Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of the Cost and Benefit of Search Interactions

Interactive Information Retrieval (IR) systems often provide various features and functions, such as query suggestions and relevance feedback, that a user may or may not decide to use. The decision to take such an option has associated costs and may lead to some benefit. Thus, a savvy user would take decisions that maximises their net benefit. In this paper, we formally model the costs and benefits of various decisions that users, implicitly or explicitly, make when searching. We consider and analyse the following scenarios: (i) how long a user's query should be? (ii) should the user pose a specific or vague query? (iii) should the user take a suggestion or re-formulate? (iv) when should a user employ relevance feedback? and (v) when would the "find similar" functionality be worthwhile to the user? To this end, we build a series of cost-benefit models exploring a variety of parameters that affect the decisions at play. Through the analyses, we are able to draw a number of insights into different decisions, provide explanations for observed behaviours and generate numerous testable hypotheses. This work not only serves as a basis for future empirical work, but also as a template for developing other cost-benefit models involving human-computer interaction.
WebWork: Integrated Programming Environment Tools for National and Grand Challenges

Tools for National and Grand Challenges Geoffrey C. Fox Department of Computer Science, Department of Physics and Northeast Parallel Architectures Center, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 3154432163 FAX 3154434741 gcf@npac.syr.edu http://www.npac.syr.edu or http://www.infomall. org Wojtek Furmanski Department of Physics and Northeast Parallel Architectures Center, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY (315) 443-3891 fax (315) 443-9103 furm@npac.syr.edu http://www.npac.syr.edu Marina Chen Department of Computer Science, Boston University, Boston, MA (617) 353-8919 fax (617) 353-6457 mcchen@cs.bu. edu http://cs-www.bu. edu Claudio Rebbi Department of Physics and Center for Computational Science, Boston University, Boston, MA (617) 353-9059 James H. Cowie Cooperating Systems Corporation, Chestnut Hill, MA (603) 464-5799 Fax:(603) 464-6014 cowie@cooperate.com http://www.cooperate.com
PNets-the Verification Tool based on Petri Nets

— The paper is aimed to digital systems modelling and verification using Petri nets. A new teaching method was proposed and implemented into an educational tool called PNets. This tool offers modelling and functionality animation of designed Petri nets together with verification of their fundamental properties as safety, liveness, conservativeness, boundedness etc. In comparison with existed similar educational tools, the proposed and implemented PNets is simpler, intuitive, less demanding on hardware and portable with more detailed verification of the designed Petri net. The tool is suitable for educational purposes and its functionality was verified by examples.
Design and analysis of elliptical slot loaded microstrip antenna for C-Band communication

This paper presents the design of a modified microstrip antenna using Defected Ground Structure with Elliptical Slot on FR, substrate. The elliptical microstrip slot with high value of eccentricity has been employed to obtain a broad band to cover entire C-Band spectrum. Modal cavity approximation model for an elliptical antenna is used to design the elliptical slot having 3.3 GHz frequency (TM100). Larger eccentricity combined with rotation of the elliptical slot in the ground plane enhances the impedance bandwidth with a simplified design approach and antenna shows an impedance bandwidth of 61.12% ranging from 4 GHz to 7.52 GHz. Further, three asymmetric slits are integrated in the ground plane with elliptical slot; causing the antenna to show the impedance bandwidth of 73.68% ranging from 3 GHz to 6.5 GHz. The simulated results are found in conformation with the experimental prototype.
A Probabilistic Approach for Mobile Robot Localization under RFID Tag Infrastructures

SLAM(Simultaneous localization and mapping) and AI(Artificial intelligence) have been active research areas in robotics for two decades. In particular, localization is one of the most important issues in mobile robot research. Until now expensive sensors like a laser sensor have been used for the mobile robot’s localization. Currently, as the RFID reader devices like antennas and RFID tags become increasingly smaller and cheaper, the proliferation of RFID technology is advancing rapidly. So, in this paper, the smart floor using passive RFID tags is proposed and, passive RFID tags are mainly used to identify the mobile robot’s location on the smart floor. We discuss a number of challenges related to this approach, such as RFID tag distribution (density and structure), typing and clustering. In the smart floor using RFID tags, because the reader just can senses whether a RFID tag is in its sensing area, the localization error occurs as much as the sensing area of the RFID reader. And, until now, there is no study to estimate the pose of mobile robot using RFID tags. So, in this paper, two algorithms are suggested to. We use the Markov localization algorithm to reduce the location(X,Y) error and the Kalman Filter algorithm to estimate the pose(θ ) of a mobile robot. We applied these algorithms in our experiment with our personal robot CMR-P3. And we show the possibility of our probability approach using the cheap sensors like odometers and RFID tags for the mobile robot’s localization on the smart floor.
Surprisingly weak coordination between leaf structure and function among closely-related tomato species

