ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
Research Report: The Role of Behavioral Modeling in Computer Skills Acquisition: Toward Refinement of the Model
Authors: Richard D. Johnson, George M. Marakas
Venue: Information Systems Research (2000)

Recent empirical work by Compeau and Higgins (1995) investigated the role of behavioral modeling training in the development of computer skills. Their efforts have provided insight into our understanding of the role of computer self-efficacy (CSE) and behavioral modeling (BM) techniques with regard to training effectiveness. Contrary to their expectations, however, several of the hypothesized relationships were not supported, especially those relating to outcome expectancy. In this paper, an empirically derived model of the CSE construct proposed by Marakas, Yi, and Johnson (1998) is offered to highlight potential theoretical, methodological, and measurement issues which may have contributed to or exacerbated the unexpected results obtained in the Compeau and Higgins study. The empirical work contained herein is intended to both replicate and extend the work of Compeau and Higgins and to assist in resolving several key issues left unsettled by their seminal work in this area.
The incidentor coloring of multigraphs and its applications
Authors: A. V. Pyatkin
Venue: Discrete Applied Mathematics (2002)

A new concept of multigraph coloring-an incidentor coloring is developed in this paper. It is shown that this coloring is a generalization of the ordinary edge coloring and that it can be applied for solving some optimization problems in data networks.
Signal boosting for translingual topic tracking: document expansion and n-best translation
Authors: Gina-Anne Levow, Douglas W. Oard
Venue: Topic detection and tracking: event-based information organization (2002)

The University of Maryland participated in the TDT-1999 topic tracking task. This chapter describes the system architecture, including source-dependent normalization, and then focuses on the cross-language case in which English training stories were used to find Mandarin stories on the same topic. Processes that may introduce noise, including errorful translation and transcription, are described and five techniques for minimizing the impact of a reduced signal-to-noise ratio are identified. Three techniques focus on signal boosting: augmenting story representations with topically related terminology through "document expansion," exploiting knowledge of alternative translations using balanced n-best term translation, and enriching the bilingual term list to improve translation coverage. The remaining two techniques focus on noise reduction: removing common "stopwords" before translation and using corpus statistics to guide translation selection. Two of the signal boosting strategies yielded substantial gains using techniques that can be ported to other languages fairly easily, while outperforming state-of-the-art general-purpose machine translation. By contrast, neither of the noise reduction strategies produced significant improvements.
Online Searching
Authors: Patrick Jaillet, Matthew Stafford
Venue: Operations Research (2001)

We consider the problem of searchingm branches which, with the exception of a common sources, are disjoint (hereafter called concurrent branches). A searcher, starting ats, must find a given "exit"t whose location, unknown to the searcher, is on one of them branches. The problem is to find a strategy that minimizes the worst-case ratio between the total distance traveled and the length of the shortest path froms tot. Additional information may be available to the searcher before he begins his search.In addition to finding optimal or near optimal deterministic online algorithms for these problems, this paper addresses the "value" of getting additional information before starting the search.
100 GOPS vision processor for automotive applications
Authors: Ulrich Ramacher, Nico Brüs, Ulrich Hachmann, Jens Harnisch, Wolfgang Raab, Axel Techmer
Venue: ACM SIGARCH Computer Architecture News (2003)

Car vision systems for the improvement of driver's comfort and safety will be introduced in the next car generation, with an exponential market growth in the next years. The Corporate Research division of lnfineon Technologies AG has developed a fully programmable vision processor, which fulfills the requirements of low power, low system costs, and high computational performance (e.g., robust approaches for object detection based on stereo processing need a performance of more than 15 GIPS).The prototype currently available achieves a peak performance of 53 GOPS. With a redesign in 0.13 &mu;m CMOS technology, the performance increases to more than 100 GOPS, while the power consumption is less than 500 mW and the die size reduces to 70 mm2.
Unfounded attribution of the "Half-life" index-number of literature obsolescence to Burton and Kebler: A literature science study
Authors: Endre Száva-Kováts
Venue: Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (2002)

The term and notion of the "half-life" index-number of literature obsolescence, as well as their borrowing from nuclear physics and adaptation into the literature of literature obsolescence, have up to now been attributed to the librarian Burton and the physicist Kebler and to their famous 1960 journal article, In this article it is documented that (1) Burton and Kebler in their 1960 article were not the first to use the term literature "half-life"; (2) it was not Burton and Kebler who borrowed the conception of "half-life" from nuclear physics and not them who adapted it into the literature of literature obsolescence; (3) in their 1960 article Burton and Kebler first made critical and later ambiguous statements, and finally attributed only "some validity" to the idea of literature half-life; (4) Burton and Kebler stated and produced an argument to show that there is an essential difference between the nature of radioactive "half-life" and that of literature "half-life", and they therefore disapproved the use of the latter term; (5) in his next article published in 1961 and entirely left out of consideration, Burton proposed the term "median age" of statistical nature in place of the term literature "half-life." For all these reasons it is unfounded and erroneous to continue to attribute the term and conception of literature "half-life" to Burton and Kebler.
Measuring the Maintainability of a Communication Protocol Based on Its Formal Specification
Authors: Sun-Jen Huang, Richard Lai
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (2003)

