Decoding Program Research Articles

Cross-World Covert Channel on ARM Trustzone through PMU.

The TrustZone technology is incorporated in a majority of recent ARM Cortex A and Cortex M processors widely deployed in the IoT world. Security critical code execution inside a so-called secure world is isolated from the rest of the application execution within a normal world. It provides hardware-isolated area called a trusted execution environment (TEE) in the processor for sensitive data and code. This paper demonstrates a vulnerability in the secure world in the form of a cross-world, secure world to normal world, covert channel. Performance counters or Performance Monitoring Unit (PMU) events are used to convey the information from the secure world to the normal world. An encoding program generates appropriate PMU event footprint given a secret S. A corresponding decoding program reads the PMU footprint and infers S using machine learning (ML). The machine learning model can be trained entirely from the data collected from the PMU in user space. Lack of synchronization between PMU start and PMU read adds noise to the encoding/decoding ML models. In order to account for this noise, this study proposes three different synchronization capabilities between the client and trusted applications in the covert channel. These are synchronous, semi-synchronous, and asynchronous. Previously proposed PMU based covert channels deploy L1 and LLC cache PMU events. The latency of these events tends to be 100–1000 cycles limiting the bandwidth of these covert channels. We propose to use microarchitecture level events with latency of 10–100 cycles captured through PMU for covert channel encoding leading to a potential 100× higher bandwidth. This study conducts a series of experiments to evaluate the proposed covert channels under various synchronization models on a TrustZone supported Cortex-A processor using OP-TEE framework. As stated earlier, switch from signaling based on PMU cache events to PMU microarchitectural events leads to approximately 15× higher covert channel bandwidth. This proposed finer-grained microarchitecture event encoding covert channel can achieve throughput of the order of 11 Kbits/s as opposed to previous work’s throughput of the order of 760 bits/s.

Engineered Spore-Forming Bacillus as a Microbial Vessel for Long-Term DNA Data Storage.

DNA data storage technology may supersede conventional chip or magnetic data storage medium, providing long-term stability, high density, and sustainable storage. Due to its error-correcting capability, DNA data stored in living organisms exhibits high fidelity in information replication. Here we report the development of a Bacillus chassis integrated with an inducible artificially assembled bacterial chromosome to facilitate random data access. We generated three sets of data in the form of DNA sequences using a rudimentary coding system accessible by the regulatory promoter. Sporulated Bacillus harboring the genes were used for long-term storage, where viability assays of spores were subjected to harsh environmental stresses to evaluate the data storage stability. The data accuracy remained above 99% after high temperature and oxidative stress treatment, whereas UV irradiation treatment provided above 96% accuracy. The developed Bacillus chassis and artificial chromosome facilitate the long-term storage of larger datum volume by using other DNA digital encoding and decoding programs.

Gender coding in job advertisements for academic, non-academic, and leadership positions in emergency medicine

ObjectivesGender disparities continue to exist in emergency medicine (EM) despite increasing percentages of women in medical school and residencies. Prior studies in other male dominated industries have shown using masculine or feminine-coded language in job advertisements affects the proportion of male versus female applicants who choose to apply for those jobs. The goal of this study was to determine if gender-coding exists in EM job advertisements, and to see if there were differences between academic vs. non-academic jobs or administrative vs. non-administrative jobs. MethodsThis was a cross sectional study of EM jobs advertised in the United States on 13 academic and non-academic medical job databases from September 2020–February 2021. Using a gender decoder program based on prior research by Gaucher et al. on gendered wording in job advertisements, we analyzed each job to determine if the job advertisement was overall highly masculine, masculine, highly feminine, feminine, or neutral. Each job was categorized as academic, non-academic, administrative, or non-administrative. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis. ResultsSeventy-four EM job advertisements were posted during the study period. Forty-four (59.4%) of these coded out as masculine or strongly masculine, 18 (24.3%) coded out as feminine or strongly feminine, and 12 (16.2%) were neutral. Only one job advertisement contained no gender-coded words. There were no differences in the gender-coding of academic, non-academic, or administrative jobs. ConclusionJob advertisements for EM physicians tend to contain more masculine-coded language. Almost all job advertisements for emergency medicine physicians in this study contained at least one gender-coded word. Further studies could explore whether changing the language of job advertisements in EM has an impact on the proportion of women who choose to apply to EM jobs.

