Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parallel programming with tree skeletons

Parallel computing is an essential technique to deal with large scaled problems. In recent years, while hardware for parallel computing is getting widely available, developing software for parallel computing remains as a hard task for many programmers. The main difficulties are caused by the communication, synchronization, and data distribution required in parallel programs. This thesis studies the theory and practice of parallel programming for trees based on parallel primitives called tree skeletons. Trees are important data structures for representing structured data. However, their irregular and ill-balanced structure makes it hard to develop efficient parallel programs on them, because naive divide-and-conquer parallel computation may lead to poor performance for ill-balanced trees. To remedy this situation, this thesis develops a new framework for parallel programming for trees on the basis of the programming model called skeletal parallel programming. Skeletal parallel programming, first proposed by Cole, encourages programmers to develop parallel programs by composing ready-made components called parallel skeletons (or algorithmic skeletons). A theory has been proposed for design of parallel skeletons for lists based on constructive algorithms, and several libraries of parallel skeletons have been developed to bring the theory into practice. This thesis extends these ideas from lists to trees. The following are three important contributions in the thesis. The first contribution is the design of parallel tree skeletons for both binary trees and general trees of arbitrary shape. Our parallel tree skeletons have a sequential interface but with a parallel implementation; the sequential interface is designed based on the theory of constructive algorithmics, while the parallel implementation is either based on tree contraction algorithms or newly developed ones. The second contribution is a set of theories for skeletal parallel programming on trees. These theories provide us with a systematic method for deriving skeletal parallel programs from sequential programs. We illustrate effectiveness of the method by solving two classes of nontrivial problems, maximum marking problems and XPath queries. The third contribution is an implementation of a parallel skeleton library for trees. We developed a new implementation algorithm for tree skeletons, in which a tree is divided with high locality and good load balance and tree skeletons are executed efficiently in
Study of selective isotropic etching effects of Si1-xGex in gate-all-around nanosheet transistor process

Gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheet transistors are widely accepted for the mainstream technology towards 3nm technology node. The major strategy is to form nanosheet by using Si1-xGex/Si multilayer structures (MLS). Inner spacer formation is a critical step as it defines the gate length and isolates gate from source and drain. Selectively removing of SiGe layers determines the dimension of the inner spacer and impacts the transistor performance significantly. It requires precise process control in the lateral cavity etching and brings significant challenges to conventional etching manners. In our previous work, we achieved isotropic Si0.7Ge0. 3 selective etching in SiGe/Si stack with high selectivity. However, the results were achieved on the single SiGe/Si stack in a relatively open area, when moving to dense patterns, the etching performance desires for further study. In this paper, we present our latest progress on isotropic etching by using ICP with mixed gas of CF4/O2/He on SiGe/Si stack periodic arrays. Loading effect and Si surface damage were observed. We reproduce these etching effects by developing an analytical model. This model is based on Monte-Carlo method and is capable of simulating the profile evolution of the lateral etching of SiGe/Si structures. The influence of etch time, pattern pitch and stack layer thickness on lateral etch results have been studied by simulation.
Structured factor copulas and tail inference

In this dissertation we propose factor copula models where dependence is modeled via one or several common factors. These are general conditional independence models for d observed variables, in terms of p latent variables and the classical multivariate normal model with a correlation matrix having a factor structure is a special case. We also propose and investigate dependence properties of the extended models that we call structured factor copula models. The extended models are suitable for modeling large data sets when variables can be split into non-overlapping groups such that there is homogeneous dependence within each group. The models allow for different types of dependence structure including tail dependence and asymmetry. With appropriate numerical methods, efficient estimation of dependence parameters is possible for data sets with over 100 variables. The choice of copula is essential in the models to get correct inferences in the tails. We propose lower and upper tail-weighted bivariate measures of dependence as additional scalar measures to distinguish bivariate copulas with roughly the same overall monotone dependence. These measures allow the efficient estimation of strength of dependence in the joint tails and can be used as a guide for selection of bivariate linking copulas in factor copula models as well as for assessing the adequacy of fit of multivariate copula models. We apply the structured factor copula models to analyze financial data sets, and compare with other copula models for tail inference. Using modelbased interval estimates, we find that some commonly used risk measures may not be well discriminated by copula models, but tail-weighted dependence measures can discriminate copula models with different dependence and tail properties.
Assessment of Effective Antimicrobial Regimens and Mortality-Related Risk Factors for Bloodstream Infections Caused by Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

Objective This study aimed to determine the clinical features, risk factors, and effective antimicrobial therapy for Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) bloodstream infection (BSI). Methods This was a retrospective analysis of data from patients with CRAB bacteremia in a Chinese tertiary hospital between January 2012 and October 2021. Risk factors, predictors of 30-day mortality, and effective antimicrobial therapy for CRAB BSI were identified using logistic and cox regression analyses. Results Data from 276 patients with Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) BSI were included, of whom 157 (56.9%) had CRAB BSI. The risk factors that were significantly associated with CRAB BSI included previous intensive care unit (ICU) stay (P < 0.001), immunocompromised status (P < 0.001), cephalosporin use (P = 0.014), and fluoroquinolone use (P = 0.007). The 30-day mortality of the CRAB BSI group was 49.7% (78/157). ICU stay after BSI (P = 0.047), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score ≥10 (P < 0.001), and multiple organ failure (MOF) (P = 0.037) were independent predictors of 30-day mortality. Among antibiotic strategies for the treatment of patients with CRAB BSI, we found that definitive regimens containing cefoperazone/sulbactam were superior to those without cefoperazone/sulbactam in reducing the 30-day mortality rate (25.4% vs 53.4%, P = 0.005). After propensity score matching, we observed a significant increase in the 30-day mortality (77.8%vs 33.3%, P = 0.036) in patients receiving tigecycline monotherapy compared to those receiving cefoperazone/sulbactam monotherapy. The mortality rate of patients receiving tigecycline with cefoperazone/sulbactam was also higher than that of patients receiving cefoperazone-sulbactam monotherapy; however, the difference was not significant (28.6%vs 19.0%, P = 0.375). Conclusion The severity of patient conditions was significantly associated with mortality in patients with CRAB BSI. Those Patients treated with cefoperazone/sulbactam had better clinical prognoses, and tigecycline should be used with caution.
Decomposition of Multicollinear and Time Series Data using Backfitting and Additive Models

The backfitting algorithm for estimating additive models is used to decompose the component shares being explained by a set of predictors on a dependent variable in the presence of linear dependencies in a model. Multicollinearity and non-orthogonality of independent variables affects the consistency and efficiency of the parameter estimates. The iterative nature of the proposed estimation procedure addresses this problem by estimating shares one at a time, relative to the importance of the variables in the model. The predictive ability of the model becomes more apparent as the level of multicollinearity increases. Using sales data with predictors including marketing activation indicators, competition measures, distribution indicators, economic and weather indicators, backfitting the OLS procedure and using additive smoothing splines fair relatively well against OLS in producing share estimates under different scenarios.
Garlic Ecotypes Utilise Different Morphological, Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms to Cope with Drought Stress

Drought negatively affects plants by altering morphological, physiological and metabolic processes and ultimately reducing yields. Garlic (Allium sativum L.), an important member of the Alliaceae family, is also sensitive to drought and maximizing the yield of garlic bulbs is largely dependent on water availability. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of drought stress on morphological and physiological characteristics, as well as on phenolic, sugar, inulin and free amino acid content and antioxidant activity in two Croatian garlic ecotypes, ‘Istarski crveni’ (IC) and Istarski bijeli (IB). Drought was induced by using polyethylene glycol 8000 (PEG) solution (−0.6 MPa) starting 21 days after clove planting and lasted for 20 days. Drought reduced plant height, number of leaves and plant weight, but increased root length in both ecotypes compared to the control treatment. Among the physiological parameters, significant differences were observed between the two ecotypes studied in the spectral characteristics of the leaves, namely reflection in red, green and blue, VAL, values of the vegetation indices related to the chlorophyll content (CHI, GI), and the anthocyanin content (ARI). Ecotype IC showed higher antioxidant activity in the control treatment due to higher total phenolic content (TPC), but under drought conditions higher DPPH radical scavenging activity was determined in ecotype IB and higher values of FRAP in IC. Sucrose and glucose generally decreased under drought, while inulin increased in IB but decreased in IC. Total free amino acid content increased under drought in both ecotypes. In conclusion, drought tolerance of IB might be associated with increased accumulation of inulin and higher levels of amino acids, especially those shown to contribute to drought resistance. In IC, drought tolerance is associated with an increase in some amino acid compounds and better root growth in depth, probably due to a more efficient translocation of sucrose to the underground part of the plant.
Eight Element MIMO Antenna Array With Tri-Band Response for Modern Smartphones

This article presents an eight-element tri-band Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna system for future handheld devices. The suggested antenna system consists of a main and sideboards. The feed lines are connected on the main board while the antennas are placed on sideboards, two on each side separately. The total dimension of the main board is <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$150\times 75$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mm2, and the sideboard is <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$150\times 7$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mm2. The antenna resonates at three distinct 5G allocated bands of 3.1-3.7 GHz, 4.47-4.91 GHz, and 5.5-6.0 GHz with impedance bandwidths of 600 MHz, 440 MHz, and 450 MHz, respectively. The antenna system provides pattern and spatial diversity characteristics with radiation and total efficiency of 78% and 62% and peak gain of 5.8 dBi. The MIMO system is fabricated, and the measured results are found to be in good agreement with the simulations. The isolation among radiating elements in all resonating bands is found to be >16 dB. The vital MIMO performance parameters such as envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) is less than 0.2 for any two antenna array meeting the required standard of less than 0.5 alongside the mean effective gain or MEG ratio of any two antenna meeting the required standard of less than 3 dB for power balance and optimal diversity. The Channel Capacity (CC) is found to be 41.1 bps/Hz, approximately 3 times that of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> 2 MIMO operations.
Soluções radialmente simétricas da equação de Poisson-Boltzmann com uma energia dada

In this work, the goal is to evaluate, with parametersM and E given, the existence of solution (assumed radially symmetric) for the Dirichlet problem  ∆φ = ± 2 E ∫ Ω e−φ ( 1 + 1 2 φ ) (∫ Ω e−φ )2 e−φ em Ω φ = 0 em ∂Ω , (2) whose physical connotation is discussed in chapter 1. Initially we do for unit balls in R, where we show the existence and uniqueness from the explicit solutions to a “associated problem” and adjusting to this original problem via a proper function. Later seeking to extend the idea to a unit ball in R, we use the Sub/Supersolution method to get to the solution of the problem, since for dimensions larger than 2, “associated solutions”are not available. Finally, we show that if we reduce our hypotheses, i.e., extending beyond the domain of a unit ball (but still limited), we still have a unique solution. However, the “ freedom ” on the parameters M and E is restricted to the condition that M 2 E is sufficiently small. The fundamental references of this work are [12], [6], [7] and [13], although other bibliographies have been consulted and eventually cited.
Modulation transfer function determination using the edge technique for cone-beam micro-CT

