ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
Bayesian hypothesis testing for the distribution of insurance claim counts using the Gibbs sampler
Authors: Athanassios Katsis, Ioannis Ntzoufras
Venue: Journal of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (2005)

We construct and present a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm for the estimation of posterior odds and probabilities of alternative models used to evaluate competing hypotheses regarding three common discrete distributions involved in the modeling of the outstanding claim counts in actuarial science. The proposed methodology involves advanced statistical techniques of Bayesian modeling which make use of the Gibbs sampling variable selection algorithm. One of the main advantages of this approach over the popular reversible jump algorithm [12] is its straightforward implementation using the MCMC language tool of WINBUGS software [17]. The methodology is applied to a real data set. Directions regarding the implementation in WINBUGS are provided at the Appendix. It is worth noting that although the context of the problem is actuarial, the methodology can be applied to any field of science where the aim is the comparison or selection of discrete distributions of counts.
Combining Multiple Resources to Build Reliable Wordnets
Authors: Darja Fišer, Benoît Sagot
Venue: Proceedings of the 11th international conference on Text, Speech and Dialogue (2008)

This paper compares automatically generated sets of synonyms in French and Slovene wordnets with respect to the resources used in the construction process. Polysemous words were disambiguated via a five-language word-alignment of the SEERA.NET parallel corpus, a subcorpus of the JRC Acquis. The extracted multilingual lexicon was disambiguated with the existing wordnets for these languages. On the other hand, a bilingual approach sufficed to acquire equivalents for monosemous words. Bilingual lexicons were extracted from different resources, including Wikipedia, Wiktionary and EUROVOC thesaurus. A representative sample of the generated synsets was evaluated against the goldstandards.
The Reduceron: Widening the von Neumann Bottleneck for Graph Reduction Using an FPGA
Authors: Matthew Naylor, Colin Runciman
Venue: Implementation and Application of Functional Languages: 19th International Workshop, IFL 2007, Freiburg, Germany, September 27-29, 2007. Revised Selected Papers (2008)

For the memory intensive task of graph reduction, modern PCs are limited not by processor speed, but by the rate that data can travel between processor and memory. This limitation is known as the von Neumann bottleneck. We explore the effect of widening this bottleneck using a special-purpose graph reduction machine with wide, parallel memories. Our prototype machine --- the Reduceron --- is implemented using an FPGA, and is based on a simple template-instantiation evaluator. Running at only 91.5MHz on an FPGA, the Reduceron is faster than mature bytecode implementations of Haskell running on a 2.8GHz PC.
Game-theoretic recommendations: some progress in an uphill battle
Authors: Moshe Tennenholtz
Venue: Proceedings of the 7th international joint conference on Autonomous agents and multiagent systems - Volume 1 (2008)

Game theory has become the central language for the analysis of multi-agent systems. Moreover, the central game-theoretic solution concept, the Nash equilibrium, has become a standard tool for that analysis. A game is a general way for representation of interactions among agents: each agent has strategies he can choose from, and each tuple of strategies, one for each agent, determines a payoff for each of the agents. A Nash equilibrium is a strategy profile, such that unilateral deviations from it are not beneficial. However, this concept does not provide a solution to what we believe to be the major challenges of game theory and the theory of multi-agent systems: 1. Given a game, how should the agent choose his action? 2. Given a game, how can a mediator/administrator, who can not enforce behavior, lead the agents to adopt a desired behavior?
Reclassification of Linearly Classified Data Using Constraint Databases
Authors: Peter Revesz, Thomas Triplet
Venue: Proceedings of the 12th East European conference on Advances in Databases and Information Systems (2008)

In many problems the raw data is already classified according to a variety of features using some linear classification algorithm but needs to be reclassified. We introduce a novel reclassification method that creates new classes by combining in a flexible way the existing classes without requiring access to the raw data. The flexibility is achieved by representing the results of the linear classifications in a linear constraint database and using the full query capabilities of a constraint database system. We implemented this method based on the MLPQ constraint database system. We also tested the method on a data that was already classified using a decision tree algorithm.
Descnrptive Contour Fill of Parly Degenerated Shapes
Authors: Roger Hersch
Venue: IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications (1986)

A uniform and consistent way of filling degenerated shapes on a restergrid is presented. The processing algorithms described are based on contour segmentation of shapes along local minima and maxima (polysegments). To reduce errors, contour segments are scan convertedby considering their real parameters. A criterion is introduced to find discreate departure and arrival pixels as well as the initial error for subsequent scan conversion of segments. The context-based description of potential polysegment and scan line intersections permits both the handling of singularities at birth and death points and the treatment of polysegment degeneration. The definition of degeneration and the execution of corresponding processing steps at segment, polysegment, birth and death point levels enables contour filling of shapes scaled down by any factor.
Using Visualization Tools to Guide Consensus in Group Decision Making
Authors: Sergio Alonso, Enrique Herrera-Viedma, Francisco Javier Cabrerizo, Carlos Porcel, A. G. López-Herrera
Venue: Proceedings of the 7th international workshop on Fuzzy Logic and Applications: Applications of Fuzzy Sets Theory (2007)

