Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using the IOMMU for Safe and Secure User Space Network Drivers

Commonly used user space network drivers such as DPDK or Snabb currently have e ectively full access to the main memory via the unrestricted Direct Memory Access (DMA) capabilities of the PCI Express (PCIe) device they are controlling. This can be a security issue, as the driver can use the PCIe devices DMA access to read and / or write to main memory . But malicious hardware, or hardware with malicious or corrupted firmware can be an even bigger security risk, as most devices and their firmware are closed source. Attacks with malicious NICs have been shown as a proof of concept in the past. All modern CPUs feature an I/O Memory Management Unit (IOMMU) as part of their virtualization capabilities: It is required to pass PCIe devices through to virtual machines and is currently used almost exclusively for that. But it can also be used to restrict memory access of DMA devices, thus reducing the risk of malicious or simply badly implemented devices and code. In this thesis, support for using the IOMMU via the vfio-pci driver from the Linux kernel for the user space network driver ixy was implemented in C and Rust and the IOMMU and its impact on the drivers were investigated. In the course of this, a model of the IOMMU on the investigated servers was developed to enable the usage of it in further work and other drivers, as well as minimize the performance impact from using it. Reasonable specifications of the IOMMU that are not widely known or documented, as the number of page entries in the IOMMU’s IOTLB or its insu ciently documented capability of using huge pages for memory management were found and used. Additionally, the C library libixy-vfio was developed to make it easy to use the IOMMU in any driver. When properly implemented, i.e. using 2 MiB hugepages and putting all NICs in the same IOMMU container, using the IOMMU has no significant impact on the performance of the ixy driver in C or Rust and does not introduce any latency to most packets, but e ectively isolates the NICs and restricts access to memory e ectively. Since the performance impact is negligible and the security risk when not using the IOMMU is high, using it should always be a priority for researchers and developers when writing all kind of drivers. Using the library libixy-vfio or following the patches for ixy or ixy.rs, implementing usage of the IOMMU is simple, safe and secure for user space network drivers.
Do Grants to Charities Crowd Out Other Income? Evidence from the UK

We present new evidence on the effect of grants on charities' incomes. We employ a novel identification strategy, focusing on charities that applied for lottery grant funding and comparing outcomes for successful and unsuccessful applicants. Overall, grants do not crowd out other income but the effect of grant-funding is not uniform. Looking in more detail we show first, that the positive effects of receiving a grant can persist for several years post-award; second, that grants have a stronger positive effect for small charities; and, third, that grants may have a more positive effect when they provide seed funding.
Chapter Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting : Basic Principles and Applications

Green energy harvesting aims to supply electricity to electric or electronic systems from one or different energy sources present in the environment without grid connection or utilisation of batteries. These energy sources are solar (photovoltaic), movements (kinetic), radio-frequencies and thermal energy (thermoelectricity). The thermoelectric energy harvesting technology exploits the Seebeck effect. This effect describes the conversion of temperature gradient into electric power at the junctions of the thermoelectric elements of a thermoelectric generator (TEG) device. This device is a robust and highly reliable energy converter, which aims to generate electricity in applications in which the heat would be otherwise dissipated. The significant request for thermoelectric energy harvesting is justified by developing new thermoelectric materials and the design of new TEG devices. Moreover, the thermoelectric energy harvesting devices are used for waste heat harvesting in microscale applications. Potential TEG applications as energy harvesting modules are used in medical devices, sensors, buildings and consumer electronics. This chapter presents an overview of the fundamental principles of thermoelectric energy harvesting and their low-power applications.
Automatic Breast Cancer Detection Methodology Using Artificial Neural Networks

Artificial Neural Network (ANN) techniques are increasingly being applied in many areas of medical fields for the analysis of complex data. In this paper, a new morphological approach based ANN is developed for an efficient detection of breast cancer from mammograms. The developed scheme consists of three steps: 1) a preprocessing step using traditional image enhancement techniques, 2) a proposed morphological segmentation algorithm and, 3) ANN using some extracted features is being applied for possible detection of abnormal cancer cells. The feasibility of the proposed approach was explored on 32 commonly virulent images provided by the Medical City Hospital in Jordan. The obtained results are encouraging; performing well in segmenting breast medical images and often generates a favorable detection of breast cancer from mammograms. Key-words: Extracted features, Artificial Neural Networks, Morphological Operations, Mammogram Images.
Integrated Speech-based Perception System for User Adaptive Robot Motion Planning in Assistive Bath Scenarios

