Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mapping multirate dataflow to complex RT level hardware models

The design of digital signal processing systems typically consists of an algorithm development phase carried out at a behavioral level and the selection of an efficient hardware architecture for implementation. In order to speed up the joint optimization of algorithms and architectures, a fast path to implementation must be provided. This can be achieved efficiently by directly mapping the data flow specification of the system to an RTL target architecture by means of HDL code generation. For algorithm design, communication systems are most easily modeled using multirate data flow graphs in which no notion of time is maintained. HDL code generation introduces a cycle based timing model and maps the data flow models to RTL implementations, which are usually taken from a library. Due to the increase in ASIC design complexity, these building blocks reach a high level of functionality and have complex interfacing properties. Therefore, it becomes necessary to generate additional interfacing and controlling hardware to synthesize an operable system. In this paper, we present a new approach of mapping multirate dataflow graphs to complex RTL hardware models and derive algorithms to synthesize these high-level RTL building blocks into a complete operable system.
Providing a User Forum is not enough: First Experiences of a Software Company with CrowdRE

Crowd-based requirements engineering (CrowdRE) is promising to derive requirements by gathering and analyzing information from the crowd. Setting up CrowdRE in practice seems challenging, although first solutions to support CrowdRE exist. In this paper, we report on a German software company's experience on crowd involvement by using feedback communication channels and a monitoring solution for user-event data. In our case study, we identified several problem areas that a software company is confronted with to setup an environment for gathering requirements from the crowd. We conclude that a CrowdRE process cannot be implemented ad-hoc and that future work is needed to create and analyze a continuous feedback and monitoring data stream.
Characterization of Temporal Semantic Shifts of Peer-to-peer Communication in a Health-related Online Community: Implications for Data-driven Health Promotion

With online social platforms gaining popularity as venues of behavior change, it is important to understand the ways in which these platforms facilitate peer interactions. In this paper, we characterize temporal trends in user communication through mapping of theoretically-linked semantic content. We used qualitative coding and automated text analysis to assign theoretical techniques to peer interactions in an online community for smoking cessation, subsequently facilitating temporal visualization of the observed techniques. Results indicate manifestation of several behavior change techniques such as feedback and monitoring' and 'rewards'. Automated methods yielded reasonable results (F-measure=0.77). Temporal trends among relapsers revealed reduction in communication after a relapse event. This social withdrawal may be attributed to failure guilt after the relapse. Results indicate significant change in thematic categories such as 'social support', 'natural consequences', and 'comparison of outcomes' pre and post relapse. Implications for development of behavioral support technologies that promote long-term abstinence are discussed.
A Perspective Review of Tunnel Field Effect Transistor with Steeper Switching Behavior and Low off Current (I OFF ) for Ultra Low Power Applications

With down Scaling of MOSFET to nanometer dimensions, the OFF-state leakage current(Ioff) increases exponentially due to the non scalability of threshold voltage since the Subthreshold Swing(S) is limited to 60mV/decade. Steep Subthreshold Swing transistors based on Band to Band Tunneling (BTBT) are analyzed to improve the performance of the circuit for low power applications. This review paper discuss about various structures and modeling of Tunnel Field Effect Transistor(TFET) which replaces CMOS for greater energy efficiency which is considered to be the most critical design parameter for ubiquitous and mobile computing systems.
N−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids impair lifespan but have no role for metabolism

Although generally considered as beneficial components of dietary fats, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been suspected to compromise maximum lifespan (MLSP) in mammals. Specifically, high amounts of phospholipid PUFAs are thought to impair lifespan due to an increase in the susceptibility of membranes to lipid peroxidation and its damaging effect on cellular molecules. Also, there is evidence from in vitro studies suggesting that highly unsaturated PUFAs elevate basal metabolic rate (BMR). Previous comparative studies in this context were based on small sample sizes, however, and, except for one study, failed to address possible confounding influences of body weight and taxonomic relations between species. Therefore, we determined phospholipid membrane composition in skeletal muscle from 42 mammalian species to test for a relation with published data on MLSP, and with literature data on BMR (30 species). Using statistical models that adjust for the effects of body weight and phylogeny, we found that among mammals, MLSP indeed decreases as the ratio of n−3 to n−6 PUFAs increases. In contrast to previous studies, we found, however, no relation between MLSP and either membrane unsaturation (i.e. PUFA content or number of double bonds) or to the very long‐chain, highly unsaturated docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Similarly, our data set gave no evidence for any notable relation between muscle phospholipid fatty acid composition and BMR, or MLSP and BMR in mammals. These results contradict the ‘membrane pacemaker theory of aging’, that is, the concept of a direct link between high amounts of membrane PUFAs, elevated BMR, and thus, impaired longevity.
Exploiting parallelism in a network of workstations using COMA-BC