224 Gender Coding in Job Advertisements for Academic, Non-Academic, and Leadership Positions in Emergency Medicine

Gender disparities continue to exist in emergency medicine (EM) despite increasing percentages of women in medical school and residencies. Prior studies in other male dominated industries have shown using masculine or feminine coded language in job advertisements affects the proportion of male versus female as well as the total numbers of applicants who choose to apply for a given job. The goal of this study was to determine if sex coding exists in EM job advertisements, and to see if there were differences in coding of job advertisements between academic vs. non-academic jobs or administrative vs. non-administrative jobs. This was a cross sectional study of EM jobs advertised in the United States on 16 academic and non-academic medical job databases from September 2020-February 2021. Job advertisements were cut and pasted verbatim for the purposes of the study. Using a sex decoder program based on prior research by Gaucher et al on sexed wording in job advertisements, we analyzed each job to determine if the job advertisement contained any sex coded words and if the advertisement was overall highly masculine, masculine, highly feminine, feminine, or neutral. We also recorded which individual words were coded out as masculine or feminine in the advertisement. Each job was categorized as academic (core faculty at a training program) or non- academic, administrative (director, chair, vice chair, chief, or assistant or associate director or chief) or non-administrative. The location of the job in terms of region of the US was also recorded, as was any notation that the job required subspecialty/fellowship training. After data was gathered, it was manually reviewed to remove duplicate listings across multiple websites. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis. The study was reviewed by the IRB and found to be exempt. Seventy-four job advertisements for EM were posted to the 16 websites during the study period. 44 (59.4%) of these coded out as masculine or strongly masculine, 18 (24.3%) coded out as feminine or strongly feminine, and 12 (16.2%) were neutral. Only one job advertisement contained no sex coded words. There was no difference in the sex coding of jobs when compared by region of the country (p=0.45), subspecialty requirement (p=0.87), academic vs non-academic (p=0.75) or administrative vs non- administrative (p=0.59). Job advertisements for emergency physicians tend to contain more masculine coded language. Almost all job advertisements for emergency physicians in this study contained at least one sex coded word. Further studies could explore whether changing the language of job advertisements in EM has an impact on the proportion of women who choose to apply to EM jobs.

227 Gender Coding in Physician Job Advertisements and Sex Disparities in Medical and Surgical Fields

Research in engineering fields has shown that using masculine or feminine coded language in job advertisements affects the proportion of men vs. women applying for those jobs, and that changing such wording alters the applicant pool in a way that improves diversity. In medicine, there are fields that are traditionally heavily male-dominated, such as surgery, and fields that attract more women, such as family practice, obstetrics, and pediatrics. We sought to determine if sex coded language in physician job advertisements reflects the sex disparities in medical and surgical fields. This was a cross sectional study of all physician job advertisements on 16 academic and non-academic medical job databases from September 2020-February 2021. Job advertisements were cut and pasted verbatim for the purposes of the study. Using a sex decoder program based on prior research by Gaucher et al on sexed wording in job advertisements, we analyzed each job to determine if the job advertisement contained any sex coded words and if the advertisement was overall highly masculine, masculine, highly feminine, feminine, or neutral. Region of the country, requirement for subspecialty training, and field (emergency medicine (EM), internal medicine (IM), surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics (OB), family practice (FP), and multiple fields) were also recorded. Data was reviewed and duplicate listings were deleted. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. The study was reviewed by the IRB and found to be exempt. 509 jobs were posted to the study websites during the study period. The jobs included 193 IM jobs (37.9%), 89 surgery jobs (17.5%), 74 EM jobs (14.5%), 63 FP jobs (12.4%), 41 pediatric jobs (8.1%), 29 OB jobs (5.7%). 43.6% of job advertisements coded as masculine or strongly masculine (M), 35.4% coded as feminine or strongly feminine (F), 20.8% coded as neutral (N). Of those neutral coded jobs, only 19 advertisements (3.7%) had no sex coded language at all. Region of the country and requirement for subspecialty training were not associated with sex coding. Field of practice was predictive of sex coding, with pediatrics (29.3%M, 54.8%F) and OB (24.1%M, 41.4%F) more commonly having feminine coded language and IM (48.7%M, 31.6%F) and EM (54.8%M, 25%F) having disproportionately more masculine coded job advertisements (p=0.001). Surgery (36%M, 39.3%F) and FP (39.7%M, 39.7%F) were more balanced. This is consistent with the sex proportion of some fields, such as OB and pediatrics, which have 59% and 64% women in practice respectively, and EM and IM, which have 72% and 61% men in practice, respectively. Surgical job advertisements are less commonly masculine coded, although the specialty is 78% male. Job advertisements for medical positions often contain sex coded language that may reduce the diversity of the applicant pool. For most medical fields, this sexed language is in keeping with the sex make-up of the specialty. Further studies should focus on whether modification of recruitment materials impacts applicant pool diversity.

