ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
A new metric for robustness with application to job scheduling
Authors: D. England, J. Weissman, Jayashree Sadagopan
Venue: Proceedings of the High Performance Distributed Computing, 2005. HPDC-14. Proceedings. 14th IEEE International Symposium (2005)

Scheduling strategies for parallel and distributed computing have mostly been oriented toward performance, while striving to achieve some notion of fairness. With the increase in size, complexity, and heterogeneity of today's computing environments, we argue that, in addition to performance metrics, scheduling algorithms should be designed for robustness. That is, they should have the ability to maintain performance under a wide variety of operating conditions. Although robustness is easy to define, there are no widely used metrics for this property. To this end, we present a methodology for characterizing and measuring the robustness of a system to a specific disturbance. The methodology is easily applied to many types of computing systems and it does not require sophisticated mathematical models. To illustrate its use, we show three applications of our technique to job scheduling; one supporting a previous result with respect to backfilling, one examining overload control in a streaming video server, and one comparing two different scheduling strategies for a distributed network service. The last example also demonstrates how consideration of robustness leads to better system design as we were able to devise a new and effective scheduling heuristic.
A Non-repudiable Protocol for Secure Messaging
Authors: Hao Wang, Yuyi Ou, Jie Ling, Xiaotao He, Lu Liang, Xiang Xu
Venue: Proceedings of the 2007 IFIP International Conference on Network and Parallel Computing Workshops (2007)

As Oppliger stated in [1], secure messaging refers to the ability to provide data confidentiality, data integrity, data origin authentication, and nonrepudiation of origin services for email. It's very important but poorly developed and has very limited application. We propose an email protocol assures non-repudiability which means that if the email is successfully sent, the sender cannot deny s/he has actually sent the mail and the recipient cannot deny s/he has actually received it. The protocol uses an efficient RSA-based convertible signature.
Using paper mockups for evaluating soft keyboard layouts
Authors: I. Scott MacKenzie, Janet C. Read
Venue: Proceedings of the 2007 conference of the center for advanced studies on Collaborative research (2007)

Five experiments were conducted to compare soft keyboard layouts. The methodology involved paper mockups and manual timing in a classroom situation. Students worked in pairs - one as experimenter, one as participant - swapping roles midway through the experiment. Participants used a stylus to tap the well-known "quick brown fox" phrase five times on each layout. Entry speeds, computed from the measured time to enter the phrase, were 26.5 to 34.5 wpm for the Qwerty keyboard layout, 12.3 to 14.7 wpm for the Opti layout, 15.7 wpm for the Fitaly layout, 12.1 and 12.3 for a Qwerty-Phone (QP) hybrid layout, and 19.0 to 23.0 wpm for the standard phone keypad layout. The merits and limitations of the evaluation method are discussed.
Rapid surface registration of 3D volumes using a neural network approach
Authors: J. Zhang, Y. Ge, S. H. Ong, C. K. Chui, S. H. Teoh, C. H. Yan
Venue: Image and Vision Computing (2008)

An automatic surface-based rigid registration system using a neural network representation is proposed. The system has been applied to register human bone structures for image-guided surgery. A multilayer perceptron neural network is used to construct a patient-specific surface model from pre-operative images. A surface representation function derived from the resultant neural network model is then employed for intra-operative registration. The optimal transformation parameters are obtained via an optimization process. This segmentation/registration system achieves sub-voxel accuracy comparable to that of conventional techniques, and is significantly faster. These advantages are demonstrated using image datasets of the calcaneus and vertebrae.
Covert Channels in LAN's
Authors: C. G. Girling
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (1987)

An information transfer path that allows information to be transferred in a manner that violates the security policy of a trusted network is called a covert channel.
Statistical Estimation of Software Reliability
Authors: S. M. Ross
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (1985)

When a new computer software package is developed, a testing procedure is often put into effect to eliminate the faults, or bugs, in the package. One common procedure is to try the package on a set of well-known problems to try to see if any errors result. This goes for some fixed time with all detected errors being noted. Then the testing stops and the package is carefully checked to determine the specific bugs that were responsible for the observed errors, and the package is then altered to remove these bugs. A problem of great importance is the estimation of the error rate of this revised software package.
Enhancement of transient stability of multi-machine power systems by using fuzzy-genetic controller
Authors: Tomonobu Senjyu, Akihiro Miyazato, Katsumi Uezato
Venue: Journal of Intelligent Fuzzy Systems: Applications in Engineering and Technology (2000)

