Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wish Branch : A New Control Flow Instruction Combining Conditional Branching and Predicated Execution

As processor pipelines get deeper and wider and instruction windows get larger, the branch misprediction penalty increases. Predication has been used to reduce the number of branch mispredictions by eliminating hard-to-predict branches. However, with predication, the processor is guaranteed to fetch and possibly execute useless instructions, which sometimes offsets the performance advantage of having fewer mispredictions. Also, predication does not eliminate the misprediction penalty due to backward loop branches. This paper introduces a new type of branch called a wish branch. Wish branches combine the strengths of traditional conditional branches and predication, allowing instructions to be skipped over as with traditional branches, but also avoiding pipeline flushes due to mispredictions as with predication. Unlike traditional conditional branches, on a wish branch misprediction, the pipeline does not (always) need to be flushed. And, unlike predication, a wish branch (sometimes) avoids fetching from both paths of the control flow. This paper also describes a type of wish branch instruction, called a wish loop, which reduces the branch misprediction penalty for backward loop branches. We describe the software and hardware support required to generate and utilize wish branches. We demonstrate that wish branches can decrease the execution times of SPEC2000 integer benchmarks by 7.8% (up to 21%) compared to traditional conditional branches and by 3% (up to 11%) compared to predicated execution. We also describe several simple hardware optimizations for exploiting and increasing the benefits of wish branches.
NLMS Algorithm Based on a Variable Parameter Cost Function Robust Against Impulsive Interferences

The conventional step-size scaler (SSS) normalized least-mean-square algorithm is robust against impulsive noise. However, the constant parameter in the SSS needs to be controlled to satisfy the conflicting requirements of fast convergence rate and low steady-state misadjustment. Therefore, to address this problem, an adaptive approach for the parameter in the cost function is proposed in this brief. The proposed approach is then tested in system identification and acoustic echo-cancelation scenarios, which have demonstrated that the proposed approach is effective and robust against non-Gaussian impulsive interferences.
Modulation of feeding‐related peptide/protein signals by the blood–brain barrier

The peptide urocortin is a member of the corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) family and a potent satiety signal to the brain. Urocortin in blood does not reach the brain significantly by itself, but its permeation across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) can be enhanced by leptin. How leptin facilitates the influx of urocortin has not been elucidated. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that leptin activates receptor‐mediated endocytosis of urocortin. We measured the kinetics of permeation of radioactively labeled urocortin across the mouse BBB and determined the specific effects of leptin and receptor antibodies. The results show that the influx transfer constant of urocortin was enhanced in the presence of leptin and mediated by CRF‐2β, the specific receptor for urocortin. To determine the specificity of this modulation, the effect of leptin was compared with that of TNFα. Both TNFα and leptin independently facilitated receptor‐mediated transport of urocortin across the BBB. Even though TNFα and leptin have similar effects on urocortin transport, leptin did not significantly affect the influx of TNFα across the BBB. The results indicate that permeation of ingestive peptides and cytokines across the BBB can be acutely modulated, consistent with a role of BBB in regulating feeding behavior. Thus, sites of action of leptin, urocortin, and TNFα exist not only in the brain but also at the BBB where they each control the flow of other ingestive signals to CNS targets.
Concept of a stub-loaded reconfigurable reflectarray unit cell

A concept of a stub-loaded varactor-controlled reconfigurable reflectarray unit cell is proposed and investigated. The rationale of the design is based on the impedance transformation characteristics of the stubs which are exploited to achieve the unit cell reconfigurability. In that context, the optimization of the length of the stub loaded with varactors is presented, which provides an enhancement of the frequency agility feature. To satisfy the space requirement of a unit cell, a potential design of the reconfigurable reflectarray unit cell with T-shaped stubs is proposed. Together with a varactor connected at the two edges of the unit cell along one direction, a good performance of reflection coefficient and phase tuning range is achieved in a preliminary analysis. The comparison between T-shaped stubs and straight-line stubs geometries are also reported as a contribution to the unit cell's performance.
Neimark-sacker and flip bifurcations in a discrete-time dynamic system for internet congestion

The aim of this paper is to study the Neimark-Sacker and flip bifurcations for the discrete-time dynamic system, which describes the Internet congestion, with a single link and two sources. We describe the algorithm in order to determine the Neimark-Sacker bifurcation and the normal form. We establish the existence of a flip bifurcation for the case when the model's two parameters depend on the real parameter a, which influences the existence of the bifurcation. The numerical simulations verify the theoretical results.
Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Hypericum sp. on brine shrimps and human cancer cell lines

