Automated low-power technique exploiting multiple supply voltagesapplied to a media processor

This paper describes an automated design technique to reduce power by making use of two supply voltages. The technique consists of structure synthesis, placement, and routing. The structure synthesizer clusters the gates off the critical paths so as to supply the reduced voltage to save power. The placement and routing tool assigns either the reduced voltage or the unreduced one to each row so as to minimize the area overhead. The reduced supply, voltage is also exploited in a clock tree to reduce power. Combining these techniques together, we applied it to a media processor chip. The combined technique reduced the power by 47% in random-logic modules and by 73% in the clock tree, while keeping the performance     

Temporal-Talbot-effect-based preprocessing for pattern-effect reduction in all-optical clock recovery using a semiconductor-optical-amplifier-based fiber ring laser

We propose and experimentally demonstrate the temporal-Talbot-effect (TTE)-based preprocessing for the pattern-effect reduction in the all-optical clock recovery using a semiconductor-optical-amplifier (SOA)-based fiber ring laser (SOA-FRL). The TTE-based preprocessing successfully reduced the pattern effects of the recovered clock pulses, so that the 10-GHz clear optical clock pulses were recovered from a 10-Gbit/s return-to-zero on–off keying (RZ-OOK) pseudo-random bit sequence (PRBS) optical signal. “Peak variation” and “Pattern-dependent intensity noise (PDIN)” were proposed and were utilized as parameters to quantitatively evaluate the pattern effects, from which recovered clock pulses suffer, in the temporal domain and the frequency domain, respectively. Peak variation was reduced from 77.2% to 36.2%, and PDIN was improved from ?103 dBc/Hz to ?110 dBc/Hz with the aid of the TTE-based preprocessing. Furthermore, we examined the tolerance of the proposed technique by intentionally deviating the input signal’s bit-rate by ±190 Mbit/s (±2% of the bit-rate) from the optimum condition for the TTE. As compared with the PDIN value for the pulse train obtained by the direct injection of the non-processed signal into the SOA-FRL, the PDIN of the recovered clock pulses using the preprocessed signal indicated improvements over the entire measurement range of ±190 Mbit/s, which corresponds to the wavelength-dispersion deviation of ±56 ps/nm (±4% of the wavelength-dispersion applied to the input signal) from the optimum value.     

Modeling of NBTI saturation effect and its impact on electric field dependence of the lifetime

Negative Bias Temperature Instability of pMOSFETs is investigated under various stress gate voltages and temperatures. It is shown that degradation tends to saturate and the dependence of lifetime on electric field (E_ox) is expressed as a power-law of E_ox. We propose new empirical and kinetic models. The E_ox dependence of the lifetime described by the power-law is derived from our empirical model describing the saturation of degradation. Moreover, our kinetic model explains the saturation behavior.     

Preparation of cured epoxy resin particles having one hollow by polyaddition reaction

In 1996, the authors proposed a novel method to prepare micron-sized, hollow cross-linked polymer particles. This method is based on the self-assembling of phase separated polymer at interface with water, which was named SaPSeP method, formed by suspension polymerization of divinyl monomer in toluene droplet dissolving previously polystyrene. The SaPSeP method was developed to be applicable to polyaddition reaction system of epoxy resin with diamine. The presence of PS dissolving in epoxy/diamine/toluene droplets promotes the phase separation of the epoxy resin reacted with the diamine. The epoxy resin molecules tend to adsorb at the interface of the droplets. These points were accord with the required conditions for the preparation of hollow particle by the SaPSeP method. Cured epoxy resin particles having one hollow were successfully prepared by the polyaddition reaction in the dispersed system of Epikote 806/630/604, of which equivalent ratio was 5/4/1.     

Application of proteomic analysis to renal disease in the clinic

Chronic kidney disease accounts for a significant portion of many national health-care budgets. In this viewpoint, we highlight recent advances in urinary proteomic analyses that potentially may soon enhance the care of afflicted patients. To achieve this goal, cooperation of interdisciplinary teams from around the world will be vital, so as to standardize methodology for preparation urine samples and technical aspects of the analyses, and for better application of results. These collaborative activities will facilitate translational research in kidney diseases.     

FLAC/PFC coupled numerical simulation of AE in large-scale underground excavations

Acoustic emission (AE) and microseismic (MS) events are indicators of rock fracturing or damage as the rock is brought to failure at high stress. By capturing the AE/MS events, underground excavation induced rock mass degradation or damage can be located and evaluated. A better understanding of the extent and shape of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ) or yield zone around caverns helps to arrive at safe and economic design and construction of the caverns. For this purpose, one needs to understand the AE mechanism associated with the excavation process.In the present study, a coupled numerical method is used to study AE at the Kannagawa underground powerhouse cavern in Japan. Two codes, Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC), a finite difference code and Particle Flow Code (PFC), a distinct element code, are coupled. The motive to apply the FLAC/PFC coupled approach is to take advantage of each modeling scheme while at the same time minimizing the requirement for computational resources. The coupling is realized through an exchange of displacements, velocities, and forces in each cycling step. The rock mass surrounding an AE sensor is modeled using PFC and the remaining rock mass is modeled with FLAC to consider the geological complexity and the excavation sequence. In this manner, the AE activities at AE sensor locations of the Kannagawa cavern were simulated and found to be in good agreement with field monitoring results. This approach takes account of stress redistribution and provides stress and displacement patterns in the rock mass that are consistent with AE observations for excavation design. The observed AE activities in the rock mass can thus be utilized to assess the effectiveness of the rock support system and the overall stability of the cavern.     

Microprocessor-Based Decoupled Control of Manipulator Using Modified Model-Following Method with Sliding Mode

A methodology of discontinuous feedback and continuous feedforward control is developed to achieve accurate decoupled tracking in a class of nonlinear, time varying systems in the presence of disturbances, parameter variations and nonlinear dynamic interactions. The method is based on an improved variable structure control with a sliding mode.     

A case of a premenopausal woman with advanced breast cancer treated with aromatization inhibition in combination with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist

A 44-year-old premenopausal woman having local recurrence and pleural and bone metastases of breast cancer was treated with aromatization inhibition in combination with Luteinizing Hormone-releasing Hormone (LH-RH) agonist. The dominant site of metastasis was a painful local lesion invading the chest wall. A partial response by reducing the size of the local lesion was attained 3 months after initiation of treatment. This result suggested that treatment using aromatization inhibition in combination with LH-RH agonist would be effective in premenopausal breast cancer. To confirm the effectiveness of this treatment, comparative study between aromatization inhibition in combination with LH-RH agonist aromatization inhibition alone and anti-estrogen in combination with LH-RH agonist are needed.