Transformations of High-Level Synthesis Codes for High-Performance Computing

Specialized hardware architectures promise a major step in performance and energy efficiency over the traditional load/store devices currently employed in large scale computing systems. The adoption of high-level synthesis (HLS) from languages such as C/C++ and OpenCL has greatly increased programmer productivity when designing for such platforms. While this has enabled a wider audience to target specialized hardware, the optimization principles known from traditional software design are no longer sufficient to implement high-performance codes. Fast and efficient codes for reconfigurable platforms are thus still challenging to design. To alleviate this, we present a set of optimizing transformations for HLS, targeting scalable and efficient architectures for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. Our work provides a toolbox for developers, where we systematically identify classes of transformations, the characteristics of their effect on the HLS code and the resulting hardware (e.g., increases data reuse or resource consumption), and the objectives that each transformation can target (e.g., resolve interface contention, or increase parallelism). We show how these can be used to efficiently exploit pipelining, on-chip distributed fast memory, and on-chip streaming dataflow, allowing for massively parallel architectures. To quantify the effect of our transformations, we use them to optimize a set of throughput-oriented FPGA kernels, demonstrating that our enhancements are sufficient to scale up parallelism within the hardware constraints. With the transformations covered, we hope to establish a common framework for performance engineers, compiler developers, and hardware developers, to tap into the performance potential offered by specialized hardware architectures using HLS

A Dynamic Shortest Paths Toolbox: Low-Congestion Vertex Sparsifiers and their Applications

We present a general toolbox, based on new vertex sparsifiers, for designing data structures to maintain shortest paths in dynamic graphs. In an $m$-edge graph undergoing edge insertions and deletions, our data structures give the first algorithms for maintaining (a) $m^{o(1)}$-approximate all-pairs shortest paths (APSP) with \emph{worst-case} update time $m^{o(1)}$ and query time $\tilde{O}(1)$, and (b) a tree $T$ that has diameter no larger than a subpolynomial factor times the diameter of the underlying graph, where each update is handled in amortized subpolynomial time. In graphs undergoing only edge deletions, we develop a simpler and more efficient data structure to maintain a $(1+\epsilon)$-approximate single-source shortest paths (SSSP) tree $T$ in a graph undergoing edge deletions in amortized time $m^{o(1)}$ per update. Our data structures are deterministic. The trees we can maintain are not subgraphs of $G$, but embed with small edge congestion into $G$. This is in stark contrast to previous approaches and is useful for algorithms that internally use trees to route flow. To illustrate the power of our new toolbox, we show that our SSSP data structure gives simple deterministic implementations of flow-routing MWU methods in several contexts, where previously only randomized methods had been known. To obtain our toolbox, we give the first algorithm that, given a graph $G$ undergoing edge insertions and deletions and a dynamic terminal set $A$, maintains a vertex sparsifier $H$ that approximately preserves distances between terminals in $A$, consists of at most $|A|m^{o(1)}$ vertices and edges, and can be updated in worst-case time $m^{o(1)}$. Crucially, our vertex sparsifier construction allows us to maintain a low edge-congestion embedding of $H$ into $G$, which is needed for our applications

Hand in Hand: Sozialpädagogik und Jugendstrafvollzug: Wie die Sozialpädagogik jugendlichen Straftäter*innen auf ihrem Weg im Strafvollzug begleitet