Ten different samples of five Hypericum sp. were tested on brine shrimps, human colon carcinoma and human hepatoma cell lines for their cytotoxic activities. H. triquetrifolium Turra. (Rafina) showed the highest activity (LC50 = 22 mg/mL) on brine shrimps, while the extracts of the other nine samples showed significant to moderate activities (LC50 from 37 to 107 mg/mL). H. empetrifolium Wild. (Parnon) showed the highest activity in human colon carcinoma and human hepatoma cell lines, with LC50 values 29 and 25.1 mg/mL, respectively, while the LC50 values of the other samples were more than 45 mg/mL. It is very interesting to observe that most Hypericum samples showed good antioxidant activity in vitro. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Shh/BMP‐4 signaling pathway is essential for intestinal epithelial development during Xenopus larval‐to‐adult remodeling

During amphibian larval‐to‐adult intestinal remodeling, progenitor cells of the adult epithelium actively proliferate and differentiate under the control of thyroid hormone (TH) to form the intestinal absorptive epithelium, which is analogous to the mammalian counterpart. We previously found that TH–up‐regulated expression of bone morphogenetic protein‐4 (BMP‐4) spatiotemporally correlates with adult epithelial development in the Xenopus laevis intestine. Here, we aimed to clarify the role of BMP‐4 in intestinal remodeling. Our reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization analyses indicated that mRNA of BMPR‐IA, a type I receptor of BMP‐4, is expressed in both the developing connective tissue and progenitor cells of the adult epithelium. More importantly, using organ culture and immunohistochemical procedures, we have shown that BMP‐4 not only represses cell proliferation of the connective tissue but promotes differentiation of the intestinal absorptive epithelium. In addition, we found that the connective tissue‐specific expression of BMP‐4 mRNA is up‐regulated by sonic hedgehog (Shh), whose epithelium‐specific expression is directly induced by TH. These results strongly suggest that the Shh/BMP‐4 signaling pathway plays key roles in the amphibian intestinal remodeling through epithelial–connective tissue interactions. Developmental Dynamics 235:3240–3249, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of organic matter on virus transport in unsaturated flow

The effects of natural humic material and sewage sludge organic matter (SSOM) derived from primary treated sewage sludge on virus transport by unsaturated flow through soil columns were evaluated. Bacteriophage MS-2 was applied to loamy fine sand columns 0.052 m in diameter and 1.05 m long. Virus concentrations in the influent and effluent were measured daily for 7 to 9 days. In the first experiment, virus transport through two fresh soil columns was compared with that through a column previously leached with more than four pore volumes (T) of well water. The soil water organic matter concentrations in the leachate of the fresh soil declined with time. Relative virus concentrations (C/Co) from one fresh soil column reached 0.82 in 0.9 T and then declined to 0.51 by 2.1 T. The other fresh soil column reached and maintained a steady-state relative virus concentration [(C/Co)s] of 0.47 from 1.5 to 2.5 T. The leached column reached and maintained a (C/Co)s of 0.05. Concentrations measured at 0.2-, 0.4-, 0.8-, and 1.05-m depths indicated that most virus particles were removed in the surface 0.2 m. In the second experiment, one leached column was pretreated with SSOM derived from primary treated sewage sludge and the other leached column was untreated. SSOM concentrations declined with depth. A suspension of virus and SSOM in well water was applied to both columns. Although the (C/Co)s values were similar (0.41 for the pretreated column and 0.47 for the untreated column), breakthrough was delayed for the untreated column. Both natural humic material and sewage sludge-derived SSOM increased the unsaturated-flow transport of MS-2.
Temperature- and Surfactant-Induced Membrane Modifications That Alter Listeria monocytogenes Nisin Sensitivity by Different Mechanisms

ABSTRACT Nisin interacts with target membranes in four sequential steps: binding, insertion, aggregation, and pore formation. Alterations in membrane composition might influence any of these steps. We hypothesized that cold temperatures (10°C) and surfactant (0.1% Tween 20) in the growth medium would influence Listeria monocytogenes membrane lipid composition, membrane fluidity, and, as a result, sensitivity to nisin. Compared to the membranes of cells grown at 30°C, those of L. monocytogenes grown at 10°C had increased amounts of shorter, branched-chain fatty acids, increased fluidity (as measured by fluorescence anisotropy), and increased nisin sensitivity. When 0.1% Tween 20 was included in the medium and the cells were cultured at 30°C, there were complex changes in lipid composition. They did not influence membrane fluidity but nonetheless increased nisin sensitivity. Further investigation found that these cells had an increased ability to bind radioactively labeled nisin. This suggests that the modification of the surfactant-adapted cell membrane increased nisin sensitivity at the binding step and demonstrates that each of the four steps can contribute to nisin sensitivity.
Attention Deficit Disorder: Are Schools and Physicians Working Together?

