Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A PYNQ-compliant Online Platform for Zynq-based DNN Developers

The Zynq heterogeneous SoC from Xilinx is able to supporting software/hardware co-designing in one single chip, making it possible to take advantage of software flexibility and hardware acceleration at the same time. PYNQ project from Xilinx is trying to take advantage of high performance and low power consumption of Zynq while improve its programmability. In order to improve the ecosystem of PYNQ and help more embedded AI applications use the Zynq-based high-efficiency computational engine, this paper proposes a PYNQ-compliant online platform (OpenHEC-PYNQ) that integrates all necessary factors for the Zynq-based DNN developer. This platform makes HDL/HLS designers able to access all resources they needed via the Internet and finish all jobs one-stop. To show effectiveness of this platform, a YOLOv2 FPGA acceleration library is implemented based on OpenHEC-PYNQ.
An Overview of the Polymorphisms of Circadian Genes Associated With Endocrine Cancer

A major consequence of the world industrialized lifestyle is the increasing period of unnatural light in environments during the day and artificial lighting at night. This major change disrupts endogenous homeostasis with external circadian cues, which has been associated to higher risk of diseases affecting human health, mainly cancer among others. Circadian disruption promotes tumor development and accelerate its fast progression. The dysregulation mechanisms of circadian genes is greatly affected by the genetic variability of these genes. To date, several core circadian genes, also called circadian clock genes, have been identified, comprising the following: ARNTL, CLOCK, CRY1, CRY2, CSNK1E, NPAS2, NR1D1, NR1D2, PER1, PER2, PER3, RORA, and TIMELESS. The polymorphic variants of these circadian genes might contribute to an individual's risk to cancer. In this short review, we focused on clock circadian clock-related genes, major contributors of the susceptibility to endocrine-dependent cancers through affecting circadian clock, most likely affecting hormonal regulation. We examined polymorphisms affecting breast, prostate and ovarian carcinogenesis, in addition to pancreatic and thyroid cancer. Further study of the genetic composition in circadian clock-controlled tumors will be of great importance by establishing the foundation to discover novel genetic biomarkers for cancer prevention, prognosis and target therapies.
Distributionally Robust Chance-Constrained Energy Management for Islanded Microgrids

With the development of smart grid, energy management becomes critical for reliable and efficient operation of power systems. In this work, we develop a chance-constrained (CC) energy management model for an islanded microgrid which includes distributed generators (DGs), energy storage system (ESS), and renewable generation such as wind power. The objective function of this model consists of generation cost, emission cost and ESS degradation cost. To capture the uncertainty of renewable generation, a novel ambiguity set is introduced without knowing its probability distribution or exact moment information. Based on the ambiguity set, the chance constraint can be processed with distributionally robust optimization (DRO) method and the energy management problem is reformulated as a tractable second-order conic programming (SOCP) problem. The proposed approach is tested with a case study and simulation results indicate that it is effective and reliable. Moreover, the comparison with the method based on known moment information and some other methods is also conducted to show the performance of the proposed method.
Comparative Study of Microcell’s Performance using Different Models in Different Regions

In this paper the performance of Microcells was analyzed using MATLAB simulation to create a real-life scenario of radio-waves signals propagating in three different environments: urban, suburban and rural area to find out the signal loss, and from that it is understood which areas are best suited for Microcells. This was achieved using several propagation models of both empirical and deterministic types for comparison purposes like Winner II model, Stanford University Interim (SUI) model, and Ericsson 9999. 1800 MHZ frequency band is considered, as Micro cell works best at this frequency range. For corresponding models, their mathematical model is used to find the Estimated maximum allowable path loss and model loss for 4G LTE process. The results are compared, and it is concluded based on simulation results that Microcells give the best result for Winner II model and poor result for Ericsson 9999 model, while real life results may differ. Mobile phone system like PHS and DECT are using Microcell which covers limited area like mall, hotel or transportation hub.
Function of L-Pipecolic Acid as Compatible Solute in Corynebacterium glutamicum as Basis for Its Production Under Hyperosmolar Conditions

