Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Load and store reuse using register file contents

The detection of opportunities for value reuse optimizations in memory operations require both the addresses and values associated with these operations to be available. Although the values are typically available in the physical register file, their presence cannot be exploited because no correspondence between the values and addressess is maintained. In this paper we propose the explicit management of the physical register file contents as a level in the memory hierarchy by supporting the Value Address Association Structure (VAAS). The entries in VAAS have a one-to-one correspondence with entries in the physical register file. For each value in the register file that is involved in a load or store operation, the associated information, including the memory address, are stored in the corresponding VAAS entry. Several optimization tasks can be performed using the combination of physical registers and VAAS. Specifically VAAS enables unified implementation of the following optimization tasks: (i) Store-to-load forwarding is performed without explicitly saving the stored values; (ii) Load-to-load forwarding is performed without saving loaded values in a reuse buffer; (iii) Silent stores are eliminated without saving or loading the prior value stored to the same addresses; (iv) Switching of bits in L1 cache is minimized without saving additional history; and (v) False memory access order violations are avoided without holding speculatively loaded values in the speculated loads table. Our experiments demonstrate that our implementation of non-speculative optimizations is highly effective as it eliminates memory references due to 60% (58%) of loads in SPECint95 (SPECfp95) and 25% (22.6%) of stores in SPECint95 (SPECfp95). On an average over 45% of cache references are eliminated due to non-speculative reuse. On an average the L1 switching activity was reduced by 7.75%.
Discrepancy-Based Algorithms for Non-Stationary Rested Bandits

We study the multi-armed bandit problem where the rewards are realizations of general non-stationary stochastic processes, a setting that generalizes many existing lines of work and analyses. In particular, we present a theoretical analysis and derive regret guarantees for rested bandits in which the reward distribution of each arm changes only when we pull that arm. Remarkably, our regret bounds are logarithmic in the number of rounds under several natural conditions. We introduce a new algorithm based on classical UCB ideas combined with the notion of weighted discrepancy, a useful tool for measuring the non-stationarity of a stochastic process. We show that the notion of discrepancy can be used to design very general algorithms and a unified framework for the analysis of multi-armed rested bandit problems with non-stationary rewards. In particular, we show that we can recover the regret guarantees of many specific instances of bandit problems with non-stationary rewards that have been studied in the literature. We also provide experiments demonstrating that our algorithms can enjoy a significant improvement in practice compared to standard benchmarks.
Adenovirus types associated with severe respiratory diseases: A retrospective 4‐year study in Kuwait

Human adenovirus (HAdV) infection can result in a severe respiratory disease. The aim of this study was to identify HAdV types detected in patients hospitalized for severe respiratory illness. The study population consisted of 743 patients with severe respiratory disease admitted to four major hospitals in Kuwait between January 2013 and December 2016. Respiratory specimens were retrospectively screened for 20 respiratory viruses by real‐time PCR. The HAdV hexon gene was amplified and directly sequenced, and HAdV types were identified by performing Bayesian phylogenetic analysis. HAdV DNA was detected in 27 (3.6%) patients, with peaks in November and March. Most patients were infants and young children suffering from pneumonia or acute bronchiolitis. The detected HAdV types were C1, C2, C5, B3, and B7. Clusters of HAdV C1, C2, and C5 were observed with high posterior probability. All patients infected with HAdV C5 and 50% of patients infected with HAdV C2 or B7 were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Co‐infection with other viruses was detected in 44.4% of patients. The most common co‐infecting virus was rhinovirus (HRV). HAdV/HRV co‐infection was detected in two children who presumably developed disseminated HAdV infection and died. This is the first report describing the circulation of HAdV types associated with severe outcomes in Kuwait. These findings highlight the need for a national surveillance system to monitor changes in predominant HAdV types and increased numbers of severe respiratory infections.
Multi-representation Lens for Visual Analytics

Modern data analysis deeply relies on computational visualization tools, specially when spatial data is involved. Important efforts in governmental and private agencies are looking for patterns and insights buried in dispersive, massive amounts of data (conventional, spatiotemporal, etc.). In Visual Analytics users must be empowered to analyze data from different perspectives, integrating, transforming, aggregating and deriving new representations of conventional as well as spatial data. However, a challenge for visual analysis tools is how to articulate such wide variety of data models and formats, specially when multiple representations of geographic elements are involved. A usual approach is to convert data to a database -- e.g., a multirepresentation database - which centralizes and homogenizes them. This approach has restrictions when facing the dynamic and distributed model of the Web. In this paper we propose an on the fly and on demand multi-representation data integration and homogenization approach, named Lens, as an alternative that fits better with the Web. It combines a metamodel driven approach to transform data to a unifying multidimensional and multirepresentation model, with a middleware-based architecture for seamless and on-the-fly data access, tailored to Visual Analytics.
Asymmetrical voltage-cancellation control for a series-series fixed-frequency inductive power transfer system