Elderly people have augmented needs in performing bathing activities, since these tasks require body flexibility. Our aim is to build an assistive robotic bath system, in order to increase the independence and safety of this procedure. Towards this end, the expertise of professional carers for bathing sequences and appropriate motions have to be adopted, in order to achieve natural, physical human robot interaction. The integration of the communication and verbal interaction between the user and the robot during the bathing tasks is a key issue for such a challenging assistive robotic application. In this paper, we tackle this challenge by developing a novel integrated real-time speech-based perception system, which will provide the necessary assistance to the frail senior citizens. This system can be suitable for installation and use in conventional home or hospital bathroom space. We employ both a speech recognition system with sub-modules to achieve a smooth and robust human-system communication and a low cost depth camera for end-effector motion planning. With a variety of spoken commands, the system can be adapted to the user’s needs and preferences. The instructed by the user washing commands are executed by a robotic manipulator, demonstrating the progress of each task. The smooth integration of all subsystems is accomplished by a modular and hierarchical decision architecture organized as a Behavior Tree. The system was experimentally tested by successful execution of scenarios from different users with different preferences.
Insect Communities on Green Roofs that are Close in Proximity but Vary in Age and Plant Coverage

The effects of roof age and plant coverage on insect communities were investigated between three green roofs located on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Insect collections were made using pitfall traps on green roofs that were established between 0.5 month and five years prior to insect collection. The green roof with the greatest insect collection rate was the oldest but intermediate in size and percent plant coverage. The oldest green roof had similar collection rates as a nearby ground-level rain garden; however measures of species diversity and evenness were greater in the rain garden. Keywords: Green roof, rain garden, insect diversity, pitfall trap Please Cite as: Steck, A. , S. Morgan, W. Retzlaff, J.B. Williams. , 2015. Insect communities on green roofs that are close in proximity but vary in age and plant coverage. Journal of Living Architecture. 2(1): 1-­‐11. Available at http://greenroofs.org/resources/JOLA2015.2. 1.Steck. pdf This peer-­‐reviewed Article is provided free and open-­‐access.
Optimization of disaster restoration plan for water supply system using a high-fidelity restoration process simulation and genetic algorithm

Post-disaster restoration planning for a water supply system is crucial to support human life and various social activities. However, optimizing restoration plans for damaged lifeline infrastructure such as the water supply system is not straightforward. One of the major reasons for this problem is that there is no well-established methodology and consensus for determining the priority or objective function for creating an optimal restoration plan. Therefore, we are currently developing a highfidelity water supply restoration process simulation based on our previously developed modeling framework for urban sociotechnical systems, which consists of three subsystems: lifeline infrastructures, industry, and civil life. This simulation incorporates a restoration plan optimization method using a genetic algorithm (GA), and it can provide and compare optimal restoration processes under various objective functions. This paper presents the modeling of the water supply system and some simulation results, along with discussions on practical disaster response and preparedness decision-making support for an actual local city.
CHALLENGES DESIGNING INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

The IT complexities gave birth to Human Computer Interaction (HCI) to ensure that the products would be usable for the intended users. The problem with HCI is that the breadth of knowledge and its fast expansion has lead to fragmentation that undermines the positive effects of the multidisciplinary nature of HCI. Designers face a difficult situation with no simple solution and fast paced technological advances lead the way increasing the gap between research and development. In the area of intelligent transportation systems the designers face a tougher challenge due to the driving domain complexities. To understand the work domain, ecological interface design and the abstraction hierarchy is used. However it is the designer’s responsibility to understand that there is no Holy Grail methodology. They should get a deeper understanding of the HCI disciplines and use variations and combinations of methods to understand the driving domain complexities.
Outcomes of an enteral feeding protocol in pediatric cancer patients: a non-randomized clinical trial

Cancer treatment is a catabolic process that depletes the host’s stores, thereby leading to metabolic changes and malnutrition.1 The importance of nutrition is based on the fact that organ functions are more adequately maintained if the nutritional status is preserved.2–4 Although some adaptive mechanisms might preserve life in malnourished patients, malnourished children with cancer have their organ systems damaged also by toxins from antineoplastic drugs. The ability of the liver and gastrointestinal tract to absorb and metabolize drugs and nutrients may be impaired under conditions of malnutrition.3,4 Both cancer therapy and malnutrition lead to immune function damage, thus increasing the risk of infections and morbiditymortality.5–7 Gastrointestinal side effects from the treatment, like severe nausea (grade 3 or 4) and vomiting, mucositis (sore mouth or throat), diarrhoea and constipation, are the main nutritional difficulties.
The Emerging BRIC Economies : Evidence from the Interest Rate Transmission Mechanism

