Research data supporting "MineSweeper: A “Clean Sweep” for Drop-In Use-After-Free Prevention"

Contains the MineSweeper implementation, an allocator extension implemented on top of JeMalloc to mitigate use-after-free attacks, together with scripts to evaluate its running time and memory overheads on the SPEC CPU2006 benchmarks

Research data supporting "OptiWISE: Combining Sampling and Instrumentation for Granular CPI Analysis"

OptiWISE is a profiling tool for x86-64 and AArch64 processors running Linux. It aims to help a user understand a target program's performance characteristics by reporting detailed statistics such as per instruction CPI. It achieves this by running the application twice: once with low-overhead sampling and once with high-overhead dynamic instrumentation. This archive contains the tool's source code at v0.9.0, as well as a copy of the tool built for x86-64. It also contains scripts that use the tool to run several experiments demonstrating the tool's output and overheads. These experiments correspond to generating Figures 1, 7, and 10 in the corresponding publication "OptiWISE: Combining Sampling and Instrumentation for Granular CPI Analysis".EP/W00576X/

OptiWISE: Combining Sampling and Instrumentation for Granular CPI Analysis

Despite decades of improvement in compiler technology, it remains necessary to profile applications to improve performance. Existing profiling tools typically either sample hardware performance counters or instrument the program with extra instructions to analyze its execution. Both techniques are valuable with different strengths and weaknesses, but do not always correctly identify optimization opportunities. We present OPTIWISE, a profiling tool that runs the program twice, once with low-overhead sampling to accurately measure performance, and once with instrumentation to accurately capture control flow and execution counts. OPTIWISE then combines this information to give a highly detailed per-instruction CPI metric by computing the ratio of samples to execution counts, as well as aggregated information such as costs per loop, source-code line, or function. We evaluate OPTIWISE to show it has an overhead of 8.1× geomean, and 57× worst case on SPEC CPU2017 benchmarks. Using OPTIWISE, we present case studies of optimizing selected SPEC benchmarks on a modern x86 server processor. The per-instruction CPI metrics quickly reveal problems such as costly mispredicted branches and cache misses, which we use to manually optimize for effective performance improvements.Ar

The edge of two worlds: A new review and synthesis on Eurasian forest-steppes

Peter, Torok/0000-0002-4428-3327; Anenkhonov, Oleg/0000-0001-8633-7154; Batori, Zoltan/0000-0001-9915-5309; Magnes, Martin/0000-0002-5453-5735WOS: 000442660900001AimsEurasian forest-steppes are among the most complex non-tropical terrestrial ecosystems. Despite their considerable scientific, ecological and economic importance, knowledge of forest-steppes is limited, particularly at the continental scale. Here we provide an overview of Eurasian forest-steppes across the entire zone: (a) we propose an up-to-date definition of forest-steppes, (b) give a short physiogeographic outline, (c) delineate and briefly characterize the main forest-steppe regions, (d) explore forest-steppe biodiversity and conservation status, and (e) outline forest-steppe prospects under predicted climate change. LocationEurasia (29 degrees-56 degrees N, 16 degrees-139 degrees E). Results and ConclusionsForest-steppes are natural or near-natural vegetation complexes of arboreal and herbaceous components (typically distributed in a mosaic pattern) in the temperate zone, where the co-existence of forest and grassland is enabled primarily by the semi-humid to semi-arid climate, complemented by complex interactions of biotic and abiotic factors operating at multiple scales. This new definition includes lowland forest-grassland macromosaics (e.g. in Eastern Europe), exposure-related mountain forest-steppes (e.g. in Inner Asia), fine-scale forest-grassland mosaics (e.g. in the Carpathian Basin) and open woodlands (e.g. in the Middle East). Using criteria of flora, physiognomy, relief and climate, nine main forest-steppe regions are identified and characterized. Forest-steppes are not simple two-phase systems, as they show a high level of habitat diversity, with forest and grassland patches of varying types and sizes, connected by a network of differently oriented edges. Species diversity and functional diversity may also be exceptionally high in forest-steppes. Regarding conservation, we conclude that major knowledge gaps exist in determining priorities at the continental, regional, national and local levels, and in identifying clear target states and optimal management strategies. When combined with other threats, climate change may be particularly dangerous to forest-steppe survival, possibly resulting in compositional changes, rearrangement of the landscape mosaic or even the latitudinal or altitudinal shift of forest-steppes.Orszagos Tudomanyos Kutatasi AlapprogramokOrszagos Tudomanyos Kutatasi Alapprogramok (OTKA) [K 119 225, PD 116114]; Hungarian Government [EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-00014]; National Youth Excellence Scholarship [NTP-NFTO-16-0623]; NKFIH [K 124796, K 119225]; Russian Federal Budget [AAAA-A17-117011810036-3]Orszagos Tudomanyos Kutatasi Alapprogramok, Grant/Award Number: K 119 225 and PD 116114; Hungarian Government, Grant/Award Number: EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-00014; National Youth Excellence Scholarship, Grant/Award Number: NTP-NFTO-16-0623; NKFIH, Grant/Award Number: K 124796 and K 119225; Russian Federal Budget, Grant/Award Number: AAAA-A17-117011810036-

Genetic and demographic features of X-linked agammaglobulinemia in Eastern and Central Europe: A cohort study

Primary immunodeficiency disorders are a recognized public health problem worldwide. The prototype of these conditions is X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) or Bruton's disease. XLA is caused by mutations in Bruton's tyrosine kinase gene (BTK), preventing B cell development and resulting in the almost total absence of serum immunoglobulins. The genetic profile and prevalence of XLA have not previously been studied in Eastern and Central European (ECE) countries. We studied the genetic and demographic features of XLA in Belarus, Croatia Hungary, Poland, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. We collected clinical, immunological, and genetic information for 122 patients from 109 families. The BTK gene was sequenced from the genomic DNA of patients with a high susceptibility to infection, almost no CD19(+) peripheral blood B cells. and low or undetectable levels of serum immunoglobulins M, G, and A, compatible with a clinical and immunological diagnosis of XLA. BTK sequence analysis revealed 98 different mutations, 46 of which are reported for the first time here. The mutations included single nucleotide changes in the coding exons (35 missense and 17 nonsense), 23 splicing defects, 13 small deletions, 7 large deletions, and 3 insertions. The mutations were scattered throughout the BTK gene and most frequently concerned the SH1 domain: no missense mutation was detected in the SH3 domain. The prevalence of XLA in ECE countries (total population 145,530,870) was found to be 1 per 1,399,000 individuals. This report provides the first comprehensive overview of the molecular genetic and demographic features of XLA in Eastern and Central Europe. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved