Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HPC-Mesh: A Homogeneous Parallel Concentrated Mesh for Fault-Tolerance and Energy Savings

We present the Homogeneous-Parallel-Concentrated-Mesh topology (HPC-Mesh). This NoC topology provides four disjoint homogeneous concentrated mesh networks. The network interface at each core provides connectivity to all these networks by using a novel injection algorithm. Indeed, the topology is dynamically adjusted to the working conditions of the network, minimizing power consumption by using only part of the network for low traffic rates and maximizing performance for high traffic rates by using all the networks. Therefore, the HPC-Mesh is able to adjust itself depending on the traffic demand through an intelligent injection algorithm. We perform comparison against other topologies (always using power and clock gating) with both synthetic traffic and real applications within a complete simulated system. Compared to the 2D-Mesh, on average, we reduce both the execution time by 14% and the energy consumption by 22% in real applications when using 16 cores and up to 24% in execution time and 11% in energy consumption when using 32 cores. Besides, the new topology provides a superior fault tolerance degree. It is able to work when failing up to 3 sub-networks. The extension of the topology to 3D stacked chips is also provided, exhibiting a low and practical resource overhead.
Does Work Harm Academic Performance of Students? Evidence Using Propensity Score Matching

In this article we analyze the effects of student work on academic performance for college students. In order to reduce the endogeneity bias due to selection into treatment, we use propensity score matching technique. This approach allows us to estimate the effects of student work separately for different years of study, which is not possible when inside instruments are used to deal with endogeneity of student work. We find predominantly negative effects of student work for all measures of academic performance (GPA, exam attempts, exams passed, and likelihood of passing a year), although many of these are economically and statistically insignificant. We supplement existing studies that do not estimate separate treatment effects for different years of study by showing that work while in college harms study outcomes mostly in the first year of study—by passing smaller number of exams and thereby increasing the likelihood of failing a year. Our results are consistent with evidence on difficulty with adjusting to college studies of first-year students, who face many uncertainties that affect finding the optimal allocation of time between studies, work and leisure.
Hostile Media Perceptions

The hostile media perception, also known as the hostile media effect, refers to the judgment, by individuals who have strong opinions on a particular issue, that media coverage of that issue is biased against their own point of view. A classic example is when a newspaper receives two letters to the editor complaining about news coverage of a contentious political debate, one from a Republican who criticizes the “liberal slant,” the other from a Democrat who objects to a “conservative bias. ” Long familiar to journalists, this effect has seen three decades of vigorous research since the first empirical study was published by Vallone, Ross, and Lepper in 1985. Keywords: audience studies; information-processing and cognitions; mass communication theory; mass media; media bias; media psychology; public opinion
Variable resizing for area improvement in behavioral synthesis

High level synthesis tools transform an algorithmic description to a register transfer language (RTL) description of the hardware. The algorithm behavior is typically described in languages like C, C++ or their variants. The generated RTL is described in a hardware specification language like VHDL or Verilog. The size of the variables specified in the algorithm has a significant impact on the area of the generated hardware. The language accepted by the high level synthesis tools typically allow the size or bit width of a variable to be specified explicitly. This paper describes a method to automatically determine the minimum bit width of the variables from a performance profile. This would be effective to reduce the combinatorial and the non-combinatorial area of the generated hardware.
A Multi-theoretical Framework for Hypotheses Testing of Temporal Network Patterns

Online social networks are multi-dimensional and dynamic. By combining these two perspectives, we can differentiate between various temporal patterns, better understand the mechanisms behind network formation, and test theories that are potentially associated with the behaviors of individuals online. In this study, we develop a temporal network analysis model and a multi-theoretical framework for examining various temporal network patterns in multi-dimensional networks. The proposed framework suggests a list of temporal patterns that may be observed in online social networks, including temporal reciprocity, co-occurrence, triangle, and k-star. We also provide theoretical explanations for why these patterns could be observed. This study provides a generalized framework to explore, analyze, and explain various temporal patterns in online social networks. An empirical test of our framework in the context of online social communities is outlined. The extended multi-theoretical framework can be easily applied to any social network that shows multi-dimensionality.
Use of a Genesis Potential Index to Diagnose ENSO Effects on Tropical Cyclone Genesis

