient to discern the relative quality of competing models. In this paper, we use the example of collective online behavior to illustrate that, by contrast, time-dependent modeling can be very effective at disentangling competing generative models of a complex system. Human activities increasingly take place in online environments, providing novel opportunities for relating individual behaviors to population-level outcomes. In this paper, we introduce a simple generative model for the collective behavior of millions of social networking site users who are deciding between different software applications. Our model incorporates two distinct mechanisms: one is associated with recent decisions of users, and the other reflects the cumulative popularity of each application. Importantly, although various combinations of the two mechanisms yield long-time behavior that is consistent with data, the only models that reproduce the observed temporal dynamics are those that strongly emphasize the recent popularity of applications over their cumulative popularity. This demonstrates—even when using purely observational data without experimental design—that temporal data-driven modeling can effectively distinguish between competing microscopic mechanisms, allowing us to uncover previously unidentified aspects of collective online behavior.
A technique for preventing replay attack in road networks

Recent years, several techniques have been proposed to preserve the user location privacy in road networks. Some of the existing techniques may suffer replay attack, and leads to leaking the user location privacy. The existing technique to resist replay attack is add a randomize step into the cloak process, which may be unquestioning. In this paper, we propose a grouping-based method to prevent replay attack by dividing the segment set to form cloaked set. The experiment result shows the effectiveness and feasibility of our algorithm.
Asymptotic improvement of the Gilbert-Varshamov bound for binary linear codes

The Gilbert-Varshamov bound states that the maximum size A<sub>2 </sub>(n,d) of a binary code of length n and minimum distance d satisfies A<sub>2</sub>(n,d)ges2<sup>n</sup>/V(n,d-1) where V(n,d)=XiEd<sub>i=0</sub> (En<sub>i</sub>) stands for the volume of a Hamming ball of radius d. Recently Jiang and Vardy showed that for binary non-linear codes this bound could be improved to A<sub>2</sub>(n,d)gescn2<sup>n</sup>/V(n,d -1) for c a constant and d/nles0.499. In this paper we show that certain asymptotic families of linear binary [n, n/2] double circulant codes satisfy the same improved Gilbert-Varshamov bound
An Exploration into the Determinants of Noncommunicable Diseases Among Rural-to-Urban Migrants in Periurban South Africa

Introduction Noncommunicable diseases are increasing in developing countries, exacerbated by growing urbanization. We examined the experiences and perceptions about noncommunicable diseases of people who migrated from rural areas to urban Cape Town, South Africa. Methods We conducted a qualitative study in an impoverished periurban township that has a noncommunicable disease prevention program, including health clubs. We used in-depth interviews, participatory reflection and action groups, and focus group discussions. Results Participants described changes in eating patterns and levels of physical activity. These changes were a result of socioeconomic and environmental constraints. However, respondents were not concerned about these changes. Despite hardships, they were pleased with their urban lifestyle. Furthermore, they approved of their weight gain because it signified dignity and respect. Participants who attended health clubs found them informative and socially and emotionally supportive. Conclusion The study highlighted the complexity of the risk factors for noncommunicable diseases and the need to develop prevention strategies that extend beyond the traditional focus on diet and exercise.
Dopamine Modulates Cell Cycle in the Lateral Ganglionic Eminence

Dopamine is a neuromodulator the functions of which in the regulation of complex behaviors such as mood, motivation, and attention are well known. Dopamine appears in the brain early in the embryonic period when none of those behaviors is robust, raising the possibility that dopamine may influence brain development. The effects of dopamine on specific developmental processes such as neurogenesis are not fully characterized. The neostriatum is a dopamine-rich region of the developing and mature brain. If dopamine influenced neurogenesis, the effects would likely be pronounced in the neostriatum. Therefore, we examined whether dopamine influenced neostriatal neurogenesis by influencing the cell cycle of progenitor cells in the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE), the neuroepithelial precursor of the neostriatum. We show that dopamine arrives in the LGE via the nigrostriatal pathway early in the embryonic period and that neostriatal neurogenesis progresses in a dopamine-rich milieu. Dopamine D1-like receptor activation reduces entry of progenitor cells from the G1- to S-phase of the cell cycle, whereas D2-like receptor activation produces the opposite effects by promoting G1- to S-phase entry. D1-like effects are prominent in the ventricular zone, and D2-like effects are prominent in the subventricular zone. The overall effects of dopamine on the cell cycle are D1-like effects, most likely because of the preponderance of D1-like binding sites in the embryonic neostriatum. These data reveal a novel developmental role for dopamine and underscore the relevance of dopaminergic signaling in brain development.
Wireless Industrial Control and Monitoring beyond Cable Replacement

