pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Choices, choices: Comparing between CHOC'LATE and the classification-tree methodology

The issue has book title: Reliable Software Technologies (Ada-Europe 2012)Two popular specification-based test case generation methods are the choice relation framework and the classification-tree methodology. Both of them come with associated tools and have been used in different applications with success. Since both methods are based on the idea of partition testing, they are similar in many aspects. Because of their similarities, software testers often find it difficult to decide which method to be used in a given testing scenario. This paper aims to provide a solution by first contrasting the strengths and weaknesses of both methods, followed by suggesting practical selection guidelines to cater for different testing scenarios. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.published_or_final_versionProceedings of the 17th Ada-Europe International Conference on Reliable Software Technologies, Stockholm, Sweden, June 11-15, 2012. In Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2012, v. 7308, p. 162-17
Execution Time Control: A hardware accelerated Ada implementation with novel support for interrupt handling

<p>Execution time control is a technique that allows execution time budgets to be set and overruns to be handled dynamically to prevent deadline misses. This removes the need for the worst-case execution time (WCET) of tasks to be found by offline timing analysis – a problem that can be very hard to solve for modern computer architectures. Execution time control can also increase the processor utilization, as the WCET will often be much higher than the average execution time.</p><p>This thesis describes how the GNU Ada Compiler and a bare-board Ravenscar run-time environment were ported to the Atmel AVR32 UC3 microcontroller series making the Ada programming language available on this architecture for the first time, and an implementation of Ada execution time control for this system that supports full execution time control for interrupt handling. Usage patterns for this brand new feature are demonstrated in Ada by extending the object-oriented real-time framework with execution time servers for interrupt handling, allowing the system to be protected against unexpected bursts of interrupts that could otherwise result in deadline misses. Separate execution time measurement for interrupt handling also improves the accuracy of measurement for tasks. As a direct result of the work presented in this thesis separate execution time measurement for interrupts will be included in the forthcoming ISO-standard for Ada 2012.</p><p>While the implementation of execution time control is for the Ada programming language and the UC3 microcontroller series, the design and implementation should be portable to other architectures, and the principles of execution time control for interrupt handling applicable to other programming languages.</p><p>Low run-time overhead is important for execution time control to be useful for real-time systems. Therefore a hardware Time Management Unit (TMU) was designed to reduce the overhead of execution time control. This design has been implemented for the UC3 and performance tests with the developed run-time environment shows that it gives a significant reduction of overhead. The memory-mapped design of the TMU also allows it to be implemented on other architectures.</p>PhD i teknisk kybernetikkPhD in Engineering Cybernetic
An approach to model checking Ada programs

This paper describes a tool-supported method for the formal verification of Ada programs. It presents ATOS, a tool that automati- cally extracts a model in SPIN from an Ada Program, together with a set of properties that state the correctness of the model. ATOS is also capable of extracting properties from user-provided annotations in Ada programs, inspired by the Spark Annotation language. The goal of ATOS is to help in the verification of sequential and concurrent Ada pro- grams based on model checking. The paper introduces the details of the proposed mechanisms, as well as the results of experimental validation, through a case study.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT
Architecture of the Oman–UAE Ophiolite: evidence for a multi-phase magmatic history

The Oman–United Arab Emirates ophiolite is the world’s largest ophiolite. It is divided into 12 separate fault bounded blocks, of which the northern three lie wholly or partly in the United Arab Emirates. Extensive mapping has shown that the United Arab Emirates blocks contain mantle and crustal sections which correspond to the classic ‘Penrose conference’ ophiolite definition but which are cut by a voluminous later magmatic sequence including ultramafic, mafic and felsic components. Samples from the later magmatic sequence are dated at 96.4 ± 0.3, 95.74 ± 0.3 and 95.2 ± 0.3 Ma; the early crustal section, which has not been dated directly, is thus constrained to be older than c. 96.4 Ma. Petrological evidence shows that the early crustal section formed at a spreading ridge, but the later magmatic sequence was formed from hydrous magmas that produced different mineral crystallisation sequences to normal midocean ridge basalt (MORB). Mineral and whole-rock geochemical analyses show that the early crustal rocks are chemically similar to MORB, but the later magmatic sequence has chemical features typically found in suprasubduction zone (SSZ) settings. The ophiolite in the United Arab Emirates thus preserves clear evidence for two stages of magmatism, an early episode formed at a spreading centre and a later episode associated with the onset of subduction. Similar two-stage magmatism has been recogn sed in the Oman sector, but the United Arab Emirates contains the most voluminous SSZ magmatism yet described from this ophiolite\u
Index tables of finite fields and modular golomb rulers

