Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive lookup for unstructured peer-to-peer overlays

Scalability and efficient global search in unstructured peer-to-peer overlays have been extensively studied in the literature. The global search comes at the expense of local interactions between peers. Most of the unstructured peer-to-peer overlays do not provide any performance guarantee. In this work we propose a novel Quality of Service enabled lookup for unstructured peer-to-peer overlays that will allow the userpsilas query to traverse only those overlay links which satisfy the given constraints. Additionally, it also improves the scalability by judiciously using the overlay resources. Our approach selectively forwards the queries using QoS metrics like latency, bandwidth, and overlay link status so as to ensure improved performance in a scenario where the degree of peer joins and leaves are high. User is given only those results which can be downloaded with the given constraints. Also, the protocol aims at minimizing the message overhead over the overlay network.
Aggregation in Natural Language Generation: Another Look

Aggregation is gaining attention as an important phenomenon in automated natural language generation. The small quantity of previous work which deals with this subject suuers from some conceptual diiculties, including inadequate deenition (i.e., as a process which eliminates redundancy), vagueness as to its locus in the generation process, and unclear relation to other phenomena. It is concluded here that aggregation is best seen as an emergent phenomenon which results from careful sentence planning. This view draws attention to the processes of semantic grouping, sentence structuring, and sentence delim-itation which together underlie aggregation eeects. Within the framework of the HealthDoc project, an attempt to develop systems for automatic patient text customization, the application of the above perspective is considered.
Linking Action to Perception in a Humanoid Robot: a Developmental Approach to Grasping

In this thesis we propose a developmental approach to the design of a humanoid robot. We present a possible sequence of developmental stages which starting from limited knowledge enables the robot to autonomously learn to perform goal directed actions on objects (reaching, pushing, and a simple form of grasping). The robot initial knowledge consists in a few visual algorithms (disparity, tracking, motion detection) and motor synergies providing a rudimentary form of sensorimotor coordination useful to begin interaction with the environment. During the initial steps of development the robot learns to recognize and control its own body (gazing, localization of the hand); based on these abilities it moves afterward to the exploration of the external world (reaching and grasping). We stress the importance of the physical interaction between the robot’s body and the environment and the advantage of exploiting actions to simplify and learn perceptual as well as motor tasks (e.g. distinguishing the hand from the background, recognizing objects based on tactile experience, pushing/pulling objects on a table). This approach is inspired by the observation of how mature behaviors emerge in infants during development and by recent theories in neural sciences proposing that the link between action and perception might be at the basis of higher level, abstract functions like action recognition, imitation and language. These considerations and the experimental results reported in the thesis support the conviction that our approach is indeed worth pursuing as it is perhaps the only route toward the realization of cognitive abilities in an artificial system.
Information Theory and Communication Networks: An Unconsummated Union

Information theory has not yet had a direct impact on networking, although there are similarities in concepts and methodologies that have consistently attracted the attention of researchers from both fields. In this paper, we review several topics that are related to communication networks and that have an information-theoretic flavor, including multiaccess protocols, timing channels, effective bandwidth of bursty data sources, deterministic constraints on datastreams, queuing theory, and switching networks.
Optimistic Parallelism Based on Speculative Asynchronous Messages Passing

This paper proposes a new speculative multithreading execution model which is suitable for object-oriented programs. Using this model, sequential object oriented programs are partitioned into multiple speculative object threads according to their structure and semantics by cooperated compiler and runtime system. Object threads as the basic units of parallel target code are mapped onto thread units of target machine dynamically. However, synchronous message passing between objects in source program prevents object threads in target code from execution in parallel at its synchronous points. By speculating the execution of message passing in object-oriented programs, we can convert synchronous message passing into speculative asynchronous message passing, then we can not only decrease the synchronization overhead in runtime but also exploit more parallelism for such programs. The runtime system verifies speculative asynchronous message passing by comparing it with non-speculative synchronous message passing in order to keep the parallel execution predicable and deterministic. This model is implemented as a prototype system Rope for evaluation. Experiments with Java version of Olden benchmark suite show that this model takes a good accelerating effect for object-oriented programs.
CS 224 N : Investigating SMS Text Normalization using Statistical Machine Translation

In this project we explore two approaches to SMS text normalization. First we try a dictionary substitution approach us ed by most websites that provide such a service, and then modify it with our extension. This is followed by a statistical machin e translation (MT) approach using off the shelf MT tools. We evaluate the performance of our system on three test sets fro m different sources and discuss the shortcomings of our syste m and results.
Adaptive Sliding-Mode Tracking Control Laws Applied to Fault-Tolerant Flight Control Systems

