Design Space Re-Engineering for Power Minimization in Modern Embedded Systems

Power minimization is a critical challenge for modern embedded system design. Recently, due to the rapid increase of system's complexity and the power density, there is a growing need for power control techniques at various design levels. Meanwhile, due to technology scaling, leakage power has become a significant part of power dissipation in the CMOS circuits and new techniques are needed to reduce leakage power. As a result, many new power minimization techniques have been proposed such as voltage island, gate sizing, multiple supply and threshold voltage, power gating and input vector control, etc. These design options further enlarge the design space and make it prohibitively expensive to explore for the most energy efficient design solution. Consequently, heuristic algorithms and randomized algorithms are frequently used to explore the design space, seeking sub-optimal solutions to meet the time-to-market requirements. These algorithms are based on the idea of truncating the design space and restricting the search in a subset of the original design space. While this approach can effectively reduce the runtime of searching, it may also exclude high-quality design solutions and cause design quality degradation. When the solution to one problem is used as the base for another problem, such solution quality degradation will accumulate. In modern electronics system design, when several such algorithms are used in series to solve problems in different design levels, the final solution can be far off the optimal one. In my Ph.D. work, I develop a {\em re-engineering} methodology to facilitate exploring the design space of power efficient embedded systems design. The direct goal is to enhance the performance of existing low power techniques. The methodology is based on the idea that design quality can be improved via iterative ``re-shaping'' the design space based on the ``bad'' structure in the obtained design solutions; the searching run-time can be reduced by the guidance from previous exploration. This approach can be described in three phases: (1) apply the existing techniques to obtain a sub-optimal solution; (2) analyze the solution and expand the design space accordingly; and (3) re-apply the technique to re-explore the enlarged design space. We apply this methodology at different levels of embedded system design to minimize power: (i) switching power reduction in sequential logic synthesis; (ii) gate-level static leakage current reduction; (iii) dual threshold voltage CMOS circuits design; and (iv) system-level energy-efficient detection scheme for wireless sensor networks. An extensive amount of experiments have been conducted and the results have shown that this methodology can effectively enhance the power efficiency of the existing embedded system design flows with very little overhead

Optimization of Hybrid Power Supply systems

katedra ekonomiky, manažerství a humanitních vě

Fire Protection Engineering Final Report: Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, College Town, TX

This report examines the Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center in College Station, TX. This hospital is a 324,070 square feet midrise building of Type I-A construction and Group I-2 occupancy, with a basement and five above-grade floors. Publicly-available, simplified floor plans were obtained from the internet, and a prescriptive- and performance-based analysis was formed around these plans. It should be noted that these online plans may not contain all information and details in that are found in architectural plans, and that assumptions were made in order to ‘fill in the gaps’ and proceed with this report. For example, on the basement floor plan, only one vertical exit is shown, and in this report it is assumed no other vertical exits are present, though in reality there may be. Such assumptions are noted at the time they are presented within this report. This report includes a prescriptive-based analysis of the fire and life safety components of this building, which includes the egress, water-based fire suppression, detection and notification, structural, flammability assessment method, and smoke control systems. The prescriptive-based analysis is based on the IBC and associated NFPA standards, as adopted by the AHJ in the area. It is understood that as a health care facility, requirements and surveys by the Joint Commission (formerly Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, JCAHO, and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals JCAH) apply, in addition to those by AHJ’s to other facilities and occupancies. However, the Joint Commission requirements are outside the scope of this report, and the report instead focuses on the focus on the IBC and NFPA standards. This reports also includes a performance-based analysis of this building. The performance-based analysis considers two design fires based on data from the SFPE Handbook, 5th edition: an office workstation fire, and a patient bed fire. Pathfinder models with patient beds requiring assistance to move was used to estimate the required safe egress time (RSET) to evacuate from one smoke compartment to another via horizontal exits for each scenario. FDS models were then used to find the available safe egress time (ASET) based on tenability criteria. Results: From the prescriptive-based analysis, and based on assumptions made in this report, the Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center generally meets code requirements. One example where this is not the case is in the number of exits provided from the basement level to the level of discharge on the ground floor. As noted in the summary though, another vertical exit may be present, but not shown on these simplified floor plans. Additionally, the assumptions made as to the occupancy classification and loads for spaces in the basement were deliberately chosen to be conservative, and in reality the occupant load may be below the threshold for two separate exits. From the performance-based analysis, an ASET of over 500 seconds was calculated for the office fire scenario, which is greater than an RSET of 315.5 seconds for that scenario. However, an ASET of 260 seconds was calculated for the bedroom fire scenario, which is less than the RSET for that scenario. Additional examination of the model with stakeholders, including the AHJ and hospital, should be conducted to verify assumptions and data. In case RSET still exceeds ASET, additional engineered systems or administrative controls can be implemented to increase ASET until it exceeds RSET, including 7 increases in detection, notification, suppression, smoke control, flammability limits on fixtures, furnishings, and equipment, etc. It should be noted that both the office and bedroom fire scenarios were based on a sprinkler controlled fire, and several assumptions regarding the overall HRR curve, reaction chemistry, and other factors which may be further refined. The fact that the calculations assumed that the doors to the office and the bedroom were open during each fire scenario likely was a key component of these model calculations, and bares further examination. Conclusions: This report serves as an academic analysis of the Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center in College Station, TX. While lack of detailed drawings and information necessarily make this report limited in use, it is hoped this paper serves as a basic review of the life safety systems of this hospital, and hospitals in general. It is also anticipated that this narrative may serve as a starting point for future detailed studies

