Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Processing-In-Memory Architecture for Dense and Sparse Matrix Multiplications

Modern processing speeds in conventional Von Neumann architectures are severely limited by memory access speeds. Read and write speeds of main memory have not scaled at the same rate as logic circuits. In addition, the large physical distance spanned by the interconnect between the processor and the memory incurs a large RC delay and power penalty, often a hundred times more than on chip interconnects. As a result, accessing data from memory becomes a bottleneck in the overall performance of the processor. Operations such as matrix multiplication, which are used extensively in many modern applications such as solving systems of equations, Convolutional Neural Networks, and image recognition, require large volumes of data to be processed. These operations are impacted the most by this bottleneck and their performance is limited as a result. Processing-in-Memory (PIM) is designed to overcome this bottleneck by performing repeated data intensive operations on the same die as the memory. In doing so, the large delay and power penalties caused by data transfers between the processor and the memory can be avoided. PIM architectures are often designed as small, simple, and efficient processing blocks such that they can be integrated into each block of the memory. This allows for extreme parallelism to be achieved, which makes it ideal for big data processes. An issue with this design paradigm, however, is the lack of flexibility in operations that can be performed. Most PIM architectures are designed to perform application specific functions, limiting their widespread use. A novel PIM architecture is proposed which allows for arbitrary functions to be implemented with a high degree of parallelism. The architecture is based on PIM cores which are capable of performing any arbitrary function on two 4-bit inputs. Nine PIM cores are connected together to allow more advanced functions such as an 8-bit Multiply-Accumulate function to be implemented. Wireless interconnects are utilized in the design to aid in communication between clusters. The architecture will be applied to perform matrix multiplication on dense and sparse matrices of 8-bit values, which are prevalent in image and
Effects of isothermal aging and in-situ current stress on the reliability of lead-free solder joints

The microstructure and mechanical behavior of Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) soldering alloys can change significantly over time when exposed to isothermal aging and in-situ current stress. Electronics assemblies built with SAC solder joints are exposed to elevated ambient temperatures and relatively high current densities for prolonged periods of time. Therefore it is important to understand the impact of these stresses on the long term reliability. In this study, board level thermal cycle reliability tests have been performed on daisy chain lead-free 0.5 mm pitch CTBGA, 1.0 mm pitch PBGA, and 0.5 mm pitch MLF packages. The tests were performed with and without isothermal pre-aging. During the thermal cycling tests, the daisy chained solder joints were subjected to different levels of constant current density. The thermal cycle profiles were tailored in order to evaluate the effect of current density on solder joint fatigue, while minimizing the secondary effects of joule heating. The results show that the effects of both thermal aging and current stress are consistent for a given package type, but the trends can be different for different package designs. In 0.5 mm pitch CTBGA, isothermal aging significantly reduced the solder joint life, while current stress caused the solder joint life to slightly increase at moderate current densities, and eventually degrade at higher current densities. In PBGAs, the effect of thermal aging was insignificant but current stress caused a slight degradation in life. In MLF packages isothermal aging caused a serious degradation in solder fatigue life, while the effect of current stress was not significant.
Prescriptions and dosages of anti-tuberculosis drugs in the National Tuberculosis Control Programme of Malawi.

SETTING All 44 non-private hospitals in Malawi treating pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients with an oral regimen (0.5RHZE/1.5R3H3Z3E3/6HE). OBJECTIVES In new smear-positive PTB patients, to determine whether: 1) numbers of tablets were correctly prescribed according to pre-treatment weights, and 2) medication dosages were adequate, too low or too high. DESIGN Retrospective review of TB registers and TB treatment cards for patients registered with new smear-positive PTB between 1 October and 31 December 2001. RESULTS Of 1970 patients aged > or = 15 years, 1211 (62%) had treatment cards and pre-treatment weights. Incorrect prescriptions were given to 88 (7%), and many of these received dosages of anti-tuberculosis drugs that were too high or too low. For those receiving correct prescriptions, daily treatment in the initial and continuation phases was generally associated with adequate dosages of drugs. However, in the initial intermittent phase, between 3% and 40% of patients received anti-tuberculosis drug dosages that were too low. CONCLUSION A small percentage of patients receive incorrect prescriptions, which can be resolved by training and supervision. In those receiving correct prescriptions, intermittent treatment provides dosages that are sometimes too low. Weight bands for intermittent treatment should be re-examined.
Assessment of the autonomic nervous system is an appropriate biological marker for the well-being in erectile dysfunction.