PHASS99: A software program for retrieving and decoding the radiometric ages of igneous rocks from the international database IGBADAT

PHASS99 is a FORTRAN program designed to retrieve and decode radiometric and other physical age information of igneous rocks contained in the international database IGBADAT (Igneous Base Data File). In the database, ages are stored in a proprietary format using mnemonic representations. The program can handle up to 99 ages in an igneous rock specimen and caters to forty radiometric age systems. The radiometric age alphanumeric strings assigned to each specimen description in the database consist of four components: the numeric age and its exponential modifier, a four-character mnemonic method identification, a two-character mnemonic name of analysed material, and the reference number in the rock group bibliography vector. For each specimen, the program searches for radiometric age strings, extracts them, parses them, decodes the different age components, and converts them to high-level English equivalents. IGBADAT and similarly-structured files are used for input. The output includes three files: a flat raw ASCII text file containing retrieved radiometric age information, a generic spreadsheet-compatible file for data import to spreadsheets, and an error file. PHASS99 builds on the old program TSTPHA (Test Physical Age) decoder program and expands greatly its capabilities. PHASS99 is simple, user friendly, fast, efficient, and does not require users to have knowledge of programing.

Efficient and flexible memory architecture to alleviate data and context bandwidth bottlenecks of coarse-grained reconfigurable arrays

The computational capability of a coarse-grained reconfigurable array (CGRA) can be significantly restrained due to data and context memory bandwidth bottlenecks. Traditionally, two methods have been used to resolve this problem. One method loads the context into the CGRA at run time. This method occupies very small on-chip memory but induces very large latency, which leads to low computational efficiency. The other method adopts a multi-context structure. This method loads the context into the on-chip context memory at the boot phase. Broadcasting the pointer of a set of contexts changes the hardware configuration on a cycle-by-cycle basis. The size of the context memory induces a large area overhead in multi-context structures, which results in major restrictions on application complexity. This paper proposes a Predictable Context Cache (PCC) architecture to address the above context issues by buffering the context inside a CGRA. In this architecture, context is dynamically transferred into the CGRA. Utilizing a PCC significantly reduces the on-chip context memory and the complexity of the applications running on the CGRA is no longer restricted by the size of the on-chip context memory. Data preloading is the most frequently used approach to hide input data latency and speed up the data transmission process for the data bandwidth issue. Rather than fundamentally reducing the amount of input data, the transferred data and computations are processed in parallel. However, the data preloading method cannot work efficiently because data transmission becomes the critical path as the reconfigurable array scale increases. This paper also presents a Hierarchical Data Memory (HDM) architecture as a solution to the efficiency problem. In this architecture, high internal bandwidth is provided to buffer both reused input data and intermediate data. The HDM architecture relieves the external memory from the data transfer burden so that the performance is significantly improved. As a result of using PCC and HDM, experiments running mainstream video decoding programs achieved performance improvements of 13.57%–19.48% when there was a reasonable memory size. Therefore, 1080p@35.7fps for H.264 high profile video decoding can be achieved on PCC and HDM architecture when utilizing a 200 MHz working frequency. Further, the size of the on-chip context memory no longer restricted complex applications, which were efficiently executed on the PCC and HDM architecture.

