ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
A FPGA Coprocessor for the Cryptographic Tate Pairing over Fp
Authors: Alessandro Barenghi, Guido Bertoni, Luca Breveglieri, Gerardo Pelosi
Venue: Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Information Technology: New Generations (2008)

Identity based cryptography offers a number of functional advantages over traditional public key cryptosystems and has attracted much research interest in the last few years. The computational costs demanded for such functionalities result to be significantly greater than those bounded to other methods. The overall efficiency of identity based protocols and applications is dominated by the computation of the main used primitive, namely the Tate pairing. The paper focuses on the design of a parallel hardware accelerator for the computation of the Tate pairing that makes use of arithmetics over finite fields with a large prime characteristic. Performance measurements are discussed and compared with previous solutions based on different definitions and algorithms.
Accommodating data heterogeneity in ULS systems
Authors: Christopher Scaffidi, Mary Shaw
Venue: Proceedings of the 2nd international workshop on Ultra-large-scale software-intensive systems (2008)

Ultra-Large Scale (ULS) systems comprise numerous software elements designed and implemented by independent stakeholders whose requirements may vary widely. Consequently, elements in a ULS system may use different data formats, which complicates integration of elements. Writing code to robustly convert data from one format to another requires time and skills that some programmers may lack. Worse, the stakeholders who control a software element may change the element's data format at any point in the future without warning, causing format incompatibility not foreseen during the ULS system's construction. To address heterogeneity of data formats, we present a new abstraction called "topes". Each tope describes one kind of data, including known formats of that data and rules for transforming values among formats. Labeling the inputs and outputs of software elements with topes raises the level of abstraction so that elements produce and consume certain kinds of data, rather than particular formats.
Pc-based software routers: high performance and application service support
Authors: Raffaele Bolla, Roberto Bruschi
Venue: Proceedings of the ACM workshop on Programmable routers for extensible services of tomorrow (2008)

Despite high potential and flexibility in developing new functionalities and mechanisms, as well as the availability of well-established networking SW, common criticism of Software Routers, based on COTS HW elements and open-source SW, is mainly focused on performance, especially for issues concerning the data plane. In this respect, our contribution is aimed at evaluation of architectural bottlenecks limiting the scalability of Software Router performance, and identification of SW and HW enhancements needed to overcome these limitations. Starting from these considerations, we propose a feasible Software Router HW/SW solution able to boost data plane performance while maintaining the flexibility level typical of a SW approach.
TD-EFIE with 3-point backward difference and stability investigation
Authors: Jaroslav Láčík, Zbynek Raida
Venue: Proceedings of the 4th WSEAS International Conference on Applied Informatics and Communications (2004)

In this paper, we present a new formulation using the time-domain electric field integral equation formulation (TD-EFIE) to obtain a transient scattering from conducting structures. The time derivative of the magnetic vector potential is approximated by 3-point backward difference. Further, the investigation of stability is presented.
Exact geometric-topological analysis of algebraic surfaces
Authors: Eric Berberich, Michael Kerber, Michael Sagraloff
Venue: Proceedings of the twenty-fourth annual symposium on Computational geometry (2008)

We present a method to compute the exact topology of a real algebraic surface S, implicitly given by a polynomial f ∈ Q[x;y;z] of arbitrary degree N. Additionally, our analysis provides geometric information as it supports the computation of arbitrary precise samples of S including critical points. We use a projection approach, similar to Collins' cylindrical algebraic decomposition (cad). In comparison we reduce the number of output cells to O(N5) by constructing a special planar arrangement instead of a full cad in the projection plane. Furthermore, our approach applies numerical and combinatorial methods to minimize costly symbolic computations. The algorithm handles all sorts of degeneracies without transforming the surface into a generic position. We provide a complete implementation of the algorithm, written in C++. It shows good performance for many well known examples from algebraic geometry.
Land cover classification using multi-temporal MERIS vegetation indices
Authors: J. Dash, A. Mathur, G. M. Foody, P. J. Curran, J. W. Chipman, T. M. Lillesand
Venue: International Journal of Remote Sensing (2007)

The spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions of Envisat's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) data are attractive for regional-to global-scale land cover mapping. Moreover, two novel and operational vegetation indices derived from MERIS data have considerable potential as discriminating variables in land cover classification. Here, the potential of these two vegetation indices (the MERIS global vegetation index (MGVI), MERIS terrestrial chlorophyll index (MTCI)) was evaluated for mapping eleven broad land cover classes in Wisconsin. Data acquired in the high and low chlorophyll seasons were used to increase inter-class separability. The two vegetation indices provided a higher degree of inter-class separability than data acquired in many of the individual MERIS spectral wavebands. The most accurate landcover map (73.2%) was derived from a classification of vegetation index-derived data with a support vector machine (SVM), and was more accurate than the corresponding map derived from a classification using the data acquired in the original spectral wavebands.
The incorporation of challenge enhances the learning of chronology from a virtual display
Authors: Nigel Foreman, Liliya Korallo, David Newson, Natalie Sarantos
Venue: Virtual Reality (2008)