The purpose of this paper is to examine the interest rate transmission mechanism for the emerging BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China). We analyze the way wholesale interest rates are transmitted to the bank retail rates both in short and the long run and we test the symmetry hypothesis. A disaggregated error correction model is applied for the estimation of the interest rate pass-through effectiveness and asymmetric behaviour in these economies. Our results show that rigidities in the transmission process are present, significant variations across Brazil, Russia and India exist as well as non-completeness, at least in some cases. Also, there is a result which is common for the three economies regarding the pass through behaviour; CB rate decreases are transmitted to the loan rates. The differentiation of banks’ speed of upward and downward adjustment behaviour for the economies analysed is considered as asymmetric in most of the cases in both loan and deposit markets. We believe that our results can be useful for the BRIC regulatory authorities in their attempt to monitor the competitiveness of their banking systems and reinforce financial stability and monetary policy effectiveness. * Corresponding author: e-mail pv214@cam.ac. uk
Fuzzy Logic and Semantic Web Languages

We recall that under uncertainty theory fall all those approaches in which statements rather than being either true or false, are true or false to some probability or possibility (for example, “it will rain tomorrow”). That is, a statement is true or false in any world, but we are “uncertain” about which world to consider as the right one, and thus we speak about e.g. a probability distribution or a possibility distribution over the worlds. For example, we cannot exactly establish whether it will rain tomorrow or not, due to our incomplete knowledge about our world, but we can estimate to which degree this is probable, possible, and necessary.
Anaerobic sulfuroxidation in theabsenceof nitrate dominates microbial chemoautotrophybeneath thepelagic chemocline of the easternGotlandBasin , Baltic Sea

Anaerobic sulfuroxidation in theabsenceof nitrate dominates microbial chemoautotrophybeneath thepelagic chemocline of the easternGotlandBasin, Baltic Sea Günter Jost, Willm Martens-Habbena, Falk Pollehne, Bernhard Schnetger & Matthias Labrenz Department of Biological Oceanography, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany; Palaeomicrobiology Group, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany; and Microbiogeochemistry Group, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
Can we Execute Reliable MM-PBSA Free Energy Computations of Relative Energies of Different Guanine Quadruplex Folds ?

The self-assembly and stability of DNA G-quadruplexes (GQs) are substantially affected by the intrinsic stability of different GpG base steps embedded in their G-quartet stems. We have extended an earlier analysis of stability of the GQ GpG steps based on MD simulations and free energy computations of two-quartet GQ stems. MD simulations followed by MMPBSA free energy calculations were carried out on all known three-quartet intramolecular human telomeric GQ topologies. Along with the experimentally observed folds, we also studied antiparallel GQs with alternative synanti patterns of the G-quartets. We tested different ions, dihedral variants of the DNA force field, water models and simulation lengths. In total, ~35 μs of simulations have been carried out. The here studied systems are considerably more complete than the previously studied two-quartet stems. Among other effects, our computations could include the stem-loop coupling and ion ion interactions inside the stem. The calculations showed a broad agreement with the earlier predictions. However, the increase of the completeness of the system was associated with increased noise of the free energy data which could be related for example to the presence of long-living loop substates and rather complex dynamics of the two bound ions inside the G-stem. As the result, the MM-PBSA data were noisy and we could not improve their quantitative convergence even by expanding the simulations to 2.5 μs long trajectories. We also suggest that
XXVII Ciclo 2 G-3 G SAW-less Analog Front-End

Facoltà di Ingegneria Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e dell’Informazione Doctor of Philosophy 2G-3G SAW-less Analog Front-End by Ivan Fabiano This thesis proposes two innovative receivers to handle the 2G and 3G mobile communication standards without the use of external SAW filters. Starting from the standard requirements, a briefly analysis of the overall structure constraints will be presented. A boosted common-gate transformer-based topology in a current-mode architecture is exploit for its high linearity and low noise. A new low-power low-phase-noise divider with 25% intrinsic duty-cycle and a new resonant mixer for harmonic rejection are presented. Each block of the proposed receiver chains is analysed showing the mains peculiarities and weaknesses. Finally the measurements-simulations results of the two test chips fabricated are shown to validate the proposed solutions.
Quantifiers in a Multimodal World: Hallucinating Vision with Language and Sound

