Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effective synchronization removal for Java

We present a new technique for removing unnecessary synchronization operations from statically compiled Java programs. Our approach improves upon current efforts based on escape analysis, as it can eliminate synchronization operations even on objects that escape their allocating threads. It makes use of a compact, equivalence-class-based representation that eliminates the need for fixed point operations during the analysis. We describe and evaluate the performance of an implementation in theMarmot native Java compiler. For the benchmark programs examined, the optimization removes 100% of the dynamic synchronization operations in single-threaded programs, and 0-99% in multi-threaded programs, at a low cost in additional compilation time and code growth.
The interplay between overriding plate kinematics, slab dip and tectonics

In subductions where the slab stagnates at the 660-km mantle discontinuity, overriding plate kinematics largely controls slab dip and overriding plate tectonics. Although plates kinematics models suggest frequent velocity changes for most plates, the impact of temporal evolution of overriding plate velocity on subduction dynamics has been relatively little addressed. In the present study, we use 2-d numerical models to assess the effects of changes in overriding plate far-field velocity on subduction geometry and on the horizontal stresses transmitted to the overriding plate. When a change in overriding plate velocity arises during slab stagnation, slab dip evolves during a transient period, called adjustment-time, to reach a state in equilibrium with the new boundary conditions. The models predict a dependency of the adjustment-time on the value of velocity change and on several internal parameters (subducting plate density, thickness, and viscosity, and mantle viscosity). We estimate that the adjustment-times may be ∼10 − 35 Myrs in Nature, which suggests that most of present-day subduction zones with stagnating slabs might not be at a steady-state. Further, the models predict that changes in overriding plate velocity generate high temporary variations in the state of stresses of the plate.
Forecasting-Based Dynamic Virtual Channels Allocation for Power Optimization of Network-on-Chips

In this paper, we present a dynamic power management technique for optimizing the use of virtual channels in network on chips. The technique which is called dynamic virtual channels allocation (DVCA) makes use of the traffic conditions and past buffer utilization to dynamically forecast the number of virtual channels that should be active. In this technique, for low(high) traffic loads, a small (large) number of VCs are allocated to the corresponding input channel. This provides us with the ability to reduce the power consumption of the router while maintaining the data communication rate. To assess the efficacy of the proposed method, the network on chip has been simulated using several traffic profiles. The simulation results show that up to 35% reduction in the buffer power consumption and up to 20% savings in the overall router power consumption may be achieved. Finally, the area and power overheads of the technique are negligible.
Drying characteristics of medicinal plants

The special active agent content makes suitable herbals for healing and health preservation. The key element in herbs and spices processing is drying. The required low moisture content of medicinal plants to storage can be achieved only by applying drying equipment at Hungarian climatic conditions. The extent of the dryer capacity defines the processing capacity of the factory. During the daily operation can easily occur bottleneck, when large amount of herbs are transported to the factory, which is above the drying capacity — various plants unexpected simultaneous flowering, weather emergency, extraordinary collecting, etc. The aim of the manuscript is to determinate operational data at herbs pre-drying with low temperature air by measurements. This work defines the drying rate, the volume decrease and the drying air velocity for various medicinal plants at drying with ambient air.
Derivation and Pilot Assessment of a Health Promotion Program for Mandarin-Speaking Chinese Older Adults

As the percentage of older adults of diverse ethnicities increases in the United States, the call for culturally sensitive health care service strategies that target the special needs of older people grows. The present report describes methods used to adapt a health care program so that it would better meet the needs of a group of well, older Mandarin-speaking Chinese residents of Los Angeles. The specific qualitative research procedures that we used to adapt the treatment program are described, along with the particular adaptations that emerged. Additionally, outcomes from a randomized pilot experiment are presented that are consistent with the notion that the adapted program was effective in reducing health-related declines among older Mandarin-speaking men and women. The overall outcome of this project is in agreement with other reports in the health care literature that address the importance of providing culturally sensitive health care service for elders.
A Novel Method for the Comparison of Graphical Data Models

This paper proposes a methodical approach for data model comparisons based on the graph theory. The proposed new approach is a Graphical Model Comparison Algorithm (GMCA) which includes a procedure, methods and an algorithm that can be used for comparing two data models for similarities. The comparison is based on the structural similarity of graphs representing data models that contain some semantically similar data objects.
The paradox of multimodal optimization: Concepts vs. species in single and multi-objective problems