AIM To investigate whether the autonomic nervous system (ANS) components are suitable biological markers for representing well-being in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED). METHODS The present study included 74 male patients who had applied for check-ups in the cardiology outpatient clinic at Kirikkale University (Kirikkale, Turkey) and who had been diagnosed as having hyperlipidemia. Of these patients, 26 had an additional diagnosis of ED and made up the patient group. The remaining 48 patients formed the control group. Well-being was assessed with short-form 36 (SF-36). The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) was used as a measure of libido and erectile function. Quantitative assessment of the ANS was made based on the analysis of heart rate variability by means of 24-h holter monitorization. RESULTS Comparisons between the ED and control groups showed significant differences only in energy scale of SF-36. The ED group also had significantly higher values of sympathetic activity. Except for the general health score of SF-36, which was found to be correlated with parasympathetic activity only in ED group, there were similar correlation patterns within the groups. Although well-being and sympathetic activity were correlated negatively, parasympathetic activity and well-being were correlated positively. CONCLUSION Quantitative assessment of the ANS by heart rate variability analysis might be a suitable marker for well-being of patients with ED.
Abnormal functional architecture of amygdala‐centered networks in adolescent posttraumatic stress disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent, debilitating, and difficult to treat psychiatric disorder. Very little is known of how PTSD affects neuroplasticity in the developing adolescent brain. Whereas multiple lines of research implicate amygdala‐centered network dysfunction in the pathophysiology of adult PTSD, no study has yet examined the functional architecture of amygdala subregional networks in adolescent PTSD. Using intrinsic functional connectivity analysis, we investigated functional connectivity of the basolateral (BLA) and centromedial (CMA) amygdala in 19 sexually abused adolescents with PTSD relative to 23 matched controls. Additionally, we examined whether altered amygdala subregional connectivity coincides with abnormal grey matter volume of the amygdaloid complex. Our analysis revealed abnormal amygdalar connectivity and morphology in adolescent PTSD patients. More specifically, PTSD patients showed diminished right BLA connectivity with a cluster including dorsal and ventral portions of the anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortices (p < 0.05, corrected). In contrast, PTSD patients showed increased left CMA connectivity with a cluster including the orbitofrontal and subcallosal cortices (p < 0.05, corrected). Critically, these connectivity changes coincided with diminished grey matter volume within BLA and CMA subnuclei (p < 0.05, corrected), with CMA connectivity shifts additionally relating to more severe symptoms of PTSD. These findings provide unique insights into how perturbations in major amygdalar circuits could hamper fear regulation and drive excessive acquisition and expression of fear in PTSD. As such, they represent an important step toward characterizing the neurocircuitry of adolescent PTSD, thereby informing the development of reliable biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. Hum Brain Mapp 37:1120–1135, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of Macroprudential Policy Measures on Economic Dynamics: Simulation Using a Financial Macro-econometric Model

This paper uses a financial macro-econometric model to compare and analyze the impact of macroprudential policy measures -- a credit growth restriction, loan-to-value and debt-to-income regulations, and a time-varying capital requirement -- on the economic dynamics through the financial cycle with the asset price bubble. Our analysis shows that although these macroprudential policy measures dampen economic volatility, it is possible that they reduce average economic growth, and the effects on the economic dynamics differ widely among macroprudential policy measures. In addition, the policy effects are changed dramatically by lags in recognizing the state of the economy. Our results also suggest that macroprudential policy measures can help contribute to more stable financial intermediation by raising the resilience of the financial system against risks.
Deskilling emotional labour: evidence from department store retail

How have the skills of service jobs changed? Have they undergone deskilling, upgrading or some contingent or compensatory development? This study examines these questions as they pertain to frontline sales work in US department stores. It begins by identifying an operational concept of service skill latent across recent debates and then examines it via qualitative comparison of full-line and discount stores in New York City. Based on an evaluative framework akin to that of Blauner, this study’s workplace-level findings suggest that the industry-level succession of full-line stores by discounters has embodied a decline in the complexity and autonomy of salespersons’ emotional labour.
Intercuspal Distances of Maxillary Pre-molar Teeth in Australian Aboriginals

Intercuspal distances and mesiodistal and buccolingual crown diameters of maxillary pre-molars were recorded from dental casts of 262 Australian Aboriginals. Although mesiodistal and buccolingual dimensions showed sexual dimorphism, no significant differences were noted between the sexes for intercuspal distances. Intercuspal dimensions showed greater variability and fluctuating asymmetry than did either of the traditional measures. No significant differences in heritability were noted among the three dimensions. Correlations between mesiodistal and buccolingual dimensions were higher than those between buccolingual and intercuspal measures. It appears that the sex differences, which are observed in overall crown dimensions, are established after the cusp tips are localized. Intercuspal distances appear to have a strong genetic component of variability, although they show high phenotypic variability and fluctuating asymmetry. Total tooth size may be subject to more intense selective pressures than the sites of initial calcification.
Impact ionization in semiconductors: Effects of high electric fields and high scattering rates.

