Asynchronous nanowire crossbar architecture for manufacturability, modularity and robustness

This thesis spotlights the dawn of a promising new nanowire crossbar architecture, the Asynchronous crossbar architecture, in the form of three different articles. It combines the reduced size of the nanowire crossbar architecture with the clock-free nature of Null Conventional Logic, which are the primary advantages. The first paper explains the proposed architecture with illustrations, including the design of an optimized full adder. This architecture has an elementary structure termed as a Programmable Gate Macro Block (PGMB) which is analogous to a threshold gate in NCL. The other two papers concentrate on mapping and placement techniques which are important due to defects involved in crossbars. These defects have to be tolerated and logic has to be routed appropriately for successful functioning of the circuit --Introduction, page 1

Пошуки язичницьких аніми та анімуса як архетипна ретроспектива: на матеріалі перекладеної І.Я. Франком старонорвезької балади «Вісім літ у карлів»

Keynesian theory predicts output responses upon a fiscal expansion in a small open economy to be larger under fixed than floating exchange rates. We analyse the effects of fiscal expansions using a New Keynesian model and find that the reverse holds in the presence of sovereign default risk. By raising sovereign risk, a fiscal expansion worsens private credit conditions and reduces consumption; these adverse effects are offset by an exchange rate depreciation and a rise in exports under a float, yet not under a peg. We find that output responses can even be negative when exchange rates are held fixed, suggesting the possibility of expansionary fiscal consolidations

Evaluating Performance Tradeoff in Defect-Tolerant Gate Programming Techniques for the Clock-Free Nanowire Crossbar Architecture

A novel asynchronous nanowire crossbar architecture has been recently proposed by authors\u27 research group. The proposed clock-free architecture provides numerous significant benefits over its clocked counterparts which include better manufacturability, scalability, modularity and robustness. We also proposed various gate mapping and reconfiguration algorithms for defect-tolerant programming of PGMB (programmable gate macro blocks) - which is the primary building block of the proposed architecture. These algorithms were tested by simulations and a variety of parameter values were applied to show their performance characteristics. The most important performance metric of the proposed techniques is the programmability (i.e., the ratio of successfully programmed gates to the total number of gates). However, algorithms with higher programmability should come with higher time/space requirements. In this work, we will evaluate the tradeoff between programmability and time/space requirements and suggest a way to find the most suitable algorithm with acceptable combination of programmability and time/space requirements

Redundancy Optimization for Clock-Free Nanowire Crossbar Architecture

In this paper a method is being proposed to find the optimal dimension of Programmable Gate Macro Block (PGMB) in clock-free nanowire crossbar architecture. A PGMB is a nanowire crossbar matrix with discrete number of rows and columns on which the NCL (Null Convention Logic) gates can be programmed. This method uses inherent redundancy to route through defective crosspoints. A 6 X 10 defect-free crossbar can be used to program any of the 27 threshold gates. Due to imperfections and variations in nanoscale manufacturing process, high defect densities are anticipated. Thus, such defects should be located when tested and the logic has to be rerouted around them to maintain proper functionality. This paper discusses this problem and tried to find an optimal solution through simulations. In the final submission, more effective logic mapping techniques will be proposed and validated

Indexing and Retrieving Photographic Images Using a Combination of Geo-Location and Content-Based Features

This paper presents a novel method that automatically indexes searches for relevant images using a combination of geo-coded information and content-based visual features. Photographic images are labeled with their corresponding GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates and UTC time (Coordinated Universal Time) information at the moment of capture, which are then utilized to create spatial and temporal indexes for photograph retrieval. Assessing the performance in terms of average precision and F-score with real-world image collections revealed that the proposed approach significantly improved and enhanced the retrieval process compared to searches based on visual content alone. Combining content and context information thus offers a useful and meaningful new approach to searching and managing large image collections

The effects of fiscal policy at the effective lower bound

We estimate the effects of government spending shocks during prolonged episodes of low interest rates, which we consider as proxy for the effective lower bound (ELB). Using a panel VAR model for 17 advanced countries, we find that both the government consumption and investment multipliers are significantly higher, and exceed unity, when interest rates are persistently low. Distinguishing between construction- and equipment-related government investments, we find that only the former raises output by significantly more when the ELB binds. This result can be explained by existing New Keynesian models featuring time-to-build constraints on government investment

Nucleotide sequence of the luxA gene of Vibrio harveyi and the complete amino acid sequence of the alpha subunit of bacterial luciferase

