Instruction fusion and vector processor virtualization for higher throughput simultaneous multithreaded processors

The utilization wall, caused by the breakdown of threshold voltage scaling, hinders performance gains for new generation microprocessors. To alleviate its impact, an instruction fusion technique is first proposed for multiscalar and many-core processors. With instruction fusion, similar copies of an instruction to be run on multiple pipelines or cores are merged into a single copy for simultaneous execution. Instruction fusion applied to vector code enables the processor to idle early pipeline stages and instruction caches at various times during program implementation with minimum performance degradation, while reducing the program size and the required instruction memory bandwidth. Instruction fusion is applied to a MIPS-based dual-core that resembles an ideal multiscalar of degree two. Benchmarking using an FPGA prototype shows a 6-11% reduction in dynamic power dissipation as well as a 17-45% decrease in code size with frequent performance improvements due to higher instruction cache hit rates. The second part of this dissertation deals with vector processors (VPs) which are commonly assigned exclusively to a single thread/core, and are not often performance and energy efficient due to mismatches with the vector needs of individual applications. An easy-to-implement VP virtualization technology is presented to improve the VP in terms of utilization and energy efficiency. The proposed VP virtualization technology, when applied, improves aggregate VP utilization by enabling simultaneous execution of multiple threads of similar or disparate vector lengths on a multithreaded VP. With a vector register file (VRF) virtualization technique invented to dynamically allocate physical vector registers to threads, the virtualization approach improves programmer productivity by providing at run time a distinct physical register name space to each competing thread, thus eliminating the need to solve register name conflicts statically. The virtualization technique is applied to a multithreaded VP prototyped on an FPGA; it supports VP sharing as well as power gating for better energy efficiency. A throughput-driven scheduler is proposed to optimize the virtualized VP’s utilization in dynamic environments where diverse threads are created randomly. Simulations of various low utilization benchmarks show that, with the proposed scheduler and power gating, the virtualized VP yields a larger than 3-fold speedup while the reduction in the total energy consumption approaches 40% compared to the same VP running in the single-threaded mode. The third part of this dissertation focuses on combining the two aforementioned technologies to create an improved VP prototype that is fully virtualized to support thread fusion and dynamic lane-based power-gating (PG). The VP is capable of dynamically triggering thread fusion according to the availability of similar threads in the task queue. Once thread fusion is triggered, every vector instruction issued to the virtualized VP is interpreted as two similar instructions working in two independent virtual spaces, thus doubling the vector instruction issue rate. Based on an accurate power model of the VP prototype, two different policies are proposed to dynamically choose the optimal number of active VP lanes. With the combined effort of VP lane-based PG and thread fusion, compared to a conventional VP without the two proposed capabilities, benchmarking shows that the new prototype yields up to 33.8% energy reduction in addition to 40% runtime improvement, or up to 62.7% reduction in the product of energy and runtime

The Literature Review of the Translation of China’s Online Novels

In the digital age, the prosperity of China’s online literature has accelerated the process of Chinese culture going global. China’s online novels are rich in traditional Chinese culture, including Yin and Yang and eight diagrams, and have popular expressions and dramatic plots with creative imaginations such as time-travel and rebirth. In this way, China’s online novels gather a large number of overseas fans. As a bridge for Chinese cultural export, translation is all the more necessary at this moment to strengthen the foundation and push China’s online literature onto the world stage. This paper starts with the overview of China’s online literature by discussing its definition, classification, and its international communication. Then, the paper makes a detailed analysis of the current situation of its translation studies from the perspectives of medio-translatology, eco-translatology and functional equivalence theory. The deficiencies of the previous studies are also pointed out to provide some reference for a more comprehensive and in-depth translation study of China’s online novels in the future

