ppxscal/embedding_network huggingface dataset:
Coupling team learning and computer technology in project-driven undergraduate engineering education
Authors: R. L. Kolar
Venue: Proceedings of the 26th Annual Frontiers in Education - Volume 01 (1996)

Local and national surveys consistently point to two weaknesses in undergraduate engineering education: our graduates have poor communication and interpersonal skills, and they have poor computing skills. The former inhibits students from taking active roles in team-oriented projects and presenting the results, while the latter limits their ability to analyze and solve complex problems. However for various reasons, undergraduate civil engineering education has been slow to respond to these needs. Rather, we tend to hold on to the same learning paradigm that has educated engineers for the last several decades; namely, passive classroom lectures, individual homework assignments, and problem-solving exams. Group activities, if they are included at all, tend to be simplistic and ill-supervised. In select courses in our department at the University of Oklahoma, we are beginning to address these weaknesses via classroom reform. The paradigm centers on project-driven assignments, by which we mean students an organized into teams and given a complex design question at the beginning of the semester before any substantive background material is delivered. In the remainder of the semester (or portion thereof if several tasks an to be assigned), class activities, be they short lectures or class discussions or group exercises, are driven by student questions on how to complete the project.
Adaptive Autonomous Agent Models for Open Distributed Systems
Authors: Sebastien Leriche, Jean-Paul Arcangeli
Venue: Proceedings of the International Multi-Conference on Computing in the Global Information Technology (2007)

Currently, there is a lack of tools to build autonomous software systems in a pervasive and distributed context. In this paper, we present a model and a development tool called Agent for building flexible agent architectures from fine-grained components. Reusable components implement non-functional mechanisms such as communication, mobility or adaptation skills. Each agent can dynamically and autonomously change its components to suit its runtime context, improving safety and performances of applications, particularly in open, pervasive or large-scale distributed applications. We also show how to use our agents to build applications from autonomous and adaptable systems.
Web Services Security: Challenges and Techniques
Authors: Anoop Singhal
Venue: Proceedings of the Eighth IEEE International Workshop on Policies for Distributed Systems and Networks (2007)

Web Services based computing is currently an important driver for the software industry. While several standards bodies (such as W3C and OASIS) are laying the foundation for Web Services Security, several research problems must be solved to make secure Web Services a reality. This paper describes techniques for Web Services Security and some of the challenges for the future.
XOTcl: an object-oriented scripting language
Authors: Gustaf Neumann, Uwe Zdun
Venue: Proceedings of the 7th conference on USENIX Tcl/Tk - Volume 7 (2000)

This paper describes the object-oriented scripting language XOTcl (Extended OTcl), which is a value added replacement of OTCL. OTCL implements dynamic and introspective language support for object-orientation on top of TCL. XOTCL includes the functionality of OTCL but focuses on the construction, management, and adaptation of complex systems. In order to combine the benefits of scripting languages with advanced object-oriented techniques, we extended OTCL in various ways: We developed the filter as a powerful adapation technique and an intuitive means for the instantiation of large program structures. In order to enable objects to access several addition-classes we improved the flexibility of mixin methods by enhancing the object model with per-object mixins. We integrated the object system with the TCL namespace concept to provide nested classes and dynamic object aggregations. Moreover, we introduced assertions and meta-data to improve reliability and self-documentation.
An integrated coastal modeling system for analyzing beach processes and beach restoration projects, SMC
Authors: M. González, R. Medina, J. Gonzalez-Ondina, A. Osorio, F. J. Méndez, E. García
Venue: Computers Geosciences (2007)

A user-friendly system called coastal modeling system (SMC) has been developed by the Spanish Ministry of Environment and the University of Cantabria. The system includes several numerical models specifically developed for the application of the methodology proposed in the Spanish Beach Nourishment and Protection Manual. According to this methodology, the SMC is structured into five-modules: (1) Pre-process module; (2) Short-term module; (3) Long-term module; (4) Coastal terrain module; and (5) Tutorial module. The pre-process module allows the processing of a database of morphodynamic information used as input for the different programs and models of the SMC. Short-, Long-term modules include numerical models to analyze coastal systems on different scales of variability (hours-months-years) and are composed of morphodynamic evolution models in cross-profile 2DV and beach plan 2DH. The coastal terrain module allows the user to modify the working bathymetry and to combine bathymetries from different sources in only one working bathymetry. The tutorial module includes a comprehensive collection of coastal engineering design and analysis software. The SMC has a dynamic design and allows the incorporation of future new databases and morphodynamic models. The SMC system is freely distributed to coastal practitioners and has already been implemented in several countries.
Blind detection of asynchronous CDMA signals in multipath channels using code-constrained inverse filter criteria
Authors: J. K. Tugnait
Venue: Proceedings of the Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, 2000. on IEEE International Conference - Volume 05 (2000)

