Context Switching in a Run-Time Reconfigurable System

A distinguishing feature of reconfigurable computing over rapid prototyping is its ability to configure the computational fabric on-line while an application is running. Conventional reconfigurable computing platforms utilize commodity FPGAs, which typically have relatively long configuration times. Shrinking the configuration time down to the nanosecond region opens possibilities for rapid context switching and virtualizing the computational resources. An experimental context-switching FPGA, called the CSRC, has been created by BAE Systems, and gives researchers the opportunity to explore context-switching applications. This paper presents results obtained from constructing both control-driven and data-driven context switching applications on the CSRC device, along with unique properties of the run-time and compile-time environment.     

Comparison of the fatty acids of the tunicateBotryllus schlosseri from the Black Sea with two associated bacterial strains

The fatty acid composition of the tunicateBotryllus schlosseri and of two bacterial strains found within the tunicate, namelyVibrio parahaemolyticus and of an associated but previously unreported gram positive cocci were studied. The polyunsaturated fatty acids 6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid, 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid, and 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid were particularly abundant inB. schlosseri and were not detected in the two bacterial strains found in the tunicate. Theiso/anteiso pair, 13-methyltetradecanoic acid and 12-methyltetradecanoic acid, were the principal fatty acids in the gram positive cocci, and the 9- and 11-hexadecenoic acids were particulary abundant inV. parahaemolyticus. The diunsaturated fatty acid 9,12-octadecadienoic acid was also shown to be present inV. parahaemolyticus. The fatty acid composition of a third bacterial strain, characterized as either aPseudomonas or anAlteromonas species, and shown to be present only in the sea water from the Black Sea and not inB. schlosseri, is also reported. This is the first investigation on fatty acids from Black Sea bacteria.     

Effects of hydrodynamics and Lagrangian transport on chemically reacting bubble flows

The objective of this study is to investigate the dynamics of flows occurring in the wakes of rising bubbles of different shapes and sizes. Different wake dynamics can result in qualitatively different mixing characteristics. In the case of fast gas-liquid reaction networks, reactions occur almost exclusively in the bubble wake. Thus, wake mixing can have a strong impact on the reaction yield and selectivity. Dynamic numerical simulations were performed to study the flow of liquid around bubbles of different shapes. The obtained velocity and pressure fields were used to investigate the liquid-phase mixing in the flow for each case. As a strong connection between mixing and chaos is known to exist, Lagrangian tracking of passive tracer particles was used to identify chaotic fluid transport in the flows. Chaotic dynamics lead to folding and stretching of fluid elements, which results in very effective mixing. To quantify mixing, stretching fields were computed for each flow case. Finally, different liquid-phase chemical reaction networks were tested to illustrate the effects of mixing on chemical reaction yields and selectivities.     

Reactive mass transfer at gas-liquid interfaces: impact of micro-scale fluid dynamics on yield and selectivity of liquid-phase cyclohexane oxidation

The impact of single-bubble wake dynamics on the reaction-enhanced mass transfer and on the yield and selectivity of the cyclohexane oxidation reaction was studied using a two-dimensional CFD-reaction model that was developed by our group. Temperature and the concentrations of the (desired) intermediate and (undesired) final products of this autocatalytic reaction were the parameters of this study. Two bubble types were studied: (a) a circular bubble with closed wake, and (b) an elliptical bubble with an unsteady, vortex-shedding wake. The main results of our work are: (1) Film theory over-predicts reaction-enhanced mass transfer since the assumption of an average film thickness is not justified. In order to study fast reaction systems on a reactor scale using coarse-grid CFD codes, a full bubble model, or correlations based on it, should be incorporated as a sub-grid micro model. (2) The bubble wake does not contribute to mass transfer in systems where reaction rates are low. For fast reactions, the local mass transfer rate in the wake can increase by several thousand percent. (3) Vortex shedding causes qualitatively different mixing since patches rich in the dissolved gas are quickly convected away from the bubble. Bubbles that cause vortex shedding will lead to a significantly higher conversion per volume than spherical bubbles. (4) Parallel-consecutive reactions with a high liquid-phase reactant concentration and with reaction rates that depend in an identical way on the dissolved gas concentration, are not micro-mixing sensitive in terms of selectivity. Since bubble shapes and sizes can be controlled by changing operating and design parameters, the yield of this reaction can be controlled.     

