Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards a flexible and dynamic replication control for distributed real-time embedded systems with QoS interdependencies

Replication is a proven concept for increasing the availability of distributed systems. However, actively replicating every software component in distributed embedded systems may not be a feasible approach. Not only the available resources are often limited, but also the imposed overhead could significantly degrade the system's performance. The paper proposes heuristics to dynamically determine which components to replicate based on their significance to the system as a whole, its consequent number of passive replicas, and where to place those replicas in the network. The results show that the proposed heuristics achieve a reasonably higher system's availability than static offline decisions when lower replication ratios are imposed due to resource or cost limitations. The paper introduces a novel approach to coordinate the activation of passive replicas in interdependent distributed environments. The proposed distributed coordination model reduces the complexity of the needed interactions among nodes and is faster to converge to a globally acceptable solution than a traditional centralised approach. Towards a Flexible and Dynamic Replication Control for Distributed Real-Time Embedded Systems with QoS Interdependencies Luis Nogueira, Luis Miguel Pinho, Jorge Coelho CISTER Research Centre School of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Portugal {lmn,lmp,jmn}@isep.ipp. pt
Haplotype Affinities Resolve a Major Component of Goat (Capra hircus) MtDNA D-Loop Diversity and Reveal Specific Features of the Sardinian Stock

Goat mtDNA haplogroup A is a poorly resolved lineage absorbing most of the overall diversity and is found in locations as distant as Eastern Asia and Southern Africa. Its phylogenetic dissection would cast light on an important portion of the spread of goat breeding. The aims of this work were 1) to provide an operational definition of meaningful mtDNA units within haplogroup A, 2) to investigate the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of diversity by considering the modes of selection operated by breeders and 3) to identify the peculiarities of Sardinian mtDNA types. We sequenced the mtDNA D-loop in a large sample of animals (1,591) which represents a non-trivial quota of the entire goat population of Sardinia. We found that Sardinia mirrors a large quota of mtDNA diversity of Western Eurasia in the number of variable sites, their mutational pattern and allele frequency. By using Bayesian analysis, a distance-based tree and a network analysis, we recognized demographically coherent groups of sequences identified by particular subsets of the variable positions. The results showed that this assignment system could be reproduced in other studies, capturing the greatest part of haplotype diversity. We identified haplotype groups overrepresented in Sardinian goats as a result of founder effects. We found that breeders maintain diversity of matrilines most likely through equalization of the reproductive potential. Moreover, the relevant amount of inter-farm mtDNA diversity found does not increase proportionally with distance. Our results illustrate the effects of breeding practices on the composition of maternal gene pool and identify mtDNA types that may be considered in projects aimed at retrieving the maternal component of the oldest breeds of Sardinia.
Global Software Development Education: A Commercial Perspective from a Case Study

Universities are starting to offer courses in Global Software Development (GSD) as a way to prepare future practitioners for challenges found in organizational settings. Companies also provide GSD training especially to new recruits who might lack skills in how to effectively communicate with people from different cultures and different first languages. However this training is costly and not necessarily tailored to the specific needs of the organization or individual practitioner. With a focus on GSD education, we have developed a training framework based on simulation that addresses different kinds of GSD problems. The framework allows course leaders to design training scenarios to fit their precise needs for improved communication and cultural awareness. This paper presents a market-focused study aimed at discovering the requirements for a commercial GSD education tool. We studied the market options, identified key stakeholders, and conducted interviews with senior managers from three multinational companies. The study helped us to gain a deeper understanding of current training trends, needs and gaps according to key stakeholders. Finally, outcomes provided us with directions for future tool development. Results indicate that industry find cultural differences a more pressing problem than linguistic differences. Although industry tends to use traditional (classroom based) training methods for raising cultural awareness, they perceive that interaction simulation is a viable alternative. Performance and potential cost savings are key drivers for commercialising prototype tools. Conducting market-focussed research can help to ensure our future research is relevant, and meets the needs of industry.
An Efficient Scratches Detection and Inpainting Algorithm for Old Film Restoration

This paper investigates the removal of line scratches from old films and gives a twofold contribution. First, a simple technique for detecting the scratches is proposed. This proposed method firstly applies a linear technique to enhance the scratches, and then detects the scratches using information in frames. Second, the scratch removal is approached as an inpainting problem, and it is solved by using an inpainting algorithm based on p-Laplace operator. In our experiment with old Chinese films, we show that our scheme not only obtains more accurate detection of scratches, but also gives better video quality.
The improvement of Apriori algorithm and its application in fault analysis of CRH EMU

