Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimisation dynamique de réseaux IP/MPLS

La forte variabilite des trafics est devenue l'un des problemes majeurs auxquels doivent faire face les gestionnaires d'infrastructures reseau. Dans ces conditions, l'optimisation du routage des flux en se basant uniquement sur une matrice de trafic moyenne estimee en heure de pointe n'est plus pertinente. Les travaux conduits dans cette these visent la conception de methodes d'optimisation dynamiques du routage, adaptant en temps reel les routes utilisees par les flux aux conditions de trafic dans le reseau.Nous etudions tout d'abord le probleme d'optimisation des poids OSPF pour le routage intra-domaine dans les reseaux IP, ou le trafic est route le long de plus courts chemins, en fonction des poids des liens. Nous proposons une approche en ligne permettant de reconfigurer dynamiquement les poids OSPF, et donc les routes utilisees, pour repondre aux variations observees du trafic et reduire ainsi le taux de congestion du reseau. L'approche proposee repose sur l'estimation robuste des demandes en trafic des flux a partir de mesures SNMP sur la charge des liens. Les resultats experimentaux, aussi bien sur des trafics simules que reels, montrent que le taux de congestion du reseau peut etre significativement reduit par rapport a une configuration statique.Dans la meme optique, nous nous interessons egalement a l'optimisation des reseaux MPLS, qui permettent de gerer l'utilisation des ressources disponibles en affectant un chemin specifique a chaque LSP. Nous proposons un algorithme inspire de la theorie des jeux pour determiner le placement des LSP optimisant un critere de performance non lineaire. Nous etablissons la convergence de cet algorithme et obtenons des bornes sur son facteur d'approximation pour plusieurs fonctions de cout. L'interet principal de cette technique etant d'offrir des solutions de bonne qualite en des temps de calcul extremement reduits, nous etudions son utilisation pour la reconfiguration dynamique du placement des LSP.La derniere partie de cette these est consacree a la conception et au developpement d'une solution logicielle permettant le deploiement d'un reseau overlay auto-guerissant et auto-optimisant entre differentes plateformes de cloud computing. La solution est concue pour ne necessiter aucun changement des applications. En mesurant regulierement la qualite des liens Internet entre les centres de donnees, elle permet de detecter rapidement la panne d'une route IP et de basculer le trafic sur un chemin de secours. Elle permet egalement de decouvrir dynamiquement les chemins dans le reseau overlay qui optimisent une metrique de routage specifique a l'application. Nous decrivons l'architecture et l'implementation du systeme, ainsi que les experiences realisees a la fois en emulation et sur une plateforme reelle composee de plusieurs centres de donnees situes dans differents pays.
Multicarrier-SPWM Based Novel 7-Level Inverter Topology with Photovoltaic System

In this paper a novel 5 switch seven level DC-AC inverter is being proposed. The proposed multilevel inverter uses reduced number of switches as compared to the switches used in the conventional multilevel inverter. The inverter has been designed to generate a 7 level AC output using 5 switches. The voltage stress on each of the switches as well as the switching losses is found to be less, minimized common mode voltage (CMV) level and reduced total harmonic distortion. The proposed 7-level inverter topology has four dc sources, which is energized through the PV system. Proposed inverter is controlled with help of multicarrier sinusoidal pulse width modulation (MCSPWM). The simulation and hardware results were verified using matlab simulink and dspic microcontroller respectively.
Video Shot Characterization Using Principles of Perceptual Prominence and Perceptual Grouping in Spatio–Temporal Domain

We present a novel approach for applying perceptual grouping principles to the spatio-temporal domain of video. Our perceptual grouping scheme, applied on blobs, makes use of a specified spatio-temporal coherence model. The grouping scheme identifies the blob cliques or perceptual clusters in the scene. We propose a computational model for analyzing a video shot based on a novel principle of perceptual prominence. The principle of perceptual prominence captures the key aspects of mise-en-scene required for characterizing a video scene.
Biomechanics of the Intervertebral Disc in Compression： Experimental and Numerical Study

Loading history and age are factors for disc degeneration and disc biomechanics; however, their relationship is unclear. To evaluate disc biomechanics, we conducted an experimental, anatomical and numerical approach to distinguish discs with mild and severe degeneration. In the experimental procedure, 10 cadaveric lumbar discs are tested to static and dynamic compression, and the elastic and viscous moduli and the dynamic parameters are reported. The morphology of disc degeneration is gained with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and used to generate a nonlinear finite element model of a degenerated disc, and assisted with the experimental results in order to numerically investigate the distribution of stresses and strains within the disc. The results show a promising methodology for the study of intervertebral disc biomechanics and in general other tissues, organs and medical devices.
Challenges Facing PFC of a Single-Phase On-Board Charger for Electric Vehicles Based on a Current Source Active Rectifier Input Stage

