Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MOOCad: Visual Analysis of Anomalous Learning Activities in Massive Open Online Courses

The research on Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) has mushroomed worldwide due to the technical revolution and its unprecedented enrollments. Existing work mainly focuses on performance prediction, content recommendation, and learning behavior summarization. However, ﬁnding anomalous learning activities in MOOC data has posed special challenges and requires providing a clear deﬁnition of anomalous behavior, analyzing the multifaceted learning sequence data, and interpreting anomalies at different scales. In this paper, we present a novel visual analytics system, MOOCad, for exploring anomalous learning patterns and their clustering in MOOC data. The system integrates an anomaly detection algorithm to cluster learning sequences of MOOC learners into staged-based groups. Moreover, it allows interactive anomaly detection between and within groups on the basis of semantic and interpretable group-wise data summaries. We demonstrate the effectiveness of MOOCad via an in-depth interview with a MOOC lecturer with real-world course data.
Design of an Anonymous Lightweight Communication Protocol for Smart Grid and Its Implementation on 8-bit AVR and 32-bit ARM

Upgrading the conventional electrical grid to smart grid oﬀers more eﬃciency, resiliency, and reliability. Thus, the smart grid adoption is essential in today’s modern countries and the information age. In smart grid, consumption reports are gathered from smart meters and sent to the control center and some control messages are sent vice versa. These bidirectional communications are subject to various security challenges. Because of the constrained resources of smart meters, employing lightweight communication protocols is critical. For this purpose, recently, scholars have proposed several lightweight communication protocols. Nonetheless, most of these protocols are not anonymous or fail to assuage the entire desired security features. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an eﬃcient communication scheme that not only is anonymous, but also can thwart the well-known attacks. Our actual hardware performance analysis, which has been done on both 8-bit AVR and 32-bit ARM microcontrollers, conﬁrms the outperformance of the proposed scheme.
ANALYSIS OF CORBA LOAD BALANCING STRATEGIES

Load balancing strategy describes how system handles and distributes workload among several machines. There are several load balancing strategies in CORBA technology. This article analyses architectures and workflows of the existing and theoretical load balancing strategies of CORBA. The article includes created mathe-matical aggregate model for load balancing strategies simulation, investigation results of strategies performance and results description and analysis. The mathematical aggregate model lets theoretically make conclusions of load balancing strategies fitness in various environments.
Advanced Segmentation and Comparators for Iris Biometric Surveillance

Iris biometric systems recognize humans by their iris patterns, without the need of tokens or knowledge. So far, existing solutions have been limited to cooperative acquisition scenarios, but the cutting edge of research aims at providing new techniques and mechanisms to allow for uncooperative and less constraint iris image capture, facilitating iris recognition from surveillance data. When monitoring the behavior of people for security issues automatic identity determination is useful to prevent and prosecute criminal action. In order to be able to process low quality input samples in real-time, including off-axis, de-focused, motion-blurred images captured in visible wavelength or near infrared, sophisticated techniques are needed. This thesis presents the author’s contributions with respect to two areas targeting the iris biometric surveillance problem: segmentation and comparators. With respect to segmentation, a new combined face-and-eye detection technique more robust to changes in image conditions, and faster more robust iris segmentation models reducing search parameter space for localizing the textural area in the eye are presented. These meth-ods facilitate the merger of visible wavelength dominated face and near infrared dominated iris recognition techniques.
SPA Resistant Scalar Multiplication Using Pell Lucas Type Chain

A new fast and secure elliptic curve scalar multiplication algorithm is presented. The method is to utilize the front and back ratio coeﬃcient of Pell Lucas sequences. The outcome is a new addition chain: Pell Lucas Type Chain(PLTC), and combines the mixed coordinates which shortens the previous ones. The energy curve of PLTC algorithm is uniﬁed, and can resist simple power attacks. Based on theoretical assumption and simulation experiments, it can be obtained that the new scalar multiplication by the PLTC method is 22.7 % faster than the golden ratio addition chain.
Defining an Analysis: A Study of Client-Facing Data Scientists

As the sophistication of data analyses increases many subject matter experts looking to make data-driven decisions turn to data scientists to help with their data analysis needs. These subject matter experts may have little to no experience in data analysis, and may have little to no idea of what exactly they need to support their decision making. It is up to data scientists to determine the exact analysis needs of these clients before they can run an analysis. We call this step of the analysis process initialization and deﬁne it as: translating clients’ broad, high-level questions into analytic queries. Despite the fact that this can be a very time consuming task for data scientists, few visualization tools exist to support it. To provide guidance on how future tools may ﬁll this gap, we conducted 14 semi-structured interviews with client-facing data scientists in an array of ﬁelds. In analyzing interviews we ﬁnd data scientists generally employ three methods for initialization : working backwards , probing , and recommending . We discus existing techniques that share synergy with each of these methods and could be leveraged in the design of future visualization tools to support initialization .
A camera calibration technique using sets of parallel lines

