An Energy-Efficient Generic Accuracy Configurable Multiplier Based on Block-Level Voltage Overscaling

Voltage Overscaling (VOS) is one of the well-known techniques to increase the energy efficiency of arithmetic units. Also, it can provide significant lifetime improvements, while still meeting the accuracy requirements of inherently error-resilient applications. This paper proposes a generic accuracy-configurable multiplier that employs the VOS at a coarse-grained level (block-level) to reduce the control logic required for applying VOS and its associated overheads, thus enabling a high degree of trade-off between energy consumption and output quality. The proposed configurable Block-Level VOS-based (BL-VOS) multiplier relies on employing VOS in a multiplier composed of smaller blocks, where applying VOS in different blocks results in structures with various output accuracy levels. To evaluate the proposed concept, we implement 8-bit and 16-bit BL-VOS multipliers with various blocks width in a 15-nm FinFET technology. The results show that the proposed multiplier achieves up to 15% lower energy consumption and up to 21% higher output accuracy compared to the state-of-the-art VOS-based multipliers. Also, the effects of Process Variation (PV) and Bias Temperature Instability (BTI) induced delay on the proposed multiplier are investigated. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed multiplier is studied for two different image processing applications, in terms of quality and energy efficiency.Comment: This paper has been published in IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computin

Performance Evaluation of Nanofluids in an Inclined Ribbed Microchannel for Electronic Cooling Applications

Nanofluids are liquid/solid suspensions with higher thermal conductivity, compared to common working fluids. In recent years, the application of these fluids in electronic cooling systems seems prospective. In the present study, the laminar mixed convection heat transfer of different water–copper nanofluids through an inclined ribbed microchannel––as a common electronic cooling system in industry––was investigated numerically, using a finite volume method. The middle section of microchannel’s right wall was ribbed, and at a higher temperature compared to entrance fluid. The modeling was carried out for Reynolds number of 50, Richardson numbers from 0.1 to 10, inclination angles ranging from 0° to 90°, and nanoparticles’ volume fractions of 0.0–0.04. The influences of nanoparticle volume concentration, inclination angle, buoyancy and shear forces, and rib’s shape on the hydraulics and thermal behavior of nanofluid flow were studied. The results were portrayed in terms of pressure, temperature, coefficient of friction, and Nusselt number profiles as well as streamlines and isotherm contours. The model validation was found to be in excellent accords with experimental and numerical results from other previous studies

Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-Adjusted life-years for 29 cancer groups, 1990 to 2017 : A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study

Importance: Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data. Objective: To describe cancer burden for 29 cancer groups in 195 countries from 1990 through 2017 to provide data needed for cancer control planning. Evidence Review: We used the GBD study estimation methods to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-Adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results are presented at the national level as well as by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. We also analyzed the influence of the epidemiological vs the demographic transition on cancer incidence. Findings: In 2017, there were 24.5 million incident cancer cases worldwide (16.8 million without nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) and 9.6 million cancer deaths. The majority of cancer DALYs came from years of life lost (97%), and only 3% came from years lived with disability. The odds of developing cancer were the lowest in the low SDI quintile (1 in 7) and the highest in the high SDI quintile (1 in 2) for both sexes. In 2017, the most common incident cancers in men were NMSC (4.3 million incident cases); tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer (1.5 million incident cases); and prostate cancer (1.3 million incident cases). The most common causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for men were TBL cancer (1.3 million deaths and 28.4 million DALYs), liver cancer (572000 deaths and 15.2 million DALYs), and stomach cancer (542000 deaths and 12.2 million DALYs). For women in 2017, the most common incident cancers were NMSC (3.3 million incident cases), breast cancer (1.9 million incident cases), and colorectal cancer (819000 incident cases). The leading causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for women were breast cancer (601000 deaths and 17.4 million DALYs), TBL cancer (596000 deaths and 12.6 million DALYs), and colorectal cancer (414000 deaths and 8.3 million DALYs). Conclusions and Relevance: The national epidemiological profiles of cancer burden in the GBD study show large heterogeneities, which are a reflection of different exposures to risk factors, economic settings, lifestyles, and access to care and screening. The GBD study can be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and improve national and local cancer control in order to achieve the global targets and improve equity in cancer care. © 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Impact of ribs on flow parameters and laminar heat transfer of water–aluminum oxide nanofluid with different nanoparticle volume fractions in a three-dimensional rectangular microchannel

