Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non-Thesis Otion — Scholarly Paper in Computer Engineering Scholarly Paper in Computer Engineering

The intent of the scholarly paper is to demonstrate expertise in an area of your choosing by summarizing past work in the area and placing the open questions in perspective. The document should be on the order of ten double-spaced pages in length, or equivalently two to three pages of a conference paper or journal article. The goal is that the submitted scholarly paper resemble the combined Introduction, Background, and Related Work sections of a publishable conference paper or journal article. No new research is required; the paper is intended as a survey of existing research in the chosen field. The student is expected to generate the equivalent of a publishable Introduction and Research Overview. This leads to the following requirements: • The scholarly paper must reference and place in perspective all relevant literature on the topic. This is likely to amount to several dozen papers. • The paper must motivate and place in perspective at least one of the important open research questions in the area. • The paper should not describe in detail previous research designs, but should instead motivate those designs and compare and contrast them. • The format of the paper should be 11–12 point font, double spaced, with 1-inch margins on all sides. The student must submit hardcopy as well as electronic copy in Framemaker, Microsoft Word, or LaTeX format. • The paper must be written entirely in the student's own words. See the University's policy on plagiarism for more details. The student is expected to interact regularly with the advisor of the scholarly paper, and the advi-sor is expected to verify that the work is original. There are a number of particularly good examples of well-written Introduction and Related Work sections. Here are a few; note that they are a bit shorter than the length expected for a scholarly paper. The interaction of architecture and operating system design. " In Proc. Fourth Int'l Conf. on Architectural Support for Programming Languages and Operating Systems (ASPLOS-4), pages 108–120. Abstract Dynamic branch predictors are popular because they can deliver accurate branch prediction without changes to the instruction set architecture or pre-existing binaries. However, to achieve the desired prediction accuracy, existing dynamic branch predictors require considerable amounts of hardware and/or compiler assistance to minimize the interference effects due to aliasing in the prediction tables. We propose a new dynamic predictor, the bi-mode pre-dictor, which divides the prediction tables …
Salvadoran economic transnationalism: embedded strategies for household maintenance, immigrant incorporation, and entrepreneurial expansion

This article presents a case study of the transnational economic practices linking two Salvadoran settlements in the United States and El Salvador. It considers the relationship between economic transnationalism, immigrant settlement and econ- omic development in the country of origin. Four processes are examined including: (1) the creation of border-spanning social networks by migrants and their home country counterparts; (2) the construction of transnational economic activities and institutions; (3) the broader transnational social formations in which these are embedded; and, (4) the cumulative and unintended consequences of economic trans- nationalism for migrant households, the immigrant community, and El Salvador. The article applies the concepts of social network, social capital, and embeddedness, to explain the sources and determinants of individual- and community-level variation in types of transnational economic practices. The conclusions drawn are that economic transnationalism is both part of a transnational settlement strategy and holds potential for economic development in the country of origin. First forged by refugees fleeing political violence in the late 1970s, circuits of transnational obligations and interests have proliferated and now link together a broad spectrum of Salvadoran society across the borders of multiple nation states. Over the course of close to three decades, border-spanning social networks have moved beyond the household sphere to include a variety of institutions such as enterprises, political parties, charitable organizations, and youth groups. Migrants' increasingly strategic participation in home country affairs has also prompted a policy response from the Salvadoran state and a reorientation of business plans by some sectors of private enterprise. Such contact and interaction has consolidated an elaborate series of transnational social arrangements and institutions (Landolt et al. 1999; Landolt 2000; Lungo 1997; Mahler 1995; Menjivar 2000). In this article, I draw on primary data from a multi-sited project on the causes and consequences of migrant transnationalism to explore the economic dimensions of Salvadoran transnational migration. I focus on two themes. First, I examine the relationship between economic transnationalism and immigrant settlement. Immigrant settlement involves a multiplicity of processes including labour market insertion, ethnic identity formation, and the acquisition of citizenship rights. Prevailing interpretations portray settlement as a process that involves a break with home
Optimal design and fabrication of a piezoactuated flexure XYZ parallel micropositioning stage

This paper presents the design and fabrication process of a new piezoelectrically actuated flexure-based XYZ compliant parallel-kinematics micropositioning stage with totally decoupled properties. The proposed XYZ stage consists of three limbs which are assembled in an orthogonal manner, and it has both input and output decoupling properties. Analytical models for kinematics, statics, and dynamics of the XYZ stage are established, which are validated by finite element analysis performed with ANSYS. Based on the derived models, architectural parameters of the stage are optimized and a prototype is developed for experimental studies. The results not only verify the effectiveness of the conducted optimum design but also confirm the well-decoupled performance of the XYZ stage, which will be used to execute micro-/nanomanipulation tasks.
Emerging Stormwater Controls for Critical Source Areas