A method is presented for three-dimensional camera calibration in which the rotation parameters are decoupled from the translation parameters. The rotation parameters are obtained by projecting three sets of parallel lines independently of the translation parameters and the imaging distance from the lens to the image plane. The virtual line passing through the image center, which is calculated by perspective projection of a set of parallel lines, depends only on the rotation parameters. The translation parameters and the imaging distance are analytically obtained. Experimental results show that the camera model can be reconstructed accurately. <<ETX>>
A PET camera simulator with multispectral acquisition capabilities

The Sherbrooke PET (positron emission tomography) simulator was designed and built to investigate the performance characteristics of a high-resolution PET camera based on avalanche photodiode detectors. The simulator consists of a computer-controlled scanning table with 32 detection channels shared between front-end casettes and FASTBUS boards, and of a PC-based multichannel analyzer (MCA) used as histogramming memory for multiparametric data acquisition. Tomograph data are collected by scanning one of two opposite arrays of detectors and by rotating the object in a predetermined sequence to simulate a complete ring of detectors with various sampling schemes. All acquisition parameters are programmable through digital-to-analog converters or on-board registers. Data can be acquired in several modes: calibration, where direct or coincident energy spectra from all detectors can be registered simultaneously; standard, where only energy-validated coincident events are histogrammed as lines-of-response (LOR) addresses; and multispectral, where the LOR address is encoded with the energy information to provide a multiparameter histogram. <<ETX>>
Lyapunov functions and stability criteria for nonlinear systems with multiple critical eigenvalues

Lyapunov functions are explicitly constructed for nonlinear systems of ordinary differential equations whose linearizations possess multiple critically stable eigenvalues. The construction yields efficient criteria imposed upon a nonlinear stability matrix constructed from the system dynamics for local asymptotic stability inference. Direct formulae for the entries of the nonlinear stability matrix are derived. A less restrictive notion of definiteness for symmetric real matrices, referred to as the relaxed definiteness, is presented. It is shown that in the presence of multiple critical modes, the equilibrium point is locally asymptotically stable if the so-constructed nonlinear stability matrix is relaxed negative definite. The results not only facilitate stabilizing feedback synthesis and stabilizability analysis, but also provide additional design options for stabilization. <<ETX>>
Segmentation of natural images based on multiresolution pyramids linking of the parameters of an autoregressive rotation invariant model. Application to leather defects detection

Random field (RF) parameters can be subjects of a probability distribution useful for image segmentation. A multiresolution methodology, based on the node linking of a pyramid that takes into account some kind of a Gaussian distribution for node values and its geometry is applied to the RF parameters to segment the natural image segmented and enhance some of the immersed objects. Before applying the above described system to a case study (calf leather), a simulation for the multiresolution methodology is applied to a generated RF, having RF objects with different means. <<ETX>>
The semantics of lexical typology

This chapter focuses on lexical typology understood as cross-linguistic research on domain categorization. It first introduces some of the critical issues inherent in such research (section 2), and then turn to the presentation and discussion of four different approaches to lexical typology in sections 3–6: Componential analysis, Natural semantic metalanguage, Denotation-based or etic-grid semantics, Combinatorial lexical typology. Section 7 is devoted to semantic maps as representations of meanings and generalizations in lexical typology, while section 8 suggests a few future directions for lexical typology.
LECSIM: a levelized event-driven compiled logic simulator

LECSIM is an efficient logic simulator which integrates the advantages of event-drive interpretive simulation and levelized compiled simulation. Two techniques contribute to the high efficiency. First, it employs the zero-delay simulation model with levelized event scheduling to eliminate most unnecessary evaluations. Second, it compiles the central event scheduler into simple local scheduling segments which reduces the overhead of event-scheduling. Experimental results show that LECSIM runs about 8-77 times faster than traditional unit-delay event-driven interpretive simulator. LECSIM also provides the option of scheduling with respect to individual gates or to fan-out free blocks. When the circuit is partitioned into fan-out free blocks, the speed increases by a factor of 2-3. With partitioning, the speed of LECSIM is only about 1.5-3.4 times slower than a levelized compiled simulation for the combinational circuits tested. <<ETX>>
Multi-modular current-source SPWM converters for superconducting magnetic energy storage system

