Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Minimizing response latency via efficient virtual machine placement in cloud systems

As more and more applications migrate into clouds, the placement of virtual machines for these applications has much impact on the performance of cloud systems. A number of virtual machine (VM) placement techniques have been proposed over recent years. However, most of the existing works on VM placement ignore the response latency of the requests from tenants. In this paper, we investigate the techniques of VM placement with stochastic requests from the tenants to minimize the total (average) response latency. We first model the requests for each application from the corresponding tenant as independent Poisson stream. Moreover, the VMs are modeled as simple M/M/1 queueing systems. Then, we define the problem of VM placement for minimizing the total response delay (VMMD) and show it is NP-hard. We propose three heuristic algorithms, namely, Greedy, Local Adjustment (LA) and Simulated Annealing (SA). We conduct abundant simulation experiments to evaluate the performance of our proposed algorithms. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithms are efficient in decreasing the total response latency of the requests from tenants. Especially, the SA heuristic, which decreases the total response latency about 68% at most, shows the best performance on minimizing the total response latency in cloud systems.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec genotype effects outcomes of patients with healthcare-associated MRSA bacteremia independently of vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration.

BACKGROUND Recent evidence has shown that community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is less virulent than traditional hospital-associated MRSA. We explored whether the antimicrobial susceptibilities of the different strains account for their disparity in clinical virulence. METHODS This 10-year retrospective cohort study enrolled 291 patients with community-onset, healthcare-associated MRSA bacteremia. The vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type were determined for all isolates. CA-MRSA was defined as an isolate possessing the SCCmec type IV or V genes, and hospital-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) was defined as an isolate possessing SCCmec type I, II, or III genes. Low and high vancomycin MICs were defined as MICs of ≤1 and ≥2 μg/mL, respectively. Patients with bacteremia due to CA-MRSA with a low vancomycin MIC (n = 111), due to HA-MRSA with a low vancomycin MIC (n = 127), or due to HA-MRSA with a high vancomycin MIC (n = 47) entered the outcome analysis. The outcomes of the 2 HA-MRSA bacteremia groups were compared to those of the CA-MRSA bacteremia group. RESULTS Treatment failure was observed in 35 (31.5%), 59 (46.5%), and 27 (57.4%) of patients with low-vancomycin-MIC CA-MRSA, low-vancomycin-MIC HA-MRSA, and high-vancomycin-MIC HA-MRSA bacteremia, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, the risk of treatment failure was significantly higher among patients with low-vancomycin-MIC HA-MRSA (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.853; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.006-3.413) and high-vancomycin-MIC HA-MRSA (aOR, 2.393; 95% CI, 1.079-5.309), compared with patients with low-vancomycin-MIC CA-MRSA. CONCLUSIONS The higher risk for treatment failure among patients with traditional hospital-associated MRSA infections, compared with patients with CA-MRSA infections, is independent of the vancomycin MIC, suggesting a potential intrinsic strain-specific virulence effect.
A platform for assembly of electro-hydrodynamic microfluidics

We present a new method of building electro-microdevices through the assembly of several commercially available components. Our approach overcomes a number of limitations commonly encountered in studying fielddriven phenomena in suspensions at the micro-scale. The proposed method is utilized for the assembly of a microdevice equipped with microelectrode arrays to demonstrate that the application of a high-gradient AC electric field in the MHz-frequency range to an aqueous suspension of polystyrene beads enables one to form and transport distinct particle structures.
This is personal: Impersonal middles as disposition ascriptions

We develop an analysis of impersonal middles which capitalizes on the observed similarities between personal and impersonal middles, and on Lekakou’s (2004; 2005a) treatment of the former as disposition ascriptions. The following questions are addressed: (i) What is the disposition ascribed to in impersonal middles? (ii) What is the function of the obligatory subject pronoun? (iii) Why is a modifier needed, in addition to the manner/evaluative adverbial? By having a closer look at what types of additional modifiers are acceptable in impersonal middles, it is argued that the disposition in impersonal middles is ascribed to an event(uality), rather than an event participant. This is done via the non-omissible it-type pronoun that functions as the syntactic subject of the clause. We argue that this pronoun in impersonal middles is also the semantic subject, and that it indirectly refers to the event denoted by the verbal predicate, via an association relation with the vP. Impersonal middles, then, are not truly impersonal: they, too, feature a referential subject. The only difference between personal and impersonal middles relates to what the dispositional subject is: an event participant, or the event proper. We also show that the additional modifier is required for pragmatic reasons, namely in order to restrict the generalization made by the generic operator present in impersonal middles.
A hybrid intelligent HIDS model using two-layer genetic algorithm and neural network

