ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
Information-theoretic metric learning
Authors: Jason V. Davis, Brian Kulis, Prateek Jain, Suvrit Sra, Inderjit S. Dhillon
Venue: Proceedings of the 24th international conference on Machine learning (2007)

In this paper, we present an information-theoretic approach to learning a Mahalanobis distance function. We formulate the problem as that of minimizing the differential relative entropy between two multivariate Gaussians under constraints on the distance function. We express this problem as a particular Bregman optimization problem---that of minimizing the LogDet divergence subject to linear constraints. Our resulting algorithm has several advantages over existing methods. First, our method can handle a wide variety of constraints and can optionally incorporate a prior on the distance function. Second, it is fast and scalable. Unlike most existing methods, no eigenvalue computations or semi-definite programming are required. We also present an online version and derive regret bounds for the resulting algorithm. Finally, we evaluate our method on a recent error reporting system for software called Clarify, in the context of metric learning for nearest neighbor classification, as well as on standard data sets.
We work so hard and they don't use it: acceptance of software tools by teachers
Authors: Ronit Ben-Bassat Levy, Mordechai Ben-Ari
Venue: ACM SIGCSE Bulletin (2007)

Animation systems-software tools that can show a dynamic view of the execution of a program-were designed to help novices improve their understanding and to help teachers facilitate learning. Preliminary studies on the effectiveness of animation systems on the understanding of students have shown encouraging results. Nevertheless, the use of animation system is not very widespread. This paper presents the results of a phenomenographic study designed to describe the different ways that teachers experience the use of an animation system as a pedagogical tool. The results suggest that increased acceptance of such tools by teachers depends on integrating the tools with other learning materials and on addressing the role of the teacher in the use of software by the students.
Recommender Systems
Authors: Hannes Werthner, Hans Robert Hansen, Franceso Ricci
Venue: Proceedings of the 40th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2007)

Recommender systems give advice about products, information or services users might be interested in. They are intelligent applications to assist users in a decision-making process where they want to choose one item amongst a potentially overwhelming set of alternative products or services. And they are probably among the most prominent applications having a substantial impact on the performance of e-commerce sites and the sector in general. In fact, even if the problem of supporting a choice decision process is quite old, it is only with the advent of the WWW that we had at disposal, in a large quantity, two basic ingredients of recommender systems: a large catalogue of products, as in e-commerce web sites, and a large population of consumers/users querying these web sites and leaving track of they on-line behavior. From their introduction, recommender systems have been exploited for recommending books, CDs, movies, news, electronics, travels, financial services, and many other products and services. Recommender systems are becoming more and more popular even in rather simple e-commerce web sites.
An algebraic approach to generate super-set of perfect complementary codes for interference-free CDMA: Research Articles
Authors: Hsiao-Hwa Chen, Shin-Wei Chu, N. Kuroyanagi, A. J. Han Vinck
Venue: Wireless Communications Mobile Computing (2007)

This paper introduces an algebraic approach to generate the super-set of perfect complementary (PC) codes suitable for new generation CDMA applications, characterized by isotropic multiple access interference (MAI) free and multipath interference (MI) free properties. The code design methodology proposed in this paper takes into account major impairing factors existing in real applications, such as MAI, MI, asynchronous transmissions, and random signs in consecutive symbols, such that a CDMA system using the generated codes can insure a truly interference-free operation. Two important facts will be revealed by the analysis given in this paper. First, implementation of an interference-free CDMA will never be possible unless using complementary code sets, such as the PC code sets generated in this paper. In other words, all traditional spreading codes working on an one-code-per-user basis are not useful for implementation of an MAI-free and MI-free CDMA system. Second, to enable the interference-free CDMA operation, the flock size of the PC codes should be made equal to the set size of the codes, implying that a PC code set can support as many users as the flock size of the code set. A systematic search has been carried out to generate the super-set of various PC codes with the help of carefully selected seed codes belonging to distinct sub-sets. This paper will also propose an implementation scheme based on multi-carrier CDMA architecture and its performance is compared by simulations with the ones using traditional spreading codes. Copyright &copy; 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Novel Algorithm for Estimating the Center of Rotation and Motion Parameters Using Stereo Sequence Images and the Virtual Simulation Validation Based on Three-COMERO
Authors: Wanpeng Cao, Rensheng Che, Ye Dong
Venue: Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Artificial Reality and Telexistence--Workshops (2006)