A code-constrained inverse filter criteria based approach is presented for blind detection of asynchronous short-code DS-CDMA (direct sequence code division multiple access) signals in multipath channels. Only the spreading code of the desired user is assumed to be known; its transmission delay may be unknown. We focus on maximization of the normalized fourth cumulant of inverse filtered (equalized) data w.r.t. the equalizer coefficients subject to the equalizer lying in a subspace associated with the desired user's code sequence. Constrained maximization leads to extraction of the desired user's signal whereas unconstrained maximization leads to the extraction of any one of the existing users. An illustrative simulation example is provided.
Information behavior of small groups: implications for design of digital libraries
Authors: Nan Zhou, Gerry Stahl
Venue: Proceedings of the 7th ACM/IEEE-CS joint conference on Digital libraries (2007)

We report findings of a study that investigates the information behavior of online small groups engaged in math problem solving and discuss the implications for designing digital libraries that can support learning of younger students and their broader information practices.
Convergence among Peer-to-Peer and Programmable Networks
Authors: Andre Ribeiro Cardoso, Ahmed Serhrouchni, Joaquim Celestino Junior, Mikael Salaun
Venue: Proceedings of the Fourth European Conference on Universal Multiservice Networks (2007)

Nowadays it is unquestionable that Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks have created a considerable volume of internet traffic generating new service provider challenges. Some application aware mechanisms provide alternative solutions including application-level routing, as well as application-specific resource discovery, and replication. Programmable networks have been researched for years and many studies have been done on network programmability. Although both P2P and programmable networks have their particularities, they deal straightforwardly with distributed systems. In this paper a new concept searching the complete integration among P2P and programmable networks is presented. The originality of this work lies in the complete convergence of P2P and programmable networks with the goal of rendering service providers the ability to quickly create and provide new and customized services in response to market demand. This should be the key factor in determining the performance of these service providers. Programmable networks as infrastructure for P2P traffic identification and optimization are considered and examples like the file push and the management of joining/leaving peers highlight the usefulness of this proposal in the solution of traffic challenges.
Design of Algorithm-Based Fault Tolerant Systems with In-System Checks
Authors: Shalini Yajnik, Niraj K. Jha
Venue: Proceedings of the 1993 International Conference on Parallel Processing - Volume 01 (1993)

To improve the reliability of computeintensive applications run on multiprocessor architec tures, fault tolerance is introduced into the system with on-line detection and location of faults. This can be achieved by a low-cost scheme, called Algorithm-based fault tolerance (ABFT), which encodes data at the system level and modifies the algorithm to operate on the encoded data. The resultant encoded output data is checked for correctness by some checks. In this pa per we present an extended model for representing and designing ABFT systems. The model takes into con sideration the processors evaluating the checks. We propose a design method which considers the proces sors computing the checks to be a part of the ABFT system and guarantees concurrent error detection even in the presence of faults in these processors, unlike most methods presented earlier.
Helping Knowledge Cross Boundaries: Using Knowledge Visualization to Support Cross-Community Sensemaking
Authors: Jasminko Novak
Venue: Proceedings of the 40th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2007)

Knowledge sharing across community boundaries has been discussed in literature as an important source of new knowledge and innovation. Different studies point out the difficulties and specific requirements to be considered in cross-community contexts. In contrast, the development and empirical evaluation of concrete methods and systems incorporating these insights has been little addressed. This paper discusses the main challenges of supporting cross-community knowledge exchange and presents an approach to addressing them based on collaborative knowledge visualization. The developed method enables the visualization of implicit structures of personal and community knowledge and their use for multi-perspective access to community information spaces. The results of an empirical evaluation in a comparative laboratory study suggest that this method provides valuable support for facilitating crosscommunity knowledge exchange.
Efficient Backbone Construction Methods in MANETs Using Directional Antennas
Authors: Shuhui Yang, Jie Wu, Fei Dai
Venue: Proceedings of the 27th International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems (2007)

In this paper, we consider the issue of constructing an energy-efficient virtual network backbone in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) for broadcasting applications using directional antennas. In directional antenna models, the transmission/reception range is divided into several sectors and one or more sectors can be switched on for transmission. Therefore, data forwarding can be restricted to certain directions (sectors), and both energy consumption and interference can be reduced. We develop the notation of directional network backbone using the directional antenna model, and form the problem of the directional connected dominating set (DCDS) which is an extreme case of the directional network backbone using an unlimited number of directional antennas. The minimum DCDS problem is proved to be NP-complete. A localized heuristic algorithm for constructing a small DCDS is proposed. Performance analysis includes an analytical study in terms of an approximation ratio and a simulation study on the proposed algorithms using a custom simulator.
Design of the EROS trusted window system
Authors: Jonathan S. Shapiro, John Vanderburgh, Eric Northup, David Chizmadia
Venue: Proceedings of the 13th conference on USENIX Security Symposium - Volume 13 (2004)

