ePRO-MP: A tool for profiling and optimizing energy and performance of mobile multiprocessor applications

Abstract. For mobile multiprocessor applications, achieving high performance with low energy consumption is a challenging task. In order to help programmers to meet these design requirements, system development tools play an important role. In this paper, we describe one such development tool, ePRO-MP, which profiles and optimizes both performance and energy consumption of multi-threaded applications running on top of Linux for ARM11 MPCore-based embedded systems. One of the key features of ePRO-MP is that it can accurately estimate the energy consumption of multi-threaded applications without requiring a power measurement equipment, using a regression-based energy model. We also describe another key benefit of ePRO-MP, an automatic optimization function, using two example problems. Using the automatic optimization function, ePRO-MP can achieve high performance and low power consumption without programmer intervention. Our experimental results show that ePRO-MP can improve the performance and energy consumption by 6.1% and 4.1%, respectively, over a baseline version for the co-running applications optimization example. For the producer-consumer application optimization example, ePRO-MP improves the performance and energy consumption by 60.5% and 43.3%, respectively over a baseline version

Numerical Simulation of Impact Behavior of Ceramic Coatings Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Method

In this work, the impact behavior of an alumina spherical particle on alumina coating is modeled using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. The effects of impact angle (0 deg, 30 deg, and 60 deg) and velocity (100 m/s, 200 m/s, and 300 m/s) on the morphology changes of the impact pit and impacting particle, and their associated stress and energy are investigated. The results show that the combination of impact angle of 0 deg and velocity of 300 m/s produces the highest penetration depth and largest stress and deformation in the coating layer, while the combination of 100 m/s and 60 deg causes the minimum damage to the coating layer. This is because the penetration depth is determined by the vertical velocity component difference between the impacting particle and the coating layer, but irrelevant to the horizontal component. The total energy of the coating layer increases with the time, while the internal energy increases with the time after some peak values, which is due to energy transmission from the spherical particle to the coating layer and the stress shock waves. The energy transmission from impacting particle to coating layer increases with the increasing particle velocity and decreases with the increasing inclined angle. The simulated impact pit morphology is qualitatively similar to the experimental observation. This work demonstrates that the SPH method is useful to analyze the impact behavior of ceramic coatings

Myopericarditis in a Korean Young Male With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Myocardial involvement with clinical symptoms is a rare manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), despite the relatively high prevalence of myocarditis at autopsies of SLE patients. In this review, we report the case of a 19-year-old male SLE patient who initially presented with myopericarditis and was successfully treated with high dose of glucocorticoids

Insulin resistance and white adipose tissue inflammation are uncoupled in energetically challenged Fsp27-deficient mice.

Fsp27 is a lipid droplet-associated protein almost exclusively expressed in adipocytes where it facilitates unilocular lipid droplet formation. In mice, Fsp27 deficiency is associated with increased basal lipolysis, 'browning' of white fat and a healthy metabolic profile, whereas a patient with congenital CIDEC deficiency manifested an adverse lipodystrophic phenotype. Here we reconcile these data by showing that exposing Fsp27-null mice to a substantial energetic stress by crossing them with ob/ob mice or BATless mice, or feeding them a high-fat diet, results in hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance. We also observe a striking reduction in adipose inflammation and increase in adiponectin levels in all three models. This appears to reflect reduced activation of the inflammasome and less adipocyte death. These findings highlight the importance of Fsp27 in facilitating optimal energy storage in adipocytes and represent a rare example where adipose inflammation and hepatic insulin resistance are disassociated.This work was supported by grants from the National Basic Research Program (2013CB530602 and 2011CB910801 to P.L.), from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31430040, 31321003 and 31030038), from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2012M520249 and 2013T60103 to L.Z.) and from the Wellcome Trust (091551 to D.S.). This work was also supported by the Bio and Medical Technology Development Program of the National Research Foundation (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (NRF-2013M3A9D5072563 to C.C.) and Korea Healthcare Technology R&D Project, Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, Korea (A102060 to C.C.).This is the final published version. It first appeared at http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150107/ncomms6949/full/ncomms6949.html?WT.ec_id=NCOMMS-20150114

Autophagy deficiency leads to protection from obesity and insulin resistance by inducing Fgf21 as a mitokine

Despite growing interest and a recent surge in papers, the role of autophagy in glucose and lipid metabolism is unclear. We produced mice with skeletal muscle–specific deletion of Atg7 (encoding autophagy-related 7). Unexpectedly, these mice showed decreased fat mass and were protected from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance; this phenotype was accompanied by increased fatty acid oxidation and browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) owing to induction of fibroblast growth factor 21 (Fgf21). Mitochondrial dysfunction induced by autophagy deficiency increased Fgf21 expression through induction of Atf4, a master regulator of the integrated stress response. Mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitors also induced Fgf21 in an Atf4-dependent manner. We also observed induction of Fgf21, resistance to diet-induced obesity and amelioration of insulin resistance in mice with autophagy deficiency in the liver, another insulin target tissue. These findings suggest that autophagy deficiency and subsequent mitochondrial dysfunction promote Fgf21 expression, a hormone we consequently term a 'mitokine', and together these processes promote protection from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance

Developing Asbestos Job Exposure Matrix Using Occupation and Industry Specific Exposure Data (1984–2008) in Republic of Korea

Background: The goal of this study is to develop a general population job-exposure matrix (GPJEM) on asbestos to estimate occupational asbestos exposure levels in the Republic of Korea. Methods: Three Korean domestic quantitative exposure datasets collected from 1984 to 2008 were used to build the GPJEM. Exposure groups in collected data were reclassified based on the current Korean Standard Industrial Classification (9th edition) and the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations code (6th edition) that is in accordance to international standards. All of the exposure levels were expressed by weighted arithmetic mean (WAM) and minimum and maximum concentrations. Results: Based on the established GPJEM, the 112 exposure groups could be reclassified into 86 industries and 74 occupations. In the 1980s, the highest exposure levels were estimated in “knitting and weaving machine operators” with a WAM concentration of 7.48 fibers/mL (f/mL); in the 1990s, “plastic products production machine operators” with 5.12 f/mL, and in the 2000s “detergents production machine operators” handling talc containing asbestos with 2.45 f/mL. Of the 112 exposure groups, 44 groups had higher WAM concentrations than the Korean occupational exposure limit of 0.1 f/mL. Conclusion: The newly constructed GPJEM which is generated from actual domestic quantitative exposure data could be useful in evaluating historical exposure levels to asbestos and could contribute to improved prediction of asbestos-related diseases among Koreans

ePRO-MP: A Tool for Profiling and Optimizing Energy and Performance of Mobile Multiprocessor Applications

For mobile multiprocessor applications, achieving high performance with low energy consumption is a challenging task. In order to help programmers to meet these design requirements, system development tools play an important role. In this paper, we describe one such development tool, ePRO-MP, which profiles and optimizes both performance and energy consumption of multi-threaded applications running on top of Linux for ARM11 MPCore-based embedded systems. One of the key features of ePRO-MP is that it can accurately estimate the energy consumption of multi-threaded applications without requiring a power measurement equipment, using a regression-based energy model. We also describe another key benefit of ePRO-MP, an automatic optimization function, using two example problems. Using the automatic optimization function, ePRO-MP can achieve high performance and low power consumption without programmer intervention. Our experimental results show that ePRO-MP can improve the performance and energy consumption by 6.1% and 4.1%, respectively, over a baseline version for the co-running applications optimization example. For the producer-consumer application optimization example, ePRO-MP improves the performance and energy consumption by 60.5% and 43.3%, respectively over a baseline version

Recycling and Material Flow Analysis of End-of-Life Fluorescent Lamps in South Korea

Proper management and treatment of end-of-life fluorescent lamps with a toxic metal of mercury has attracted critical concern in the solid waste community. In this study, material flow analysis (MFA) and substance flow of mercury were performed on the lamps by life cycle in South Korea. It was found that, in 2020, approximately 2957 tons (or 27.9 million units) of end-of-life fluorescent lamps from households were collected and recycled by the recycling facilities in South Korea. Approximately 278 kg of mercury was recovered from the lamps and treated at the hazardous incineration facilities. Based on the results of dynamic flow analysis, the amount of fluorescent lamps to be retried is expected to continually decrease to be about 14.2 million units, which is estimated to be 23 kg of mercury. However, continued collection efforts on end-of-life fluorescent lamps owing to increasing demands for light-emitting diode lamps should be made from the perspectives of proper treatment of mercury as well as resource recovery. More detailed studies on other mercury-containing lamps (e.g., metal halogen lamps, high-pressure mercury lamps, and high-pressure sodium lamps) are warranted to determine mercury flows in waste streams for proper collection and treatment upon disposal

Recycling and Material-Flow Analysis of End-of-Life Vehicles towards Resource Circulation in South Korea

The sustainable resource management of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) towards a circular economy has become an issue of concern around the world. An understanding of recycling and the quantitative flow of ELVs is important because of their potential for resource recovery as well as the environmental impacts posed by their toxic chemicals upon disposal. In this paper, the generation and recycling system of ELVs in South Korea has been discussed based on a review of the available statistics and literature and site visits to ELV-recycling facilities. A material-flow analysis (MFA) for ELVs was performed to elucidate the resource recovery from recycling, while the substance flow of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in automobile shredded residues (ASR) was also determined for proper management. Approximately one million tons of ELVs in 2020 were processed by dismantling and shredding treatment for the recovery of reusable and recyclable materials (803,000 tons), resulting in 78,300 tons of ASR. Approximately 97 tons of PBDEs as flame retardants were generated mainly from ASR in 2020 and processed via combustion, either with energy recovery (59.8%) or without heat recovery (39.2%). The monitoring of brominated dioxins and furans by unintentional release during the incineration processes of ASR is required in order to prevent the dispersion of the chemicals in the environment