Natural selection may often favor coordination between different traits, or phenotypic integration, in order to most efficiently acquire and deploy scarce resources. As leaves are the primary photosynthetic organ in plants, many have proposed that leaf physiology, biochemistry, and anatomical structure are coordinated along a functional trait spectrum from fast, resource-acquisitive syndromes to slow, resource-conservative syndromes. However, the coordination hypothesis has rarely been tested at a phylogenetic scale most relevant for understanding rapid adaptation in the recent past or predicting evolutionary trajectories in response to climate change. To that end, we used a common garden to examine genetically-based coordination between leaf traits across 19 wild and cultivated tomato taxa. We found surprisingly weak integration between photosynthetic rate, leaf structure, biochemical capacity, and CO2 diffusion, even though all were arrayed in the predicted direction along a ‘fast-slow’ spectrum. This suggests considerable scope for unique trait combinations to evolve in response to new environments or in crop breeding. In particular, we find that partially independent variation in stomatal and mesophyll conductance may allow a plant to improve water-use efficiency without necessarily sacrificing maximum photosynthetic rates. Our study does not imply that functional trait spectra or tradeoffs are unimportant, but that the many important axes of variation within a taxonomic group may be unique and not generalizable to other taxa.
Exposure to Phlebotomus argentipes (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) Sand Flies in Rural Areas of Bihar, India: The Role of Housing Conditions

Background Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector-borne infectious disease, caused by the protozoan Leishmania donovani, which is transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. In an earlier study in Bihar, India, we found an association between incidence of VL and housing conditions. In the current study we investigated the influence of housing structure and conditions in and around the house on the indoor abundance of Phlebotomus argentipes, the vector of VL in this area. Methods In each of 50 study villages in Muzaffarpur district, we randomly selected 10 houses. Light traps were installed in each house for one night during three annual peaks of sand fly density over two successive years. Sand flies captured were morphologically identified and segregated by species, sex and feeding status. Data on housing conditions and socio-economic status were also collected. We fitted a linear mixed-effects regression model with log-transformed P. argentipes counts as outcome variable and village as random effect. Results P. argentipes was found in all but four of the 500 households. There was considerable variability between the years and the seasons. On bivariate analysis, housing structure, dampness of the floor, keeping animals inside, presence of animal dung around the house, and socio-economic status were all significantly associated with sand fly density. Highest sand fly densities were observed in thatched houses. In the multivariate model only the housing structure and socio-economic status remained significant. Conclusions Better housing conditions are associated with lower sand fly densities, independent of other socio-economic conditions. However, in this area in Bihar even in the better-built houses sand flies are present.
Antenna-coupled TES bolometer arrays for CMB polarimetry

We describe the design and performance of polarization selective antenna-coupled TES arrays that will be used in several upcoming Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiments: SPIDER, BICEP-2/SPUD. The fully lithographic polarimeter arrays utilize planar phased-antennas for collimation (F/4 beam) and microstrip filters for band definition (25% bandwidth). These devices demonstrate high optical efficiency, excellent beam shapes, and well-defined spectral bands. The dual-polarization antennas provide well-matched beams and low cross polarization response, both important for high-fidelity polarization measurements. These devices have so far been developed for the 100 GHz and 150 GHz bands, two premier millimeter-wave atmospheric windows for CMB observations. In the near future, the flexible microstrip-coupled architecture can provide photon noise-limited detection for the entire frequency range of the CMBPOL mission. This paper is a summary of the progress we have made since the 2006 SPIE meeting in Orlando, FL.
Lessons learned during the successful eradication of bovine tuberculosis from Australia

There are very few international examples of the successful eradication of bovine tuberculosis (TB, caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis) from a national cattle population. This paper presents a brief overview of the successful TB eradication programme in Australia from 1970, with primary emphasis on lessons of international relevance that were learned from the Australian experience. The national brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign ran for 27 years from 1970 to 1997 and has been followed by ongoing abattoir surveillance. Rapid progress towards eradication was made in southern Australia, but proved much more challenging in extensive pastoral areas of northern Australia. Declaration of TB freedom was made on December 31, 1997. A range of factors were critical to this success, including a compelling rationale for eradication, an agreed final outcome, industry commitment and financial support, a business model for programme planning, implementation and review, consistent and transparent technical standards underpinned by a strict regulatory regime and applied research, the critical role of abattoir surveillance, effective elimination of residual infection and objective measures of programme progress. Although direct translation of some of these experiences may not be possible, many of the lessons learned from the Australian experience may be relevant to other countries.
International Journal of Advance Research and Innovation Review of Matrix Converter Modulation Topology (venturini Method) and Its Application