The authors point out the advantages of using multiple modules of the current-source, sinusoidal pulse-width-modulation (SPWM), three-phase, six-valve converters as the power conditioner for a superconducting magnetic energy storage system. A high degree of controllability is obtained by using dynamic SPWM trilogic as the operating strategy. Very low switching losses are assured by using two carrier triangles per modulating cycle. By parallel connection of coverter modules and by phase shifting the triangle carriers, the following are the gains: increasing the current capacity to the level required by the superconducting magnet, reducing conduction losses, meeting harmonic standards, without the need for an expensive filter, by harmonic cancellation, and achieving a high frequency bandwidth. <<ETX>>
Pad placement and ring routing for custom chip layout

An optimum scheme is presented for interconnecting the chip core and the I/O pads in the final stage of physical design. The pad placement routing, based on linear assignment, determines the dimension of the pad ring and selects the optimum position for each pad with the objective of minimizing the chip area and the total wire length. The router is based on a channel-routing algorithm which incorporates additional features to address the special needs of the ring configuration. It attempts to achieve 100% routing completion in a rectangular ring-shaped area with two interconnect layers. The complete package has been implemented as part of the BEAR Layout System for custom chip design. <<ETX>>
Linear Eigenvalue Statistics: An Indicator Ensemble Design for Situation Awareness of Power Systems

Power systems are developing very fast nowadays, both in size and in complexity; this trend is challenging the situation awareness (SA) with classical indicators, which are always deterministic and highly relying on the mechanism models. This paper proposes an indicator ensemble of linear eigenvalue statistics (LESs) as an alternative; besides, the random matrix model (RMM) is introduced as a connection with the physical systems. Thus, related to the ensemble, a data-driven methodology of SA is presented; moreover, we develop 3D powermap as a visualization. The LES ensemble and according methodology conduct SA with a pure statistical procedure, requiring no knowledge of system topologies, unit operation/control models, causal relationship, etc. This mode has numerous advantages, such as sensitive, universal and fast, and flexible and compatible; especially, its robustness against bad data is highlighted.
Estimate of channel capacity in Raleigh fading environment

The channel capacity in a Rayleigh fading environment has been derived. The result shows that the channel capacity in a Rayleigh fading environment is always lower than that in a Gaussian noise environment. In the digital transmission operating in a mobile radio environment which has Rayleigh fading statistics, it is important to know what the degradations are in channel capacity due to Raleigh fading and also to what degree the diversity schemes can bring the channel capacity up in a Rayleigh fading environment. Curves are generated to show the degradation of channel capacity in a Rayleigh fading environment, and the improvement of it by diversity schemes. <<ETX>>
Identification of Evolving Rule-based Models.

An approach to identification of evolving fuzzy rule-based (eR) models is proposed. eR models implement a method for the noniterative update of both the rule-base structure and parameters by incremental unsupervised learning. The rule-base evolves by adding more informative rules than those that previously formed the model. In addition, existing rules can be replaced with new rules based on ranking using the informative potential of the data. In this way, the rule-base structure is inherited and updated when new informative data become available, rather than being completely retrained. The adaptive nature of these evolving rule-based models, in combination with the highly transparent and compact form of fuzzy rules, makes them a promising candidate for modeling and control of complex processes, competitive to neural networks. The approach has been tested on a benchmark problem and on an air-conditioning component modeling application using data from an installation serving a real building. The results illustrate the viability and efficiency of the approach. (c) IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems
The Clouds distributed operating system: functional description, implementation details and related work

A description is given of Clouds, an operating system designed to run on a set of general-purpose computers that are connected via a medium-to-high-speed local area network. The structure of Clouds promotes transparency, support for advanced programming paradigms, and integration of resource management, as well as a fair degree of autonomy at each site. The system structuring paradigm chosen for Clouds is an object/thread model. All instances of services, programs, and data in Clouds are encapsulated in objects. The concept of persistent objects does away with the need for file systems, replacing it with a more powerful concept, namely, the object system. The facilities in Clouds include integration of resources by location transparency; support for various types of atomic operations, including conventional transactions; advanced support for achieving fault tolerance; and provisions for dynamic reconfiguration. <<ETX>>
Alias Rejection of Continuous-Time Modulators With Switched-Capacitor Feedback DACs