According to the maintenance and application situation of CRH EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) in our country, we proposed the improved Apriori algorithm, CApriori (Coding-based Apriori), which can be used for data mining to CRH EMU fault information. Experiments and analysis show that the improved algorithm is more efficient than the base algorithm, while requiring less computation resources.
LIFT Revisited: Enhancing the Understanding of NATURAL/ADABAS Legacy Systems

LIFT (Legacy Information retrieval Tool) is a tool for reverse engineering and understanding of legacy systems, in particular NATURAL/ADABAS systems. Its provides several capabilities, such as call graphs, identification and visual representation of application tiers, the presentation of flows from screen to database entities, cluster analysis and documentation generation, among others. In this paper, we present two new functionalities of LIFT tool: the reconstruction and visualization of screen layouts, and the graphical visualization and automatic migration of ADABAS database structure.
Inside Trading in Kyle-Models

Abstract In his seminal paper, [3], Kyle studies a rational equilibrium setup with 3 types of players: a ’large’ insider, market makers and liquidity traders. He shows how the insider can profit from his private information by rationally anticipating how his orders influence the market price. He hides his trade behind the orders from the noisy traders so that the market makers cannot determine the insider’s orders and hence cannot infer the insider’s signal. We will focus on the expansion given in [1] by Back. This paper is a generalization of [3] to a more general framework using HJB-techniques in continuous time. If time permits we will talk about the idea in [2] which contains a different and apparently more realistic way to model the insider, however resulting in a similar result as in [1].
An econometric assessment of the change in quality of the Irish gilt market since the introduction of market making

Hasbrouck's (1993) measure of market quality is used to assess the effect of intro­ ducing market making in Irish Gilts. The measure is based on aspects of the literature on the decomposition of time series' into stochastic trend and stationary components. The Hasbrouck approach is modified somewhat, first, to account for a trade-type indicator in a different way than before, and second, by allowing for time variation in the variance of the relevant com­ ponents. A measure for comparison of different market regimes is obtained and on the basis of this measure the Irish Gilt market appears to be quite competitive at present.
Leadership theories and models from the perspective of western scholars

In this era of world without borders, mankind needs leadership with authority to discharge the responsibility of shaping a civlized and competitive society. This article discusses leadership generally. Two leadership theories are the subject of this study, including leadership principles which encompass the followers, the head, communication and situation. And three types of leadership are discussed in this article, which are top-down leadership model, transformation model and functional leadership model based on a military leadership model. This article finds that a leader needs to have skills such as conceptual skills, specific technical skills and communication skills vis-avis workers.
Improved voice activity detection combining noise reduction and subband divergence measures

Currently, new trends in wireless communications are demanding reliable human-machine interaction in real-life environments. However, there are obstacles inhibiting automatic speech recognition systems (ASR) working in noisy environments. The main difficulty is the degradation suffered by ASR systems due to a mismatch between training and test conditions. This paper shows an improved voice activity detector (VAD) combining noise reduction and subband divergence estimation for improving the reliability of speech recognizers operating in noisy environments. The algorithm formulates the decision rule by measuring the divergence between the subband spectral magnitude of speech and noise using the KullbackLeibler (KL) distance on the denoised signal. Experiments demonstrate a sustained advantage over different VAD methods including standard VADs such as G.729 and AMR, which are used as a reference, recently reported algorithms, and the VADs of the advanced frontend (AFE) for distributed speech recognition (DSR).
Two Overlapping Subdominant Epitopes Identified by DNA Immunization Induce Protective CD8+ T-Cell Populations with Differing Cytolytic Activities

ABSTRACT Subdominant CD8+ T-cell responses contribute to control of several viral infections and to vaccine-induced immunity. Here, using the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus model, we demonstrate that subdominant epitopes can be more reliably identified by DNA immunization than by other methods, permitting the identification, in the virus nucleoprotein, of two overlapping subdominant epitopes: one presented by Ld and the other presented by Kd. This subdominant sequence confers immunity as effective as that induced by the dominant epitope, against which >90% of the antiviral CD8+ T cells are normally directed. We compare the kinetics of the dominant and subdominant responses after vaccination with those following subsequent viral infection. The dominant CD8+response expands more rapidly than the subdominant responses, but after virus infection is cleared, mice which had been immunized with the “dominant” vaccine have a pool of memory T cells focused almost entirely upon the dominant epitope. In contrast, after virus infection, mice which had been immunized with the “subdominant” vaccine retain both dominant and subdominant memory cells. During the acute phase of the immune response, the acquisition of cytokine responsiveness by subdominant CD8+ T cells precedes their development of lytic activity. Furthermore, in both dominant and subdominant populations, lytic activity declines more rapidly than cytokine responsiveness. Thus, the lysislow-cytokinecompetent phenotype associated with most memory CD8+ T cells appears to develop soon after antigen clearance. Finally, lytic activity differs among CD8+ T-cell populations with different epitope specificities, suggesting that vaccines can be designed to selectively induce CD8+ T cells with distinct functional attributes.
Computer-mouse tracking reveals TMS disruptions of prefrontal function during semantic 14 retrieval 15 16 17

