Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Voltage island-driven floorplanning considering level shifter placement

Low power has become a burning issue in modern VLSI design. To deal with this problem, the multiple-supply voltage (MSV) is a technique widely applied to a design to reduce its power consumption. However, there exist several challenges in implementing Multi-Voltage designs, which includes floorplanning, level-shifter placement, and power planning [5]. Among these challenges, placement of level shifters has direct impacts on the chip area, total wirelength, and power planning. Although several works considering MSV driven floorplanning have been proposed, they do not actually place level shifters in their flows, which makes their results unrealistic. Yu et al. [19] first proposed a methodology to place level shifters during floorplanning. But, level shifters are inserted in the whitespace of a chip, which would increase wirelength of long wires and make power planning more difficult. Thus, in this paper, we first propose two ways to allocate regions for level shifters during floorplanning, and then give a two-stage approach to place these level shifters at proper locations. The experimental results reveal that the wirelength is underestimated if we do place level shifters and it can obtain smaller wirelength if we can consider level shifters during floorplanning.
Interactions between dispersal, competition, and landscape heterogeneity

It is widely acknowledged that space has an important role in population regulation, yet more specific knowledge into how the relevant factors interact attains little consensus. We address this issue via a stochastic, individual based model of population dynamics, in a continuous space continuous time framework. We represent habitat quality as a continuously varying surface over the two-dimensional landscape, and assume that the quality affects either fecundity (rate of propagule production) or probability of propagule establishment. We control the properties of the landscape by two parameters, which we call the patch size (the characteristic length scale in quality variation), and the level of heterogeneity (the characteristic quality difference between poor quality and high quality areas). In addition to such exogenous variability, we also account for endogenous factors causing spatial variation by assuming localised dispersal and competition. We find that heterogeneity has a general positive effect on population density, and hence it is beneficial to improve best quality habitat at the expense of worst quality habitat. With regards to patch size, we find an intermediate optimum, due to a conflict between minimising the loss of propagules to low quality regions and maximising the benefits of heterogeneity. We address the consequences of regional stochasticity by allowing the environmental conditions change in time. The cost of having to continuously track where the favourable conditions have moved to ultimately reduces population size.
Evaluation of schools activities with digital interactive simulations

The paper explores the usage of digital interactions and usability methods to contribute in collecting information about user experiences and behaviors for educational propose. Based on the outcomes of the research analysis and testing this work provides a detailed view of a proposal for alternative solutions on educational materials. It delineates the positive outcome of learning at young age using digital environments inside the classroom using ergonomics criteria and usability test. The usability tests could identify interface best practices on the development of educational materials and suggest improvements that rise quality to the user. It is presented a system allowing teachers to create simulation activities inside the classroom that make the students practice sustainable values. An interactive activity was developed for student face simulations based on the school's subjects. When the students face it, they are sought to make decisions considering the consequences. The objective is solving a problem considering the sustainable values. Results documentation show patterns identification could be used as a guideline for interface development able to provide effective learning experiences.
Mycoplasma Contamination Revisited: Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Harboring Mycoplasma hyorhinis Potently Inhibit Lymphocyte Proliferation In Vitro

Background Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have important immunomodulatory effects that can be exploited in the clinical setting, e.g. in patients suffering from graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In an experimental animal model, cultures of rat T lymphocytes were stimulated in vitro either with the mitogen Concanavalin A or with irradiated allogeneic cells in mixed lymphocyte reactions, the latter to simulate allo-immunogenic activation of transplanted T cells in vivo. This study investigated the inhibitory effects of rat bone marrow-derived MSC subsequently found to be infected with a common mycoplasma species (Mycoplasma hyorhinis) on T cell activation in vitro and experimental graft-versus-host disease in vivo. Principal Findings We found that M. hyorhinis infection increased the anti-proliferative effect of MSC dramatically, as measured by both radiometric and fluorimetric methods. Inhibition could not be explained solely by the well-known ability of mycoplasmas to degrade tritiated thymidine, but likely was the result of rapid dissemination of M. hyorhinis in the lymphocyte culture. Conclusions This study demonstrates the potent inhibitory effect exerted by M. hyorhinis in standard lymphocyte proliferation assays in vitro. MSC are efficient vectors of mycoplasma infection, emphasizing the importance of monitoring cell cultures for contamination.
A Post Keynesian Analysis of the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model