Pitkin Charter School

The Loew’s Pitkin building is a renovation of a movie/stage theater built in 1929. Over the next three decades the neighborhood declined and the theater closed in the Nineteen Sixties. The building was then a church for a while and then retail space with the theater auditorium empty. The building was finally abandoned in the Seventies and deteriorated until the early part of the next century. The School board of New York City took possession of the vacant structure and turned it into PS 159. It is a grade school serving grades from kindergarten to fifth grade and special education. This building is a public grade school located in Brooklyn, New York. This report evaluates the prescriptive code requirements of the New York City building codes and standards in effect at the time of permitting in the year, 2007. The building is Six Stories with an occupied roof. The building does not have an occupied story (roof level) over Seventy Five Feet. This building does not meet the requirements of a High Rise building as defined in the New York City Building Code. The building is categorized as a non- combustible protected structure. It has separated mixed occupancy classifications consisting of Assembly, Education, Business, Storage, and Factory. This report will analyze one fire scenario of a Christmas tree in the multi-use space Gym Auditorium Cafeteria located on the Sixth floor for the performance base design requirement. The prescriptive standards/codes used to evaluate the building are the New York City Building Code (IBC), New York City Fire Code (IFC), New York City Electric Code, and applicable standards from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The report will analyze building code requirements to include height and area, fire resistance rating of structural components, unprotected opening requirements, separation distance, fire department accesses, fire extinguisher placement, egress components, Fire sprinkler, and fire alarm. The Performance based analysis was conducted using Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS). The fire scenario in this performance based analysis is a Christmas tree fire in the multipurpose room on the top floor. The requirements of tenability will be established: temperature, visibility and fractional effective dose. The time for egress from the multipurpose room will be calculated to obtain the required safe egress time (RSET). The smoke layer height has been calculated using FDS and the available safe egress time will be determined (ASET). A comparison of the two components will be done to determine if tenable environment lasts long enough for people to egress the multipurpose room. There is one room that did not meet New York City building Code egress travel distance requirements. On the roof, a mechanical room located in the lower left hand corner did not meet the One Hundred foot travel distanced required for a single exit egress. There are three areas that did not meet the mean egress requirements for NFPA 101 the Life Safety Code; but, did meet the building code requirements. The kindergarten and first grade did not meet the requirement of being on level of exit discharge nor were they provided with an independent means of egress. The second grade is more than one story above exit discharge and was not provided with an independent means of egress. The performance based analysis determined the Christmas tree fire scenario in the multipurpose room did create an untenable environment before the occupants left the room. The smoke layer descended below a level of seven foot before all of the occupants left the room failing the visibility requirement of tenability. The installation of either a Mechanical or Natural Ventilation System would increase the time the smoke layer would take to reach a level of Seven feet allowing the visibility requirement of tenability to be met

An Evaluation of the ‘Philosophy for Children’ programme: The impact on Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills

Philosophy for Children (P4C) is a school-based intervention currently implemented in more than 60 countries. This thesis examines the evidence regarding the effectiveness of Philosophy for Children for developing pupils’ cognitive and non-cognitive skills. Three different approaches were used. A systematic literature review was conducted of the evidence published in the last 40 years. A new comparative evaluation study was conducted with Year 5 pupils in 17 primary schools in England (N = 547 pupils in the intervention group, N= 270 in the comparison group). The intervention lasted for an academic year, and a pre-test and a post-test were given at the beginning and end of the school year to evaluate students’ critical thinking and creativity. Secondary data analysis of the National Pupil Database (NPD) from the Department of Education was used to examine the long-term effect of P4C implementation on attainment (reading, writing, maths). The results of 34 schools which implemented P4C during Key Stage 2 (2011-2015) were compared with 14,791 mainstream schools in England which did not, and the same analysis was repeated based only on these pupils in both groups known to be eligible for Free School Meals during the last six years (as an assessment of the impact of the P4C on narrowing the poverty attainment gap). The review results suggested that P4C generally has a positive impact on reasoning skills. In most studies, P4C also has a positive impact on literacy and some non-cognitive skills. However, the new comparative evaluation study found no evidence that P4C has a positive impact on Year 5 students’ critical thinking or creativity. This comparative study has some limitations in terms of design and inevitable attrition. The more robust secondary data analysis showed that students eligible for Free School Meals develop their reading and writing more after long-term P4C implementation than in non-P4C schools, during Key Stage 2. By combining all of the evidence from the review, comparative evaluation study and secondary data analysis, this study suggests that the implementation of P4C in primary schools is still worthwhile, both in its own terms and for its added benefits in terms of cognitive and perhaps non-cognitive outcomes. The programme is likely to help improve students’ reasoning skills. P4C can improve the literacy of disadvantaged students in the classrooms, relative to their peers, and so contribute towards closing the attainment gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students. However, the new evaluation creates a caution about what can be expected from P4C and, if it used, the programme may need adjusting in order to provide opportunities for practicing a wider range of thinking skills

Order and structure in syntax I

This book reconsiders the role of order and structure in syntax, focusing on fundamental issues such as word order and grammatical functions. The first group of papers in the collection asks what word order can tell us about syntactic structure, using evidence from V2, object shift, word order gaps and different kinds of movement. The second group of papers all address the issue of subjecthood in some way, and examine how certain subject properties vary across languages: expression of subjects, expletive subjects, quirky and locative subjects. All of the papers address in some way the tension between modelling what can vary across languages whilst improving our understanding of what might be universal to human language

Evaluation of a language teaching project in South India

This thesis reports an evaluation of an innovative language teaching project in South India, known as the Communicational Teaching Project (CTP). A review of the relevant areas of applied linguistic, psychological and educational literatures (Chapters 1 and 2) suggests an approach to program evaluation in which external validity is accorded priority over internal validity, and practical uses that can be made of the evaluation with reference to future programs take precedence over attempts to contribute to theories of language learning. Shaped by the review chapters and by a critical analysis of the literature surrounding the project (Chapter 3), 4 databased chapters (4, 5, 6 and 7) examine the project from different perspectives. Chapter 4 reports a comparison of the effects of CTP teaching and the prevailing structure-based method. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 retrospectively explore what took place in CTP classrooms, looking at levels of implementation, teachers' concerns, and the treatment of error. The data and the analyses are presented in such a way as to facilitate extrapolation by potential users of the CTP from the present study to other circumstances

Social work with airports passengers

Social work at the airport is in to offer to passengers social services. The main methodological position is that people are under stress, which characterized by a particular set of characteristics in appearance and behavior. In such circumstances passenger attracts in his actions some attention. Only person whom he trusts can help him with the documents or psychologically

Word order and syntactic structure

This book reconsiders the role of order and structure in syntax, focusing on fundamental issues such as word order and grammatical functions. The first group of papers in the collection asks what word order can tell us about syntactic structure, using evidence from V2, object shift, word order gaps and different kinds of movement. The second group of papers all address the issue of subjecthood in some way, and examine how certain subject properties vary across languages: expression of subjects, expletive subjects, quirky and locative subjects. All of the papers address in some way the tension between modelling what can vary across languages whilst improving our understanding of what might be universal to human language