Window systems are the primary mediator of user input and output in modern computing systems. They are also a commonly used interprocess communication mechanism. As a result, they play a key role in the enforcement of security policies and the protection of sensitive information. A user typing a password or passphrase must be assured that it is disclosed exclusively to the intended program. In highly secure systems, global policies concerning information flow restrictions must be honored. Most window systems today, including X11 and Microsoft Windows, have carried forward the presumptive trust assumptions of the Xerox Alto from which they were conceptually derived. These assumptions are inappropriate for modern computing environments. In this paper, we present the design of a new trusted window system for the EROS capability-based operating system. The EROS Window System (EWS) provides robust traceability of user volition and is capable (with extension) of enforcing mandatory access controls. The entire implementation of EWS is less than 4,500 lines, which is a factor of ten smaller than previous trusted window systems such as Trusted X, and well within the range of what can feasibly be evaluated for high assurance.
A programmable co-porcessor for MPEG-4 video
Authors: M. Berekovic
Venue: Proceedings of the Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, 200. on IEEE International Conference - Volume 02 (2001)

A programmable processor architecture for MPEG-4 video is proposed, that can serve as a co-processor module in MPEG-4 decoder systems. it consists of a 64-bit dual-issue VLIW macroblock engine, a separate RISC core for bitstream parsing and system processing, and an autonomous I/O processor. A separate DSP is used for MPEG audio support. The architecture is fully programmable and supports parallelism on data-, instruction- and thread-level to cope with the high flexibility and processing demands of the MPEG-4 standard. The first implementation will support realtime decoding of MPEG-4 advanced simple profile or of MPEG-4 ACE-profile (CCIR601, single-object). Future designs will add support for object-based MPEG-4 functionalities. The paper focuses on the architecture, instruction set, and performance of the macroblock engine, which operates as an autonomous co-processor and carries most of the workload in MPEG-4 video processing.. It has a RISC-based architecture with support for parallel processing of instructions and data. Special instructions are implemented with specific support for video processing.
A reduced complexity implementation of the Log-Map algorithm for turbo-codes decoding
Authors: Yan Wang
Venue: Proceedings of the Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, 2000. on IEEE International Conference - Volume 05 (2000)

In this paper, we propose a reduced complexity implementation scheme of the Log-Map algorithm for turbo-codes decoding. By re-arranging the structure of the computation and using adaptive approximation, the computation in the Log-Map algorithm such as the state metric and the log-likelihood ratio calculation could be simplified or reduced adaptively. Simulation results show that more than 45% of the computation can be reduced with almost no performance degradation.
Establishing learning objectives and assessing outcomes in engineering service courses
Authors: P. D. Fisher
Venue: Proceedings of the 30th Annual Frontiers in Education - Volume 01 (2000)

The paper examines the challenges and possible strategies for implementing continuous quality improvement processes in engineering service courses. We describe the process we have been using to review and revise course learning objectives through interactions with various constituent groups. We also describe our outcome assessment process and the tools developed for outcomes. Key challenges in achieving systemic reform in engineering service courses are faculty buy-in to the reform process and the diversity of outcomes expected by the various constituent groups.
Fast joint detection with cyclic reduction exploiting displacement structures
Authors: Weidong Yang
Venue: Proceedings of the Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, 2000. on IEEE International Conference - Volume 05 (2000)

Joint detection with the minimum-mean square error (MMSE) criterion has been explored in previous works. Yang, Liu, Xu and Kim (see Asilomar Conference on Signals, Systems and Computers, Asilomar, CA, 1999) discussed joint detection with cyclic reduction, which has been proved to be faster than the popular Cholesky decomposition based algorithm under many scenarios. In this paper, a faster version of cyclic reduction which exploits displacement structures is presented. The proposed fast algorithm is useful when the channel length is long. Simulation results are given for a wireless communication setup.
Agora: a minimal distributed protocol for electronic commerce
Authors: Eran Gabber, Abraham Silberschatz
Venue: Proceedings of the 2nd conference on Proceedings of the Second USENIX Workshop on Electronic Commerce - Volume 2 (1996)