In earlier studies investigating the learning of historical chronology, virtual fly-throughs were used in which successive historical events were represented by images on virtual screens, placed in temporal-spatial sequence. Undergraduate students benefited more than school-age children from virtual 3D (compared to 2D) training, perhaps because they took on the task as a challenge. In this study a modification of the earlier paradigm was used, in a game-like format, in which successive screens (paintings, representing epochs of art history) had to be memorised and anticipated during training, the participant&#x2019;s score accumulating on the screen. Compared with PowerPoint and verbal-semantic training conditions, VE training resulted in more rapid learning, better recall of associated semantic information and error-free recall of the picture sequence. Possible applications of this paradigm for teaching were discussed.
Proximity-aware scoring for XML retrieval
Authors: Andreas Broschart, Ralf Schenkel
Venue: Proceedings of the 31st annual international ACM SIGIR conference on Research and development in information retrieval (2008)

Proximity-aware scoring functions lead to significant effectiveness improvements for text retrieval. For XML IR, we can sometimes enhance the retrieval quality by exploiting knowledge about the document structure combined with established text IR methods. This paper introduces modified proximity scores that take the document structure into account and demonstrates the effect for the INEX benchmark.
Medium term scheduling of a hydro-thermal system using stochastic model predictive control
Authors: Kristian Nolde, Markus Uhr, Manfred Morari
Venue: Automatica (Journal of IFAC) (2008)

A multistage stochastic programming formulation is presented for monthly production planning of a hydro-thermal system. Stochasticity from variations in water reservoir inflows and fluctuations in demand of electric energy are considered explicitly. The problem can be solved efficiently via Nested Benders Decomposition. The solution is implemented in a model predictive control setup and performance of this control technique is demonstrated in simulations. Tuning parameters, such as prediction horizon and shape of the stochastic programming tree are identified and their effects are analyzed.
Taxonomy of e-commerce disputes
Authors: Saleh Alfuraih, Richard Snow
Venue: Proceedings of the 4th WSEAS International Conference on Applied Informatics and Communications (2004)

An e-commerce transaction is a means to perform particular commercial activities using the global digital e-commerce infrastructure. In this paper we are concentrating on business to customer (B-to-C) e-commerce transactions. Using electronic means to do business can greatly improve the efficiency of the business transactions. However it creates some problems that were rarely considered to be important before. One class of problems results from the behaviour of untrustworthy participants. For reasons such as dishonesty and network failure, disputes may arise. Online alternative dispute resolutions (online-ADR or ODR) have been heavily researched but none have tried to identify what the possible disputes have been to then make sure that any ODR is a complete solution. In this paper, we try to classify disputes according to all the factors of the transactions in which the disputes have arisen. To this end, we first classify them according to their causes and go on to provide a formal method of proving the validity of our results. This paper would be a good first read for anyone who wants to work in the ODR field.
Student perceptions of collaborative learning, social presence and satisfaction in a blended learning environment: Relationships and critical factors
Authors: Hyo-Jeong So, Thomas A. Brush
Venue: Computers Education (2008)

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of the students' perceived levels of collaborative learning, social presence and overall satisfaction in a blended learning environment. This research studied the relationship of these three variables and identified critical factors related to them. The participants were 48 graduate students who took a blended-format course in health education and worked on a collaborative group project related to the development of a comprehensive HIV-AIDS prevention plan. Data was collected from the Student Perception Questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. The analysis of quantitative data indicated that student perceptions of collaborative learning have statistically positive relationships with perceptions of social presence and satisfaction. This means that students who perceived high levels of collaborative learning tended to be more satisfied with their distance course than those who perceived low levels of collaborative learning. Similarly, students with high perceptions of collaborative learning perceived high levels of social presence as well. Surprisingly, the relationship between social presence and overall satisfaction was positive but not statistically significant. Interview data revealed that (a) course structure, (b) emotional support, and (c) communication medium were critical factors associated with student perceptions of collaborative learning, social presence, and satisfaction. Explanations about findings and implications for instructional design are discussed in the conclusion.
Establishing performance evaluation structures by fuzzy relation-based cluster analysis
Authors: Yuh-Yuan Guh, Miin-Shen Yang, Rung-Wei Po, E. Stanley Lee
Venue: Computers Mathematics with Applications (2008)