This recent EPA research, along with many other current literature sources, found that it is possible and best to develop stormwater management design guidelines based on local rain conditions. Small events, making up the majority of rain events, commonly exceed bacteria and metal criteria, but are relatively easy to control through simple infiltration or on-site reuse of the stormwater. Moderate sized rains, however, are responsible for the majority of the runoff volumes and pollutant discharges. The runoff from these events can also be significantly reduced, but certainly not eliminated, through infiltration, but larger flows will have to be treated to reduce pollutant concentrations and excessive discharge rates. Large rains that approach and may exceed the capacities of the drainage system produce little of the annual flows and are rare. In addition, significant pollutant concentration reductions during these large events would be difficult and very expensive because of the very large flows involved. However, runoff flow rates should be reduced to produce instream flowrate distributions less than critical values in order to protect in-stream habitat.
Trajectory Tracking Control of Mobile Robots UsingWavelet Networks

In this paper, an adaptive controller for trajectory tracking is developed for wheeled mobile robots (WMR). The system uncertainty, which may include payload variation, unknown nonlinearities and torque disturbances is estimated by a wavelet network (WN). The control law is developed based on Lyapunov theory and the learning ability of WN. The proposed controller ensures the uniformly ultimately bounded stability and guarantees that the tracking error converges to a small ball containing the origin while fulfilling the actuator constraints. The validity of the control scheme is shown by simulation results.
Comparative Study and Evaluation of Online Ad-Blockers

In the face of online advertising growing exponentially, numerous technologies have been developed to thwart the display of advertisements. This report is a comparative study of leading online software and hardware ad-blockers. In particular our research is on AdBlock, AdBlock Plus, and AdTrap. This report describes how they work, what types of advertisements they do and do not block, device compatibility, and if advertisers can detect and prevent ad-blockers. Our research shows that AdBlock leads the others in terms of ad blocking ability. Our research also shows AdTrap has significant benefits for implementing across an entire network. We also present ways for web developers to detect as well as counter ad-blockers.
The Role of Earnings Levels vs. Earnings Changes in Explaining Stock Returns: Implications from the Time Series Properties of Earnings

We develop a research approach to analyze the conditions under which earnings levels versus earnings changes better explain long-window stock returns. Using a general model of the earnings-return relation, we show that the choice between earnings levels versus changes depends on whether earnings are transitory or permanent. Further, we show that the apparent empirical success of the levels model is due to the statistical property that earnings levels over long windows are highly correlated with the theoretically correct measures of unexpected earnings. Finally, our analysis also has implications for studies of the relative information content of accounting earnings and other measures of performance such as Economic Value Added and residual income.
The Impact of Perceived Social Media Marketing Activities: An Empirical Study in Saudi Context

Purpose – The purpose is to investigate the impact of social media marketing activities in the context of Saudi consumers of social media. A research model is developed in this study to examine the relationships. Design/methodology/approach – This research is quantitative and uses the probability sampling technique, simple random sampling. Data is collected through a questionnaire in a survey of 241 Saudi social media users. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with PLS 3 was used with SPSS 22.0 for statistical data analysis. Chi–square and overall model fit indices further confirm the structural model fit. Findings – The results indicate that social media marketing activities significantly influence brand loyalty, purchase intentions, value consciousness and brand consciousness; brand loyalty has a significant statistical impact on eWOM; eWOM influences purchase intention significantly; brand consciousness does not mediate the relationship between perceived social media marketing and brand loyalty, while value consciousness mediates this relationship. Research limitations/ future research – The research is limited to Saudi social media users and this limits the results from being generalized. Future research must be conducted in other countries. Moreover, limited research is conducted with these variables in previous studies. Originality/value – This article is pioneering in that it investigates the effects of social media marketing in the context of Saudi consumers, a topic of relevance for both marketers and scholars in the era of social media. It provides empirical evidence and valuable insights through a proposed model.
Logical optical line terminal placement optimization in the elastic lambda aggregation network with optical distribution network constraints