Host Intrusion detection systems (HIDS) are increasingly emerging techniques for information security on host based applications. These systems should be designed to prevent unauthorized access of system resources and data. Many intelligent learning techniques are currently being applied to the large volumes of data for the construction of an efficient host intrusion detection system. This paper represents a hybrid approach for modeling HIDS combines anomaly, misuse detection, based on two-layer Genetic algorithm and neural network which uses simple data mining techniques to process the web application traffics. Two-layer Genetic algorithm and neural network are applied respectively as anomaly and misuse detection. Suspicious intrusions can be traced back to its original source. The proposed model is able to detect critical vulnerabilities based on Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP).
GPS-aided retrotraverse for unmanned ground vehicles

A computer controlled HMMWV automatically retraces a previously recorded path using navigation data, a process we have termed retrotraverse. A Kalman filter combines the output of two navigation systems, an inertial dead reckoning systems and a differential GPS both with and without carrier phase detection. During retrotraverse, the mobility controller uses a velocity controller and pure pursuit steering. Obstacles such as another vehicle can be detected with a laser range imaging device.
Public and Private Workspaces on Tabletop Displays

As co-operative work environments are becoming more popular, new tools and techniques have been emerging that allow users to perform collaborative tasks more efficiently. We have been exploring new interaction techniques made possible by using a multi-view display as a tabletop surface. This paper presents the concept of public and private working areas for multi-view display environments, and presents a taxonomy that allows us to better understand how they can be applied in computer supported collaborative work environments. We have formally defined and categorized various multi-view characteristics, along with possible uses and applications. We also created a display mask that allows an LCD monitor to be used as a multi-view display from four viewing directions. Furthermore, our initial implementation of a window manager utilizing the taxonomy has been discussed to demonstrate some of the interaction techniques that are possible using a multi-view tabletop display.
Statistical cluster validity indexes to consider cohesion and separation

Clusters for a collection of data could be constructed in various shapes according to the employed clustering method and its parameters. To evaluate the quality of clustering results, a variety of cluster validity indexes have been proposed. This paper presents a new cluster validity index which statistically considers both cohesion and separation of clusters. It presents its properties and shows some experimental results.
Recent Advances and Neural Connectivity in Autism

The current chapter has reviewed the functional and structural brain connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Neuropathological studies of the cerebral cortex in autism indicate abnormalities of synaptic and columnar structure and of neuronal migration. The MRI morphometry in young children with autism reveals excessive volume of cerebrum or cerebral white matter or increased total brain volume. The absence of such a volume difference in adults suggests that early hyperplasia in autism is followed by a plateau during which brain growth in normal subjects catches up. The developmental course of brain connectivity and the categorization potential of different connectivity process are important topics that are investigated by different studies. Finally, several studies contribute to a better understanding of the links between cellular abnormalities in the autistic cortex (both cerebral and cerebellar) and disturbances in network connectivity.
Retroviral induction of acute lymphoproliferative disease and profound immunosuppression in adult C57BL/6 mice

We have shown that a mixture of murine leukemia viruses (MuLV) causes the acute onset of lymphoproliferation and immunosuppression when injected into adult C57BL/6 mice. The ecotropic/MCF (mink cell focus- inducing) mixture of MuLV stimulates polyclonal B lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation to antibody-secreting cells. Serum Ig levels are elevated for all isotypes except IgA. The viral infection leads to a rapid decline in T lymphocyte responses to mitogens and alloantigens, as well as a decrease in helper cell activity. Specific antibody responses to both T-dependent and T-independent antigens are impaired, and the response of B lymphocytes to mitogens is abolished. The profound immunosuppression seems to be due to the MuLV-induced polyclonal activation of lymphocytes. No active suppression of normal lymphocyte responses by cells from virus-infected mice was observed. The disease induced by the LP-BM5 MuLV isolate thus seems a promising model for the study of lymphocyte activation and the mechanisms of retrovirus-induced immunosuppression.
Ubiquitin Reference Technique and Its Use in Ubiquitin-Lacking Prokaryotes

