Resource aware mapping on coarse grained reconfigurable arrays

Coarse grain reconfigurable array architectures have become increasingly popular due to their flexibility, scalability and performance. However, the mapping of programs on these architectures is characterized by huge complexity. This work presents a new mapping methodology for effectively mapping applications on coarse grained reconfigurable arrays. The core of this methodology comprises of the scheduling and register allocation phases performed, for the first time in the case of CGRAs, in a single step. Additionally, modulo scheduling with backtracking capability is incorporated in this scheme. The main contribution of this work includes a novel technique for minimizing the memory bandwidth bottleneck, a new priority scheme and a new set of heuristics which target on the maximization of the Instruction Level Parallelism by efficiently managing the architecture’s resources. The overall approach is retargetable with respect to a parametric architecture template modelling a large number of architecture alternatives and it has been automated with a prototype tool which permits experimental exploration. The experimental results showed that the achieved performance figures are very close to the most effective ones derived from the theoretical study on the architecture’s resources and the applications requirements. Moreover, the application of the bandwidth optimization technique lead to a 20–130% increase on operation parallelism. Finally, the experiments quantified the benefit from applying the new priority scheme and heuristics.     

Selectivity and Related Measures for nth-Order Data

Analytical figures of merit are often used as criteria to decide whether or not a given instrumental method is suitable for attacking an analytical problem. To date, figures of merit primarily exist for analytical instruments producing data indexed by one variable, i.e., first-order instruments and first-order data. Almost none exist for instruments that generate data indexed by two variables, i.e., second-order instruments and data, and none exist for instruments supplying data indexed by three or more variables, i.e., nth-order instruments and data. This paper develops practical mathematical tools that can be used to create several figures of merit for nth-order instrumentation, namely, selectivity, net analyte signal, and sensitivity. In particular, the paper fully develops a local selectivity measure for second-order instrumentation and tests its performance using simulated second-order data and real second-order data obtained by gas chromatography with Fourier transform infrared detection and liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. Also included in the paper is a brief discussion on practical uses of nth-order figures of merit.     

Collaborative Virtual Simulation Environment for Radiotherapy Treatment Planning

The simulation of Radiotherapy Treatment Planning (RTP) is a normal procedure in oncology clinics carried out on a Simulator machine. The Virtual Simulation of RTP replaces the real Simulator machine with a virtual one by using the CT data sets of a patient instead of the real patient. In this paper, we present a collaborative virtual simulation environment of RTP, named EU-VIRTUOSO, which is based on volume rendering and telecommunication techniques. The RTP procedure is visualised on a virtual patient, which is created by using the CT data of the patient. Different volume rendering and volume interaction techniques, such as DRR, MIP, gradient surface, and iso-surface, supply physicians with high quality rendering images to simulate the real working environment of the Simulator machine. In the collaborative environment, physicians distributed at different locations can work together via network to plan the treatment or to validate the treatment plan on-line by a collaborative application sharing approach. Both concepts virtualised planning and collaborative planning improve the efficiency and accuracy of a radiotherapy treatment while reducing the effort for an individual patient.     

Image quality evaluation and patient dose assessment of medical fluoroscopic X-ray systems: a national study

This study presents the results from a survey conducted by the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), during the period 1998-2003, in 530 public and private owned fluoroscopic X-ray systems in Greece. Certain operational parameters for conventional and remote control systems were assessed, according to a quality control protocol developed by GAEC on the basis of the current literature. Public (91.5%) and private (81.5%) owned fluoroscopic units exhibit high-contrast resolution values over 1 lp mm(-1). Moreover, 88.5 and 87.1% of the fluoroscopic units installed in the public and private sector, respectively, present Maximum Patient Entrance Kerma Rate values lower than 100 mGy min(-1). Additionally, 68.3% of the units assessed were found to perform within the acceptance limits. Finally, the third quartile of the Entrance Surface Dose Rate distribution was estimated according to the Dose Reference Level definition and found equal to 35 mGy min(-1).     