In this paper we put forward a design for a multicomputer system based on a network of workstations which we call COMA-BC. It has a common address space in which a shared variables programming model can be used. The management of the shared address space is performed in a similar way to that in existing multiprocessor COMA systems. To be exact, the shared address space is divided into blocks, and their copies reside in the attraction memories of the workstations.The key piece in this system is the coherence cache protocol that we have developed. The goal of the protocol is to minimize the number and size of the messages travelling through the network so that the parallel applications can be executed without creating inconsistencies in the different copies of the blocks residing in the different nodes of the system.The proposed system has not been built, but a simulation environment has been specifically developed. This environment allows the simulation of the execution of parallel standard applications in COMA-BC. This simulation environment is driven by execution. Using the results and a simple analytic model, results have been obtained concerning the performance of the execution of standard parallel applications in terms of acceleration and efficiency. These results show the viability of a COMA-BC system as a way of exploiting parallelism at a low cost using workstations.
Median fin function during the escape response of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). I: Fin-ray orientation and movement

SUMMARY The fast-start escape response is critically important to avoid predation, and axial movements driving it have been studied intensively. Large median dorsal and anal fins located near the tail have been hypothesized to increase acceleration away from the threat, yet the contribution of flexible median fins remains undescribed. To investigate the role of median fins, C-start escape responses of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) were recorded by three high-speed, high-resolution cameras at 500 frames s−1 and the 3-D kinematics of individual dorsal and anal fin rays were analyzed. Movement and orientation of the fin rays relative to the body axis were calculated throughout the duration of the C-start. We found that: (1) timing and magnitude of angular displacement varied among fin rays based on position within the fin and (2) kinematic patterns support the prediction that fin rays are actively resisting hydrodynamic forces and transmitting momentum into the water. We suggest that regions within the fins have different roles. Anterior regions of the fins are rapidly elevated to increase the volume of water that the fish may interact with and transmit force into, thus generating greater total momentum. The movement pattern of all the fin rays creates traveling waves that move posteriorly along the length of the fin, moving water as they do so. Flexible posterior regions ultimately act to accelerate this water towards the tail, potentially interacting with vortices generated by the caudal fin during the C-start. Despite their simple appearance, median fins are highly complex and versatile control surfaces that modulate locomotor performance.
Still image coding using a new transform

In this paper, we propose an image coding scheme based on a wavelet-like transform derived from orthogonal polynomial basis. First, 2D non-separable wavelet functions are derived from a set of bivariate orthogonal polynomials. Then, a wavelet-like transform coding scheme using the proposed wavelet functions is proposed. The motivation behind using orthogonal polynomials is that they exhibit some properties related to the human visual system (HVS) [1]. After applying the proposed transform, the obtained coefficients are threshold coded using quantization and bit allocation as in JPEG baseline system. The performance of the proposed transform coding method is reported. The proposed coding scheme is also compared with other transform coding methods such as JPEG, JPEG2000 and JPEG-XR/HDPHOTO.
A current error space vector based hysteresis controller with constant switching frequency and simple online boundary computation for VSI fed IM drive

This paper proposes a simple current error space vector based hysteresis controller for two-level inverter fed Induction Motor (IM) drives. This proposed hysteresis controller retains all advantages of conventional current error space vector based hysteresis controllers like fast dynamic response, simple to implement, adjacent voltage vector switching etc. The additional advantage of this proposed hysteresis controller is that it gives a phase voltage frequency spectrum exactly similar to that of a constant switching frequency space vector pulse width modulated (SVPWM) inverter. In this proposed hysteresis controller the boundary is computed online using estimated stator voltages along alpha and beta axes thus completely eliminating look up tables used for obtaining parabolic hysteresis boundary proposed in [19]. The estimation of stator voltage is carried out using current errors along alpha and beta axes and steady state model of induction motor. The proposed scheme is simple and capable of taking inverter upto six step mode operation, if demanded by drive system. The proposed hysteresis controller based inverter fed drive scheme is simulated extensively using SIMULINK toolbox of MATLAB for steady state and transient performance. The experimental verification for steady state performance of the proposed scheme is carried out on a 3.7kW IM.
Towards automated large scale discovery of image families

