Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards Collaborative Internet Content Delivery

Today, a large fraction of Internet traffic is originated by Content Distribution Infrastructures (CDIs), such as content distribution networks, hyper-giants and One-Click-Hosters. To cope with the increasing demand for content, CDIs deploy massive centralized or distributed infrastructures. For CDIs, the operation of their infrastructures is challenging, as they have to dynamically map end-users to appropriate servers without being fully aware of the end-users’ network locations. Apart from CDIs, the operational overhead of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) is growing increasingly complex, due to content delivery traffic caused by CDIs. In fact, the difficulties ISPs have with regards to engineering their traffic, stem from the fact that CDIs have limited knowledge about network conditions and infrastructures, while ISPs cannot communicate their insight about networks to CDIs. To solve the mapping challenges CDIs face, we studying the applicability of IPGeolocation to optimize CDI operation in terms of end-user to server mapping. We base the study on two different approaches: a) an evaluation of end-user submitted GPS coordinates and b) a general study of IP-Geolocation databases. We find that in both cases, IP-Geolocation is only of limited help to select servers close to endusers. Especially in mobile environments, we find that IP-Geolocation is unable to solve the mapping problem. We broaden the scope and tackle CDIs’ general lack of awareness with regards to ISP networks. We argue that the challenges CDIs and ISPs face today can be turned into an opportunity when enabling collaboration between the two. We propose, design and implement a solution, where an ISP offers a Provider-aided Distance Information System (PaDIS) as an interface for CDIs. PaDIS uses information available only to the ISP to rank any client-host pair, based on up-to-date network information, such as delay, bandwidth or number of hops. By extension, this approach also implicitly solves the mapping problem IP-Geolocation was unable to resolve. Experiments with different CDIs show that improvements in download times of up to a factor of four are possible. Furthermore, we show that deploying PaDIS not only benefits CDIs, but also end-users. With regards to the benefits for ISPs, we show that by offering PaDIS to CDIs, ISPs are able to partly reclaim control of the traffic induced by CDIs. We design the concept of Content-aware Traffic Engineering (CaTE), which dynamically adapts the traffic demand for content hosted on CDIs by utilizing PaDIS during their server selection process. As a result, CDIs enhance their end-user to server mapping and improve end-user experience. In addition, ISPs gain the ability to partially influence traffic demands within their networks. Our evaluation, based upon operational data from a large tier-1 ISP, shows improvements minimizing the path length as well as delay between end-user and assigned CDI server, significant reduction in networkwide traffic and in maximum link utilization.
A positioning control strategy of planar Acrobot

A positioning control strategy is proposed to move the planar Acrobot with a passive first joint from any initial position to its target position. Firstly, a proportional relationship is found according to the linear approximation model at any equilibrium between angels and angular velocities. This proportional relationship can guarantee the control objective of one link is achieved by designing a control law, meanwhile, the objective of the other link can also be achieved. Then, the control process of planar Acrobot is divided into two stages based on this motion characteristics. In the first stage a Lyapunov function is constructed to design control law to drive the system satisfying the mentioned proportional relationship. In the seconde stage, another control law is designed to move one link to its desired position, and the overall control objective, which is to move the Planar Acrobot from any initial position to its target position, is realized with the coupling between system state ultimately. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Predictive analysis of safety subsystems in memories for diagnostic coverage