With the collapse and rescue of the Long-Term Capital Management Limited Partnership (LTCM, LP) in the summer of 1998, it is appropriate to reconsider the now famous Black-Scholes option pricing model from a Post Keynesian perspective. Although news reports (see Siconolfi, Raghavan, and Pacelle, 1998; and Henriques and Kahn, 1998, among others) suggest that the problems of the LTCM, LP were not exclusively, or even primarily, the result of employing the Black-Scholes option pricing model (henceforth, the BSOPM), it is clear that the "bets" placed by the LTCM, LP were guided by a fundamental belief on the part of its managers in the existence of the sort of key equilibrium relationships upon which the BSOPM rests. The LTCM, LP investment strategy was one of arbitraging (rather than hedging) supposedly stable relationships that the fund's managers and advisers believed would hold in the long term (hence the name of the partnership). The fund was founded and managed by John Meriwether, a former Salomon Brothers vice chairman, with advice from Myron Scholes and Robert Merton. As most economists know, Scholes was the 1997 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics for formulating the BSOPM with the late Fischer Black. Merton also received the 1997 Nobel Prize in Economics for demonstrating "the broad applicability" of the BSOPM (Siconolfi, Raghavan, and Pacelle, 1998, p. A19).
Evaluating Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model Predictions of Turbulent Flow Parameters in a Dry Convective Boundary Layer

Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model predictions using different boundary layer schemes and horizontal grid spacings were compared with observational and numerical large-eddy simulation data for conditions corresponding to a dry atmospheric convective boundary layer (CBL) over the southern Great Plains (SGP). The first studied case exhibited a dryline passage during the simulation window, and the second studied case was used to examine the CBL in a post-cold-frontal environment. The model runs were conducted with three boundary layer parameterization schemes (Yonsei University, Mellor-Yamada-Janjic, and asymmetrical convective) commonly employed within the WRF model environment to represent effects of small-scale turbulent transport. A study domain was centered over the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program SGP site in Lamont, Oklahoma. Results show that near-surface flow and turbulence parameters are predicted reasonably well with all tested horizontal grid spacings (1, 2, and 4 km) and that value added through refining grid spacing was minimal at best for conditions considered in this study. In accord with this result, it was suggested that the 16-fold increase in computing overhead associated with changing from4- to 1-km grid spacing was not justified. Therefore, only differences among schemes at 4-km spacing were presented in detail. WRF model predictions generally overestimated the contribution to turbulence generation by mechanical forcing over buoyancy forcing in both studied CBL cases. Nonlocal parameterization schemes were found to match observational datamore closely than did the local scheme, although differences among the predictions with all three schemes were relatively small.
Power System Economics: Designing Markets for Electricity

List of Results and Fallacies. Preface. Acronyms and Abbreviations. Symbols. Part 1: Power Market Fundamentals. Prologue. Why Deregulate? What to Deregulate. Pricing Power, Energy, and Capacity. Power Supply and Demand. What Is Competition? Marginal Cost in a Power Market. Market Structure. Market Architecture. Designing and Testing Market Rules. Part 2: Reliability, Price Spikes and Investment. Reliability and Investment Policy. Price Spikes Recover Fixed Costs. Reliability and Generation. Limiting the Price Spikes. Value-of-Lost-Load Pricing. Operating-Reserve Pricing. Market Dynamics and the Profit Function. Requirements for Installed Capacity. Inter-System Competition for Reliability. Unsolved Problems. Part 3: Market Architecture. Introduction. The Two-Settlement System. Day-Ahead Market Designs. Ancillary Services. The Day-Ahead Market in Theory. The Real-Time Market in Theory. The Day-Ahead Market in Practice. The Real-Time Market in Practice. The New Unit-Commitment Problem. The Market for Operating Reserves. Part 4: Market Power. Defining Market Power. Exercising Market Power. Modeling Market Power. Designing to Reduce Market Power. Predicting Market Power. Monitoring Market Power. Part 5: Locational Pricing. Power Transmission and Losses. Physical Transmission Limits. Congestion Pricing Fundamentals. Congestion Pricing Methods. Congestion Pricing Fallacies. Refunds and Taxes. Pricing Losses on Lines. Pricing Losses at Nodes. Transmission Rights. Glossary. References. Index.
Maximal linear range of linear transformer analysis using maple & 1stopt

The output voltage of a linear transformer is considered to be proportional to the rotor's rotational angle (in radians) in a certain range. In the case of primary and secondary side complete compensation for quadrature armature reaction, the linear transformer's maximum linear range is considered to extend − 60 degrees to 60 degrees if only if the turn ratio equals 0.54 in the circumstance that the linear error is controlled within 0.1%. But it is not the case when checking the linear error formula using the optimum parameters. In this paper, the numerical analysis combining figure demostration was applied to obtain the accurate solution using maple® and 1stopt®. The paper's optimization is instructive for the linear transformer is highly accurate device in the servo system, and provides a feasible mathematic method to dealing with this kind optimal problem.
Local Community Based Outdoor Activities through Integrating Subjects in Social Studies for Sustainability