This article presents the procedure to design a cooperative fuzzy controller applying a genetic algorithm (GA) to improve power system transient stability. A remarkable feature of the method lies in the fact that it can quickly provide a global approximately optimal solution for gains and parameters for the fuzzy controller. In real application problems, trial and error method is extensively used to decide the gains and parameters. However, when the system condition or fault location changes, it is necessary to iterate again to obtain an approximately optimal controller. Moreover, if parameters are changed, it is difficult to achieve good dynamic response. Hence, a cooperative controller using a fuzzy-genetic system seems a quite efficient means for controlling electric generators.
An anisotropic diffusion-based defect detection for low-contrast glass substrates
Authors: Shin-Min Chao, Du-Ming Tsai
Venue: Image and Vision Computing (2008)

In this paper, we propose an anisotropic diffusion scheme to detect defects in low-contrast surface images and, especially, aim at glass substrates used in TFT-LCDs (Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Displays). In a sensed image of glass substrate, the gray levels of defects and background are hardly distinguishable and result in a low-contrast image. Therefore, thresholding and edge detection techniques cannot be applied to detect subtle defects in the glass substrates surface. Although the traditional diffusion model can effectively smooth noise and irregularity of a faultless background in an image, it can only passively stop the diffusion process to preserve the original low-contrast gray values of defect edges. The proposed diffusion method in this paper can simultaneously carry out the smoothing and sharpening operations so that a simple thresholding can be used to segment the intensified defects in the resulting image. The method adaptively triggers the smoothing process in faultless areas to make the background uniform, and performs the sharpening process in defective areas to enhance anomalies. Experimental results from a number of glass substrate samples including backlight panels and LCD glass substrates have shown the efficacy of the proposed diffusion scheme in low-contrast surface inspection.
Dynamic landmark placement as a navigation aid in virtual worlds
Authors: Daniel Cliburn, Tess Winlock, Stacy Rilea, Matt Van Donsel
Venue: Proceedings of the 2007 ACM symposium on Virtual reality software and technology (2007)

In this paper, we explore the use of dynamically placed landmarks as navigation aids when users search a virtual world for target objects. Subjects were asked to search a virtual world four times for six red spheres. Eighty-six subjects participated in one of four conditions: no landmarks, statically placed landmarks, landmarks dynamically placed into the world at the subject's discretion that disappeared from trial to trial, and landmarks dynamically placed into the world at the subject's discretion that remained from trial to trial. An analysis of the experimental results revealed that dynamic landmarks which disappeared between trials had little impact on a subject's performance. However, when landmarks remained in the world from one trial to the next, subjects covered significantly less distance than those in the no landmark condition, and obtained similar performance to those in the static landmark condition. Results indicate that dynamically placed landmarks, which remain between visits, can serve as effective navigation aids in virtual worlds lacking obvious physical landmarks.
Classification of stokes graphs of second order Fuchsian differential equations of genus two
Authors: Takashi Aoki, Takayuki Iizuka
Venue: Publications of the Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences (2007)

Stokes curves of second order Fuchsian differential equations on the Riemann sphere with a large parameter form sphere graphs, which are called Stokes graphs. Topological classification of Stokes graphs are given for the case where equations have five regular singular points. It is proved that there are exactly 25 degree sequences of sphere triangulations associated with Stokes graphs under suitable generic conditions.
Analysis of a Shared Resource MIMD Computer Organization
Authors: R. C. Pearce
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Computers (1978)

In computer architecture investigations a major interest is in the analysis of organizations which explore parallelism, and therefore, may have multiple instruction and multiple data streams (MIMD). In this paper, a MIMD structure with one shared resource is analyzed for both synchronous and asynchronous request arrivals. Although the analysis is somewhat restricted, it appears that a similar approach can be used to extend the model to more general MIMD cases. Results presented for one particular set of parameters indicate that an optimum resource replication is possible such that an optimum cost performance is achieved.
Minimax nature of the linear estimates of the indefinite stochastic vector from the generalized probabilistic criteria
Authors: K. V. Semenikhin
Venue: Automation and Remote Control (2007)

Consideration was given to the Bayesian estimation in the multidimensional indefinite-stochastic observation model using the minimax criterion with the generalized probabilistic risk functionals. The sufficient conditions for minimax-optimality of the linear estimate in the class of all measurable estimates were formulated. The cases of the risk functionals in the form of expected losses, the probabilities of error exaltation over some level, as well as the quantiles of the error norm were discussed in detail.
2007 Special Issue: Resolving some confusions over attention and consciousness
Authors: J. G. Taylor, N. Fragopanagos
Venue: Neural Networks (2007)

There is presently an ongoing debate about the relation between attention and consciousness. Thus debate is being fuelled by results from experimental paradigms which probe various forms of the interaction between attention and consciousness, such as the attentional blink, object-substitution masking and change blindness. We present here simulations of these three paradigms which can all be produced from a single overarching control model of attention. This model helps to suggest an explanation of consciousness as created through attention, and helps to explore the complex nature of attention. It indicates how it is possible to accommodate the relevant experimental results without needing to regard consciousness and attention as independent processes.
Efficient XML query using Relational Data Model
Authors: Sungchul Hong, Yeong-Tae Song
Venue: Proceedings of the Eighth ACIS International Conference on Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Networking, and Parallel/Distributed Computing - Volume 03 (2007)

