Sharif Digital Repository

Models of computation abstract away a number of implementation details in favor of well-defined semantics. While this has unquestionable benefits, we argue that analysis of models solely based on operational semantics (implementationoblivious analysis) is unfit to drive implementation design space exploration. Specifically, we study the tradeoff between buffer size and streaming throughput in applications modeled as synchronous data flow (SDF) graphs. We demonstrate the inherent inaccuracy of implementationoblivious approach, which only considers SDF operational semantic. We propose a rigorous transformation, which equips the state of the art buffer-throughput tradeoff analysis technique... 

The ever increasing density and performance of FPGAS, has increased the importance and popularity of soft processors. The growing gap between the speed of processors and memories can partly be compensated through memory hierarchy. Since memory accesses follow a non-uniform distribution, and vary from one application to another, variable set-associative cache architectures have emerged. In this paper, a novel cache architecture, primarily aimed at soft processors, is proposed to address the variable access demands of applications, through dynamically configurable line-associativity, with no memory overhead. The FPGA implementation of the proposed architecture achieves an average miss count... 

Wide-area monitoring and control system complements the classical protection systems and overcomes their drawbacks. In such systems a dynamic view of power system, using synchronized measurements in short time intervals, smaller than 20ms, is available. This new kind of system's information provides a novel preventive control action to prevent system's large disturbances. This paper proposes a new method to prevent frequency instabilities immediately after a disturbance occurs in a system. Based on online measurements sent by phasor measurement units, a single machine equivalent model including the governors' effect is computed. An accurate frequency prediction is done based on this novel... 

Models of computation abstract away a number of implementation details in favor of well-defined semantics. While this has unquestionable benefits, we argue that analysis of models solely based on operational semantics (implementation oblivious analysis) is unfit to drive implementation design space exploration. Specifically, we study the tradeoff between buffer size and streaming throughput in applications modeled as synchronous data flow (SDF) graphs. We demonstrate the inherent inaccuracy of implementation-oblivious approach, which only considers SDF operational semantic. We propose a rigorous transformation, which equips the state of the art buffer-throughput tradeoff analysis technique... 

With recent deregulation in electricity industry, price forecasting has become the basis for this competitive market. The precision of this forecasting is essential in bidding strategies. So far, the artificial neural networks which can find an accurate relation between the historical data and the price have been used for this purpose. One major problem is that, they usually need a large number of training data and neurons either for complex function approximation and data fitting or classification and pattern recognition. As a result, the network topology has a significant impact on the network computational time and ability to learn and also to generate unseen data from training data. To... 

Optical tweezers provide an accurate measurement technique for evaluating mechanical properties of the living cells and many experimental studies have been done to understand the behavior of cells due to external forces. Numerical studies such as finite element methods have been used in order to simulate mechanical behavior of the Red Blood Cells (RBCs). Recent studies have shown that the particle methods are useful tools to simulate the mechanical behavior of living cells. Since in microscopic scales, using discrete models are preferred than continuum methods, a particle-based method is used to simulate the deformation of RBC which is stretched by optical tweezers. The cytoplasm of RBC is... 

Governments in developing countries have invested in institutions of higher learning in order to develop homegrown, high technology products. Among these, the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia), recognized as a Research University, is actively involved in projects related to medical technology through its various faculties. The net result of these activities is impressing from the point of view of patents and publications, but unfortunately not yet in terms of commercialization. This paper starts by presenting the main obstacles towards the objective of bringing a laboratory prototype to the market in the context of Malaysia. Then, a framework is presented... 

In order to optimize the aging treatment of Mg-1.8Zn-0.7Si-0.4Ca alloy, different times and temperatures of solid solution and age hardening were applied to the alloy specimens. Microstructures and mechanical properties of the specimens were investigated using the optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer, x-ray diffraction, hardness, and shear punch tests. The lowest hardness and strength were achieved by solution treating of the alloy at 500 °C for 8 h, presenting the optimal condition for solution treatment of the alloy. The microstructural examinations revealed three different precipitates consisting of CaMgSi,... 

It is very significant and practical to explore a triple hybrid nanofluid flow across the stuck zone of a stretching/ shrinking curved surface with impacts from stuck and Lorentz force factors. The combination (Ag-TiO2-Al2O3/blood) hybrid nanofluid is studied herein as it moves across a stagnation zone of a stretching/shrinking surface that curves under the impact of pressure and Lorentz force. Exact unsolvable nonlinear partial differential equations can be transformed into ordinary differential equations that can be solved numerically by similarity transformation. It was discovered that predominant heat transfers andmovement characteristics of quaternary hybrid nanofluids are dramatically... 

Empirical drift capacity models for in-plane loaded unreinforced masonry (URM) walls are derived from results of quasi-static cyclic shear-compression tests. The experimentally determined drift capacities are, however, dependent on the applied demand, i.e., on the loading protocol that is used in the test. These loading protocols differ between test campaigns. The loading protocols applied in tests are also different from the displacement histories to which URM walls are subjected in real earthquakes. In the absence of experimental studies on the effect of loading histories on the wall response, this article presents numerical simulations of modern unreinforced clay block masonry walls that... 

Displacement-based assessment procedures require as input reliable estimates of the deformation capacity of all structural elements. For unreinforced masonry (URM) walls, current design codes specify the in-plane deformation capacity as empirical equations of interstory drift. National codes differ with regard to the parameters that are considered in these empirical drift capacity equations, but the inhomogeneity of datasets on URM wall tests renders it difficult to validate the hypotheses with the currently available experimental data. This paper contributes to the future development of such empirical relationships by investigating the sensitivity of the drift capacity to the shear span,... 