Over the past twenty years, the existence of Attention Deficit Disorder has been documented through hundreds of scientific studies. Schools play a vital role in the early in the early identification of children which ADHD and, in many cases; school personnel coordinate efforts among teachers, parents, physicians, and community resources in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD (Sloan, Jensen & Hoagwood, 1999). In their research, (Satterfield and Cantwell 1981) viewed the classroom teacher as the major determining factor in whether a student with ADHD succeeds or fails in the classroom. Despite the documented importance of close coordination between physicians and school personnel, in practice the level of communication varies greatly, This paper will examine the personal experiences of well-intentioned teachers, guidance counselors, special educators, psychologists, physicians, school administrators, and parents, and through personal interviews about the quality, quantity, and consistency of their communication present new evidence of the patters of communication and offer recommendations to strengthen these ties.
Coordinated backstepping control of multiple robot system of the leader-follower structure

A decentralized control law using a backstepping scheme is proposed to deal with a leader follower multiple robots structure. The coordination strategy combines the leader follower control with the decentralized control. In fact, in the proposed approach, each follower robot only needs the information exchange with its connected neighbors and does not assume the existence of direct communication channel with the leader, which mitigate the implementation cost, mainly when the cooperative robots number increases. The objective of the designed control law is to synchronize positions and velocities of multiple followers interconnected via the neighbor-based rule with respect to the leader's state. The performance of synchronization control system and the nonlinear stability are derived by Lyapunov method, and the tracking controller successfully guarantees asymptotic convergence to zero of both position tracking and synchronization errors. Simulations were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed synchronization control approach.
Approaches to spectrum sharing

Many complain about severe spectrum shortage. The shortage comes from outdated spectrum policies that allows for little sharing. Regulators have granted licenses that offer exclusive access to the spectrum. When these licensees are not transmitting, the spectrum sits idle. A new technology regarding spectrum shortage enables more spectrum sharing that unleashes innovative products and services, provided that we adopt the appropriate spectrum policies. Two camps are pushing for extreme reform, one for "property rights" and the other for "spectrum commons". This article presents concepts underlying the "property" and "commons" debate, clarifies options for spectrum reform, and describes the trade-offs of spectrum sharing
A MODIFIED VIRUS EVOLUTIONARY GENETIC ALGORITHM FOR ROUGH MACHINING OPTIMIZATION OF SCULPTURED SURFACES

Genetic and Evolutionary Algorithms have been implemented so far to manufacturing tasks as optimization modules. Genetic and Evolutionary Algorithms are based on the concept of natural selection of species to later produce new individuals. However, different selection mechanisms between species may occur when other populations are incorporated to already existed ones. This paper presents a Genetic Algorithm based on the Virus theory of Evolution. The main work-flow of the algorithm is described and implemented to a benchmark mathematical function. Moreover, the module is incorporated to a CAM system's platform in order to address several machining optimization scenarios for sculptured surfaces. The integration is achieved through the development of automation routines which handle appropriate sets of CAM objects exposed to the Application Program Interface (API). The quality characteristic in this study is the volume remaining after roughing phase. The results verified that the incorporation of virus operators to a genetic algorithm can considerably increase its optimization abilities by producing more effective schemata, hence; minimizing computational time whilst converging to global optimum.
Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Serum Lipids, Lipoprotein (a), and Hematologic Factors in Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract Background: Lipid abnormalities, especially high serum lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] concentration, and anemia are two major causes of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in hemodialysis patients. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the effects of marine omega-3 fatty acids on serum lipids, Lp (a), and hematologic factors in hemodialysis patients. Methods: Thirty-four hemodialysis patients were randomly assigned to either omega-3 fatty acid supplement or placebo group. Patients in the omega-3 fatty acids group received 2080 mg marine omega-3 fatty acids, daily for 10 weeks, whereas the placebo group received a corresponding placebo. At baseline and the end of week 10, 7 mL blood was collected after a 12- to 14-h fast and serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), Lp (a), blood hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cells (RBCs), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were measured. Results: Serum triglyceride decreased significantly in the omega-3 fatty acids group at the end of week 10 compared with baseline (p < 0.05) and this reduction was significant in comparison with the placebo group (p < 0.01). No significant differences were observed between the two groups in mean changes of serum total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, Lp (a), blood hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC, MCV, MCH, and MCHC. Conclusion: The results of our study indicate that marine omega-3 fatty acids can reduce serum triglyceride, as a risk factor for CVD, but it does not affect other serum lipids, Lp (a), and hematologic factors in hemodialysis patients.
The strengths book : be confident, be successful and enjoy better relationships by realising the best of you