This study is designed to know contribution of local community based outdoor activities for education for sustainability. 7 teachers from Sweden and 7 teachers from Korea got involved in this study and they chose and conducted one activity from the 17 activities that I offered. After they had done the activity with their upper 13 years old students, they completed questionnaire about the conditions of class, the reason of their choice, advantages/disadvantages of the activities and the actual obstacle they had in schools to have outdoor class through open-ended questions. They also were asked to answer level of integrating subjects in social studies by Likert scale, offered opinions about relevancy to sustainability with principles and analyzed the activity with 4 ways of knowing. These three questions are asked to know the contribution of the activities for education for sustainability. This research offers comparison of teachers‘ opinion and educational condition from two countires when having the activities and how the activities are conducive to education for sustainability. In addition, it provides 17 activities which can be useful to social studies teachers who are interested in local community based outdoor activity.
Enabling High-Performance Crossbars through a Floorplan-Aware Design

Networks-on-Chip (NoC) with low-radix switches forming a simple and planar topology is typically accepted as the right interconnection infrastructure for current Chip Multi Processor and high-end Multi Processor System-on-Chip. This is mainly due to its simplicity in the physical mapping on the chip. However, as the network diameter increases, latency and power consumption are increased due to the rapidly growing queuing delay in each switch do not scale with system size. In this context, topologies with high-radix switches have been recently proposed in the NoC scenario to keep message latency low when interconnecting a large number of devices. However, the use of high-radix switches present several well-known drawbacks, being the most important the scalability in area and frequency when implemented. In addition, average and maximum wire length is increased. In this paper we present a distributed crossbar NoC architecture that reduces network latency, increases network throughput significantly. For the distributed crossbar implementation trees of 2-to-1 multiplexers with arbitration and buffer capabilities are spread over the chip, avoiding the negative impact of a high radix switch degree on NoC operating frequency, and minimizing the impact of long wires. Results show that in a 64-node NoC our most aggressive distributed crossbar configuration reduces flit latency by 42% and increases throughput by 544% with respect to the low latency flattened butterfly architecture, meanwhile area is increased a 110%. A more conservative distributed crossbar configuration obtains an increment in throughput of 276.1%, latency is decreased a 29.7%, but area is also decreased by 7%.
Scene Recognition via Combining Information of Neighbors

Recently, spatial principal component analysis of census transform histograms (PACT) was proposed to recognize instance and categories of places or scenes in an image. When combining PACT with Local difference Magnitude Binary Pattern (LMBP), a new representation called Local Difference Binary Pattern (LDBP) was proposed and performed better. LDBP is based on the comparisons between center pixel and its neighboring pixels. However, the relationship among neighbor pixels is not considered. In this paper we proposed Local Neighbor Binary Pattern (LNBP) to utilize the relationship among neighboring pixels. LNBP provides complementary information regarding neighboring pixels for LDBP. We propose to combine LDBP with LNBP, and used a spatial representation for scene recognition. Experiments on two widely used dataset demonstrate the proposed method can improve the performance of recognition.
CHAPTER 3 Virtual Machines and Virtualizationof Clusters and Data Centers

130 3.1 Implementation Levels of Virtualization . 130 3.1. 1 Levels of Virtualization Implementation. 130 3.1. 2 VMM Design Requirements and Providers . 133 3.1. 3 Virtualization Support at the OS Level . 135 3.1. 4 Middleware Support for Virtualization. 138 3.2 Virtualization Structures/Tools and Mechanisms . 140 3.2. 1 Hypervisor and Xen Architecture . 140 3.2. 2 Binary Translation with Full Virtualization. 141 3.2. 3 Para-Virtualization with Compiler Support . 143 3.3 Virtualization of CPU, Memory, and I/O Devices . 145 3.3.1 Hardware Support for Virtualization. 145 3.3.2 CPU Virtualization . 147 3.3.3 Memory Virtualization . 148 3.3.4 I/O Virtualization. 150 3.3.5 Virtualization in Multi-Core Processors . 153 3.4 Virtual Clusters and Resource Management . 155 3.4. 1 Physical versus Virtual Clusters . 156 3.4. 2 Live VM Migration Steps and Performance Effects . 159 3.4. 3 Migration of Memory, Files, and Network Resources. 162 3.4. 4 Dynamic Deployment of Virtual Clusters . 165 3.5 Virtualization for Data-Center Automation . 169 3.5. 1 Server Consolidation in Data Centers . 169 3.5. 2 Virtual Storage Management . 171 3.5. 3 Cloud OS for Virtualized Data Centers . 172 3.5. 4 Trust Management in Virtualized Data Centers . 176 3.6 Bibliographic Notes and Homework Problems. 179 Acknowledgments . 179 References . 180 Homework Problems. 183
Using augmented reality games to teach 21st century skills