This paper was presented at Sequences and Their Applications - SETA 2012, 7th International Conference, Waterloo, Canada, June 4-8, 2012 and published in the series Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 7280 [© Springer Verlag].For a Galois field GF(2 n ) defined by a primitive element α with minimal polynomial f, the index table contains in row i the coordinates of α i in the polynomial basis α n − 1, α n − 2,…, α, 1. Each column i in this table equals the m-sequence with characteristic polynomial f, shifted cyclically by some offset h i .\ud
\ud
In this paper we show that the set of the n shifts h i contains large subsets which are modular Golomb rulers modulo 2 n  − 1 (i.e. all the differences are different). Let D be the set of integers j such that the coefficient of x j in f is non-zero. We prove that the set H D of shifts corresponding to columns j ∈ D can be partitioned into two subsets (the columns in the left half of the table and the ones in the right half) each of which is a modular Golomb ruler. Based on this result and on computational data, we conjecture that in fact the whole set H D is a modular Golomb ruler.\ud
\ud
We give a polynomial time algorithm for deciding if given a subset of column positions, the corresponding shifts are a modular Golomb ruler. These results are applied to filter generators used in the design of stream ciphers. Golić recommends that in order to withstand his inversion attack, one of the design requirements should be that the inputs of the non-linear filtering function are taken from positions of a Fibonacci LFSR which form a Golomb ruler. We propose using a Galois LFSR instead and selecting positions such that the corresponding shifts form a modular Golomb ruler. This would allow for a larger number of inputs to be selected (roughly n/2 rather than 2n − −  √   ) while still satisfying Golić’s requirement
Solving Compressed Right Hand Side Equation Systems with Linear Absorption

In this paper we describe an approach for solving complex
multivariate equation systems related to algebraic cryptanalysis. The
work uses the newly introduced Compressed Right Hand Sides (CRHS)
representation, where equations are represented using Binary Decision
Diagrams (BDD). The paper introduces a new technique for manipulating
a BDD, similar to swapping variables in the well-known siftingmethod.
Using this technique we develop a new solving method for CRHS
equation systems. The new algorithm is successfully tested on systems
representing reduced variants of Trivium
Sequences and Linear Codes from Highly Nonlinear Functions

Due to optimal nonlinearity and differential uniformity, perfect nonlinear
(PN) and almost perfect nonlinear (APN) functions are of great
importance in cryptography. It is interesting that they also define optimal
objects in other domains of mathematics and information theory.
This dissertation is devoted to exploring the application of highly
nonlinear functions, especially PN and APN functions, to the construction
of low-correlation sequences and optimal linear codes. For an
arbitrary odd prime p, there are only two basic classes of two-level
auto-correlation p-ary sequences with no subfield structures: the msequences
and the Helleseth-Gong sequences, where Helleseth-Gong
sequences are closely related to a class of p-ary perfect nonlinear functions.
Papers I and II are dedicated to investigating the cross-correlation
between the p-ary m-sequences and d-decimated Helleseth-Gong sequences
for some decimations d, and to constructing sequence families
with low correlation from them. Papers III-IV have focused on the study
of linear codes defined from highly nonlinear functions. Paper III utilizes
some highly nonlinear functions including PN and APN functions
to construct ternary cyclic codes with the optimal minimum (Hamming)
distance. Paper IV further investigates the weight distribution of some
optimal cyclic codes proposed in Paper III. Paper V examines the covering
radius of some linear codes defined from PN and APN functions
and presents a number of quasi-perfect linear codes
Evolving spiking neural networks and neurogenetic systems for spatio-and spectro-temporal data modelling and pattern recognition

Spatio- and spectro-temporal data (SSTD) are the most common types of data collected in many domain areas, including engineering, bioinformatics, neuroinformatics, ecology, environment, medicine, economics, etc. However, there is lack of methods for the efficient analysis of such data and for spatio-temporal pattern recognition (STPR). The brain functions as a spatio-temporal information processing machine and deals extremely well with spatio-temporal data. Its organisation and functions have been the inspiration for the development of new methods for SSTD analysis and STPR. The brain-inspired spiking neural networks (SNN) are considered the third generation of neural networks and are a promising paradigm for the creation of new intelligent ICT for SSTD. This new generation of computational models and systems are potentially capable of modelling complex information processes due to their ability to represent and integrate different information dimensions, such as time, space, frequency, and phase, and to deal with large volumes of data in an adaptive and self-organising manner. The paper reviews methods and systems of SNN for SSTD analysis and STPR, including single neuronal models, evolving spiking neural networks (eSNN) and computational neuro-genetic models (CNGM). Software and hardware implementations and some pilot applications for audio-visual pattern recognition, EEG data analysis, cognitive robotic systems, BCI, neurodegenerative diseases, and others are discussed
Behaviour-based cheat detection in multiplayer games with Event-B