ENSO (El Nino–Southern Oscillation) has a large influence on tropical cyclone activity. The authors examine how different environmental factors contribute to this influence, using a genesis potential index developed by Emanuel and Nolan. Four factors contribute to the genesis potential index: low-level vorticity (850 hPa), relative humidity at 600 hPa, the magnitude of vertical wind shear from 850 to 200 hPa, and potential intensity (PI). Using monthly NCEP Reanalysis data in the period of 1950–2005, the genesis potential index is calculated on a latitude strip from 60°S to 60°N. Composite anomalies of the genesis potential index are produced for El Nino and La Nina years separately. These composites qualitatively replicate the observed interannual variations of the observed frequency and location of genesis in several different basins. This justifies producing composites of modified indices in which only one of the contributing factors varies, with the others set to climatology, to determine which among the factors are most important in causing interannual variations in genesis frequency. Specific factors that have more influence than others in different regions can be identified. For example, in El Nino years, relative humidity and vertical shear are important for the reduction in genesis seen in the Atlantic basin, and relative humidity and vorticity are important for the eastward shift in the mean genesis location in the western North Pacific.
Real time robust speech detection for text independent speaker recognition

Speaker recognition systems employ a speech detection algorithm and use only frames detected as speech for further processing. The accuracy obtained by a speaker recognition system depends on the method that is used to detect speech, in particular for real-life deployments where the incoming speech varies significantly in loudness and noise characteristics. Also, actual deployments mandate real time processing, where look-ahead should be minimized and eliminated if possible, and where the speech detector cannot rely on statistics of speech features such as energy levels across the entire utterance. This makes many prevalent speech detection methods that use energy statistics unsuitable for speaker recognition deployments. Also, speech detection in text independent speaker recognition systems is more challenging compared to text dependent systems since there is no inherent validation and/or detection of the spoken. In this paper we describe a robust speech detection method based on voicing score estimation that allows for real time speech detection, and compare it to other real time methods in different conditions. All tested algorithms satisfy the requirements of exhibiting consistent performance across different data sets that have different noise characteristics, and operating in real time. The voicing-based algorithm is shown to perform significantly better than other tested speech detection algorithms.
The Drosophila Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAP) DIAP2 Is Dispensable for Cell Survival, Required for the Innate Immune Response to Gram-negative Bacterial Infection, and Can Be Negatively Regulated by the Reaper/Hid/Grim Family of IAP-binding Apoptosis Inducers*

Many inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family proteins inhibit apoptosis. IAPs contain N-terminal baculovirus IAP repeat domains and a C-terminal RING ubiquitin ligase domain. Drosophila IAP DIAP1 is essential for the survival of many cells, protecting them from apoptosis by inhibiting active caspases. Apoptosis initiates when proteins such as Reaper, Hid, and Grim bind a surface groove in DIAP1 baculovirus IAP repeat domains via an N-terminal IAP-binding motif. This evolutionarily conserved interaction disrupts DIAP1-caspase interactions, unleashing apoptosis-inducing caspase activity. A second Drosophila IAP, DIAP2, also binds Rpr and Hid and inhibits apoptosis in multiple contexts when overexpressed. However, due to a lack of mutants, little is known about the normal functions of DIAP2. We report the generation of diap2 null mutants. These flies are viable and show no defects in developmental or stress-induced apoptosis. Instead, DIAP2 is required for the innate immune response to Gram-negative bacterial infection. DIAP2 promotes cytoplasmic cleavage and nuclear translocation of the NF-κB homolog Relish, and this requires the DIAP2 RING domain. Increasing the genetic dose of diap2 results in an increased immune response, whereas expression of Rpr or Hid results in down-regulation of DIAP2 protein levels. Together these observations suggest that DIAP2 can regulate immune signaling in a dose-dependent manner, and this can be regulated by IBM-containing proteins. Therefore, diap2 may identify a point of convergence between apoptosis and immune signaling pathways.
Agent-assisted multi-viewpoint video viewer and its gaze-based evaluation

Humans see things from various viewpoints but nobody attempts to see anything from every viewpoint owing to physical restrictions and the great effort required. Intelligent interfaces for viewing multi-viewpoint videos may remove the restrictions in effective ways and direct us toward a new visual world. We propose an agent-assisted multi-viewpoint video viewer that incorporates (1) target-centered viewpoint switching and (2) social viewpoint recommendation. The viewer stabilizes an object at the center of the display field using the former function, which helps to fix the user's gaze on the target object. To identify the popular viewing behavior for particular content, the latter function exploits a histogram of the viewing log in terms of time, viewpoints, and the target of many personal viewing experiences. We call this knowledge source of the director agent a viewgram. The agent automatically constructs the preferred viewpoint sequence for each target. We conducted user studies to analyze user behavior, especially eye movement, while using the viewer. The results of statistical analyses showed that the viewpoint sequence extracted from a viewgram includes a more distinct perspective for each target, and the target-centered viewpoint switching encourages the user to gaze at the display center where the target is located during the viewing. The proposed viewer can provide more effective perspectives for the main attractions in scenes.
Detection of Helicobacter pylori in Gastric Aspirates Using a Monoclonal Antibody-Based Test