Decoding and Functional Analysis of Genetic Programs of Hybrid Electromechanical Structures

The results of decoding and genetic programs of structuration analysis of hybrid electromechanical systems are generalized in this paper. Authors established the determined interrelations between genetic programs, structure of periods and groups in periodic generating system of electromagnetic field primary sources, genetic codes of hybrid chromosomes, the taxonomical and functional variety of developing electromechanical objects of hybrid type. The quantitative structure and properties of genetically admissible variety of hybrid Types of electromechanical objects are defined. The results of evolutionary experiments confirming reliability of predictive function of genetic programs are given in this article.

Treatment integrity and treatment effects vary for the Corrective Reading Decoding program when implemented with middle school students with reading difficulties

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Benner, G. J., Nelson, J. R., Stage, S. A., & Ralston, N. C. (2011). The influence of fidelity of implementation on the reading outcomes of middle school students experiencing reading difficulties. Remedial and Special Education, 32, 79–88. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: This research was supported in part by funding from the Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board using Title II, Part A (Improving Teacher Quality) funds from the U.S. Department of Education; the original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest.

Design of Three-axis ED Milling Machine Based on the PMAC Motion Card

This paper presents a new three-axis ED milling machine, which is based on the PMAC motion card. The machine is composed of the motion system, the control system, the working fluid supplying system and the EDM pulse generator. First, the motion system , the working fluid supplying system, the hardware of the control system, and the EDM pulse generator have been built, then the software system of the industrial computer has been developed based on the Visual Basic 6.0 in order to control the machine and monitor the status of the machine. Using the PMAC motion card, the servo control program, the decoding program and the PLC program have been programmed. The software system of the EDM pulse generator is implemented based on a good real time operating system called μC/OS-II, and the software system is composed of three main tasks, namely the data processing task, the communication task and the monitoring task. The milling experiments have been carried out on the ED milling machine based on the PMAC motion card, and the results show that the ED milling machine is steady and reliable when milling with three-axis.

Intelligent Controller Design for Air Conditioning with Multiple Power Saving

An intelligent controller for air conditioning with multiple power-saving is described in this paper. Multiple power-saving feature means: (1) Optimizing the air conditioning compressor curve according to the variation rule of the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor in one day,. (2) Using temperature detection module to control the indoor target temperature no less than pre-set limit and prevent the compressor from starting when outdoor temperature is below the lower limit, (3) Keeping outdoor fan running for a while to make full use of the remaining cooling air stored in the air conditioning when the compressor stops, (4) Cutting the power off when the compressor is standby by using standby monitoring module. The controller hardware is based on ARM microprocessor; connecting with remote control decoding, real-time clock, temperature detection, standby monitoring, and compressor control module. Softwares are made up of main program, remote control decoding program, temperature detection program and compressor control program. After testing, the controller can save more than 20% power and still has a good cooling effect.

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation for Real-time Myoelectric Control of Multifunction Artificial Arms

Improving the function of prosthetic arms remains a challenge, because access to the neural-control information for the arm is lost during amputation. A surgical technique called targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) transfers residual arm nerves to alternative muscle sites. After reinnervation, these target muscles produce electromyogram (EMG) signals on the surface of the skin that can be measured and used to control prosthetic arms. To assess the performance of patients with upper-limb amputation who had undergone TMR surgery, using a pattern-recognition algorithm to decode EMG signals and control prosthetic-arm motions. Study conducted between January 2007 and January 2008 at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago among 5 patients with shoulder-disarticulation or transhumeral amputations who underwent TMR surgery between February 2002 and October 2006 and 5 control participants without amputation. Surface EMG signals were recorded from all participants and decoded using a pattern-recognition algorithm. The decoding program controlled the movement of a virtual prosthetic arm. All participants were instructed to perform various arm movements, and their abilities to control the virtual prosthetic arm were measured. In addition, TMR patients used the same control system to operate advanced arm prosthesis prototypes. Performance metrics measured during virtual arm movements included motion selection time, motion completion time, and motion completion ("success") rate. The TMR patients were able to repeatedly perform 10 different elbow, wrist, and hand motions with the virtual prosthetic arm. For these patients, the mean motion selection and motion completion times for elbow and wrist movements were 0.22 seconds (SD, 0.06) and 1.29 seconds (SD, 0.15), respectively. These times were 0.06 seconds and 0.21 seconds longer than the mean times for control participants. For TMR patients, the mean motion selection and motion completion times for hand-grasp patterns were 0.38 seconds (SD, 0.12) and 1.54 seconds (SD, 0.27), respectively. These patients successfully completed a mean of 96.3% (SD, 3.8) of elbow and wrist movements and 86.9% (SD, 13.9) of hand movements within 5 seconds, compared with 100% (SD, 0) and 96.7% (SD, 4.7) completed by controls. Three of the patients were able to demonstrate the use of this control system in advanced prostheses, including motorized shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands. These results suggest that reinnervated muscles can produce sufficient EMG information for real-time control of advanced artificial arms.