Current design codes provide empirical equations for the drift capacity of unreinforced masonry (URM) walls that are based on results of quasi-static cyclic shear-compression tests. Yet different experimental campaigns have used various approaches of imposing fixed-fixed boundary conditions at the wall top which may affect the test results. This article investigates, by means of numerical simulations, the influence of experimental setups on the force and drift capacities of in-plane loaded URM walls subjected to double-fixed conditions. It is shown that controlling the shear span or the top rotation while keeping the axial force constant leads to very similar results. Controlling the axial... 

In this paper, we present the design guidelines for a tunable optical isolator in an SOI-based ring resonator with two small time-modulated regions. By considering a physical model, the proper geometrical and modulation parameters are designed, based on a standard CMOS foundry process. The effect of the variation of the key parameters on the performance of the isolator is explained by two counter-acting mechanisms, namely the separation between the resonance frequencies of counter-rotating modes and energy transfer to the side harmonic. We show that there is a trade-off between these parameters to obtain maximum isolation. Consequently, by applying the quadrature phase difference one can... 

High population density in major cities has led to compact designs of residential multi-story buildings. Consequently, it is a natural choice of the architects to suggest the location of high-voltage wires close to the ducts with contaminated air. This observation results in the motivation for this study, i.e., the understanding of the complicated interaction of the Lorentz force (due to the current-carrying wire) with the micropolar flow in the vertical direction in the duct, with polluted air (containing dust particles) being modeled as a micropolar fluid, which is driven by some external pressure gradient. Therefore, this study focuses on an incompressible and electrically conducting... 

The geometry structures of hexa-coordinated [NiLX]X complexes (X = Cl -, Br-, I-) {L = 8,9,18,19-tetrahydro-7H,17H- dibenzo[f,o] [1,5,9,13]dioxadiaza cyclohexadecine-8,18-diol} are optimized by density functional theory (DFT) using B3LYP/LANL2DZ. The calculated geometric parameters are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental values. Calculation results about these complexes show that dipole moment decreases, and the energy levels of HOMOs descend from iodo-complex to chloro-complex. The energy levels of HOMOs descend gently from iodo-complex to chloro-complex, while the energy levels of LUMOs in the present complexes are almost similar; therefore the energy gapes between HOMOs... 

The granular activated carbon (GAC) was used as an adsorbent for its ability to remove haloacetic acids (HAAs) from drinking water by batch and column experiments. Various thermodynamic parameters, such as ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° have been calculated. The thermodynamics of HAAs onto GAC system indicates spontaneous and exothermic nature of the process. The ability of GAC to adsorb HAAs in a fixed bed column was investigated as well. The effect of operating parameters such as flow rate and inlet HAAs concentration on the sorption characteristics of GAC was investigated. The total adsorbed quantities, equilibrium uptakes and total removal percents of HAAs related to the effluent volumes were... 

Abstract Codes require that the span-to-depth ratio of the beams in moment resisting frames (MRF) should be limited to guarantee the development of plastic hinges with a sufficient length at beam ends. This requirement limits the application of MRFs mostly in framed-tube structures. In the current design procedure of steel MRFs, the strength and stiffness design of the structure are coupled often leading to overdesigned structures and foundations. To overcome the abovementioned limits, in this paper a new replaceable shear structural fuse is introduced for MRFs. The fuse is a shear link designed as a sacrificial component by weakening the shear strength of a segment at the middle of the beam... 

In the present work, three alumina-15 vol% zirconia composites with Y2O3, MgO as dopants and without oxide as dopant have been investigated. High energy ball milling (HEBM) provides the positive thermodynamic driving force for monoclinic to tetragonal transformation and it reduces starting temperature for the reverse martensitic transformation, meanwhile mobility of zirconium cations and oxygen anions are enhanced in zirconia by HEBM. The general, albeit heuristic, reasoning is corroborated by nanocrystallity, particle size and also the retained monoclinic seem to play an important role. After 10 h HEBM, approximately 28% zirconia tetragonal phase is achieved. Non-stoichiometric tetragonal... 

Nano sized ZnO on TiO 2 spherical core shells were prepared by using hydrothermal method. The particle size of initial TiO 2 was around 20 nm, and the specific surface area was 50 m2/gr. Different ratios of TiO 2 and ZnO applied to synthesize core shell particle. X-ray diffraction (XRD) used to phase characterization and crystalline size, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to morphology and microstructure investigations. S. Brunauer, P. H. Emmett and E. Teller method (BET) to find specific surface area, Diffusive UV-visible-NIR spectrometry to bang gap calculations. The results indicate that powders with a shell of zinc oxide in specific range have the quantum size effect. Titanium oxide and... 

In this paper, combined effects of material degradation, p-delta, and foundation uplift are incorporated in a soil-structure-interaction (SSI) framework to assess seismic response of a single-degree-of-freedom system. The considered phenomenological systems represent a column with a lumped mass on top is placed on a rigid foundation. The foundation is mounted on Winkler springs and dashpots to take account of soil-foundation compliance and material/radiation damping. The springs are tensionless to guarantee that uplift is properly modelled. The model is verified for two specific limit cases with the code and literature to make sure that the model is capable of capturing SSI and foundation...