Pipecolic acid or L-PA is a cyclic amino acid derived from L-lysine which has gained interest in the recent years within the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. L-PA can be produced efficiently using recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum strains by expanding the natural L-lysine biosynthetic pathway. L-PA is a six-membered ring homolog of the five-membered ring amino acid L-proline, which serves as compatible solute in C. glutamicum. Here, we show that de novo synthesized or externally added L-PA partially is beneficial for growth under hyper-osmotic stress conditions. C. glutamicum cells accumulated L-PA under elevated osmotic pressure and released it after an osmotic down shock. In the absence of the mechanosensitive channel YggB intracellular L-PA concentrations increased and its release after osmotic down shock was slower. The proline permease ProP was identified as a candidate L-PA uptake system since RNAseq analysis revealed increased proP RNA levels upon L-PA production. Under hyper-osmotic conditions, a ΔproP strain showed similar growth behavior than the parent strain when L-proline was added externally. By contrast, the growth impairment of the ΔproP strain under hyper-osmotic conditions could not be alleviated by addition of L-PA unless proP was expressed from a plasmid. This is commensurate with the view that L-proline can be imported into the C. glutamicum cell by ProP and other transporters such as EctP and PutP, while ProP appears of major importance for L-PA uptake under hyper-osmotic stress conditions.
Bitline Charge-Recycling SRAM Write Assist Circuitry for  $V_{\mathrm{MIN}}$  Improvement and Energy Saving

Bitline (BL) charge-recycling-based static random access memory (SRAM) write assist circuits (BCR-WA) are proposed to reduce the minimum operating voltage (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm {MIN}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) of SRAM. In the proposed schemes, the charges stored on the unselected BL are utilized to raise the cell ground voltage (VSS) of the selected bit cell, and the increased cell VSS (CVSS) enhances the write ability. According to the metal routing direction of CVSS in the layout, two types of BCR-WA are proposed, BCR-WA for vertical CVSS routing (BCR-WA<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{\mathrm {V}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) and horizontal CVSS routing (BCR-WA<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{\mathrm {H}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>). To evaluate the proposed circuits, HSPICE simulations are performed and the test chip is implemented using a 14-nm FinFET technology. Thanks to the charge-recycling operation, BCR-WA<sub>V</sub> and BCR-WA<sub>H</sub> can save energy by 11%–44% and 30%–66%, respectively, compared to the previous write assist circuits, with a comparable or less area overhead and an insignificant degradation in read performance (<1%) and stability (~25-mV degradation in maximum word-lin voltage). In addition, according to simulation results, BCR-WA<sub>V</sub> and BCR-WA<sub>H</sub> can lower <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm {MIN}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> by 150 mV. In particular, silicon measurement result for BCR-WA<sub>H</sub> proves an 125-mV improvement in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm {MIN}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>.
Multiphysics Analysis of a Stator Construction Method in Yokeless and Segmented Armature Axial Flux PM Machines

Increasing performance requirements for electrical machines such as energy efficiency and torque density require a multiphysics design approach. In these designs, many machine parts very often combine multiple functions, such as electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical, to keep the design compact and reduce the overall weight, or introduce nonconventional materials in electrical machines. In this paper, epoxy potting techniques are used to keep the different stator parts of a yokeless and segmented armature axial flux PM machine together, and it focuses mainly on the multiphysics aspects of the epoxy resins as well as on their implications on the overall stator design. In this multiphysics design approach, the effect of specific epoxy resin parameters such as maximum service temperature, thermal conductivity, Brookfield viscosity, tensile strength, and coefficient of thermal expansion, on the electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical behavior of the stator are examined. Epoxy resin parameters are evaluated in detailed experiments on small test samples, and finally, measurements on a full prototype 4 kW, 2500 rpm stator are performed.
Global Methylomic and Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal the Broad Participation of DNA Methylation in Daily Gene Expression Regulation of Populus trichocarpa

Changes in DNA methylation patterns in different tissues, at various developmental stages, and under environmental stimuli have been investigated in plants. However, the involvement of DNA methylation in daily gene expression regulation and the plant circadian clock have not been reported. Here, we investigated DNA methylomes and mRNA transcriptomes from leaves of P. trichocarpa over 24 h by high-throughput sequencing. We found that approximately 15.63–19.50% of the genomic cytosine positions were methylated in mature poplar leaves, with approximately half being in the form of asymmetric CHH sites. Repetitive sequences and transposable elements (TEs) were heavily methylated, and the hAT and CMC-EnSpm transposons were more heavily methylated than other TEs. High methylation levels were observed upstream and downstream of the transcribed region, medium in exon and intron, low in untranslated region (5′-UTR and 3′-UTR) of genic regions. In total, about 53,689 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified and CHH context was the most abundant type among daily DNA methylation changes. The DMRs overlapped with over one third of the total poplar genes, including plant defense genes. In addition, a positive correlation between expression levels and DNA methylation levels in the gene body region were observed in DMR overlapping genes. About 1,895 circadian regulated genes overlapped with DMRs, with 871 hypermethylated genes with down-regulated expression levels and 881 hypomethylated genes with up-regulated expression levels, indicating the possible regulation of DNA methylation on the daily rhythmic expression of these genes. But rhythmic DNA methylation changes were not detected in any oscillator component genes controlling the plant circadian clock. Our results suggest that DNA methylation participates widely in daily gene expression regulation, but is not the main mechanism modulating the plant circadian clock.
Co-Design of the PV Array and DC/AC Inverter for Maximizing the Energy Production in Grid-Connected Applications

Grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems are currently developed by merging a PV array and a DC/AC inverter which are designed separately, without considering the impact of the PV array operational characteristics on the power losses of the DC/AC inverter. In this paper, a co-design technique is presented, where the optimal design parameters of the PV array and DC/AC inverter in a grid-connected PV system are calculated concurrently through a unified design process. The proposed technique enables to optimally match the PV array configuration and the DC/AC inverter structure. A study has been performed, where the PV systems synthesized by applying the proposed co-design technique are compared with the PV system configurations comprising PV arrays and DC/AC inverters that have been designed separately, through distinct optimization processes based on various alternative optimization objectives. The design results for two installation sites, with different meteorological conditions during a year, demonstrated that only the proposed co-design optimization technique is capable of ensuring the maximization of the annual energy production of the overall grid-connected PV system.
Wordnet-Based Criminal Networks Mining for Cybercrime Investigation

Cybercriminals exploit the opportunities provided by the information revolution and social media to communicate and conduct underground illicit activities, such as online fraudulence, cyber predation, cyberbullying, hacking, blackmailing, and drug smuggling. To combat the increasing number of criminal activities, structure and content analysis of criminal communities can provide insight and facilitate cybercrime forensics. In this paper, we propose a framework to analyze chat logs for crime investigation using data mining and natural language processing techniques. The proposed framework extracts the social network from chat logs and summarizes conversation into topics. The crime investigator can use information visualizer to see the crime-related results. To test the validity of our proposed framework, we worked in a joint effort with the cybercrime unit of a Canadian law enforcement agency. The experimental outcomes on real-life data and feedback from the law enforcement officers suggest that the proposed chat log mining framework meets the need for law enforcement agencies and is very effective for crime investigation.
Longitudinal Association Between Children’s Callous-Unemotional Traits and Social Competence: Child Executive Function and Maternal Warmth as Moderators

This study examined the longitudinal association between children’s early callous-unemotional (CU) traits and social competence in the transition to school-age, and tested whether this relationship was moderated by child executive function and maternal warmth. Participants were 643 children (49% girls) who were part of the Panel Study on Korean Children (PSKC) of the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education (KICCE). Mothers rated children’s CU at 5 years and executive function at 8 years, and maternal warmth at 5 years. Teachers reported on children’s social competence at 8 years. Results of the model including child executive function as the moderator indicated that deficits in child executive function and child sex (boys) predicted lower social competence. In addition, the moderating effect of executive function on the relationship between CU and social competence approached a trend such that CU predicted lower social competence only for children with lower executive function. In the model that included maternal warmth as a moderator, CU traits was associated with lower social competence, and this effect was more pronounced for boys as indicated by a significant effects of CU × child sex on social competence. The findings are discussed with respect to considering individual and contextual factors by which early CU becomes associated with individual differences in children’s social competence.
Intelligent Gait Recognition System Based on the Bezier Curve Fitting

Intelligent identification model is now widely used in various gates access control in a ticket collection system. However, the identification process usually requires a close detection through the system and may result in a large consumption of time. For this reason, the goal of the proposed scheme aims to recognize the target person using the gait features and thus effectively control the gates based on Bezier curve fitting algorithm. The gait parameters can be obtained from the data collected by cameras. By processing and optimizing the data extracted, the Bessel curve can be fitted and traced. The feature vectors from the curve are thus obtained to figure out the relationship between all individuals and the target person in the database. Accordingly, a form of similarity can be achieved efficiently. The experimental results show that this method is accurate, fast and feasible in a real environment.
Trajectory Optimization for Wheeled-Legged Quadrupedal Robots Using Linearized ZMP Constraints

