Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Balancing computation and memory in high capacity reconfigurable arrays

Reconfigurable arrays have been used to speed up computational tasks, some times achieving orders of magnitude of improvement either in cost/performance or raw performance. An integral part of such systems is a significant amount of memory, distributed among multiple reconfigurable chips. The current scaling trend of VLSI technology, that allows packing of more and more gates on a single silicon die, tends to throw such architectures out of balance, unless significant amount of memory is integrated on the die, close to the processing elements. Embedded DRAM technology, integration of dynamic RAM with logic circuits on the same chip, offers a unique opportunity to balance the processing and memory resources in large reconfigurable chips. In this thesis I evaluate the potential of embedded DRAM technology in the context of a reconfigurable architecture. I examine the design space for embedded DRAM macros suitable for reconfigurable architectures and present a point design, the Configurable Memory Block (CMB) for the Trumpet FPGA. With the aid of sample application kernels, I evaluate the density, performance and energy advantages of embedded DRAM technology over the conventional technology of small internal SRAM banks and larger external memory. Based on a set of typical applications, I develop a methodology for choosing a cost/performance-optimum design point for reconfigurable architectures similar to Trumpet. I find that FPGAs incorporating embedded DRAM banks can demonstrate high performance and energy efficiency, in addition to the obvious integration benefits resulting from the merging of the processing and memory elements on the same chip.
Primary coffee processing in Ethiopia: patterns, constraints and determinants.

Quality is the most important parameter in the World coffee trade. The quality of coffee is determined by 40% in the field, 40% at post harvest primary processing, and 20% at secondary processing. This underscores the importance of primary processing in enhancing the quality and value of coffee. The purpose of this study was to examine coffee processing methods, evaluate constraints to processing and assess socio-economic factors determining the type of processing method used by small scale farmers. Four hundred farmers were interviewed from the main coffee growing areas. The survey revealed that the methods of coffee processing in Ethiopia are sun-drying of unpulped cherries and wet processing, of which sun-drying is preferred by farmers. Washed coffee accounts for 29% while sundried accounts for 71% of all processed coffee. Education level (p<0.01), area under coffee (p=0.02), distance to the nearest coffee washing station (p=0.01) and age of the farmer (p=0.04) significantly determine the type of processing method used. Farmers with higher education level and large land area under coffee prefer wet processing. Relatively less educated, old and farmers located far away from the coffee washing stations use sun-dried processing. The key constraints to coffee processing are lack of coffee processing facilities, high costs of materials for constructing the raised drying beds, limited technical know-how and long distance to the few processing facilities. Coffee processing can be improved through investment by provision of financial resources to purchase the requisite equipment and training so that the necessary technical, financial and commercial capability would be created for the sustainable management of the coffee processing facilities.
Vehicle handling control using active differentials

This thesis describes an investigation into vehicle handling control using active differentials in the rear axle of a motor vehicle. Such devices are able to transfer torque between the rear wheels and have traditionally been used to improve traction whilst minimising the impact on vehicle handling. However, the capacity to generate a lateral torque difference across an axle also gives them the potential to be used for yaw moment control. In order to generate a rigorous assessment of this potential, the investigation is carried out in three distinct phases. Firstly, an analysis of the scope for modifying vehicle handling given unrestricted control over torque transfer between the rear wheels is carded out in the simulation environment. For this purpose an idealised yaw sideslip controller is developed. This is used to show that an ideal active differential can have significant yaw moment authority in terms of generating both understeer and oversteer and that this can be used to actively modify a vehicle's handling balance and apply stability control at the limits of adhesion. In the second phase, the capabilities of two types of contemporary active differential, the torque vectoring differential (TVD) and active limited slip differential (ALSID), are then assessed against the ideal differential and against a brake based yaw moment controller. TVDs are found to be able to offer very similar performance to both their ideal counterpart and to the brake based system. They Gan also deliver this performance with a fraction of the energy loss that is observed in the brakes, thus making TVDs a viable proposition for applying continuous yaw control below the limits of adhesion. ALSDs, on the other hand do not offer equivalent functionality to an ideal active differential but are still shown to be very effective stability control devices. In the third phase, the ALSID results are validated on a prototype vehicle where it is shown that they do indeed offer substantial stability improvements both on high and low-P surfaces. However in order to deliver such benefits and be practical for implementation, it is also shown that significant redevelopment of the idealised controller is required. Finally, with the ALSID operating alongside a commercial brake based stability control system, it is proven that substantial reductions in brake intervention can be achieved without significant controller integration.
Iterated primitives of meromorphic quasimodular forms for 𝑆𝐿₂(ℤ)