The main objective of this paper is to study and analyze the power supply stage of a series-series (SS) fixed-frequency inductive power transfer (IPT) system, in order to suggest effective soft switching techniques to improve its performance. Because of the characteristics of the system, zero voltage switching (ZVS) operation was used and three control strategies were compared: phase-shift (PS) control, asymmetrical duty cycle (ADC) control and optimal asymmetrical voltage cancellation (o AVC) control. The o AVC control is found to be more efficient for this application. Additionally, this paper presents an inductive power transfer transformer (IPTT) prototype that was built in the laboratory, which helped validate the theoretical analysis and simulation results with practical tests. The plots and circuit simulations were obtained from MATLAB and SIMULINK respectively.
Direct Observation of von Willebrand Factor Elongation and Fiber Formation on Collagen During Acute Whole Blood Exposure to Pathological Flow

Objective—In severe stenosis, von Willebrand Factor (vWF) experiences millisecond exposures to pathological wall shear rates (&ggr;w). We sought to evaluate the deposition of vWF onto collagen surfaces under flow in these environments. Methods and Results—Distinct from viscometry experiments that last many seconds, we deployed microfluidic devices for single-pass perfusion of whole blood or platelet-free plasma over fibrillar type 1 collagen (<50 ms transit time) at pathological &ggr;w or spatial wall shear rate gradients (grad &ggr;w). Using fluorescent anti-vWF, long thick vWF fibers (>20 &mgr;m) bound to collagen were visualized at constant &ggr;w>30000 s–1 during perfusion of platelet-free plasma, a process enhanced by EDTA. Rapid acceleration or deceleration of EDTA platelet-free plasma at grad &ggr;w=±1.1×105 to ±4.3×107 s–1/cm did not promote vWF deposition. At 19400 s–1, EDTA blood perfusion resulted in rolling vWF–platelet nets, although blood perfusion (normal Ca2+) generated large vWF/platelet deposits that repeatedly embolized and were blocked by anti-glycoprotein Ib or the &agr;IIb&bgr;3 inhibitor GR144053 and did not require grad &ggr;w. Blood perfusion at venous shear rate (200 s–1) produced a stable platelet deposit that was a substrate for massive but unstable vWF–platelet aggregates when flow was increased to 7800 s–1. Conclusion—Triggered by collagen and enhanced by platelet glycoprotein Ib and &agr;IIb&bgr;3, vWF fiber formation occurred during acute exposures to pathological &ggr;w and did not require gradients in wall shear rate.
Introduction. Self-organization and selection in cultural language evolution

This chapter outlines the main challenges a theory for the cultural evolution of language should address and proposes a particular theory which is worked out and explored in greater detail in the remaining chapters of this book. The theory rests on two biologically inspired mechanisms, namely selection and self-organization, mapped onto the cultural, more specifically, linguistic domain. Selectionism is an alternative to rational top-down design. It introduces a distinction between processes that generate possible linguistic variants in a population (for example, different ways to express tense and aspect) and processes that select some variants to survive and become dominant in a language, based on criteria that translate into increased communicative success, such as expressive adequacy, minimal cognitive effort, learnability and social conformity. Self-organization occurs when speakers and hearers align their communication systems based on the outcome of each interaction. It explains how convergence may arise without central coordination or direct telepathic meaning transfer. This chapter explains these basic hypotheses in more detail and introduces a methodology for exploring them based on the notion of a language game.
Association of early pregnancy body mass index with post‐partum weight change among African–American women

Post‐partum weight retention is relatively common and increases the risk for future obesity. Women who are overweight or obese prior to pregnancy, or who gain excessively during pregnancy, are more likely to retain weight post‐partum. Much of the existing research is limited by a single post‐partum body‐weight measure and therefore cannot distinguish post‐partum weight retention from post‐partum weight accrual. This study tested the hypothesis that early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) is positively associated with post‐partum weight change, independent of gestational weight gain (GWG) and breastfeeding (BF) among African–American women, a demographic group with greater risk for obesity. Healthy African–American women (n = 32) were weighed at 2 weeks and 3 months post‐partum to derive post‐partum weight change. Data from prenatal care records were retrieved to calculate BMI at the first prenatal care visit and GWG. BF status at 2 weeks post‐partum was self‐reported. Early pregnancy BMI was positively associated with post‐partum weight change (partial r = 0.53, P < 0.005), independent of GWG and BF status at 2 weeks post‐partum. These results extend the literature by suggesting that the association between early pregnancy BMI and post‐partum weight retention may be at least partially attributable to the accrual of new weight during the post‐partum period. Future research in a larger and more diverse cohort is warranted and should explore potential mechanisms contributing to post‐partum weight change.
Anisotropic Magnetoresistance of Cobalt Films Prepared by Thermal Evaporation

