Investigation of the Benefits of Interlocked Synchronous Pipelines

The majority of today’s digital circuits use synchronous pipelines. As the technology nodes get smaller, these pipelines are facing problems with area, power, and timing. One of the major sources of power consumption is the global clock and stall signals. These signals have to be routed across large sections of the chip, and with regards to stalling the pipeline, often face significant timing issues. One solution, developed by Hans M. Jacobson et al., is “Synchronous Interlocked Pipelines”. This pipeline design combines synchronous pipelines with the handshaking of asynchronous pipelines. Asynchronous pipelines are less power intensive because they send acknowledge and request signals to neighboring stages that allow stages to turn off when not being used. Jacobson et al. use this handshaking technique to create local valid and stall signals instead of using global ones. To test the benefits of this design, an asynchronous pipeline, synchronous pipeline, and interlocked synchronous pipeline were built using a generic 45 nm library. Comparisons showed that while the asynchronous and interlocked synchronous pipelines took up 4 times more area than the synchronous pipeline, the asynchronous pipeline had the highest throughput of the three pipeline designs, followed by the interlocked synchronous pipeline. The synchronous pipeline had the worst throughput

The usability of a pressure-indicating film to measure the teat load caused by a collapsing liner

Prevention of damage to the teat and mastitis requires determination of the teat load caused by a collapsing liner. The aim of this study was to test a pressure-indicating film designed to measure the pressure between a collapsing liner and artificial teats. The Ultra Super Low and the Extreme Low pressure-indicating films were tested on two types of artificial teat. The experiments were performed with a conventional milking cluster equipped with round silicone liners. For each teat and film type, 30 repetitions were performed. Each repetition was performed with a new piece of film. Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to detect differences between the pressure values for the different teats. The area of regions where pressure-indication color developed was calculated to determine the most suitable film type. Both film types measured the pressure applied to both artificial teats by the teat cup liner. Thus, the pressure-indicating films can be used to measure the pressure between a collapsing liner and an artificial teat. Based on the results of the present investigation, a pressure-indicating film with the measurement ranges of both film types combined would be an optimal tool to measure the overall pressure between an artificial teat and a collapsing liner

A NOVEL STEM LEYDIG CELL CULTURE SYSTEM AND ITS USE IN ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF PHTHALATE EXPOSURE ON LEYDIG CELL DEVELOPMENT

After eliminating Leydig cells in the adult rat testis with ethane dimethanesulfonate (EDS), a new population of testosterone-producing Leydig cells forms, arising from stem cells. Using isolated rat seminiferous tubules, we showed that stem cells associated with the tubule surfaces first proliferated and then differentiated in response to culture with LH. Specific tubule- secreted factors were shown able to enhance proliferation and differentiation. In particular, the Sertoli cell products FGF2 and PDGFBB increased the proliferation of the stem Leydig cell population during the first week of culture, and Desert hedgehog (DHH) was found to commit the stem cells to a differentiation pathway during weeks 2−3. With regard to the latter, 3βHSD+ cells formed on the surfaces of the tubules in response to DHH that produced testosterone (T), and continued to do so for many weeks. These results suggested that stem cells residing on the surface of the tubules are influenced by endogenous factors coming from the tubules. We realized that if this was the case, the use of cultured tubules would not allow the effects of specific, added factors on stem cell proliferation and/or differentiation to be determined. We therefore sought to isolate stem cells from the tubules as well as the interstitial tissue. A heterogeneous population of cells, including stem Leydig cells, that when isolated from the tubules and cultured in vitro, were found to first proliferate in response to FGF2 and PDGFBB in the culture medium, as measured by EdU labeling, and then to differentiate in response to Desert hedgehog (DHH) to produce testosterone. Thus, the temporal separation observed when culturing whole tubules could be maintained when culturing isolated stem Leydig cells. We used both cultured tubules and cells isolated from the tubules to assess the effects of the metabolite of diexylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), metabolite mono2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) on the proliferation and on differentiation of the stem Leydig cells. Tubules were cultured with LH alone, LH + 0.2 μg/ml MEHP or LH + 1 μg/ml MEHP for up to 24 days. A dose-dependent decrease in testosterone production was seen in response to MEHP. With stem cells obtained from seminiferous tubules, in vitro culture with LH for 1 week resulted in cell proliferation. When the isolated cells were cultured with LH + 0.1 μM MEHP, greater numbers of EdU-labeled cells were apparent after 1 week compared to culture with LH alone. When 2 μM DHH was added after week 1, testosterone production was greater by cells that had been cultured with MEHP during week 1 than cells cultured with LH alone, perhaps reflecting the greater numbers of cells resulting from MEHP exposure. To examine phthalate effects on cell differentiation, the cells were incubated in LH (10 ng/ml) for week one, and then during week 2 with LH alone or LH plus MEHP of increasing dose, and finally with 2μM DHH. Phthalate exposure during the second week had inhibitory effects on T production compared to LH−alone controls, with the higher doses more inhibitory than lower doses. These studies indicate that: 1) the novel system developed for examining stem Leydig cell function should be useful in studying the effects of environmental toxicants on Leydig cell development and function; 2) as with cultured seminiferous tubules, isolated stem Leydig cells cultured in vitro can be induced to first proliferate (week 1) and subsequently differentiate (weeks 2-3); that is, the temporal separation observed when culturing whole tubules is maintained when culturing isolated stem Leydig cells; 3) the cells can be induced to proliferate by culture with PDGFBB and FGF2; 4) cells can be induced to differentiate by culture with DHH; 5) the isolated cells will continue to produce testosterone for long periods of time; 6) the isolated cells can be used to examine factors that influence their proliferation and differentiation in the absence of influence from the seminiferous tubules; and 7) this system provides a way to assess the effects of exposure to environmental toxicants on Leydig cell differentiation without the influence of other cells or organs