An adaptive sliding mode controller is presented for fault-tolerant flight control system against the loss-of-effectiveness actuator faults. This proposed scheme employs the robustness of adaptive sliding mode control to accommodate the faults effect on the system without the fault detection and isolation mechanism. The adaptive rules are derived from the Lyapunov stability theorem, and the closed-loop system stability is guaranteed. The numerical simulations are performed for an aircraft with independent and redundant control surfaces. Simulation results demonstrate the high accuracy tracking control performance under normal flight conditions, and show the acceptable performance and effectiveness of the proposed controller when faults occur.
STAC: A web platform for the comparison of algorithms using statistical tests

One of the most suited techniques for comparing results obtained from computational intelligence algorithms is the statistical hypothesis testing. This method can be used to contrast if the difference between the algorithm with the best results and other algorithms is actually significant. In this paper, we present STAC (Statistical Tests for Algorithms Comparison), a new platform for statistical analysis to verify the results obtained from computational intelligence algorithms. STAC consists of three different layers for performing statistical tests: a Python library, a set of web services and a web client. We show several use cases, in which both non-expert and expert users interact with the web client and use the web services in different programming languages.
Problem-based learning tutors' beliefs and challenges

This study investigated the relationship between tutors' pedagogical beliefs and their comfort and challenges with the facilitation of Problem-based Learning (PBL) tutorials. Fifty-one tutors from two medical education programs that use a PBL approach participated in this study. The mixed methods study consisted of a researcher created online survey followed by interviews with some of the individuals who completed the survey. Recommended procedures were followed to establish reliability and validity of the survey consisting of descriptions of protypical PBL tutor pedagogical beliefs (Part A), and nondirective facilitation techniques (Part B). Survey results showed a statistically significant relationship between pedagogical beliefs and facilitation comfort with PBL facilitation techniques. Interview data corroborated these findings. Subdivision of pedagogical beliefs into subtypes showed that participants believed more highly in student role and PBL approach beliefs than tutor role beliefs. Although participants were comfortable with both verbal and nonverbal nondirective facilitation techniques, they reported most comfort with verbal nondirective facilitation techniques. While interviewees indicated that they considered professional background influential on their comfort and success with PBL facilitation, survey results did not show a statistically significant correlation between professional background and facilitation comfort. This study provides a theoretical framework that links PBL to Dewey's theory of inquiry and theory of experience, and Rogers's client-centred theory. In this study, participants' pedagogical beliefs were consistent with those embodied in Barrows's (1980, 1988,2007) recommendations and principles for PBL tutors, with Dewey's (1910, 1938) theory of inquiry and of experience, and with Rogers's (1942, 1951) c1ientcentered theory. The nondirective facilitation techniques with which participants were comfortable parallel techniques of client-centred theory and therapeutic communication. Participants considered the nondirective techniques of the tutor similar to the patientcentred techniques used in clinical roles. Seven characteristics of PBL tutors emerged representing an interlocking set that tutors draw upon in their interaction with learners. Further research should be conducted to refine the survey, and investigate factors influencing differences in tutor pedagogical beliefs and the types of nondirective techniques with which they are less comfortable.
Active Women, Social Physique Anxiety, and Exercise

The purpose of this investigation was to replicate and extend Crawford and Eklund's (1994) investigation of social physique anxiety (SPA) and exercise. Women (N = 94) enrolled in physical education activity or major classes participated in the investigation. Data were collected on SPA, weight satisfaction, percent body fat, reasons for exercise, exercise behaviors and preferences, and attitudes toward two aerobic class video presentations featuring a manipulation of physique salience. Consistent with the previous investigation, self-presentational reasons for exercise (body tone, weight control, and physical attractiveness) were positively associated with SPA in both simple correlations and hierarchical analyses controlling for body composition. In contrast to previous findings, SPA was not associated with favorability of attitudes toward either of the video presentations. The inability to fully replicate Crawford and Eklund's (1993) findings raised interesting questions with regard to variables that may .
The Improving Care of Acute Lung Injury Patients ( ICAP ) study