Cheating is a key issue in multiplayer games as it causes unfairness\ud
which reduces legitimate users' satisfaction and is thus detrimental\ud
to game revenue. Many commercial solutions prevent cheats by reacting\ud
to speci c implementations of cheats. As a result, they respond more\ud
slowly to fast-changing cheat techniques. This work proposes a framework using Event-B to describe and detect cheats from server-visible game behaviours. We argue that this cheat detection is more resistant\ud
to changing cheat techniques
Specifying UML protocol state machines in Alloy

A UML Protocol State Machine (PSM) is a behavioral diagram for the specification of the external behavior of a class, interface or component. PSMs have been used in the software development process for different purposes, such as requirements analysis and testing. However, like other UML diagrams, they are often difficult to validate and verify, specially when combined with other artifacts, such as Object Constraint Language (OCL) specifications. This drawback can be overcome by application of an off-the-shelf formal method, namely one supporting automatic validation and verification. Among those, we have the increasingly popular Alloy, based on a simple relational flavor of first-order logic. This paper presents a model transformation from PSMs, optionally complemented with OCL specifications, to Alloy. Not only it enables automatic verification and validation of PSMs, but also a smooth integration of Alloy in current software development practices.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologi
An innovative contribution to health technology assessment

Healthcare is moving towards increased assistance needs with limited resources, both in economics terms, in personnel or space terms, leading to the usage of specific analysis for the acquisition, evaluation and assessment of medical technologies. The systematic evaluation of properties, effects or other impacts of a medical (or health) technology with a broad multidisciplinary approach is named Health Technology Assessment (HTA).This work presents an approach of a HTA protocol for the classification of hospitals or health facilities equipments, realized by combining the classic HTA concepts with hierarchic clustering techniques in a multidisciplinary analysis of requirements, cost, impact of logistics, technology associated risks
Approximation fixpoint theory and the semantics of logic and answers set programs

Approximation Fixpoint Theory was developed as a fixpoint
theory of lattice operators that provides a uniform formalization of four
main semantics of three major nonmonotonic reasoning formalisms. The
aim of this paper is, first, to clarify the application of this fixpoint theory
to define the stable and well-founded semantics of logic programs, and
second, to show the remarkable power of this theory for defining natural
and elegant versions of these semantics for extensions of logic and answer
set programs. In particular, we here consider extensions with general
rule bodies, general interpretations (also non-Herbrand interpretations)
and aggregates. We also investigate the relationship with the equilibrium
semantics of nested answer set programs, on the formal and the informal
level.status: publishe
Well-Supported Semantics for Logic Programs with Generalized Rules

Logic programming under the stable model semantics has been extended to arbitrary formulas. A question of interest is how to characterize the property of well-supportedness, in the sense of Fages, which has been considered a cornerstone in answer set programming. In this paper, we address this issue by considering general logic programs, which consist of disjunctive rules with arbitrary propositional formulas in rule bodies. We define the justified stable semantics for these programs, propose a general notion of well-supportedness, and show the relationships between the two. We address the issue of computational complexity for various classes of general programs. Finally, we show that previously proposed well-supported semantics for aggregate programs and description logic programs are rooted in the justified stable semantics of general programs.Full Tex
ACARP: Auto correct activity recognition rules using process analysis toolkit (PAT)

Activity recognition within ambient environments is a highly non-trivial process. Such procedures can be managed using rule based systems in monitoring human behavior. However, designing and verification of such systems is laborious and time-consuming. We present a rule verification system that uses model checking techniques to ensure rule validity. This system also performs correction of erroneous rules automatically, therefore reducing reliance on manual rule checking, verification and correction.Full Tex
Impact analysis of assessment, consultation and education services to support the adoption of smart home technologies, innovations for chronic disease prevention and solutions for independent living

Aims: To review the impact of the services of LifeTec, a NFP (not-for-profit) state-wide community-funded provider of assessment, consultation and education services to support the adoption of smart home technologies, innovations for chronic disease prevention and solutions for independent living.
Methodology: a review of service data collected by LifeTec and independently evaluated
Findings: LifeTec and other similar ILCs (Independent Living Centres) in Australia and other countries, provide an assessment, consultation and education service that is critical for people with disabilities, the frail aged and others needing support.  The services are accessed by consumers, their families, care provider organisations, clinicians and educators; the needs for these services are far greater than currently-funded capacity and there will be a need for greater capacity as baby-boomers move into the ages when needs for support will spiral upwards. 
Summary: The disability support and aged care sectors have not to date taken advantage of assistive and other relevant technologies; there is a massive unmet need for greater support and a significant level of issues that are not addressed. There will need to be a significant increase in funding of ILCs to meet both existing needs as well as to surge at appears to be changing and there is now significant investment in clinical systems and other systems to assist staff in providing care.
Branching processes, the max-plus algebra and network calculus

