Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implementation of a Purely Hardware-assisted VMM for x 86 Architecture

Virtualization is a technique for efficient utilization of hardware resources. Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) is a piece of software which facilitates hardware Virtualization. Software based Virtualization technologies encompass considerable instruction overhead. We have implemented a purely hardware-assisted VMM for x86 architecture on AMD Secure Virtual Machine (SVM) [1] to overcome the instruction overhead caused by software based Virtualization. The performance impact due to Virtualization is measured in terms of the CPU time consumed by certain critical sections of Virtualization specific code. A quantitative performance analysis using the purely Hardware-assisted Virtual Machine Monitor reveals that Hardware Virtualization at its current stage suffers from performance overhead, but improves considerably with hardware enhancement.
A Turbo-Like Iterative Decoding Algorithm for Network Coded HARQ

This paper proposes a turbo-like decoding algorithm for network coded HARQ (NC-HARQ) retransmission scheme. Instead of retransmission erroneous packets individually, we send a network coded packet formed by XOR of two incorrectly received packets in the NC-HARQ retransmission. With respect to the two initial packets and one network coded packet, this retransmission scheme can be viewed as a product code based on the Turbo coding principle. We develop an iterative decoding algorithm for the proposed NC-HARQ scheme. The algorithm uses the log-likelihood ratios generated by decoding any two packets to calculate a priori information for the third one. This approach is applicable for both Chase Combing (CC) and Incremental Redundancy (IR). Furthermore, a link adaptation algorithm is investigated for the proposed network coded HARQ scheme. LTE link-level simulations confirm the throughput enhancement by the proposed scheme compared to common HARQ transmission.
Non-replicable reusable resources discovery on scale-free Peer-to-Peer networks

Apart from files, P2P Networks can be used for sharing non-replicable and reusable (e.g. computational) resources. This paper explains why existing discovery mechanisms have low performance searching for those resources in random power-law degree distributions. While high-degree nodes become more popular, their resources are consumed, resulting into a power-law network topology with no more useful highly connected nodes. To address the problem, we introduce two blind search techniques, Scale-free FloodWalkers (SFFW) and Scale-free Walkers (SFW). The idea behind is that recent requestors have discovered recent providers and will soon release the recently acquired resources. We tested their performance through simulations and a number of experiments. They seem to have stable much higher success rate than flooding or k-walkers in scale-free networks while their cost in messages is one order of magnitude lower than flooding and equal to walkers, respectively.
The Law in the Process of Constitutionalizing Europe

This essay developed out of my contribution "Das Recht im Prozess der Europaischen Integration" to Markus Jachtenfuchs/Beate Kohler-Koch (eds.), Europaische Integration, Opladen: Leske + Budrich, 1996, 73-108 [in English: Taking the Law Seriously: On Political Science and the Role of Law in the Process of European Integration, 2 (1996) European Law Journal, 105-135]. Since the paper seeks to address political scientists, some of its sections, especially those on the history of Europe's 'juridification', may encounter deja vu reactions from lawyers. But this should not be true for the approach as a whole. "Constitutionalisation" comprises in my understanding, both individual liberties and the rights of citizens to political participation. This is why the impact of Europeanisation and globalisation on the configuration of the economic system, the institutionalization of the welfare state and labour market are of "constitutional" importance. They affect profoundly the balance of private autonomy and political rights. I have little hope that the so-called "Convention Method" will provide us with more than partial response to these challenges which Europe faces in the process of its constitutionalisation. Nor should the Charter of Fundamental Rights be expected to resolve these issues.
Science, Technology & Society

STS scholars use a range of interdisciplinary approaches to deal with these important issues. Our research helps inform social decision-making by recognizing that solutions to complex contemporary challenges have multiple interacting natural, social and technical features. We assign high priority to communicating our expertise and understanding of these complex issues to science and non-science academics and students, policy makers as well as the public at large.
Structural learning with time‐varying components: tracking the cross‐section of financial time series

Summary. When modelling multivariate financial data, the problem of structural learning is compounded by the fact that the covariance structure changes with time. Previous work has focused on modelling those changes by using multivariate stochastic volatility models. We present an alternative to these models that focuses instead on the latent graphical structure that is related to the precision matrix. We develop a graphical model for sequences of Gaussian random vectors when changes in the underlying graph occur at random times, and a new block of data is created with the addition or deletion of an edge. We show how a Bayesian hierarchical model incorporates both the uncertainty about that graph and the time variation thereof.
On revolutions and revolutionaries : 25 years of reform and innovation in nursing education