Diet of Bottlenose Dolphins Tursiops truncatus in the Northwest Panhandle and Foraging Behavior Near Savannah, Georgia

The foraging ecology of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in the Northwest Florida Panhandle and estuaries in northern Georgia was determined using diet analysis and behavioral surveys. Stomach content analysis was completed on bottlenose dolphins(N = 25) that stranded in the Northwest Florida Panhandle from November 2006 to March 2009. The most abundant prey species were spot Leiostomus xanthurus (20.4%), squid (10.9%), pinfish Lagodon rhombiodes (10.3%), and Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus (8.5%). Dolphins that stranded during months with a red tide Karenia brevis bloom consumed more pinfish, and spot; whereas dolphins that stranded in non-bloom months consumed more squid, Atlantic croaker, and silver perch Bairdiella chrysoura. Differences in diet were also identified for dolphins that stranded inside bays/sound and dolphin that stranded outside of bays along the coast, and male and female dolphins. Surveys were conducted from south of the Savannah River to north of Ossabaw Sound in Georgia where foraging behaviors were classified. Multivariate Generalized Additive Models were used to test correlations of behaviors to dolphin group size, depth, salinity, temperature, creek width, and tide. Sightings with headstands (p = 0.009), hard stops (p = 0.019), chasing (p = 0.004), mudbank whacking (p < 0.001), herding/circling (p = 0.024), and strand feeding (p = 0.006) were correlated with shallow water or small creeks. Sightings with kerplunking (p = 0.031), mudbank whacking (p = 0.001), strand feeding (p = 0.003), and herding/circling (p = 0.026) were significantly correlated with low tide. The results of the Savannah, Georgia study were the first to characterize foraging behaviors in this area and demonstrate how bottlenose dolphins utilize the salt marsh estuary in terms of foraging. Studies like these are important to determine how dolphins forage efficiently and to provide background information on diet and foraging behavior for use in monitoring future impacts to dolphins in the Northwest Florida Panhandle and near Savannah, Georgia

Autonomous Drone-Based Sensor Package Deployment to the Underside of Structures

The objective of this project is to design, develop and experimentally test an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS, commonly known as a drone) for the deployment of sensor packages to the underside of structures. This work begins with an in-depth review of existing automation techniques for various drone applications focusing on applications requiring interaction with the environment. Further reviewed is the impact of structures above the UAS during flight on the behavior of the aircraft. Considering these topics, the development of a custom drone is presented to address the difficulties of delivering a package to the underside of a structure. Starting with manual flights, the drone is piloted by a human operator to serve as proof of concept of the drone’s ability to navigate under the ceiling effect and make contact with the underside of the structure. During the manual flight experiments the drone tasks increased in difficulty beginning with docking the drone without a package to the underside of a structure, delivering a package to the underside of a structure, and finally retrieving that package. Finally, the development of a vision-based navigation system is presented to autonomously perform the same tasks. The system is validated through a series of autonomous flight experiments using the OptiTrack motion capture system and ArUco fiducial markers for onboard localization. The autonomous tasks successfully completed and presented in this work support the proposed use of drones for deploying sensor packages to the underside of structures, even in GPS denied environments