We introduce and study iterated primitives of meromorphic quasimodular forms for $\operatorname{SL}_2(\mathbb Z)$, generalizing work of Manin and Brown for holomorphic modular forms. We prove that the algebra of iterated primitives of meromorphic quasimodular forms is naturally isomorphic to a certain explicit shuffle algebra. We deduce from this an Ax--Lindemann--Weierstrass type algebraic independence criterion for primitives of meromorphic quasimodular forms which includes a recent result of Pa\c{s}ol--Zudilin as a special case. We also study spaces of meromorphic modular forms with restricted poles, generalizing results of Guerzhoy in the weakly holomorphic case.
Attaining Realistic Simulations of Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract : Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANET) are comprised of wireless systems that communicate without the assistance of centrally managed routers or base stations. MANET research and development has increased due to computing technologies offering smaller, faster, smarter, and more power efficient platforms to operate on. Largely the testing and evaluation of new and existing MANET protocols has resided in simulation environments. This is due in part to the complexities and expenses incurred when conducting real world tests. Many researchers have come to recognize that these current simulations tend to assume away critical components of the MANET domain. These assumptions are made either to simplify the physical layer of the simulation so that the protocol can be tested or out of necessity because the current simulation platforms are not capable of providing a more realistic physical layer simulation environment. This thesis is focused on addressing these assumptions that affect the physical layer of the MANET protocol by gathering data in the real world and then modifying the simulation environment to model as closely as possible to the gathered results. This modified environment is then compared to the basic MANET simulation environment by analyzing packet delivery and propagation effects of both models.
Online activities as risk factors for internet addiction among students in Bahir Dar University, North West Ethiopia: Hierarchical regression model

Introduction: Internet addiction among the youth has become a public health concern. It leads to impairments in several aspects of life. Previous studies identified individual and environmental risk factors for internet addiction. The effect of online activities on youth internet use behavior is not well investigated. This study assessed the prevalence of internet addiction and determined the roles of online activities for internet addiction among students in Bahir Dar University. Methods: Data were collected from 812 randomly selected undergraduate regular program students recruited from 10 departments. Participants completed a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Results: The results indicated that 35.2% of students were classified as being addicted to the internet. The four most important online activities students engaged on the internet are social networking (75.5%), entertainments (73.6%), academic works (72.5%), and online game (60.8%). Including online activity variables improved the explanation of internet addicted behavior over the individual and environmental attributes. Online activities explained 48.4% of the variance in internet addiction. Students who did not use the internet for social networking (AOR = .11; 95% CI: .06 - .21) and online game (AOR = .31; 95% CI: .21 - .46) were less likely to be internet addicted. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that more than one third of the participants were addicted internet users. Online activities better predict students’ addicted internet use behavior than individual and environmental attributes. Thus, university authorities and other concerned bodies need to be aware of the prevalence of IA and introduce regulatory mechanisms to limit the usage of potentially addictive online internet applications and promote responsible internet use behavior.
HOW DOES THE IRISH SMOKING BAN MEASURE UP? A BEFORE AND AFTER STUDY OF PARTICLE CONCENTRATIONS IN IRISH PUBS

On March 29 th 2004, Ireland became the first country to ban smoking in indoor workplaces. The effectiveness of this major public health initiative on exposure and risk for bar workers in Galway city was assessed. 9 city pubs were sampled for particulate matter as a marker of second-hand smoke (SHS) concentrations. Sampling was carried out on five Saturday nights, three prior to, and two following the ban. The observed PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations are presented, and these include a post-ban drop in PM 2.5 concentrations of 75-96% relative to pre-ban levels, and a drop in PM 10 concentrations of 47-74% relative to pre-ban levels. In the light of these findings, the risk reduction impact of the ban on those in the hitherto high risk hospitality sector is discussed.
Methods for Advancing an Open, Replicable, and Inclusive Science of Social Cognition