Automobile safety is becoming an important subject because of the large number of electronic systems being integrated within a System on Chip (SoC) and with the use of current state-of-theart technology, safety is becoming an even bigger challenge. ISO 26262 is a mandatory standard to ensure the safety performance in electronic systems in automobile. This standard also provides the required target of diagnostic coverage for various subsystems. For any SoC, the proper working of the memory subsystem is very critical. Faults, occurring due to aging of devices, soft errors or manufacturing defects can lead to memory operation failures. Generally, memory system failures manifest themselves as Single Bit Failures (SBFs) and Multi Bit Failures (MBFs). The Single Error Correct-Double Error Detect (SEC-DED) Error Correcting Code (ECC) is very effective for detecting SBFs, but extremely limited in detecting MBFs, owing to implementation issues. Therefore, an On-chip Safety Circuit (OSC) or Safety Circuits (SC), which is basically a hardwired mechanism, is deployed to detect these MBFs. This dissertation discusses Online Monitoring Circuits, implemented in CMOS M40 technology, in conjunction with an Error Correcting Code, to detect both Single and Multi Bit Faults. This dissertation also proposes algorithms of Predictive Analysis (PA) to provide the Diagnostic Coverage (DC) for the combination of ECC–On-chip Safety Circuit. This DC value is essentially a measure of the ability of the system to detect faults in field and can thus be a measure of the effectiveness of the safety subsystem in general. The first algorithm is used to predict DC for faults caused by manufacturing defects while the second algorithm predicts DC for in field faults.
Testing goodness of fit of parametric models for censored data

We propose and study a goodness‐of‐fit test for left‐censored, right‐censored, and interval‐censored data assuming random censorship. Main motivation comes from dietary exposure assessment in chemical risk assessment, where the determination of an appropriate distribution for concentration data is of major importance. We base the new goodness‐of‐fit test procedure proposed in this paper on the order selection test. As part of the testing procedure, we extend the null model to a series of nested alternative models for censored data. Then, we use a modified AIC model selection to select the best model to describe the data. If a model with one or more extra parameters is selected, then we reject the null hypothesis. As an alternative to the use of the asymptotic null distribution of the test statistic, we define a bootstrap‐based procedure. We illustrate the applicability of the test procedure on data of cadmium concentrations and on data from the Signal Tandmobiel study and demonstrate its performance characteristics through simulation studies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ENSURING TERMINATION OF DIFFUSING COMPUTATIONS IN NETWORKS WITH MESSAGE LOSS

Diffusing computations are an important class of algorithms for distributed systems. A diffusing computation begins when any node in the network designated as the initiator passes information onto its immediate neighbors. On receiving this information each neighbor of the initiator remembers the source and in turn passes on this information to their neighbors. When a non initiator node does not have any neighbor to send information to, or when it has heard information from all its neighbors, it reports back to its source. In this fashion, diffusing computations spread from the initiator to the edge of the network and converges back to the initiator. The initiator does not have any source, therefore when the initiator hears information from all its immediate neighbors, the diffusing computation is said to have terminated. Numerous distributed applications rely on detecting termination of a diffusing computation to ensure correct operation. For example, consider a wireless anywhere classroom setting in which the instructor and students form an ad hoc network using their laptops and PDAs. Using this network, a class assignment may be distributed among all students. Students complete the assignment, and then turn in their homework by the same means. All students must submit their assignments before the instructor opens up the discussion of the solution. This again entails the reliance on detecting termination of
High-responsivity high-gain In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As-InP quantum-well infrared photodetectors grown using metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy

We report the growth and fabrication of bound-to-bound In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As-InP quantum-well infrared photodetectors using metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. These detectors have a peak detection wavelength of 8.5 /spl mu/m. The peak responsivities are extremely large with R/sub pk/=6.9 A/W at bias voltage V/sub b/=3.4 V and temperature T=10 K. These large responsivities arise from large detector gain that was found to be g/sub n/=82 at V/sub b/=3.8 V from dark current noise measurements at T=77 K and g/sub p/=18.4 at V/sub b/=3.4 V from photoresponse data at T=10 K. The background-limited temperature with F/1.2 optics is T/sub BLIP/=65 K for 0<V/sub b//spl les/3.4 V. The highest value of peak detectivity is D/sub /spl lambda///sup */=5.4/spl times/10/sup 9/ cm/spl radic/Hz/W at V/sub b/=2.9 V and T=77 K, while for T<T/sub BLIP/=65 K, the background-limited detectivity, which exhibits negligible bias dependence, is D/sub BLIP//sup */=3/spl times/10/sup 10/ cm/spl radic/Hz/W.
High-Strength Konjac Glucomannan/Silver Nanowires Composite Films with Antibacterial Properties