Effects of a Decoding Program on a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This case study examined the effects of a parent-presented Direct Instruction decoding program on the reading and language skills of a child with high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. Following the 23 hour intervention, reading comprehension, listening comprehension and fluency skills improved to grade level, whilst statistically significant improvements were also noted in receptive language skills. There were no significant changes in phonological and decoding skills for which various possibilities are explored, including the student's prior double deficit in phonological skills. The findings are consistent with research suggesting that increased intervention intensity, along with greater emphasis on phonological skills may be necessary to advance the decoding skills of children displaying a double deficit. The reading and language outcomes were sufficiently promising to warrant further studies employing methodologically sound group designs with this population.

Effects of a Decoding Program on a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

AbstractThis case study examined the effects of a parent-presented Direct Instruction decoding program on the reading and language skills of a child with high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. Following the 23 hour intervention, reading comprehension, listening comprehension and fluency skills improved to grade level, whilst statistically significant improvements were also noted in receptive language skills. There were no significant changes in phonological and decoding skills for which various possibilities are explored, including the student’s prior double deficit in phonological skills. The findings are consistent with research suggesting that increased intervention intensity, along with greater emphasis on phonological skills may be necessary to advance the decoding skills of children displaying a double deficit. The reading and language outcomes were sufficiently promising to warrant further studies employing methodologically sound group designs with this population.

The Efficacy of Orthographic Rime, Grapheme–Phoneme Correspondence, and Implicit Phonics Approaches to Teaching Decoding Skills

This study compared the efficacy of two decoding skill-based programs, one based on explicit orthographic rime and one on grapheme–phoneme correspondences, to a control group exposed to an implicit phonics program. Children in both explicit decoding programs performed consistently better than the control group in the accuracy with which they read and spelled words covered in the program. Only children in the grapheme–phoneme correspondence program consistently spelled transfer words better than children in the control group. In addition, children in the grapheme–phoneme correspondence group consistently read words more quickly than children in the control group. Children in both explicit decoding programs scored higher than the children in the control group on measures of reading comprehension and oral reading at posttest.

