Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design and Algorithms for Parallel Testing of Random Access and Content Addressable Memories

This paper presents a design strategy for efficient and comprehensive parallel testing of both Random Access Memory (RAM) and Content Addressable Memory (CAM). Based on this design for testability approach, parallel testing algorithms for CAMs and RAMs are developed for a broad class of pattern sensitive faults. The resulting test procedures are significantly more efficient than previous approaches. For example, the design for testability strategy allows an entire w word CAM to be read in just one operation with a resulting speed up in testing as high as w. In the case of an n bit RAM, the improvement in test efficiency is by a factor of O(√n). overall reduction in testing time is considerable for large size memories.
Digital Humanitarians

Eyewitness user-generated content has dominated the study of citizen journalism in crisis and conflict zones. However, the convergence of online networked technologies, like social media, collaborative mapping and real-time information management, gives ordinary people the capacity to commit acts of journalism from afar. Networks of virtual volunteers act as digital humanitarians who rapidly assemble situational awareness at the onset of natural and human-caused disasters through crowdsourcing, data analysis and crisis mapping to aid on-the-ground emergency response. While they have been studied through the multi-disciplinary lens of information science, computation, geography and emergency management, digital humanitarians have received little attention in the journalism literature. This exploratory study contends that the knowledge-based content produced by these groups is citizen journalism akin to data-driven investigative news. Two case studies and a cross-case analysis consider this argument through digital humanitarian work of the Standby Task Force on the 2015 European refugee crisis and the 2016 earthquake in Ecuador. These and other emerging crisis/conflict zone examples suggest a broader perspective is needed on citizen journalism not bounded by eyewitness user-generated content. Future research directions to explore digital humanitarianism as a form of citizen journalism are also offered.
Collective responses to acoustic threat information in jackdaws

2 Table of contents . 4 Acknowledgements . 8 Declaration . 10 Chapter One: General introduction . 11 Background . 11 Study species . 21 General description of study system . 26 Thesis structure . 29 Chapter Two: Jackdaws care who calls in collective response decisions . 31 Abstract . 3
Results of in vitro and in vivo genetic toxicity tests on methyl isocyanate

Methyl isocyanate (MIC) was tested for genetic toxicity in a variety of in vitro and in vivo assays. Negative results were obtained in the Salmonella/mammalian microsome assay using five bacterial strains in a preincubation protocol. The Drosophila sex-linked recessive lethal test also gave negative results in studies that involved three routes of administration: inhalation, feeding, and injection. Positive results were obtained for three endpoints in cultured mammalian cells. Reproducible, dose-related increases in trifluorothymidine-resistant clones were induced in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells, and the frequencies of both SCE and chromosomal aberrations increased in Chinese hamster ovary cells. These effects were independent of exogenous metabolism. In mice exposed to methyl isocyanate by inhalation, cytogenetic analyses were carried out on bone marrow, blood, and lung cells. A single, 2-hr exposure to concentrations of 0, 3, 10, and 30 ppm MIC produced no evidence of chromosomal effects in the bone marrow, although significant cell cycle delay was observed. In four experiments involving exposures on 4 consecutive days to 0, 1, 3, or 6 ppm, delays in bone marrow cell cycle were again observed. Increases in SCE and chromosomal aberrations were observed in bone marrow cells, and a dose-related increase in SCE occurred in lung cells but not in peripheral blood lymphocytes. A significant increase in micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in the peripheral blood was observed in male mice in one experiment. From these results, it appears that methyl isocyanate has the capacity to affect chromosome structure but not to induce gene mutations. Furthermore, in vitro tests show that the induction of chromosomal effects is not dependent on an exogenous source of metabolism. Based on these results and on what is known about the binding of carbamoylating agents to cellular macromolecules, methyl isocyanate may exert its genetic toxicity by binding to nuclear proteins rather than by binding to DNA.
High-Performance Modelling in Geodynamics

Modelling of geodynamic processes like mantle or core convection has strongly improved over the last two decades thanks to the steady development of numerical codes that tend to incorporate a more and more realistic physics. High-performance parallel computations allow the simulation of complex problems, such as the self-consistent generation of tectonic plates or the formation of planetary magnetic fields. However, the need to perform broad explorations of the parameter space and the large computational demands imposed by the non-linear, multi-scale nature of convection, requires several simplifications, in the domain geometry as well as in the physical complexity of the problem. In this chapter, the authors give an overview of the state-of-the-art convection simulations in planetary mantles, the different models and geometries used, and various methods to simplify the computations.
A Redundancy-Based Measure of Dissimilarity among Probability Distributions for Hierarchical Clustering Criteria