Continuous-time modulators (CTDSMs) with switched-capacitor (SC) feedback digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are relatively less sensitive to clock jitter when compared to converters that use non-return-to-zero feedback DACs. How- ever, as we show in this paper, using an SC DAC can seriously compromise the alias rejection of the modulator, thereby nullifying one of the principal advantages of continuous-time operation. We give an intuitive understanding, as well as an analytical basis, for computing the signal transfer function of CTDSMs with SC DACs. We propose power-efficient circuit techniques to improve alias rejection in such modulators and give experimental results that illustrate some of our ideas. Index Terms—Aliasing, analog-digital (A/D) conversion, anti-aliasing, assisted opamp, continuous-time, digital-to-analog conversion (DAC), feedforward, NRZ, oversampling, rejection, sigma-delta, switched capacitor, time varying.
A Power Distributed Amplifier Using Constant-R Networks

This paper describes the design, implemental ion and performance of a power distributed amplifier with a minimum gain of 5dB , input and output VSWR less than 1.5:1, and greater than 22dBm of 1dB compressed power over the 2 to 18GHz band. This amplifier makes use of several circuit design advances to improve both bandwidth and power capability and measures 1.0mm by 1.4mm (1.4 sq. mm).
How Does Social Innovation Contribute to Solving Social Problems? A Process-Oriented Framework for Measuring Social Innovation

Abstract The study defines a process-oriented framework for measuring social innovation. Social initiatives focus on meeting the needs of the community and solving their problems The local, community-based innovative ideas have a significant role. During the systematic operation of innovation, the starting point (expression of local needs) and the definition of short and long term goals as induction factors are involved in the innovation process. The starting conditions are widening in the transformation with incentive and inhibiting factors, while the stakeholders of the innovation process are also determined. As a result of the transformation, territorial-specific results will be created complementing the economic and / or social impact of the given innovation. Indicators that help measure social innovation initiatives can be identified as prerequisites, conditions of implementation and sustainability criteria, defining the structured conditions of the innovation process per phase. In addition, several levels of social innovation efforts are possible. Measuring macro-level social innovation, it is necessary to examine regional contexts, with the method of analysis of the connection network, and also with a systematic approach. Regional social innovation measurement can be used to analyze local and regional cooperation and initiatives. The study analyzes the conditions and measurement possibilities of micro-level social innovation, their generating potential and investigates the speed of organizational innovation. An example of good practice in the municipality is presented as a case study, defining the conditions that help to evaluate social innovation by determining a process-oriented framework.
Language centres: are we holding the future in our hands?

Abstract With the advent of web 2.0 and the ease of use of many hand-held devices, access to the internet has never been easier. This has been accompanied by a growing range of sites available for learning an L2. These sites offer lessons, explanations, exercises, corrections and feedback. It now becomes time once again to question whether physical bricks and mortar language centres are necessary any longer, or whether the language centre can now be held in the palm of our hands. With special regard to English, this paper reports on a survey carried out at a university language centre in the south of Italy, where students are regularly involved in face-to-face lessons, but whose courses also involve guided use of websites and independent use of websites outside of the confines of the language centre. The survey is designed to investigate how students react to these different EFL learning scenarios and what they feel the future holds in store for us concerning the use of language centres. Finally, by uniting the strands of the student’s perspective of one particular case and ideas from the literature, this paper attempts to give a clear picture of what a language centre contributes to academic life, with the aim of contributing to the discussion of what the future holds for these centres.
Morphometric characteristics of crayfish, Cherax gherardiae, from Maybrat, West Papua, Indonesia

Abstract The objectives of this study were to determine the length-weight relationships (LWRs), chelae length (ChL)-width (ChW) relationships, carapace length (CL)-width (CW) relationships, sexual dimorphism, and condition factor (K) of Cherax gherardiae from Maybrat, West Papua Indonesia. The sex ratio of C. gherardiae was found to be 1.04:1. The LWRs for males, females, and all individuals were W = 0.225L1. 96, W = 0.181L2. 02, and W = 0.187L2. 03, respectively. Males and females exhibited negative allometric growth (b<3). There was no significant difference in lengths between males and females; however, the weight of males was greater than that of females. The K values for males, females, and all individuals were 3.17, 3.09, and 3.13, respectively. The ChL of the crayfish ranged from 1.0 to 7.5 cm, and the ChW ranged from 0.4 to 2.5 cm. The CL of crayfish ranged from 1.6 to 6.0 cm, and the CW ranged from 0.6 to 4.1 cm. Males had longer chelae and carapaces than did females. There was no significant difference in chelae width or carapace width between males and females. The ChL-ChW relationships for males, females, and all individuals were ChW = 0.312ChL + 0.260, ChW = 0.397ChL - 0.050, and ChW = 0.345ChL + 0.119, respectively. The CL-CW relationships for males, females, and all individuals were CW = 0.750CL-0.955, CW = 0.526CL - 0.178, and CW = 0.635CL-0.543, respectively.