Agora is a Web protocol for electronic commerce, which is intended to support high-volume of transactions each with low incurred cost. Agora has the following novel properties: • Minimal. The incurred cost of Agora transactions is close to free Web browsing where cost is determined by the number of messages. • Distributed. Agora is fully distributed. Merchants can authenticate customers without access to a central authority. Customers with valid accounts can purchase from any merchant without any preparations (such as prior registration at the merchant or at a broker). • On-line arbitration. An on-line arbiter can settle certain customer/merchant disputes. • Fraud control. Agora can limit the degree of fraud to a pre-determined (low) level. Agora is authenticated secure and can not be repudiated. It can use regular (insecure) communication channels.
Comparing accuracy of second-order approximation and dynamic programming
Authors: Stephanie Becker, Lars Grüne, Willi Semmler
Venue: Computational Economics (2007)

The accuracy of the solution of dynamic general equilibrium models has become a major issue. Recent papers, in which second-order approximations have been substituted for first-order, indicate that this change may yield a significant improvement in accuracy. Second order approximations have been used with considerable success when solving for the decision variables in both small and large-scale models. Additionally, the issue of accuracy is relevant for the approximate solution of value functions. In numerous dynamic decision problems, welfare is usually computed via this same approximation procedure. However, Kim and Kim (Journal of International Economics, 60, 471---500, 2003) have found a reversal of welfare ordering when they moved from first- to second-order approximations. Other researchers, studying the impact of monetary and fiscal policy on welfare, have faced similar challenges with respect to the accuracy of approximations of the value function. Employing a base-line stochastic growth model, this paper compares the accuracy of second-order approximations and dynamic programming solutions for both the decision variable and the value function as well. We find that, in a neighborhood of the equilibrium, the second-order approximation method performs satisfactorily; however, on larger regions, dynamic programming performs significantly better with respect to both the decision variable and the value function.
Noise adaptive soft-switching median filter for image denoising
Authors: How-Lung Eng
Venue: Proceedings of the Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, 2000. on IEEE International Conference - Volume 04 (2000)

We observed that certain fundamental concerns commonly exist in some state-of-the-art switching-based median filters: (i) fixed thresholding for the pre-assumed noise density, (ii) the noise decision accuracy at high density impulse noise, and (iii) the filtering scheme adopted in response to pixel characteristic type identified. In this paper, we propose a novel noise adaptive soft-switching median (NASM) filter to effectively address the above-mentioned issues and achieve much improved filtering performance in terms of efficiency in removing impulse noise and robustness against noise density variations. Experimental results also reveal that the performance of our NASM filter is fairly close to that of ideal-switching median filter.
Profile-assisted Compiler Support for Dynamic Predication in Diverge-Merge Processors
Authors: Hyesoon Kim, José A. Joao, Onur Mutlu, Yale N. Patt
Venue: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Code Generation and Optimization (2007)

Dynamic predication has been proposed to reduce the branch misprediction penalty due to hard-to-predict branch instructions. A recently proposed dynamic predication architecture, the diverge-merge processor (DMP), provides large performance improvements by dynamically predicating a large set of complex control-flow graphs that result in branch mispredictions. DMP requires significant support from a profiling compiler to determine which branch instructions and control-flow structures can be dynamically predicated. However, previous work on dynamic predication did not extensively examine the tradeoffs involved in profiling and code generation for dynamic predication architectures. This paper describes compiler support for obtaining high performance in the diverge-merge processor. We describe new profile-driven algorithms and heuristics to select branch instructions that are suitable and profitable for dynamic predication. We also develop a new profile-based analytical cost-benefit model to estimate, at compiletime, the performance benefits of the dynamic predication of different types of control-flow structures including complex hammocks and loops. Our evaluations show that DMP can provide 20.4% average performance improvement over a conventional processor on SPEC integer benchmarks with our optimized compiler algorithms, whereas the average performance improvement of the best-performing alternative simple compiler algorithm is 4.5%. We also find that, with the proposed algorithms, DMP performance is not significantly affected by the differences in profile- and run-time input data sets.
OCS: An effective caching scheme for video streaming on overlay networks
Authors: Minh Tran, Wallapak Tavanapong, Wanida Putthividhya
Venue: Multimedia Tools and Applications (2007)

Video streaming is vital for many important applications such as distance learning, digital video libraries, and movie-on-demand. Since video streaming requires significant server and networking resources, caching has been used to reduce the demand on these resources. In this paper, we propose a novel collaboration scheme for video caching on overlay networks, called Overlay Caching Scheme (OCS), to further minimize service delays and loads placed on an overlay network for video streaming applications. OCS is not a centralized nor a hierarchical collaborative scheme. Despite its design simplicity, OCS effectively uses an aggregate storage space and capability of distributed overlay nodes to cache popular videos and serve nearby clients. Moreover, OCS is light-weight and adaptive to clients' locations and request patterns. We also investigate other video caching techniques for overlay networks including both collaborative and non-collaborative ones. Compared with these techniques on topologies inspired from actual networks, OCS offers extremely low average service delays and approximately half the server load. OCS also offers smaller network load in most cases in our study.