Background/Aims The objective of this study was to evaluate a monoclonal antibody-based test to detect Helicobacter pylori-specific antigen in gastric aspirates from humans. Methods Sixty-one volunteers were enrolled in the study. All of the subjects underwent a 13C-urea breath test (UBT) before esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Gastric aspirates were analyzed for pH and ammonia and used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR), culture, and monoclonal antibody-based detection of H. pylori. Multiple biopsies of the gastric antrum and body were obtained for a rapid urease test (RUT) and histological evaluation. Results Thirty-six subjects were H. pylori-positive and 25 were H. pylori-negative according to the UBT results. Compared with the H. pylori-negative subjects, H. pylori-positive subjects had a higher pH (4.77±1.77 vs 3.49±1.30, p<0.05) and ammonia level (1,130.9±767.4 vs 184.2±126.3, p<0.0001). The sensitivities and specificities of the PCR test, RUT, culture test, and monoclonal antibody-based test were 100% and 72%, 89% and 100%, 47% and 100%, and 78% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions The monoclonal antibody-based test for diagnosing H. pylori infection in gastric aspirates has increased sensitivity compared with the culture test and specificity as high as that of the RUT. The test may be useful as an additive test for examining gastric aspirates.
Continuum Mechanics in a Restructured Engineering Undergraduate Curriculum

The framework of the revised undergraduate engineering curriculum at Texas A&M Universityconsists of the basic conservation principles and their application to engineering science. Theconservation principles are presented in a way consistent with the Kolb learning cycle and an activeapproach to teaching. Utilizing these principles, a unified pedagogical process is developed, whichcan be applied to cover topics traditionally taught under statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics,thermodynamics, heat transfer, solid mechanics, materials science and electrical circuits. Using thisinstructional framework, the students can analytically solve simple engineering problems, whilethey learn how to formulate complex problems at early stages of their undergraduate education.Since their technical ability to analyze such complex problems is limited during their second or eventhird year of the undergraduate curriculum, the utilization of computer software enables them tonumerically solve advanced problems in the above engineering topics. In particular, the use of thefinite-element method as an enhancement tool to solve solid mechanics and heat transfer problemsin a sophomore year course on continuum mechanics and more advanced problems in stress analysisin a junior level course on solid mechanics is discussed in this paper. Students use computer softwareto formulate and solve boundary value problems in a variety of structures, to verify analyticalsolutions for simple structural problems, and finally to test the various assumptions that permitapproximate analyses in solid mechanics.
Novel adaptive VSS-NLMS algorithm for system identification

In this paper, to mitigate the tradeoff between fast convergence rate, low steady-state misadjustment and good tracking ability, a novel, easy to implement, time-varying step-size normalized least mean square (NLMS) algorithm-based transversal filters is presented in system identification applications. By utilizing the system input power and cross-correlation between the input signal and estimated error, the new variable step-size scheme can reduce the effect of the system noise on the performance without the priori knowledge of system noise power, especially for variable system noise. Experimental results in context of system identification illustrate that the propose algorithm is superior to other existing algorithms in terms of convergence speed, misadjustment and tracking ability.
Quantifying Vocal Mimicry in the Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo: A Comparison of Automated Methods and Human Assessment

Objective identification and description of mimicked calls is a primary component of any study on avian vocal mimicry but few studies have adopted a quantitative approach. We used spectral feature representations commonly used in human speech analysis in combination with various distance metrics to distinguish between mimicked and non-mimicked calls of the greater racket-tailed drongo, Dicrurus paradiseus and cross-validated the results with human assessment of spectral similarity. We found that the automated method and human subjects performed similarly in terms of the overall number of correct matches of mimicked calls to putative model calls. However, the two methods also misclassified different subsets of calls and we achieved a maximum accuracy of ninety five per cent only when we combined the results of both the methods. This study is the first to use Mel-frequency Cepstral Coefficients and Relative Spectral Amplitude - filtered Linear Predictive Coding coefficients to quantify vocal mimicry. Our findings also suggest that in spite of several advances in automated methods of song analysis, corresponding cross-validation by humans remains essential.
A Possible Pathophysiologic Substrate of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with defective attention and response inhibition and motor restlessness. Inattention, defective response inhibition, and impersistence are more commonly seen in adults with right than with left hemisphere dysfunction. In light of this fact and because children with ADHD not only appear to demonstrate these symptoms but also neglect the left side and have decreased activation of their right neostriatum, we propose that these children have a right hemisphere dysfunction. In addition, because both inattention and defective response inhibition can be seen in children with ADHD and in patients and animals who have frontal lobe and striatal dysfunction, we propose that children with ADHD have dysfunction in a right-sided frontal-striatal system. Motor restlessness may reflect frontal lobe dysfunction due to impairment of the mesocortical dopamine system. (J Child Neurol 1991;6(Suppl):S74-S79).
Critical Issues for e-Learning Telecenters in Sri Lanka and India