We introduce novel dissimilarity into a probabilistic clustering task to properly measure dissimilarity among multiple clusters when each cluster is characterized by a subpopulation in the mixture model. This measure of dissimilarity is called redundancy-based dissimilarity among probability distributions. From aspects of both source coding and a statistical hypothesis test, we shed light on several of the theoretical reasons for the redundancy-based dissimilarity among probability distributions being a reasonable measure of dissimilarity among clusters. We also elucidate a principle in common for the measures of redundancy-based dissimilarity and Ward's method in terms of hierarchical clustering criteria. Moreover, we show several related theorems that are significant for clustering tasks. In the experiments, properties of the measure of redundancy-based dissimilarity are examined in comparison with several other measures.
Partially ordered patterns and their combinatorial interpretations

This paper is a continuation of the study of partially ordered patterns (POPs) introduced recently. We provide a general approach to code combinatorial objects using (POP-)restricted permutations. We give several examples of relations between permutations restricted by POPs and other combinatorial structures, such as labeled graphs, walks, binary vectors, and others. Also, we show how restricted permutations are related to Cartesian products of certain objects.
CLARAty: an architecture for reusable robotic software

In this article, we will present an overview of the Coupled Layered Architecture for Robotic Autonomy. CLARAty develops a framework for generic and reusable robotic components that can be adapted to a number of heterogeneous robot platforms. It also provides a framework that will simplify the integration of new technologies and enable the comparison of various elements. CLARAty consists of two distinct layers: a Functional Layer and a Decision Layer. The Functional Layer defines the various abstractions of the system and adapts the abstract components to real or simulated devices. It provides a framework and the algorithms for low- and mid-level autonomy. The Decision Layer provides the system's high-level autonomy, which reasons about global resources and mission constraints. The Decision Layer accesses information from the Functional Layer at multiple levels of granularity. In this article, we will also present some of the challenges in developing interoperable software for various rover platforms. Examples will include challenges from the locomotion and manipulation domains
Application of non-linear system model updating using feature extraction and parameter effects analysis

This research presents a new method to improve analytical model fidelity for non-linear systems. The approach investigates several mechanisms to assist the analyst in updating an analytical model based on experimental data and statistical analysis of parameter effects. The first is a new approach at data reduction called feature extraction. This is an expansion of the classic update metrics to include specific phenomena or character of the response that is critical to model application. This is an extension of the familiar linear updating paradigm of utilizing the eigen-parameters or FRF's to include such devices as peak acceleration, time of arrival or standard deviation of model error. The next expansion of the updating process is the inclusion of statistical based parameter analysis to quantify the effects of uncertain or significant effect parameters in the construction of a meta-model. This provides indicators of the statistical variation associated with parameters as well as confidence intervals on the coefficients of the resulting meta-model. Also included in this method is the investigation of linear parameter effect screening using a partial factorial variable array for simulation. This is intended to aid the analyst in eliminating from the investigation the parameters that do not have a significant variation effect on the feature metric. Finally an investigation of the model to replicate the measured response variation is examined.
Text-independent Speaker Identification Using Fisher Discrimination Dictionary Learning Method

In last decades, text-independent speaker recognition is a hot research topic attracted many researchers. In this paper, we proposed to apply the Fisher discrimination dictionary learning method to identify the text-independent speaker recognition. The feature used in classification is the Gaussian Mixture Model super vector. The proposed method is evaluated with public ally available dataset TIMIT. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the Sparse Representation Classifier used for text-independent speaker recognition in both clean and noisy condition.
An Instantiation for Sequences of Hierarchical Distance-based Conceptual Clustering

In this work, we present an instantiation of our framework for Hierarchical Distance-based Conceptual Clustering (HDCC) using sequences, a particular kind of structured data. We analyse the relationship between distances and generalisation operators for sequences in the context of HDCC. HDCC is a general approach to conceptual clustering that extends the traditional algorithm for hierarchical clustering by producing conceptual generalisations of the discovered clusters. Since the approach is general, it allows to combine the flexibility of changing distances for different data types at the same time that we take advantage of the interpretability offered by the obtained concepts, which is central for descriptive data mining tasks. We propose here different generalisation operators for sequences and analyse how they work together with the edit and linkage distances in HDCC. This analysis is carried out based on three different properties for generalisation operators and three different levels of agreement between the clustering hierarchy obtained from the linkage distance and the hierarchy obtained by using generalisation operators.
Cost-Optimal Validation Mechanisms and Cheat-Detection for Crowdsourcing Platforms

