Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proof-carrying data : Secure computation on untrusted platforms

W hen running software applications and services, we rely on the underlying execution platform: the hardware and the lower levels of the software stack. The execution platform is susceptible to a wide range of threats, ranging from accidental bugs, faults, and leaks to maliciously induced Trojan horses. The problem is aggravated by growing system complexity and by increasingly pertinent outsourcing and supply chain consideration. Traditional mechanisms, which painstakingly validate all system components, are expensive and limited in applicability. What if the platform assurance problem is just too hard? Do we have any hope of securely running software when we cannot trust the underlying hardware, hypervisor, kernel, libraries, and compilers? This article will discuss a potential approach for doing just so: conducting trustworthy computation on untrusted execution platforms. The approach, proof-carrying data (PCD), circumnavi-gates the threat of faults and leakage by reasoning solely about properties of a computa-tion's output data, regardless of the process that produced it. In PCD, the system designer prescribes the desired properties of the computation's outputs. These properties are then enforced using cryptographic proofs attached to all data flowing through the system and verified at the system perimeter as well as internal nodes. What if the platform assurance problem is just too hard? Do we have any hope of securely running software when we cannot trust the underlying hardware, hypervisor, kernel, libraries, and compilers? This article will discuss a potential approach for doing just so: conducting trustworthy computation on untrusted execution platforms. The approach, proof-carrying data (PCD), circumnavi W hen running software applications and services, we rely on the underlying execution platform: the hardware and the lower levels of the software stack. The execution platform is susceptible to a wide range of threats, ranging from accidental bugs, faults, and leaks to maliciously induced Trojan horses. The problem is aggravated by growing system complexity and by increasingly pertinent outsourcing and supply chain consideration. Traditional mechanisms, which painstakingly validate all system components, are expensive and limited in applicability. What if the platform assurance 40 What if the platform assurance problem is just too hard? Do we have any hope of securely running software when we cannot trust the underlying hardware, hypervisor, kernel, libraries, and compilers? This article will discuss a potential approach for doing just so: conducting trustworthy computation on untrusted execution platforms. The approach, proof-carrying data (PCD), circumnavi Integrity of data, information flow control, and fault isolation are …
Bryant surfaces with smooth ends

A smooth end of a Bryant surface is a conformally immersed punctured disc of mean curvature 1 in hyperbolic space that extends smoothly through the ideal boundary. The Bryant representation of a smooth end is well defined on the punctured disc and has a pole at the puncture. The Willmore energy of compact Bryant surfaces with smooth ends is quantized. It equals 4π times the total pole order of its Bryant representation. The possible Willmore energies of Bryant spheres with smooth ends are 4π(N∗ \ {2, 3, 5, 7}). Bryant spheres with smooth ends are examples of soliton spheres, a class of rational conformal immersions of the sphere which also includes Willmore spheres in the conformal 3-sphere S3. We give explicit examples of Bryant spheres with an arbitrary number of smooth ends. We conclude the paper by showing that Bryant’s quartic differential Q vanishes identically for a compact surface in S3 if and only if it is the compactification of either a complete finite total curvature Euclidean minimal surface with planar ends or a compact Bryant surface with smooth ends.
Pension Reform, the Stock Market, Capital Formation and Economic Growth: A Critical Commentary on the World Bank’s Proposals

Proposing far-reaching reforms to the pension systems, the World Bank has recently suggested that the existing pay-as-you-go pension systems in many rich as well as poor countries, should be replaced by fully funded, mandatory, preferably private pensions, as the main pillars of the new system. It argues that these reforms will not only benefit the pensioners, but also enhance savings, promote capital formation and economic development. This paper provides a critical examination of the Bank's theses and concludes that it has adopted a one-sided view of the relationships between the key critical variables. The proposed reform may therefore neither protect the old nor achieve faster economic growth.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIMARY RELAXATION IN SUPERCOOLED LIQUIDS THROUGH THE TIMESCALE STEEPNESS FUNCTION.