An overview of configurable computing machines for software radio handsets

The advent of software radios has brought a paradigm shift to radio design. A multimode handset with dynamic reconfigurability has the promise of integrated services and global roaming capabilities. However, most of the work to date has been focused on software radio base stations, which do not have as tight constraints on area and power as handsets. Base station software radio technology progressed dramatically with advances in system design, adaptive modulation and coding techniques, reconfigurable hardware, A/D converters, RF design, and rapid prototyping systems, and has helped bring software radio handsets a step closer to reality. However, supporting multimode radios on a small handset still remains a design challenge. A configurable computing machine, which is an optimized FPGA with application-specific capabilities, show promise for software radio handsets in optimizing hardware implementations for heterogeneous systems. In this article contemporary CCM architectures that allow dynamic hardware reconfiguration with maximum flexibility are reviewed and assessed. This is followed by design recommendations for CCM architectures for use in software radio handsets.     

Cognitive Radio and Networking Research at Virginia Tech

More than a dozen Wireless @ Virginia Tech faculty are working to address the broad research agenda of cognitive radio and cognitive networks. Our core research team spans the protocol stack from radio and reconfigurable hardware to communications theory to the networking layer. Our work includes new analysis methods and the development of new software architectures and applications, in addition to work on the core concepts and architectures underlying cognitive radios and cognitive networks. This paper describes these contributions and points towards critical future work that remains to fulfill the promise of cognitive radio. We briefly describe the history of work on cognitive radios and networks at Virginia Tech and then discuss our contributions to the core cognitive processing underlying these systems, focusing on our cognitive engine. We also describe developments that support the cognitive engine and advances in radio technology that provide the flexibility desired in a cognitive radio node. We consider securing and verifying cognitive systems and examine the challenges of expanding the cognitive paradigm up the protocol stack to optimize end-to-end network performance. Lastly, we consider the analysis of cognitive systems using game theory and the application of cognitive techniques to problems in dynamic spectrum sharing and control of multiple-input multiple-output radios.     

A soft radio architecture for reconfigurable platforms

While many soft/software radio architectures have been suggested and implemented, there remains a lack of a formal design methodology that can be used to design and implement these radios. This article presents a unified architecture for the design of soft radios on a reconfigurable platform called the layered radio architecture. The layered architecture makes it possible to incorporate all of the features of a software radio while minimizing complexity issues. The layered architecture also enables a methodology for incorporating changes and updates into the system. An example implementation of the layered architecture on actual hardware is presented     

The fatty acid composition of a Vibrio alginolyticus associated with the alga Cladophora coelothrix. Identification of the novel 9-methyl-10-hexadecenoic acid

The fatty acid composition of a new strain of Vibrio alginolyticus, found in the alga Cladophora coelothrix, was studied. Among 38 different fatty acids, a new fatty acid, 9-methyl-10-hexadecenoic acid and the unusual 11-methyl-12-octadecenoic acid, were identified. Linear alkylbenzene fatty acids, such as 10-phenyldecanoic acid, 12-phenyldodecanoic acid and 14-phenyltetradecanoic acid, were also found in V. alginolyticus. The alga contained 43% saturated fatty acids, and 28% C₁₆–C₂₀ polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n−3 and n−6 families.     

Performance characteristics of an FT MS-based workflow for label-free differential MS analysis of human plasma: standards, reproducibility, targeted feature investigation, and application to a model of controlled myocardial infarction

Proteomics is undergoing a rapid transformation from a qualitative global peptide sequencing discipline into a quantitative, reproducibility-driven practice. Nowhere is this more evident than in the rapidly expanding field of protein biomarker discovery where the general goal is to uncover statistically robust patterns of differential expression between or among subjects/samples representing distinct biological/temporal states. This report presents the analytical characterization of a label-free LC FT-ICR-MS workflow for differential proteomics analysis of human plasma. The key elements discussed include (i) methodologies for performing properly replicated experiments with highly reproducible sample preparation and analysis, including the use of internal standards to quantify variance at different steps in the process, (ii) a new methodology for performing sample re-analysis that uses off-line targeted robotic acquisition of complementary spectral data (e.g. ECD and/or IRMPD) to enhance the identification of differentially expressed peptides/proteins, and (iii) data processing pipelines capable of integrating the automatic statistical analysis of the label-free (LC-) MS signal, together with the intuitive and highly interactive curation and annotation of differential features using the output from standard sequence database search programs. We illustrate the application of the complete sample-to-annotated-differential-peptides (-proteins) workflow by describing the acquisition and analysis of a large multidimensional dataset from patients undergoing a controlled myocardial infarction resulting in an experimental setup in which each patients serve as their own control. Furthermore, we discuss a couple illustrative examples of mid-level proteins observed in this study whose plasma concentrations change consistently within and across patients, in a treatment- and time-dependent fashion.