The purpose of this study is to establish hierarchical structures for the performance evaluation of vague, humanistic complicated systems. To overcome the difficulties due to partial information and the vagueness of human knowledge and recognition, a fuzzy relation-based clustering method is proposed to model this evaluation. First, the effects of different max-t"i compositions on the formation of clusters are discussed. Then, an improved clustering algorithm is developed to produce several partition trees with different levels and clusters according to different t"i-norm compositions. To demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed algorithm, the academic departments of higher education were considered using actual engineering school data in Taiwan. Three performance evaluation structures are established by using max-t"1, max-t"2 and max-t"3 compositions. The results show that the proposed fuzzy hierarchical approach is useful and practical for performance evaluations of complicated humanistic systems.
Some kinds of (C,CCq)-interval-valued fuzzy ideals of BCI-algebras
Authors: Xueling Ma, Jianming Zhan, Bijan Davvaz, Young Bae Jun
Venue: Information Sciences: an International Journal (2008)

In this paper, we first introduce the notions of (positive implicative, implicative and commutative) interval-valued fuzzy ideals of BCI-algebras, which are generalizations of (positive implicative, implicative and commutative) fuzzy ideals, respectively, and investigate some of their related properties. The concept of quasi-coincidence of an interval-valued fuzzy point within an interval-valued fuzzy set is introduced. In fact, the concept is a generalized concept of quasi-coincidence of a fuzzy point within a fuzzy set. By using this new idea, we further introduce the notions of (positive implicative, implicative and commutative) (@?,@?@?q)-interval-valued fuzzy ideals of BCI-algebras and investigate some of their related properties. Some characterization theorems of these generalized interval-valued fuzzy ideals are derived. The relationship among these generalized interval-valued fuzzy ideals of BCI-algebras is also considered.
A definition of partial derivative of random functions and its application to RBFNN sensitivity analysis
Authors: Xi-Zhao Wang, Chun-Guo Li, Daniel So Yeung, ShiJi Song, HuiMin Feng
Venue: Neurocomputing (2008)

Considering the inputs of a feed-forward neural network as random variables, this paper proposes a definition of partial derivative of a function with respect to a random variable in the probability measure space. The mathematical expectation of the mean square or absolute value of the partial derivative is regarded as a type of measure of the network's sensitivity, which extends Zurada's sensitivity definition of networks in Zurada et al, [Perturbation method for deleting redundant inputs of perceptron networks, Neurocomputing 14 (1997) 177-193] from the certain environment to the stochastic environment. Furthermore, for the purpose of network's redundant feature deletion or feature selection, the new sensitivity measure is applied to the sensitivity analysis of Radial Basis Function Neural Networks (RBFNNs). The feasibility and the effectiveness of the sensitivity approach to redundant feature deletion are illustrated.
Inferences of all-sky solar irradiance using Terra and Aqua MODIS satellite data
Authors: R. Houborg, H. Soegaard, W. Emmerich, S. Moran
Venue: International Journal of Remote Sensing (2007)

Solar irradiance is a key environmental control, and accurate spatial and temporal solar irradiance data are important for a wide range of applications related to energy and carbon cycling, weather prediction, and climate change. This study presents a satellite-based scheme for the retrieval of all-sky solar irradiance components, which links a physically based clear-sky model with a neural network version of a rigorous radiative transfer model. The scheme exploits the improved cloud characterization and retrieval capabilities of the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Terra and Aqua satellites, and employs a cloud motion tracking scheme for the production of hourly solar irradiance data throughout the day. The scheme was implemented for the Island of Zealand, Denmark (56° N, 12° E) and Southern Arizona, USA (31° N, 110° W) permitting model evaluation for two highly contrasting climates and cloud environments. Information on the atmospheric state was provided by MODIS data products and verifications against AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) data demonstrated usefulness of MODIS aerosol optical depth and total precipitable water vapour retrievals for the delineation of spatial gradients. However, aerosol retrievals were significantly biased for the semi-arid region, and water-vapour retrievals were characterized by systematic deviations from the measurements. Hourly global solar irradiance data were retrieved with overall root mean square deviations of 11.5% (60 W m-2) and 26.6% (72 W m-2) for Southern Arizona and the Island of Zealand, respectively. For both regions, hourly satellite estimates were shown to be more reliable than pyranometer measurements from ground stations only 15 km away from the point of interest, which is comparable to the accuracy level obtainable from geostationary satellites with image acquisitions every 15-30 min. The proposed scheme is particularly useful for solar irradiance mapping in high-latitude regions as data from geostationary satellites experience a gradual degradation in spatial resolution and overall quality with latitude and become unusable above approximately 60° latitude. However, in principle, the scheme can be applied anywhere on the globe, and a synergistic use of MODIS and geostationary satellite datasets may be envisaged for some applications.
A unified framework for the construction of one-step finite volume and discontinuous Galerkin schemes on unstructured meshes
Authors: Michael Dumbser, Dinshaw S. Balsara, Eleuterio F. Toro, Claus-Dieter Munz
Venue: Journal of Computational Physics (2008)