XML files are effective for data store, search and query when used as a single entity. However, when it comes search and query to multiple XML files, performance and efficiency are the ones that are to be degradated. To cope with such degradation, we are proposing an efficient way of merging XML files into a relational database for permanent storage and take advantage of relational database management system's search and query features to locate certain record. Once the resulting record - used to be an XML file - is located, it will be converted back to an XML file for further use. Upon completion on further use, the XML is merged back to the database. To accommodate such need, multiple tables are created according to the XML file's tag structure. In our approach, there are two data transformation functions -- one is to conver XML to relational data model and the other is relational data model to XML. We have developed a prototype conversion system for the technical feasibility analysis. For the sake of our experiment, we have used a virtual collaboration system called VCEI where for each discussion session, all the discussion or conference content are stored in a single XML file. Over the times, the number of discussions grows big and so is the number of XML files. The prototype also demonstrates the functional extension of the existing remote conferencing system.
How much anonymity does network latency leak?
Authors: Nicholas Hopper, Eugene Y. Vasserman, Eric Chan-Tin
Venue: Proceedings of the 14th ACM conference on Computer and communications security (2007)

Low-latency anonymity systems such as Tor, AN.ON, Crowds, and Anonymizer.com aim to provide anonymous connections that are both untraceable by "local" adversaries who control only a few machines, and have low enough delay to support anonymous use of network services like web browsing and remote login. One consequence of these goals is that these services leak some information about the network latency between the sender and one or more nodes in the system. This paper reports on three experiments that partially measure the extent to which such leakage can compromise anonymity. First, using a public dataset of pairwise round-trip times (RTTs) between 2000 Internet hosts, we estimate that on average, knowing the network location of host A and the RTT to host B leaks 3.64 bits of information about the network location of B. Second, we describe an attack that allows a pair of colluding web sites to predict, based on local timing information and with no additional resources, whether two connections from the same Tor exit node are using the same circuit with 17% equal error rate. Finally, we describe an attack that allows a malicious website, with access to a network coordinate system and one corrupted Tor router, to recover roughly 6.8 bits of network location per hour.
A note on parallel and alternating time
Authors: Felipe Cucker, Irénée Briquel
Venue: Journal of Complexity (2007)

A long standing open question in complexity theory over the reals is the relationship between parallel time and quantifier alternation. It is known that alternating digital quantifiers is weaker than parallel time, which in turn is weaker than alternating unrestricted (real) quantifiers. In this note we consider some complexity classes defined through alternation of mixed digital and unrestricted quantifiers in different patterns. We show that the class of sets decided in parallel polynomial time is sandwiched between two such classes for different patterns.
Genetic algorithm based automatic data partitioning scheme for HPF
Authors: A. Shearer, Y. N. Srikant
Venue: Proceedings of the High Performance Distributed Computing, 2005. HPDC-14. Proceedings. 14th IEEE International Symposium (2005)

The performance of a parallel program depends largely on its data partitions. So a good data partitioning scheme is the need of the time. However it is very difficult to arrive at a good solution as the number of possible data partitions for a given real life program is exponential in the size of the program. We present a heuristic technique for automatic data partitioning for HPF. Our approach is based on genetic algorithms and is very simple, yet very efficient to quickly find appropriate data partitions even for large programs with large number of alternatives for data distribution. It makes use of both static as well as dynamic data distribution with the main aim of reducing the overall execution time of the entire program.
A Novel Algorithm of Matrix Computation for Knowledge Reductions in Inconsistent Ordered Information Systems
Authors: Wei-Hua Xu, Wen-Xiu Zhang
Venue: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Fuzzy Systems and Knowledge Discovery - Volume 03 (2007)

In this article, a new method for knowledge reductions is introduced in inconsistent ordered information systems. The dominance matrix and decision assignment matrix are pro- posed in information systems based on dominance relations. Furthermore, the algorithm of assignment reduction is ob- tained, from which we can provide approach to knowledge reductions operated simply in inconsistent systems based on dominance relations. Finally, an example illustrates the va- lidity of this method, and shows the method is excellent to a complicated information system.
Gaussian averages of interpolated bodies and applications to approximate reconstruction
Authors: Y. Gordon, A. E. Litvak, S. Mendelson, A. Pajor
Venue: Journal of Approximation Theory (2007)