This paper is about networking of embedded devices such as actuators and sensors to perform industrial control and monitoring. Architectures for various types of applications and technical options for implementing these architectures are discussed. A review of the state of the art in cable replacement with an emphasis on practical examples is also featured. The paper continues with a hybrid wired/wireless fieldbus topology as well as the approach of mesh networking in which wireless nodes function as senders, receivers and routers allowing distributed control and sensing. Finally, a technology roadmap for wireless industrial control and monitoring developed as part of the RUNES project is presented.
Preferences for experienced versus remembered happiness

Abstract Consider two types of happiness: one experienced on a moment-to-moment basis, the other a reflective evaluation where people feel happy looking back. Though researchers have measured and argued the merits of each, we inquired into which happiness people say they want. In five studies (N = 3351), we asked people to choose between experienced happiness and remembered happiness – for shorter timeframes (e.g. one’s next hour) and longer timeframes (e.g. one’s lifetime). The results revealed a consistent pattern: most people choose experienced happiness for longer timeframes, but not for shorter timeframes. Since people typically live hour-to-hour, these findings imply that people may end up living a different version of happiness than what they believe is a happy life.
Transfomation of non-feasible inverse maximum flow problem into a feasible one by flow modification

A linear time method to decide if any inverse maximum flow (denoted IMFG) problem has solution is presented. For the case of IMFG not being feasible, a new inverse combinatorial optimization problem is introduced and solved. The problem is to modify as little as possible the flow so that the problem becomes feasible for the modified flow.
Mining Posterior Cingulate

We devise a general method for automatic metaanalyses in neuroscience and apply it on text data from published functional imaging studies to extract main functions associated with a brain area — the posterior cingulate cortex. Abstracts from PubMed are downloaded, words extracted and converted to a bag-of-words matrix representation. The combined data is analyzed with hierarchical non-negative matrix factorization. We find that the prominent themes in the PCC corpus are episodic memory retrieval and pain. We further characterize the distribution in PCC of the Talairach coordinates available in some of the articles. This shows a tendency to functional segregation between memory and pain components where memory activations are predominantly in the caudal part and pain in the rostral part of PCC. 197
Out of Altruism or Because it Reads Well on the CV?: The Motivations for Participation in the Freifunk Community Compared to FLOSS

Motivation of free, libre and open source software developers has been widely studied over the years. The reasons people engage in this seemingly altruistic behavior have been elaborated and classified. The present work addresses a slightly different issue: what motivates individuals to participate in community network projects? Are the reasons similar to or quite distinct from these relevant to contributors to free software? Based on recently conducted interviews with community network activists from the Germany based project Freifunk and established FLOSS motivation research, we will analyse the specifics of the Freifunk project and the factors which spur its members to action. The obtained insights could then hopefully be used to understand the underlying group processes and help build sustainable communities.
Abnormal event detection based on SVM in video surveillance

In order to increase the accuracy of abnormal event detection in crowd video surveillance, this paper proposes a novel hybrid optimization of feature selection and support vector machine (SVM) training model based on genetic algorithm. For reducing dimensions of multi-feature, we propose an adaptive genetic simulated annealing algorithm (ASAGA) feature selection method. The ASAGA takes advantage of the local search ability of simulated annealing algorithm (SA) to solve the slow convergence and high complexity drawbacks of genetic algorithm (GA). And also improve the SVM training model performance based on genetic algorithm. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid optimization based on genetic algorithms can quickly obtain the optimal feature subset and SVM parameters. Therefore the proposed scheme reduces time and improves the accuracy of surveillance video anomaly detection.
Using Cognitive Mapping to Longitudinally Examine Political Brand Associations