Feel lonely? What about reading books? Book is one of the greatest friends to accompany while in your lonely time. When you have no friends and activities somewhere and sometimes, reading book can be a great choice. This is not only for spending the time, it will increase the knowledge. Of course the b=benefits to take will relate to what kind of book that you are reading. And now, we will concern you to try reading on revolutions and revolutionaries 25 years of reform and innovation in nursing education as one of the reading material to finish quickly.
Evolution of mapmaking: learning, planning, and memory using genetic programming

An essential component of an intelligent agent is the ability to observe, encode, and use information about its environment. Traditional approaches to genetic programming have focused on evolving functional or reactive programs with only a minimal use of state. This paper presents an approach for investigating the evolution of learning, planning, and memory using genetic programming. The approach uses a multi-phasic fitness environment that enforces the use of memory and allows fairly straightforward comprehension of the evolved representations. An illustrative problem of 'gold' collection is used to demonstrate the usefulness of the approach. The results indicate that the approach can evolve programs that store simple representations of their environments and use these representations to produce simple plans. <<ETX>>
Ras and Ras mutations in cancer

Ras genes are pre-eminent genes that are frequently linked with cancer biology. The functional loss of ras protein caused by various point mutations within the gene, is established as a prognostic factor for the genesis of a constitutively active Ras-MAPK pathway leading to cancer. Ras signaling circuit follows a complex pathway, which connects many signaling molecules and cells. Several strategies have come up for targeting mutant ras proteins for cancer therapy, however, the clinical benefits remain insignificant. Targeting the Ras-MAPK pathway is extremely complicated due its intricate networks involving several upstream and downstream regulators. Blocking oncogenic Ras is still in latent stage and requires alternative approaches to screen the genes involved in Ras transformation. Understanding the mechanism of Ras induced tumorigenesis in diverse cancers and signaling networks will open a path for drug development and other therapeutic approaches.
An Efficient Method of Indexing All Topological Orders for a Given DAG

Topological orders of a directed graph are an important concept of graph algorithms. The generation of topological orders is useful for designing graph algorithms and solving scheduling problems. In this paper, we generate and index all topological orders of a given graph. Since topological orders are permutations of vertices, we can use the data structure πDD, which generates and indexes a set of permutations. In this paper, we propose Rot-πDDs, which are a variation of πDDs based on a different interpretation. Compression ratios of Rot-πDDs for representing topological orders are theoretically improved from the original πDDs. We propose an efficient method for constructing a Rot-πDD based on dynamic programming approach. Computational experiments show the amazing efficiencies of a Rot-πDD: a Rot-πDD for 3.7× 10 topological orders has only 2.2× 10 nodes and is constructed in 36 seconds. In addition, the indexed structure of a Rot-πDD allows us to fast post-process such as edge addition and random samplings.
XML fragment caching for large-scale mobile commerce applications

We present an XML data exchange technique suitable for mobile commerce systems involving thousands of mobile users and massive data loads. A key idea of our technique is that it is based on an XML information repository that is logically split into several disjoint data fragments. Thus, each mobile user's device can determine those parts of the information repository that are required for answering a given query locally at the device. The benefit of this local query processing is that our technique allows participating user devices to make their cached data fragments available to other participating devices and relieves the central information repository, resulting in a significant reduction of the overall data transfer and improved query response times. Furthermore, we provide an experimental evaluation showing that our technique outperforms other data exchange techniques in terms of both, data transfer and query response times. Special to our experiments, we simulate a changing user interest in the course of the experiments to capture a real world mobile commerce user behavior in a scenario with a high load of users and data.
Multi-Dimensional Wideband Radio Channel Characterisation for 2-6 GHz Band

Future wireless communication systems employ higher carrier frequencies and wider bandwidths than the 2G/3G systems. Moreover, dual-polarised antenna arrays will most probably be employed for improved coverage and higher data rates. As a result multi-dimensional knowledge of the mobile radio channel with fine resolution becomes available for adaptive utilisation of the channel capacity. At the same time there is a tendency that cell sizes in new wideband radio access systems will be smaller and thus, the 3D radio scattering environment plays a major role. Therefore, it can be stated that effective development and specification of these novel wireless systems will require multi-dimensional radio channel modelling in such detail which is not widely available for current 2G/3G systems. The current study reports preliminary results on multi-dimensional channel characterisation with 100 Mchip/s bandwidth at 5.25 GHz carrier frequency. The results in indoor office environment indicate that future multi-antenna systems employing MIMO or beamforming techniques may have a significant benefit from utilising the effects of polarization. Future research aims at developing advanced link and system level radio channel models in co-operation with interested parties from academia and
Socs1 binds to multiple signalling proteins and suppresses Steel factor‐dependent proliferation