Branching processes can describe the dynamics of various queueing systems, peer-to-peer systems, delay tolerant networks, etc. In this paper we study the basic stochastic recursion of multitype branching processes, but in two non-standard contexts. First, we consider this recursion in the max-plus algebra where branching corresponds to finding the maximal offspring of the current generation. Secondly, we consider network-calculus-type deterministic bounds as introduced by Cruz, which we extend to handle branching-type processes. The paper provides both qualitative and quantitative results and introduces various applications of (max-plus) branching processes in queueing theory
Analysis of a two-class FCFS queueing system with interclass correlation

This paper considers a discrete-time queueing system with one server and two classes of customers. All arriving customers are accommodated in one queue, and are served in a First-Come-First-Served order, regardless of their classes. The total numbers of arrivals during consecutive time slots are i.i.d. random variables with arbitrary distribution. The classes of consecutively arriving customers, however, are correlated in a Markovian way, i.e., the probability that a customer belongs to a class depends on the class of the previously arrived customer. Service-time distributions are assumed to be general but class-dependent. We use probability generating functions to study the system analytically. The major aim of the paper is to estimate the impact of the interclass correlation in the arrival stream on the queueing performance of the system, in terms of the (average) number of customers in the system and the (average) customer delay and customer waiting time
Secure multi-execution through static program transformation

Secure multi-execution (SME) is a dynamic technique to ensure secure information flow. In a nutshell, SME enforces security by running one execution of the program per security level, and by reinterpreting input/output operations w.r.t. their associated security level. SME is sound, in the sense that the execution of a program under SME is non-interfering, and precise, in the sense that for programs that are non-interfering in the usual sense, the semantics of a program under SME coincides with its standard semantics. A further virtue of SME is that its core idea is language-independent; it can be applied to a broad range of languages. A downside of SME is the fact that existing implementation techniques require modifications to the runtime environment, e.g. the browser for Web applications. In this article, we develop an alternative approach where the effect of SME is achieved through program transformation, without modifications to the runtime, thus supporting server-side deployment on the web. We show on an exemplary language with input/output and dynamic code evaluation (modeled after JavaScript’s eval) that our transformation is sound and precise. The crux of the proof is a simulation between the execution of the transformed program and the SME execution of the original program. This proof has been machine-checked using the Agda proof assistant. We also report on prototype implementations for a small fragment of Python and a substantial subset of JavaScript.status: publishe
Complexity Management in Product/Process  Simultaneous Design for Implementing a Fresnel  Thermodynamic Solar Plant

Fresnel mirror in thermodynamic solar power plant technology is an  efficient power resource in many potential countries. The key challenge is cost  effectiveness of the product and its settling. The importance of using this tech-
nology redounded in writing this paper to propose a methodology in order to  design this system considering its complexities. Because of the dependency of  the  product  with  process  of  production  and  installation  of  this  solar  plant,  a  simultaneous design methodology is required. Moreover, a concept of movable  factory, from one solar farm site to another one, is also discussed which is iden- tified as a proper solution for such project with reusability
Slead: low-memory, steady distributed systems slicing

Slicing a large-scale distributed system is the process of autonomously partitioning its nodes into k groups, named slices. Slicing is associated to an order on node-specific criteria, such as available storage, uptime, or bandwidth. Each slice corresponds to the nodes between two quantiles in a virtual ranking according to the criteria.
For instance, a system can be split in three groups, one with nodes with the lowest uptimes, one with nodes with the highest uptimes, and one in the middle. Such a partitioning can be used by applications to assign different tasks to different groups of nodes, e.g., assigning critical tasks to the more powerful or stable nodes and less critical tasks to other slices.
Assigning a slice to each node in a large-scale distributed system, where no global knowledge of nodes’ criteria exists, is not trivial. Recently, much research effort was dedicated to guaranteeing a fast and correct convergence in comparison to a global sort of the nodes.
Unfortunately, state-of-the-art slicing protocols exhibit flaws that preclude their application in real scenarios, in particular with respect to cost and stability. In this paper, we identify steadiness issues where nodes in a slice border constantly exchange slice and large memory requirements for adequate convergence, and provide practical solutions for the two. Our solutions are generic and can be applied to two different state-of-the-art slicing protocols with little effort and while preserving the desirable properties of each. The effectiveness of the proposed solutions is extensively studied in several simulated experiments