It is difficult to measure the maintainability of a software system early in the development life cycle from its requirement descriptions written in a natural language because informal specifications cannot be analyzed. With the uses of Formal Description Techniques (FDTs) in the communication protocol area since the mid-1980s, avenues have been opened up for a system to be analyzed early in the specification phase. Quantitative measures on its maintainability can then be extracted from such a formal specification, so that we can develop easily maintainable communication software systems and further reduce the increasingly high cost of software maintenance. To date, there is hardly any work done on measuring the maintainability of a system early in its specification phase. This paper presents a method for measuring the maintainability of a communication by using maintainability metrics derived from its formal specification written in Estelle. The methodology for building the Estelle maintainability metrics hierarchy is presented. We have also developed an automated tool, called PSAMS, to automate the calculation of the maintainability indices. We also found that there is a significant correlation between the specification metrics proposed and the widely adopted implementation metrics, thus demonstrating that our proposed metrics are a reliable means of measuring the maintainability of a communication protocol early in the specification phase.
Aggregation operators for selection problems
Authors: Renata Smolíková, Mark P. Wachowiak
Venue: Fuzzy Sets and Systems (2002)

This paper describes and compares aggregation techniques for Multi Expert-Multi Criteria decision-making. The process of selecting applicants for a Ph.D. program, using different aggregation operators, is presented as a case study. The focus is on applying these operators using only ordinal (sorted) information. A heuristic for determining weights in these situations is discussed. The results obtained with different aggregation methods are compared and analyzed.
Refining switching window by time slots for crosstalk noise calculation
Authors: Pinhong Chen, Yuji Kukimoto, Kurt Keutzer
Venue: Proceedings of the 2002 IEEE/ACM international conference on Computer-aided design (2002)

For crosstalk noise calculation, computing switching windows of a net helps us identify noise sources accurately. Traditional approaches use a single continuous switching window for a net. Under this model, signal switching is assumed to happen any time within the window. Although conservative and sound, this model can result in too much pessimism since in reality the exact timing of signal switching is determined by a path delay up to the net, i.e. the underlying circuit structure does not always allow signal switching at arbitrary time within the continuous switching window. To address this inherent inaccuracy of the continuous switching window, we propose a refinement of the traditional approaches, where signal switching is characterized by a set of discontinuous switching windows instead of a single continuous window. Each continuous switching window is divided into multiple windows, called time slots, and the signal switching activity of each slot is analyzed separately to calculate the maximum noise with more accuracy. By controlling the size of a time slot we can trade off accuracy and runtime, which makes this approach highly scalable. We have confirmed by experiments on industrial circuits that up to 90% of the noise violations detected by the traditional approach can be unreal.
Large parameter cases of the Gauss hypergeometric function
Authors: Nico M. Temme
Venue: Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics (2003)

We consider the asymptotic behavior of the Gauss hypergeometric function when several of the parameters a, b, c are large. We indicate which cases are of interest for orthogonal polynomials (Jacobi, but also Meixner, Krawtchouk, etc.), which results are already available and which cases need more attention. We also consider a few examples of 3F2 functions of unit argument, to explain which difficulties arise in these cases, when standard integrals or differential equations are not available.
Proactive caching of DNS records: addressing a performance bottleneck
Authors: Edith Cohen, Haim Kaplan
Venue: Computer Networks: The International Journal of Computer and Telecommunications Networking (2003)

The resolution of a host name to an IP-address is a necessary predecessor to connection establishment and HTTP exchanges. Nonetheless, domain name system (DNS) resolutions often involve multiple remote name-servers and prolong Web response times. To alleviate this problem name-servers and Web browsers cache query results. Name-servers currently incorporate passive cache management where records are brought into the cache only as a result of clients' requests and are used for the time to live (TTL) duration (a TTL value is provided with each record). We propose and evaluate different enhancements to passive caching that reduce the fraction of HTTP connection establishments that are delayed by slow DNS resolutions: (A) Renewal policies refresh selected expired cached entries by issuing unsolicited queries. Trace-based simulations using Web proxy logs demonstrated that a significant fraction of cache misses can be eliminated with a moderate increase in the number of DNS queries. (B) Simultaneous-validation transparently uses expired records. A DNS query is issued if the respective cached entry is no longer fresh, but concurrently, the expired entry is used to connect to the Web server and fetch the requested content. The content is served only if the expired records used turn out to be in agreement with the query response.
Functional equivalence between S-neural networks and fuzzy models
Authors: Claudio Moraga, Karl-Heinz Temme
Venue: Technologies for constructing intelligent systems: tools (2002)