Die vorliegende Bachelorarbeit von Sarah Meierhans befasst sich mit sozialpädagogischen Interventionen bei delinquenten Jugendlichen. Vor dem Hintergrund der Jugendkriminalität und der Notwendigkeit erzieherischer Interventionen kommt der Sozialpädagogik eine zentrale Rolle zu. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es aufzuzeigen, welche Rolle die Sozialpädagogik im Jugendstrafvollzug spielt und wie erzieherische Massnahmen dazu beitragen, die spätere Wiedereingliederung jugendlicher Straftäter in die Gesellschaft zu erleichtern. Die theoretischen Grundlagen der Sozialpädagogik im Kontext straffälliger Jugendlicher werden unter Einbeziehung der erzieherischen Prinzipien des Jugendstrafrechts dargestellt. Verschiedene Ansätze und Methoden der Sozialpädagogik im Kontext straffälliger Jugendlicher werden vorgestellt, darunter Empowerment, berufliche Integration und Beziehungsgestaltung. Zusammenfassend unterstreicht die Bachelorarbeit die entscheidende Rolle der Sozialpädagogik bei der Unterstützung von jugendlichen Straftätern. Durch die gezielte Förderung von sozialen Fähigkeiten und der individuellen Ressourcen werden die Chancen auf ein straffreies Leben erhöht.+ Code Diss LU: hslusa basp + Fussnote: Bachelor-Arbeit, Hochschule Luzern – Soziale Arbeit, Studienrichtung Sozialpädagogik, 2023 + NL-Code: NLLUHSA20230

Koreanische Unternehmen in Deutschland: Entwicklung und Standortfragen

Fünf Jahre nach der Asienkrise von 1997/98 erscheint offenkundig, dass der Aufstieg der Region zu einer der drei zentralen Säulen der Weltwirtschaft nur kurzfristig abgebremst wurde. Gerade ein Land wie die Republik Korea hat die Chancen eines schmerzhaften, aber in vielen Bereichen höchst effektiven Reformprozesses genutzt, um sich noch besser in der Weltwirtschaft zu positionieren. Daran ändern auch die konjunkturellen Probleme im Jahre 2003 nichts Grundlegendes, die zum Teil auf eine gewisse Überhitzung zurückzuführen sind

Almost-Linear Time Algorithms for Incremental Graphs: Cycle Detection, SCCs, ss-tt Shortest Path, and Minimum-Cost Flow

We give the first almost-linear time algorithms for several problems in incremental graphs including cycle detection, strongly connected component maintenance, $s$-$t$ shortest path, maximum flow, and minimum-cost flow. To solve these problems, we give a deterministic data structure that returns a $m^{o(1)}$-approximate minimum-ratio cycle in fully dynamic graphs in amortized $m^{o(1)}$ time per update. Combining this with the interior point method framework of Brand-Liu-Sidford (STOC 2023) gives the first almost-linear time algorithm for deciding the first update in an incremental graph after which the cost of the minimum-cost flow attains value at most some given threshold $F$. By rather direct reductions to minimum-cost flow, we are then able to solve the problems in incremental graphs mentioned above. At a high level, our algorithm dynamizes the $\ell_1$ oblivious routing of Rozho\v{n}-Grunau-Haeupler-Zuzic-Li (STOC 2022), and develops a method to extract an approximate minimum ratio cycle from the structure of the oblivious routing. To maintain the oblivious routing, we use tools from concurrent work of Kyng-Meierhans-Probst Gutenberg which designed vertex sparsifiers for shortest paths, in order to maintain a sparse neighborhood cover in fully dynamic graphs. To find a cycle, we first show that an approximate minimum ratio cycle can be represented as a fundamental cycle on a small set of trees resulting from the oblivious routing. Then, we find a cycle whose quality is comparable to the best tree cycle. This final cycle query step involves vertex and edge sparsification procedures reminiscent of previous works, but crucially requires a more powerful dynamic spanner which can handle far more edge insertions. We build such a spanner via a construction that hearkens back to the classic greedy spanner algorithm

Pre-operative gastric ultrasound in patients at risk of pulmonary aspiration: a prospective observational cohort study.