This paper aims to study the power factor (PF) correction scheme for a single-phase on-board charger of electric vehicles. The topology is based on a unidirectional current source active rectifier (CSAR) consisting of four insulated-gate bipolar transistors in series with four diodes followed by a boost converter. Buck-type rectifiers inject low-order input current harmonics into the ac mains. Thus, an inductor-capacitor (LC) input filter is employed. The capacitor's reactive energy results in a leading grid current. In order to achieve a unity displacement power factor, a phase shift control is implemented. However, the LC filter is prone to series and parallel resonances coming from the grid disturbances and the converter harmonics, respectively. Therefore, the phase shift control strategy combined with the topology of the CSAR results in a periodical resonance of the input filter. This phenomenon is studied in detail. In order to reduce the grid current's distortion level, an active damping control with resonance frequency tracking that achieves a good PF while meeting the IEC's international standards on harmonic current emissions is presented. An experimental test bench is developed to validate the simulations' theoretical findings. Compliance with the standards is achieved and system limitations are discussed.
Randomized placebo-controlled D-cycloserine with cognitive behavior therapy for pediatric posttraumatic stress.

UNLABELLED Abstract Objective: Research on D-cycloserine (DCS), a partial N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) agonist, has suggested that it may enhance exposure-based therapies for anxiety disorders. RESULTS with DCS in adult posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been conflicting; however, no data have been reported on children with PTSD. Although many individuals with PTSD respond to exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), there are subgroups of individuals who are nonresponders, and many responders still have substantial residual symptoms. This randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled study tested DCS as an adjunct to CBT to improve and speed treatment response for PTSD in youth. METHODS Seven to 18 year-old youth with exposure to trauma and PTSD were offered a 12 session, manualized CBT treatment. Those who remained in treatment at the fifth session were randomly allocated (n=57) to either CBT and DCS or CBT and placebo. RESULTS Youth in the CBT and DCS group had significant reductions in symptoms, but these reductions were not greater than those in the CBT and placebo group. There was a trend toward DCS speeding PTSD symptom recovery during the exposure-based sessions, and evidence that the CBT and DCS group better maintained stability of gains on inattention ratings from posttreatment to the 3 month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS This initial study of CBT and DCS to treat pediatric PTSD provided suggestive and preliminary evidence for more rapid symptom recovery and beneficial effects on attention, but did not show an overall greater effect for reducing PTSD symptoms. It appears that augmentation with DCS represents unique challenges in PTSD. Because PTSD involves complex, life-threatening trauma memories, as opposed to the imagined dreadful outcomes of other anxiety disorders, the use of DCS may require greater attention to how its use is coupled with exposure-based techniques. DCS may have inadvertently enhanced reconsolidation of trauma memories rather than more positive and adaptive memories. In addition, the results suggest that future research could focus on the longer-term benefits of DCS on attention and ways to capitalize on attention-enhancing therapies. ClinicalTrials.gov registry: Effect of D-cycloserine on Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Youth, #NCT01157416, http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results? term=NCT01157416&Search=Search , and D-cycloserine Adjunctive Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Adolescents, #NCT01157429, http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results? term=NCT01157429&Search=Search .
An Automatic Flow for Timing and Static Power Cell Characterization

Characterize a logic gate is the process of establishing reference values about timing and power to the project designers in a Standard Cell project. In this paper, we present an automatic flow to characterize standard cells about timing characteristics and static power consumption. This flow is composed of two main steps: timing characterization and static power characterization. The tool is designed to deal with different technologies, power supplies, transistors arrangements and others boundary conditions.
Lectures on Ethics

Introduction J. B. Schneedwind Part I. Kant's Practical Philosophy: 1. Herder's lecture notes (selections) Part II. Moral Philosophy: 2. Collins's lecture notes Part III. Morality According to Professor Kant: 3. Mrongovius's second set of lecture notes (selections) Part IV. Kant on the Metaphyscics of Morals: 4. Vigilantius's lecture notes.
Software lock elision for x86 machine code