We have identified Socs1 as a downstream component of the Kit receptor tyrosine kinase signalling pathway. We show that the expression of Socs1 mRNA is rapidly increased in primary bone marrow‐derived mast cells following exposure to Steel factor, and Socs1 inducibly binds to the Kit receptor tyrosine kinase via its Src homology 2 (SH2) domain. Previous studies have shown that Socs1 suppresses cytokine‐mediated differentiation in M1 cells inhibiting Janus family kinases. In contrast, constitutive expression of Socs1 suppresses the mitogenic potential of Kit while maintaining Steel factor‐dependent cell survival signals. Unlike Janus kinases, Socs1 does not inhibit the catalytic activity of the Kit tyrosine kinase. In order to define the mechanism by which Socs1‐mediated suppression of Kit‐dependent mitogenesis occurs, we demonstrate that Socs1 binds to the signalling proteins Grb‐2 and the Rho‐family guanine nucleotide exchange factors Vav. We show that Grb2 binds Socs1 via its SH3 domains to putative diproline determinants located in the N‐terminus of Socs1, and Socs1 binds to the N‐terminal regulatory region of Vav. These data suggest that Socs1 is an inducible switch which modulates proliferative signals in favour of cell survival signals and functions as an adaptor protein in receptor tyrosine kinase signalling pathways.
Strategies for combining acoustic echo cancellation and adaptive beamforming microphone arrays

New concepts for efficient combination of acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) and adaptive beamforming microphone arrays (ABMA) are presented. By decomposing common beamforming methods into a time-invariant part, which the AEC can integrate, and a separate time-variant part, the number of echo cancellers is minimized without rendering the system identification problem more difficult. Methods for controlling the interaction of ABMA and AEC are outlined and implementations for typical microphone array applications are discussed.
Development of a Hand Motion Assist Robot for Rehabilitation Therapy by Patient Self-Motion Control

This paper presents a new hand motion assist robot for rehabilitation therapy. The robot is an exoskeleton with 18 DOFs and a self-motion control, which allows the impaired hand of a patient to be driven by his or her healthy hand on the opposite side. To provide such potential that the impaired hand is able to recover its ability to the level of a functional hand, the hand motion assist robot is designed to support the flexion/extension and abduction/adduction motions of fingers and thumb independently as well as the opposability of the thumb. Moreover, it is designed to support a combination motion of the hand and the wrist. The design specifications and experimental results are shown.
Contribution of immunological and virological factors to extremely severe primary HIV type 1 infection.

BACKGROUND During acute human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, high viral loads and the induction of host immune responses typically coincide with the onset of clinical symptoms. However, clinically severe presentations during acute HIV type 1 (HIV-1) infection, including AIDS-defining symptoms, are unusual. METHODS Virus isolates were tested for clade, drug susceptibility, coreceptor use, and growth rate in 2 case reports of sexual transmission of HIV-1 infection. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotype was determined, and HIV-1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses to an overlapping peptide set spanning the entire HIV clade A and clade B proteome were assayed. RESULTS The viruses isolated in the 2 unrelated case reports of severe primary HIV-1 infection showed R5/X4 dual-mixed tropism, belonged to clade B and CRF02-AG, and were highly replicative in peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture. Impaired humoral responses were paralleled by a profound absence of HIV-1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses to the entire viral proteome in the 2 case reports. In 1 case report for which the virus source was available, there was a remarkable HLA similarity between the 2 patients involved in the transmission event, because 3 of 4 HLA-A and HLA-B alleles had matched HLA supertype for both patients. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that concurrence of viral and host factors contributes to the clinical severity of primary HIV-1 infection and that patients infected with highly replicative, dual-tropic viruses are more prone to develop AIDS-defining symptoms during acute infection if they are unable to mount humoral and cellular HIV-1-specific immune responses. The presence of concordant HLA supertypes might facilitate the preferential transmission of HLA-adapted viral variants, further accelerating disease progression.
Vector control of squirrel cage induction generator for wind power

The paper deals with squirrel cage induction generator connected to the grid through a back-to-back converter, which is driven by vector control. The stator side converter controls the generator torque using an indirect vector control. The grid side converter controls the DC Bus voltage and the reactive power. The proposed control strategy is validated by simulation in Matlab/Simulinkr®.
Stylometry with R: A Package for Computational Text Analysis

