Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ruby.NET: a Ruby compiler for the common language infrastructure

The implementation of statically typed programming languages on the . NET Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) is by now well understood (Gough 2002). However, the situation with dynamic languages is not so clear. Typically such languages have objects that are dynamically typed, while the CLI is statically typed at the instruction code level. Nevertheless there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the CLI can be a suitable target for such languages (Hugunin 2006). In order to better understand the issues involved we set out to create a full implementation of the Ruby language on the CLI. This paper describes the challenges faced and design decisions made in creating Ruby.NET -- a Ruby compiler for the CLI.
Microfabrication of silicon nitride micromesh bolometric detectors for planck high frequency instrument

The high frequency instrument (HFI) on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration/European Space Agency Planck Surveyor, scheduled for launch in 2007, will map the entire sky in six frequency bands ranging from 100 to 857 GHz to probe cosmic microwave background anisotropy and polarization with angular resolution ranging from 9[prime] to 5[prime]. The HFI focal plane will contain 48 silicon–nitride micromesh bolometers operating from a 100 mK heat sink. Four detectors in each of the six bands will detect unpolarized radiation. An additional four pairs of detectors will provide sensitivity to linear polarization of emissions at 143, 217, and 353 GHz. We have fabricated and developed sensitive Si3N4 micromesh spider-web bolometers for submillimeter observation using microelectromechanical system techniques. The spiderweb architecture in this research provides high infrared absorption with minimal heat capacity and volume.
Artistic tessellations by growing curves

In this paper we propose to tessellate a region by growing curves. We use a particle system, which flexibly provides good control over the final effects by variations of the initial placement, the placement order, curve direction, and curve properties. We also propose an automatic image-based mosaic method which has good texture indication, using a smoothed vector field to guide particle movement. The final irregular tessellation simulates stained glass where the elongated curved tiles suggest the content of highly textured areas. We give some additional applications, some of which resemble naturally occurring irregular patterns such as cracks and scales. We also notice that stacking a set of curves in a structured way can produce the illusion of a 3D shape.
Load balance optimization with replication degree customization

The load balance optimization is an important research topic in a replication system, which will affect the performance a lot. Especially in a capacity restricted system, the load balance will be adversely affected by the strategy to replicate the object. In this paper, an algorithm which will calculate the different replication degree based on the popularity and the size of each object to improve the load balance of the system is proposed. The simulation of a cache system shows that the algorithm could achieve around 50% performance increase compare with the identical replication degree approach as the system is much more balanced and could process much more requests in a certain time period.
RESOLV: Development of a telephone-based program designed to increase socialization in older veterans

ABSTRACT We describe the development of a telephone-based program, Recreation, Education, and Socialization for Older Learning Veterans (RESOLV) that aims to connect Veterans with one another by phone and thereby reduce loneliness. The program was developed through a collaboration between VA and a community-based organization, Episcopal Senior Communities Senior Center Without Walls (SCWW). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 rural and non-rural dwelling older Veterans to identify leisure interests and potential barriers to participating in leisure activities. Program feasibility was examined with questions about telephone use and interest in and perceived benefits of a telephone community. We conducted content analysis to quantify Veterans’ leisure interests and thematic analysis to characterize barriers to participation. Veterans expressed interest most frequently in groups focused on conversation, support, gratitude, and technology. Rural and non-rural participants did not differ significantly in interests. Barriers to current activity participation included limited access to activities, limitations due to physical conditions, and transportation difficulties, which were consistent themes for both rural and non-rural participants. Themes related to perceived benefits of socialization that emerged include connectedness, learning from others, being active despite limitations, and distraction from limitations. Our findings demonstrate how a telephone-based socialization program could be developed and tailored for older Veterans. It seems that such a program is feasible and may be of benefit for older Veterans in rural and non-rural areas. Further evaluation is needed to ascertain the direct benefit of such a program to older Veterans.
Heterogeneous ability profiles may be a unique indicator of impending cognitive decline.

