Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extending acid semantics to the file system via ptrace

An organization's data is often its most valuable asset, but today's file systems provide few facilities to ensure its safety. Databases, on the other hand, have long provided safety mechanisms in the form of transactions. Transactions are useful because they provide atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability (ACID). Although many applications could make use of these semantics, databases have a wide variety of non-standard interfaces. As a result, applications currently perform elaborate error handling by themselves to ensure atomicity and consistency, because it is easier than using a DBMS. A transaction-oriented programming model eliminates such complex error-handling code, because failed operations can simply be aborted without side effects. We have designed a file system that exports ACID transactions to user-level applications, while preserving the ubiquitous and convenient POSIX file-system interface, In our prototype ACID file system, called Amino, updated applications can group arbitrary sequences of system calls within a transaction. Unmodified applications operate without any changes, but each system call is protected by a transaction. Amino stores all of its meta-data and data in Berkeley DB, a user-level open-source embedded database. Berkeley DB provides an easy-to-use record-management API, an efficient B-tree access manager, caching, and ACID transactions. We developed Amino entirely in user space by intercepting system calls using the standard ptrace API, because developing Amino in the kernel would have required complex kernel changes. For example, the kernel's file system interfaces are intertwined with caches, thus preventing a DBMS from providing proper locking to ensure isolation. Additionally, user-level development proceeds more quickly than kernel development because more debugging- and development tools are available. We show that our ptrace monitor can be used to develop a variety of user-level file systems with less complexity than other user-level file system approaches. Our performance evaluation shows that for general purpose benchmarks Amino has acceptable overheads (22.6--84.7%), and in some cases even exceeds the performance of Ext3.
Predicting Student Success : An Application to Community College Data By

This research focuses on developing and implementing the Naïve Bayesian Classifier to GEAR courses at Rio Salado Community College. It demonstrates that this predictive model has good prediction accuracy of at-risk students. Predictive results across courses and cumulative gain charts show potential improvements to be made in students' academic success by focusing at high level risk students.
Fast novel image reconstruction Algorithm using Adaptive R-tree based segmentation and Linear Bivariate Splines

This paper presents a fast and novel method of image reconstruction using Adaptive R-tree based segmentation and Linear Bivariate Splines. We have used our own Significant Pixel Selection Algorithm [8] to represent the strong edges which are then stored in an adaptive R-tree to enhance and improve image reconstruction. The image set can be encapsulated in a bounding box which contains the connected parts of the edges found using edge-detection techniques. Image reconstruction is done based on the approximation of image regarded as a function, by a linear spline over adapted Delaunay triangulation. The proposed method is compared with some of the existing image reconstructions.
The Computation of Prices Indices

While there are no significant investment characteristics that inhibit art from being considered as an asset, a major hurdle has long been the lack of a systematic measure of its financial performance. Due to its heterogeneity (each piece is different) and its infrequency of trading (the exact same piece does not come to the market very often), the determination of changes in market value is difficult to ascertain. Two estimation methods are commonly used to construct indices. Repeat-sales regression (RSR) uses prices of individual objects traded at two distinct moments in time. If the characteristics of an object do not change (which is usually so for collectibles), the heterogeneity issue is bypassed. The basic idea of the hedonic regression (HR) method is to regress prices on various attributes of objects (dimensions, artist, subject matter, etc.) and to use the residuals of the regression which can be considered as "characteristic-free prices" to compute the price index. The chapter deals with the basics of hedonic and repeat-sales estimators, and tries to interpret in economic terms what both are trying to achieve. It also goes into some more technical details which may be useful for researchers who want to construct such indices, and gives some guidelines on how to go about collecting data, and the choice between RSR and HR that this induces. Both methods are compared using simulated returns, pointing to which method should be used given the data at hand.
ICT implementation barriers and organizational issues in Islamic-based Higher Education Institution: The case of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta

Nowadays, most Higher Education Institutions (HEI) rely on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for all aspects of their activities such as administration, teaching, learning and research services. Even though the adoption of ICT in higher education has been extensive since mid 1990s, it has failed to produce the radical changes in learning and teaching. While many studies have been conducted on ICT usage in higher education especially in the developed countries, similar studies in the context of Islamic-based higher education institution (IHEI) are scarce. IHEI are unique institutions because its mission and vision are based on Islamic teachings and values. While it is well recognized that ICT implementation is a complex process, planning its use in the context of IHEI posed a greater challenge due to the cultural factor and the negative attitude towards the technology. This paper presents the analysis of ICT implementation barriers and organizational issues at UIN Jakarta, as a case study of an Islamic-based higher education institution in Indonesia. The findings revealed that the barriers include aspects related to organizational constraints, technological constraints, IT management problems, individual and cultural factors. While most factors are common, the aspect of organizational culture factor that relates to its being a religious institution is unique to this HEI.
Trying Harder to Fail First

Variable ordering heuristics can have a profound e ect on the performance of backtracking search algorithms for constraint satisfaction problems. The smallest-remaining-domain heuristic is a commonlyused dynamic variable ordering heuristic, used in conjunction with algorithms such as forward checking which look ahead at the e ects of each variable instantiation on those variables not yet instantiated. This heuristic has been explained as an implementation of the failrst principle, stated by Haralick and Elliott [7], i.e. that the next variable selected should be the one which is most likely to result in an immediate failure. We calculate the probability that a variable will fail when using the forward checking algorithm to solve a class of binary CSPs. We derive a series of heuristics, starting with smallest-remaining-domain, based on increasingly accurate estimates of this probability, and predict that if the failrst principle is sound, the more accurate the estimate the better the performance should be. We describe experiments applying these heuristics, in conjunction with the forward checking algorithm, to a large set of randomly-generated problems from the same class. Our predictions are not borne out by the experimental results: putting more e ort into estimating the probability does not in general pay o . Our results thus refute the failrst principle and show that the success of smallest-remaining-domain and related heuristics must be explained in some other way.
2000 / 2 The Swift Java Compiler : Design and Implementation

We have designed and implemented an optimizing Java compiler called Swift for the Alpha architecture. Swift translates Java bytecodes to optimized Alpha code, and uses static single assignment (SSA) form for its intermediate representation (IR). The Swift IR is relatively simple, but allows for straightforward implementation of all the standard scalar optimizations. The Swift compiler also implements method resolution and inlining, interprocedural alias analysis, elimination of Java run-time checks, object inlining, stack allocation of objects, and synchronization removal. Swift is written completely in Java and installs its generated code into a highperformance JVM that provides all of the necessary run-time facilities. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of the Swift compiler system. We describe the properties of the intermediate representation, and then give details on many of the useful optimization passes in Swift. We then provide some overall performance results of the Swiftgenerated code for the SpecJVM98 benchmarks, and analyze the performance gains from various optimizations. We find that the Swift design is quite effective in allowing efficient and general implementations of numerous interesting optimizations. The use of SSA form, in particular, has been especially beneficial, and we have found very few optimizations that are difficult to implement in SSA.
T-Cell Populations and Cytokine Expression Are Impaired in Thymus and Spleen of Protein Malnourished BALB/c Mice Infected with Leishmania infantum

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a parasitic infectious disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Although infections with visceralizing Leishmania may be asymptomatic, factors such as undernutrition increase the likelihood of progressing to clinical disease. Protein malnutrition, the most deleterious cause of malnutrition in developing countries, has been considered as a primary risk factor for the development of clinical VL. However, data regarding the immunological basis of this association are scarce. With the aim to analyze the effects of protein malnutrition on Leishmania infantum infection, we used BALB/c mice subjected to control or low protein isocaloric diets. Each animal group was divided into two subgroups and one was infected with L. infantum resulting in four study groups: animals fed 14% protein diet (CP), animals fed 4% protein diet (LP), animals fed 14% protein diet and infected (CPi), and animals fed 4% protein diet and infected (LPi). The susceptibility to L. infantum infection and immune responses were assessed in terms of body and lymphoid organ weight, parasite load, lymphocyte subpopulations, and cytokine expression. LPi mice had a significant reduction of body and lymphoid organ weight and exhibited a severe decrease of lymphoid follicles in the spleen. Moreover, LPi animals showed a significant decrease in CD4+CD8+ T cells in the thymus, whereas there was an increase of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells percentages in the spleen. Notably, the cytokine mRNA levels in the thymus and spleen of protein malnourished-infected animals were altered compared to the CP mice. Protein malnutrition results in a drastic dysregulation of T cells and cytokine expression in the thymus and spleen of L. infantum-infected BALB/c mice, which may lead to defective regulation of the thymocyte population and an impaired splenic immune response, accelerating the events of a normal course of infection.
Limited Health Knowledge as a Reason for Non-Use of Four Common Complementary Health Practices