In the resolution of group decision making problems where the consensus process can not be held face to face by the experts it is usually difficult for them to be able to identify the closeness of the opinions of the rest of the experts, and thus, it is difficult to have a clear view of the current state of the consensus process. In this paper we present a tool that creates consensus diagrams that can help experts to easily comprehend the current consensus state and to easily identify the experts that have similar or very different opinions. Those diagrams are based on several new similarity and consistency measures.
Integrating web application security into the IT curriculum
Authors: James Walden
Venue: Proceedings of the 9th ACM SIGITE conference on Information technology education (2008)

Attackers are increasingly targeting web applications. Buffer overflows had been the most common vulnerability type since CERT began collecting statistics, but web application vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting have dominated vulnerability reports since 2005. Despite billions of dollars spent on network security, the amount lost to computer crime, much of it the result of the insecurity of web applications, grows every year. In part, this problems results from the fact that perimeter security techniques like firewalls do little to protect web applications. In order for students to be prepared for the current threat environment, we need to integrate web application security into the IT curriculum. Both information security and web programming classes need to cover this topic. This paper describes techniques, tools, and labs for integrating web application security into both types of classes. Some techniques, such as penetration testing using web proxies, are applicable to both types of classes. Other techniques, such as secure programming guidelines, are primarily useful in web programming classes, while some tools, like web application firewalls, are more important in information security classes. We use the open source web application security teaching tool WebGoat for introductory labs that teach the students about the nature of specific vulnerabilities like SQL injection. These labs also introduce students to open source web testing proxies, such as Burp Suite, which they use more deeply in later labs that focus on penetration testing of a complete web application. Students in security classes also learn how to use web vulnerability scanners and web application firewalls, while web programming classes focus on learning how to write code without common vulnerabilities.
MIRACLE at GeoCLEF Query Parsing 2007: Extraction and Classification of Geographical Information
Authors: Sara Lana-Serrano, Julio Villena-Román, José Carlos González-Cristóbal, José Miguel Goñi-Menoyo
Venue: Advances in Multilingual and Multimodal Information Retrieval: 8th Workshop of the Cross-Language Evaluation Forum, CLEF 2007, Budapest, Hungary, September 19-21, 2007, Revised Selected Papers (2008)

This paper describes the participation of MIRACLE research consortium at the Query Parsing task of GeoCLEF 2007. Our system is composed of three main modules. The first one is the Named Geo-entity Identifier, whose objective is to perform the geo-entity identification and tagging, i.e., to extract the "where" component of the geographical query, if there is any. Then, the Query Analyzer parses this tagged query to identify the "what" and "geo-relation" components by means of a rule-based grammar. Finally, a two-level multiclassifier first decides whether the query is indeed a geographical query and, should it be positive, then determines the query type according to the type of information that the user is supposed to be looking for: map, yellow page or information.
Interactive Analysis of Time in Film Stories
Authors: Francesco Mele, Antonio Calabrese, Roberta Marseglia
Venue: Proceedings of the 10th Congress of the Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence on AI*IA 2007: Artificial Intelligence and Human-Oriented Computing (2007)

In this work we propose some principles that regulate temporal anchorages by means of which the spectator places the events of the story on the temporal axis of the fabula, the structure where the causality and the order of the events of a story are recorded. The approach adopted for the segmentation of the story of a film uses both syntactic elements, such as the scene and the sequence, and semantic elements, such as the events of the story, defined as actions that occur in a determined interval of time (diegetic). The base representation, chosen for the analysis of the time in a story, is a particular formulation of spectator beliefs, in which the time (explicit) is present both as the element that determines the variation of spectator beliefs during the vision of the film, and also as object of belief. In this paper, we propose also a system that supplies an interactive aid (as an example to a generic expert of cinema) in order to annotate the events of the story of a film. This system supplies in addition an aid in the analysis of the flashbacks, the forwards and the repetitions of events, and may apply temporal reasoning rules to order, both partially and totally, the events of the story.
TSLA: A QoS-Aware On-Demand Routing Protocol for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: C. Mbarushimana, A. Shahrabi
Venue: Proceedings of the 7th international conference on Ad-hoc, Mobile and Wireless Networks (2008)