The effect of meditation on mindfulness and happiness

Meditation has been linked to increased levels of happiness. Meditation is broken down into two types: focused attention meditation and mindfulness meditation. The current study sought to examine the relationship between meditation and two different types of happiness: subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB). Research has shown that mindfulness may be a mediator underlying this relationship; meditation may lead to increased levels of mindfulness, which may, in turn, lead to increased levels of happiness. I hypothesized that individuals exposed to mindfulness meditation will demonstrate increased levels of SWB. Also, I predicted that mindfulness would mediate the relationship between mindfulness meditation and SWB. To test this, participants were exposed to meditation and their levels of happiness and mindfulness measured. Contrary to my hypotheses, a one time meditation session had no significant effect on participants’ level of SWB or state mindfulness

Bedside Calculation of Energy Expenditure Does Not Guarantee Adequate Caloric Prescription in Long-Term Mechanically Ventilated Critically Ill Patients: A Quality Control Study

Nutrition is essential in critically ill patients, but translating caloric prescriptions into adequate caloric intake remains challenging. Caloric prescriptions (P), effective intake (I), and caloric needs (N), calculated with modified Harris-Benedict formulas, were recorded during seven consecutive days in ventilated patients. Adequacy of prescription was estimated by P/N ratio. I/P ratio assessed accuracy of translating a prescription into administered feeding. I/N ratio compared delivered calories with theoretical caloric needs. Fifty patients were prospectively studied in a mixed medicosurgical ICU in a teaching hospital. Basal and total energy expenditure were, respectively, 1361 ± 171 kcal/d and 1649 ± 233 kcal/d. P and I attained 1536 ± 602 kcal/d and 1424 ± 572 kcal/d, respectively. 24.6% prescriptions were accurate, and 24.3% calories were correctly administered. Excessive calories were prescribed in 35.4% of patients, 27.4% being overfed. Caloric needs were underestimated in 40% prescriptions, with 48.3% patients underfed. Calculating caloric requirements by a modified standard formula covered energy needs in only 25% of long-term mechanically ventilated patients, leaving many over- or underfed. Nutritional imbalance mainly resulted from incorrect prescription. Failure of “simple” calculations to direct caloric prescription in these patients suggests systematic use of more reliable methods, for example, indirect calorimetry

Assessment of agricultural policies to implement soil organic carbon (SOC) commitments in NDCs: Examples from Brazil and Rwanda

Countries with national agricultural policies providing quantified SOC-related mitigation actions and commitments can increase NDC transparency by referring to such policies and associated actions in their NDCs. Brazil’s updated NDC set an absolute economy-wide mitigation target and for the 2020-2030 period, the ABC+ Plan sets out SOC-related mitigation actions and commitment targets to reduce agricultural GHG emissions for which an MRV mechanism is under development. In Rwanda, quantified SOC-related mitigation actions and an MRV Framework were developed as part of the NDC update process, however, this SOC-related information is not fully reflected in Rwanda’s latest Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation, which was published two years prior to the updated NDC. NDC development can be a driver for national SOC-related projects, actions, commitments, mitigation potentials and MRV mechanisms. For developing countries, this process can be enhanced through support programs for NDC development. In countries where quantifying SOC-related agricultural actions is driven by NDC development, relevant agricultural policies need to be updated and aligned to support NDC implementation

SINTESI DEL SEMINARIO DI STUDIO DI INGEGNERIA SANITARIA-AMBIENTALE “ESPERIENZE DI ECONOMIA CIRCOLARE APPLICATA AL TRATTAMENTO DEI RIFIUTI”

Il termine “economia circolare” è ormai entrato nella nostra quotidianità. Sebbene il Recupero di Risorse sia applicato ormai da anni, specialmente dalle imprese, tale concetto rappresenta un approccio importante per garantire la sostenibilità di un ciclo produttivo. L’obiettivo del Seminario di studio di Ingegneria Sanitaria-Ambientale svoltosi a Brescia il 15 dicembre 2023 è stato quello di affrontare il tema della valorizzazione di risorse in alcuni settori industriali del trattamento rifiuti. Per ciascuno dei cinque ambiti presi in considerazione (fanghi di depurazione, costruzioni, metallurgia, rifiuti urbani, incenerimento dei rifiuti) è stato presentato un primo intervento (svolto da un esperto del mondo universitario) di illustrazione delle alternative di recupero dei residui, a cui ha fatto seguito un esempio concreto di economia circolare presentato dalle diverse imprese partecipanti