Gathering large collections of images is quite easy nowadays with the advent of image sharing Web sites, such as flickr.com. However, such collections inevitably contain duplicates and highly similar images, what we refer to as image families. Automatic discovery and cataloguing of such similar images in large collections is important for many applications, e.g. image search, image collection visualization, and research purposes among others. In this work, we investigate this problem by thoroughly comparing two broad approaches for measuring image similarity: global vs. local features. We assess their performance as the image collection scales up to over 11,000 images with over 6,300 families. We present our results on three datasets with different statistics, including two new challenging datasets. Moreover, we present a new algorithm to automatically determine the number of families in the collection with promising results.
Microgravity Promotes Differentiation and Meiotic Entry of Postnatal Mouse Male Germ Cells

A critical step of spermatogenesis is the entry of mitotic spermatogonia into meiosis. Progresses on these topics are hampered by the lack of an in vitro culture system allowing mouse spermatogonia differentiation and entry into meiosis. Previous studies have shown that mouse pachytene spermatocytes cultured in simulated microgravity (SM) undergo a spontaneous meiotic progression. Here we report that mouse mitotic spermatogonia cultured under SM with a rotary cell culture system (RCCS) enter into meiosis in the absence of any added exogenous factor or contact with somatic cells. We found that isolated Kit-positive spermatogonia under the RCCS condition enter into the prophase of the first meiotic division (leptotene stage), as monitored by chromosomal organization of the synaptonemal complex 3 protein (Scp3) and up-regulation of several pro-meiotic genes. SM was found to activate the phosphatidyl inositol 3 kinase (PI3K) pathway and to induce in Kit-positive spermatogonia the last round of DNA replication, typical of the preleptotene stage. A PI3K inhibitor abolished Scp3 induction and meiotic entry stimulated by RCCS conditions. A positive effect of SM on germ cell differentiation was also observed in undifferentiated (Kit-negative) spermatogonia, in which RCCS conditions stimulate the expression of Kit and Stra8. In conclusion, SM is an artificial environmental condition which promotes postnatal male germ cell differentiation and might provide a tool to study the molecular mechanisms underlying the switch from mitosis to meiosis in mammals.
Enhanced Inflammasome Activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Is Mediated via Type I Interferon–Induced Up‐Regulation of Interferon Regulatory Factor 1

The inflammasome complex is a driver of organ damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although type I interferons (IFNs) are well established as mediators of SLE pathogenesis, their role in inflammasome activation in SLE has not been assessed. The aim of this study was to examine type I IFNs as regulators of the inflammasome.
Managers, Investors, and Crises: Mutual Fund Strategies in Emerging Markets

The authors address the trading strategies of mutual funds in emerging markets. The data set they develop permits analyses of these strategies at the level of individual portfolios. A methodologically novel feature of their analysis: they disentangle the behavior of fund managers from that of investors. For both managers and investors, they strongly reject the null hypothesis of no momentum trading. Funds' momentum trading is positive: they systematically buy winners and sell losers. Contemporaneous momentum trading (buying current winners and selling current losers) is stronger during crises, and stronger for fund investors than for fund managers. Lagged momentum trading (buying past winners and selling past losers) is stronger during noncrises, and stronger for fund managers. Investors also engage in contagion trading-selling assets from one country when asset prices fall in another. These findings are based on data about mutual funds that represent only 10 percent of the market capitalization in the countries considered. Were it a larger share of the market, finding counterparties for their trades (the investors who buy when they sell and sell when they buy) would be difficult-and the premise that funds respond to contemporaneous returns rather than causing them would become tenuous.
Super resolution for fundoscopy based on 3D image registration

An approach to the generation of super-resolution (SR) images from fundoscopy images is proposed that is based on the 3D registration of the original fundoscopy images. The proposed approach utilizes a simple 3D registration method to enable the application of conventional SR techniques which, otherwise, employ 2D image registration. Qualitative and quantitative comparative evaluation shows that the obtained results improve image definition and alleviate noise.
Feasibility Intervals for Multiprocessor Fixed-Priority Scheduling of Arbitrary Deadline Periodic Systems

In this paper we study the global scheduling of periodic task systems with arbitrary deadlines upon identical multiprocessor platforms. We first show two very general properties which are well-known for uniprocessor platforms and which remain for multiprocessor platforms: (i) under few and not so restrictive assumptions, we show that any feasible schedule of arbitrary deadline periodic task systems is periodic from some point and (ii) for the specific case of synchronous periodic task systems, we show that the schedule repeats from the origin. We then present our main result: any feasible schedule of asynchronous periodic task sets using a fixed-priority scheduler is periodic from a specific point. Moreover, we characterize that point and we provide a feasibility interval for those systems
Linear-to-Circular Polarization Conversion Using Metasurface