The complexity of Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) has led to the extensive research in the development of their routing protocols as reported in literature. Although most of the proposed routing protocols are based on the shortest path algorithm, some other metrics like load and network congestion have also been considered in some other research. However, with the introduction of traffic differentiation in IEEE 802.11e, congestion effect becomes more distinct as the nodes with delay-sensitive multimedia applications tend to be busy for prolonged periods. This has received little attention in the literature to date. In this paper, we first expose that the performance of MANETs routing protocols is highly dependent on the type of traffic generated or routed by intermediate nodes. We then propose Type of Service and Load Aware routing protocol (TSLA), an enhancement to AODV that uses both the traffic load and the type of service as additional metrics. To our knowledge, TSLA is the first to avoid congestion by distributing the load over a potentially greater area and conducting the traffic through less busy nodes and, therefore, less congested routes. Our simulation study reveals a persistent improvement in throughput and packet delay of both low and high priority traffic.
Reliability optimization assessment method of a system under operational conditions
Authors: Gabriela Tont, Dan George Tont
Venue: Proceedings of the 9th WSEAS International Conference on International Conference on Automation and Information (2008)

Reliability optimization of complex systems is aligning in the larger framework of solving business and technical issues by adopting solution and decision-making under the simultaneous multi-objective conditions. The optimization is a key problem in the conceptual design, the implementation and realization in context of use of system. The feasible directions of reliability improvement may be achieved by reducing system complexity, increasing reliability of components, using structural redundancy or adequate maintenance strategies. The paper focuses on the opportunity of using continuous Markov chains, which allow modeling the behavior of complex systems under realistic time-dependent operational conditions, as an approach on managing and equipment stocks, a tool of reliability centered maintenance. The proposed simulation method is based on minimizing the stocking and failure costs of equipment under constraint of available acquisition and stocking sum. The case study, assessing two alternative situations of studied system, validates the effectiveness of method.
Overview of dual damascene integration schemes in Cu BEOL integration
Authors: J. Kriz, C. Angelkort, M. Czekalla, S. Huth, D. Meinhold, A. Pohl, S. Schulte, A. Thamm, S. Wallace
Venue: Microelectronic Engineering (2008)

An overview of different dual damascene approaches is given. Three approaches - trench first, trench first with metal hardmask, and via first - are described in detail. Trench first is the easiest approach but due to its limitation only suitable for wide ground rules with moderate aspect ratios. Via first is capable to run fine pitches and/or higher aspect ratios but has many problems to reach a proper transition between trench and via. With respect to this transition the trench first with metal hardmask concept seems to be advantageous, but it has its own challenges and problems. This article describes our solutions to these problems.
Performance Evaluation of a Mobile Agent Network Using Network Calculus
Authors: Vjekoslav Sinkovic, Mario Kusek, Gordan Jezic, Ignac Lovrek
Venue: Proceedings of the 12th international conference on Knowledge-Based Intelligent Information and Engineering Systems, Part I (2008)

This paper deals with performance evaluation of a mobile agent network using network calculus. A mobile agent network includes a multi-agent system and a set of processing nodes connected by a communication network where agents reside and operate as a team. We describe such a network as a queuing system where an agent represents an information unit to be served, while nodes represent servers capable of hosting, executing and communicating with agents. In a case study, a simulation-based method for performance evaluation is proposed. Various parameters for a given scenario are analysed and the experimental results are presented.
MobiHide: A Mobilea Peer-to-Peer System for Anonymous Location-Based Queries
Authors: Gabriel Ghinita, Panos Kalnis, Spiros Skiadopoulos
Venue: Proceedings of the 10th international symposium on Advances in Spatial and Temporal Databases (2007)

Modern mobile phones and PDAs are equipped with positioning capabilities (e.g., GPS). Users can access public location-based services (e.g., Google Maps) and ask spatial queries. Although communication is encrypted, privacy and confidentiality remain major concerns, since the queries may disclose the location and identity of the user. Commonly, spatial $\mathcal{K}$ -anonymity is employed to hide the query initiator among a group of $\mathcal{K}$ users. However, existing work either fails to guarantee privacy, or exhibits unacceptably long response time.In this paper we propose MobiHide, a Peer-to-Peer system for anonymous location-based queries, which addresses these problems. MobiHide employs the Hilbert space-filling curve to map the 2-D locations of mobile users to 1-D space. The transformed locations are indexed by a Chord-based distributed hash table, which is formed by the mobile devices. The resulting Peer-to-Peer system is used to anonymize a query by mapping it to a random group of $\mathcal{K}$ users that are consecutive in the 1-D space. Compared to existing state-of-the-art, MobiHide does not provide theoretical anonymity guarantees for skewed query distributions. Nevertheless, it achieves strong anonymity in practice, and it eliminates system hotspots. Our experimental evaluation shows that MobiHide has good load balancing and fault tolerance properties, and is applicable to real-life scenarios with numerous mobile users.
Explicit State Model Checking for Graph Grammars
Authors: Arend Rensink
Venue: Concurrency, Graphs and Models: Essays Dedicated to Ugo Montanari on the Occasion of His 65th Birthday (2008)