Evaluating spatial resolution is an essential work for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) manufacturers, prototype designers or equipment users. To investigate the cross-sectional spatial resolution for different transaxial slices with CBCT, the slanted edge technique with a 3D slanted edge phantom are proposed and implemented on a prototype cone-beam micro-CT. Three transaxial slices with different cone angles are under investigation. An over-sampled edge response function (ERF) is firstly generated from the intensity of the slightly tiled air to plastic edge in each row of the transaxial reconstruction image. Then the oversampled ESF is binned and smoothed. The derivative of the binned and smoothed ERF gives the line spread function (LSF). At last the presampled modulation transfer function (MTF) is calculated by taking the modulus of the Fourier transform of the LSF. The spatial resolution is quantified with the spatial frequencies at 10% MTF level and full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) value. The spatial frequencies at 10% of MTFs are 3.1±0.08mm-1, 3.0±0.05mm-1, and 3.2±0.04mm-1 for the three transaxial slices at cone angles of 3.8°, 0°, and -3.8° respectively. The corresponding FWHMs are 252. 8μm, 261. 7μm and 253. 6μm. Results indicate that cross-sectional spatial resolution has no much differences when transaxial slices being 3.8° away from z=0 plane for the prototype conebeam micro-CT.
A 38-GS/s 7-bit Pipelined-SAR ADC With Speed- Enhanced Bootstrapped Switch and Output Level Shifting Technique in 22-nm FinFET

Efficient time-interleaved (TI) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that operate at high sample rates with wide input bandwidths are necessary to support increasing wireline transceiver data rates. This article presents a 7-bit 38-GS/s 32-way TI ADC that utilizes an eight-way interleaver architecture based on a speed-enhanced bootstrapped switch that increases input bandwidth. ADC sample rate and efficiency is improved with pipelined-successive approximation register (SAR) unit ADCs that employ an output level shifting (OLS) settling technique in the dynamic residue amplifier to achieve settling in only 33% of the time required for a conventional current-mode logic (CML) amplifier. Using parallel comparators in the two 4-bit asynchronous pipeline stages allows for further improvements in ADC conversion speed. Fabricated in 22-nm FinFET, the proposed ADC occupies 0.107-mm 2 area. Operating at 38 GS/s, the ADC achieves 41.9 fJ/conv. -step with low input frequencies, 64.1 fJ/conv. -step at Nyquist, and has 20-GHz 3-dB input bandwidth.
Fabrication of Indocyanine Green and 2H, 3H-perfluoropentane loaded microbubbles for fluorescence and ultrasound imaging

As a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence dye, Indocyanine Green (ICG) has not gained broader clinical applications, owing to its multiple limitations such as concentration-dependent aggregation, low fluorescence quantum yield, poor physicochemical stability and rapid elimination from the body. In the meanwhile, 2H,3H-perfluoropentane (H-PFP) has been widely studied in ultrasound imaging as a vehicle for targeted delivery of contrast agents and drugs. We synthesized a novel dual-modal fluorescence and ultrasound contrast agent by encapsulating ICG and H-PFP in lipid microbubbles using a liquid-driven coaxial flow focusing (LDCFF) process. Uniform microbubbles with the sizes ranging from 1-10um and great ICG loading efficiency was achieved by this method. Our benchtop experiments showed that ICG/H-PFP microbubbles exhibited less aggregation, increased fluorescence intensity and more stable photostability compared to free ICG aqueous solution. Our phantom experiments demonstrated that ICG/H-PFP microbubbles enhanced the imaging contrasts in fluorescence imaging and ultrasonography. Our animal experiments indicated that ICG/H-PFP microbubbles extended the ICG life time and facilitated dual mode fluorescence and ultrasound imaging in vivo.
proton-proton collisions at the LHC

collision operation in early 2010. This paper presents the transverse momentum spectra of the neutral pions. The spectra from two independent LHCf detectors are consistent with each other and serve as a cross-check of the data. The transverse momentum spectra are also compared with the predictions of several hadronic interaction models that are often used for high-energy particle physics and for modeling ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray showers.
A Comprehensive Analysis of the Architecture of Static Random Access Memory Utilizing CMOS for Mobile Applications