A family of S-functions is introduced and characterized. S-functions may be used as activation functions in neural networks and allow the interpretation of the activity of the artificial neurons as fuzzy if-then rules, where the degree of satisfaction of the premises for a given input is calculated by means of the symmetric summation. These rules are appropriate to model compensating systems.
On a problem of F. Smarandache
Authors: Zhang Wenpeng, Yi Yuan
Venue: Smarandache notions (2002)

Let ds(n) denotes the sum of the base 10 digits of n ∈ N. For natural x ≥ 2 and arbitrary fixed exponent m ∈ N, let Am(x) = Σn>x dsm(n). The main purpose of this paper is to give two exact calculating formulas for A1(x) and A2(x).
Scheduling of Time-Shared Jet Aircraft
Authors: Pinar Keskinocak, Sridhar Tayur
Venue: Transportation Science (1998)

Motivated by a real application, we consider the following aircraft scheduling problem. At any time, the aircraft are at different locations or are serving a customer and new customer requests arrive, each consisting of a departure location, departure time, and destination. Our objective is to satify these requests (by subcontracting extra aircraft if necessary) at minimum cost under additional constraints of maintenance requirements and previously scheduled trips. We show that the jet aircraft schedul ing problem is NP complete and discuss three special cases. We show that the second and third special cases are also NP complete. We provide a polynomial time network flow based algorithm for the first special case and a pseudo-polynomial time dynamic programming algorithm for the second special case. We formulate the problem as a 0-1 integer program and observe that most small and medium size problems can be solved by Cplex. For larger and difficult instances, we provide a fast heuristic with good performance.
Using CGI scripts to develop a generalized on-line timed examination and grading system
Authors: Kush Misra, Narayan Murthy
Venue: Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges (2002)

The revolutionary growth and rapid success of the Internet has provided enormous opportunities to people in all fields. One such opportunity for the faculty members is to administer examinations on-line. Not all faculty members are technically inclined. This may prohibit them from using the Internet to its potential. This paper is an improved version of the paper in [3]. This paper discusses a system, which helps faculty members to create and administer on-line multiple-choice examinations, which includes a time limit. To use the system, the faculty member need not be technically proficient but should know how to use a browser. Students take examinations on-line and the system grades them immediately, announces the grade to the student and creates a log file for the instructor. The examination is timed. Students are expected to complete the exam within the time specified by the instructor. The advantage of such a timed exam is that, even when the exam is open book or "take home", the instructor can place limitation. Out system uses several Common Gateway Interface, CGI scripts.
A Stochastic Integer Program with Dual Network Structure and Its Application to the Ground-Holding Problem
Authors: Michael O. Ball, Robert Hoffman, Amedeo R. Odoni, Ryan Rifkin
Venue: Operations Research (2003)

In this paper, we analyze a generalization of a classic network-flow model. The generalization involves the replacement of deterministic demand with stochastic demand. While this generalization destroys the original network structure, we show that the matrix underlying the stochastic model is dual network. Thus, the integer program associated with the stochastic model can be solved efficiently using network-flow or linear-programming techniques. We also develop an application of this model to the ground-holding problem in air-traffic management. The use of this model for the ground-holding problem improves upon prior models by allowing for easy integration into the newly developed ground-delay program procedures based on the Collaborative Decision-Making paradigm.
Policy-Driven Personalized Multimedia Services for Mobile Users
Authors: Hamid Harroud, Mohamed Ahmed, Ahmed Karmouch
Venue: IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing (2003)

This paper proposes an agent-based service provisioning system for mobile users. It describes a set of cooperative agents distributed over different sites that work together to provide personalized services for mobile users over the Internet. Users moving outside the office are able to maintain an office-like environment at home, or at temporary locations such as a meeting at another company, a business trip, or a hotel. Agents representing the end-users and the system agents engage in a negotiation process to facilitate access to personalized services at other sites. This access is obtained in accordance with the users' home policies as well as those at their current location. An Adaptive Service Presentation agent is used to adapt the service presentation to the capabilities of the users' workstations, laptops, phones, PDAs, or other devices. This work is conducted in Canada as part of the Mobile Agent Alliance project involving the University of Ottawa, the National Research Council, and the Mitel Corporation.
Weighted Sobolev spaces on curves
Authors: Venancio Alvarez, Domingo Pestana, José M. Rodríguez, Elena Romera
Venue: Journal of Approximation Theory (2002)

In this paper we present a definition of weighted Sobolev spaces on curves and find general conditions under which the spaces are complete for non-closed compact curves. We also prove the density of the polynomials in these spaces and, finally, we find conditions under which the multiplication operator is bounded in the space of polynomials.
Rotation-invariant texture classification
Authors: Franci Lahajnar, Stanislav Kovačič
Venue: Pattern Recognition Letters (2003)