It is well-known that decision-makers are often interested in searching for multiple alternative solutions. A major goal of multimodal optimization is to find such alternatives by searching for multiple peaks in the landscape. However, as claimed and demonstrated here with respect to that goal, the notion of multi-modal optimization is problematic on a fundamental level. Moreover, as discussed here, the notion of multimodal optimization is, for the most of it, restricted to single objective optimization. Following the above argumentation, this paper provides some overview on the set-base concept approach and describes how this approach can be used to produce meaningful solution alternatives for the decision-makers both for single and multi-objective problem. It is concluded that, when decision-makers are interested in finding multiple solutions, the use of the set-based concept approach is a valid alternative to multimodal optimization.
Diagnosis and management of dilated cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disorder defined by the presence of a dilated and poorly functioning left ventricle in the absence of abnormal loading conditions (hypertension, valve disease) or ischaemic heart disease sufficient to cause global systolic impairment. A large number of cardiac and systemic diseases can cause systolic impairment and left ventricular dilatation, but in the majority of patients no identifiable cause is found—hence the term “idiopathic” dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC). There are experimental and clinical data in animals and humans suggesting that genetic, viral, and immune factors contribute to the pathophysiology of IDC. #### Causes of dilated cardiomyopathy Young Adolescent/adults ### Clinical presentation The first presentation of IDC may be with systemic embolism or sudden death, but patients more typically present with signs and symptoms of pulmonary congestion and/or low cardiac output, often on a background of exertional symptoms and fatigue for many months or years before their diagnosis. Intercurrent illness or the development of arrhythmia, in particular atrial fibrillation, may precipitate acute decompensation in such individuals. Increasingly, IDC is diagnosed incidentally in asymptomatic individuals during routine medical screening or family evaluation of patients with established diagnosis. A careful family history facilitates diagnosis of inherited causes of IDC by characterising the family phenotype, and also defines the scope of family screening.1 At least 25% of patients have evidence for familial disease with predominantly autosomal dominant inheritance. Clinically, familial disease is defined by the presence of two or more affected individuals in a single family and should also be suspected in all patients with …
Doped sol-gel materials for the production of optical fibers

The sol-gel technology offers highly interesting prospects for fiber fabrication. The main advantage is the possibility to incorporate any dopants and co-dopants soluble in a suitable solvent. Generally, these dopants are homogeneously dissolved in the matrix. The objective of this work is to produce fiber cores with the sol-gel technique, to fabricate ytterbium doped sol-gel fiber lasers, and to investigate their properties. The sol-gel route was adapted to successfully build ytterbium doped sol-gel fiber lasers. This wet chemistry process involves water and alcohol, but the hydroxyl groups of these liquids highly attenuate guided light. The fiber core deposition was therefore extended with thermal annealing at 1800 °C for vitrification and to minimize the hydroxyl group content in the fiber core. In case of a mono-mode fiber laser the core was built with three 2.7 µm layers. These layers were deposited with this intermediate vitrification applied between subsequent layers. In the case of multi-mode fibers six layers were applied similarly. After collapsing, the preforms were drawn to fibers. The produced fibers were investigated in view of structural and optical properties. The sol-gel fibers show cores with a radial structure in their cross sections. This structure is also known from the modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) technique. The stress distribution within sol-gel fibers is in the same range as in MCVD fibers. The fibers show losses of 31 dB/km at 1100 nm. Laser action has been demonstrated. With thresholds between 32 mW and 90 mW a slope efficiency of up to 73 % has been reached. The maximum output of 44 mW was limited by the available pump power.
Bayesian Estimation of Beta-binomial Models by Simulating Posterior Densities Bayesian Estimation of Beta-binomial Models by Simulating Posterior Densities

Beta-binomial models are a standard choice for modeling multiple sequences of binary responses. Hyperparameters a and b of the mixing beta distribution characterize this model. Estimation of these hyperparameters or simple functions of them is done by simulation. Using truncated normal priors, calculations based on posterior distributions are carried out by two approaches | Hastings' algorithm and a hybrid Gibbs-Hastings algorithm. We discuss relative strengths and weaknesses of these methods , and illustrate the ideas with three concrete examples.
Non-Linear Cross-Domain Collaborative Filtering via Hyper-Structure Transfer

The Cross Domain Collaborative Filtering (CDCF) exploits the rating matrices from multiple domains to make better recommendations. Existing CDCF methods adopt the substructure sharing technique that can only transfer linearly correlated knowledge between domains. In this paper, we propose the notion of Hyper-Structure Transfer (HST) that requires the rating matrices to be explained by the projections of some more complex structure, called the hyper-structure, shared by all domains, and thus allows the nonlinearly correlated knowledge between domains to be identified and transferred. Extensive experiments are conducted and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of our HST models empirically.
A Density-Based Algorithm for Discovering Clusters in Large Spatial Databases with Noise