We prove sharp bounds for the expectation of the supremum of the Gaussian process indexed by the intersection of B"p^n with @rB"q^n for 1=0, and by the intersection of B"p"~^n with @rB"2^n for 00. We present an application of this result to a statistical problem known as the approximate reconstruction problem.
The geometry of innocent flesh on the bone: return-into-libc without function calls (on the x86)
Authors: Hovav Shacham
Venue: Proceedings of the 14th ACM conference on Computer and communications security (2007)

We present new techniques that allow a return-into-libc attack to be mounted on x86 executables that calls no functions at all. Our attack combines a large number of short instruction sequences to build gadgets that allow arbitrary computation. We show how to discover such instruction sequences by means of static analysis. We make use, in an essential way, of the properties of the x86 instruction set.
An Application of GA for Symbol Detection in MIMO Communication Systems
Authors: Sajid Bashir, Adnan Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Naeem, Syed Ismail Shah
Venue: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Natural Computation - Volume 02 (2007)

Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) based communication system architecture promises increased capacity and high data rates. Increase in the number of transmit antennas and using higher order complex modulation schemes achieves even higher performance but with exponentially increasing complexity at the receiver end. This paper explores the application of genetic algorithm (GA) for reducing complexity in solving this NP Hard problem. This approach is particularly attractive as GA is well suited for physically realizable, real-time applications, where low complexity and fast convergence is of absolute importance. While an optimal Maximum Likelihood (ML) detection using an exhaustive search method is prohibitively complex, simulation results show that the GA optimized MIMO detection algorithm results in near optimal Bit Error Rate (BER) performance, with significantly reduced complexity. Results also suggest that the GA based MIMO detection out-performs the Vertical Bell labs Layered Space Time (V-BLAST) detector in BER performance without severely increasing the systems complexity
Detecting Major Segmentation Errors for a Tracked Person Using Colour Feature Analysis
Authors: Christopher Madden, Massimo Piccardi
Venue: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Image Analysis and Processing (2007)

This paper presents a method to identify frames with significant segmentation errors in an individual's track by analysing the changes in appearance and size features along the frame sequence. The features used and compared include global colour histograms, local histograms and the bounding box' size. Experiments were carried out on 26 tracks from 4 different people across two cameras with differing illumination conditions. By fusing two local colour features with a global colour feature, probabilities of segmentation error detection as high as 83 percent of human expert-identified major segmentation errors are achieved with false alarm rates of only 3 percent. This indicates that the analysis of such features along a track can be useful in the automatic detection of significant segmentation errors. This can improve the final results of many applications that wish to use robust segmentation results from a tracked person.
A Performance Evaluation of RSerPool Server Selection Policies in Varying Heterogeneous Capacity Scenarios
Authors: Thomas Dreibholz, Xing Zhou, Erwin P. Rathgeb
Venue: Proceedings of the 33rd EUROMICRO Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications (2007)

Reliable Server Pooling (RSerPool) is a protocol framework for server redundancy and session failover, currently still under standardization by the IETF RSerPool WG. Server redundancy influences load distribution and load balancing, which both are important for the performance of RSerPool systems. Especially, a good load balancing strategy is crucial if the servers of a pool are heterogeneous. Some research on this subject has already been performed, but a detailed analysis on the question of how to make best use of additional capacity in dynamic pools is still open. Therefore, the aim of this paper is, after an outline of the RSerPool framework, to simulatively examine the performance of RSerPool server selection strategies in scenarios of pools with varying server heterogeneity. In particular, this paper examines and evaluates a simple but very effective new policy, achieving a significant performance improvement in such situations.
Hints for Computer System Design
Authors: B. W. Lampson
Venue: IEEE Software (1984)

Decorated with pithy quotations from many sources, this collection of good advice and anecdotes draws upon the folk wisdom of experienced designers.
Recognition and classification of noun phrases in queries for effective retrieval
Authors: Wei Zhang, Shuang Liu, Clement Yu, Chaojing Sun, Fang Liu, Weiyi Meng
Venue: Proceedings of the sixteenth ACM conference on Conference on information and knowledge management (2007)

It has been shown that using phrases properly in the document retrieval leads to higher retrieval effectiveness. In this paper, we define four types of noun phrases and present an algorithm for recognizing these phrases in queries. The strengths of several existing tools are combined for phrase recognition. Our algorithm is tested using a set of 500 web queries from a query log, and a set of 238 TREC queries. Experimental results show that our algorithm yields high phrase recognition accuracy. We also use a baseline noun phrase recognition algorithm to recognize phrases from the TREC queries. A document retrieval experiment is conducted using the TREC queries (1) without any phrases, (2) with the phrases recognized from a baseline noun phrase recognition algorithm, and (3) with the phrases recognized from our algorithm respectively. The retrieval effectiveness of (3) is better than that of (2), which is better than that of (1). This demonstrates that utilizing phrases in queries does improve the retrieval effectiveness, and better noun phrase recognition yields higher retrieval performance.