Background Complementary health practices are an important element of health/healthcare seeking behavior among adults in the United States. Reasons for use include medical need, prevention and wellness promotion, and cultural relevance. Survey studies published over the past several decades have provided important information on the use of complementary health practices, such as acupuncture and yoga. A review of the literature, however, reveals an absence of studies looking specifically at who does not use these approaches, and why not. Methods To explore this issue two samples were created using data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey Complementary and Alternative Medicine supplement. Of particular interest was the relationship between lack of health knowledge, as a reason for non-use, and key independent variables. The first sample was comprised of individuals who had never used any of four common complementary health practices -- acupuncture, chiropractic, natural products, and yoga. The second was a subset of those same non-users who had also reported low back pain, the most frequently cited health concern related to use of complementary therapies. Results A hypothesized association between lack of health knowledge, lower educational attainment, and other key socioeconomic indicators was supported in the findings. Although it was hypothesized that low back pain would be associated with greater information seeking, regardless of level of education, that hypothesis was not supported. Conclusion Lack of knowledge was found to affect utilization of common complementary health practices, regardless of the potentially motivating presence of back pain. Disparities in the utilization of complementary medicine, related to educational attainment and other socioeconomic factors, may negatively affect quality of care for many Americans. Creative approaches are needed to help reduce inequities in understanding and improve access to care for underserved populations.
Internalization Mechanisms of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor after Activation with Different Ligands

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) regulates normal growth and differentiation, but dysregulation of the receptor or one of the EGFR ligands is involved in the pathogenesis of many cancers. There are eight ligands for EGFR, however most of the research into trafficking of the receptor after ligand activation focuses on the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α). For a long time it was believed that clathrin-mediated endocytosis was the major pathway for internalization of the receptor, but recent work suggests that different pathways exist. Here we show that clathrin ablation completely inhibits internalization of EGF- and TGF-α-stimulated receptor, however the inhibition of receptor internalization in cells treated with heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) or betacellulin (BTC) was only partial. In contrast, clathrin knockdown fully inhibits EGFR degradation after all ligands tested. Furthermore, inhibition of dynamin function blocked EGFR internalization after stimulation with all ligands. Knocking out a number of clathrin-independent dynamin-dependent pathways of internalization had no effect on the ligand-induced endocytosis of the EGFR. We suggest that EGF and TGF-α lead to EGFR endocytosis mainly via the clathrin-mediated pathway. Furthermore, we suggest that HB-EGF and BTC also lead to EGFR endocytosis via a clathrin-mediated pathway, but can additionally use an unidentified internalization pathway or better recruit the small amount of clathrin remaining after clathrin knockdown.
THROUGHPUT ENHANCEMENTS FOR IEEE 802.16 J NETWORKS USING QUEUE AWARE SCHEDULING WITH DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS

WiMAX Cellular Networks with Multi-hop Relays(MR), standardized as IEEE 802.16j networks, have been proposed for the improvement of overall throughput by providing last mile high speed broadband service to the users. The scheduling algorithm at Base Station(BS) plays a vital role in optimal resource allocation. In Queue aware scheduling, Concurrent Transmission Scenarios(CTS) are identified based on high back pressure links, which are used as input for linear programming model that determines the transmission schedules to maximize the overall throughput with simultaneous transmissions over Independent Links(IL). As shown in the results of Queue aware scheduling algorithm, the increase in the number of Concurrent Transmission Scenarios, improves the throughput and reaches a steady state after a level because of the limited number of independent links. In this paper, the installation of Directional Antennas at Base Station(BS), Relay Stations(RS) is proposed and studied the impact of increase in independent links, so as the concurrent scenarios with Directional Antennas, and observed some improvement in throughput. Simulation results showed that the proposed Queue aware scheduling with Directional Antennas outperforms even when the Mobile Stations(MSs) are at the edge of the cell coverage.
A Motion Planning Based Video Game ∗