In a pulse-chase assay, the in vivo degradation of a protein is measured through a brief labeling of cells with, for example, a radioactive amino acid, followed by cessation of labeling and analysis of cell extracts prepared at different times afterward (“chase”), using immunoprecipitation, electrophoresis and autoradiography of a labeled protein of interest. A conventional pulse-chase assay is fraught with sources of data scatter, as the efficacy of labeling and immunoprecipitation can vary, and sample volumes can vary as well. The ubiquitin reference technique (URT), introduced in 1996, addresses these problems. In eukaryotes, a DNA-encoded linear fusion of ubiquitin to another protein is cleaved by deubiquitylases at the ubiquitin-protein junction. A URT assay uses a fusion in which the ubiquitin moiety is located between a downstream polypeptide (test protein) and an upstream polypeptide (a long-lived reference protein). The cotranslational cleavage of a URT fusion by deubiquitylases after the last residue of ubiquitin produces, at the initially equimolar ratio, a test protein with a desired N-terminal residue and a reference protein containing C-terminal ubiquitin moiety. In addition to being more accurate than pulse-chases without a reference, URT makes it possible to detect and measure the degradation of a test protein during the pulse (before the chase). Because prokaryotes, including Gram-negative bacteria such as, for example, Escherichia coli and Vibrio vulnificus, lack the ubiquitin system, the use of URT in such cells requires ectopic expression of a deubiquitylase. We describe designs and applications of plasmid vectors that coexpress, in bacteria, both a URT-type fusion and Ubp1, a deubiquitylase of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This single-plasmid approach extends the accuracy-enhancing URT assay to studies of protein degradation in prokaryotes.
The relationship between dementia severity and rest/activity circadian rhythms

Patients with dementia have been shown to have disturbed sleep/wake rhythms. There is evidence of impairment in endogenous generation of rhythms and deficient environmental cues in this population. This study sought to examine patterns of rest/activity rhythms as they relate to dementia severity. Three days of actigraphy were collected from 150 nursing-home patients with dementia and used to compute rhythm parameters. Dementia severity was estimated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The relationship between rhythm parameters and dementia severity was examined. Rhythm parameters were not associated with dementia in the sample as a whole, but relationships emerged when the sample was divided on the basis of overall rhythm robustness (F-statistic). Within the group with less robust rhythms, those with stronger rhythms had less severe dementia. In the group with more robust rhythms, milder dementia was associated with having an earlier acrophase (timing of the peak of the rhythm) and narrower peak of the rhythm (shorter duration of peak activity). These results suggested a three-stage model of rest/activity rhythm changes in dementia in which dementia patients have a rapid decline in rhythmicity followed by a slight return to stronger rhythms. In the later stages of dementia, rhythms decline even further.
Evaluation of Mechanical Properties and Microstructure for Laser Deposition Process and Welding Process

Laser Aided Manufacturing Process (LAMP) can be applied to repair steel die/molds which are currently repaired using traditional welding process in industry. In order to fully understand the advantages of laser deposition repair process over traditional welded-repair process, the mechanical properties such as tensile strength and hardness of H13 tool steel samples produced by these two processes were investigated. The microstructure and fracture surface of the samples were analyzed using optical microscope and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope). Moreover, depositions on substrates with different shapes were studied to evaluate the performance of LAMP on damaged parts with complicated geometric shape.
The Extent of Bias in Grading

Do biased perceptions and behaviors affect teachers’ assessment of students? To investigate this question, a number of studies use data on two different scores for the same individuals: one non-blind score based on classroom tests assessed by the student’s own teacher and one blind test score based on a national exam marked externally and anonymously. In the absence of bias in teachers’ assessments, it is argued, there should not be significant differences in the gaps in blind and non-blind scores between different groups. This article present a parsimonious econometric framework that distills out the assumptions necessary to identify group bias in teachers’ assessment from such a comparison of blind and non-blind scores. This framework lays the foundation for our empirical analysis, where data from the Norwegian school system are employed to estimate and interpret differences between nonblind and blind assessments. The results show that the relationship between the subject ability and non-blind results tends to be different from the relationship between subject ability and blind results. Evidence of this is found both when grades are recorded when teachers grade the same test and when they grade based on different assessments that are meant to test the same skill. The difference between non-blind and blind will therefore be a function of the skill tested. This leads to different estimates of the group bias when holding ability fixed.
A canonical decomposition of generalized theta functions on the moduli stack of Gieseker vector bundles

In this paper I present a new geometric approach to the factorization rule for generalised theta functions. Let $X$ be an irreducible projective nodal curve with one singularity and let $Y$ be its normalization. Recently I have constructed the moduli stack $GVB(X)$ of rank $n$ Gieseker vector bundles on $X$ and have shown that its normalization is a locally trivial fibration over the moduli stack $VB(Y)$ of vector bundles on $Y$, where the fibre is a canonical compactification of $Gl_n$. In this paper I prove a canonical direct sum decomposition of the space of global sections of a power of the theta line bundle on $GVB(X)$ where the summands are spaces of global sections of certain line bundles on the moduli stack of parabolic bundles on the two-pointed curve $Y$.
Effect of varying the step-size of least mean squares filter in the accuracy of extraction of passive RFID root-music direction-of-arrival estimates

