Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Controlling the Memory Subscription of Distributed Applications with a Task-Based Runtime System

The ever-increasing supercomputer architectural complexity emphasizes the need for high-level parallel programming paradigms. Among such paradigms, task-based programming manages to abstract away much of the architecture complexity while efficiently meeting the performance challenge, even at large scale. Dynamic run-time systems are typically used to execute task-based applications, to schedule computation resource usage and memory allocations. While computation scheduling has been well studied, the dynamic management of memory resource subscription inside such run-times has however been little explored. This paper studies the cooperation between a task-based distributed application code and a run-time system engine to control the memory subscription levels throughout the execution. We show that the task paradigm allows to control the memory footprint of the application by throttling the task submission flow rate, striking a compromise between the performance benefits of anticipative task submission and the resulting memory consumption. We illustrate the benefits of our contribution on a compressed dense linear algebra distributed application.
Compact Genetic Algorithms with larger tournament size for soft-decision decoding

The standard compact Genetic Algorithm uses competition between two individuals for which we calculate the objective function and the winner will be the one who gives the best value of this function. This work presents a new approach of compact Genetic Algorithm that uses more than just two vectors of competition; it introduces tournament selection with larger size using mutation. We apply this algorithm to solve dual domain soft-decision decoding problem. A performance study of the new decoder will be done and the results will be compared to another compact genetic decoder that uses higher selection pressure with randomly generated individuals.
Towards a Conceptual Model of Diabetes Self-Management among Chinese Immigrants in the United States

Background: Chinese immigrants have been disproportionally affected by type 2 diabetes. This paper presents the state of science regarding the factors that may influence diabetes self-management among Chinese immigrants in the US and the potential health outcomes. Design: Using Walker and Avant’s techniques, a search of the literature was conducted from CINAHL, PubMed, OVID, and Web of Science. Findings: Factors most relevant to diabetes self-management were grouped under five categories: socio-demographic characteristics, behavioral and psychological characteristics, social support, linguistic barriers, and cultural characteristics. Potential outcomes derived from improved diabetes self-management include quality of life, glycosylated hemoglobin, and blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors. Discussion: A conceptual model was provided to guide future research. Based on the review of the literature, specific research topics that need to fill the gaps in the literature were provided, including family-focused interventions for Chinese immigrant patients with diabetes and the effectiveness of these interventions to improve family functioning.
ADAPTING TO A NEW ENVIRONMENT: How A Legacy Software Organization Copes With Volatility and Change

Many of the key players in the telecommunications industry produce legacy products, software systems that were designed ten or even twenty years ago but also serve as the underlying basis for new products. A key challenge facing these firms is how to remain innovative and adaptive despite their ties with the past. This paper describes how one successful U.S. company coped with such a problem. Based on interview data, we identify three key transitions this organization underwent during the product's twenty year lifetime and test their effects using data from internal company databases. We found that environmental pressures to radically restructure the software system were inhibited due to certain inertial legacy factors. Instead, the organization coped by making more incremental adjustments to the product, organizational structure, coordination and control systems, and processes. A key proposition emerging from the study is that displacing change in this way increases the degree of technical and organizational interdependencies the firm is required to manage. INTRODUCTION Organizational change has become a pervasive topic among both practitioners and researchers of management, arguably capturing the attention of both groups more than any other topic in this decade. For managers of organizations, understanding how to cope with change is crucial for achieving competitive advantage, if not mere survival in
A new design criterion for optimal measurement matrix in compressed sensing systems

This paper deals with the optimal measurement matrix design problem for compressed sensing (CS) systems with a dictionary given. Such a problem is usually formulated as to minimize the distance between the Gram of the equivalent dictionary of the CS systems and a target Gram of nice properties. A new design criterion is proposed, which is defined in terms of three popularly used target Grams. An algorithm is derived to solve the corresponding design problem. Extensive experiments have been carried out and the simulation results have demonstrated the superiority of the new proposed method.
Language as a bridge to higher education: a large-scale empirical study of heritage language proficiency on language minority students’ academic success

