Optimal Selection of Supply Voltages and Level Conversions During Low Power Data Path Scheduling

In t\u27his paper we will consider how to select an optimal set of supply voltages and account for level conversion costs when optimizing the schedule of a resource domina.ted data path for minimum average power dissipation. Integer linear program (ILP) and non-linear program (NLP) formulations are presented for a minimum power schedule under latency and throughput constraints. Results are presented for several data path topologies under minimum latency constraints and under more relaxed latency constraints. The optimization demonstrated substantial benefit going from one to two supply voltages, but minimal additi,onal benefit from any additional supplies. For example, a Kalman filter benchmark produced a power estimate of 356.7mW for a single 5V supply, 265.4mW for 4V and 5V supplies, but no additional improvement for three supplies. Increasing minimum schedule latency by 50% improved optimization results substantially for two and three supply voltages but in mod cases there was no improvement at all for a single optimal supply voltage

Food Intake of the Largemouth Bass

During 18 months of electrofishing a sample of 991 adult largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) was taken from Crab Orchard Lake. The stomach contents were removed in the field with a gastroscope. Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) constituted the principal forage fish. Approximately 50% of the bass collected had empty stomachs. As the size of bass increased, the food intake as a percent of body weight decreased. Ninety percent of the bass stomachs contained one food item. When more than one food item was found, they were usually in the same stage of digestion. It is suggested that the high percent of empty stomachs was related to hunting success, or that the onset of the feeding stimulus in association with rate of digestion might result in a periodicity of feeding that involves a high percent of empty stomachs. A higher relative intake of food by small bass was postulated to be a result of the bass\u27s typically consuming only one fish. Inasmuch as the forage fish were relatively uniform in size, one fish constituted a large meal for a small bass but not for a large bass

Discovery of Gamma-ray Pulsations from the Transitional Redback PSR J1227-4853

The 1.69 ms spin period of PSR J1227-4853 was recently discovered in radio observations of the low-mass X-ray binary XSS J12270-4859 following the announcement of a possible transition to a rotation-powered millisecond pulsar state, inferred from decreases in optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray flux from the source. We report the detection of significant (5$\sigma$) gamma-ray pulsations after the transition, at the known spin period, using ~1 year of data from the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The gamma-ray light curve of PSR J1227-4853 can be fit by one broad peak, which occurs at nearly the same phase as the main peak in the 1.4 GHz radio profile. The partial alignment of light-curve peaks in different wavebands suggests that at least some of the radio emission may originate at high altitude in the pulsar magnetosphere, in extended regions co-located with the gamma-ray emission site. We folded the LAT data at the orbital period, both pre- and post-transition, but find no evidence for significant modulation of the gamma-ray flux. Analysis of the gamma-ray flux over the mission suggests an approximate transition time of 2012 November 30. Continued study of the pulsed emission and monitoring of PSR J1227-4853, and other known redback systems, for subsequent flux changes will increase our knowledge of the pulsar emission mechanism and transitioning systems.Comment: 5 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJ, updated to reflect accepted version and add additional coautho

Nondestructive SEM for surface and subsurface wafer imaging

The scanning electron microscope (SEM) is considered as a tool for both failure analysis as well as device characterization. A survey is made of various operational SEM modes and their applicability to image processing methods on semiconductor devices

Palliative care needs in patients hospitalized with heart failure (PCHF) study: rationale and design

Abstract Aims The primary aim of this study is to provide data to inform the design of a randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) of a palliative care (PC) intervention in heart failure (HF). We will identify an appropriate study population with a high prevalence of PC needs defined using quantifiable measures. We will also identify which components a specific and targeted PC intervention in HF should include and attempt to define the most relevant trial outcomes. Methods An unselected, prospective, near-consecutive, cohort of patients admitted to hospital with acute decompensated HF will be enrolled over a 2-year period. All potential participants will be screened using B-type natriuretic peptide and echocardiography, and all those enrolled will be extensively characterized in terms of their HF status, comorbidity, and PC needs. Quantitative assessment of PC needs will include evaluation of general and disease-specific quality of life, mood, symptom burden, caregiver burden, and end of life care. Inpatient assessments will be performed and after discharge outpatient assessments will be carried out every 4 months for up to 2.5 years. Participants will be followed up for a minimum of 1 year for hospital admissions, and place and cause of death. Methods for identifying patients with HF with PC needs will be evaluated, and estimates of healthcare utilisation performed. Conclusion By assessing the prevalence of these needs, describing how these needs change over time, and evaluating how best PC needs can be identified, we will provide the foundation for designing an RCT of a PC intervention in HF

Accessible Bioprinting: Adaptation of a Low-Cost 3D-Printer for Precise Cell Placement and Stem Cell Differentiation