This work establishes the extraction of root-multiple signal classification (root-MUSIC) direction-of-arrival (DoA) estimates of a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag system with a reader that utilizes a two-element uniform linear array. The accuracy of the estimates can be improved by using an adaptive filter called least mean squares algorithm (LMS) to reduce the effect of noise and carrier leakage before the extraction is done. Through the use of a simulation, random complex signals are primarily set from angle bearings of -90 through positive 90 degrees, inclusive of carrier leakage and noise, characterized as additive, white, random, and Gaussian-distributed. The LMS filter, with step sizes of 0.008, 0.003 and 0.002, is designed to detect the deterioration of affected parameters of the complex signal in order to reduce the inaccuracy of the estimates as effects of the added distortion. The accuracy of the estimates are compared to the actual DoA of the tag by measuring the error in degrees and with respect to the variation of the step-size. Simulations have also been done to observe the effect of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the received signal and the increase of the number of samples taken before extraction, in addition to the variation of the step size of the filter.
On the driving processes of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation

Because of its relevance for the global climate the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) has been a major research focus for many years. Yet the question of which physical mechanisms ultimately drive the AMOC, in the sense of providing its energy supply, remains a matter of controversy. Here we review both observational data and model results concerning the two main candidates: vertical mixing processes in the ocean's interior and wind‐induced Ekman upwelling in the Southern Ocean. In distinction to the energy source we also discuss the role of surface heat and freshwater fluxes, which influence the volume transport of the meridional overturning circulation and shape its spatial circulation pattern without actually supplying energy to the overturning itself in steady state. We conclude that both wind‐driven upwelling and vertical mixing are likely contributing to driving the observed circulation. To quantify their respective contributions, future research needs to address some open questions, which we outline.
A Study of UWB FM-CW Radar for the Detection of Human Beings in Motion Inside a Building

A study of an ultrawideband frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar with an extended frequency sweep from 0.5 to 8 GHz is presented. It has been applied to through-the-wall human detection. This work presents the modeling of wall attenuation followed by real measurements. The radar system is presented, and trials of human being tracking are shown. This radar will enable large stand-off distance capabilities and dasiadasiain-depthpsilapsila building detection.
From Nutrients to Nurturance: A Conceptual Introduction to Food Well-Being

The authors propose a restructuring of the “food as health” paradigm to “food as well-being. ” This requires shifting from an emphasis on restraint and restrictions to a more positive, holistic understanding of the role of food in overall well-being. The authors propose the concept of food well-being (FWB), defined as a positive psychological, physical, emotional, and social relationship with food at both individual and societal levels. The authors define and explain the five primary domains of FWB: food socialization, food literacy, food marketing, food availability, and food policy. The FWB framework employs a richer definition of food and highlights the need for research that bridges other disciplines and paradigms outside and within marketing. Further research should develop and refine the understanding of each domain with the ultimate goal of moving the field toward this embodiment of food as well-being.
Robust cooperative output regulation problem for nonlinear multi-agent systems

In this paper, we consider a robust cooperative output regulation problem in a class of uncertain nonlinear multi-agent systems. It is assumed that only some of the agents are able to access the exosystem, and thus the problem has to be solved by cooperation among different agents. An internal model based control strategy is proposed such that, regardless of small parameter perturbations of the agent and control law, the objective of asymptotic tracking and disturbance rejection can be achieved by the control law.
8183 Paper Title Spatial Statistics for Urban Analysis: a Review of New Techniques with Examples Spatial Statistics for Urban Analysis: a Review of New Techniques with Examples

Urban analysis is a discipline that traditionally has been quick to embrace and benefit from recent technical and technological developments. An example is the use of the microcomputer , and more recently the adoption of Geographic Information Systems to facilitate analysis and planning tasks. Although the adoption of new developments in spatial statistics has followed a different and somewhat slower pace, this is now starting to change. The objective of the present paper is to review a number of new developments in spatial statistics, and to present examples showing how these techniques can be applied to urban analysis. The techniques reviewed fall under the broad classes of global and local forms of spatial analysis, and the examples, drawn from the recent literature, cover urban environmental, transportation and land use problems.