Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AB-Aware: Application Behavior Aware Management of Shared Last Level Caches

In modern multicore systems, Last-Level Cache (LLC) is usually shared among multiple cores. Though it benefits applications by sharing and utilizing cache resources efficiently; the benefits come at the cost of increased conflict misses due to interference among applications. In shared LLC, conventionally used LRU-based cache replacement policies logically partition the cache on-demand basis. Thus, cache friendly applications sharing LLC with streaming applications, suffer due to high data demands and low reuse of streaming applications. Apart from different data locality behavior, applications also show different memory access behavior while accessing the LLC. Some applications inherently have parallel memory accesses while others have more isolated long-latency accesses. The cost of idle cycles processor spends waiting for off-chip memory accesses is shared by parallel misses. However, misses which occur in isolation hurt the performance most. This adds another dimension to application's behavior. We propose an application behavior aware cache replacement policy to manage shared LLC. The proposed policy simultaneously reduces the negative interference among applications sharing the LLC and the miss-penalty associated with each LLC miss. Evaluation on SPEC CPU2006 benchmarks shows that our replacement policy improves performance on dual-core systems and quad-core system by up to 15.9% and 23.8% respectively over SRRIP for shared LLC. It is worth to note that effectiveness of our policy improves with the increase in the number of cores.
Physics of MR image distortion: Impact on breast cancer radiotherapy

xi Acknowledgements . xiv Publication List . xvi Conference Presentations . xvii Invited Talks . xix List of Abbreviations . xx
Capacitively Coupled Resistivity Imaging for Biomaterial and Biomedical Applications

Imaging of electrical conductivity is a promising technique in biomedical field, which can reveal the impedance distribution within the region of interest. However, the contact measurement of traditional electrical impedance tomography (EIT) results in some challenging practical limitations on its applications. This paper introduces a novel capacitively coupled EIT to the biomaterial/biomedical field for resistivity imaging, and studies various aspects of this new contactless technique on practical applications. A 12-electrode experimental phantom is developed and the corresponding computational model is established to obtain the sensitivity matrix of the phantom. A hybrid image reconstruction method, which combines the Tikhonov regularization method and the simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique, is introduced to solve the inverse problem. In biomedical applications, the frequency-dependent conductivity aspect is very critical. Therefore, both the time-difference and frequency-difference imaging methods are investigated. A background calibration approach is proposed for the frequency-difference capacitively coupled EIT to overcome the frequency dependence of the background signal. Experiments were carried out with three kinds of biomaterials and three backgrounds with different conductivities. Results show the working principles and potential of the capacitively coupled EIT on biomaterial and biomedical applications.
Quantitative association rules over incomplete data

This paper explores the use of principle component analysis (PCA) to estimate missing values during the mining of quantitative association rules. An example of such association may be "15% of customers spend $100-$300 every month will have two cable outlets at home". In our algorithm, instead of imputing missing values before the mining process, we propose to integrate the imputation step within the process. The idea is to reduce the unnecessary imputation effort and to improve the overall performance. First, only attributes with enough support counts and with missing values are required to perform imputations. Thus, effort will not be wasted on unimportant attributes. Further, rather than estimating the actual value of a missing data, the possible range of the value is guessed. This will not affect the resultant quantitative association rules much but will cut down the guessing effort.
Shiatsu and Acupressure: Two Different and Distinct Techniques

Background Although shiatsu has been taught in specialized schools in Japan since 1940, there is a limited amount of research for its practice. As a result, authors substitute shiatsu with acupressure to use available research on acupressure. It is the position of the authors that, while the two share common aspects, they are substantively different. This project was undertaken to describe technical differences and advocate for a clear distinction, especially in research studies and academic discussions. Methods To understand whether it is appropriate to include acupressure studies in the evidence for shiatsu an analysis of the references included in a frequently cited systematic review was conducted to collect information about the protocols. In addition, a preliminary exploration of shiatsu practitioners’ perceptions about the differences between shiatsu and acupressure is described. This exploration used videos of shiatsu and acupressure techniques and asked practitioners to comment on their perception of similarity. Discussion The results identified several key technical differences between the two, including type of pressure applied, the positioning of the thumb, and the way in which body weight is used. Researchers should separate shiatsu and acupressure in their designs and purposively choose one or the other. To facilitate such clarification, we have proposed a definition for shiatsu that may facilitate the differentiation between these two techniques. Conclusion The authors hope to stimulate discussion about the differences between shiatsu and acupressure, and to question the appropriateness of using acupressure studies as evidence of the efficacy of shiatsu. A true understanding of the efficacy of shiatsu cannot be determined until studies use a common definition of shiatsu and discontinue substituting acupressure research for evidence of shiatsu efficacy. When this happens, it is proposed that a clearer picture of the safety, efficacy, and mechanism of action of both shiatsu and acupressure will emerge.
Nucleolar integrity during interphase supports faithful Cdk1 activation and mitotic entry