More than a decade after becoming a topic of intense research there is no transactional memory hardware nor any examples of software transactional memory use outside the research community. Using software transactional memory in large pieces of software needs copious source code annotations and often means that standard compilers and debuggers can no longer be used. At the same time, overheads associated with software transactional memory fail to motivate programmers to expend the needed effort to use software transactional memory. The only way around the overheads in the case of general unmanaged code is the anticipated availability of hardware support. On the other hand, architects are unwilling to devote power and area budgets in mainstream microprocessors to hardware transactional memory, pointing to trans-actional memory being a " niche " programming construct. A deadlock has thus ensued that is blocking transactional memory use and experimentation in the mainstream. This dissertation covers the design and construction of a software transactional memory runtime system called SLE_x86 that can potentially break this deadlock by decoupling transactional memory from programs using it. Unlike most other STM designs, the core design principle is transparency rather than performance. SLE_x86 operates at the level of x86 machine code, thereby becoming immediately applicable to binaries for the popular x86 architecture. The only requirement is that the binary synchronise using known locking constructs or calls such as those in Pthreads or OpenMP libraries. SLE_x86 provides speculative lock elision (SLE) entirely in software, executing critical sections in the binary using transactional memory. Optionally, the critical sections can also be executed without using transactions by acquiring the protecting lock. The dissertation makes a careful analysis of the impact on performance due to the demands of the x86 memory consistency model and the need to transparently instrument x86 machine code. It shows that both of these problems can be overcome to reach a reasonable level of performance, where transparent software transactional memory can perform better than a lock. SLE_x86 can ensure that programs are ready for transactional memory in any form, without being explicitly written for it. 3 4 Acknowledgements I gratefully acknowledge my supervisor Steven Hand and adviser Tim Harris for all the advice, discussion and feedback they have provided throughout my time at Cambridge. In particular, I am thankful for all the drafts they have read through patiently. Their support has helped me gain considerable expertise and confidence. This thesis has …
Marr's Computational Theory of Vision

David Marr's theory of vision has been widely cited by philosophers and psychologists. I have three projects in this paper. First, I try to offer a perspicuous characterization of Marr's theory. Next, I consider the implications of Marr's work for some currently popular philosophies of psychology, specifically, the "hegemony of neurophysiology view", the theories of Jerry Fodor, Daniel Dennett, and Stephen Stich, and the view that perception is permeated by belief. In the last section, I consider what the phenomenon of vision must be like for Marr's project to succeed.
DIE BEDEUTUNG VON SONNE, LUFT UND BEWEGUNG FÜR NUTZTIERE - ASPEKTE EINER UNBEKANNTEN WISSENSCHAFT !

Biologischokologisch eingestellte Praktiker und Wissenschafter gehen grundsatzlich von der Hypothese aus, das der Mensch als Teil der Natur nicht nur nicht weiser sein kann als diese, sondern das seine Fahigkeit der Einsicht in Sinn, Zweck und Funktion allen Lebens immer extrem bgrenzt ist; das er sowohl in der praktischen Erfahrung als auch im wissenschaftlichen Experiment immer nur kleine Teilbereiche der Natur erkennen kann, und dies auch nur mit einem nicht unerheblichen Risiko des Irrtums. Die Geschichte des menschlichen Erkenntnisstrebens ist voll von Belegen teilweise mit katastrophalen Folgen -, die eine solche bescheidene Grundeinstellung rechtfertigen. Aus dieser Haltung heraus wachst die Vermutung, das landwirtschaftliche Produktionssysteme im Sinne der angestrebten Nachhaltigkeit, besser Dauerfahigkeit, umso besser funktionieren, je mehr sie den Gesetzen der Natur entsprechen, je deutlicher sie den Prinzipien folgen, die die Natur selbst anwendet. Hierbei ist es schon lange bekannt, das solche Systeme nicht geschlossene Kreislaufe sein mussen. Solche erzeugen ja keine eigentliche Nettoproduktion. Vielmehr zeigt uns die Natur selbst beim Aufbau eines naturlichen Okosystems, das sie uber lange Zeitraume bis zum Zeitpunkt des Errreichens eines stabilen Endzustandes durchaus mehr produzieren kann als das System selbst verbraucht. Der lenkend eingreifende Mensch mus daher das von ihm betreute naturnahe System durch seine Masnahmen auf Dauer im Zustand des Aufbaues eines Okosystems halten. Dann kann er auch ernten und verausern.
Desarrollo de colectores solares sin concentración para aplicaciones fotoquímicas de degradación de contaminantes persistentes en agua

Esta caracteristica de la luz solar esta basada en la propiedad que poseen los fotones de romper y degradar directamente moleculas organicas, propiedad que se denomina fotolisis, Basado en este fenomeno, en los anos 70 se descubrio que este efecto puede ser sustancialmente potenciado mediante la ayuda de la catalisis, abriendo el campo de la fotocatalisis solar. Posteriormente este proceso fue asociado con la posibilidad de su aplicacion al medioambiente para la degradacion de contaminantes persistentes presentes en agua, aire o en el suelo. Esta Tesis Doctoral resume una buena parte del desarrollo tecnologico que se ha realizado durante los ultimos anos en la Plataforma Solar en Almeria en la aplicacion de degradacion de contaminantes en agua con el objetivo fundamental de desarrollar una tecnologia que pudiera resultar tecnica y economicamente viable. La Tesis esta dividida en 9 capitulos de los que los 4 primeros estan dedicados a resumir los distintos aspectos teoricos relacionados. Los capitulos 5,6,7 y 8 describen la actividad en la PSA en el apartado concreto de desarrollo tecnologico del proceso de fotocatalisis solar. El nucleo de la Tesis se encuentra en los capitulos 6 y 7, aunque las 3 primeras secciones del capitulo 6 estan dedicadas a describir la teoria de los concentrados parabolico compuestos (CPC), que constituyen el eje sobre el que gira todo el documento. El capitulo 9 resume las principales aplicaciones identificadas hasta la fecha con objeto de dar una vision global de la significacion potencial del proceso y de la tecnologia que se propone. La Tesis resume asimismo una extensa e intensa colaboracion de la PSA con multitud de Universidades, Centros de Investigacion y Empresas.
Is breast really best? Risk and total motherhood in the National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign.