Cobalt films on silicon substrates were prepared by thermal evaporation. By evaporating 0.05 g of cobalt for 80-240 s, a thickness from 21.1 to 67.7 nm was obtained with a deposition rate about 0.26-0.32 nm per second. The 29 nm-thick cobalt film exhibited magnetoresistance (MR) ranging from -0.0793% (field perpendicular to the current) to +0.0134% (field parallel to the current) with saturation in a 220 mT magnetic field. This MR was attributed to anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) since changing the angle between the field and the current (θ) gave rise to a change in the electrical resistance (Rθ). The results agreed with the theory since the plot between Rθ and cos2θ could be linearly fitted. AMR was not observed in non-ferromagnetic gold films whose resistance was insensitive to the angle between the current and magnetic field.
Entropy of Iterated Function Systems and Their Relations with Black Holes and Bohr-Like Black Holes Entropies

In this paper we consider the metric entropies of the maps of an iterated function system deduced from a black hole which are known the Bekenstein–Hawking entropies and its subleading corrections. More precisely, we consider the recent model of a Bohr-like black hole that has been recently analysed in some papers in the literature, obtaining the intriguing result that the metric entropies of a black hole are created by the metric entropies of the functions, created by the black hole principal quantum numbers, i.e., by the black hole quantum levels. We present a new type of topological entropy for general iterated function systems based on a new kind of the inverse of covers. Then the notion of metric entropy for an Iterated Function System (IFS) is considered, and we prove that these definitions for topological entropy of IFS’s are equivalent. It is shown that this kind of topological entropy keeps some properties which are hold by the classic definition of topological entropy for a continuous map. We also consider average entropy as another type of topological entropy for an IFS which is based on the topological entropies of its elements and it is also an invariant object under topological conjugacy. The relation between Axiom A and the average entropy is investigated.
Observation of insulating and metallictype behavior in Bi2Se3 transistor at room temperature

Recently, topological insulators (Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3) have attracted much attention because of their bulk band gap (0.3 eV) and spin-polarized surface states with conductive massless Dirac Fermions [1]. Interestingly, Bi2Se3 has rhombohedral crystal structure which consists of Se or Bi lattices in stacked manner with the sequence of Se-Bi-Se-Bi-Se. This forms a sheet-like structure in which the adjacent quintuple layers (QL) are bonded by van der Waals forces [2]. According to recent reports, Bi2Se3 has been found to have potential application in field effect transistors (FET), thermoelectric materials, low-power spintronics and opto-electronics. Particularly, Bi2Se3 nanowire FET exhibits superior current-voltage characteristics with a large On/off current ratio, well saturated output current, zero cutoff current, and sharp turn-on voltage [2–5]. These unique properties open up a new consideration of Bi2Se3 as a potential candidate in spintronics and nanoelectronics. There are few reports available on electrical transport studies of Bi2Se3 nanowire transistor [3], epitaxial growth of Bi2Se3 thin films [4], ultra-thin Bi2Se3 thin film [6], and few-layer nano-plates [7]. All these transport studies were investigated in low-temperature environment. When an ultra-thin (thickness ∼3.5 nm) sample with approximately 3 QL investigated, a strong insulating state was observed. However an improved conductance was observed for the samples with thicknesses of 6.5 nm to 14 nm [3]. Yet, up to now, much less attention has paid to investigations on room-temperature transport measurement of Bi2Se3 transistors. The reason behind that, since Bi2Se3 has gapless surface states, it could show surface metallic conduction however the bulk transport conduction cannot be easily identified at room temperature. As reported by H. Zhu et al, by tuning gate electric field at different temperatures, the bulk transport conduction can be isolated from the surface metallic conduction [3]. In this work, we fabricated multi-layer (ML) Bi2Se3 transistor (back-gated) and investigated their characteristics at room temperature. We observed both insulating and metallic-type transport behavior when the device was gate-biased.
miR-126 in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Negatively Correlates with Risk and Severity and is Associated with Inflammatory Cytokines as well as Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of miR-126 with risk and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) as well as its correlation with inflammatory cytokines and endothelial related proteins. Methods: In total, 215 patients suspected of CAD who underwent coronary angiography were enrolled in this case control study and were divided into a CAD group (n = 119) and control group (n = 96). miR-126 relative expression was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The relative expression of miR-126 decreased in CAD patients compared to controls (p < 0.001), and the receiver operating characteristic curve showed a good diagnostic value of miR-126 for CAD risk with an area under the curve of 0.801 (95% CI 0.740-0.861). Additionally, miR-126 was negatively correlated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (p < 0.001) and reversely associated with TNF-α (p = 0.008) and IL-6 (p < 0.001) levels, while it was positively correlated with the IL-10 level (p < 0.001). In addition, miR-126 was negatively associated with intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) levels (p = 0.001), and no association of miR-126 with vascular endothelial growth factor was detected (p = 0.142). Meanwhile, the miR-126 relative level was negatively associated with the Gensini score (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell miR-126 predicts risk and severity and correlates with inflammatory cytokines as well as ICAM-1 in patients with CAD.
Design of the trap filter for the high power converters with parallel interleaved VSCs