Introduction The short-term mortality benefit of lower tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) for patients with acute lung injury/ acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) has been demonstrated in a large, multi-center randomized trial. However, the impact of LTVV and other critical care therapies on the longer-term outcomes of ALI/ARDS survivors remains uncertain. The Improving Care of ALI Patients (ICAP) study is a multi-site, prospective cohort study that aims to evaluate the longer-term outcomes of ALI/ARDS survivors with a particular focus on the effect of LTVV and other critical care therapies. Methods Consecutive mechanically ventilated ALI/ARDS patients from 11 intensive care units (ICUs) at four hospitals in the city of Baltimore, MD, USA, will be enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Exposures (patient-based, clinical management, and ICU organizational) will be comprehensively collected both at baseline and throughout patients' ICU stay. Outcomes, including mortality, organ impairment, functional status, and quality of life, will be assessed with the use of standardized surveys and testing at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after ALI/ARDS diagnosis. A multi-faceted retention strategy will be used to minimize participant loss to follow-up. Results On the basis of the historical incidence of ALI/ARDS at the study sites, we expect to enroll 520 patients over two years. This projected sample size is more than double that of any published study of long-term outcomes in ALI/ARDS survivors, providing 86% power to detect a relative mortality hazard of 0.70 in patients receiving higher versus lower exposure to LTVV. The projected sample size also provides sufficient power to evaluate the association between a variety of other exposure and outcome variables, including quality of life. Conclusion The ICAP study is a novel, prospective cohort study that will build on previous critical care research to improve our understanding of the longer-term impact of ALI/ARDS, LTVV and other aspects of critical care management. Given the paucity of information about the impact of interventions on longterm outcomes for survivors of critical illness, this study can provide important information to inform clinical practice.
Dynamic Interaction of TTDA with TFIIH Is Stabilized by Nucleotide Excision Repair in Living Cells

Transcription/repair factor IIH (TFIIH) is essential for RNA polymerase II transcription and nucleotide excision repair (NER). This multi-subunit complex consists of ten polypeptides, including the recently identified small 8-kDa trichothiodystrophy group A (TTDA)/ hTFB5 protein. Patients belonging to the rare neurodevelopmental repair syndrome TTD-A carry inactivating mutations in the TTDA/hTFB5 gene. One of these mutations completely inactivates the protein, whereas other TFIIH genes only tolerate point mutations that do not compromise the essential role in transcription. Nevertheless, the severe NER-deficiency in TTD-A suggests that the TTDA protein is critical for repair. Using a fluorescently tagged and biologically active version of TTDA, we have investigated the involvement of TTDA in repair and transcription in living cells. Under non-challenging conditions, TTDA is present in two distinct kinetic pools: one bound to TFIIH, and a free fraction that shuttles between the cytoplasm and nucleus. After induction of NER-specific DNA lesions, the equilibrium between these two pools dramatically shifts towards a more stable association of TTDA to TFIIH. Modulating transcriptional activity in cells did not induce a similar shift in this equilibrium. Surprisingly, DNA conformations that only provoke an abortive-type of NER reaction do not result into a more stable incorporation of TTDA into TFIIH. These findings identify TTDA as the first TFIIH subunit with a primarily NER-dedicated role in vivo and indicate that its interaction with TFIIH reflects productive NER.
Schema therapy for CBT therapists who treat borderline patients

Although treatment of BPD is complicated, CBT therapists can learn schema therapy (ST) principles and strategies used as an additional tool in the therapy. ST originally began as an extension of Beck's cognitive therapy model and has developed into an unique integrative treatment for the personality disorders. According to the ST principles, schemas provide in-depth understanding of personality disorders. People perceive their own self, others and world in the lenses of their schemas. A schema is an extremely stable, constant pattern which developed during childhood or adolescence and now is elaborated in individuals life. ST also devotes considerable attention to modes, the predominant emotions, schemas, and coping reactions used by an individual at a particular time. The aim of the therapy is to engage in schema healing processes. These methods are intended to reduce the early mal- adaptive schemas and coping styles, and build up more adaptive and healthy approaches. A conceptualization is usually created early in the treatment. The history of the schemas, modes and coping strategies are systematically discussed, their origins explored and linked to current problems, and the opportunity of modifying is explored. In treatment phase, the therapist flexibly uses cognitive, emotional/experiential, behavioral, and relational/ interpersonal strategies to change schemas and maladaptive coping styles. The therapeutic relationship is also an important part of the healing process The relationship is an area in which behaviors modes and schemas can be noticed, assessed and modified. It is also used as mediator for a "corrective emotional experience". The therapist behaves in ways that supply the unmet early needs of the patient. This connection to the childhood is mir- rored in the label of this particular stance called "limited reparenting". The change of the schemas is impossible without the well-established therapeutic relationship.
UMTS LTE downlink cell size calculation