Three Essays on Information-Securing in Organizations

This dissertation is intended to interpret, analyze, and explain the interplay between organizational structure and organizational information systems security by mapping structural contingency theory into three qualitative studies. The research motivation can be attributed in two ways. First, Johnson and Goetz\u27s (2007) conception of embedding information in organizations as part of their field research interviewing security executives serves as a methodological inspiration for the series of three studies reported here. The point that security should be infused into organization activities instead of serving as a bolted-on function is a central tenet guiding the development of this dissertation. Second, a macro approach is employed in the studies reported here, aimed at a theoretical expansion from existing behavioral security studies which typically take a micro perspective, while mitigating potential theoretical reductionism due to a predominant research concentration on individual components of organizational information security instead of the holistic function of the firm. Hence, this dissertation contributes to the behavioral organizational security research by positing a theoretical construct of information-securing, an organizational security process which is essentially characterized by dualism, dynamism, and democratism. With a macro organizational perspective on the elements of information securing, organizations can effectively discover and leverage organization-wide resources, efforts, and knowledge to cope with security contingencies. The first study of this dissertation is designed to investigate the nature of employees’ extra-role behaviors. This study investigated how employees might sometimes take steps beyond the requirements of the organizational-level security policy in order to facilitate effective workgroup operation and to assist less-skilled colleagues. The second study of this dissertation conducts an interpretive study of the role of information systems auditing in improving information security policy compliance in the workplace, with a specific focus on the role of non-malicious insiders who unknowingly or innocuously thwart corporate information security directives by engaging in unsafe computing practices. The last study of the dissertation explores the interplay between organizational structures and security activities. The organizational perspective of security bureaucracies is developed with three specific bureaucratic archetypes to define the evolutionary stages of the firm’s progress through evolving from coercive rule-based enforcement regimes to fully enabled and employee-centric security cultures in the workplace. Borrowing from Weberian metaphors, the characterization of security bureaucracies evolving from an “iron cage” to an “iron shield” is developed. These three studies revolving around the general notion of information-securing are deemed to be a promising start of a new stream of organizational IS security research. In order to enrich and extend our IS security literature, the perspective advocated in this dissertation suggests a shift in the epistemological paradigm of security behaviors in organizations from the prevailing micro views to macro perspectives which will result in very useful new perspectives on security management, security behaviors and security outcomes in organizations. GS Form 14 (8/10) APPROVAL FOR SCHOLAR

Modulating Porous Carbon Electrocatalyst for Efficient Water Splitting

The increasing public issues about the energy crisis urge the development of sustainable energy as alternatives to replace the fossil fuels. Considering the energy regeneration and environment friendly, hydrogen possesses the potential to meet the criterion of renewable and clean energies. H2 can be produced in an electrochemical water electrolyser by cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), coupled with anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The kinetic barrier of both reactions require efficient electrocatalysts. However, the benchmarking electrocatalysts for HER or OER are based on precious metals, such as Pt or Ir, their high cost greatly hinders the practical H2 production from water electrolyser in an economic manner. Thus, the search of in-expensive but efficient HER and OER electrocatalysts is imminent. Among various candidature materials, low cost and high conductive carbon based nanomaterials have attracted intensive attention. Through heteroatom doping, the inert carbon nanomaterials can be activated to show promising catalytic activity. In this study, nitrogen doped nanoporous carbon electrocatalysts were obtained from thermal pyrolysis of a zinc based metal-organic framework. Cathodic treatment is successfully applied to achieve systematic modulation of the type and surface functionalities. The modulated electrocatalysts show high activity and good stability towards hydrogen and oxygen evolution in various electrolyte. Strong correlation between catalytic performance and surface chemical properties of these carbon electrocatalysts has been found. My work here paves a new way to design metal free carbon electrocatalysts for future green energy applications

“I’m Lovin’ IT”: Toward a Technophilia Model of User Adaptation to ICT

This article expands the conceptual space of technophilia to encompass a broader range of positive emotions toward information and communications technology (ICT). Then, to accentuate the crucial role of technophilia in helping people proactively engage with dynamic ICT environments, we draw upon the broaden-and-build theory to illustrate how technophilia promotes momentary thought-action repertories, development and accumulation of enduring resources, and the enhancement of one’s adaption behaviors in a healthy, fruitful fashion. To fortify the existing broad-and-build theory, psychological capital is also employed to explain why a broad emotion-based technophilia concept is likely to influence user adaption behaviors. In future exploratory analyses, we hope to obtain adequate empirical results to support our nomological network of technophilia