From June 2004 to April 2006, cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council, the National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign (NBAC) warned women that not breast-feeding put babies at risk for a variety of health problems. "You'd never take risks before your baby is born. Why start after? " asked televised public service announcements over images of pregnant women logrolling and riding a mechanical bull. The NBAC, and particularly its message of fear, neglected fundamental ethical principles regarding evidence quality, message framing, and cultural sensitivity in public health campaigns. The campaign was based on research that is inconsistent, lacks strong associations, and does not account for plausible confounding variables, such as the role of parental behavior, in various health outcomes. It capitalized on public misunderstanding of risk and risk assessment by portraying infant nutrition as a matter of safety versus danger and then creating spurious analogies. It also exploited deep-seated normative assumptions about the responsibility that mothers have to protect babies and children from harm and was insufficiently attentive to the psychological, socioeconomic, and political concerns of its intended audience. Critical analysis of the NBAC suggests that future health campaigns would benefit from more diverse review panels and from a greater focus on providing accurate risk information about probabilities and trade-offs in order to enable informed decision making.
Identification of a novel androgen receptor mutation in a family with multiple components compatible with the testicular dysgenesis syndrome.

CONTEXT Androgen signaling via the androgen receptor (AR) is essential for normal testis development and male reproductive functions. We describe a rare family with 3 males affected by a mild disorder of sex determination compatible with testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS), including subfertility, cryptorchidism, hypospadias, and testicular cancer, caused by a novel AR mutation. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe the phenotype of the affected males, characterize functionally the novel AR mutation, and discuss the significance of partial androgen insufficiency in the pathogenesis of TDS. PARTICIPANTS The proband, his first cousin, and a nephew underwent a detailed clinical investigation including genetic tests, whereas four female members of the family were tested for the specific AR mutation. RESULTS A novel AR mutation, c.2214T>G;p.Ile738Met, was identified in the affected family members. Functional analysis of the mutation in a gene-reporter assay showed a 50% reduction in AR-induced transcriptional activity. The affected males had elevated LH and T in accordance with decreased AR signaling. The histology and immunohistochemical profile of the testis tissue from the 2 patients with testicular cancer showed features consistent with insufficient testis development and TDS. CONCLUSION The presence of all hallmarks of TDS, including germ cell cancer, in a family with a novel AR mutation causing a partial decrease in AR function is in line with the concept that reduced androgen signaling may contribute to the development of TDS. It also seems consistent with the hypothesis that environmental factors interfering with this pathway can play a role in the pathogenesis of TDS.
Association of dietary soy genistein intake with lung function and asthma control: a post-hoc analysis of patients enrolled in a prospective multicentre clinical trial.

BACKGROUND Broad dietary patterns have been linked to asthma but the relative contribution of specific nutrients is unclear. Soy genistein has important anti-inflammatory and other biological effects that might be beneficial in asthma. A positive association was previously reported between soy genistein intake and lung function but not with asthma exacerbations. AIMS To conduct a post-hoc analysis of patients with inadequately controlled asthma enrolled in a prospective multicentre clinical trial to replicate this association. METHODS A total of 300 study participants were included in the analysis. Dietary soy genistein intake was measured using the Block Soy Foods Screener. The level of soy genistein intake (little or no intake, moderate intake, or high intake) was compared with baseline lung function (pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1))) and asthma control (proportion of participants with an episode of poor asthma control (EPAC) and annualised rates of EPACs over a 6-month follow-up period. RESULTS Participants with little or no genistein intake had a lower baseline FEV(1) than those with a moderate or high intake (2.26 L vs. 2.53 L and 2.47 L, respectively; p=0.01). EPACs were more common among those with no genistein intake than in those with a moderate or high intake (54% vs. 35% vs. 40%, respectively; p<0.001). These findings remained significant after adjustment for patient demographics and body mass index. CONCLUSIONS In patients with asthma, consumption of a diet with moderate to high amounts of soy genistein is associated with better lung function and better asthma control.