The maintenance of nucleolar integrity during interphase is essential for proper cell cycle progression to mitosis. The nucleolus is a dynamic nuclear body that has been demonstrated to disassemble at the onset of mitosis; the relationship between cell cycle progression and nucleolar integrity, however, remains poorly understood. We studied the role of nucleolar proteins in mitosis by performing a global analysis using small interfering RNAs specific to nucleolar proteins; we focused on nucleolar protein 11 (NOL11), with currently unknown mitotic functions. Depletion of NOL11 delayed entry into the mitotic phase owing to increased inhibitory phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) and aberrant accumulation of Wee1, a kinase that phosphorylates and inhibits Cdk1. In addition to effects on overall mitotic phenotypes, NOL11 depletion reduced ribosomal RNA (rRNA) levels and caused nucleolar disruption during interphase. Notably, mitotic phenotypes found in NOL11-depleted cells were recapitulated when nucleolar disruption was induced by depletion of rRNA transcription factors or treatment with actinomycin D. Furthermore, delayed entry into the mitotic phase, caused by the depletion of pre-rRNA transcription factors, was attributable to nucleolar disruption rather than to G2/M checkpoint activation or reduced protein synthesis. Our findings therefore suggest that maintenance of nucleolar integrity during interphase is essential for proper cell cycle progression to mitosis via the regulation of Wee1 and Cdk1.
Optimal bidding strategy of a retail electric provider in a smart grid environment

A retail electric provider (REP) can provide incentives to its customers by providing real-time prices (RTPs) to regulate their consumption based on announced prices. The economic viability and the profitability of the retailer are highly dependent on how to design RTPs according to the feedback between the generation utilities and the consumption pattern of consumers. The presence of two-way flow of power and information in the smart grid concept can lead to improvement of the network operation. In this paper, the optimal bidding strategy of a REP in the smart grid environment is studied. Stackelberg game theory is utilized for modeling the interaction between REP and customers. Also, the various RTPs is offered to the customers depending on their load profile. A new method, called demand pattern extraction (DPE), is used for clustering the customers. The proposed model is applied on a realistic case study, and the optimal design of RTPs are investigated.
Adaptive Blockchain-Based Electric Vehicle Participation Scheme in Smart Grid Platform

The electric vehicle (EV) charging scheme can reduce the power generation costs and improve the smart grid resilience. However, the huge penetrations of EVs can impact the voltage stability and operating costs. In this paper, a novel EV participation charging scheme is proposed for a decentralized blockchain-enabled smart grid system. Our objectives are to minimize the power fluctuation level in the grid network and the overall charging cost for EV users. We first formulate the power fluctuation level problem of the smart grid system that take into accounts of EV battery capacities, charging rates, and EV users charging behavior. And then, we propose a novel adaptive blockchain-based electric vehicle participation (AdBEV) scheme that uses the Iceberg order execution algorithm to obtain an improved EV charging and discharging schedule. The simulation results show the proposed scheme outperforms the scheme that applying genetic algorithm approach in term of lowering the power fluctuation level and overall charging costs.
Detection of cardioembolic stroke with B-type natriuretic peptide or N-terminal pro-BNP: a comparative diagnostic meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Background: B-type natriuretic peptides (BNPs) have shown promise in detecting cardioembolic stroke. However, there has been little investigation comparing the diagnostic efficacy of BNP and its cleavage by-product N-terminal peptide (NT-proBNP) in cardioembolic stroke patients. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis will be to comparatively assess the diagnostic efficacy of BNP versus NT-proBNP in distinguishing cardioembolic stroke from non-cardioembolic stroke in adult ischemic stroke patients. Methods: We conducted a literature search of several databases for prospective studies assessing the use of BNP or NT-proBNP to detect cardioembolic stroke in adult acute ischemic stroke patients. Only clinical studies reporting the diagnostic performance of BNP or NT-proBNP in predicting cardioembolic stroke in adult ischemic stroke patients were included. Diagnostic performance outcomes were summarized using forest plots and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves. Results: Ten BNP prospective cohort studies and six NT-proBNP prospective cohort studies were finally included in the meta-analysis. BNP showed a summary sensitivity of 0.65 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.63-0.68), a summary specificity of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.83-0.87), and an area under the SROC curve of 0.8718 (standard error (SE): 0.0248). NT-proBNP showed a summary sensitivity of 0.55 (95% CI: 0.52–0.59), a summary specificity of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.91–0.94), and an AUC of 0.8746 (SE: 0.0280). Discussion: BNP and NT-proBNP display closely equivalent overall diagnostic accuracies in distinguishing cardioembolic stroke from non-cardioembolic stroke in adult ischemic stroke patients, with BNP showing a superior sensitivity and NT-proBNP showing a superior specificity.
Signs of Life: Engraved Stone Artefacts from Neolithic South India

