Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Studying the Impact of Multicore Processor Scaling on Cache Coherence Directories via Reuse Distance Analysis

Title of dissertation: Studying the Impact of Multicore Processor Scaling on Cache Coherence Directories via Reuse Distance Analysis Minshu Zhao, Doctor of Philosophy, 2015 Dissertation directed by: Professor Donald Yeung Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Directories are one key part of a processor’s cache coherence hardware, and constitute one of the main bottlenecks in multicore processor scaling, e.g. core count and cache size scaling. Many research effects have tried to improve the scalability of the directory, but most of them only simulate a few architecture configurations. It is important to study the directory’s architecture dependency, as the CPUs continue to scale. This is because besides applications, directory behaviors are also highly sensitive to architecture. Varying core count directly affect s the amount of sharing in the directory, and varying the data cache hierarchy affects the directory access stream. But unfortunately, exploring the huge design space of multiple core counts and cache configurations is challenging using traditional architectural simulation due to the slow speed of simulations. This thesis studies the directory using multicore reuse distance analysis. It extends existing multicore reuse distance techniques, developing a method to extract directory access information from the parallel LRU stacks used to acquire privatestack reuse distance profiles. This thesis implements this method in a PIN-based profiler to study the directory behavior, including the directory access pattern and directory content, and to analyze current directory techniques. The profile results show that the directory accesses are highly dependent on cache size, exhibiting a 3.5x drop when scaling the data cache size from 16KB to 1MB; the sharing causes the ratio of directory entry to cache blocks to drop below 50%; and the majority of the accesses are to a small percentage of the directory entries. Cache simulations are performed to validate the profiling results, showing the profiled results are within 14.5% of simulation on average. This thesis also analyzes different directory techniques using the insights from the profiler. The case studies on the Cuckoo, DGD, SCD techniques and multi-level directories show that required directory size varies significantly with CPU scaling, the opportunity of compressing private data decreases with cache scaling, reducing the sharer list size is an effective technique and a small L1 directory is sufficient to capture most of the latency critical accesses respectively. Studying the Impact of Multicore Processor Scaling on Cache Coherence Directories via Reuse Distance Analysis
Technology-based dietary assessment: development of the Synchronised Nutrition and Activity Program (SNAP).

BACKGROUND Accurate, reliable and feasible methods of dietary intake and physical activity assessment are required to improve our understanding of the associations between energy balance-related behaviours and health. METHODS The Synchronised Nutrition and Activity Program (SNAP) was developed to enhance recall in children by integrating new and established methods of dietary intake and physical activity recall. A list of commonly consumed foods (n = 40), drinks (n = 9) and physical activities (n = 29) was used in SNAP. All foods and drinks were analysed by count (i.e., the number of times a particular food was selected), as a proxy indicator of dietary behaviours. All reported physical activities were assigned an intensity code [in metabolic equivalents (METs)] to determine minutes of moderate-vigorous activity (MVPA; ≥3 METs). RESULTS Most participants completed a whole day's recall (both dietary intake and physical activities) in less than 25 min. SNAP was compared against 24-h multiple pass questionnaire and accelerometry in 121 children (aged 7-15 years old). For dietary variables, the accuracy of SNAP(™) (mean difference) was within ±1 count for the majority of food groups. The proportion of the sample with a between-method agreement within ±1 count ranged from 0.40 to 0.99. For MVPA, there was no substantial fixed or proportional bias, with a mean difference between methods (SNAP) - accelerometry) of -9 min of MVPA. Qualitatively, participants have indicated that they find SNAP easy and fun to use. CONCLUSIONS SNAP was developed to be a simple, quick and engaging method of assessing energy balance-related behaviours at a group or population level and succeeded because it can collect a whole day's recall (dietary intake and physical activities) in less than 25 min to a reasonable and acceptable degree of accuracy.
Trafficking of Plant Plasma Membrane Aquaporins: Multiple Regulation Levels and Complex Sorting Signals

Abstract Aquaporins are small channel proteins which facilitate the diffusion of water and small neutral molecules across biological membranes. Compared with animals, plant genomes encode numerous aquaporins, which display a large variety of subcellular localization patterns. More specifically, plant aquaporins of the plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) subfamily were first described as plasma membrane (PM)-resident proteins, but recent research has demonstrated that the trafficking and subcellular localization of these proteins are complex and highly regulated. In the past few years, PIPs emerged as new model proteins to study subcellular sorting and membrane dynamics in plant cells. At least two distinct sorting motifs (one cytosolic, the other buried in the membrane) are required to direct PIPs to the PM. Hetero-oligomerization and interaction with SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor protein attachment protein receptors) also influence the subcellular trafficking of PIPs. In addition to these constitutive processes, both the progression of PIPs through the secretory pathway and their dynamics at the PM are responsive to changing environmental conditions.
A novel variable width PWM switching based buck converter to control power factor correction phenomenon for an efficacious grid integrated electric vehicle battery charger