Robust, high-strength and environmentally friendly antibacterial composite films were prepared by simply blending konjac glucomannan (KGM) and silver nanowires (Ag NWs) in an aqueous system. The samples were then characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric analysis, mechanical property tests, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and antimicrobial tests. The results showed that there was a high ratio of Ag NWs uniformly distributed in the composite films, which was vital for mechanical reinforcement and stable antibacterial properties. The enhanced thermal stability and mechanical intensity increased, while the elongation at break was reduced with an increase in the amount of Ag NWs found in the composite films. When the percentage of Ag NWs in the composite films reached 5%, the tensile strength was 148.21 MPa, Young’s modulus was 13.79 GPa and the ultimate strain was 25.28%. Antibacterial tests showed that the KGM films had no antibacterial effect. After the addition of Ag NWs, the composite films had an obvious inhibitory effect on bacteria, with the uniform dispersion of Ag NWs promoting the antibacterial effect to a certain degree. These results indicated that these composite films would have a potential application in the fields of environmentally friendly packaging or medicine.
Serum Uric Acid Levels and Risk of Incident Hypertriglyceridemia: A Longitudinal Population‐based Epidemiological Study

&NA; Background. Hypertriglyceridemia is one of lipid metabolism abnormalities; however, it is still debatable whether serum uric acid is a cause or a consequence of hypertriglyceridemia. We performed the study to investigate the longitudinal association between serum uric acid levels and hypertriglyceridemia. Methods. The study included 4190 subjects without hypertriglyceridemia. The subjects had annual health examinations for 8 years to assess incident hyperglyceridemia, and the subjects were divided into groups based on the serum uric acid quartile. Cox regression models were used to analyze the risk factors of development hypertriglyceridemia. Results. During follow‐up, 1461 (34.9%) subjects developed hypertriglyceridemia over 8 years of follow‐up. The cumulative incidence of hypertriglyceridemia was 28.2%, 29.1%, 36.9%, and 45.6% in quartile 1,2,3 and 4, respectively (P for trend <0.001). Cox regression analyses indicated that serum uric acid levels were independently and positively associated with the risk of incident hypertriglyceridemia. Conclusions. Hypertriglyceridemia has become a serious public health problem. This longitudinal study demonstrates that high serum uric acid levels increase the risk of hypertriglyceridemia.
Improving Mining Performance for Internet Code Search Engines

Author(s): Kwak, Thomas Minsoo | Advisor(s): van der Hoek, Andre | Abstract: To aid programmers in searching for code on the Internet, researchers and developers have created code search engines. These search engines use ranking algorithms to sort their results based on properties of the code. However, obtaining the properties to use a ranking algorithm requires a resource-intensive process, including downloading, parsing, analyzing, and indexing large amounts of code. Additionally, few guidelines exist for reducing the resources needed for this process without affecting the performance of the ranking algorithm. We explore two techniques for improving the process of mining code from the Internet for code search engines. First, we introduce What-If Ranking Analysis, a novel technique that attempts to find cheaper versions of a ranking algorithm by reducing the number of properties required when ranking. Second, we modify the original Beowulf cluster to optimize on network throughput instead of CPU performance to examine whether the modified cluster can outperform a single high-performance server in mining and uploading code for use in a code search engine. Our findings show that more efficient ranking algorithms exist that perform as well as the original ranking algorithm while reducing the time spent mining by 44% and reducing the disk space used for storage by 41%. Further, we find that the modified Beowulf cluster mines and processes code three times faster than a high-performance server at approximately the same cost.
Experiments in self-calibration of an autonomous mobile manipulator