The primary relaxation in glass forming supercooled liquids (SCLs) above the glass transformation temperature Tg is discussed in terms of the first-order (steepness) and the second-order (curvature) temperature derivatives of the observed primary relaxation timescale. We report new insights into the problem of the domain of the Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman (VFT) equation, raised by Stickel et al. (J. Chem. Phys. 102, 6251 (1995), ibid. 104, 2043 (1996)) and discussed by Richert and Angell (ibid. 108, 9016 (1998)). A new ergodic-cluster Gaussian statistical approach to the problem is given based on Onsager’s thermodynamic principle. The primary relaxation is described by the VFT equation below the crossover temperature Tc (known from mode coupling theory (MCT)), and above Tc by an extended (VFTE) equation obtained after accounting for cluster-size fluctuations. The timescale is parametrized by a finite number of observable
Compressed Image Transmission at Low Signal to Noise Ratio for Turbo Code Application

This paper explores the application of the error resilient coding scheme, absolutely addressed Picture Element coding (APEL), to image transmission over noisy radio channels. To improve the performance of APEL at low signal-to-noise ratios, turbo coding is introduced into the system. Demonstrated through Gaussian and Rayleigh fading channel simulations, this novel combination will be shown to correct and restrict the propagation of the majority of errors incurred during transmission. I. APEL Image Coding APEL [1,2] is a loss-less, robust image coding system which translates variable sized pixel areas of pre-defined dimensions into independent picture blocks (pels). Each pel is issued with two coordinates , x and y, establishing an absolute location with respect to an origin. As the underlying APEL coding technique operates on a binary level, the encoding of grey-scale or colour images employs a Bit Plane Coding (BPC) [3] stage. The BPC stage furnishes the APEL encoder with a colour coding sequence to represent a given source image in binary planes. Taking each extrapolated binary plane in turn, a recognition algorithm searches through each image looking for square areas of black pixels; starting with large square pels during the first scan, then repeating this process in multiple passes selecting pels of decreasing magnitude. The maximum size of the initial pel is limited according to the anticipated nature of the channel, consequently less information is lost should corruption occur. Once all of the square pels of an efficient size have been removed from the plane, run-lengths of various geometries are used to encode the residue. Fig. 1 illustrates an APEL encoded section of a grey-scale image. Here, it can be seen how (x,y) coordinates are assigned to pels of various geometries. The data-stream created from this process can be pictured as a succession of (x,y) addresses, grouped according to the same size they represent and interspersed with control symbols (Fig. 2). These symbols not only serve to provide synchronization markers, but in addition convey pel geometry metrics to the decoder. The APEL absolute addressing scheme alleviates the need for End Of Line (EOL) symbols and, as each codeword is independent, offers a solution to the problems of horizontal and vertical error propagation. Additionally, as each pel has its own address, it is possible to interleave them within the transmitted data-stream. This versatility can be utilized in many ways, for example: pels pertaining to important image detail can either be …
Preliminary Draft: Not for Citation or Quotation a Puzzle in so 2 Emissions Trading: Temporal Inefficiency or Higher Prices?

Banking has been an important component of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) emissions trading in the U.S. Acid Rain Program and it is commonly included as a desirable feature of cap-and-trade programs for limiting emissions. This paper evaluates the performance of this temporal dimension of SO 2 allowance trading based on the five years in which the SO 2 bank was built up and the first year of draw-down that can now be observed. The price and aggregate quantity data for abatement present a puzzle. Prices have risen at about 15% a year while quantities (i.e., emission reductions) have increased at only 6% a year. If generally accepted assumptions about costs are accepted, a significant temporal inefficiency is indicated. The apparent inconsistency in the evolution of prices and quantities can be eliminated by assuming greater curvature, or a more inelastic marginal abatement cost curve, but this assumptions leads to cost predictions that now seem unlikely. We also develop a model of autarkic banking in which a subset of " unsophisticated " participants follow compliance paths seemingly detached from market conditions. Finally, we offer an estimate of the potential losses from the apparent temporal inefficiency and draw some concluding observations for what is still very much a work in progress. MIT. We have benefited from many discussions with Paul Joskow and Dick Schmalensee.
Three level hysteresis current controller based active power filter for harmonic compensation

This paper present three-phase four-wire active filter for power line conditioning (PLC) to improve power quality in the distribution network. The active power filter (APF) is implemented with PWM based current controlled voltage source inverter (VSI). This VSI switching signals are generated through proposed three-level hysteresis current controller (HCC) that achieves significant reduction in the magnitude and variation of the switching frequency; it is indicating improved performance compared to 2-level HCC. The shunt APLC system is modeled and investigated under different unbalanced non-linear load conditions using Matlab programs. The simulation results reveal that the active power filter is effectively compensating the current harmonics and reactive power at point of common coupling. The active power line conditioner system is in compliance with IEEE 519 and IEC 61000-3 recommended harmonic standards.
Understanding relationships with attributes in entity-relationship diagrams