This paper deals with cell size calculations for UMTS LTE downlink. As LTE uses adaptable modulation technique, the possibility to use various modulation techniques in cells with different size was analyzed. At the basis of Okomura-Hata propagation model, the equation for maximal cell radius was calculated taking into account the height and gain of both base station and mobile station antenna, transmitter power and losses and receiver sensitivity and losses. Various simulations were performed to give insight into signal propagation in European urban and suburban area. At the basis of simulations it is shown for these areas that UMTS cell structure and size can be used also for LTE cells which will be covered with 64QAM modulation.
P-DOT: A model of computation for big data

In response to the high demand of big data analytics, several programming models on large and distributed cluster systems have been proposed and implemented, such as MapRe-duce, Dryad and Pregel. However, compared with high performance computing areas, the basis and principles of computation and communication behavior of big data analytics is not well studied. In this paper, we review the current big data computational model DOT and DOTA, and propose a more general and practical model p-DOT (p-phases DOT). p-DOT is not a simple extension, but with profound significance: for general aspects, any big data analytics job execution expressed in DOT model or BSP model can be represented by it; for practical aspects, it considers I/O behavior to evaluate performance overhead. Moreover, we provide a cost function implying that the optimal number of machines is near-linear to the square root of input size for a fixed algorithm and workload, and demonstrate the effectiveness of the function through several experiments.
Of rulers, rebels, and revenue: State capacity, civil war onset, and primary commodities

This article investigates the relationship between civil war onset and state capacity through a focus on the role of primary commodities. This is accomplished by moving the focus of the civil war literature away from an almost exclusive concern with the incentives of rebels to a consideration of both rebels and rulers as revenue seeking predators. This predatory theory approach expects that higher levels of state capacity should deter civil war onset, while civil war onset should reduce state capacity. Further, natural resource rents are expected to enhance state capacity, rather than increase the likelihood of civil war onset. In order to deal with the endogeneity posed by including fiscal measures of state capacity in single equation models of civil war onset, this study employs a simultaneous equations framework. This framework allows us to capture the effects of civil war onset on state capacity and vice versa, as well as the effects of primary commodities on both endogenous covariates. The main findings from the statistical analyses include: state capacity does not affect civil war onset, but civil war onset reduces state capacity; and primary products directly affect only state capacity — they do not directly affect civil war onset, as found in previous contributions to the literature.
An Adaptive Idle-Wait Countermeasure Against Timing Attacks on Public-Key Cryptosystems

Successful timing attacks against public-key cryptosystems have been demonstrated in many forms, suggesting the use of a technique known as blinding as countermeasure to these attacks. An alternative countermeasure has been considered, though somewhat overlooked and less studied in existing literature, consisting of idle-wait to make the decryption time independent of the data. In this work, we propose and implement an optimized form of this countermeasure, making the idle-wait adaptive, with the goal of minimizing the performance penalty. We present both analytical and experimental results of simulations designed to evaluate our method’s performance and effectiveness, and compare it against alternative countermeasures.
Quality of Life in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Abstract The construct of quality of life (QOL), which has both subjective and objective components, has gained increasing importance in psychiatric research for several important reasons, not the least being the current importance of pharmacoeconomic issues. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been suggested to be the worlds 10th most disabling disorder, and pharmacoeconomic studies have indicated that its cost to the world economy runs into the billions of dollars. The use of QOL scales derived from general medicine and other areas of psychiatry has demonstrated the enormous negative impact of OCD on several domains, including occupational function, social function, and family function. Further work to ascertain the extent of changes in QOL during treatment of OCD is necessary.
Concurrent Validity of Selected Movement Skill Items in the New Zealand Ministry of Education's Health and Physical Education Assessment

The concurrent validity of the New Zealand Ministry of Education’s Health and Physical Education Assessment (HPEA) (Crooks & Flockton, 1999) was examined with the respective items from the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Henderson & Sugden, 2000) and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (Bruininks, 1978) on manual dexterity, ball skills and balance skills. Of the 28 items of the HPEA, 7 items were significantly correlated with the established movement skill measures. The low concurrent validity of the HPEA suggests a need for further validation studies.