OBJECTIVE Prior research has found that within-person standard deviations across different neuropsychological domains are larger in various clinical groups than in healthy control groups, but little is known about the specificity of these measures to clinical conditions. METHOD Within-person standard deviations were computed across composite scores representing episodic memory, perceptual speed, inductive reasoning, and spatial visualization and compared in older adults differing in the amount of subsequent cognitive change, and as a function of age in a large sample of adults ranging from 18 to 89 years of age. RESULTS The standard deviations at an initial occasion were significantly greater in older adults who experienced the most negative longitudinal change, but relations of the standard deviations with age were only evident in adults under 65 years of age, and they were negative rather than positive. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that high values of within-person variability may have specificity in predicting late life cognitive decline.
An Approximate Nearest Neighbor Query Algorithm Based on B^Z-Tree

R-tree can achieve better performance in low-dimensional space, but its performance suffers greatly in high-dimensional space. So the reduction of the dimensionality is the key to the problem. Z curve can fill d dimensional space linearly, divide the space into equal-size grids and map points lying in the grids into the linear space. BZ-tree is constructed using Z curve. BZ-tree is a balanced multi-branch tree. BZ-tree has the characteristic of B+-tree and R-tree. In BZ-tree, Z values of the points are the keywords, and all points are stored in leaf nodes, ordered by Z values. Using the reduction of the dimensionality of BZ-tree, the paper presents an approximate k-nearest neighbor query algorithm. According to the test, its running time is shorter than the Brute-Force method and the algorithm based on R-tree, and the quality of the approximate k-nearest neighbors is better.
The Structural Interpretation of the Randi Index #

Motivation. The Randiü index is one of the most successful molecular descriptors in structure–property and structure–activity relationships studies. In spite of some attempts to interpret the physical meaning of this index it is still not clear what exactly this index measures in a molecular structure. The finding of the structural interpretation of this topological index will open the doors to novel applications as well as to a better understanding of the models developed with its use. Results. The inverse squared–root of the vertex degree is identified here as a measure of the relative accessible perimeter of an atom from the outside. These perimeters, which have length units, are proposed to be measured in a new unit called the Randiü (R). One Randiü correspond to the perimeter of a carbon atom with degree one. On this basis, the bond contributions to the Randiü index are relative areas of bond accessibility from the environment. Consequently, the Randiü index is interpreted as the relative molecular area of external accessibility, that is the sum of relative accessibility bond areas in a molecule. Conclusions. The results obtained here provide the Randiü index with a clear structural interpretation, which is very close to the physical thinking commonly used in chemistry.
GRAPHITE Two Years After First Lessons Learned From Real-World Polyhedral Compilation

Modern compilers are responsible for adapting the semantics of source programs into a form that makes ecient use of a highly complex, hetero- geneous machine. This adaptation amounts to solve an optimization problem in a huge and unstructured search space, while predicting the performance outcome of complex sequences of program transformations. The polyhedral model of com- pilation is aimed at these challenges. Its geometrical, non-inductive semantics enables the construction of better-structured optimization problems and pre- cise analytical models. Recent work demonstrated the scalability of the main polyhedral algorithms to real-world programs. Its integration into production compilers is under way, pioneered by the graphite branch of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC). Two years after the eective beginning of the project, this paper reports on original questions and innovative solutions that arose during the design and implementation of graphite.
A new hardware architecture for sampling the exponential distribution

Hardware acceleration in high performance computing context is of growing interest, particularly in the field of Monte Carlo methods where the resort to FPGA technology enhances execution speed by several orders. For this purpose, a particular attention has been given lately to hardware-based non-uniform random variate generators. In this paper we present both a hardware-dedicated decision tree technique for the generation of exponential variates and a derived architecture implemented in FPGA. The proposed design passes the chi2 test with a p-value of 0.5499 and ensures absence of serial correlation. The exponential random number generator reaches 375 MHz on a Xilinx Virtex II Pro FPGA and occupies about 3 % of the available space.
Authentic Learning Strategies to Engage Student's Creative and Critical Thinking

Recent research reveals that graduates lack problem-solving skills and communication skills that are an integral part of industry demands. There is now a growing necessity to move towards an education system that can prepare graduates with important skills to enter the working world. In response to this, universities are now moving towards more authentic learning strategies that are student-centred and are able to provide students with the crucial skills they need. This paper presents a study that sought to investigate how efficient an authentic learning environment, with a project-based curriculum that is supported by multimedia and web technologies, can engage students' creative and critical thinking. Results showed that authentic learning strategies encouraged higher order thinking skills, made learning active, supported the development of important career skills and enhanced understanding. The positive results strongly encourage the use of authentic learning strategies to engage students' creative and critical thinking.
Asian Sand Dust Enhances Allergen-Induced Th2 Allergic Inflammatory Changes and Mucin Production in BALB/c Mouse Lungs