We present a theory of impact ionization in semiconductors that expands an earlier theory of Kane and includes the effects of high electric fields and high scattering rates on the electron-electron collision process. We show that their combined effect, i.e., the intracollisional field effect and collision broadening, leads to a softening of the threshold energy for impact ionization and a marked increase in the anisotropy of the ionization rate with respect to the direction of the electric field
Key Components of the Mozart Effect

The results of studies intended to replicate the enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning following exposure to 10 min. of Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major (K.448) have been varied. While some studies have replicated the effect, others have not. We suggest that researchers' diverse choice of dependent measures may account for these varied results. This paper provides a neurophysiological context for the enhancement and considers theoretical and experimental factors, including the choice of dependent measures, the presentation order of the conditions, the selection of the musical composition, and the inclusion of a distractor task, that may contribute to the various findings. More work is needed before practical applications can be derived.
Determinants of major non-communicable diseases in the elderly: the pilot Freemasons health study.

AIM To present preliminary results of the pilot phase of the Freemasons Health Study. METHODS A prospective cohort study, in which determinants of occurrence of stroke and dementia in the elderly will be investigated. RESULTS The pilot study (n = 507) showed substantial heterogeneity in risk factor levels among participants and suggested outcome rates that would allow a study of 6000 individuals aged 65 years and over to produce statistically reliable results within a few years of follow up. Preliminary results of the pilot study suggest that the demographic (age, sex) and risk factor (namely blood pressure levels and ranges of body mass index) profile of the projected sample of the Freemasons population is similar to that of the general elderly New Zealand population. CONCLUSIONS The pilot study confirmed that the collection of baseline data from the New Zealand Freemasons population and their spouses is feasible, and that the prevalence of major vascular risk factors in the elderly Freemasons population is similar to that of the general New Zealand population of comparable age. In addition to contributing to our understanding of the aetiology of major non-communicable diseases in the elderly, the proposed major study provides a unique opportunity to investigate the determinants of health and requirements for care in an elderly New Zealand population.
Self-reported health and influence on life situation 5–8 years after paediatric traumatic brain injury

Primary objective: During childhood, the central nervous system is in a state of rapid development which can be interrupted by a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study aimed to describe if and how TBI during childhood influences health and life situation, 5–8 years later. Research design: A case-control retrospective design was employed for the assessment of 61 adolescents and young adults with a mild, moderate or severe TBI and 229 matched controls from a normative group (16–24 years). Methods and procedures: SF-36 (Short Form 36 health survey) and a self-reported questionnaire measuring life situation were distributed to youths suffering TBI 5–8 years ago. Forty-five youths (74%) completed the questionnaires. Main outcomes and results: Participants with a TBI stated lower self-estimated health compared with the normative group. Remaining self-reported symptoms were physical and cognitive. Negative effects of TBI influencing school results, leisure activities and thoughts about future life situation were also described. Conclusion: Young individuals experience sustained negative effects of childhood TBI on health and life situation. More research is necessary to detect, understand and properly support these youths.
Deciphering the regulon of the Streptomyces coelicolor AbrC3, a positive response regulator of antibiotic production.

The atypical two-component system (TCS) AbrC1/2/3 (encoded respectively by SCO4598/4597/4596 ), comprising two histidine kinases (HKs) and a response regulator (RR), is crucial for antibiotic production in Streptomyces coelicolor and for morphological differentiation under certain nutritional conditions. In this study we demonstrate that deletion of the RR-encoding gene abrC3 , SCO4596 , results in a dramatic decrease in ACT and RED production and delays morphological development. In contrast, the over-expression of abrC3 in the parent strain leads to a 33% increase in ACT production in liquid medium. Transcriptomic and ChIP-chip analyses of ∆ abrC3 and the parent strain revealed that AbrC3 directly controls ACT production by binding to the actII-ORF4 promoter region; this was independently verified by in vitro DNA-binding assays. This binding is dependent on the sequence (5’-GAASGSGRMS-3’). In contrast, the regulation of RED production is not due to direct binding of AbrC3, either to the redZ or to the redD promoters regions. This study also revealed other members of the AbrC3 regulon: AbrC3 is a positive autoregulator, which also binds to the promoter regions of SCO0736 , bdtA ( SCO3328 ), absR1 ( SCO6992 ), and SCO6809. The direct targets share the ten-base consensus binding sequence and may be responsible for some of the phenotypes of the ∆ abrC3 mutant. The identification of the AbrC3 regulon as part of the complex regulatory network governing antibiotic production widens our knowledge regarding TCS involvement in control of antibiotic synthesis and may contribute to the rational design of new hyper-producer host strains through genetic manipulation of such systems.
Imaging techniques for cardiac strain and deformation: comparison of echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac computed tomography

