Accelerating the execution of time consuming software applications by configuring special hardware during the program execution on multiprocessor computers

За разлику од рачунара који се заснивају на контроли тока (енг. control-flow), чији су процесори способни за обављање свих инструкција дефинисаних архитектуром рачунара, а од којих сваки у једном тренутку обавља највише неколико инструкција, код рачунара заснованих на протоку података се хардвер конфигурише тако да се просторно распореде компоненте од којих је свака у стању да изврши само инструкцију за коју је предвиђена. Извршавање се своди на проток података кроз такав хардвер. Главне одлике овакве архитектуре рачунара су већа проточност података и смањена потрошња електричне енергије. Иако хардверске архитектуре рачунара засноване на протоку података постоје деценијама, технологија је тек недавно омогућила њихово равноправно коришћење са рачунарима заснованим на контроли тока, чиме проблем распоређивања послова између хардвера заснованог на протоку података и конвенционалних процесора све више добија на значају. Неке од временски захтевних апликација већи део времена извршавања проводе у цикличном понављању истих операција. Уколико су те итерације међусобно независне, или се могу довести у такав облик, онда је њихово извршавање погодно обавити употребом реконфигурабилног хардвера и парадигме засноване на протоку података. Ова теза описује постојеће метеде и предлаже нове за прављање распореда извршавања послова на оваквим архитектурама рачунара у циљу побољшања перформанси, при чему су само неке од апликација погодне за убрзавање коришћењем реконфигурабилног хардвера и парадигме засноване на протоку података. Предлажу се и временско и просторно дељење реконфигурабилног хардвера од стране конвенционалних процесора...In contrast to control-flow computer architectures, whose processors are capable of executing all instructions defined by the architecture, while each processor executes only up to few instructions simultaneously, hardware dataflow architectures are based on configuring hardware by spreading components capable of executing one instruction each over the surface. Computation is based on dataflow through the hardware. Main characteristics of this architecture are higher data throughput and reduced power consumption. Some of the computation demanding applications spend most of the execution time in iterating over the same set of instructions. Although hardware dataflow architectures exist for decades, due to the technology limitations, they have became valuable for executing such applications only recently. Therefore, the problem of scheduling jobs on dataflow hardware and conventional processors becomes increasingly important. Some of the computation demanding applications spend most of the execution time in executing for loops. If iterations are mutually independent, or if they can be transformed in such a form, then these applications are suitable for executing on dataflow hardware. This thesis presents available methods for creating schedules for this kind of architectures in order to reduce total execution times, and proposes new ones. Sharing the dataflow hardware in both time and space is proposed. Scheduling jobs on this architecture belongs to the NP problem class and scheduling time is considered as an overhead, so the algorithms use heuristics and search possible combinations of jobs only up to appropriate depth. Results confirm that this architecture can reduce total execution time and reveal the conditions under which the acceleration is possible..

One algorithm for testing annulling of mixed trigonometric polynomial functions on boundary points

This paper considers one problem of modern automated theorem provers. While there are many different numerical methods for computation of real roots of polynomials, theorem provers require higher level of assurances of result correctness. In this paper is shown one method that circumvents limitations of application of Sturm’s theorem for such tasks

Accelerating the execution of time consuming software applications by configuring special hardware during the program execution on multiprocessor computers

За разлику од рачунара који се заснивају на контроли тока (енг. control-flow), чији су процесори способни за обављање свих инструкција дефинисаних архитектуром рачунара, а од којих сваки у једном тренутку обавља највише неколико инструкција, код рачунара заснованих на протоку података се хардвер конфигурише тако да се просторно распореде компоненте од којих је свака у стању да изврши само инструкцију за коју је предвиђена. Извршавање се своди на проток података кроз такав хардвер. Главне одлике овакве архитектуре рачунара су већа проточност података и смањена потрошња електричне енергије. Иако хардверске архитектуре рачунара засноване на протоку података постоје деценијама, технологија је тек недавно омогућила њихово равноправно коришћење са рачунарима заснованим на контроли тока, чиме проблем распоређивања послова између хардвера заснованог на протоку података и конвенционалних процесора све више добија на значају. Неке од временски захтевних апликација већи део времена извршавања проводе у цикличном понављању истих операција. Уколико су те итерације међусобно независне, или се могу довести у такав облик, онда је њихово извршавање погодно обавити употребом реконфигурабилног хардвера и парадигме засноване на протоку података. Ова теза описује постојеће метеде и предлаже нове за прављање распореда извршавања послова на оваквим архитектурама рачунара у циљу побољшања перформанси, при чему су само неке од апликација погодне за убрзавање коришћењем реконфигурабилног хардвера и парадигме засноване на протоку података. Предлажу се и временско и просторно дељење реконфигурабилног хардвера од стране конвенционалних процесора...In contrast to control-flow computer architectures, whose processors are capable of executing all instructions defined by the architecture, while each processor executes only up to few instructions simultaneously, hardware dataflow architectures are based on configuring hardware by spreading components capable of executing one instruction each over the surface. Computation is based on dataflow through the hardware. Main characteristics of this architecture are higher data throughput and reduced power consumption. Some of the computation demanding applications spend most of the execution time in iterating over the same set of instructions. Although hardware dataflow architectures exist for decades, due to the technology limitations, they have became valuable for executing such applications only recently. Therefore, the problem of scheduling jobs on dataflow hardware and conventional processors becomes increasingly important. Some of the computation demanding applications spend most of the execution time in executing for loops. If iterations are mutually independent, or if they can be transformed in such a form, then these applications are suitable for executing on dataflow hardware. This thesis presents available methods for creating schedules for this kind of architectures in order to reduce total execution times, and proposes new ones. Sharing the dataflow hardware in both time and space is proposed. Scheduling jobs on this architecture belongs to the NP problem class and scheduling time is considered as an overhead, so the algorithms use heuristics and search possible combinations of jobs only up to appropriate depth. Results confirm that this architecture can reduce total execution time and reveal the conditions under which the acceleration is possible..