This paper proposes an innovative approach to utilizing Buck converter as an ideal Power Factor Correction (PFC) controller where variable width Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) switching signals are generated and implemented to reliably control the voltage and current conversion phenomena. The developed converter topology is tactically utilized to design an efficacious grid-connected electric vehicle charger with substantially ameliorated line Power Factor so that the system loss can be averted in the case of AC-DC charging circuits. In order to ensure the sustainability of the proposed method, PSIM simulation software has been used to emulate a simulation model of a Battery charging system for Electric vehicles. The simulated output and evaluated performance parameters provide almost unity Power Factor (PF) with a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) rate of 4.62% which is lower than the maximum allowable value recommended by IEEE519. The simulation outcome corroborates the efficiency and validity of the proposed framework.
BLP-Lasso for Aggregate Discrete Choice Models Applied to Elections with Rich Demographic Covariates ∗

Economists often study consumers’ aggregate behavior across markets choosing from a menu of differentiated products. In this analysis, local demographic characteristics can serve as controls for market-specific heterogeneity in product preferences. Given rich demographic data, implementing these models requires specifying which variables to include in the analysis, an ad hoc process typically guided primarily by a researcher’s intuition. We propose a data-driven approach to estimate these models applying penalized estimation algorithms imported from the machine learning literature along with confidence intervals that are robust to variable selection. Our application explores the effect of campaign spending on vote shares in data from Mexican elections.
Interplay of sociolinguistic factors in rhythmic variation in a minority French dialect

A contact setting often limits speakers’ possibilities to practice the minority language in an array of contexts and thus affects its stylistic and sociolinguistic variation. This paper examines rhythmic variation in read and spontaneous speech samples from speakers of minority Ontario French (Canada). Rate, nPVI-V, VarcoV, %V and the CC model are used to examine the extent of sociolinguistic variation in the dataset and test the hypotheses of convergence to English and of sociolinguistic discontinuity. Age, gender and speaking style each appear to be significant factors, without showing interaction. Females and older speakers showed a more syllable-timed pattern than males and younger participants. In spontaneous speech, all speakers had a less syllable-timed rhythmicity, despite a faster rate. Overall, speakers did not converge to English.
The impact and efficacy of routine pulse oximetry screening for CHD in a local hospital

Abstract Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact and efficacy of pulse oximetry screening for CHD in a level-two neonatal unit without on-site access to paediatric echocardiography. Methods All neonatal unit admissions between 1 September, 2011 and 31 August, 2013 were reviewed to determine the outcomes of newborns identified by pulse oximetry screening. Record linkage with the National Congenital Heart Disease Audit allowed follow-up of newborns with a negative screening result. Results There were 11,233 live births during the study period, with 973 neonatal unit admissions unrelated to pulse oximetry screening. From the remaining screening population of 10,260 newborns, 23 were admitted on the basis of a screen-positive result; three of the 23 patients went on to have urgent echocardiograms, and two were found to have critical CHD. In the 21 newborns without critical CHD, an alternative diagnosis was made in 16 cases. Record linkage with the National Congenital Heart Disease Audit indicated that no newborns born in the hospital during the study period received surgery for critical CHD following negative screening. The estimated sensitivity of screening was 100% (95% confidence interval 15.81–100%) and specificity was 99.80% (95% confidence interval 99.69–99.87%), with a false-positive rate of 0.20% (95% confidence interval 0.13–0.31%). Conclusion The introduction of pulse oximetry screening to a hospital where paediatric echocardiography services are not available is practical, results in very few referrals to the regional paediatric cardiology centre, and detects cases of CHD that would otherwise go undiagnosed. Record linkage with a national CHD database provides a straightforward method for tracking cases of CHD that may have been missed by screening.
Jmp8 at SemEval-2017 Task 2: A simple and general distributional approach to estimate word similarity

We have built a simple corpus-based system to estimate words similarity in multiple languages with a count-based approach. After training on Wikipedia corpora, our system was evaluated on the multilingual subtask of SemEval-2017 Task 2 and achieved a good level of performance, despite its great simplicity. Our results tend to demonstrate the power of the distributional approach in semantic similarity tasks, even without knowledge of the underlying language. We also show that dimensionality reduction has a considerable impact on the results.
Fast X-Ray CT metal artifacts reduction based on noniterative sinogram inpainting