This article aims to study the impact of ribs on flow parameters and laminar heat transfer of water–aluminum oxide nanofluid with different nanoparticle volume fractions in a three-dimensional rectangular microchannel. To this aim, compulsory convection heat transfer of water–aluminum oxide nanofluid in a rib-roughened microchannel has been numerically studied. The results of this simulation for rib-roughened three-dimensional microchannel have been evaluated in contrast to the smooth (unribbed) three-dimensional microchannel with identical geometrical and heat–fluid boundary conditions. Numerical simulation is performed for different nanoparticle volume fractions for Reynolds numbers of 10 and 100. Cold fluid entering the microchannel is heated in order to apply constant flux to external surface of the microchannel walls and then leaves it. Given the results, the fluid has a higher heat transfer with a hot wall in surfaces with ribs rather than in smooth ones. As Reynolds number, number of ribs, and nanoparticle volume fractions increase, more temperature increase happens in fluid in exit intersection of the microchannel. By investigating Nusselt number and friction factor, it is observed that increase in nanoparticle volume fractions causes nanofluid heat transfer properties to have a higher heat transfer and friction factor compared to the base fluid used in cooling due to an increase in viscosity

Numerical simulation of heat transfer and turbulent flow of water nanofluids copper oxide in rectangular microchannel with semi-attached rib

In this research, the effect of utilizing semi-attached rib on heat transfer and liquid turbulent flow of nanofluid water–copper oxide in three-dimensional rectangular microchannel has been investigated. The results of numerical examination of this study in comparison to those of smooth channel have also been evaluated. The range of Reynolds numbers is between 10,000 and 60,000 and the volume fraction of copper oxide nanoparticle in 0%, 2%, and 4% was examined. In this numerical simulation, the effects of the changes in parameters such as dimensions of semi-attached rib, volume fraction of the nanoparticle, and Reynolds number were considered. The results of this study showed that utilizing semi-attached rib in microchannel with a ratio of 0 < R/W ≤ 0.325 in producing stronger vortices, which causes better mixture in fluid layers, is weaker than that with tooth mode of R/W = 0 ratio. However, the main advantage of using tooth with a ratio of 0 < R/W ≤ 0.325 in comparison to ordinary tooth is the increase in heat transfer and reduction in coefficient friction and pumping power

Numerical analysis of heat transfer enhancement in grooved vertical Multi-Cylinders at various groove geometries

In this study, the natural convection enhancement in grooved vertical multi-cylinders at various groove geometries is investigated. The effects of several grooves ranging from 3 to 7, groove thickness ranging from 0.25 to 1 mm, and cylinder surface temperature ranging from 350 to 500 K at different Rayleigh numbers are examined. The current study was simulated using the finite volume method using CFD with a laminar steady-state condition. The SIMPLE scheme is used for the pressure–velocity coupling discretization and the second-order upwind method is utilized to discretize the momentum and energy equations. The results obtained from the present research show that the presence of grooves on the cylinders will increase the heat transfer surface, create and intensify the secondary flow and mixing, and ultimately increase the heat transfer. Moreover, by increasing the number of grooves and its thickness, the amount of heat transfer increases dramatically. It’s also found that the groove thickness parameter's effectiveness on heat transfer is more than the groove number parameter. Ultimately, it’s demonstrated that using grooved cylinders leads to a 14 % augmentation in Nusselt number in comparison with employing plain cylinders