This chapter is divided into four sections. In the first section, we describe concrete practices that researchers can use to calibrate their confidence in a significant finding to the actual strength of evidence provided by that finding. In the second section, we discuss how researchers can calibrate the scope of the conclusions they draw from a study to the stimuli and participants sampled in that study. In the third section, we highlight the importance of approaching scientific inquiry from diverse vantage points, and provide specific recommendations for enhancing diversity and inclusion in social cognition research. In the fourth section, we offer strategies that researchers in any career stage or role can use to help change our incentive structures so that they promote and support the practices recommended in the earlier sections. Together, these four sections offer researchers a roadmap for enhancing what we learn from the work that we do.
Roles and Characteristics of the Project Manager in Achieving Success across the Project Life Cycle

Ever since Pinto and Slevin (1988) identified the project manager as having inore than a moderating effect on project success, researchers have been trying to unveil the identity of "successful" project managers. Studies have focused on the leadership aspects of the project manager (Shenhar et al, 1997; Pinto, 1988; and Prabhakar, 2005), but researchers have theorized that effective project management is more than just project leadership (Kotter, 2001; and Jacques, Garger & Thomas, 2008). A theoretical framework for project success is presented that reflects organizational and project characteristics, including project life cycle phase, project manager roles, and the project manager profile. The framework is derived from Shenhar et al.'s (2007) MultiDimensionality Theory of project success, Adams and Barndt's (1978) four-phase model of the project life cycle, and Mintzberg's (1 990) Role Typology. The purpose of this study was to explain the relationship between organizational characteristics, project characteristics, project manager roles, the project life cycle, project manager characteristics and project success. The proposed research strategy was to conduct a non-experimental, comparative (exploratory) and correlational (explanatory) online survey designed to address three research questions and to test five hypotheses. The web-based survey collected data from the entire target population of approximately 307,000 worldwide PMI project managers currently working on projects. Methods of data analysis include descriptive statistics (frequency distribution, measures of central tendency, and variability), exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency reliability (coefficient alphas), Pearson's r correlations, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis using the stepwise (forward) method. In this study, project manager roles explained 18% ofproject success. The entrepreneur, monitor, resource allocator, and transformational leader roles are significant explanatory variables to project success. These roles address: allocating resources, managing change, filtering information, and maintaininglincreasing team cohesiveness. Implications are that effective project managers need to be good managers, as well as good leaders. They need to be able to manage change (the entrepreneur role), plan and budget work (the resource allocator role), inspire and motivate the team to action (the transformational leader role), and constantly scan, filter, and disseminate information (the monitor role).
Textile sensors for ECG and respiratory frequency on swimsuits

Swimming constitutes one of the most demanding sports regarding technique. Years of training are necessary to master each one of the four styles. An important improvement and help for trainers would be a swimsuit that could provide information during training. This paper presents the research undertaken to develop textile sensors that will be used in a swimsuit. This paper will address ECG and respiratory frequency sensors and respective signals. The behaviour of the proposed sensors in different conditions (dry and wet environments) will be presented and discussed. The influence of movement on the signal quality and further interpretation, both by the muscular electrical signals as well as by the displacement of the electrodes, will be addressed. Other very important issue in swimming is drag. One approach that can reduce total drag consists in using compression. However, compressed fabrics will most likely modify the textile sensors’ response. This problem is also addressed in order to successfully integrate the electrodes in
Establishing a Quantitative Functional Relationship between Capillary Pressure Saturation and Interfacial Area

We propose to continue our collaborative research focused on advanced technologies for subsurface contamination problems. Our approach combines new multi-phase flow theory, novel laboratory experiments, and non-traditional computational simulators to investigate practical approaches to include interfacial areas in descriptions of subsurface contaminant transport and remediation. Because all inter-phase mass transfer occurs at fluid-fluid interfaces, and it is this inter-phase mass transfer that leads to the difficult, long-term ground-water contamination problems, it is critical to include interfacial behavior in the problem description. This is currently lacking in all standard models of complex ground-water contamination problems. In our earlier project, we developed tools appropriate for inclusion of interfacial areas under equilibrium conditions. These include advanced laboratory techniques and targeted computational experiments that validated certain key theoretical conjecture s. However, it has become clear that to include interfacial behavior fully into a description of the multi-phase flow and contamination problems, the fully dynamic case must be considered. Therefore, we need to develop both experimental and computational tools that can capture the dynamic nature of interfacial movements. Development and application of such tools will allow the theory to be evaluated, and will lead to significant improvements in our understanding of complex subsurface contamination problems, thereby allowing us to develop and evaluate improved remediation technologies.
Stress concentration of shrink fit assembly using finite element method