Crowd sourcing is becoming more and more important for commercial purposes. With the growth of crowd sourcing platforms like MTurk or Micro workers, a huge work force and a large knowledge base can be easily accessed and utilized. But due to the anonymity of the workers, they are encouraged to cheat the employers in order to maximize their income. Thus, this paper presents two crowd-based approaches to validate the submitted work. Both approaches are evaluated with regard to their detection quality, their costs and their applicability to different types of typical crowd sourcing tasks.
Are needle and syringe programmes associated with a reduction in HIV transmission among people who inject drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Needle and syringe programmes (NSP) aim to reduce the risk of HIV by providing people who inject drugs (PWID) with sterile injecting equipment. A recent review of reviews (ROR) concluded that there was only tentative evidence to support the effectiveness of NSP in reducing HIV. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between NSP and HIV transmission. METHODS Relevant primary articles presenting data on the risk of HIV transmission associated with NSP were identified in two stages: (i) from reviews identified in two published RORs (covering the period 1980-2008); and (ii) a literature search of CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsychINFO for primary articles published since the most recent high quality review (covering the period 2008-12). Study results were synthesized using random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS There were 12 studies comprising at least 12 000 person-years of follow-up. Exposure to NSP was associated with a reduction in HIV transmission: pooled effect size 0·66 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·43, 1·01] across all studies, and 0·42 (95% CI 0·22, 0·81) across six higher quality studies (according to the Newcastle-Ottawa tool). CONCLUSIONS There is evidence to support the effectiveness of NSP in reducing the transmission of HIV among PWID, although it is likely that other harm reduction interventions have also contributed to the observed reduction in HIV risk. NSP should be considered as just one component of a programme of interventions to reduce both injecting risk and other types of HIV risk behaviour.
Digital Video Stabilisation in modern and next generation imaging systems

Digital video stabilisation allows to remove unwanted camera movements producing video sequences without disturbing jerkiness. In this paper we propose a novel fast global motion estimation algorithm for video stabilisation based on block matching of local motion vectors. Some of these vectors are properly filtered out by making use of ad-hoc rules taking into account local similarity, local "activity" and matching effectiveness. Also a temporal analysis of the relative error computed at each frame has been introduced. Reliable information is then used to retrieve inter-frame transformation parameters which are used to remove jerkiness. Experiments on real cases confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach even in critical conditions.
Interestingness via what is not interesting

As the size of mined databases increases, the sheer volume of rules produced by data-mining algorithms often overwhelms their users. These users only want to be presented with a short list of interesting rules. Some work has been conducted on determining what is interesting, with an agreement that interestingness is ultimately subjective. While there is no single, formal definition of interestingness, there is a consensus that finding interesting rules is a very difficult problem, requiring domain knowledge and/or user interaction. Our objective is to take the first step to a comprehensive solution to this problem in any domain. We present a simple and short process of eliminating a substantial portion of uninteresting association rules in a list outputted by a data-mining algorithm. Instead of trying to establish what is interesting, we look for rules that are not interesting; more specifically, the simple rules whose elimination implies the automatic elimination of many other rules in the list. Thus, our process requires very low-intensity user interaction: in three iterations, a user usually eliminates about 30% of the rules. A little over five iterations will usually halve the size of the problem. This elimination is a significant first step since size is the essence of the problem. We present representative results of executions of the algorithm over three real databases: WWW logs, grocery store transactions and adult census data.
A compact hand-held active physiological tremor compensation instrument

This paper presents research, design, and development of a compact version of a hand-held active physiological tremor compensation instrument called “ITrem”. The instrument comprises three main portions: sensing, filtering, and manipulation. Accelerometers are employed to sense three degrees-of-freedom motion of the instrument tool tip. Minimal-phase filtering is performed to extract tremulous motion of the tip from its total motion. As for manipulation, piezoelectric actuators and flexure based mechanism are employed to move the tool tip to an opposite direction but an equal in magnitude of the tremulous motion. The performance of the instrument was evaluated using a micro motion sensing system (M2S2). The preliminary results of bench tests as well as hand-held tests are shown.
Factors Related to the Counterproductive Use of Computers

