Using Physical Compilation to Implement a System on Chip Platform

The goal of this thesis was to setup a complete design flow involving physical synthesis. The design chosen for this purpose was a system-on-chip (SoC) platform developed at the University of Tennessee. It involves a Leon Processor with a minimal cache configuration, an AMBA on-chip bus and an Advanced Encryption Standard module which performs decryption. As transistor size has entered the deep submicron level, iterations involved in the design cycle have increased due to the domination of interconnect delays over cell delays. Traditionally, interconnect delay has been estimated through the use of wire-load models. However, since there is no physical placement information, the delay estimation may be ineffective and result in increased iterations. Hence, placement-based synthesis has recently been introduced to provide better interconnect delay estimation. The tool used in this thesis to implement the system-on-chip design using physical synthesis is Synopsys Physical Compiler. The flow has been setup through the use of the Galaxy Reference Flow scripts obtained from Synopsys. As part of the thesis, an analysis of the differences between a physically synthesized design and a logically synthesized one in terms of area and delay is presented

USING PHYSICAL COMPILATION TO IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM ON CHIP PLATFORM

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Herbal medicines and phytochemicals for obsessive–compulsive disorder

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a relatively prevalent mental disorder that poses significant health burdens on the community. Although current conventional medications have good efficacy for many patients, they can elicit a range of associated adverse effects. Plant‐based compounds have been evaluated for different mental disorders, with a range of anxiolytic properties revealed. To determine the current evidence in the area, we conducted a systematic review using the electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library up to June 12, 2019, for pharmacological and clinical evidence of herbal medicines and phytochemicals with antiobsessive–compulsive effects. Additional search criteria were employed for locating research on the underpinning mechanisms of action. Results revealed that tentative low‐quality evidence exists for several plant medicines, including Crocus sativus, Silybum marianum, Echium amoenum, Hypericum perforatum, and Withania somnifera, along with several natural molecules, including crocin, cannabidiol, and curcumin. Although more research is needed to confirm effectiveness, present preclinical studies indicate that monoamine pathway modulation (in particular serotonin reuptake inhibition) may be the most important anti‐OCD mechanism among the studied natural compounds