Myocardial function assessment is essential for determining the health of the myocardium. Global assessment of myocardial function is widely performed (by estimating the ejection fraction), but many common cardiac diseases initially affect the myocardium on a regional, rather than global basis. Regional myocardial wall motion can be quantified using myocardial strain analysis (a normalized measure of deformation). Myocardial strain can be measured in terms of three normal strains (longitudinal strain, radial strain and circumferential) and six shear strains. Cardiac MRI (cMRI) is usually considered the reference standard for measurement of myocardial strain. The most common cMRI method, termed tagged cMRI, allows full, 3D assessment of regional strain. However, due to its complexity and lengthy times for analysis, tagged cMRI is not usually used outside of academic centers. Tagged cMRI is also primarily used only in research studies. Echocardiography combined with tissue Doppler imaging or a speckle tracking technique is now widely available in the clinical setting. Myocardial strain measurement by echocardiography shows reasonable agreement with cMRI. Limited standardization and differences between vendors represent current limitations of the technique. Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) is the newest and most rapidly growing modality for noninvasive imaging of the heart. While CCT studies are most commonly applied to assess the coronary arteries, CCT is easily adapted to provide functional information for both the left and right ventricles. New methods for CCT assessment of regional myocardial function are being developed. This review outlines the current literature on imaging techniques related to cardiac strain analysis and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of various methods for myocardial strain analysis.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: what are the factors determining difficulty?

BACKGROUND/AIMS The experience in laparoscopic cholecystectomy is increasing, more difficult cases are performed even by the junior surgeons. This policy has led the investigators to look for methods to identify potentially difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODOLOGY A prospective study was performed to find out the factors that determine technical difficulty in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Two hundred and twenty-seven patients (170 females and 57 males) with symptomatic gallbladder stones were recruited for this study from June 1995 to September 1997. The overall difficulty score as a dependent variable was based on the following operative parameters: duration of surgery, bleeding, dissection of gallbladder wall, adhesions, spillage of bile, spillage of stones and difficulty of gallbladder extraction. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the significance of the following potential difficulty variables (Independent) in predicting the variation in the overall difficulty score: age, sex, body mass index, gallbladder size, common bile duct diameter, gallbladder wall thickness, liver size and the presence of adhesions. RESULTS Gallbladder wall thickness, presence of adhesions, liver size and gallbladder size were found to be significant predictors of the variation in overall difficulty score (Adjusted R2 = 0.48). CONCLUSIONS We believe that the above-mentioned four difficulty factors are important, however, experience of the surgeon plays a major role in reducing difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy and consequently decreasing it's complications.
Complications of Metallic Stent Placement in Malignant Esophageal Stricture and Their Management

Objective At the present time, covered self-expandable metallic stent placement is the palliative treatment method for inoperable esophageal cancer. However, life-threatening early and late complications are seen related to esophageal stent placement. In this study, we discuss complications of esophageal stent placement with their management and present our own experience. Methods Between January 2000 and February 2009, 215 covered esophageal stent placements were performed in 174 inoperable esophageal cancer and/or esophagorespiratory fistula patients in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the Ataturk University Hospital. Results Major complications related to stent placement developed in 24 patients (11 bleeding, 6 aspiration pneumonia, 3 tracheal compressions, 2 perforations, and 2 esophagorespiratory fistulas). Two hundred and thirty minor complications were observed among 174 patients (165 chest pain, 29 tumoral overgrowth, 17 stent migration, 6 gastroesophageal reflux, 3 failure in stent placement, 3 hiccup, 2 foreign body sensation, 2 failure in stent expansion, 1 tumor ingrowth, 1 granulation tissue formation, and 1 food bolus obstruction). Reintervention was required in 56 (32.2%) patients who experienced complications. Stent-related mortality was seen in 4 (2.3%) patients (2 aspiration pneumonia, 1 tracheal compression, and 1 esophagorespiratory fistula). One hundred sixty-two of 174 patients died during follow up. The mean survival time was 177.3±59.3 days (range: 2 to 993 d). Conclusions The complication rate of self-expandable metallic stent placement is high in inoperable esophageal cancer patients. Although some of these complications are life threatening, many of them can be managed successfully with endoscopic reintervention.