Clustering algorithms are attractive for the task of class identification in spatial databases. However, the application to large spatial databases rises the following requirements for clustering algorithms: minimal requirements of domain knowledge to determine the input parameters, discovery of clusters with arbitrary shape and good efficiency on large databases. The well-known clustering algorithms offer no solution to the combination of these requirements. In this paper, we present the new clustering algorithm DBSCAN relying on a density-based notion of clusters which is designed to discover clusters of arbitrary shape. DBSCAN requires only one input parameter and supports the user in determining an appropriate value for it. We performed an experimental evaluation of the effectiveness and efficiency of DBSCAN using synthetic data and real data of the SEQUOIA 2000 benchmark. The results of our experiments demonstrate that (1) DBSCAN is significantly more effective in discovering clusters of arbitrary shape than the well-known algorithm CLARANS, and that (2) DBSCAN outperforms CLARANS by a factor of more than 100 in terms of efficiency.
Proportional-Integral Extremum Seeking for Optimizing Power of Vapor Compression Systems

While traditional perturbation-based extremum seeking controllers (ESC) for vapor compression systems have proven effective at optimizing power without requiring a process model, the algorithm’s requirement for multiple distinct timescales has limited the applicability of this method to laboratory tests where boundary conditions can be carefully controlled, or simulation studies with unrealistic convergence times. In this paper, we optimize power consumption through the application of a newly-developed proportional–integral extremum seeking controller (PI-ESC) that converges at the same timescale as the process. This method uses an improved gradient estimation routine previously developed by the authors but also modifies the control law part of the algorithm to include terms proportional to the estimated gradient. PI-ESC is applied to the problem of compressor discharge temperature selection for a vapor compression system so that power consumption is minimized. We test the performance of this method using a custom-developed model of a vapor compression system written in the Modelica object-oriented modeling language. We compare the convergence times of PI-ESC to our previously developed time-varying ESC method and the conventional perturbation-based ESC method. For the conditions tested, PI-ESC is shown to converge to the optimum in about 15 minutes, whereas TV-ESC converges in 45 minutes and perturbation ESC requires more than 7,000 minutes due to its ine_cient estimation of the gradient. Because of the improved convergence properties of PI-ESC, self-optimization algorithms for HVAC equipment can be deployed into situations where previous methods have failed.
Protein Biosensors Based on Polymer Nanowires, Carbon Nanotubes and Zinc Oxide Nanorods

The development of biosensors using electrochemical methods is a promising application in the field of biotechnology. High sensitivity sensors for the bio-detection of proteins have been developed using several kinds of nanomaterials. The performance of the sensors depends on the type of nanostructures with which the biomaterials interact. One dimensional (1-D) structures such as nanowires, nanotubes and nanorods are proven to have high potential for bio-applications. In this paper we review these three different kinds of nanostructures that have attracted much attention at recent times with their great performance as biosensors. Materials such as polymers, carbon and zinc oxide have been widely used for the fabrication of nanostructures because of their enhanced performance in terms of sensitivity, biocompatibility, and ease of preparation. Thus we consider polymer nanowires, carbon nanotubes and zinc oxide nanorods for discussion in this paper. We consider three stages in the development of biosensors: (a) fabrication of biomaterials into nanostructures, (b) alignment of the nanostructures and (c) immobilization of proteins. Two different methods by which the biosensors can be developed at each stage for all the three nanostructures are examined. Finally, we conclude by mentioning some of the major challenges faced by many researchers who seek to fabricate biosensors for real time applications.
Neural Correlates of Sexual Cue Reactivity in Individuals with and without Compulsive Sexual Behaviours