ABSTRACT In a nation where monolingualism predominates, heritage language (HL) has been downplayed as less important in educational contexts in the U.S. Disproportionately little attention has been given to the role of HL in language minority (LM) students’ attendance to postsecondary education (PSE) (cf. Brutt-Griffler, Janina, and Manka Varghese, eds. 2004. Bilingualism and Language Pedagogy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Press). To address this void, this study investigates whether LM high school students’ HL proficiency and use have influence on high school completion and college attendance. To further identify whether these relationships differ by cross-linguistic similarities between HL and English, comparisons are made between Asian and Latinx LM students. We analyse a nationally representative large-scale longitudinal dataset (NELS) using the programming language R. The results from logistic regressions underscore the distinctive role of HL on LM students’ high school completion and differentiated effects of HL on PSE pathways. Among our findings, we show that for Latinx students, HL literacy proficiency was a positive predictor of their four-year college attendance; whereas, for Asian students, HL use at home was a positive predictor. The positive effects were observed after controlling for their individual and family background. The study supports the argument that continued use of HL and HL literacy hold the key to enhancing academic attainment.
Virtual models of dynamic systems: Design, methodology, applications, and experiences in learning of mechatronics

Effective learning of complex dynamic systems, their analysis and synthesis are unthinkable without use of simulation tools. For repetitive, comfortable and friendly use it is advantageous to use graphic user interface (GUI) enabling easy evaluation of system behavior: visualization of phenomena, model performance, changes of parameters, input and output signals. Development of GUI is enough bothersome and there were searched ways to satisfy requirements to overcome these difficulties. MATLAB presents GUI a comfortable tool for development of virtual models. In the paper, we share methodology, procedures and our experiences at design and utilization of virtual models for dynamic systems developed in the MATLAB GUI environment.
Chapter 2 Literature Review 1 Early brain development and preterm birth 1 . 1 Neurodevelopment and vulnerability during the preterm period

Children born prematurely exhibit a broad range of neuroanatomical abnormalities. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of very preterm birth on brain volume (cortical and subcortical), cortical thickness and surface area. The participants were 25 children born very preterm (<32 weeks gestational age) without significant post-natal medical sequelae and 32 term-born children between 7 and 10 years of age. Neuroanatomical measures were derived from an automated pipeline. The results suggest a pattern of decreased brain volume, surface area and cortical thickness for children born preterm and the relation between subcortical gray volume and total brain volume differed between groups. The cortex was significantly thinner for children born preterm than term-born children in focal regions of the parietal and temporal lobes. Therefore, even without significant postnatal medical sequelae, very preterm children still exhibit structural differences that persist into middle childhood. iii Acknowledgments
Perceptions of Older Adults on the Use of an Interactive Video Game in Promoting Health and Well-Being

Background: This study explored the perceptions of older adults on the use of a custom built interactive video game (IVG) in promoting health and well-being among the older adult population. Method: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach and enrolled 10 older adults over the age of 65 years in a client-centered, custom-built interactive video game program. This program was designed to promote activity tolerance, balance, range of motion, cognitive skills, and enjoyment through physical activity. The participants completed up to 12 Coin Catcher IVG sessions over a 4-week period. A postprogram, semi-structured, and audio-recorded interview explored their perceptions and experiences of the IVG. Results: The participant interview transcripts were individually coded, categorized, and then collapsed into broader themes. The three themes emerged as: I was thinking all the time, it is a good workout, and I thought it was fun. Conclusion: The custom built IVG is perceived by the older adult population to be engaging and meaningful while promoting physical performance. Comments The authors report for this study, an interactive video game program, The Coin Catcher, was designed by a team of health professionals, including the first and third author, with the objective to engage older people in a fun, user friendly game to promote functional mobility, range of motion, and cognitive skills. No compensation was paid to the authors for their role.
VIDENTE-3 D Visualization of Underground Infrastructure using Handheld Augmented Reality

Introduction This chapter outlines a research project called Vidente following the vision of registered 3D visualization of underground networks on handheld devices in real-time. Towards this aim, technology from interdisciplinary fields such as computer graphics, augmented reality, geographic information systems (GIS) and satellite navigation needs to be addressed. We highlight aspects of the Vidente system targeted on water systems operated by utilities from the water supply sector, which are already completely relying on their geo-databases for day-today operation of their assets. However, there is a noticeable gap between desktop GIS technology available in the office and access to this information in the field. To fill this gap, we propose to provide field workers with an intuitive three-dimensional visualization of the local underground network infrastructure using outdoor handheld augmented reality (AR) as depicted in Figure 1. The focus is on a next-generation mobile GIS system for utilities as well as telecommunication companies, supporting mobile workforces in the complete life cycle of water infrastructure, thus revolutionizing traditional planning, operation, maintenance, on-site inspection, fault management and decision-making. The project significantly advances mobile GIS in water engineering. Moreover, common field tasks concerning maintenance and operation are accomplished more efficiently while reducing unintended damage and increasing general safety on site. The system is intended to equip professionals, practitioners, water resources engineers, managers and decision makers working in water related arenas, utilities from the water sector, water boards and other government agencies with available information and advanced information technology tools to assist in on-site applications to geohydrological and environmental problems of urban waters.
Applications of Eye Tracking in the Diagnosis of Early Stages of Autism Spectrum Disorders