Conceptual modeling is an important task undertaken during the systems development process to build a representation of those features of an application domain that are important to stakeholders. In spite of its importance, however, substantial evidence exists to show that it is not done well. Designers often provide incomplete, inaccurate, or inconsistent representations of domain features in the conceptual models they prepare. Users often have difficulty understanding the meaning inherent in a conceptual model. In this paper, we investigate the proposition that part of the difficulties that stakeholders experience with conceptual modeling arises when a conceptual modeling grammar or a representation produced using the grammar lacks ontological clarity. Lack of ontological clarity arises when a one-one mapping does not exist between conceptual modeling constructs and real-world constructs. For example, the grammatical construct of an entity is used to represent both things and events in the real world. Specifically, we focus on the grammatical construct of a relationship with attributes, which is often used in entity-relationship modeling. We argue that use of this construct produces ontologically unclear representations of a domain. We also report results from an experiment we undertook where we investigated the impact of using relationships with attributes in conceptual modeling representations on the problem-solving performance of users of these representations. Consistent with our predictions, we found that using relationships with attributes undermined problem-solving performance in unfamiliar domains. Contrary to our predictions, however, their use did not undermine problem-solving performance in familiar domains.
Algebraic reconstruction of types and effects

We present the rst algorithm for reconstructing the types and e ects of expressions in the presence of rst class procedures in a polymorphic typed language. E ects are static descriptions of the dynamic behavior of expressions. Just as a type describes what an expression computes, an effect describes how an expression computes. Types are more complicated to reconstruct in the presence of e ects because the algebra of e ects induces complex constraints on both e ects and types. In this paper we show how to perform reconstruction in the presence of such constraints with a new algorithm called algebraic reconstruction, prove that it is sound and complete, and discuss its practical import. This research was supported by DARPA under ONR Contract N00014-89-J-1988.
Evaluation of Operational Procedures for Using a Time-Based Airborne Inter-arrival Spacing Tool

An airborne tool has been developed based on the concept of an aircraft maintaining a time-based spacing interval from the preceding aircraft. The Advanced Terminal Area Approach Spacing (ATAAS) tool uses Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) aircraft state data to compute a speed command for the ATAAS-equipped aircraft to obtain a required time interval behind another aircraft. The tool and candidate operational procedures were tested in a high-fidelity, full mission simulator with active airline subject pilots flying an arrival scenario using three different modes for speed control. The objectives of this study were to validate the results of a prior Monte Carlo analysis of the ATAAS algorithm and to evaluate the concept from the standpoint of pilot acceptability and workload. Results showed that the aircraft was able to consistently achieve the target spacing interval within one second (the equivalent of approximately 220 ft at a final approach speed of 130 kt) when the ATAAS speed guidance was autothrottle-coupled, and a slightly greater (4-5 seconds), but consistent interval with the pilot-controlled speed modes. The subject pilots generally rated the workload level with the ATAAS procedure as similar to that with standard procedures, and also rated most aspects of the procedure high in terms of acceptability. Although pilots indicated that the head-down time was higher with ATAAS, the acceptability of head-down time was rated high. Oculometer data indicated slight changes in instrument scan patterns, but no significant change in the amount of time spent looking out the window between the ATAAS procedure versus standard procedures.
Initialization of nonnegative matrix factorization dictionaries for single channel source separation

In this work, we study different initialization methods for the nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) dictionaries or bases. There is a need for good initializations for NMF dictionary because NMF decomposition is a non-convex problem which has many local minima. The effect of the initialization of NMF is evaluated in this work on audio source separation applications. In supervised audio source separation, NMF is used to train a set of basis vectors (basis matrix) for each source in an iterative fashion. Then NMF is used to decompose the mixed signal spectrogram as a weighted linear combination of the trained basis vectors for all sources in the mixed signal. The estimate for each source is computed by summing the decomposition terms that include its corresponding trained bases. In this work, we use principal component analysis (PCA), spherical K-means, and fuzzy C-means (FCM) to initialize the NMF basis matrices during the training procedures. Experimental results show that, better initialization for NMF bases gives better audio separation performance than using NMF with random initialization.
Crawling Posture Learning in Humanoid Robots using a Natural-Actor-Critic CPG Architecture