Although compulsive sexual behaviour (CSB) has been conceptualized as a “behavioural” addiction and common or overlapping neural circuits may govern the processing of natural and drug rewards, little is known regarding the responses to sexually explicit materials in individuals with and without CSB. Here, the processing of cues of varying sexual content was assessed in individuals with and without CSB, focusing on neural regions identified in prior studies of drug-cue reactivity. 19 CSB subjects and 19 healthy volunteers were assessed using functional MRI comparing sexually explicit videos with non-sexual exciting videos. Ratings of sexual desire and liking were obtained. Relative to healthy volunteers, CSB subjects had greater desire but similar liking scores in response to the sexually explicit videos. Exposure to sexually explicit cues in CSB compared to non-CSB subjects was associated with activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate, ventral striatum and amygdala. Functional connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate-ventral striatum-amygdala network was associated with subjective sexual desire (but not liking) to a greater degree in CSB relative to non-CSB subjects. The dissociation between desire or wanting and liking is consistent with theories of incentive motivation underlying CSB as in drug addictions. Neural differences in the processing of sexual-cue reactivity were identified in CSB subjects in regions previously implicated in drug-cue reactivity studies. The greater engagement of corticostriatal limbic circuitry in CSB following exposure to sexual cues suggests neural mechanisms underlying CSB and potential biological targets for interventions.
Multilocus Electrophoretic Assessment of the Genetic Structure and Diversity of Yersinia ruckeri

Multilocus isoenzyme electrophoresis was used to screen 47 field isolates of Yersinia ruckeri for electrophoretic variation at 15 enzyme loci. Only four electrophoretic types were observed, thus indicating that the genetic structure of Y. ruckeri is clonal. Forty-two isolates were of one electrophoretic type, a reflection of the low amount of genetic diversity extant in this species. Although sorbitol fermentation has been considered to be indicative of a second biotype, no significant gene frequency differences were found between the group of 20 isolates that readily used sorbitol as the sole carbon source and the group of 27 that did not.
Using a Controlled Experiment to Evaluate Usability Inspection Technologies for Improving the Quality of Mobile Web Applications Earlier in their Design

Usability is one of the key attributes for software quality that verifies the ability of the software to be understood, operated and attractive to users. In the specific case of mobile Web applications, usability can make the difference between their actual use and lack of acceptance. To assist software quality improvement at a lower cost, in previous work we proposed a set of usability inspection technologies for mockups, called Design Usability Evaluation (DUE), which can be applied earlier in the development of mobile Web applications. This paper shows an empirical study evaluating if the DUE technologies are able to aid development teams in the quality improvement of mobile Web applications. A development team applied the suggestions from the DUE technologies to make improvements over a set of previously evaluated mockups from a real mobile Web application. Then, users from different profiles tested both the initial and improved versions of the evaluated mockups to see if the later had been enhanced in terms of usability and quality. The results show that: (a) users preferred the redesigned version of the application's mockups; (b) users were able to successfully perform more tasks in the redesigned version of the application; and (c) users perceived that software quality improved after correcting the identified usability problems by applying the DUE technologies.
Objects-early tools: a demonstration

Various software tools have been proposed or developed for use in introductory programming courses. Usually, presentation of a new tool at the SIGCSE symposium occurs when a tool is first developed, leaving it to interested observers to identify success or failure of tools over their lifetime.For teachers, it can be difficult to compare available tools and judge potential application in their courses.In this session, three tools with an established track record of successful classroom use are presented: Karel J Robot [1], objectdraw [2], and BlueJ [2]. In addition to considering each tool individually, opportunities for combinations of these tools are also discussed.The focus of this session will be on concrete, hands-on advice that teachers can immediately apply in their classrooms.
Prescribed performance image based visual servoing under field of view constraints

In this paper, we propose a novel image based visual servoing scheme that imposes prescribed transient and steady state response on the image feature coordinate errors and satisfies the visibility constraints that inherently arise owing to the limited field of view (FOV) of cameras. Visualizing the aforementioned performance specifications as error bounds, the key idea is to provide an error transformation that converts the original constrained problem into an equivalent unconstrained one, the stabilization of which proves sufficient to achieve prescribed performance guarantees and satisfy the inherent visibility constraints. The performance of the developed scheme is a priori and explicitly imposed by certain designer-specified performance functions, and is fully decoupled by the control gains selection, thus simplifying the control design. Moreover, its computational complexity proves significantly low. It is actually a static scheme involving very few and simple calculations to output the control signal, which enables easily its implementation on fast embedded control platforms. Finally, real-time experiments using an eye-in-hand robotic system verify the theoretical findings.
Proton on Metal Fission Environments in an IC Package: An RHA Evaluation Method

A study of proton-induced destructive SEE (DSEE) from Au-plated lid fission fragments has been expanded. Seventeen additional lid materials (Z =26–83) are studied. Lead (Pb) produced a higher sensitivity than seen in previous work with gold (Au), raising new concerns of SEE enhancement due to die-proximate Pb-based solder in flip-chip package designs. New analysis has allowed generalized RHA rules to be developed.