The elastic lambda aggregation network (EλAN) has been presented as an access/aggregation integrated network that can accommodate multiple network services. In the EλAN, optical line terminals (OLTs) become programmable and configure logical OLTs (L-OLTs) to support network services that have different protocols and quality of service requirements. To achieve the flexible utilization of network resources and improve energy efficiency, L-OLTs are migrated between programmable OLTs like virtual machines. In this paper, an integer linear programming (ILP) model of the L-OLT placement optimization problem with optical distribution network constraints is presented. Based on this ILP model, the communication suspension time that occurs with L-OLT migration is investigated. We discuss the modification of the L-OLT migration sequence to reduce the communication suspension time. The impact of the modification on the energy saving effect of L-OLT placement optimization is evaluated in this paper.
NOT(Faster Implementation ==> Better Algorithm), A Case Study

Abstract : Given two algorithms that perform the same task, one may ask which is better. One simple answer is that the algorithm that delivers the "best" answer is the better algorithm. But what if both algorithms deliver results of similar quality? In this case, a common metric that is utilized to differentiate between the two algorithms is the time to find a solution. Measurements, however, must be performed using an implementation of an algorithm (not an abstract algorithm) and must be taken using specific test data. Because the effects of implementation quality and test data selection may be large, the measured time metric is an insufficient measure of algorithm performance and quality. In this paper we present the specific case of several different implementations of the same Dijkstra graph search algorithm applied to graphs with various branching factors. Our experimental results show that quality rankings based on time may be heavily influenced by the choice of operational scenario and code quality. In addition, we explore possible alternative ranking schemes for the specific case of Dijkstra graph search algorithms.
Reachability of Safe State for Online Update of Concurrent Programs

Online update helps in reducing the maintenance downtime by applying a patch to a running process. To avoid the errors that can arise due to an online update, existing online update solutions interleave the update with process execution at specific states called safe states. This approach works well for sequential processes but for multithreaded process it presents the challenge of reaching a safe state across all threads. It turns out that in concurrent processes, even if individual threads can reach a safe state in bounded time a process may take unbounded time to reach a safe state or may never reach it. Therefore, with existing update solutions a user is uncertain whether a patch can be applied or not till the user tries to apply the patch. In this report we address the problem of safe state reachability for multithreaded processes. We prove that identifying whether a process can reach a safe state is undecidable. Hence, we derive a sufficient (conservative) condition for checking the reachability of a safe state. Our novel thread scheduling technique can force a process to reach a safe state in bounded time if the sufficient condition is met. The proposed approach eliminates the uncertainty of online updates. Complexity analysis of our algorithms shows that the practical implementation of our technique will work well with most real-world applications.
Damping of Torsional Vibrations in Two-Mass System Using Adaptive Sliding Neuro-Fuzzy Approach

In this paper, a new robust control system with the adaptive sliding neuro-fuzzy speed controller for the drive system with the flexible joint is proposed. A model reference adaptive control structure (MRAC) is used in this drive system. The torsional vibrations are successfully suppressed in the control structure with only one basic feedback from the motor speed. The damping ability of the proposed system has been confirmed for a wide range of the system parameters and compared with the other control concepts, like the adaptive Pi-type neuro-fuzzy controller and the classical cascade PI structure.
Medical management after parathyroid intervention

Vitamin D or vitamin D analogues pulse therapy is seldom effective in patients with at least one parathyroid gland with nodular hyperplasia, and surgical parathyroidectomy or parathyroid intervention is indicated. In parathyroid interventions, especially in selective percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT), the enlarged parathyroid gland(s) with nodular hyperplasia is selectively destroyed by ethanol injection, while other glands with diffuse hyperplasia are managed by medical therapy. Thus, medical management, e.g., use of appropriate dose of vitamin D or vitamin D analogues after the PEIT procedure, is as important as the destruction of the hyperplastic tissue itself. Recent studies showed that the combination of PEIT and intravenous vitamin D pulse therapy lead to reduce serum PTH level and calcium-phosphorus products in haemodialysis patients. In this article, we focus on the importance of medical therapy after PEIT, and review the efficacy of the combination of PEIT and intravenous vitamin D pulse therapy for haemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism.
Detection and motion planning for roadside parked vehicles at long distance

Reliable long distance obstacle detection and motion planning is a key issue for modern intelligent vehicles, since it can help to make the decision early and design proper driving trajectory to avoid discomfort for the passengers caused by hard brake or sudden large lateral movement. Specifically, when there is vehicle parked on the roadside, we need to detect its position and pass it safely with proper distance without causing much disruption during driving. In this paper, we propose a method to detect roadside parked vehicles robustly and design a trajectory with proper lateral offset from the lane center for the host vehicle to safely pass by it. To successfully detect the roadside parked vehicles, we fuse the output from a long range lidar and radar. We pre-compute multiple path candidates with different lateral offset, and the path planner selects the most proper one based on the distance of the parked vehicle to the lane center. To deal with false alarms and missing detections, we apply temporal filtering to the detection output and history of the decision making. The speed control is carefully designed to ensure that the host vehicle passes the parked vehicle with a safe and comfortable speed. The implemented system was evaluated in numerous scenarios with vehicles parked on the roadside. The results show that the system effectively commands the host vehicle to pass by the parked vehicle safely and comfortably with proper distance and smooth trajectory.
Whodunit: transactional profiling for multi-tier applications