Series Editor's Foreword Preface Part 1: Case Studies in Strengthening Simon Lester: Becoming a Better People Manager Jane Turner: Discovering Herself and Making a Difference Matt Johnson: Striving to be a Good Parent Sara Stewart: Realising the Best of Her Relationships Ashok Shah: Finding a More Rewarding Career after Redundancy Strengths: The Evidence Alex Linley's Top Ten Strengthspotting Tips Part 2: Realise2: Realising the Best of You Realise2: Realising the Best of You Part 3: The Realise2 Strengths How to Use this Strengths Library The Realise2 Strengths Action Adherence Adventure Authenticity Bounceback Catalyst Centred Change Agent Compassion Competitive Connector Counterpoint Courage Creativity Curiosity Detail Drive Efficacy Emotional Awareness Empathic Connection Enabler Equality Esteem Builder Explainer Feedback Gratitude Growth Humility Humour Improver Incubator Innovation Judgement Legacy Listener Mission Moral Compass Narrator Optimism Order Persistence Personal Responsibility Personalisation Persuasion Planful Prevention Pride Rapport Builder Reconfiguration Relationship Deepener Resilience Resolver Scribe Self-awareness Service Spotlight Strategic Awareness Time Optimiser Unconditionality Work Ethic Strengths Symbology Appendix 1: Strengths: The Scientific Source Material Appendix 2: Sample Realise2 Personal Development Plan Acknowledgements About the Authors Where Next?
Adaptive characterization and emulation of delay-based physical unclonable functions using statistical models

It is commonly known that physical unclonable functions (PUFs) are hard to predict and hard to emulate. However, in this paper, we propose to use statistical models to adaptively characterize the delay-based PUFs, and use this as a starting point to emulate a delay-based PUF. The essential idea is that for any challenge CA of a delay-based PUF A, there is a high probability of finding a paired challenge CB. When apply CB to another delay-based PUF B, it can produce the same output as applying CA on PUF A. Our simulation results indicate more than 99% correctness for the PUF response prediction using characterization and 96% correctness using emulation. Finally, we implement and test the feasibility of our approach on the Xilinx Spartan-6 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).
New single-stage soft-switching photovoltaic grid-connected flyback micro-inverter

Due to the leakage inductance of transformer, flyback inverter needs snubber in order to limit voltage spike across the primary switch. However in conventional flyback inverter, energy of leakage inductor is dissipated. In this paper, a new soft switching flyback inverter is proposed. The auxiliary circuit of the proposed inverter is composed of one auxiliary switch. The auxiliary circuit provides soft switching condition for main switch. All main and auxiliary switches are soft switched. In this paper, operating principles, theoretical analysis and design procedure are presented. Also, simulation results are presented to verify the validity of theoretical analysis.
The Improved ECN Congestion Control in Ad Hoc Network and Simulation Test

The traditional TCP Reno, TCP Vegas and many other TCP variants used in wire network can not perform well in Ad hoc environment. Because Ad hoc network usually uses wireless channel and it has not the base station. And more, the Ad hoc node can be mobile. The mechanism of detecting congestion by packet losses can not be valid. In ad hoc network, temporary link outages or fading-induced bit errors will result in packet losses, so TCP will decrease cwnd improperly. Some new mechanisms have been developed to improve the transport protocol performance for wireless network. These approaches progress along two directions: one direction is to hide any losses not related to congestion from the sender, so that the sender can only detect the packet losses due to congestion, such as I-TCP or snoopy protocol. However these protocols are not fit for Ad hoc network in which there are not middle base stations between wire link and wireless link. Thus, the other direction, explicit congestion notification (ECN), is a promising direction in wireless network. In the paper, we propose a new stable congestion based on expanded ECN mechanism to respond packet losses in wireless environment more properly. The paper gives the idea to construct the new mechanism, and analyses the stability of the new mechanism. By using NS-2 simulator, the paper compares the new mechanism on throughput, drop ratio and delay time with TCP Reno and TCP Vegas. The simulation result indicates the renovation mechanism can get better tradeoff of throughput and delay time, so it can work well in Ad hoc network.