This paper presents an overview of the matrix converter and its modulation techniques with application. Matrix converter is one of the most interesting members of power converter family; provide direct AC-AC conversion. A matrix converter is an ac-ac power frequency converter that received extension research attention due to its single stage power conversion technique, which is an alternate to ac-dc-ac converter.MC (matrix converter) is capable to convert energy from an ac source to ac load without the need of bulky and lifetime limited energy storage elements. Here the purpose of most of these modulation methods is to generate sinusoidal current on the input and output sides. These methods are compared on the basis of theoretical complexities and performance.
Performance and suitability assessment of a real-time 3D electromagnetic needle tracking system for interstitial brachytherapy

Purpose Accurate insertion and overall needle positioning are key requirements for effective brachytherapy treatments. This work aims at demonstrating the accuracy performance and the suitability of the Aurora® V1 Planar Field Generator (PFG) electromagnetic tracking system (EMTS) for real-time treatment assistance in interstitial brachytherapy procedures. Material and methods The system's performance was characterized in two distinct studies. First, in an environment free of EM disturbance, the boundaries of the detection volume of the EMTS were characterized and a tracking error analysis was performed. Secondly, a distortion analysis was conducted as a means of assessing the tracking accuracy performance of the system in the presence of potential EM disturbance generated by the proximity of standard brachytherapy components. Results The tracking accuracy experiments showed that positional errors were typically 2 ± 1 mm in a zone restricted to the first 30 cm of the detection volume. However, at the edges of the detection volume, sensor position errors of up to 16 mm were recorded. On the other hand, orientation errors remained low at ± 2° for most of the measurements. The EM distortion analysis showed that the presence of typical brachytherapy components in vicinity of the EMTS had little influence on tracking accuracy. Position errors of less than 1 mm were recorded with all components except with a metallic arm support, which induced a mean absolute error of approximately 1.4 mm when located 10 cm away from the needle sensor. Conclusions The Aurora® V1 PFG EMTS possesses a great potential for real-time treatment assistance in general interstitial brachytherapy. In view of our experimental results, we however recommend that the needle axis remains as parallel as possible to the generator surface during treatment and that the tracking zone be restricted to the first 30 cm from the generator surface.
Using One-Way Chains to Provide Message Authentication without Shared Secrets

The objective of this paper is to propose a cryptographic protocol which provides authenticity in the exchange of information between two entities without using any shared secret and by using only one-way chains. Such a protocol may have many applications and may be of interest especially in constrained environments where computational power is limited since one-way chains may be constructed using some of the simplest cryptographic one-way functions. We propose and investigate two approaches based on one-way chains, which we call: delayed message authentication and direct message authentication. Both of them have some shortcomings and a final hybrid approach, which combines their advantages without inheriting their weaknesses, appears to be quite useful and effective
Intrinsically Hyperarithmetical Sets

The main result proved in the paper is that on every recursive structure the intrinsically hyperarithmetical sets coincide with the relatively intrinsically hyperarithmetical sets. As a side effect of the proof an effective version of the Kueker's theorem on definability by means of infinitary formulas is obtained. Mathematics Subject Classification: 03D70, 03D75.
Is Temporary Employment a Stepping Stone for Unemployed School Leavers?

Many school-leavers enter the labour market via temporary employment. In this paper we investigate the impact of a temporary employment spell at the start of the career on the transition rate into permanent employment. We compare the case of temporary employment to the hypothetical case of a direct transition from unemployment to permanent employment. In order to control for selective participation in temporary employment we include a large set of explanatory variables which have been especially collected to study school-leavers. We apply the AIC-information criterion to select the appropriate specification for unobserved heterogeneity. Based on the information criteria we conclude that given our data, there is no support for a model with selection in unobserved characteristics. Simulation exercises provide insights into the development of the effect of temporary employment over time. For a sample of unemployed Flemish school-leavers we find that in the short run temporary employment delays the school leaver’s transition to permanent employment. However, in the long run temporary employment acts as a stepping stone and decreases the duration until permanent employment.
Phase and Frequency-Dependent Effects of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation on Motor Cortical Excitability