Inspired by the literature on multisensory integration, we develop a computational model to ground quantifiers in perception. The model learns to pick, out of nine quantifiers (‘few’, ‘many’, ‘all’, etc.), the one that is more likely to describe the percent of animals in a visual-auditory input containing both animals and artifacts. We show that relying on concurrent sensory inputs increases model performance on the quantification task. Moreover, we evaluate the model in a situation in which only the auditory modality is given, while the visual one is ‘hallucinanted’ either from the auditory input itself or from a linguistic caption describing the quantity of entities in the auditory input. This way, the model exploits prior associations between modalities. We show that the model profits from the prior knowledge and outperforms the auditory-only setting.
Conventional Treatment of Cancer Realities and Problems

Statistical data exhibits the fact that cancer decease and the effectiveness of its treatment remain an unsolved problem which is becoming more and more extensive not only in medical but also in social and economic spheres globally. It becomes obvious that conventional medicine in treatment of cancer meets neither the contemporary requirements nor the patients’ expectations. Massive publicity campaign of the target therapy making efforts to substitute the system chemotherapy took place of late years. Huge investments in this new sphere were made in order to meet the high expectations. Clinical experience and medical expertise, on the contrary, do not demonstrate prolonged life expectancy more than a few months however; this takes place with valid side effects and at high cost of the target therapy treatment. Serious and deeper cost-effectiveness analysis leads to a conclusion that most of the agents applied in target therapy do not correspond to conventional range of cost effectiveness. Significant investments in molecular biology advancement and development of genetics make immense progress and widen the scope of human knowledge in tumor biology. Unfortunately, despite that science progress, oncology follows the beaten track satisfied with prolonged patients’ longevity only in terms of a few months and keeping an eye on the illusory effect of the treatment. The current scientific survey aims at summarizing known and less known facts illustrating the opportunities, problems and efficiency of the conventional treatment of cancer. The information presented herein the survey addressing not only professional oncology specialists is also available for a wide reading audience who are interested in current problems of conventional treatment of cancer. We hope the information presented will stimulate a future professional and social debate directed towards change in the contemporary treatment of cancer based on the idea of achieving real progress in solving of a significant medical and social problem.
Evaluation of Data Placement Method in Database Run-Time Processing Considering Energy Saving and Application Performance

In recent years, the scale of datacenters has become larger due to the explosive increase in the amount of digital data. As a result, the growth of energy consumption is an important factor in the management use cost of datacenters. Storing and processing such large volumes of data by database applications are the core technologies in this Big Data era. However, storage accounts for a significant percentage of a datacenter’s energy consumption. Therefore, we try to reduce the energy of storage to save on the total cost of datacenters. The purpose of this study is to reduce the energy consumption of storage while minimizing the deterioration of application performance. Thus far, many methods for storage energy reduction have been discussed. However, because it is difficult to control storage energy reduction efficiently only at the storage level, we have investigated the storage power control mechanism on middleware (database) layer. In this paper, we use TPC-H (a database benchmark) as an application example of data processing. We evaluate a data placement control method of storage proposed for energy saving in the database run-time processing suitable for a large-scale environment. Keywords—TPC-H; storage; energy saving; data placement control
Data Mining Techniques to Understand Textual Data

OF THE DISSERTATION DATA MINING TECHNIQUES TO UNDERSTAND TEXTUAL DATA by Wubai Zhou Florida International University, 2017 Miami, Florida Professor Tao Li, Co-Major Professor Professor Shu-Ching Chen, Co-Major Professor More than ever, information delivery online and storage heavily rely on text. Billions of texts are produced every day in the form of documents, news, logs, search queries, ad keywords, tags, tweets, messenger conversations, social network posts, etc. Text understanding is a fundamental and essential task involving broad research topics, and contributes to many applications in the areas text summarization, search engine, recommendation systems, online advertising, conversational bot and so on. However, understanding text for computers is never a trivial task, especially for noisy and ambiguous text such as logs, search queries. This dissertation mainly focuses on textual understanding tasks derived from the two domains, i.e., disaster management and IT service management that mainly utilizing textual data as an information carrier. Improving situation awareness in disaster management and alleviating human efforts involved in IT service management dictates more intelligent and efficient solutions to understand the textual data acting as the main information carrier in the two domains. From the perspective of data mining, four directions are identified: (1) Intelligently generate a storyline summarizing the evolution of a hurricane from relevant online corpus; (2) Automatically recommending resolutions according to the textual symptom description in a ticket; (3) Gradually adapting the resolution rec-