Purpose Recent studies have reported that Asian sand dust (ASD) has a potential risk of aggravating airway inflammation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of ASD on inflammation and mucin production in the airways of allergic mice. Methods Forty BALB/c female mice were divided into four groups: saline (group 1); ASD (group 2); ovalbumin (OVA) alone (group 3); and OVA+ASD (group 4). OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in serum and interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13, and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) and Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining was performed on lung tissues. In addition, immunohistochemical staining for IL-4, IL-5, MUC5AC, and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α) was conducted. Results Serum IgE levels were significantly higher in group 4 than in group 3 (P<0.05). IL-4 and IL-5 in BALF were significantly higher in group 4 than in group 3 (P<0.05, respectively). Based on H&E staining, inflammatory cell numbers were significantly greater in group 4 than in the other groups (P<0.05). The number of PAS-positive cells was also significantly greater in groups 3 and 4 than in groups 1 and 2 (P<0.05). The numbers of IL-4 and IL-5-positive cells were higher in group 4 than in group 3 (P<0.05). The number of MUC5AC and TGF-α-positive cells were also higher in group 4 than in group 3 (P<0.05). Conclusions Our data suggest that ASD increases cytokine expression and mucin production in an allergic murine model. The increased inflammatory reactions were related to cytokine production.
Tourism research in the German Democratic Republic

So far, East German tourism research has been studied little by the history of science. Tourism science saw the light of day around 1930 in Berlin. During the Cold War, in the GDR it gained a notable quantitative extent that finally equalled the research in the ‘capitalist’ part of Germany. Initially, theoretical questions played a prominent role, but then – like in the West – tourism science became a strictly applied discipline. Part and parcel of the planned economy, its focus was on the parastatal social tourism: holiday making was seen as a means to improve the health of the ‘workers and farmers’ through ‘recreation’ and – unspoken – as a means to stabilize the political system. Thus, it became a centrepiece of consumer policy (like in Nazi times). Research successfully helped to steer and expand the ‘recreational system’. However, demand grew faster than supply and, even worse, people remained cut off from the glittering West. Despite vast subsidies and very high travel intensity, discontentment with travel opportunities reached a level that essentially contributed to the collapse of the GDR in 1989. Tourism researchers warned from that growing tide of discontentment and left no stone unturned – in vain.
A digital controlled energy scavenger power converter

This work proposes an autonomous energy scavenger battery-free switching power supply. A piezoelectric transducer is used to get electric energy from a mechanical vibrating source. Piezoelectric device has been modelled by means of its equivalent electric resonant model. All system has been designed and then simulated at system level by means of SystemC-WMS environment.
Cell-projection of cyclic meshes

We present the first algorithm that employs hardware-accelerated cell-projection for direct volume rendering of cyclic meshes, i.e., meshes with visibility cycles. The visibility sorting of a cyclic mesh is performed by an extended topological sorting, which computes and isolates visibility cycles. Measured sorting times are comparable to previously published algorithms, which are, however, restricted to acyclic meshes. In practice, our algorithm is also useful for acyclic meshes as numerical instabilities can lead to false visibility cycles. Our method includes a simple, hardware-assisted algorithm based on image compositing that renders visibility cycles correctly. For tetrahedral meshes this algorithm allows us to render each tetrahedral cell (whether it is part of a cycle or not) by hardware-accelerated cell-projection. In its basic form our method applies only to convex cyclic meshes; however, we present an exact and a simpler but inexact extension of our method for nonconvex meshes.
Removal of baseline wander in ECG using the statistical properties of fractional Brownian motion

In this paper, we propose a novel method of removal of baseline wander noise from a noisy ECG signal. We have shown that the original (clean) ECG signal can be modeled as a 2nd order fractional Brownian motion (fBm) process, while the baseline wander noise can be modeled as a 1st order fBm process. We use the eigenvectors of the auto-covariance matrix of the 2nd order fBm process characterizing the original ECG signal to design an M-channel uniformly decimated filterbank. Noisy ECG signal is fed to this filterbank and the subband signals are processed for removal of baseline wander noise. Performance comparison with other baseline wander removal methods shows the efficacy of the proposed method.
Variability, compensation, and modulation in neurons and circuits

I summarize recent computational and experimental work that addresses the inherent variability in the synaptic and intrinsic conductances in normal healthy brains and shows that multiple solutions (sets of parameters) can produce similar circuit performance. I then discuss a number of issues raised by this observation, such as which parameter variations arise from compensatory mechanisms and which reflect insensitivity to those particular parameters. I ask whether networks with different sets of underlying parameters can nonetheless respond reliably to neuromodulation and other global perturbations. At the computational level, I describe a paradigm shift in which it is becoming increasingly common to develop families of models that reflect the variance in the biological data that the models are intended to illuminate rather than single, highly tuned models. On the experimental side, I discuss the inherent limitations of overreliance on mean data and suggest that it is important to look for compensations and correlations among as many system parameters as possible, and between each system parameter and circuit performance. This second paradigm shift will require moving away from measurements of each system component in isolation but should reveal important previously undescribed principles in the organization of complex systems such as brains.
MMSE Approximation for Denoising Using Several Sparse Representations