Current autonomous mobile manipulators are very complex machines built with dozens of motors and sensors connected through feedback loops. On top of this first layer of real-time controllers, subsequent levels of software modules interact in many ways to create increasingly sophisticated behaviors. One of the initial requirements for all these elements to work properly, is that the robot be properly calibrated. The size of each link and the relative positions among them have to be estimated. Also, many sensors have intrinsic parameters that have also to be estimated in order to relate the incoming data to a common reference system. In this paper, this crucial problem has been studied for a new humanoid robot named Loki. Loki has been built in the Robotics and Artificial Vision (RoboLab) laboratory for research in social and service robotics. Two different optimization approaches have been explored, the Levenverg-Maquardt gradient-descent procedure and a Markov Chain Monte Carlo Simulated Annealing algorithm. Both methods are compared under this high dimension self-calibration problem and the results are analyzed and compared. Finally, several strategies to continue research in this area and to achieve fully autonomous calibration and re-calibration procedures are described.
The burden of rheumatic disorders in general practice: consultation rates for rheumatic disease and the relationship to age, ethnicity, and small-area deprivation.

AIMS To estimate the burden of rheumatic disorders in the New Zealand population by calculating general-practice consultation rates--as well as the influence of age, gender, ethnicity, and small-area deprivation on these consultation rates. METHODS Cases were identified from the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners database using search-strings of typical words used in consultation notes (for each of 10 rheumatic disorders). Rates were calculated from a denominator of the number of people attending at least once over a 12-month period to any of 22 contributing general practices. The independent effect of age, sex, ethnicity, and small-area deprivation was modelled using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS Of 29,152 people attending their general practitioner, 20.4% consulted with a rheumatic disorder. Older people, males, people who lived in more deprived areas, and Europeans were more likely to consult with a rheumatic disorder. With all rheumatic disorders, age was a significant influence upon consultation--especially osteoarthritis, gout, osteoporosis, and joint surgery. Maori were more likely than Europeans to consult with gout, but they were slightly less likely to consult with back pain or regional pain disorders. Small-area deprivation had small influences upon people consulting with gout, regional pain, and back pain. CONCLUSIONS Rheumatic disorders form a significant part of the workload of general practitioners and this is significantly influenced by local demographic factors. Most of these conditions seen in general practice are non-inflammatory and non-surgical. If a community-needs approach was taken, it is likely that the workload and associated costs would be even greater.
Orthokeratology Lens-Related Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infectious Keratitis

Purpose. To report a case of orthokeratology lens-related Pseudomonas corneal ulcer in an adult. Methods. Case report. Results. A 37-year-old man presented with a 1-day history of painful red eye. He was a soft contact lens wearer before he started on nocturnal orthokeratology lens wear of 8 to 10 hours per night 9 months ago. Corneal scraping sent for culture revealed a heavy growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The patient was treated with intensive topical fortified tobramycin and ceftazidime drops. The ulcer healed with a residual paraxial corneal scar. Although his best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) recovered from finger counting (8/200) at presentation to 20/30, he suffered visual loss from a premorbid BSCVA of 20/15. His contrast sensitivity (Vector Vision CSV 1000 test) performance was also worse than his fellow eye. Conclusion. Nocturnal orthokeratology lens wear may be associated with an increased risk of infection.
Quejas subjetivas de memoria en el envejecimiento y en adultos jóvenes: variables implicadas

El mantenimiento de las funciones cognitivas, en concreto la memoria, es una preocupacion constatada en distintas edades, sobre todo en los mayores, pero tambien en adultos que ponen a prueba su memoria en la vida cotidiana y no renuncian a tratar de mejorarla. Si una persona manifiesta que tiene dificultades para recordar, se dice que se esta quejando de su memoria. El termino mas asociado a esta manifestacion es el de quejas subjetivas de memoria (QSM). El concepto engloba: el juicio de la persona sobre su rendimiento de memoria, la subjetividad del mismo, y el objeto de la queja (los llamados olvidos cotidianos). Las QSM se incluyen como criterio diagnostico en determinados cuadros clinicos como el Deterioro Cognitivo Leve (DCL) (Petersen et al., 2014) y el Trastorno Neurocognitivo Leve (DSM 5), pero ya estaban presentes en entidades clinicas de hace mas de 30 anos (Crook et al., 1986). Recientemente se ha defendido una terminologia nueva, el declive cognitivo subjetivo (Jessen et al., 2014).
Assessment of policy makers' individual and organizational capacity to acquire, assess, adapt and apply research evidence for maternal and child health policy making in Nigeria: a cross-sectional quantitative survey