This paper proposes a kind of general motion model and deterministic algorithm to compute the objects' centers of rotation and 3D motion parameters based on stereo sequences images and validates the algorithm through virtual simulation based on three- COMERO. It is assumed that the establishing correspondence between the matching points has been accomplished. For arbitrary two motion objects, firstly we set up three virtual space reference frames respectively on the two motion objects and the left camera, and their space relation is described according to the coordinates of the correspondence points that lie on the two measured motion objects. Then, we design the two objects' 3D motion model through the rigid motion objects' character under the three reference frames. From the two objects' motion model and dynamics knowledge of rigid motion, we work out the motion algorithm to compute the center of rotation through eliminate the affection of relative motion and translation motion. Finally, the motion equations are educed from these motion models and the closed-form solutions are figured out. Virtual simulation experiments through three-COMERO are conducted using synthesized stereo sequence images corrupted by noise and the experiment results prove the model's correction and the algorithm's validity.
Solving numerical equations of hydraulic problems using particle swarm optimization
Authors: R. A. Krohling, H. Knidel, Y. Shi
Venue: Proceedings of the Evolutionary Computation on 2002. CEC '02. Proceedings of the 2002 Congress - Volume 02 (2002)

This paper describes how to solve numerical equations of hydraulic problems that involve the calculation of free and forced channels. The problem is modeled by using the Manning equation. This equation allows the calculation of outflows, inclination of the channels, roughness, loss of energy and other parameters that are a function of the geometry of the channels. Since this equation presents high non-linearity, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to find a closed solution. We propose an alternative approach to obtain solution by using particle swarm optimization (PSO).
From kinescope to rich media: 50 years (ago) with Mike Wallace
Authors: Quinn Stewart, Grete Pasch, Rodrigo Arias
Venue: Proceedings of the 7th ACM/IEEE-CS joint conference on Digital libraries (2007)

What do Eleanor Roosevelt, Frank Lloyd Wright, Margaret Sanger, and Henry Kissinger have in common? All of them, and 55 other celebrities were interviewed by Mike Wallace in 1957-58, and the corresponding kinescopes have resided in the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas since the early 1960's. This demonstration will showcase an online searchable video digital library of the Wallace interviews created by researchers, staff, and students at the University of Texas School of Information and the Universidad Francisco Marroquín.
Compile time symbolic derivation with C++ templates
Authors: Joseph Gil, Zvi Gutterman
Venue: Proceedings of the 4th conference on USENIX Conference on Object-Oriented Technologies and Systems - Volume 4 (1998)

C++ templates are already recognized as a powerful linguistic mechanism, whose usefulness transcends the realization of traditional generic containers. In the same venue, this paper reports on a somewhat surprising application of templates-for computing the symbolic derivative of expression. Specifically, we describe a software package based on templates, called SEMT, which allows the programmer to create symbolic expressions, substitute variables in them, and compute their derivatives. SEMT is unique in that these manipulations are all done at compile time. In other words, SEMT effectively coerces the compiler to do symbolic computation as part of the compilation process. Beyond the theoretical interest, SEMT can be practically applied in the efficient, generic and easy to use implementation of many numerical algorithms.
Access Authentication to IMS Systems in Next Generation Networks
Authors: Silke Holtmanns, Son Phan-Anh
Venue: Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Networking (2007)

IP Multimedia System (IMS) access authentication over fixed networks faces some challenges in the process of converging fixed and mobile networks. Authentication in 3GPP IMS system is bound to lower layer authentication mechanisms, hence the used protocols can not be used directly for the NGN fixed network environment. Therefore different mechanisms were proposed in standardization, we will outline the approaches and their integration into the 3GPP IMS system.
Composing special memory allocators in C++
Authors: Keith Loepere
Venue: Proceedings of the 2nd conference on USENIX Conference on Object-Oriented Technologies (COOTS) - Volume 2 (1996)

The nature of complex, high performance system software imposes constraints on the nature and operation of memory allocation or requires special properties to be true for the memory. Often multiple constraints or properties must hold at once. It is desirable to express these constraints and properties as classes and methods. This paper presents a technique for expressing and composing special memory allocation mechanisms in C++.
Vector field characterization in ERS-1 imagery of sea ice
Authors: M. Thomas, C. A. Geiger, C. Kambhamettu
Venue: Proceedings of the Eighth IEEE Workshop on Applications of Computer Vision (2007)

The non rigid motion of sea ice is an essential component when describing global climatology models. With the availability of sequential ERS-1 satellite imagery, we estimate high resolution motion and describe the differential characteristics of motion. This characterization is subsequently used to locate critical points, also known as coherent structures, in the flow, thereby reducing the large vector field into a collection of important feature points which essentially describe the flow pattern. In this paper, we build on previous work in an attempt to enhance the characterization of the flow field via visualization and quantification of these coherent structures. We show that the statistical quantification of these structures can provide a greater clarity in our understanding of the physical dynamics taking place within the sea ice.
Static disassembly of obfuscated binaries
Authors: Christopher Kruegel, William Robertson, Fredrik Valeur, Giovanni Vigna
Venue: Proceedings of the 13th conference on USENIX Security Symposium - Volume 13 (2004)