47 Converging evidence from neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies is essential for 48 understanding human frontal cortical function. We introduce a new method for studying the 49 effects of transient disruptions of frontal activity during transcranial magnetic stimulation 50 (TMS). Using a novel combination of TMS and computer-mouse tracking, two experiments 51 tested process models of semantic competition in left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC). 52 Upon TMS stimulation of left mid-VLPFC just after presentation of an ambiguous stimulus, 53 participants’ mouse-movement trajectories deviated more toward the incorrect target for weak54 associate trials than for any other trial type. This effect was extinguished when participants were 55 shown both target and cue stimuli simultaneously. Results suggest that left mid-VLPFC is 56 necessary to resolve semantic competition when a response is underdetermined by the stimulus 57 and the interpretive context of the stimulus is ambiguous. Computer-mouse movements reveal 58 the dynamics of competitive interactions as they resolve, making this technique ideally suited for 59 studying cognitive control processes and a more sensitive index of TMS disruption than reaction 60 time and accuracy alone. 61
Coordination supports security: A new defence mechanism against interest flooding in NDN

Named-Data Networking (NDN) is a promising architecture for future Internet. Its design, however, can be misused to perform a new DDoS attack known as the Interest Flooding Attack (IFA). In IFA, the attacker issues non-satisfiable interest packets, aiming to drop legitimate interest packets by overwhelming pending interest tables in NDN routers. Prior defence mechanisms are not highly effective, harm legitimate interest packets, and/or incur high overhead. We propose a coordinated defence mechanism against IFAs. We realize our solution by adapting CoMon, a framework that we developed previously to coordinate caching-related decisions in NDN, motivated by its effective, yet affordable, coordination. In our solution, IFAs are detected and mitigated by few routers based on aggregated knowledge of traffic and forwarding states. These routers are selected by a novel heuristic enabling them to observe the entire traffic at an early stage. Extensive simulations confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of our solution.
Human Mobility Prediction and Unobstructed Route Planning in Public Transport Networks

With the increasing availability of human-tracking data (e.g., Public transport IC card data, trajectory data, etc.), human mobility prediction is increasingly important. In this paper, we study a novel problem of using human-tracking data to predict human mobility and to detect over-crowded stations in public transport networks, and then finding unobstructed routes to go around these over-crowded stations. We believe that this study can bring significant benefits to users in many popular mobile applications such as route planning and recommendation, urban computing, and location based services in general. This problem is challenged by two difficulties: (1) how to detect crowded stations effectively, and (2) how to find unobstructed routes in public transport networks efficiently. To overcome these difficulties, we propose three human-mobility prediction methods based on uniform distribution, standard normal distribution, and priority ranking, respectively, to predict human mobility and to detect over-crowded stations. Then, we develop an efficient algorithm based on network expansion to find unobstructed routes in public transport networks. The performance of the developed algorithms has been verified by extensive experiments.
An Agenda for Robust Peer-to-Peer Storage

Robust, large-scale storage is one of the main applications of DHTs and a main goal for the IRIS project. In this paper, we present a research agenda for the design and implementation of a robust storage system based on DHTs. We analyze previous research papers to conclude that a DHT for robust storage does not require some of the properties of existing DHTs (e.g., tolerating aggressive membership dynamics) but requires other properties that some DHTs do not possess (e.g., Byzantine fault tolerance).
Direct Democracy and the Assembly: Embodied Discourses of Participation and Deliberation at Occupy Los Angeles