This paper uses cognitive mapping techniques to understand how brand associations, an important aspect of political brand equity are formed, differ, and change, from the perspective of citizens, across the four largest Irish political parties between 2013 and 2016. The paper focuses in particular upon the strength, favourability and uniqueness of these brand associations. The results constitute a first attempt to longitudinally explore changing political brand associations through cognitive mapping techniques, using data generated with the participation of hundreds of citizens. Our findings suggest that this approach can contribute to our understanding of how and why political brand associations change over time.
Empirical antibiotic monotherapy for febrile neutropenia: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES Early, empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment is the established practice for febrile neutropenia. Several beta-lactams are accepted for monotherapy. We asked whether patients' outcomes are influenced by the chosen beta-lactam. METHODS Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing anti-pseudomonal beta-lactams administered as empirical monotherapy for febrile neutropenia, with or without vancomycin. The search included The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Lilacs databases, bibliography, conference proceedings, trial registries and FDA new drug approvals. Two reviewers independently applied selection criteria, performed quality assessment and extracted the data. Trials assessing the same beta-lactam were pooled using the fixed effect model. Relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The primary outcome assessed was all-cause mortality. RESULTS Thirty-three trials fulfilled inclusion criteria. Cefepime was associated with higher all-cause mortality at 30 days than other beta-lactams (RR 1.44, 95% CI 1.06-1.94, 3123 participants). Carbapenems were associated with fewer treatment modifications, including addition of glycopeptides, than ceftazidime or other comparators. Adverse events were significantly more frequent with carbapenems, specifically pseudomembranous colitis (RR 1.94, 95% CI 1.24-3.04, 2025 participants). All-cause mortality was unaltered. Piperacillin/tazobactam was compared only with cefepime and carbapenems, in six trials. No significant differences were demonstrated with paucity of data for all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS The use of cefepime for febrile neutropenia is associated with increased mortality and should be carefully considered pending further analysis. Empirical use of carbapenems entails fewer treatment modifications, but an increased rate of pseudomembranous colitis. Ceftazidime, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem/cilastatin and meropenem appear to be suitable agents for monotherapy.
VLBI observations at 147 GHz: first detection of transatlantic fringes in bright AGN

At 147 GHz (2mm wavelength), we detected three prominent AGN (NRAO150, 3C279, 1633+382) with Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) with an angular resolution of only 18 micro-arcseconds on the baseline between two antennas in Arizona (10m HHT and 12m KittPeak) and the IRAM 30m antenna on Pico Veleta in Spain. This is a new world record in radio interferometry and astronomical imaging and opens fascinating future possibilities to directly image and study the innermost regions in Quasars and other Active Galactic Nuclei.
Comparison of intrinsic energy losses in unipolar power switches

We explore the intrinsic loss in power switches seen when they undergo charging and discharging of their output capacitance. The intrinsic loss occurs even if switching is carried out at zero current and no on-state current is conducted, and accidental turn-on is avoided. The intrinsic loss cannot be eliminated by using soft-switching schemes and essentially sets an upper limit for the switching speed of the soft-switching converters. This work measures and compares the intrinsic energy losses in the popular commercial unipolar power switches including Si superjunction MOSFETs, GaN cascode, SiC cascode, and SiC MOSFETs. The intrinsic loss mechanisms of these devices are also discussed. A simple experiment setup is proposed and used to measure the intrinsic energy losses. The experimental results show that the SiC cascode has the lowest intrinsic energy loss.
Reactive Learning : Actively Trading Off Larger Noisier Training Sets Against Smaller Cleaner Ones

One of the most popular uses of crowdsourcing is to provide training data for supervised machine learning algorithms. Because of imperfect workers, requesters commonly ask multiple workers to redundantly label each example. When the goal is to train the best classifier at the lowest cost, active learning can intelligently pick new examples to label. However, active learning fails to address a fundamental tradeoff. Instead of always gathering new labels for new examples, we can also relabel, by gathering more labels for old, labeled examples. In this paper, we introduce the new problem of reactive learning, a generalization of active learning in which we seek to understand the difference in marginal value between decreasing the noise of a training set, via relabeling, and increasing the size and diversity of a noisier training set, via labeling new examples. We show how traditional active learning does not suffice for reactive learning, present new algorithms designed for this new problem, and empirically show that these algorithms can effectively make this tradeoff.