An Internet-based system for the commerce of medical devices. A portal for improving communication between healthcare professionals and the medical device industry

The MEDIDEV service combines a central product catalog featuring basic information with Internet-connected websites and online catalogs hosting the detailed information. This approach is compatible with the manufacturers' requirement to maintain control over the detailed information of their products. At the same time, it allows the end user to efficiently choose from a potentially long list of products-those which mostly satisfy his requirements-and then to get more detailed information in the corresponding linked websites and on-line catalogs. The manufacturers have two alternative ways for updating the information stored in the Portal. They can use a human-operated and HTML-based interface or an automated and CORBA-based interface. Thus, the timeliness and consistency of the Portal information is ensured. The adoption of Internet standard technologies (Java, CORBA, XML) has maintained a high level of platform independence and interoperability. The current version has been developed for Windows NT, while the final version is currently ported to a HP UNIX machine. Special care has been taken to support both major Internet browsers: Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. The implementation of XML for the data presentation has led to a reduced and optimized transmission of data from the Portal to the user's browser. Only the new data are transmitted as XML documents each time, while formatting information is once loaded at the browser. The separation of data from the formatting information leads to another advantage. It is a common practice today for horizontal portals, which are targeting a wide variety of interests, to subcontract content from other, more specialized portals or sites (vertical portals). The MEDIDEV Portal can provide its data to other sites as XML documents that will be parsed and displayed with their own look and feel. This opens up new marketing opportunities.     

Dopamine depletion reorganizes projections from the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum that mediate opioid-induced motor activity

Motor activity elicited pharmacologically from the nucleus accumbens by the mu-opioid receptor agonist D-Ala-Tyr-Gly-NMePhe-Gly-OH (DAMGO) is augmented in rats sustaining dopamine depletions. GABAergic projections from the nucleus accumbens to ventral pallidum and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are involved because stimulation of GABAB receptors in the VTA (by baclofen) or GABAA receptors in the ventral pallidum (by muscimol) inhibit the motor response induced by the microinjection of DAMGO into the nucleus accumbens. The present study was done to determine which of these projections is mediating the augmented DAMGO-induced motor activity that follows 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the nucleus accumbens. The inhibition of DAMGO-induced activation by pallidal injections of muscimol was markedly attenuated in lesioned animals, whereas the inhibition by VTA injections with baclofen was greatly enhanced. A similar switch in emphasis from pallidal to mesencephalic efferents was not observed for dopamine-induced motor activity, because muscimol microinjections inhibited the response elicited by dopamine microinjection into the nucleus accumbens in all subjects. The stimulation of mu-opioid receptors in the ventral pallidum also elicits motor activation, and this is blocked by baclofen microinjection into the VTA. However, after dopamine depletion in the nucleus accumbens, baclofen in the VTA was ineffective in blocking the motor response by DAMGO in the ventral pallidum. These data reveal that dopamine depletion in the nucleus accumbens produces a lesion-induced plasticity that alters the effect of mu-opioid receptor stimulation on efferent projections from the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum.     

水天千色

去年夏天，佛罗伦萨最热门的焦点无疑是Baglietto所建造的这艘名为RC的游艇了，意大利设计师的创作，采用了各种别具一格的设计形式，同时选用变化丰富的棉织物来做装饰，以及对游艇内部各个细节的关注使得整艘游艇最终呈现给世人的时候，不仅吸引了众人的眼光，更显示了作品的与众不同。     

A tetrachromatic model for colorimetric use in mesopic vision

In this article, a tetrachromatic colorimetric model is proposed. Four monochromatic stimuli are used as primaries instead of three to achieve colorimetric matches in mesopic vision. Tetrachromatic colorimetric matches are assumed in such a way so as to hold in both the photopic and the scotopic levels of adaptation. The fourth primary helps to balance the rod contribution in mesopic vision. The proposed model is based on the experimental observations that (a) trichromatic matches can be achieved in any light level and (b) once a tetrachromatic match is made, it holds at all radiances. The main outcome is that (a) only three channels in human vision system are important for color matching at mesopic and photopic levels and (b) additivity can be preserved at all levels once rod input is taken into account. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 2011     

Removal of heavy metals from wastewater using CFB-coal fly ash zeolitic materials

Polish bituminous (PB) and South African (SA) coal fly ash (FA) samples, derived from pilot-scale circulated fluidized bed (CFB) combustion facilities, were utilized as raw materials for the synthesis of zeolitic products. The two FAs underwent a hydrothermal activation with 1 M NaOH solution. Two different FA/NaOH solution/ratios (50, 100 g/L) were applied for each sample and several zeolitic materials were formed. The experimental products were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray coupled–scanning electron microscope (EDX/SEM), while X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was applied for the determination of their chemical composition. The zeolitic products were also evaluated in terms of their cation exchange capacity (CEC), specific surface area (SSA), specific gravity (SG), particle size distribution (PSD), pH and the range of their micro- and macroporosity. Afterwards the hybrid materials were tested for their ability of adsorbing Cr, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cd and Zn from contaminated liquids. Main parameters for the precipitation of the heavy metals, as it was concluded from the experimental results, are the mineralogical composition of the initial fly ashes, as well as the type and the amount of the produced zeolite and specifically the mechanism by which the metals ions are hold on the substrate.