Cleaning of noise from signals is a classical and long-studied problem in signal processing. For signals that admit sparse representations over a known dictionary, MAP-based denoising seeks the sparsest representation that synthesizes a signal close to the corrupted one. While this task is NP-hard, it can usually be approximated quite well by a greedy method, such as the Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP). In this work we consider a Minimum-Mean-Squared-Error (MMSE) denoising algorithm, superior to the above MAP approach. We show that this estimator amounts to a weighted averaging of many sparse representation solutions. As its deployment is also NP-hard, we propose a practical randomized version of the OMP algorithm for generating such a group of representations. Simulations of the proposed algorithm are provided and its superiority over plain OMP is demonstrated.
Impliciete persoonlijkheidstrekken en psychopathologie. Achtergrond, huidige inzichten en perspectieven.

Gebaseerd op de veronderstelling dat persoonlijkheid een belangrijke bijdrage levert aan het ontstaan en de instandhouding van psychische klachten probeert dit artikel een link te leggen tussen zogenaamde ‘impliciete persoonlijkheidstrekken’ en psychopathologie. Doorgaans wordt persoonlijkheid gemeten met behulp van zelfrapportage vragenlijsten, maar deze kunnen vertekend worden door wat iemand kan en wil rapporteren. De focus ligt daarom in dit geval op een ander type meetinstrumenten, de ‘impliciete maten’. We beginnen met het schetsen van een theoritisch kader en bespreken één veelgebruikt meetinstrument, de Impliciete Associatie Test. Vervolgens wordt uiteengezet wat er reeds bekend is uit onderzoek naar impliciete persoonlijkheidstrekken. Ten slotte gaan we in op op nog openliggende onderzoeksvragen en de relevantie van impliciete persoonlijkheidstrekken voor de klinische praktijk.
On the Estimation of Quantizer Reconstruction Levels

We consider the problem of estimating the optimal reconstruction levels of a fixed quantizer, such as the amplitude quantization part of an analog-to-digital converter. A probabilistic transfer function model is applied for the quantizer. Two different assumptions are made for the transfer function, and an estimator based on order statistics is applied. The estimator turns out to give better results in terms of mean square error than the commonly applied sample mean. The Cramer-Rao lower bound for the estimation problem is also considered, and simulation results indicate that the derived estimator is asymptotically efficient
Extracting Precise Link Context Using NLP Parsing Technique

Link context has been exploited extensively ever since the advent of the World Wide Web, but the approach to extracting precise link context has not been fully explored and many state-of-the-art extraction methods are based on simplistic heuristics and require ad-hoc parameters. In this paper, we propose a novel two-step extraction model, which aims to systematically derive link context of quality as high as anchor text. In the macroscopic analysis step, a systematic web page structure analysis is performed to locate the content cohesive text region and potential relevant header or header like tags. In the microscopic extraction step, an English parser is used to extract the relevant sentence fragments in the text region and the nearest heading text is encompassed if the need arises. Preliminary experimental results proved our approach's effectiveness.
E-mail Clustering Based on Profile and Multi-attribute Values

Although modern day people gather many data from the network, the users want only the information needed. Using this technology, the users can extract on the data that satisfy the query. As the previous studies use the single data in the document, frequency of the data for example, it cannot be considered as the effective data clustering method. What is needed is the effective clustering technology that can process the electronic network documents such as the e-mail or XML that contain the tags of various formats. This paper describes the study of extracting the information from the user query based on the multi-attributes. It proposes a method of extracting the data such as the sender, text type, time limit syntax in the text, and title from the e-mail and using such data for filtering. It also describes the experiment to verify that the multi-attribute based clustering method is more accurate than the existing clustering methods using only the word frequency.
String Re-writing Kernel

Learning for sentence re-writing is a fundamental task in natural language processing and information retrieval. In this paper, we propose a new class of kernel functions, referred to as string re-writing kernel, to address the problem. A string re-writing kernel measures the similarity between two pairs of strings, each pair representing re-writing of a string. It can capture the lexical and structural similarity between two pairs of sentences without the need of constructing syntactic trees. We further propose an instance of string re-writing kernel which can be computed efficiently. Experimental results on benchmark datasets show that our method can achieve better results than state-of-the-art methods on two sentence re-writing learning tasks: paraphrase identification and recognizing textual entailment.