In this article, a conservative least-squares polynomial reconstruction operator is applied to the discontinuous Galerkin method. In a first instance, piecewise polynomials of degree N are used as test functions as well as to represent the data in each element at the beginning of a time step. The time evolution of these data and the flux computation, however, are then done with a different set of piecewise polynomials of degree M>=N, which are reconstructed from the underlying polynomials of degree N. This approach yields a general, unified framework that contains as two special cases classical high order finite volume (FV) schemes (N=0) as well as the usual discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method (N=M). In the first case, the polynomial is reconstructed from cell averages, for the latter, the reconstruction reduces to the identity operator. A completely new class of numerical schemes is generated by choosing NN. The reconstruction operator is implemented for arbitrary polynomial degrees N and M on unstructured triangular and tetrahedral meshes in two and three space dimensions. To provide a high order accurate one-step time integration of the same formal order of accuracy as the spatial discretization operator, the (reconstructed) polynomial data of degree M are evolved in time locally inside each element using a new local continuous space-time Galerkin method. As a result of this approach, we obtain, as a high order accurate predictor, space-time polynomials for the vector of conserved variables and for the physical fluxes and source terms, which then can be used in a natural way to construct very efficient fully-discrete and quadrature-free one-step schemes. This feature is particularly important for DG schemes in three space dimensions, where the cost of numerical quadrature may become prohibitively expensive for very high orders of accuracy. Numerical convergence studies of all members of the new general class of proposed schemes are shown up to sixth-order of accuracy in space and time on unstructured two- and three-dimensional meshes for two very prominent nonlinear hyperbolic systems, namely for the Euler equations of compressible gas dynamics and the equations of ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The results indicate that the new class of intermediate schemes (NN) is computationally more efficient than classical finite volume or DG schemes. Finally, a large set of interesting test cases is solved on unstructured meshes, where the proposed new time stepping approach is applied to the equations of ideal and relativistic MHD as well as to nonlinear elasticity, using a standard high order WENO finite volume discretization in space to cope with discontinuous solutions.
Decentralized vehicle routing in a stochastic and dynamic environment with customer impatience
Authors: M. Pavone, N. Bisnik, E. Frazzoli, V. Isler
Venue: Proceedings of the 1st international conference on Robot communication and coordination (2007)

Consider the following scenario: a spatio-temporal stochastic process generates service requests, localized at points in a bounded region on the plane; these service requests are fulfilled when one of a team of mobile agents visits the location of the request. For example, a service request may represent the detection of an event in a sensor network application, which needs to be investigated on site. Once a service request has been generated, it remains active for an amount of time which is itself a random variable, and then expires. The problem we investigate is the following: what is the minimum number of mobile agents needed to ensure that each service request is fulfilled before expiring, with probability at least 1 &minus; &epsilon;? What strategy should they use to ensure this objective is attained? Formulating the probability of successfully servicing requests before expiration as a performance metric, we derive bounds on the minimum number of agents required to ensure a given performance level, and present decentralized motion coordination algorithms that approximate the optimal strategy.
An interpretation of probability in the law of evidence based on pro-et-contra argumentation
Authors: Lennart Åqvist
Venue: Artificial Intelligence and Law (2007)

The purpose of this paper is to improve on the logical and measure-theoretic foundations for the notion of probability in the law of evidence, which were given in my contributions Åqvist [(1990) Logical analysis of epistemic modality: an explication of the Bolding-Ekelöf degrees of evidential strength. In: Klami HT ted) Rätt och Sanning (Law and Truth. A symposium on legal proof-theory in Uppsala May 1989). Iustus Förlag, Uppsala, pp 43-54; (1992) Towards a logical theory of legal evidence: semantic analysis of the Bolding-Ekelöf degrees of evidential strength. In: Martino AA (ed) Expert systems in law. Elsevier Science Publishers BV, Amsterdam, North-Holland, pp 67-86]. The present approach agrees with the one adopted in those contributions in taking its main task to be that of providing a semantic analysis, or explication, of the so called Bolding-Ekelöf degrees of evidential strength ("proof-strength") as applied to the establishment of matters of fact in law-courts. However, it differs from the one advocated in our earlier work on the subject in explicitly appealing to what is known as "Pro-et-Contra Argumentation", after the famous Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess. It tries to bring out the logical form of that interesting kind of reasoning, at least in the context of the law of evidence. The formal techniques used here will be seen to be largely inspired by the important work done by Patrick Suppes, notably Suppes [(1957) Introduction to logic, van Nostrand, Princeton and (1972) Finite equal-interval measurement structures. Theoria 38:45-63].