This paper aims at showing how robot motion planning techniques are today mature enough to be used in video game. The key challenge with games is to respect constraints expressed in terms of interactivity, real-time computation and space-memory. The goal of this work was to provide an original video game implementing a scenario that would not have been imaginable with the common AI methods used in game design.
E-government services: accesibility and usability

– In recent years, e-government services have greatly benefited society by simplifying and enhancing processes, making administrative procedures more efficient and reliable, guaranteeing transparency and increasing user satisfaction. Most of this modernization process occurred using simple services, relying on World Wide Web (WWW) protocols and user interfaces. Due to their institutional nature, e-Government services must offer equal access and opportunities to any individual, regardless of her/his abilities, aiming to progressively reduce and extinguish all aspects of the digital divide. Since 1999 the European Union has acknowledged the need to promote Web accessibility by implementing a number of actions, with the aim of enhancing and reshaping a fairer and more inclusive society. This paper offers an overview of accessibility and usability from its origins to the present, with special focus on the framework of current European legislation, providing a simple interpretation of the phenomenon.
Sparse Density Representations for Simultaneous Inference on Large Spatial Datasets

Large spatial datasets often represent a number of spatial point processes generated by distinct entities or classes of events. When crossed with covariates, such as discrete time buckets, this can quickly result in a data set with millions of individual density estimates. Applications that require simultaneous access to a substantial subset of these estimates become resource constrained when densities are stored in complex and incompatible formats. We present a method for representing spatial densities along the nodes of sparsely populated trees. Fast algorithms are provided for performing set operations and queries on the resulting compact tree structures. The speed and simplicity of the approach is demonstrated on both real and simulated spatial data.
Service Quality : The Case of the Revenue Online Service

This paper describes an ongoing study into the quality of service provided by the Irish Revenue Commisioners’ online tax filing and collection system. The Irish Revenue On-Line Service (ROS) site has won several awards. In this study, a version of the widely use SERVQUAL measuring instrument, adapted for use with online services, has been modified for the specific case of ROS. In this paper, the theory behind this instrument is set out, the particular problems of evaluating revenue collecting online are examined and the rationale for this approach is explained. Keywords—e-service quality, revenue online system, online tax filing system.
MEASURING QUANTITY-CONSTRAINED AND MAXIMUM PRICES CONSUMERS ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS: THE CASE OF ORGANIC BEEF MEAT / доклад на 25 конференции IAAE, Reshaping Agriculture’s Contribution to Society, International Convention Centre, Durban, South Africa, 16-23 August 2003

In this paper, models for estimating the maximum price consumers are willing to pay (MPWTP) for organic beef meat, and the maximum quantity-constrained price (i.e., when buying the same quantity they bought of regular meat) consumers are willing to pay (MQCP), are presented. To this purpose, the relevant theoretical and econometric approaches are presented, based on the RUM model and on a Contingent Valuation technique.
Factors Influencing Employee Satisfaction in Education Sector at Sana’a, Yemen

The employee’s satisfaction has been revealed to be important to the success of the company’s goals particularly in constructing competitive benefit above other establishments. This research aims to investigate on the impact of human resource practices to employee satisfaction in education sector in Sana’a Yemen with consideration of the current status of the country, and explore the factors that affect satisfaction. Centred on prior studies, the other investigators established that there is a direct connection among those variables (human resource practices) and satisfaction of employees. The prime facts of this study was gathered by assigning questionnaires to corresponding teachers in 8 public high school in Sana’a Yemen. The reliability test was fulfilled as Cronbach‘s Alpha, which displayed rational reliability grades with more than 0.9 alphas. Pearson Correlation Coefficient is used to examine the strength of answers from the questionnaires that were gathered. Largely, several variables obtained coefficient ranging from ±0.7 to ± 0.85 which specified modest to high strength of relationship. Finally, the results in this research is demonstrate the issues which are the human resource practices, having important connection with employee satisfaction in education industry. These independent variables action a vital role in touching employee satisfaction, and should be more anxious by the government. Furthermore, this investigation also provided researcher practitioner valued in depth for upcoming studies. Keywords: Employee’s satisfaction, Human resource practices, Staffing, Training, Compensation and reword. DOI : 10.7176/EJBM/11-9-05 Publication date :March 31 st 2019