Facial profile esthetics change of class II malocclusion patients treated with the Herbst appliance as perceived by orthodontists and laypersons

Introduction/objective: The recognition of differences in individual assessment of facial attractiveness could be valuable assistance in planning the orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to compare facial profile attractiveness changes of patients treated with the Herbst appliance perceived by orthodontists and laypersons. Methods: The patient sample comprised 33 young Caucasian still-growing patients, aged 14–18 years, with skeletal class II malocclusion treated with the Herbst and multibracket appliances. Facial profile photographs before and after the treatment were shown to 54 orthodontists and 50 laypersons. In the esthetics oriented poll, the evaluators rated the change in facial appearance. Results: The attractiveness scores differed between the two rater groups (p lt 0.001), with orthodontists being more generous, whereas there was no significant difference between female and male evaluators in both groups (p > 0.05). However, scores differed significantly in grading female and male patients (p lt 0.001), so that female patients got higher scores; younger evaluators graded more critically between different age groups of the evaluators (p lt 0.001), as well as between the patients with different initial severity of malocclusion (p lt 0.001). Conclusion: The difference in attractiveness scores differed between two groups, with laypersons being more critical than orthodontists. Higher scores were given to female patients by both groups, as well as by the evaluators in the older age group.Uvod/Cilj: Prepoznavanje razlika u individualnoj proce- ni facijalne atraktivnosti može biti od velike pomoći u planiranju ortodontske terapije. Cilj rada je bio da se uporedi promena atraktivnosti profila lica bolesnika tretiranih Herbstovim aparatom od strane ortodonata i laika. Metode: Uzorak se sastojao se od 33 ispitanika uzrasta 14–18 godina, koji su imali malokluziju II klase i lečeni Herbstovim aparatom u kombinaciji sa gornjim i donjim fiksnim aparatom. Njihove profilne fotografije pre i posle terapije pregledali su 54 ortodonta i 50 laika. Oni su ocenjivali, u vidu ankete, promenu facijalne atraktivnosti. Rezultati: Ocene facijalne privlačnosti razlikovale su se između dve grupe (p lt 0,001), tako što su ortodonti dava- li veće ocene, dok nije bilo statistički značajne razlike između polova u obe grupe (p > 0,05). Međutim, rezultati su se značajno razlikovali pri ocenjivanju muških i ženskih bolesnika (p lt 0,001), te su bolesnice dobile veće ocene. Takođe, rezultati su se značajno razlikovali između različitih starosnih grupa ocenjivača (p lt 0,001), tako da je mlađa grupa davala niže ocene, te bila kritičnija u pro- ceni. Razlika je bila značajna i kod ocenjivanja bolesnika sa različitim stepenom izraženosti anomalije (p lt 0,001). Zaključak: Razlika u ocenama facijalne privlačnosti postojala je između dve grupe, te su laici bili kritičniji u ocenjivanju u odnosu na ortodonte. Veće ocene dobile su bolesnice od strane obe grupe, a starija uzrasna grupa ocenjivala je većim ocenama sve bolesnike

Facial profile esthetics change of class II malocclusion patients treated with the Herbst appliance as perceived by orthodontists and laypersons