Author(s): Steinberg, Rebecca Lila | Advisor(s): Goodwin, Charles; Goodwin, Marjorie H | Abstract: The Occupy movement in the U.S. is primarily associated with the occupation of outdoor public space and the iconic tents of the encampments. However, a less mediatized but equally distinctive feature of the U.S. Occupy movement is the practice of participants gathering to form deliberative assemblies. As in the occupation and square movements elsewhere, the re - appropriation of public space in the U.S. became a highly influential precondition for an emergent form of public, large-group deliberation. The General Assembly (GA), a regular event at Occupy sites in which participants engaged in forms of direct democratic practice, both produced and reflected attested ideologies of horizontalism and egalitarian decision -making. Direct participatory democracy requires elements of process that are structured and fluid, instructional as well as receptive. In the U.S., the emergent processes of the Occupy General Assembly (GA), a real-time interactive localized event which was a common and central feature across U.S. Occupy sites nationwide, were informed by historical elements of Quaker, anti-war movement, feminist movement, and anti-globalization movement practices, among others. Additionally, U.S. Occupy Facilitation Committees, responsible for agenda setting and group discussion moderation during GAs, worked to facilitate General Assemblies using process suggestions provided on international websites written by participants in related movements outside the U.S. In this way, locally emergent discursive practices were influenced by and then fed back in to ongoing global discourses and decision-making processes. This crosspollination of practice reinforced global solidarity and refined local systems of group communication. Participants developed and adapted specific embodied tools for assembly use, including hand signals and the human mic or people's mic, in order to facilitate a discursive praxis of egalitarianism within the context of a speech exchange system suited to a large outdoor deliberative body.
An analytical foundation for resource management in wireless communication

The maximization of a ratio of the form f(x)/x, with f some "S-curve", plays a central role in several important problems involving resource management for data communication over a wireless medium. This includes decentralized power control, power and data rate assignment for maximal network throughput in a 3G-CDMA context, and power and coding rate choice for multimedia files which have been scalably encoded, as with the JPEG-2000 and MPEG-4 standards. In this note, the ratio f(x)/x, where f is a real-valued, univariate "s-shaped" function, is shown to be quasiconcave, and to always have a unique global maximizer, which can be identified graphically. The analysis is strictly based on geometrical properties derived from the sigmoidal shape, imposing no specific algebraic functional form ("equation") on the function. Hence, it applies to a wide range of practical situations.
On the reliability of diversity and redundancy-based search metrics

Traditional approaches to ranking documents in Information Retrieval (IR) are under the assumption that the representation of information needs is clear and well-defined. This representation, which is usually in the form of a search query, is arguably considered ambiguous or underspecified. To deal with this uncertainty, much recent research has focused on creating IR systems that diversify search results so as to satisfy the multiple possible information needs underlying the query. To validate these IR systems, many new evaluation metrics have been proposed to quantify their effectiveness in terms of diversity and redundancy. Among these, a new diversity-based metric, called normalized Coverage Frequency (nCF), has lately been proposed to quantify diversity in a ranking. When a new metric is proposed, its reliability needs to be validated. This paper conducts an empirical experiment to compares and contrast state-of-the-art diversity and redundancy-based metrics, in term of discriminative power and stability of system rankings. Our experiment shows that the nCF is rated the best among all the studied metrics. Moreover, this finding is confirmed by when nCF is interpolated with other redundancy-based metrics (i.e., ERR-SA and A-nDCG). the nCF is considered more relatively robust than another diversity metric, subtopic-recall.
Comparison of Treatment Adherence between Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Moclobemide in Patients with Social Anxiety Disorder

Objective With respect to the pharmacotherapy of social anxiety disorder (SAD), it has been suggested that treatment duration is an important factor that can significantly predict responses. The present study aimed to compare the treatment adherence of SAD patients who were taking either SSRIs or reversible inhibitors of MAO-A (moclobemide) by measuring treatment duration and all-cause discontinuation rates of pharmacotherapy in a natural clinical setting. Methods We retrospectively analysed the data of 172 patients diagnosed with SAD. Depending on their medication, we divided the patients into two groups, SSRI (n=54) or moclobemide (n=118). The expected number of all-cause discontinuation every 2 weeks after starting treatment was calculated by life table survival methods. A multi-variable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to analyze the potential influence of explanatory variables. Results Treatment duration was significantly longer in the SSRI group [46.41±56.96, median=12.0 (weeks)] than in the moclobemide group [25.53±34.74, median=12.0 (weeks), Z=2.352, p=0.019]. Overall, all-cause discontinuation rates were significantly lower with SSRIs (81%) than moclobemide (96%, χ2=4.532, p=0.033). Conclusion The SSRI group had a longer treatment duration and lower all-cause discontinuation rate than moclobemide. Further, only the type of medication had a significant effect on all-cause discontinuation rates and therefore, we could predict better treatment adherence with the SSRIs in the treatment of SAD.