Disassembly is the process of recovering a symbolic representation of a program's machine code instructions from its binary representation. Recently, a number of techniques have been proposed that attempt to foil the disassembly process. These techniques are very effective against state-of-the-art disassemblers, preventing a substantial fraction of a binary program from being disassembled correctly. This could allow an attacker to hide malicious code from static analysis tools that depend on correct disassembler output (such as virus scanners). The paper presents novel binary analysis techniques that substantially improve the success of the disassembly process when confronted with obfuscated binaries. Based on control flow graph information and statistical methods, a large fraction of the program's instructions can be correctly identified. An evaluation of the accuracy and the performance of our tool is provided, along with a comparison to several state-of-the-art disassemblers.
Constant Time Graph and Poset Algorithms on the Reconfigurable Multiple Bus Machine
Authors: Jerry L. Trahan, Ramachandran Vaidyanathan, Chittur P. Subbaraman
Venue: Proceedings of the 1994 International Conference on Parallel Processing - Volume 03 (1994)

The Reconfigurable Multiple Bus Machine (RMBM) is a model of parallel computation based on reconfigurable buses. In this paper, vie present constant time RMBM algorithms for a collection of basic, graph problems that include, lowest common ancestors and Euler tour related problems (for trees) and shortest path and connectivity related problems (for general graphs). We also present results for some poset and lattice problems. All algorithms are at least as efficient or more efficient in terms of processors than corresponding PARBUS algorithms.
Engineering and theoretical underpinnings of retrenchment
Authors: R. Banach, M. Poppleton, C. Jeske, S. Stepney
Venue: Science of Computer Programming (2007)

Refinement is reviewed, highlighting in particular the distinction between its use as a specification constructor at a high level, and its use as an implementation mechanism at a low level. Some of its shortcomings as a specification constructor at high levels of abstraction are pointed out, and these are used to motivate the adoption of retrenchment for certain high level development steps. Basic properties of retrenchment are described, including a justification of the operation proof obligation, simple examples, its use in requirements engineering and model evolution, and simulation properties. The interaction of retrenchment with refinement notions of correctness is overviewed, as is a range of other technical issues. Two case study scenarios are presented. One is a simple digital redesign control theory problem, and the other is an overview of the application of retrenchment to the Mondex Purse development.
Fault-Adaptive Control for Robust Performance Management of Computing Systems
Authors: Sherif Abdelwahed, Nagarajan Kandasamy
Venue: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Autonomic Computing (2007)

This paper introduces a fault-adaptive control approach for the robust and reliable performance management of computing systems. Fault adaptation involves the detection and isolation of faults, and then taking appropriate control actions to mitigate the fault effects and maintain control.
Nexperia Computing Architecture for Connected Consumer Applications
Authors: J. Augusto de Oliveira
Venue: Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on VLSI Design held jointly with 6th International Conference: Embedded Systems (2007)

The ongoing trend towards nanoscale technologies creates enormous opportunities for realizing the connected consumer vision. In this talk, we will illustrate how NXP Semiconductors Nexperia's computing architecture addresses the connected consumer requirements of low power, vibrant media capabilities, multi-standard communication pipes, and consumer price points. We also illustrate how the architecture helps to overcome the design challenges of TTM and complex integration of functions and features.
Comparison of instructional modalities for a course "Introduction to Computing in Engineering"
Authors: R. Shiavi
Venue: Proceedings of the 30th Annual Frontiers in Education - Volume 01 (2000)

The Vanderbilt University School of Engineering requires all engineering students in their first semester to take a course which introduces computers in engineering. The question always arises about the best setting in which to teach this type of material: a combination of lecture and laboratory, or all laboratory. This year (2000), the course was organized with two different modalities of instruction. One was the lecture/laboratory and the other the all laboratory structure. At the end of the semester an in-depth questionnaire with quantitative ratings was given to the students to determine if there were differences in learning effectiveness. Contingency tables were used to compare responses. There were several statistically significant differences in student responses favoring the all laboratory structure. Several of them are: the students are much more comfortable with computers at the end of the semester; laboratory was by far the preferred setting for learning the computational topics; and lecture was not a preferred setting for learning any topic.
Electronic Portfolios through a Qualitative Lens
Authors: Rebecca L. Fiedler, Cem Kaner
Venue: Proceedings of the 20th Conference on Software Engineering Education & Training (2007)