The modern electronic industry is always searching for ways to improve its power efficiency and processing speed. Because of this, SRAM is included in every IC to increase its functionality. The utilization of high-tech devices that rely on memory like RAM is the outcome of the technology's rapid advancement for matter and speedier invention to smooth out human necessities like mobile. The size and power consumption to fulfill the growing demand is the goal. To optimize latency and power, this research study focuses on a comprehensive investigation of SRAM (static random access memory). In this study, the performance of read and write operations for SRAM cells supporting a 6T, 9T, and 10T configuration is compared. In this study, a new SRAM is developed to meet the needs of low-power, high-performance circuits. Major chip space is used by the SRAM block, which causes leakage of power in more contemporary systems. Scaling the voltage supply of SRAM macros is an effective way to lower chip power overall. Conventional 6T SRAMs cannot meet the demands for density and yield in the sub-threshold area. Reducing the power and area of SRAM is the aim of this work. We compare the new (4T) SRAM and 32 nm CMOS technique with the conventional six-transistor (6T) RAM cell. Here, many SRAM cell configurations for one-bit, sixteen-bit, sixty-four-bit, and one Kb may be developed and tested, employing both a unique load-less 4T SRAM unit & 6T SRAM unit using 32nm CMOS technology. The novel load-less 4T SRAM array takes less energy so it occupies a smaller region than a 6T array.
Sensitivity of a Mesoscale Model to Microphysical Parameterizations in the MAP SOP Events IOP2b and IOP8

Abstract The sensitivity of a mesoscale model to different microphysical parameterizations is investigated for two events of precipitation in the Mediterranean region, that is, the Mesoscale Alpine Program (MAP) intensive observation periods (IOP) 2b (19–21 September 1999) and 8 (20–22 October 1999). Simulations are performed with the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5); the most commonly used bulk microphysical parameterization schemes are evaluated, with a particular focus on their impact on the forecast of rainfall. To evaluate the forecast skill, the verification is carried out quantitatively by using the observations recorded by a high-resolution rain gauge network during the MAP campaign. The results show that, for the surface rainfall forecast, all microphysical schemes produce a similar precipitation field and none of them perform significantly better than the others. The ability of different schemes to reproduce events with.
Audio to Deep Visual: Speaking Mouth Generation Based on 3D Sparse Landmarks

Having a system to automatically generate a talking mouth in sync with input speech would enhance speech communication and enable many novel applications. This article presents a new model that can generate 3D talking mouth landmarks from Chinese speech. We use sparse 3D landmarks to model the mouth motion, which are easy to capture and provide sufficient lip accuracy. The 4D mouth motion dataset was collected by our self-developed facial capture device, filling the gap in the Chinese speech-driven lip dataset. The exper-imental results show that the generated talking landmarks achieve accurate, smooth, and natural 3D mouth movements.
A DC-87.8-GHz Switched-Type Attenuator With Switched Capacitor Branch in 40-nm CMOS

This brief presents a 5-bit switched-type attenuator (STA) working from DC to 87.8 GHz. In addition to T-type and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Pi $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-type attenuation cells with capacitive compensation technique in shunt branch, a new <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Pi $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-type-based compensation method with switched capacitor branch is proposed, which effectively reduces phase errors at high frequencies without compromising the amplitude errors. The STA in this brief is fabricated in 40-nm CMOS technology and the active core area is 0.019 mm2, which demonstrates 15.5-dB attenuation range with 0.5-dB tuning step. Across the operational band, the insertion loss of reference state is 1.4-5.3 dB and the return loss is better than 9 dB for all states. From DC to 87.8 GHz, the RMS amplitude and phase errors are below 0.5 dB and 5.4° respectively.
Generalized Rough Set Method for Ensemble Feature Selection and Multiple Classifier Fusion

For improving the performance of multiple classifler system, a novel method of ensemble feature selection is proposed based on generalized rough set. In the paper, the relative dominance decision reduct (RDDR) with respect to multiple decision tables is presented to obtain the best feature subsets and interclass separability from difierent feature spaces. Then, the ensemble attribute reduction (EAR) method is proposed for ensemble feature selection. Using the KD- DWV algorithm based on knowledge discovery, the efiectiveness of EAR was examined with the vegetation classiflcation on a hyperspectral image. The result of the comparison experiment shows that EAR can be used to improve the generalization of multiple classifler system by combining appropriate multiple classifler fusion algorithm.