The nucleotide sequence of the 1.85-kilobase EcoRI fragment from Vibrio harveyi that was cloned using a mixed-sequence synthetic oligonucleotide probe (Cohn, D. H., Ogden, R. C., Abelson, J. N., Baldwin, T. O., Nealson, K. H., Simon, M. I., and Mileham, A. J. (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 120-123) has been determined. The alpha subunit-coding region (luxA) was found to begin at base number 707 and end at base number 1771. The alpha subunit has a calculated molecular weight of 40,108 and comprises a total of 355 amino acid residues. There are 34 base pairs separating the start of the alpha subunit structural gene and a 669-base open reading frame extending from the proximal EcoRI site. At the 3' end of the luxA coding region there are 26 bases between the end of the structural gene and the start of the luxB structural gene. Approximately two-thirds of the alpha subunit was sequenced by protein chemical techniques. The amino acid sequence implied by the DNA sequence, with few exceptions, confirmed the chemically determined sequence. Regions of the alpha subunit thought to comprise the active center were found to reside in two discrete and relatively basic regions, one from around residues 100-115 and the second from around residues 280-295

Educação científica intercultural: construindo pontes conceituais sobre as Plêiades no Gran Charco

This paper presents the research results of a final dissertation from the Master of Natural Sciences Education. To that end, we went to middle schools where most of the attending students are from the Quom ethnic group. As part of a research-action on Intercultural Scientific Education (ise) and Natural Sciences Education (nse), the main goal was to find conceptual links or bridges between scientific knowledge and vernacular knowledge through a common subject. For that purpose, we designed exploratory activities to evaluate the presence of scientific and vernacular cultural elements about the Pleiades, a very significant star cluster for Amerindian people. Based on the results obtained in these activities, we obtained a classification of the main actors and figures of the Quom sky, revealing the relevant place of the Pleiades in the ancestral sky.  Este trabajo presenta los resultados de investigación de una tesis de Maestría en Enseñanza de las Ciencias Naturales. Para su realización se intervino en escuelas medias a las que asisten estudiantes, mayoritariamente de la etnia Qom. Siendo parte de una investigación-acción sobre Educación Científica Intercultural (eci) y la Didáctica de las Ciencias Naturales (dcn), su objetivo específico fue encontrar los vínculos o puentes conceptuales entre los conocimientos científicos y los conocimientos vernáculos a través de una temática común. Para ello se diseñaron actividades exploratorias a través de las que se evaluó la presencia de elementos culturales científicos y vernáculos sobre Las Pléyades, un grupo de estrellas muy significativo para las poblaciones amerindias. Con base a los resultados obtenidos en dichas actividades se obtuvo una clasificación de los principales actores y figuras que componen el cielo qom, develando el lugar de relevancia de Las Pléyades en la bóveda celeste ancestral.Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de pesquisa de uma tese de Mestrado em Ensino das Ciências Naturais. Para sua elaboração, trabalhou-se com escolas médias nas que estudam alunos maioritariamente da etnia Qom. Sendo parte de uma pesquisa-ação sobre Educação Científica Intercultural (eci) e a Didática das Ciências Naturais (dcn), seu objetivo específico foi encontrar os vínculos ou as pontes conceituais entre conhecimentos científicos e os conhecimentos vernáculos através de uma temática comum. Para isso foram propostas atividades exploratórias através das que foi avaliada a presença de elementos culturais científicos e vernáculos sobre as Plêiades, um grupo de estrelas muito significativo para as populações ameríndias. Com base nas descobertas obtidas dessas atividades, realizou-se uma classificação dos principais atores e figuras que compõem o céu Qom, desvelando o lugar de relevância das Plêiades na esfera celeste ancestral

Low temperature, low pressure CMOS compatible Cu -Cu thermo-compression bonding with Ti passivation for 3D IC integration

In this paper, we report the methodology of achieving low temperature, low pressure CMOS compatible Wafer-on-Wafer (WoW) Cu-Cu thermo-compression bonding using optimally chosen ultra-thin layer of Titanium (Ti) as a passivation layer. We systematically studied the effects of Ti thickness on bonding quality via its effects on surface roughness, oxidation prevention and inter diffusion of Cu. Through this study, we have found that a Ti thickness of 3 nm not only results in excellent bonding but also leads to a reduction in operating pressure to 2.5 bar and temperature to 175° C. The reduction in pressure is more than an order of magnitude lower relative to the current state-of-the-art. The lower operating pressure and temperature manifest themselves in a very good homogenous bond further highlighting the efficacy of our approach. Finally, our results have been corroborated by evidence from AFM study of the Cu/Ti surface prior to bonding. The bond strength of Cu-Cu as measured by Instron Microtester measurement system is found to be 190 MPa which compares very well with the reported literatures