Locomotion learning for robotics is an interesting and challenging area in which the movement capabilities of animals have been deeply investigated and acquired knowledge has been transferred into modelling locomotion on robots. What modellers are required to understand is what structure can represent locomotor systems in different animals and how such animals develop various and dexterous locomotion capabilities. Notwithstanding the depth of research in the area, modelling locomotion requires a deep rethinking.In this thesis, based on the umbrella of embodied cognition, a neural-body-environment interaction is emphasised and regarded as the solution to locomotion learning/development. Central pattern generators (CPGs) are introduced in the first part (Chapter 2) to generally interpret the mechanism of locomotor systems in animals. With a deep investigation on the structure of CPGs and inspiration from human infant development, a layered CPG architecture with baseline motion generation and dynamics adaptation interfaces are proposed. In the second part, reinforcement learning (RL) is elucidated as a good method for dealing with locomotion learning from the perspectives of psychology, neuroscience and robotics (Chapter 4). Several continuous-space RL techniques (e.g. episodic natural actor critic, policy learning by weighting explorations with returns, continuous action space learning automaton are introduced for practical use (Chapter 3). With the knowledge of CPGs and RL, the architecture and concept of CPG-Actor-Critic is constructed. Finally, experimental work based on published papers is highlighted in a path of my PhD research (Chapter 5). This includes the implementation of CPGs and the learning on the NAO robot for crawling and walking. The implementation is also extended to test the generalizability to different morphologies (the ghostdog robot). The contribution of this thesis is discussed from two angles: the investigation of the CPG architecture and the implementation (Chapter 6).
Usable Transparency with the Data Track: A Tool for Visualizing Data Disclosures

We present a prototype of the user interface of a transparency tool that displays an overview of a user's data disclosures to different online service providers and allows them to access data collected about them stored at the services' sides. We explore one particular type of visualization method consisting of tracing lines that connect a user's disclosed personal attributes to the service to which these attributes have been disclosed. We report on the ongoing iterative process of design of such visualization, the challenges encountered and the possibilities for future improvements.
The next stage: quantum game theory

Recent development in quantum computation and quantum information theory allows to extend the scope of game theory for the quantum world. The paper presents the history, basic ideas and recent development in quantum game theory. On grounds of the discussed material, we reason about possible future development of quantum game theory and its impact on information processing and the emerging information society.
Dose-dependent effect of copper chloride on male reproductive function in immature rats.

BACKGROUND Copper is essential as a trace element for metabolic processes. Exposure to copper in industries develops toxicity among the workers. Previous findings on adverse effects of copper on male reproductive function in adult albino rats led to investigate the effects of this metal on reproductive function of maturing male rats in the present experiment. METHODOLOGY To study these effects, immature (30 to 35 days old) Wistar strain albino rats weighing about 50-60 g were treated intraperitoneally with copper chloride at doses of 1000, 2000 and 3000 microg/kg body weight/day for 26 days. RESULT Significant fall in accessory sex organ weight and inhibition of testicular 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity along with degeneration of testicular growing spermatogenic cells and reduction in serum testosterone, FSH and LH level were observed at the doses of 2000 and 3000microg/kg/day. On the other hand, at the dose of 1000 microg/kg/day significant increase in testicular steroidogenic enzyme activity and stimulation of testicular spermatogenesis along with rise in serum testosterone and LH level were observed, though no significant change was observed in serum FSH level. This suggests that copper has got a dose-dependent effect on testicular steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis and serum testosterone and LH level in maturing male rats.
Genetic differences in alcohol sensitivity and the inheritance of alcoholism risk

Background. Substantial evidence exists for an important genetic contribution to alcohol dependence risk in women and men. It has been suggested that genetically determined differences in alcohol sensitivity may represent one pathway by which an increase in alcohol dependence risk occurs. Methods. Telephone interview follow-up data were obtained on twins from male, female and unlike-sex twin pairs who had participated in an alcohol challenge study in 1979–81, as well as other pairs from the same Australian twin panel surveyed by mail in 1980–82. Results. At follow-up, alcohol challenge men did not differ from other male twins from the same age cohort on measures of lifetime psychopathology or drinking habits; but alcohol challenge women were on average heavier drinkers than other women. Acomposite alcohol sensitivity measure, combining subjective intoxication and increase in body-sway after alcohol challenge in 1979–81, exhibited high heritability (60%). Parental alcoholism history was weakly associated with decreased alcohol sensitivity in women, but not after adjustment for baseline drinking history, or in men. High alcohol sensitivity in men was associated with substantially reduced alcohol dependence risk (OR=0·05, 95% CI 0·01–0·39). Furthermore, significantly decreased (i.e. low) alcohol sensitivity was observed in non-alcoholic males whose MZ co-twin had a history of alcohol dependence, compared to other non-alcoholics. These associations remained significant in conservative analyses that controlled for respondents' alcohol consumption levels and alcohol problems in 1979–81. Conclusions. Men (but not women) at increased genetic risk of alcohol dependence (assessed by MZ co-twin's history of alcohol dependence) exhibited reduced alcohol sensitivity. Associations with parental alcoholism were inconsistent.