In this paper, we introduce a fast noniterative method based on fast marching method and coherence transport for metal artifacts reduction (MAR) in computer tomography (CT). This method can be classified as a projection interpolation method. In the experiments section, we compare our method with linear interpolation (LI), cubic spline interpolation (CSI) and total variation (TV). The results demonstrate that our method have similar high level of quality of TV, while being fast as LI and CSI.
Efficacy of Combined Antidepressant Therapy in Resistant Neurotic Disorder

A 35-year-old woman with persistent affective and phobic symptoms responded dramatically to a combination of isocarboxazid and amitriptyline, and this improvement was maintained over the next three-and-a-half years. Isocarboxazid was replaced by placebo, using double-blind procedure. The change to placebo was accompanied by a marked increase in anxiety and depressive symptoms, which resolved when active isocarboxazid was reintroduced. It is suggested that combined antidepressant therapy still has a place in the treatment of resistant neurotic disorder.
An anthropomorphic robot arm driven by artificial muscles using a variable structure control

This paper introduces a new actuator which is able to confer to the robot arm. The arm actuated by pneumatic artificial antagonistic muscles resembles the movements of the human arm. In this work the problem of the control of this actuator is considered via a variable structure algorithm, and a comparison with a classical PID control given. High robustness performances with respect to model errors, parameter variations, and quick responses are obtained. The paper presents an experimental study of the variable structure control applied to the actuator considered. The control performances considered include step response and tracking trajectory modes.
Levobupivacaine 0.2% or 0.125% for Continuous Sciatic Nerve Block: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Comparison with 0.2% Ropivacaine

In 60 patients receiving elective hallux valgus repair, we compared the efficacy of continuous popliteal sciatic nerve block produced with 0.2% ropivacaine (n = 20), 0.2% levobupivacaine (n =20), or 0.125% levobupivacaine (n = 20) infused with a patient-controlled system starting 3 h after a 30-mL bolus of the 0.5% concentration of the study drug and for 48 h (baseline infusion rate, 6 mL/h; incremental dose, 2 mL; lockout time, 15 min; maximum incremental doses per hour, 3). No differences were reported in the intraoperative efficacy of the nerve block. The degree of pain was similar in the three groups throughout the study period, both at rest and during motion. Total consumption of local anesthetic solution during the first 24 h was 148 mL (range, 144–228 mL) with 0.2% ropivacaine, 150 mL (range, 144–200 mL) with 0.2% levobupivacaine, and 148 mL (range, 144–164 mL) with 0.125% levobupivacaine (P = 0.59). The volume of local anesthetic consumed during the second postoperative day was 150 mL (range, 144–164 mL) with 0.2% ropivacaine, 154 mL (range, 144–176 mL) with 0.2% levobupivacaine, and 151 mL (range, 144–216 mL) with 0.125% levobupivacaine (P =0.14). A smaller proportion of patients receiving 0.2% levobupivacaine showed complete recovery of foot motor function as compared with 0.2% ropivacaine and 0.125% levobupivacaine, both at 24 h (35% vs 85% and 95%; P = 0.0005) and at 48 h (60% vs 100% and 100%; P = 0.001). We conclude that sciatic infusion with both 0.125% and 0.2% levobupivacaine provides adequate postoperative analgesia after hallux valgus repair, clinically similar to that provided by 0.2% ropivacaine; however, the 0.125% concentration is preferred if early mobilization of the operated foot is required.
Traffic analysis of an internet online game accessed via a wireless LAN

The Internet has been widely adopted to allow users to share their gaming experiences. In addition, many portable gaming devices (e.g., gaming consoles) are now able to connect to one another, allowing a local gaming experience. The natural evolution of this paradigm allows portable consoles to connect to the Internet, enabling users to play with the rest of the world. Most of the time, this is exploited by using a wireless access, to guarantee the portability requirements. This letter discusses a traffic analysis of a portable gaming console when connecting to the Internet for multi-player purposes.
Prediction of IDDM in the General Population: Strategies Based on Combinations of Autoantibody Markers