While exceedingly rare on any given archaeological site, engraved stone artefacts have nonetheless been reported from sites covering a range of periods and regions across the world. Attempts to interpret such engravings have often focused on potential representational or communicative functions, including their role in notational systems, symbolic depiction, and the development of early forms of writing. Contextual and microscopic investigation of a number of engraved artefacts discovered in a large assemblage of dolerite artefacts excavated from a Neolithic hilltop habitation and stone-tool production site in south India suggests, however, that an alternative interpretation of engraved stone artefacts is possible. Drawing on ethnographic evidence concerning the perception of stone, and particularly natural markings on stone, this article argues that the stone pieces on which the marks were engraved were more than just passive surfaces for the creation of unrelated signs. Instead, engravings appear to draw on natural features within and upon the surface of the dolerite, and to suggest an appreciation for the patterns of nature, as well as a lack of distinction between anthropogenic and natural markings. It is argued that the engravings may have been a response to a perceived 'life-force' within the dolerite. The fact that they were produced and then broken apart by knapping suggests that they may have been made to accentuate or attenuate a power that was perceived as either somehow beneficial or in need of careful control.
NMF-based speech enhancement using multitaper spectrum estimation

In the nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) method, the clean speech dictionary, noise dictionary, and the activation matrix represent the key elements that greatly affect the speech enhancement performance. Current implementation of this framework employs the magnitude (or the power) spectrum coefficients computed from the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) as input features, which are characterized by an increased estimator variance. In this paper, we investigate the effects of using multitaper spectral estimation in the learning of the NMF speech/noise dictionary and activation matrix, on the quality of the Wiener filter used to predict the clean speech spectrum. The evaluation of the proposed method for various types of noise and input SNR show substantial speech quality improvements in terms of PESQ, SDR and SSNR measures compared to the NMF system based on conventional windowed periodogram estimation. We also find that the noise dictionary and the activation matrix of the noisy speech are the most important elements that benefit from the multitapering approach in the NMF system.
A PVDF-Based Sensor for Internal Stress Monitoring of a Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular (CFST) Column Subject to Impact Loads

Impact loads can have major adverse effects on the safety of civil engineering structures, such as concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns. The study of mechanical behavior and stress analysis of CFST columns under impact loads is very important to ensure their safety against such loads. At present, the internal stress monitoring of the concrete cores CFST columns under impact loads is still a very challenging subject. In this paper, a PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride) piezoelectric smart sensor was developed and successfully applied to the monitoring of the internal stress of the concrete core of a CFST column under impact loads. The smart sensor consists of a PVDF piezoelectric film sandwiched between two thin steel plates through epoxy. The protection not only prevents the PVDF film from impact damages but also ensures insulation and waterproofing. The smart sensors were embedded into the circular concrete-filled steel tube specimen during concrete pouring. The specimen was tested against impact loads, and testing data were collected. The time history of the stress obtained from the PVDF smart sensor revealed the evolution of core concrete internal stress under impact loads when compared with the impact force–time curve of the hammer. Nonlinear finite element simulations of the impact process were also carried out. The results of FEM simulations had good agreement with the test results. The results showed that the proposed PVDF piezoelectric smart sensors can effectively monitor the internal stress of concrete-filled steel tubular columns under impact loads.
A Randomized Study to Compare a Monthly to a Daily Administration of Vitamin D3 Supplementation

We aimed to determine whether a cumulative dose of vitamin D3 produces the same effects on the serum concentration of 25(OH)D3 if it is given daily or monthly. This is a monocentric, two-armed, randomized, interventional, open, and parallel study conducted from November 2016 to March 2017 in Belgium. We randomized 60 subjects with vitamin D deficiency to receive 2000 IU vitamin D3 daily or 50,000 IU monthly. The same cumulative dose of vitamin D3 was given to each treatment group (150,000 IU). The 25(OH)D3 serum concentrations from baseline to day 75 were 14.3 ± 3.7 to 27.8 ± 3.9 ng/mL in the monthly group and 14.1 ± 3.4 to 28.8 ± 5.4 ng/mL in the daily group. The mean change versus the baseline level was significantly different between the groups at day 2, 4, 7, and 14 and no longer different from day 25. One day after the intake of vitamin D3, as expected, serum 25(OH)D3 and 1,25(OH)2D3 increased significantly in the monthly group, whereas they did not change significantly in the daily group. The median time to reach the 20 ng/mL target concentration was significantly different in the two groups, in favor of the monthly regimen (1 day versus 14 days; p = 0.02). In conclusion, a monthly administration of 50,000 IU vitamin D3 provides an effective tool for a rapid normalization of 25(OH)D3 in deficient subjects. A daily administration of the same cumulative dose is similarly effective but takes two weeks longer to reach the desirable level of 20 ng/mL.
Memory and Communication Profiling for Accelerator-Based Platforms