Augmented Reality (AR) games can potentially teach 21st century skills, such as interpretation, multimodal thinking, problem-solving, information management, teamwork, flexibility, civic engagement, and the acceptance of diverse perspectives. To explore this, I designed Reliving the Revolution (RtR) as a novel model for evaluating educational AR games. RtR takes place in Lexington, Massachusetts, the site of the Battle of Lexington. Participants interact with virtual historic figures and items, which are triggered by GPS to appear on their PDA (personal digital assistant) depending on where they are standing in Lexington. Game participants receive differing evidence, as appropriate for their role in the game (Minuteman soldier, Loyalist, African American soldier, or British soldier), and use this information to decide who fired the first shot at the Battle. Results of initial trials of RtR suggest that AR games, when properly designed for pedagogical purposes, can motivate the authentic practice of 21st century skills.
The Learning Curve in a Competitive Industry

We consider the learning curve in an industry with free entry and exit, and price-taking firms. A unique equilibrium exists if the fixed cost is positive. While equilibrium profits are zero, mature firms earn rents on their learning, and, if costs are convex, no firm can profitably enter after the date the industry begins. Under some cost and demand conditions, however, firms may have to exit the market despite their experience gained earlier. Furthermore identical firms facing the same prices may produce different quantities. The market outcome is always socially efficient, even if it dictates that firms exit after learning. Finally, actual and optimal industry concentration does not always increase in the intensity of learning.
Night-to-night variation of the oxygen desaturation index in sleep apnoea syndrome

The current study investigated the night-to-night variability and diagnostic accuracy of the oxygen desaturation index (ODI), as measured by ambulatory monitoring, in the diagnosis of mild and moderate obstructive sleep apnoea–hypopnoea syndrome. To assess the variability of the ODI, 35 patients were monitored at home during 7 consecutive nights by means of a portable recording device, the MESAM-IV®. The ODI variability factor and the influence of age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol, and body position were assessed. Furthermore, the diagnostic accuracy of the MESAM-IV was measured by comparison with polysomnographical outcomes in 18 patients. During home recording, the median ODI was 10.9 (interquartile range: 5.8–16.1) across the patients. Although the reliability of the ODI was adequate, the probability of placing the patient in the wrong severity category (ODI ≤15 or ODI >15) when only one single recording was taken is 14.4%. ODI variability was not significantly influenced by age, BMI, time spent in a supine position, or mild dosages of alcohol. A good correlation was found between the apnoea–hypopnoea index and the ODI. In conclusion, the findings suggest that the diagnostic accuracy of the MESAM-IV is strong, since the oxygen desaturation index is correlated with the apnoea–hypopnoea index. In most obstructive sleep apnoea–hypopnoea syndrome patients, oxygen desaturation index variability is rather small, and screening could be reliably based on single 1-night recordings.
Analysis of efficiency in organic wine and olive farms in the Italian FADN dataset

Over the recent years there has been in Italy a growth of organic farms with a positive consequence in increasing the farmer’s income by a direct commercialization of products. The analysis has used a quantitative model of investigation in a dataset of organic and conventional farms belonging to the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). The organic farms have underscored an inferior level of efficiency than conventional ones underling as land capital and labor force may be two pivotal variables in improving the level of economic and allocative efficiency in organic farms.
Andrew Salway and Elefther ia Tomadaki , “ Temporal Information in Collater al Texts for Indexing Video ”

This paper suggests that video indexing is an interesting and important natural language application for which it is crucial to identify temporal information in collateral text that articulates the semantic content of moving images. Recently a rich source of information about the content of f ilms and television programmes has become available in the form of audio description scripts. The analysis of the expression of temporal information in a corpus of audio description scripts leads to a discussion of some consequences for schemes to annotate such information in a video indexing application.
A word prediction methodology for automatic sentence completion

Word prediction generally relies on n-grams occurrence statistics, which may have huge data storage requirements and does not take into account the general meaning of the text. We propose an alternative methodology, based on Latent Semantic Analysis, to address these issues. An asymmetric Word-Word frequency matrix is employed to achieve higher scalability with large training datasets than the classic Word-Document approach. We propose a function for scoring candidate terms for the missing word in a sentence. We show how this function approximates the probability of occurrence of a given candidate word. Experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms non neural network language models.