The power handling capability of the state-of-the-art semiconductor devices is limited. Therefore, the Voltage Source Converters (VSCs) are often connected in parallel to realize high power converter. The switching frequency semiconductor devices, used in the high power VSCs, is also limited. Therefore, large filter components are often required in order to meet the stringent grid code requirements imposed by the utility. As a result, the size, weight and cost of the overall system increase. The use of interleaved carriers of the parallel connected VSCs, along with the high order line filter, is proposed to reduce the value of the filter components. The theoretical harmonic spectrum of the average pole voltage of two interleaved VSCs is derived and the reduction in the magnitude of some of the harmonic components due to the carrier interleaving is demonstrated. A shunt LC trap branch is used to sink the dominant harmonic frequency components. The design procedure of the line filter is illustrated and the filter performance is also verified by performing the simulation and the experimental study.
PREPARATION OF COLLAGEN-SULFONATED CARBOXYMETHYL CHITOSAN/SILICONE MEMBRANE BILAYER DERMAL EQUIVALENT AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE TREATMENT OF SCALDS OF PORCINE SKIN

A dermal equivalent applied in the treatment of scalds has been attracting much attention.We report here the fabrication of a bilayer dermal equivalent(BDE) composed of collagen-sulfonated carboxymethyl chitosan(SCC) porous scaffold and silicone membrane,and its application for accelerating the healing of skin scalds in a Bama miniature pig model.Firstly,the SCC was synthesized,and its chemical structure was characterized by FTIR and ~1H-NMR.Then the effect of the ratio of the SCC on the microstructure of the collagen-SCC porous scaffolds was investigated.Sheet-like structure and bigger pores in the scaffolds appeared gradually along with the increase of the SCC amount.In vitro culture of human fibroblasts proved that the scaffold facilitated the proliferation of cells,confirming that it can function as a physical template with good cytocompatibility.Two kinds of BDEs,i.e.collagen-chitosan/silicone membrane(BDE1) control and collagen-SCC/silicone membrane(BDE2),were used to repair skin scalds of Bama miniature pigs.The healing process of both BDEs was studied by macroscopic observation and HE staining.Immunohistochemical staining of VEGF and CD34 were performed to investigate the angiogenesis ability of these two kinds of BDEs.The results showed that compared to the BDE1,the BDE2 had a stronger ability to enhance the angiogenesis of the skin equivalent and the regeneration of the dermal layer.Transplantation of split-thickness skin graft was further carried out on the regenerated dermal layers.Results showed that only the scalds treated by the BDE2 had the ability to support the restoration of full-thickness skin.All these results demonstrate that the BDE2 with the SCC and collagen as the major component has better effect on accelerating the healing of scalds than that of the BDE1 with collagen and chitosan as the major component.One can also conclude that the sulfonated carboxymethyl chitosan,which is more structurally similar as heparin,should take the main role for the better repair results.
DEPlaTa-A Digitally Enhanced Planning Table for Rough Factory Layouts

The layout of a factory is essential to costand time-efficient production in today’s competitive manufacturing environment. This thesis provides assistance for the rough factory layout planning process, which is the initial design phase of factory work floors. While currently used pure analog approaches are easy to handle and support collaborative work, they miss the advantages of digital planning, namely being able to archive different design alternatives or to run simulations on created layouts. Since pure digital solutions are often complex to use and non-collaborative, planning experts in an initial requirements analysis stated that a system combining the advantages of analog and digital planning tools would be beneficial for rough factory layout design. We analyzed related planning approaches that try to combine the two worlds, however, none supported agile planning where new objects need to be created on the fly. Furthermore, they did not assist users in rebuilding real world physical models, thereby making it difficult to refine existing layouts. Motivated by these shortcomings, we present a tangible system allowing users to plan analogously with fast producible, arbitrarily shaped objects and colored adhesive tape in order to define rough factory layouts. The advantages of digital planning are taken by automatically creating a synchronized digital model of the physical 3D representation on a large planning table. The digital model can be exported in a standard format for archiving, running simulations or further planning. When importing an old state, the digital model is reloaded immediately and projections on the table help users rebuild the physical state. An evaluation at a large German manufacturing company showed that the automatic digitization was appreciated by the planning experts. The system saves the time needed for manual digitization and allows to easily test multiple design alternatives which facilitates creativity according to the participants.