: In this project we designed a computerized diagnostic test procedure to measure gaze parameters known to be related to early symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) (saccades and smooth pursuit eye movements). An eye-tracker was used to gather gaze data. Custom visual stimuli and guidelines for collecting eye tracking data from the subject group (children between 12-24 months of age) were developed. A ﬁrst proof of principle study was performed on three children without suspected clinical diagnosis in the target age range. The results were promising and the procedure seems to be applicable to small children. Further work needs to be carried out in order to validate whether the procedure actually will be a good diagnostic support tool in clinical settings.
The Subjective Well-Being via Virtual Worlds Experience

The current paper focuses on 3D subjective well- being through the study experience in Second Life, involving appraisal methods. It focuses on the determination of users' emotional profiles, pre and post Second life experience. It investigates, also, the emotional stimuli during 3D experience. Based on quantitative and qualitative analysis, this study gives the description of users' 3D emotional profile through the statistical analysis before and after 3D participation, and specifies the type of caused emotional stimuli during virtual immersion.
Talk, Trust, Succeed – The Impact of Communication in Virtual Groups on Trust in Leaders and on Performance

Although trust is widely acknowledged as critical in virtual settings, little is known regarding the antecedents and consequences of trust in leaders of virtual groups. Adopting a multi-level perspective, we propose the leadership’s communication behavior and the broader cultural context in which the group operates determine trust in leaders of virtual groups, which in turn affects the performance of the group. Combining survey and logfile data from a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) played in 24 countries, this study’s findings showed that leaders of virtual groups who demonstrate a more expansive communication behavior are more trusted by followers. Furthermore, reasoning that culture creates a shared context that qualifies followers’ experiences, we found that collectivistic values enhanced the benefits of breadth of communication. In addition, we find that trust in leaders of virtual groups had a positive relationship to group performance. A detailed discussion of the findings for building trust in leaders of virtual groups is provided in the conclusion of the paper.
Anti-influenza virus effects of both live and non-live Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92 accompanied by the activation of innate immunity

The antiviral effects of both a live and non-live Lactobacillus acidophilus strain L-92 (L-92) were investigated by oral administration (10 mg/mouse per d) daily for 21 d in a mouse model infected intranasally with influenza virus (H1N1). Virus titres in the lung of mice administered either live or non-live L-92 cells daily for 15 d were repressed 6 d after virus infection compared with the control group. Natural killer (NK) activity in the orally administered non-live L-92 group was higher compared with that of the control group before virus infection and on day 6. In contrast, NK activity in the live L-92 group compared with the control group was not significantly changed on both days, but was significantly higher on day 1. In contrast, live L-92 showed a greater repression of virus proliferation compared with non-live L-92, 6 d after the infection. Live L-92 decreased the number of neutrophils in the lung and suppressed lung weight, leading to the consequent deterioration of consolidation scores of the lung. These results indicated that pretreatment of live or non-live L-92 cells had protective effects against influenza virus infection. Among the measured cytokines and chemokines, eotaxin, macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-1β, RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) and interferon-α were significantly increased in the lung: IL-17 was significantly increased in Peyer's patch of the live L-92 group compared with the control group. A mechanistic study suggested that the enhancement of NK activity in the lung caused by stimulating various antiviral cytokines and chemokines after the oral administration of L-92 cells might be important in protecting against virus infection.
Cognition in Ageing: Implications for Assessment and Intervention

This chapter focuses on cognitive functions and impairment in the elderly; its implications in daily functioning with inputs on differences in the existing literature. The chapter further focuses on the diagnostic and assessment issues and intervention strategies. Ageing is an inevitable phase of life and encompasses changes in physical, psychological and social realms of an individual. Concern with the dwindling health and presence of any medical issues make the geriatric population prone to develop mental health conditions. Poor memory and reduced functional ability is one of the common complaints from older adults coming to psychiatric or neurology clinics. Cognitive functions have been well documented regarding their role in daily functioning of an individual. With growing age of the brain; while some cognitive functions do slow down; some of the functions do evolve better with experience. In this context, it is important to differentiate between normal age related cognitive changes and symptoms of any degenerative disease.
Método Rápido de Agrupamento de Vértices para Detecção de Comunidades em Redes Complexas de Larga-escala