Point-of-care gastric sonography offers an objective approach to assessing individual pulmonary aspiration risk before induction of general anaesthesia. We aimed to evaluate the potential impact of routine pre-operative gastric ultrasound on peri-operative management in a cohort of adult patients undergoing elective or emergency surgery at a single centre. According to pre-operative gastric ultrasound results, patients were classified as low risk (empty, gastric fluid volume ≤ 1.5 ml.kg-1 body weight) or high risk (solid, mixed or gastric fluid volume > 1.5 ml.kg-1 body weight) of aspiration. After sonography, examiners were asked to indicate changes in aspiration risk management (none; more conservative; more liberal) to their pre-defined anaesthetic plan and to adapt it if patient safety was at risk. We included 2003 patients, 1246 (62%) of which underwent elective and 757 (38%) emergency surgery. Among patients who underwent elective surgery, 1046/1246 (84%) had a low-risk and 178/1246 (14%) a high-risk stomach, with this being 587/757 (78%) vs. 158/757 (21%) among patients undergoing emergency surgery, respectively. Routine pre-operative gastric sonography enabled changes in anaesthetic management in 379/2003 (19%) of patients, with these being a more liberal approach in 303/2003 (15%). In patients undergoing elective surgery, pre-operative gastric sonography would have allowed a more liberal approach in 170/1246 (14%) and made a more conservative approach indicated in 52/1246 (4%), whereas in patients undergoing emergency surgery, 133/757 (18%) would have been managed more liberally and 24/757 (3%) more conservatively. We showed that pre-operative gastric ultrasound helps to identify high- and low-risk situations in patients at risk of aspiration and adds useful information to peri-operative management. Our data suggest that routine use of pre-operative gastric ultrasound may improve individualised care and potentially impact patient safety

Brain metabolism is significantly impaired at blood glucose below 6 mM and brain glucose below 1 mM in patients with severe traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: The optimal blood glucose target following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) must be defined. Cerebral microdialysis was used to investigate the influence of arterial blood and brain glucose on cerebral glucose, lactate, pyruvate, glutamate, and calculated indices of downstream metabolism. METHODS: In twenty TBI patients, microdialysis catheters inserted in the edematous frontal lobe were dialyzed at 1 mul/ min, collecting samples at 60 minute intervals. Occult metabolic alterations were determined by calculating the lactate- pyruvate (L/P), lactate- glucose (L/Glc), and lactate- glutamate (L/Glu) ratios. RESULTS: Brain glucose was influenced by arterial blood glucose. Elevated L/P and L/Glc were significantly reduced at brain glucose above 1 mM, reaching lowest values at blood and brain glucose levels between 6- 9 mM (P 5 mM. Pathogenity of elevated glutamate appears to be relativized by L/Glu and suggests to exclude insulin- induced brain injury

Mesures visant à freiner la hausse des coûts dans l’assurance obligatoire des soins : rapport du groupe d'experts

La santé est un des ingrédients fondamentaux du bien-être humain. On peut escompter que l’élévation du niveau de vie, la multiplication des maladies chroniques et le risque croissant de multimorbidité dû à l’évolution démographique entraînent une hausse des coûts de la santé imputable à plusieurs facteurs. Au total, ces coûts sont passés de 37,5 milliards de francs en 1996 à 77,8 milliards en 2015, tandis que ceux de l'AOS ont grimpé de 10,8 à 27,5 milliards de francs. Notons qu'au cours de cette période en question, l’importance économique a augmenté non seulement en termes absolus mais également rapporté au produit intérieur brut (PIB), indice qui mesure la performance économique d’un pays. Alors que les coûts globaux de la santé représentaient, en 1996, 9,2 % du PIB par année, ce pourcentage était supérieur à 12 en 2015. En comparaison avec la croissance démographique, les coûts des soins de santé ont également augmenté de façon disproportionnée: la progression des prestations nettes dans l’AOS est en effet de 4 % environ par assuré en moyenne, soit 3,5 % déduction faite de l’inflation. Certes, les bases de données ne sont pas parfaites, mais le faisceau d’indices pointant une tendance à l’accélération de la hausse des coûts est incontestable. Pour tenter de la freiner, une intervention politique s’impose de plus en plus, si bien que les mesures de nature à permettre au système de santé de rester financièrement viable sur la durée, tant pour les payeurs de primes que les pouvoirs publics, gagnent en importance. Les mesures envisagées dans le présent rapport visent en particulier à éviter que des prestations médicales inutiles et évitables soient fournies et, partant, à contribuer à freiner la hausse des coûts. (Contexte