Strategies for assessing risk of progression to IDDM, based on single and combined autoantibody measurement, were evaluated in 2,855 schoolchildren (median age 11.4 years) and 256 children with newly diagnosed IDDM (median age 10.2 years), recruited to a population-based study in the Oxford region. In 256 children with IDDM, levels of antibodies ≥97.5th centile of the schoolchild population were found in 225 (88%) for islet cell antibodies (ICAs), in 190 (74%) for antibodies to GAD, in 193 (75%) for antibodies to protein tyro-sine phosphatase IA-2 (IA-2), and in 177 (69%) for autoantibodies to insulin (IAAs). Estimates of risk of progression to IDDM within 10 years, derived by comparing the distribution of antibody markers in the two populations (schoolchildren and children with IDDM), were 6.7% (ICAs), 6.6% (GAD antibodies), 5.6% (IA-2 antibodies), and 4.8% (IAAs) for schoolchildren with levels above the 97.5th centile, increasing to 20, 23, 24, and 11%, respectively, for antibody levels >99.5th centile. Most children with IDDM had multiple antibody markers, and 89% of those diagnosed over age 10 years had ≥2 antibodies above the 97.5th centile, as compared against 0.7% of schoolchildren, in whom this combination gave a 27% 10-year estimated risk of IDDM. Risk increased but sensitivity fell as combined antibody thresholds were raised, or the number of antibodies above the threshold was increased. Strategies based on detection of ≥2 antibodies with primary testing for GAD and IA-2 antibodies and second line testing for ICAs and/or IAAs were evaluated. Detection of at least two markers selected from GAD antibodies ≥97.5th centile and/or IA-2 antibodies ≥99.5th centile and/or ICAs ≥97.5th centile identified 0.25% of schoolchildren and 83% of children with newly diagnosed IDDM, with an estimated risk of 71% (95% CI 57–91). Although confirmation from prospective studies is still needed, this analysis suggests that antibody combinations can predict diabetes in the general population.
Development of standardized inspections in restaurants using visual assessments and microbiological sampling to quantify the risks

SUMMARY The relationship between visual inspections carried out by environmental health officers and microbiological examination was studied in 89 restaurants. Using 30 variables a standardized inspection procedure was developed and each of the premises was assessed in six main areas – structure and design, cleaning and cleanliness, personal hygiene, risk of contamination, temperature control, and training and knowledge about food hygiene. Selected foods and specimens from hands, surfaces, and wiping cloths were examined. There were significant associations between all six areas of the inspections. The structure and design were significantly related to the combined score from all the other areas (P < 0·001). There were no highly significant associations between microbiological examination and visual assessments. The microbial contamination of wiping cloths, however, was related to the cleaning and cleanliness (P = 0·005). Microbial sampling provided additional information to inspections and was a valuable aid. Further development of this risk-assessment approach could provide an effective system for monitoring potential health risks in high-risk food premises.
Methods of eliminating Doppler dispersion in synthetic wideband signal

As the technological advances, it is possible to perform wide bandwidth signal processing for high range resolution and target identification in the modern radar systems. In order to prevent the deleterious effects of dispersion for wideband signals, a wideband signal can be synthesized by coherently combining the individual narrow band components, meanwhile, clutter mitigation, estimation and discrimination of target's velocity is enabled by performing coherent pulse train in each subband. However, the separate and independent processing using conventional Doppler filter bank in a subband can also introduce deleterious effects of target Doppler dispersion among subbands and cause the distortion on synthesized one-dimensional range profile. In this paper, we first analyze the target Doppler dispersion among subbands and deleterious effects of following recombination, and then propose an effective method to eliminate the deleterious effects of target Doppler dispersion in subbands. The method is easy to be realized and tractable and do not require an increment of computation. Its good performance is verified by simulation results.
The effect of the last glacial age on speciation and population genetic structure of the endangered Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis)

During the last glacial age, Afro‐alpine habitats were widespread across the highlands of Ethiopia. A wolf‐like canid ancestor is thought to have colonized this expanding habitat and given rise to a new species that was remarkably well adapted to the high altitude environment: the Ethiopian wolf Canis simensis. Here, we address the timing of genetic divergence and examine population genetic history and structure by investigating the distribution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation. The pattern of mtDNA variation and geographical distribution indicate an initial population expansion, probably immediately after divergence from the wolf‐like ancestor, around 100 000 years ago. The partition of mtDNA haplotypes that followed was most likely the result of habitat reduction and fragmentation at the onset of deglaciation ~ 15 000 years ago. Phylogenetic and geographical associations suggest that the most likely genetic partitioning corresponds to three mountain areas, Arsi/Bale, Wollo/Shoa and Simien/Mt. Guna. Although there is a degree of clustering of haplotypes from both sides of the Rift Valley, the lack of reciprocal monophyly does not support the taxonomic classification of two subspecies. This study highlights the importance of populations north of the Rift Valley for the maintenance of genetic variability within the species and has consequent implications for conservation.
Comparison of output data from inertial sensors in smartphones

This paper compares the quality of inertial sensors implemented in various smartphones in terms of their orientation. Accelerometer and gyroscope of different smartphones have been used for testing. Measured sensors data served to estimate orientation of smartphone in three dimensional space. For this purpose we need to know the smartphone orientation in all three axes. Both sensors have negative properties, but data fusion of the sensors can eliminate the negative impacts. Data fusion has been done by complementary filter. Accelerometer measures all forces acting on it and causes seemingly noisy output data, on the other hand accelerometer has stable output data in term of levels. Bias is important parameter of gyroscope and it is defined as a difference between output data and the mean value of gyroscope at the time when gyroscope is static.