Este artigo reporta resultados de uma investigação sobre o problema de detecção de comunidades em redes complexas. Na literatura dedicada a esse assunto, um algoritmo iterativo, denominado Método de Louvain (ML), se destaca como opção eficaz e rápida para o problema. Entretanto, as primeiras iterações do ML são sua parte mais custosa. Neste artigo, propõe-se um Método Rápido de Agrupamento de Vértices (MRAV) em grafos como uma opção mais rápida do que as primeiras iterações do ML. Através de experimentos envolvendo redes grandes do mundo real, demonstra-se que o sistema proposto MRAV+ML identifica comunidades com modularidade similar ao ML (redução média menor de 3%), mas com redução média de aproximadamente 42% no tempo de execução.
A Socially Inclusive Pathway to Food Security: The Agroecological Alternative

With roughly 1 billion people unable to meet their minimum daily caloric intake, the issue of food security is imperative to overcoming rural poverty. The way in which we produce food plays an extremely important role in solving the hunger epidemic and reaching the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of eradicating extreme hunger and poverty. The dominant model of agricultural development practised by many countries today is based on chemical-intensive agro-industrial complexes growing monocultures for export. This model of corporate-controlled agro-industry has failed to produce positive results economically, environmentally or socially. As one of the main contributors of greenhouse gas emissions, the agro-industrial model is exacerbating global climate change, degrading arable land, deteriorating public health, decreasing food quality and disrupting traditional rural livelihoods. Although this model was deemed to produce higher yields and increase productivity, it has failed to increase food security around the world. In fact, since the United Nations? Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) started calculating the number of undernourished persons worldwide in 1969, the number of hungry people has increased by about 8 per cent ? from 878 million in 1969 to an estimated 925 million in 2010 (FAO, 2012). (? )
Massive Stars and their Compact Remnants in High-mass X-ray Binaries

In a high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) a massive star interacts with a neutron-star or black-hole companion in various ways. The gravitational interaction enables the measurement of fundamental parameters such as the mass of both binary components, providing important constraints on the evolutionary history of the system, the equation of state of matter at supra-nuclear density, and the supernova mechanism. The stellar wind of the massive star is intercepted by the strong gravitational field of the compact companion, giving rise to the production of X-rays. The X-rays increase the degree of ionization in a small to very extended region of the surrounding stellar wind, depending on the X-ray luminosity. This has observable consequences for the structure and dynamics of the accretion flow. In this paper we concentrate on the fundamental paramaters of the most massive HMXBs, i.e. those with an OB supergiant companion, including some systems exhibiting relativistic jets (``microquasars'').
A Large Scale Robust Disaster Information System Based on Never Die Network

In the actual disaster case, there is certain possibility that electric power line is damaged and power energy cannot be supplied to those communication network devices, eventually those wireless LANs cannot be functioned. Although mobile wireless network is easy to reconstruct than wired network, there may be the case that network disconnection is not affordable after disaster. That is, Disaster Information System needs a robust Never Die Network (NDN) which will be unaffected by any changes in environment after severe disaster. However, if the network is consisted with Satellite System, there are the problems of network throughput is low, cost is high and so on. In case of wireless LANs, there are the problems of physical characteristics and so on. In this paper, we introduce nobel functions for Never Die Network which consisted of Satellite System and Cognitive Wireless Network.
A Hybrid P2P System to Support MMORPG Playability

MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Player Games) is the most popular genre among network gamers, and now attract millions of users, who play in an evolving virtual world simultaneously. This huge amount of concurrent players requires the availability of high performance computation servers to provide QoS. Additionally, gaming aware distribution mechanisms are needed to distribute game instances among servers avoiding load unbalances that affect performance negatively. In this work, we tackle the problem of system scalability by means of a hybrid P2P architecture. To distribute game instances of MMORPG over the peers of this architecture, we propose two mapping mechanisms. The Direct Mapping distributes players on demand in order to minimize waiting times. The Group Mapping groups players on queues of different sizes before distributing them, in order to better exploit peers capabilities. The effectiveness and differences in terms of latency, waiting time and reliability of both mapping mechanisms are evaluated through simulation. We show that Group Mapping provides lower latency response, while Direct Mapping distributes game instances faster. In relation to reliability, our results show that the Direct Mapping policy achieves a failure probability under 7% in the worst cases.