Contact stress along the interface due to shrink fit assembly highly increases at the contact edge and can lead to premature fatigue failure. Accurate results in the contact edge region can be obtained using finite element method with either constraint equations or contact elements. Since the stress at contact tip does not converge when the element size decreases, the stress at an internal point near the contact edge was studied instead. It was observed that neglecting the friction is a conservative assumption and the corner radius has a negative effect on shrink fit contact stress. If friction is neglected, the constraint equation method is more effective than contact element method for avoiding non linear iterations.
Handover in digital cellular mobile communication systems

A mathematical formulation is developed for systematic tracking of the random movement of a mobile station in a cellular environment. It incorporates mobility parameters under generalized conditions, so that the model could be tailored to be applicable in most cellular environments. This model is then used to characterisendifferent mobility-related traffic parameters in a cellular system. These include the cell residence time of both new and handover calls, channel holding time and the average number of handovers per call. It is shown that the cell residence time can be described by the generalized gamma distribution, while the channel holding time can be best approximated by the negative exponential distribution. Based on these findings a teletraffic model that takes the user mobility into account is presented and is substantiated using a computer simulation. Further, the influence of cell size on new and handover call blocking probabilities is examined. The effect of the handover channel reservation on call dropout probability is also examined to determine the optimum number of reserved channels required for handover. Improvement to handover performance is investigated in terms of reduction in the number of unnecessary handovers as well as reduction in handover delay time. For this purpose an analytical method is developed which determines the optimum hysteresis level and the signal averaging time under shadow fading. The results are applicable in both micro- and macro-cellular systems.
Analysis of Slewing and Attitude Determination Requirements for Ctex

Abstract : This thesis examines the slewing and attitude determination requirements for the Chromotomographic Experiment(CTEX), a chromotomographic-based hyperspectral imager, to be mounted on-board the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) External Facility (EF). The in-track slewing requirement is driven by the facts that CTEx has a very small field of view (FOV) and is required to collect 10 seconds of data for any given collection window. The need to slew in the cross-track direction is a product of the small FOV and target/calibration site access. CTEx incorporates a two-axis slow-steering dwell mirror with a range of +/- 8 degrees and an accuracy of 10 arcseconds in each axis to slew the FOV. The inherent inaccuracy in the knowledge of the International Space Station's (ISS)attitude (+/- 3 degrees) poses significant complications in accurately pointing CTEx even with more accurate (0.3 degrees) attitude information provided by the JEM. The desire is for CTEx to incorporate a star tracker with 1 arcsecond accuracy to determine attitude without reliance on outside sources.
Psychometric Properties of the Self-Report Version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in Iranian young Adolescents

Background: The Strengths and Difﬁculties Questionnaire (SDQ), is a brief behavioral screening tool, widely used for assessing mental health problems in adolescents. The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the self-report SDQ (P-SDQ) in Iranian young adolescents. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 244 young adolescents participated from 4 different geographic regions of Tehran and completed the questionnaire. The reliability of P-SDQ scores was determined by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The face validity was assessed qualitatively. The construct validity of the test scores was evaluated by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Results: The internal consistency of P-SDQ scores was confirmed for all subscales (alpha values ranged from 0.62 to 0.69) and the whole questionnaire (alpha=0.80), except for the peer relationship problems subscale scores (alpha=0.45). CFA supported a five-factor structure in the first order (relating the items to the subscales), except for the peer relationship problems subscale, and a one-factor structure in the second order (relating the subscales to the whole SDQ), except for the peer relationship problems subscale. In addition, the results of CFA revealed that the peer relationship problems subscale was showed; item-scale relations were significant in all subscales, except for the peer relationship problems subscale. Conclusions: The obtained results supported t desirable reliability and validity for all P-SDQ subscale scores and the overall score, except for the peer relationship problems subscale. It seems that the peer relationship problems subscale of the P-SDQ requires further modifications prior to being considered as appropriate for assessing mental health in Iranian young adolescents.