This software paper describes ‘Stylometry with R’ ( stylo ), a ﬂexible R package for the high-level analysis of writing style in stylometry. Stylometry (computational stylistics) is concerned with the quantitative study of writing style, e.g. authorship veriﬁcation, an application which has considerable potential in forensic contexts, as well as historical research. In this paper we introduce the possibilities of stylo for computational text analysis, via a number of dummy case studies from English and French literature. We demonstrate how the package is particularly useful in the exploratory statistical analysis of texts, e.g. with respect to authorial writing style. Because stylo provides an attractive graphical user interface for high-level exploratory analyses, it is especially suited for an audience of novices, without programming skills (e.g. from the Digital Humanities). More experienced users can beneﬁt from our implementation of a series of standard pipelines for text processing, as well as a number of similarity metrics.
Vervet monkeys use paths consistent with context‐specific spatial movement heuristics

Abstract Animal foraging routes are analogous to the computationally demanding “traveling salesman problem” (TSP), where individuals must find the shortest path among several locations before returning to the start. Humans approximate solutions to TSPs using simple heuristics or “rules of thumb,” but our knowledge of how other animals solve multidestination routing problems is incomplete. Most nonhuman primate species have shown limited ability to route plan. However, captive vervets were shown to solve a TSP for six sites. These results were consistent with either planning three steps ahead or a risk‐avoidance strategy. I investigated how wild vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) solved a path problem with six, equally rewarding food sites; where site arrangement allowed assessment of whether vervets found the shortest route and/or used paths consistent with one of three simple heuristics to navigate. Single vervets took the shortest possible path in fewer than half of the trials, usually in ways consistent with the most efficient heuristic (the convex hull). When in competition, vervets' paths were consistent with different, more efficient heuristics dependent on their dominance rank (a cluster strategy for dominants and the nearest neighbor rule for subordinates). These results suggest that, like humans, vervets may solve multidestination routing problems by applying simple, adaptive, context‐specific “rules of thumb. ” The heuristics that were consistent with vervet paths in this study are the same as some of those asserted to be used by humans. These spatial movement strategies may have common evolutionary roots and be part of a universal mental navigational toolkit. Alternatively, they may have emerged through convergent evolution as the optimal way to solve multidestination routing problems.
Pathology-Dependent Effects Linked to Small Heat Shock Proteins Expression: An Update

Small heat shock proteins (small Hsps) are stress-induced molecular chaperones that act as holdases towards polypeptides that have lost their folding in stress conditions or consequently of mutations in their coding sequence. A cellular protection against the deleterious effects mediated by damaged proteins is thus provided to cells. These chaperones are also highly expressed in response to protein conformational and inflammatory diseases and cancer pathologies. Through specific and reversible modifications in their phospho-oligomeric organization, small Hsps can chaperone appropriate client proteins in order to provide cells with resistance to different types of injuries or pathological conditions. By helping cells to better cope with their pathological status, their expression can be either beneficial, such as in diseases characterized by pathological cell degeneration, or deleterious when they are required for tumor cell survival. Moreover, small Hsps are actively released by cells and can act as immunogenic molecules that have dual effects depending on the pathology. The cellular consequences linked to their expression levels and relationships with other Hsps as well as therapeutic strategies are discussed in view of their dynamic structural organization required to interact with specific client polypeptides.
Verifiable Privacy-Preserving Aggregation in People-Centric Urban Sensing Systems

People-centric urban sensing systems (PC-USSs) refer to using human-carried mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets for urban-scale distributed data collection, analysis, and sharing to facilitate interaction between humans and their surrounding environments. A main obstacle to the widespread deployment and adoption of PC-USSs are the privacy concerns of participating individuals as well as the concerns about data integrity. To tackle this open challenge, this paper presents the design and evaluation of VPA, a novel peer-to-peer based solution to verifiable privacy-preserving data aggregation in PC-USSs. VPA achieves strong user privacy by letting each user exchange random shares of its datum with other peers, while at the same time ensures data integrity through a combination of Trusted Platform Module and homomorphic message authentication code. VPA can support a wide range of statistical additive and non-additive aggregation functions such as Sum, Average, Variance, Count, Max/Min, Median, Histogram, and Percentile with accurate aggregation results. The efficacy and efficiency of VPA are confirmed by thorough analytical and simulation results.
Identifying Skype Traffic by Random Forest

Despite of the great popularity, little is known about Skype network attributed to proprietary protocol. End-to-end encryption disables the traditional traffic detection methods. We presented genetic algorithm based Random Forest algorithm to identify Skype traffic using only transport layer statistics. Experimental results show that the proposed approach can immune to the encryption of the payload and be capable of detecting Skype traffic with accuracy over 95% while low computational complexity is required.