Teachers College: An Early Focus on Instruction

I arrived at Teachers College in the fall of 1971, having been recruited to join the Learning Disabilities Institute. What an attractive opportunity that was--to work in a new field that offered both challenging questions for research and a chance to help a group of children whose problems had not previously been seriously addressed; a field, in fact, that had been established not only by scientists looking for new areas to study but also by parents who recognized the need for services for children who manifested difficulties in learning even though their intelligence was average or above. We were five principal investigators at the Institute, N. Dale Bryant, Jeannette Fleischner, Walter MacGinitie, Margaret Jo Shepherd, and I. Frances Connor was the director. I have no documents--no grant proposals, no minutes of meetings--to jog my memory, but as best I recall, we were all working on instruction for beginning reading, spelling, comprehension, and math. I remember spending a lot of time during my first year pestering some of the members of the special education department, demanding that they tell me how they knew that a child had a learning disability. They were clinicians, and they knew. But I was a researcher, and I needed reliable and valid measures. Unfortunately, the answers I got were not very satisfactory. I was assured, however, that a learning disability (LD) was short-lived. In reading, for example, it appeared that children with LD had a specific problem with decoding. Once we figured out what exactly was wrong, the difficulty could be remediated, and the children wouldn't have further problems. That optimism helped me a lot as I planned my research. I decided to concentrate on phonemic awareness, and developed a supplemental, remedial program for third graders who had been identified as having LD. I had never conducted an instructional study before, and I soon found out how much work instructional research entails. In the evaluation of the program, 40 classrooms were randomly assigned to treatment or control. My qualms about not being able to determine who had LD were assuaged by the fact that the schools decided the matter. And who was I, a mere researcher, to gainsay them? I told myself that if my program was successful, it was likely to help any child who was having difficulty with decoding, not just those hard-to-identify children with LD. So it would have some value even if the children I was working with turned out not to have LD. LD RESEARCH IN THE EARLY YEARS This stance--that my job was to study the process of instruction and to develop instructional programs, not to identify who had or did not have a learning disability--got me through question-and-answer sessions at meetings. But I was often discomfited by the fact that not only did I not know, but that the professional community as a whole did not know how to identify a child with LD. What was this field we were working in, if we didn't even know whom we were trying to help? I think now that I might have tried a little harder on this front, but plenty of people became involved in the question of identification. Substantial effort went into developing assessment strategies and diagnostic testing. Others of us continued on our merry way, drawing our samples from ill-defined, school-identified populations. My study was successful in that the children in the classrooms that participated learned to segment and blend phonemes, first without and then with letters. They were superior to the control children not only on words they had practiced; they were also able to transfer what they had learned to the decoding of short words and pseudowords that they had not seen in training. I never did any follow-up on those children, but if they were like most children who have been labeled as having a disability during their first years at school, they were not cured by my program. More to the point, if they had received the best decoding program in the world, implemented in the best way possible, and if that program had led them to the mastery of decoding, they might still have remained disabled with respect to later reading challenges. …

Performance Test of Web Based 3D Medical Image System using Image Streaming Technique

OBJECTIVE: It is still the important subject that 3D visualizing of medical images to help patient diagnose. There were many challenges for fast 3D visualization but it has some limitations that volume rendering without high price's hardware and software. Some techniques through the web were suggested to construct high quality's 3D visualization even though it was an only poor personal computer. This technique could share the volume rendering board and diagnose 3D images together. However there are some problems to construct web based 3D visualization. These are network delay, optimized visualization and security etc. The purpose of this paper was to visualize and control the 3D medical image having a high quality on the web. METHODS: To construct this system, we used mainly three tools which were VolumePro1000 board, WMV9(Windows Media Video 9 Codec) and socket functions based on TCP(Transmission Control Protocol). VolumePro1000 board could calculate quickly heavy matrixes of 3D images using phong's shading and shear-warp factorization. WMV9 was able to compress efficiently live images and to apply image streaming technique. Socket functions based on TCP transmitted messages to control the 3D images. RESULTS: We developed 3D visualization system and evaluated about image qualities and transmission conditions of different compression rates on unfixed network condition. CONCLUSION: It was big advantages that WMV9 encoder could decode automatically in many platforms(desk top, PDA, notebook, cellular phone, etc) without installing specific decoding programs if they only have Windows Media player. We expect 3D visualization system to be utilized various biomedical fields such as IIGS(Interactive Image Guided Surgery), CAD(Computer Aided Diagnosis) and Tele-medicine technologies.

The Reciprocal Relationship between Research and Development: An Example Involving a Decoding Strand for Poor Readers

The two major goals of this paper are to describe a 5-year research and development project that led to the creation of a decoding program for poor readers in Grades 1–8 and to report the results of our research along the way. Unlike most research and development projects, research did not simply follow program development and assess its effectiveness. Instead, action research was used as a means of developing the program and program development led to modifications in the research as well. Thus, research and development had a reciprocal relationship and evolved together. The word identification program that eventually took shape emphasized phonemic awareness and decoding by analogy. Our findings were consistent with the conclusion that the word identification program enabled students to become better decoders and allowed them to make small gains in spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Creative Phonics

Describes a decoding and comprehension skills program using language activities that are personally relevant

A Decoding Program for Poor Readers-and the Rest of the Class, Too!

Analogy holds the key in this program designed to help poor readers learn how to decode unknown words as they read text.