Background Throughout the world, there is increasing awareness and acknowledgement of the value of research evidence in the development of effective health policy and in quality health care practice and administration. Among the major challenges associated with the lack of uptake of research evidence into policy and practice in Nigeria is the capacity constraints of policymakers to use research evidence in policy making. Objective To assess the capacity of maternal and child health policy makers to acquire, access, adapt and apply available research evidence. Methods This cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted at a national maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) stakeholders' engagement event. An evidence to policy self-assessment questionnaire was used to assess the capacity of forty MNCH policy makers to acquire, assess, adapt and apply research evidence for policy making. Results Low mean ratings were observed ranging from 2.68–3.53 on a scale of 5 for knowledge about initiating/conducting research and capacity to assess authenticity, validity, reliability, relevance and applicability of research evidence and for organizational capacity for promoting and using of research for policy making. Conclusion There is need to institute policy makers' capacity development programmes to improve evidence-informed policymaking.
Photoperiodic and Pineal Effects on Food Intake, Food Retrieval, and Body Weight in Female Syrian Hamsters

Food intake, food retrieval, and body weight changes were measured in female Syrian hamsters maintained under long and short photoperiods, and in animals sustaining pinealectomy or sham surgery. Animals maintained under short photoperiods gained more weight, ingested more food, and brought more food from more distant compartments into their nest compart ments than did animals maintained under long photoperiods. Pinealectomy prevented the short- day elevations in body weight and food retrieval during the period of gonadal recrudescence, but it did not produce significant changes during the period of gonadal regression; in contrast, pinealectomy prevented the short-day increases in food intake only during initial weeks of the period of gonadal regression: The effects of photoperiod or pinealectomy were not evident for any of the dependent measures during pregnancy. The role of the pineal gland in mediating short-day effects is discussed.
Ultraviolet A and Cataracts: Basic Research and Practical Applications

Sunlight has been implicated as the most prevalent environmental factor that contributes to the formation of cataracts in humans. Current epidemiological data uphold the view that exposure to environmental near-ultraviolet (UV) energy is a risk factor for human cataract formation. In support of the concept that human cataract formation is related to environmental radiant energy exposure is the finding by Schein et al that the inferonasal quadrant of the lens is the principal site of lens cortical opacification in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Although most studies of the involvement of the components of solar UV in human cataract emphasize the risks of ultraviolet B (UVB), Sliney states that UVA must not be ruled out as a risk factor, as the UVA irradiance is 1000 times that of UVB in sunlight. Also, although UVB exposure is associated with skin cancer, UVA can also cause skin cancer at a relative hazard value of less than 1/1000. Also, the occupational exposure limit to UVA exposure is only 21 times that of UVB exposure. As the environment provides a mixture of UVA andUVB energy, it is important to study the effects of both. Basic studies have described both the UVA and the UVB of sunlight as damaging factors to the lens. In clinical and epidemiological studies, UVB has been suggested as the only UV risk factor. The emphasis on UVB damage stems from earlier information showing that UVB caused corneal photokeratitis and skin cancer, but little UVB penetrates through the cornea to reach the lens (<2%). The emphasis onUVB seems to ignore the facts that UVA energy is always present in sunlight at about 30 times the level of UVB, and that UVA readily penetrates the cornea (by;50%) to reach the lens. Ultraviolet A is less damaging to DNA than UVB, but can cause many other cytotoxic changes in lens epithelial cells. Another delay in the acceptance of UVA as a cataract risk factor was due to former beliefs that only UVB exposure could cause multiple DNA