A metasurface (MS) used to convert the linearly polarized (LP) signal from a source antenna into a circularly polarized (CP) signal is proposed and studied. The MS consists of 16 unit cells arranged in a 4 × 4 layout. Each unit cell is a rectangular loop with a diagonal microstrip. By placing close to a source antenna, the MS converts the LP signal generated from the source antenna into a CP signal. Two source antennas (patch and slot antennas) are used for studies. The source antenna together with the MS is here called a MS antenna. A total of four low-profile MS antennas operating at the frequency of about 2.45 GHz are designed using computer simulation. For verification of simulation results, the MS antennas are fabricated and measured. Simulated and measured results show good agreements. Results show that the MS antennas have substantially better performances, in terms of gain, return-loss bandwidth (RLBW), axial-ratio bandwidth (ARBW) and radiation pattern, than the source antennas. Moreover, the ARBW of the MS antennas is mainly determined by the MS.
Genetic association studies of complex neurological diseases

Genetic association studies offer a powerful approach to identify the multiple variants of small effect that modulate susceptibility to common, complex disease. They, however, have a poor reputation, mainly because of the consistent lack of replication of all but a few. Thousands of genetic studies have been carried out on multifactorial diseases in the past 30 years, yielding only about 50 variants that can be considered to be true positives. Although the positive studies show proof of principle, the multitude of negative studies indicate fundamental problems in the design and execution of association studies. Here, we discuss some of the more pertinent study design and data analysis issues which can affect the outcome of genetic association studies.
The sampling-based neighborhood graph: an approach to computing and executing feedback motion strategies

This paper presents a sampling-based approach to computing and executing feedback-motion strategies by defining a global navigation function over a collection of neighborhoods in configuration space. The collection of neighborhoods and their underlying connectivity structure are captured by a sampling-based neighborhood graph (SNG), on which navigation functions are built. The SNG construction algorithm incrementally places new neighborhoods in the configuration space, using distance information provided by existing collision-detection algorithms. A termination condition indicates the probability that a specified fraction of the space is covered. Our implementation illustrates the approach for rigid and articulated bodies with up to six-dimensional configuration spaces. Even over such spaces, rapid online responses to unpredictable configuration changes can be made in a few microseconds on standard PC hardware. Furthermore, if the goal is changed, an updated navigation function can be quickly computed without performing additional collision checking.
A Study in Higher-Order Programming Languages

This thesis describes some interplays between the specication and the imple- mentation of higher-order programming languages. We rst investigate a traditional imple- mentation of Scheme (compiler, run-time machine). We then turn to Action Semantics. And nally we cross-fertilize these two approaches using both syntax-directed and type-directed partial evaluation and introducing an alternative representation of data structures.
WOW: wise ordering for writes - combining spatial and temporal locality in non-volatile caches

Write caches using fast, non-volatile storage are now widely used in modern storage controllers since they enable hiding latency on writes. Effective algorithms for write cache management are extremely important since (i) in RAID-5, due to read-modify-write and parity updates, each write may cause up to four separate disk seeks while a read miss causes only a single disk seek; and (ii) typically, write cache size is much smaller than the read cache size - a proportion of 1 : 16 is typical. A write caching policy must decide: what data to destage. On one hand, to exploit temporal locality, we would like to destage data that is least likely to be re-written soon with the goal of minimizing the total number of destages. This is normally achieved using a caching algorithm such as LRW (least recently written). However, a read cache has a very small uniform cost of replacing any data in the cache, whereas the cost of destaging depends on the state of the disk heads. Hence, on the other hand, to exploit spatial locality, we would like to destage writes so as to minimize the average cost of each destage. This can be achieved by using a disk scheduling algorithm such as CSCAN, that destages data in the ascending order of the logical addresses, at the higher level of the write cache in a storage controller. Observe that LRW and CSCAN focus, respectively, on exploiting either temporal or spatial locality, but not both simultaneously. We propose a new algorithm, namely, Wise Ordering for Writes (WOW), for write cache management that effectively combines and balances temporal and spatial locality. Our experimental set-up consisted of an IBM xSeries 345 dual processor server running Linux that is driving a (software) RAID-5 or RAID-10 array using a workload akin to Storage Performance Council's widely adopted SPC-1 benchmark. In a cache-sensitive configuration on RAID-5, WOW delivers peak throughput that is 129% higher than CSCAN and 9% higher than LRW. In a cache-insensitive configuration on RAID-5, WOW and CSCAN deliver peak throughput that is 50% higher than LRW. For a random write workload with nearly 100% misses, on RAID-10, with a cache size of 64K, 4KB pages (256MB), WOW and CSCAN deliver peak throughput that is 200% higher than LRW. In summary, WOW has better or comparable peak throughput to the best of CSCAN and LRW across a wide gamut of write cache sizes and workload configurations. In addition, even at lower throughputs, WOW has lower average response times than CSCAN and LRW.