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can entrain ongoing brain oscillations and modulate the motor system in a frequency-dependent manner. Recent animal studies have demonstrated that the phase of a sinusoidal current also has an important role in modulation of neuronal activity. However, the phase effects of tACS on the human motor system are largely unknown. Here, we systematically investigated the effects of tACS phase and frequency on the primary motor cortex (M1) by using motor evoked potentials (MEPs) with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). First, we compared the phase effects (90°, 180°, 270° or 360°) of 10 and 20 Hz tACS on MEPs. The 20 Hz tACS significantly increased M1 excitability compared with the 10 Hz tACS at 90° phase only. Second, we studied the 90° phase effect on MEPs at different tACS frequencies (5, 10, 20 or 40 Hz). The 20 vs. 10 Hz difference was again observed, but the 90° phase in 5 and 40 Hz tACS did not influence M1 excitability. Third, the 90° phase effects of 10 and 20 Hz tACS were compared with sham stimulation. The 90° phase of 20 Hz tACS enhanced MEP amplitudes compared with sham stimulation, but there was no significant effect of 10 Hz tACS. Taken together, we assume that the differential 90° phase effects on 20 Hz and 10 Hz tACS can be attributed to the neural synchronization modulated by tACS. Our results further underline that phase and frequency are the important factors in the effects of tACS on M1 excitability.
Chapter 6 Service Architectures

The telecommunications industry is undergoing a period of rapid change with deregulation, globalisation and, crucially, diversification—particularly in the area of service provision. In particular, telecommunications operators are increasingly offering a wide range of services, including multimedia services, over an diverse communications infrastructure, e.g. incorporating wireless networks. To date, such services have often been developed in a rather ad-hoc manner, with little attention paid to service engineering or indeed to underlying service architectures. This chapter focuses on the latter topic, i.e. the emergence of appropriate service architectures to support the creation of next generation telecommunications services (chapters ? , ? and ? , discuss complementary issues of service engineering). Particular attention is given to the emergence of middleware platforms and technologies that underpin such service architectures. The goals for service architectures (and associated middleware platforms) are as follows: • To support the rapid creation and subsequent rapid deployment of new services, for example by providing a higher level programming model for the creation of services and also by encouraging re-use. • To overcome problems of heterogeneity in the underlying infrastructure in terms of network and device types, system platforms and programming languages, etc., and hence to offer greater portability and interoperability of services. • To provide more openness in service construction, for example to promote maintenance and evolution of often highly complex software. The chapter is structured as follows. Section 6.2 discusses early developments in the area of service architecture, with section 6.3 then examining existing and emerging architectures, focusing mainly on distributed object and component technologies. Emphasis is placed on the rationale for such approaches. Following this, section 6.4 investigates the application of such technologies in the telecommunications industry. Section 6.5 discusses some challenges facing existing service architectures, including the need to support user and device mobility and also the increasing prevalence of multimedia services. A number of emerging solutions are also considered including reflective middleware Chapter 6. Service Architectures 2 technologies and the Object Management Group's Model Driven Architecture. Finally, section 6 contains some concluding remarks. Given the nature of the area, it is essential that services architectures are supported by appropriate standardisation, whether in terms of de jure or de facto standardisation processes. This is essential to ensure portability, interoperability and openness as discussed above. The first relevant step in standardisation was the creation of the Reference Model for Open System Interconnection by the International Standards Organisation (ISO OSI). This …
Parameterized Module Scheduling Algorithm for Reconfigurable Computing Systems

Reconfigurable computing is an emerging paradigm of research that offers cost-effective solutions for computationally intensive applications through hardware reuse. There is a growing need in this domain for techniques to exploit parallelism inherent in the target application and to schedule the parallelized application. This leads to the need for scheduling and mapping of tasks on to several hardware resources (Reconfigurable Logic Units). Here Reconfigurable Logic Unit (RLU) represents reconfigurable hardware module on a reconfigurable System-on-Chip (rSoC). This paper addresses the problem of scheduling and mapping of the tasks onto the RLUs for a given application task graph by introducing a new concept of parameterized modules and variable silicon area sizes. In contrast to existing algorithms, this paper considers heterogeneous RLUs that vary in terms of size of the chip area and multiple versions of implementations (configuration bit streams) for each task. As this is a new idea, here we are presenting algorithms which employ heuristics and dynamic programming methods to schedule tasks on to several hardware resources with the objective of minimizing the total execution time. The results show that dynamic programming algorithm always obtains the optimal or near sub-optimal scheduling list, whereas heuristic method is not providing always optimal /efficient scheduled list. The algorithms are implemented using SystemC environment to support hardware as well as software co-simulation. Our results show that developed algorithm using dynamic programming is more efficient in terms of hardware utilization without losing the performance.