Introduction/Objective. The recognition of differences in individual assessment of facial attractiveness could be valuable assistance in planning the orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to compare facial profile attractiveness changes of patients treated with the Herbst appliance perceived by orthodontists and laypersons. Methods. The patient sample comprised 33 young Caucasian still-growing patients, aged 14–18 years, with skeletal class II malocclusion treated with the Herbst and multibracket appliances. Facial profile photographs before and after the treatment were shown to 54 orthodontists and 50 laypersons. In the esthetics oriented poll, the evaluators rated the change in facial appearance. Results. The attractiveness scores differed between the two rater groups (p 0.05). However, scores differed significantly in grading female and male patients (p < 0.001), so that female patients got higher scores; younger evaluators graded more critically between different age groups of the evaluators (p < 0.001), as well as between the patients with different initial severity of malocclusion (p < 0.001). Conclusion. The difference in attractiveness scores differed between two groups, with laypersons being more critical than orthodontists. Higher scores were given to female patients by both groups, as well as by the evaluators in the older age group. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III41007

A Runtime Job Scheduling Algorithm for Cluster Architectures with Dataflow Accelerators

This article discusses specialized computer cluster architectures for high performance computing that include both control-flow and DataFlow components, as well as their runtime scheduling algorithms. A novel optimal scheduling algorithm for such architectures is proposed. The proposed algorithm is general, but is limited in some cases due to its time complexity. From the base optimal algorithm, two additional heuristic algorithms are derived, and then compared to other schedulers. These heuristic algorithms produce near-optimal schedules for both DataFlow hardware jobs and control-flow jobs at large job counts, with negligible scheduling penalty. Compared to an optimal scheduler, the performance gain decreases slightly as job count increases. This research illustrates that the performance of existing cluster structures can be considerably improved by adding appropriate DataFlow accelerators and a proper scheduling algorithm, while at the same time decreasing the system transistor count and power consumption

Case Of Study For Draft Force Map Smoothing In Precision Agriculture

There are many physical and chemical properties of soil that can be measured and mapped. Such maps can be very important decision-making tools in precision agriculture. However, unlike yield maps and crop scouting maps, all other maps show a lower degree of reliability in terms of decision utility. Soil compaction is the most representative feature of the production plot from the domain of physical and chemical soil properties. This paper first presents an experiment designed to measure soil compaction, and then a mapping of the results in a commercial software. The test field with an area of one hectare was reduced to a control limit of 60 meters in width and 120 meters in length to ensure the uniformity of speed and other parameters. The resolution of the draft force measurement as an indicator of soil compaction was 50 Hz. This resulted in the existence of missing data on the draft force map itself, because several draft force values were related to one spatial coordinate manifested as longitude and latitude. The paper further shows the procedure of data smoothing and generation of complete maps without missing spatial data

Determination of Compression Response for Various Dried Vegetables

The texture of food plays a vital role in its overall quality, affecting both sensory experience and functional aspects, such as processing and preservation. To study texture in the field of food science and technology, various analytical methods are used tomeasure mechanical properties such as hardness, cohesiveness, and viscosity. One widely utilized technique for evaluating the texture of solid foods, particularly those with high firmness or brittleness such as dried vegetables, is compression testing. Here, a force is applied to a food sample until it deforms or fractures. In this particular study, dried onions, carrots, and peppers were chosen as test samples to investigate their texture and compression properties. To perform the tests, the researchers employed a Shimadzu AGS-X universal testing machine equipped with a 1 kN load cell capacity. This machine allowed them to compress the samples and measure the force required to achieve a specific deformation. The obtained results revealed that the texture and compression properties of the dried vegetables were significantly influenced by the specific part of the vegetable being tested. For instance, when examining the dried onions, a notable disparity was observed between the inner and outer parts. The basal plate of the onion, in particular, exhibited much greater hardness compared to the middle portion of the dried onion. Consequently, breaking the sample required a higher compression force. This discovery implies that the texture and compression properties of dried vegetables are closely tied to their inherent characteristics, internal structure, and composition

Determination of Compression Response for Various Dried Vegetables

The texture of food plays a vital role in its overall quality, affecting both sensory experience and functional aspects, such as processing and preservation. To study texture in the field of food science and technology, various analytical methods are used tomeasure mechanical properties such as hardness, cohesiveness, and viscosity. One widely utilized technique for evaluating the texture of solid foods, particularly those with high firmness or brittleness such as dried vegetables, is compression testing. Here, a force is applied to a food sample until it deforms or fractures. In this particular study, dried onions, carrots, and peppers were chosen as test samples to investigate their texture and compression properties. To perform the tests, the researchers employed a Shimadzu AGS-X universal testing machine equipped with a 1 kN load cell capacity. This machine allowed them to compress the samples and measure the force required to achieve a specific deformation. The obtained results revealed that the texture and compression properties of the dried vegetables were significantly influenced by the specific part of the vegetable being tested. For instance, when examining the dried onions, a notable disparity was observed between the inner and outer parts. The basal plate of the onion, in particular, exhibited much greater hardness compared to the middle portion of the dried onion. Consequently, breaking the sample required a higher compression force. This discovery implies that the texture and compression properties of dried vegetables are closely tied to their inherent characteristics, internal structure, and composition