SAMANTHA A. MORRIS, M.S., August 2007, Industrial/Organzational Psychology FACTORS RELATED TO COUNTERPRODUCTIVE USE OF COMPUTERS (91 pp.) Director of Thesis: Paula M. Popovich There is no denying that computers affect nearly every aspect of the workplace, including the workforce itself (Potosky & Bobko, 2004; Wiechman & Ryan, 2004). Although many researchers have already examined positive and negative reactions to computers there is relatively little research concerning employee’s attitudes and personalities and how these variables influence the use of computers at work. Reactions to computers may be a special concern to organizations for many reasons including employee productivity, job stress, theft of resources, and many more. Accordingly, the current study sought to uncover some variables which may influence personal use of work computers by developing and testing a model, based on Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB; 1985) and including the Big Five personality dimensions (Goldberg, 1990). Results indicated that positive computer attitudes were the most predictive of counterproductive use of computers. Additional findings and implications are discussed. Approved: _____________________________________________________________ Paula M. Popovich Associate Professor of Psychology Acknowledgements I would like to start of by thanking my family and friends for all of their love and continued support. Of course, I would also like to thank my advisor, Paula Popovich. Without her guidance and expertise this document would not be possible. I would also like to thank Jeff Vancouver and Keith Markman for their assistance in improving the quality of this paper through their helpful comments and suggestions. Finally, I would like to dedicate this document to the women in my family; my mother, sister, aunts and grandmother who have each taught what it means to be a strong, smart and hard-working woman. I love you all and I would not be here without your love and encouragement. Table of
Constrained directions as a path planning algorithm for mobile robots under slip and actuator limitations

In this paper a dynamic model is proposed for a wheeled mobile robot (WMR) that incorporates a novel slip characterization and is used to study navigation under hard control constraints. Many available dynamic models of WMR assume that either the wheels roll without slipping or has longitudinal slip only. As a result they do not necessarily capture the true dynamics of WMRs. The model proposed in this paper considers a two wheeled differential drive mobile robot moving on a flat surface with possibly non-zero lateral and longitudinal slipping. A novel slip characterizing model is introduced and defining parameters are estimated via a set of experiments. Compared with several existing models in the literature simulation results show that trajectories predicted by the proposed model agree better with experimental data. The introduced dynamics and the corresponding slip model coupled with a novel direction search scheme were then used to ascertain the reachable states under constrained control. The scheme involves a finite dimensional search procedure which eliminates having to deal with two point boundary value problems resulting from classic optimal control formulations. The results of the paper can be easily applied to the design of control schemes for WMRs under realistic surface topography and control input constraints.
A fingerprinting-based plagiarism detection system for Arabic text-based documents

This paper presents a novel plagiarism detection system for Arabic text-based documents, Iqtebas 1.0. This is a primary work dedicated for plagiarism of Arabic based documents. Arabic is a rich morphological language that is among the top used languages in the world and in the Internet as well. Given a document and a set of suspected files, our goal is to compute the originality value of the examined document. The originality value of a text is computed by computing the distance between each sentence in the text and the closest sentence in the suspected files, if exists. The proposed system structure is based on a search engine in order to reduce the cost of pairwise similarity. For the indexing process, we use the winnowing n-gram fingerprinting algorithm to reduce the index size. The fingerprints of each sentence are its n-grams that are represented by hash codes. The winnowing algorithm computes fingerprints for each sentence. As a result, the search time is improved and the detection process is accurate and robust. The experimental results showed superb performance of Iqtebas 1.0 as it achieved a recall value of 94% and a precision of 99%.
Topological cigar and the c = 1 string: open and closed

We clarify some aspects of the map between the c = 1 string theory at self-dual radius and the topologically twisted cigar at level one. We map the ZZ and FZZT D-branes in the c = 1 string theory at self dual radius to the localized and extended branes in the topological theory on the cigar. We show that the open string spectrum on the branes in the two theories are in correspondence with each other, and their two point correlators are equal. We also find a representation of an extended N = 2 algebra on the worldsheet which incorporates higher spin currents in terms of asymptotic variables on the cigar.
A naïve Bayesian classifier in categorical uncertain data streams

This paper proposes a novel naïve Bayesian classifier in categorical uncertain data streams. Uncertainty in categorical data is usually represented by vector valued discrete pdf, which has to be carefully handled to guarantee the underlying performance in data mining applications. In this paper, we map the probabilistic attribute to deterministic points in the Euclidean space and design a distance based and a density based algorithms to measure the correlations between feature vectors and class labels. We also devise a new pre-binning approach to guarantee bounded computation and memory cost in uncertain data streams classification. Experimental results in real uncertain data streams prove that our density-based naive classifier is efficient, accurate, and robust to data uncertainty.