This report illustrates the use of qualitative methods and an interpretive framework (Cultural Historical Activity Theory) to examine educational interventions. The techniques are applicable to engineering education where researchers seek to investigate questions with rich contexts and compelling examples. The specific study illustrating the use of these techniques explored the impact of adopting portfolio management systems for accreditation on the learning experiences of the students required to use them. The data and interpretive framework highlight how use of portfolio assessment to satisfy accreditors' demands creates a variety of tensions - some of which can be resolved by improved design or implementation.
Improving technical writing via web-based peer review of final reports
Authors: E. A. Eschenbach
Venue: Proceedings of the Frontiers in Education Conference, 2001. 31st Annual - Volume 02 (2001)

This paper describes the use of web-based software for peer evaluation of final environmental impact assessment documents written by senior environmental resources engineering students. The use of peer evaluation of documents was implemented in order to respond to the need to improve the technical writing skills of our graduates as part of our ABET 2000 outcomes assessment program. This paper discusses how students demonstrate their understanding of environmental impact assessment and their writing skills through the peer evaluation of their final documents. Students report that this activity assists them in the development of their writing skills. These evaluations are a student reflection activity and provide the instructor information for assessing the acquisition of course knowledge as well as the improvement of students' technical writing skills.
Cubic shells
Authors: Akash Garg, Eitan Grinspun, Max Wardetzky, Denis Zorin
Venue: Proceedings of the 2007 ACM SIGGRAPH/Eurographics symposium on Computer animation (2007)

Hinge-based bending models are widely used in the physically-based animation of cloth, thin plates and shells. We propose a hinge-based model that is simpler to implement, more efficient to compute, and offers a greater number of effective material parameters than existing models. Our formulation builds on two mathematical observations: (a) the bending energy of curved flexible surfaces can be expressed as a cubic polynomial if the surface does not stretch; (b) a general class of anisotropic materials---those that are orthotropic---is captured by appropriate choice of a single stiffness per hinge. Our contribution impacts a general range of surface animation applications, from isotropic cloth and thin plates to orthotropic fracturing thin shells.
Mobile streams
Authors: M. Ranganathan, Laurent Andrey, Virginie Schaal, Anurag Acharya
Venue: Proceedings of the 6th conference on Annual Tcl/Tk Workshop, 1998 - Volume 6 (1998)

We present a toolkit for building event-driven, re-configurable distributed systems. An event-driven application is driven by asynchronous inputs that cause event-handlers to be invoked. A large class of distributed collaborative, testing, monitoring and control applications fit this paradigm - for example, conferencing and conference control applications, distributed control and testing applications and many others. In each case the notion of an "event" varies. In a collaborative system, events are user inputs; in a distributed monitoring and control system, events are changes in transducer inputs; in a distributed testing scenario, events are test outputs, timer alarms and so on. In such systems, it may be useful to have the ability to dynamically extend and re-configure the system. For example, in a collaborative system, different users may be interested in getting notification of different events that may not be known to the system designer a-priori - necessitating dynamic extension while the system is in execution. There are also situations where system design and performance may be enhanced by dynamic re-configuration - that is dynamic re-mapping of the system functionality while the system is in execution. Our goal is to build a system that enables the scripting of such event-driven applications.
Forecasting Software Aging of Service-Oriented Application Server Based on Wavelet Network with Adaptive Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Hai Ning Meng, Yong Qi, Di Hou, Ying Chen
Venue: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Autonomic Computing (2007)

Web services are gaining acceptance as a standards-based approach for integrating loosely coupled services. Achieving high levels of reliability and availability of service-oriented application server in spite of service or infrastructure failures poses new challenges. According to the characteristic of performance parameters of service-oriented application sever, a new software aging forecasting model based on wavelet network is proposed. The dimensionality of input variables is reduced by principal component analysis, and the structure and parameters of wavelet network are optimized with genetic algorithm and evolutionary programming. The objective is to observe and model the existing systematic parameter data series of service-oriented application server to forecast accurately future unknown data values. By the model, we can get the aging threshold before application server fails and rejuvenate the application server in autonomic ways before observed systematic parameter value reaches the threshold. The experiments are carried out to validate the efficiency of the proposed model and show that the aging forecasting model based on wavelet network with adaptive genetic algorithm is superior to the BP neural network model and wavelet network model in the aspects of convergence rate and forecasting precision.
Design and Implementation of a Reconfigurable, Embedded Real-Time Face Detection System
Authors: V. Mariatos, K. D. Adaos, G. P. Alexiou
Venue: Proceedings of the 18th IEEE/IFIP International Workshop on Rapid System Prototyping (2007)

This paper presents the design and implementation of a real time face detection system on an embedded reconfigurable platform. Our approach to face detection is based on a skin-segmentation algorithm followed by feature extraction and face verification. Our implementation is done on DMV, a reconfigurable platform with novel features targeting real time computer vision applications. DMV is a system on chip based on the combination of a high performance 32-bit SPARC-compliant processor with data-flow processing blocks.