In this paper we present the philosophy behind the GROOVE project, in which graph transformation is used as a modelling formalism on top of which a model checking approach to software verification is being built. We describe the basic formalism, the current state of the project, and (current and future) challenges.
A Generic Context Information System for Intelligent Vision Applications
Authors: Luo Sun, Peng Dai, Linmi Tao, Guangyou Xu
Venue: Proceedings of the 8th international conference on Computational Science, Part I (2008)

The future intelligent vision is expected to be highly context-aware such that it can perceive and be aware of user's situation and react accordingly. In this paper, we propose a context representation mechanism and build a high-performance, extensible, distributed context information system based on it, in order to facilitate context-awareness development and information sharing. It pays attention to representing and organizing contexual information in an effective way and does not force any certain type of context reasoning algorithm. It can provide information-related services for distributed intelligent vision applications, mainly including representation, storing and retrieval, forming a whole pipeline of real-time semantic metadata generating and management. Besides user context, which is used to support runtime context communication between application components, our system also contains contextual descriptions about running environment and system configuration, making applications based on it can move to another environment or configuration seamlessly. Moreover, context representation in our system has a well-designed plugin-based architecture, helping users add their own context types without any modification of the original system. We introduce a context-aware meeting application based on our system, which employs Dynamic Bayesian Network as context reasoning algorithm. Experiment results show our context information system has excellent configurability, extensibility and performance.
Floodless in seattle: a scalable ethernet architecture for large enterprises
Authors: Changhoon Kim, Matthew Caesar, Jennifer Rexford
Venue: Proceedings of the ACM SIGCOMM 2008 conference on Data communication (2008)

IP networks today require massive effort to configure and manage. Ethernet is vastly simpler to manage, but does not scale beyond small local area networks. This paper describes an alternative network architecture called SEATTLE that achieves the best of both worlds: The scalability of IP combined with the simplicity of Ethernet. SEATTLE provides plug-and-play functionality via flat addressing, while ensuring scalability and efficiency through shortest-path routing and hash-based resolution of host information. In contrast to previous work on identity-based routing, SEATTLE ensures path predictability and stability, and simplifies network management. We performed a simulation study driven by real-world traffic traces and network topologies, and used Emulab to evaluate a prototype of our design based on the Click and XORP open-source routing platforms. Our experiments show that SEATTLE efficiently handles network failures and host mobility, while reducing control overhead and state requirements by roughly two orders of magnitude compared with Ethernet bridging.
Utilizing QR Code and Mobile Phones for Blinds and Visually Impaired People
Authors: Hend S. Al-Khalifa
Venue: Proceedings of the 11th international conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs (2008)

In this paper a barcode-based system to help the visually impaired and blind people identify objects in the environment is introduced. The system is based on the idea of utilizing QR codes (two-dimensional barcode) affixed to an object and scanned using a camera phone equipped with QR reader software. The reader decodes the barcode to a URL and directs the phone's browser to fetch an audio file from the Web that contains a verbal description of the object. Our proposed system is expected to be useful in real-time interaction with different environments and to further illustrate the potential of our work, two scenarios are presented.
Electrical Computers for Fire Control
Authors: W. H. C. Higgins, B. D. Holbrook, J. W. Emling
Venue: IEEE Annals of the History of Computing (1982)

Bell Laboratories digital computers were used during World War II principally in the design and testing of electrical analog gun directors. These computers evolved from the pioneer work of George R. Stibitz (in the period from 1937 to 1940), who designed and put to work at Bell Laboratories the first electromechanical digital computer.
Study on the distribution of DCT residues and its application to R-D analysis of video coding
Authors: Jun Xie, Liang-Tien Chia
Venue: Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation (2008)

Quantization errors in discrete-cosine-transform (DCT) video compression are known as DCT residues. Knowledge on their distribution is essential in understanding rate-distortion (R-D) behaviors of generic video coding. Traditional R-D analysis adopted a simplified distortion model. Those distortion models took only quantization parameter into account. They lack adaptability to variation of video sources, as the distribution of coding errors also depends on the statistics of video source. Another common approach models the distribution of DCT residues by fitting experimental data from coded pictures to conjectured statistical distributions, but it did not provide insights into what gives rise to the distribution of DCT residues. This paper intends to quantify the distribution of DCT residues with respect to video source and with respect to the quantization strategy by understanding the quantization of DCT frequency components. Moreover, it is applied to derive an R-D model to show the advantage of the proposed distribution model.