DeepSoCS: A Neural Scheduler for Heterogeneous System-on-Chip (SoC) Resource Scheduling

In this paper, we~present a novel scheduling solution for a class of System-on-Chip (SoC) systems where heterogeneous chip resources (DSP, FPGA, GPU, etc.) must be efficiently scheduled for continuously arriving hierarchical jobs with their tasks represented by a directed acyclic graph. Traditionally, heuristic algorithms have been widely used for many resource scheduling domains, and Heterogeneous Earliest Finish Time (HEFT) has been a dominating state-of-the-art technique across a broad range of heterogeneous resource scheduling domains over many years. Despite their long-standing popularity, HEFT-like algorithms are known to be vulnerable to a small amount of noise added to the environment. Our Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL)-based SoC Scheduler (DeepSoCS), capable of learning the "best" task ordering under dynamic environment changes, overcomes the brittleness of rule-based schedulers such as HEFT with significantly higher performance across different types of jobs. We~describe a DeepSoCS design process using a real-time heterogeneous SoC scheduling emulator, discuss major challenges, and present two novel neural network design features that lead to outperforming HEFT: (i) hierarchical job- and task-graph embedding; and (ii) efficient use of real-time task information in the state space. Furthermore, we~introduce effective techniques to address two fundamental challenges present in our environment: delayed consequences and joint actions. Through an extensive simulation study, we~show that our DeepSoCS exhibits the significantly higher performance of job execution time than that of HEFT with a higher level of robustness under realistic noise conditions. We~conclude with a discussion of the potential improvements for our DeepSoCS neural scheduler.Comment: 18 pages, Accepted by Electronics 202

Field effect transistors and phototransistors based upon p-type solution-processed PbS nanowires.

We demonstrate the fabrication of solution processed highly crystalline p-type PbS nanowires via the oriented attachment of nanoparticles. The analysis of single nanowire field effect transistor (FET) devices revealed a hole conduction behaviour with average mobilities greater than 30 cm2 V-1 s-1, which is an order of magnitude higher than that reported to date for p-type PbS colloidal nanowires. We have investigated the response of the FETs to near-infrared light excitation and show herein that the nanowires exhibited gate-dependent photo-conductivities, enabling us to tune the device performances. The responsivity was found to be greater than 104 A W-1 together with a detectivity of 1013 Jones, which benefits from a photogating effect occurring at negative gate voltages. These encouraging detection parameters are accompanied by relatively short switching times of 15 ms at positive gate voltages, resulting from a combination of the standard photoconduction and the high crystallinity of the nanowires. Collectively, these results indicate that solution-processed PbS nanowires are promising nanomaterials for infrared photodetectors as well as p-type nanowire FETs

Structural Analysis for Estimating Damage Behavior of Double Hull under Ice-Grounding Scenario Models

Aditya Rio Prabowo, Jung Min Sohn, Jung Hoon Byeon, Dong Myung Bae, Ahmad Fauzan Zakki, Bo Ca

The Effect of an Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection for Acute Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

The purpose of this case report is to evaluate the visual outcome of an intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection (IVTA) as a treatment for a patient with acute nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). A 65-year-old male patient with severe visual loss due to acute NAION was treated with 4 mg/0.1mL IVTA. Fundus examination and measurements of the patient's best-corrected visual acuity and visual field were performed before and after the injection at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. The best-corrected visual acuity changed from 0.05 before the injection to 0.16 at 2 weeks, 0.3 at 1 month, and 0.4 at 3 months and at the final visit. Optic disc swelling had markedly decreased at 1 week postoperatively and disappeared at 2 weeks after the injection. The clinical course of this patient suggests that an IVTA may be effective in increasing visual acuity following an acute NAION. A large randomized controlled trial is needed to assess the efficacy of IVTA as a treatment for NAION

Analysis of structural behavior during collision event accounting for bow and side structure interaction

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Colloidal quantum dot hybrids: an emerging class of materials for ambient lighting

The rapid growth of the global economy and urbanization have resulted in major worldwide issues such as greenhouse gas emission, air pollution and the energy crisis. Artificial ambient light is one of the greatest inventions in human history, but it is also one of the primary energy consumption constituents and a focus of the global grand energy challenge. Therefore, low cost and low energy consumption lighting technology is in high demand. In this review, we will summarise and discuss one of the emerging lighting technologies – white electroluminescence light-emitting diodes enabled by hybrid colloidal quantum dots (WQLEDs), which have attracted intense attention because of promising potential in both flat-panel backlighting and solid-state lighting. WQLEDs have unique high luminescence efficiency, broad colour tunability and solution processability. Over the past few decades, the development of colloidal quantum dot synthesis, material engineering and device architecture has highlighted the tremendous improvements in WQLED formation. As WQLED efficiencies approach those of molecular organic LEDs, we identify the critical scientific and technological challenges and provide an outlook for ongoing strategies to overcome these challenges