This paper is concerned with performance debugging of multi-tier applications, such as commonly found in servers and dynamic-content web sites. Existing tools and techniques for profiling such applications are not general enough to track and profile transactions in a generic multi-tier application. We propose transactional profiling that provides a general solution to this problem. We provide novel algorithms and techniques to track and profile transactions that flow through shared memory, events, stages or via interprocess communication using messages. We also measure interference among concurrent transactions. We describe the design and implementation of Whodunit, our prototype transactional profiler. We demonstrate the correctness of our proposed algorithm for tracking transaction flow through shared memory using Apache and MySQL. Using Whodunit we are able to track and profile transactions that flow through shared memory, events, stages or via message passing, and measure the interference among concurrent transactions. We illustrate the use of Whodunit in obtaining the transactional profile of web servers, a web proxy cache and a bookstore application.
Serum Concentration of Cystatin C and Risk of End-Stage Renal Disease in Diabetes

OBJECTIVE Patients with diabetes have a high risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We examined whether prediction of this outcome, according to chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging by creatinine-based estimates of the glomerular filtration rate (eGFRcreat), is improved by further staging with serum cystatin C–based estimates (eGFRcyst). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Patients with diabetes in CKD stages 1–3 were selected from three cohorts: two from Joslin Diabetes Center, one with type 1 diabetes (N = 364) and one with type 2 diabetes (N = 402), and the third from the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy (FinnDiane) Study of type 1 (N = 399). Baseline serum concentrations of creatinine and cystatin C were measured in all patients. Follow-up averaged 8–10 years and onsets of ESRD (n = 246) and death unrelated to ESRD (n = 159) were ascertained. RESULTS Although CKD staging by eGFRcyst was concordant with that by eGFRcreat for 62% of Joslin patients and 73% of FinnDiane patients, those given a higher stage by eGFRcyst than eGFRcreat had a significantly higher risk of ESRD than those with concordant staging in all three cohorts (hazard ratio 2.3 [95% CI 1.8–3.1]). Similarly, patients at a lower stage by eGFRcyst than by eGFRcreat had a lower risk than those with concordant staging (0.30 [0.13–0.68]). Deaths unrelated to ESRD followed the same pattern, but differences were not as large. CONCLUSIONS In patients with diabetes, CKD staging based on eGFRcyst significantly improves ESRD risk stratification based on eGFRcreat. This conclusion can be generalized to patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and to diabetic patients in the U.S. and Finland.
Growth Heterogeneity and International Environmental Agreements

How does growth heterogeneity affect countries’ incentives to enter an international environmental agreement (IEA)? We address this issue in a twocountry model of endogenous growth. Two countries differ in their initial capital stocks, emulating a more developed country and a less developed one. Each country’s setup takes after that of Stokey (1998) but pollution is transboundary. Absent an IEA, the two countries play a dynamic non-cooperative game by choosing consumption and emission time paths. We first consider an IEA that maximizes joint welfare of the two countries and show that such an IEA can reduce the welfare of the more developed country, if transfers are not possible. We then analyze how the timing of such an IEA affects each country’s incentive in ratifying it and show that as the gap between the two countries closes, the more developed country can become better off by entering the IEA. Lastly, we illustrate the possibility of an (immediate and “second best”) IEA that improves both countries’ welfare.
State maps for linear systems

Modelling of physical systems consists of writing down the equations describing a phenomenon. In many cases these equations are used for simulation. As such, state space models are not a natural starting point for modelling, while they have utmost importance in the simulation phase. The paper addresses the problem of computing state representations for systems of differential-algebraic equations. <<ETX>>
Linking Semantic Personal Notes ?

Semantic Web technologies are available and gain popularity both on the Web and on the desktop. However, in spite of common representation formats, personal and online data is still difficult to interlink, notably because of the different vocabularies used to describe it, as well as the lack of common identifiers between desktop and Web-based applications. In this paper, we describe a process for easily publishing and sharing of personal notes as Linked Data. Our approach can be used to publish any kind of information from the desktop to the Web, enabling integration of small chunks of personal knowledge into the Web of Data and focusing on a user-driven approach of knowledge management.