In this paper we propose a method for rotation-invariant 2D texture classification. Energy-normalized texture features are obtained by multiscale and multichannel decomposition using Gabor and Gaussian filters. Rotation invariance is achieved by the Fourier expansion of these features with respect to orientation. Unlike most previously reported methods, the textures are modeled with nonparametric feature distributions. In the experiments involving two standard datasets, with the classifier trained on samples of only one rotation and tested for all the others, high recognition rates were obtained.
Real Options Analysis and Strategic Decision Making
Authors: Edward H. Bowman, Gary T. Moskowitz
Venue: Organization Science (2001)

The real options approach is frequently advocated as an approach that offers a positive and radical reassessment of the value of risk and exploration. We examine a recent case where Merck used the real options approach to justify an investment in an R&D project. This case is used to highlight some of the problems associated with using real options. We note that the assumptions incorporated in most standard option valuation models can conflict with the conclusions reached by strategic analysis. As a result, users of real options models should understand the quantitative aspects of these models, and may often need to create a customized model for each situation. The difficulty of developing customized models may explain, in part, the limited use of the real options approach in strategic analysis.
Inventory Cost Rate Functions with Nonlinear Shortage Costs
Authors: Kaj Rosling
Venue: Operations Research (2002)

This article considers five cost-rate models for inventory control, each summarizing the expected holding and shortage costs per period as a function of the inventory position. All models have linear holding costs and shortage cost coefficients of dimension [ $/unit/period], [ $/unit], and [ $/period]. The latter two coeficients may be the shadow costs of a fill-rate and a ready-rate service constraint, respectively. One of the cost-rate models is a new suggestion, intended to facilitate modeling of periodic-review inventory systems.If-and-only-if conditions on the demand process are presented for which the cost rate is quasi-convex in the inventory position. The typical sufficient condition requires that the cumulative demand distribution be logconcave, a condition that is met by most demand distributions commonly used in the inventory literature.The results simplify optimization and extend the known optimality of ( S,s) and ( nQ,r) policies to cost structures common in applications and to the presence of typical service constraints. As a prerequisite for the study, a series of new monotonicity results are derived for compound renewal processes.
A Bilevel Model and Solution Algorithm for a Freight Tariff-Setting Problem
Authors: Luce Brotcorne, Martine Labbé, Patrice Marcotte, Gilles Savard
Venue: Transportation Science (2000)

We consider a bilevel programming formulation of a freight tariff-setting problem where the leader consists in one among a group of competing carriers and the follower is a shipper. At the upper level, the leader's revenue corresponds to the total tariffs levied, whereas the shipper minimizes its transportation cost, given the tariff schedule set by the leader. We propose for this problem a class of heuristic procedures whose relative efficiencies, on small problem instances, could be validated with respect to optimal solutions obtained from a mixed integer reformulation of the mathematical model. We also present numerical results on large instances that could not be solved to optimality by an exact method.
Coordinating Clearance Markdown Sales of Seasonal Products in Retail Chains
Authors: Gabriel Bitran, Rene Caldentey, Susana Mondschein
Venue: Operations Research (1998)

In this paper we propose a methodology to set prices of perishable items in the context of a retail chain with coordinated prices among its stores and compare its performance with actual practice in a real case study. We formulate a stochastic dynamic programming problem and develop heuristic solutions that approximate optimal solutions satisfactorily. To compare this methodology with current practices in the industry, we conducted two sets of experiments using the expertise of a product manager of a large retail company in Chile. In the first case, we contrast the performance of the proposed methodology with the revenues obtained during the 1995 autumn-winter season. In the second case, we compare it with the performance of the experienced product manager in a "simulation-game" setting. In both cases, our methodology provides significantly better results than those obtained by current practices.
Communications through virtual technologies
Authors: Fabrizio Davide, Pierpaolo Loreti, Massimiliano Lunghi, Giuseppe Riva, Francesco Vatalaro
Venue: Advanced lectures on networking (2002)

The evolution of technology in support to the Knowledge Society of the years 2000s will be driven by three dominant trends: a) increase of richness and completeness of communications towards "Immersive Virtual Telepresence" (IVT), including an increased attention to the aspects of human perception and of person-machine interaction; b) increasingly relevant role of mobility starting from the UMTS "Beyond 3rd Generation" (B3G); c) pervasive diffusion of intelligence in the space around us through the development of network technologies towards the objective of "Ambient Intelligence" (AmI). This tutorial paper intends to provide an insight on some of the main technologies that will allow the development of this new perspective, as well as on perception issues and related human factors. The paper also provides information on ongoing and planned projects on virtual technologies and ambient intelligence technologies.