The precision and repeatability offered by computer-aided design and computer-numerically controlled techniques in biofabrication processes is quickly becoming an industry standard. However, many hurdles still exist before these techniques can be used in research laboratories for cellular and molecular biology applications. Extrusion-based bioprinting systems have been characterized by high development costs, injector clogging, difficulty achieving small cell number deposits, decreased cell viability, and altered cell function post-printing. To circumvent the high-price barrier to entry of conventional bioprinters, we designed and 3D printed components for the adaptation of an inexpensive \u27off-the-shelf\u27 commercially available 3D printer. We also demonstrate via goal based computer simulations that the needle geometries of conventional commercially standardized, \u27luer-lock\u27 syringe-needle systems cause many of the issues plaguing conventional bioprinters. To address these performance limitations we optimized flow within several microneedle geometries, which revealed a short tapered injector design with minimal cylindrical needle length was ideal to minimize cell strain and accretion. We then experimentally quantified these geometries using pulled glass microcapillary pipettes and our modified, low-cost 3D printer. This systems performance validated our models exhibiting: reduced clogging, single cell print resolution, and maintenance of cell viability without the use of a sacrificial vehicle. Using this system we show the successful printing of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into Geltrex and note their retention of a pluripotent state 7 d post printing. We also show embryoid body differentiation of hiPSC by injection into differentiation conducive environments, wherein we observed continuous growth, emergence of various evaginations, and post-printing gene expression indicative of the presence of all three germ layers. These data demonstrate an accessible open-source 3D bioprinter capable of serving the needs of any laboratory interested in 3D cellular interactions and tissue engineering

Preclinical Analysis of JAA-F11, a Specific Anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich Antibody via Immunohistochemistry and In Vivo Imaging.

The tumor specificity of JAA-F11, a novel monoclonal antibody specific for the Thomsen-Friedenreich cancer antigen (TF-Ag-alpha linked), has been comprehensively studied by in vitro immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of human tumor and normal tissue microarrays and in vivo biodistribution and imaging by micro-positron emission tomography imaging in breast and lung tumor models in mice. The IHC analysis detailed herein is the comprehensive biological analysis of the tumor specificity of JAA-F11 antibody performed as JAA-F11 is progressing towards preclinical safety testing and clinical trials. Wide tumor reactivity of JAA-F11, relative to the matched mouse IgG3 (control), was observed in 85% of 1269 cases of breast, lung, prostate, colon, bladder, and ovarian cancer. Staining on tissues from breast cancer cases was similar regardless of hormonal or Her2 status, and this is particularly important in finding a target on the currently untargetable triple-negative breast cancer subtype. Humanization of JAA-F11 was recently carried out as explained in a companion paper "Humanization of JAA-F11, a Highly Specific Anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich Pancarcinoma Antibody and In Vitro Efficacy Analysis" (Neoplasia 19: 716-733, 2017), and it was confirmed that humanization did not affect chemical specificity. IHC studies with humanized JAA-F11 showed similar binding to human breast tumor tissues. In vivo imaging and biodistribution studies in a mouse syngeneic breast cancer model and in a mouse-human xenograft lung cancer model with humanized 124I- JAA-F11 construct confirmed in vitro tumor reactivity and specificity. In conclusion, the tumor reactivity of JAA-F11 supports the continued development of JAA-F11 as a targeted cancer therapeutic for multiple cancers, including those with unmet need

Tensions in the adoption of e-Learning in the mining industry of South Africa

The mining industry in South Africa contributes signi cantly to the national economy. Training is an important component in these environments and e-Learning is often used to train the large workforce. In the face of current labour unrest and job cuts in this sector, it is foreseen that e-Learning might play an increasing important role to upskill the remaining work force. However, it appears that low motivation and resistance to e-Learning exist amongst learners. The aim of this research was to examine the factors that may contribute to this resistance and/or adoption as perceived by e-Learning managers and practitioners. An interpretive approach was used to conduct two case studies. Activity theory was used as the theoretical lens and its main elements (tools, subjects, rules, objects, community) were used to analyse interviews with participants from two mining companies. Potential contradictions or tensions were identi ed in order to explore resistance to e-Learning. The main ndings indicate that: 1. proper communication of expectations by di erent stakeholders of e-Learning is imperative, 2. top management support for e-Learning should stem from integration into the organisational goals, 3. quality content is a necessary condition for successful adoption, 4. more attention should be given to interaction between learners and facilitators and also between learners, 5. a focus on people development rather than only compliance may lead to lower resistance, and 6. top management support and involvement should be made visible.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_comp.htmlam201

On the phase transitions of graph coloring and independent sets

We study combinatorial indicators related to the characteristic phase transitions associated with coloring a graph optimally and finding a maximum independent set. In particular, we investigate the role of the acyclic orientations of the graph in the hardness of finding the graph's chromatic number and independence number. We provide empirical evidence that, along a sequence of increasingly denser random graphs, the fraction of acyclic orientations that are `shortest' peaks when the chromatic number increases, and that such maxima tend to coincide with locally easiest instances of the problem. Similar evidence is provided concerning the `widest' acyclic orientations and the independence number