We present a trajectory optimizer for quadrupedal robots with actuated wheels. By solving for angular, vertical, and planar components of the base and feet trajectories in a cascaded fashion and by introducing a novel linear formulation of the zero-moment point balance criterion, we rely on quadratic programming only, thereby eliminating the need for nonlinear optimization routines. Yet, even for gaits containing full flight phases, we are able to generate trajectories for executing complex motions that involve simultaneous driving, walking, and turning. We verified our approach in simulations of the quadrupedal robot ANYmal equipped with wheels, where we are able to run the proposed trajectory optimizer at 50 Hz. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such dynamic motions are demonstrated for wheeled-legged quadrupedal robots using an online motion planner.
Null-Steering Beamformer-Based Feedback Cancellation for Multi-Microphone Hearing Aids With Incoming Signal Preservation

In hearing aids, acoustic feedback occurs due to the coupling between the hearing aid loudspeaker and microphone(s). In order to reduce the acoustic feedback, adaptive filters are commonly used to estimate the feedback contribution in the microphone(s). While theoretically allowing for perfect feedback cancellation, in practice the adaptive filter converges to an optimal solution that is typically biased due to the closed-loop acoustical system of the hearing aid. In order to avoid the adaptation to a biased optimal solution, in this paper we propose to use a fixed beamformer to cancel the acoustic feedback contribution for an earpiece with multiple integrated microphones and loudspeakers. By steering a spatial null in the direction of the hearing aid loudspeaker, we show that theoretically perfect feedback cancellation can be achieved. While previous null-steering beamforming approaches did not control for distortions of the incoming signal, in this paper we propose to incorporate a constraint based on the relative transfer function (RTF) of the incoming signal, aiming to perfectly preserve this signal. We formulate the computation of the beamformer coefficients both as a least-squares optimization procedure, aiming to minimize the residual feedback power, and as a min–max optimization procedure, aiming to directly maximize the maximum stable gain of the hearing aid. Experimental results using measured acoustic feedback paths from a custom earpiece with two microphones in the vent and a third microphone in the concha show that the proposed fixed null-steering beamformer using the RTF-based constraint provides a reduction of the acoustic feedback and substantially increases the added stable gain while preserving the incoming signal. This can even be achieved for unknown acoustic feedback paths and incoming signal directions.
Transconductance Distribution in Program/Erase Cycling of NAND Flash Memory Devices: a Statistical Investigation

A new method for characterizing the evolution of oxide charge (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) generation during program/erase (P/E) cycles is developed. The concentration of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> can be separated from the floating gate charge (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{\text {FG}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) by statistically analyzing the distribution of transconductance reduction (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta {G}_{m,\text {max}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) after P/E cycles. The effect of the number and position of discrete <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> on the distribution of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta {G}_{m,\text {max}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is studied. The cycling dependence of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> generation is given by a fractional equation that includes a power of the number of P/E cycles in the denominator. For fewer than 30k cycles, the equation can be simplified as a power-law equation in the number of cycles with a power factor of 0.58. For more than 30k cycles, the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> generation gradually goes to a plateau value <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{{0}} = {1.5}\times {10}^{{20}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> cm<sup>−3</sup>. It is indicated that the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> generation is limited by the concentration of inherent weak bonding points inside SiO<sub>2</sub> or the Si/SiO<sub>2</sub> interface. The temperature dependence of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> generation is also provided. The activation energy (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${E}_{A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}_{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> generation is approximately 0.1 eV, which is compatible with the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${E}_{A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> value of electron traps creation in SiO<sub>2</sub>.
Root-Associated Fungal Communities From Two Phenologically Contrasting Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.) Groups of Trees

Root-associated fungal communities are important components in ecosystem processes, impacting plant growth and vigor by influencing the quality, direction, and flow of nutrients and water between plants and fungi. Linkages of plant phenological characteristics with belowground root-associated fungal communities have rarely been investigated, and thus our aim was to search for an interplay between contrasting phenology of host ectomycorrhizal trees from the same location and root-associated fungal communities (ectomycorrhizal, endophytic, saprotrophic and pathogenic root-associated fungi) in young and in adult silver fir trees. The study was performed in a managed silver fir forest site. Twenty-four soil samples collected under two phenologically contrasting silver fir groups were analyzed for differences in root-associated fungal communities using Illumina sequencing of a total root-associated fungal community. Significant differences in beta diversity and in mean alpha diversity were confirmed for overall community of ectomycorrhizal root-associated fungi, whereas for ecologically different non-ectomycorrhizal root-associated fungal communities the differences were significant only for beta diversity and not for mean alpha diversity. At genus level root-associated fungal communities differed significantly between early and late flushing young and adult silver fir trees. We discuss the interactions through which the phenology of host plants either drives or is driven by the root-associated fungal communities in conditions of a sustainably co-naturally managed silver fir forest.