Telecentres are one of the most important initiatives to bridge the digital divide in developing countries but their impact on the local community differs due to a wide range of factors. Our study identifies crucial factors for successful organization of telecentres in Sri Lanka and India based on empirical case studies. Telecentre case studies in Sri Lanka and India have been conducted in 2008, and included observations, interviews with users and owners and a SWOTanalysis of telecentres in relation to their objectives and target groups. The following factors were identified as important and universally valid for successful telecentres: a) Ownership. The local community has to be involved in the design of the telecentre, b) Sustainability. A telecentre is a combination of technology and man power, where man power makes a big difference, c) Languages. Every telecentre has to accommodate to local languages. d) Education, literacy and media literacy. There is a need for both formal courses and less formal learning, e) Inclusion. All groups in the community should be supported and integrated in the telecentre activities. f) Vision and strategy. A telecentre needs to have a multiple purpose strategy that should be updated over time.
Low Complexity Implementations of Sum-Product Algorithm for Decoding Low-Density Parity-Check Codes

In this paper, we propose low complexity implementations of sum-product algorithm (SPA) for decoding low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. The finite precision implementations for SPA have an important tradeoff between the decoding performance and hardware complexity caused by two dominant area consuming factors. One is the memory for updated messages storage and the other is the look-up table (LUT) for implementation of nonlinear function Psi(x). The proposed two types of variable quantization schemes result in significant reductions of LUT sizes. Computer simulation results indicate that the performance losses of SPA with reduced LUT by proposed schemes are less than 0.05 dB compared to that of SPA with original LUT. Moreover, the proposed implementation offers a large reduction in the finite wordlength for storage of updated messages using a kind of compression technique without performance losses. As a result, using the proposed implementation based on variable quantization scheme and data compression technique, the novel proposed implementation for SPA decoder architecture offers significant reductions of 75% and 33% in hardware complexities of LUT and memories, respectively, without significant performance degradations over conventional uniform quantization scheme. Furthermore, since each LUT with variable (6:3) quantization scheme II has only 8 entries, its hardware implementation can be replaced with a small combination circuit instead of readonly-memory (ROM) for LUT
A Coreference Resolution Model on Excerpts from a Novel

A cathode ray tube having a phosphor layer formed on an inner surface of a panel of an envelope, a color selecting aperture grill formed of a number of grid elements and located within the envelope opposing to the phosphor layer, a metal wire for coupling the number of the grid elements, an electron gun located within the envelope and a deflecting device located around the envelope is disclosed, in which the resonance frequency of at least one grid element of the color selecting grid is selected different from that of another grid element in the vicinity thereof.
DPCS

Fault-Tolerant Voltage-Scalable (FTVS) SRAM cache architectures are a promising approach to improve energy efficiency of memories in the presence of nanoscale process variation. Complex FTVS schemes are commonly proposed to achieve very low minimum supply voltages, but these can suffer from high overheads and thus do not always offer the best power/capacity trade-offs. We observe on our 45nm test chips that the “fault inclusion property” can enable lightweight fault maps that support multiple runtime supply voltages. Based on this observation, we propose a simple and low-overhead FTVS cache architecture for power/capacity scaling. Our mechanism combines multilevel voltage scaling with optional architectural support for power gating of blocks as they become faulty at low voltages. A static (SPCS) policy sets the runtime cache VDD once such that a only a few cache blocks may be faulty in order to minimize the impact on performance. We describe a Static Power/Capacity Scaling (SPCS) policy and two alternate Dynamic Power/Capacity Scaling (DPCS) policies that opportunistically reduce the cache voltage even further for more energy savings. This architecture achieves lower static power for all effective cache capacities than a recent more complex FTVS scheme. This is due to significantly lower overheads, despite the inability of our approach to match the min-VDD of the competing work at a fixed target yield. Over a set of SPEC CPU2006 benchmarks on two system configurations, the average total cache (system) energy saved by SPCS is 62% (22%), while the two DPCS policies achieve roughly similar energy reduction, around 79% (26%). On average, the DPCS approaches incur 2.24% performance and 6% area penalties.