The growing demand of processing power is being satisfied mainly by an increase in the number of homogeneous and heterogeneous computing cores in a system. Efficient utilization of these architectures demands analysis of memory-access behaviour of applications and perform data-communication aware mapping of applications on these architectures. Appropriate tools are required to highlight memory-access patterns and provide detailed intra- application data-communication information to assist developers in porting existing sequential applications efficiently to these architectures. In this work, we present the design of an open-source tool which provides such a detailed profile for C/C++ applications. In contrast to prior work, our tool not only reports detailed information, but also generates this information with manageable overheads for realistic workloads. Comparison with the state- of-the-art shows that the proposed profiler has, on the average, an order of magnitude less overhead as compared to the state-of-the-art data-communication profilers for a wide range of benchmarks. The experimental results show that our proposed tool generated profiling information for image processing applications which assisted in achieving a speed-up of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$6.14\times$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:href="ashraf-ieq1-2785225.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2.75\times$</tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="ashraf-ieq2-2785225.gif"/> </alternatives></inline-formula> for heterogeneous multi-core platforms containing an FPGA and a GPU as accelerators, respectively.
Mesoscopic metallosupramolecular texturing through hierarchic assembly

Sylvain Clair, Stéphane Pons, Harald Brune, Klaus Kern and Johannes V. Barth 1 Institut de Physique des Nanostructures, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland 2 Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany 3 Departments of Chemistry and Physics & Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4, Canada
Activity-Based Physical Rehabilitation with Adjuvant Testosterone to Promote Neuromuscular Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury

Neuromuscular impairment and reduced musculoskeletal integrity are hallmarks of spinal cord injury (SCI) that hinder locomotor recovery. These impairments are precipitated by the neurological insult and resulting disuse, which has stimulated interest in activity-based physical rehabilitation therapies (ABTs) that promote neuromuscular plasticity after SCI. However, ABT efficacy declines as SCI severity increases. Additionally, many men with SCI exhibit low testosterone, which may exacerbate neuromusculoskeletal impairment. Incorporating testosterone adjuvant to ABTs may improve musculoskeletal recovery and neuroplasticity because androgens attenuate muscle loss and the slow-to-fast muscle fiber-type transition after SCI, in a manner independent from mechanical strain, and promote motoneuron survival. These neuromusculoskeletal benefits are promising, although testosterone alone produces only limited functional improvement in rodent SCI models. In this review, we discuss the (1) molecular deficits underlying muscle loss after SCI; (2) independent influences of testosterone and locomotor training on neuromuscular function and musculoskeletal integrity post-SCI; (3) hormonal and molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic efficacy of these strategies; and (4) evidence supporting a multimodal strategy involving ABT with adjuvant testosterone, as a potential means to promote more comprehensive neuromusculoskeletal recovery than either strategy alone.
Multiple Sclerosis in the Asia Pacific Region: A Systematic Review of a Neglected Neurological Disease

Background: Multiple sclerosis is thought to be relatively uncommon in the Asia Pacific region with prevalence estimated between 0 and 20 per 100,000. There is reason to doubt these estimates due to the lack of data from many countries and the growing evidence of variability in prevalence across small geographic areas. This study was conducted to systematically review the population prevalence, incidence, mortality and disability progression estimates of MS within the Asia Pacific region. Methods: The systematic review was conducted on articles from 1985 till 31st July 2017 within the PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and The Cochrane Library databases. The review included articles that were population-based studies conducted on patients with MS in the Asia Pacific region that reported either incidence, prevalence, mortality, or disease progression. Hospital-based studies and non-research articles were excluded to ensure that only information representative of the population was included for analysis. Data appraisal and extraction was done by independent reviewers. This review was registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42017082760). Findings: Of the 2,757 articles found, 16 studies were included. Information on 6 (18.75%) of 32 Asia Pacific countries was found, with data representing 8% of the total population. Prevalence estimates were available for 6 countries while estimates for incidence (3 countries), mortality (4 countries), and disease progression (2 countries) were limited. Interpretation: The lack of epidemiological data available in the Asia Pacific region creates a blind spot in the surveillance of MS which obscures the true burden of MS, causing patients to struggle to receive the resources and funding that they need.