MEDEA: A Hybrid Shared-memory/Message-passing Multiprocessor NoC-based Architecture

The shared-memory model has been adopted, both for data exchange as well as synchronization using semaphores in almost every on-chip multiprocessor implementation, ranging from general purpose chip multiprocessors (CMPs) to domain specific multi-core graphics processing units (GPUs). Low-latency synchronization is desirable but is hard to achieve in practice due to the memory hierarchy. On the contrary, an explicit exchange of synchronization tokens among the processing elements through dedicated on-chip links would be beneficial for the overall system performance. In this paper we propose the Medea NoC-based framework, a hybrid shared-memory/message-passing approach. Medea has been modeled with a fast, cycle-accurate SystemC implementation enabling a fast system exploration varying several parameters like number and types of cores, cache size and policy and NoC features. In addition, every SystemC block has its RTL counterpart for physical implementation on FPGAs and ASICs. A parallel version of the Jacobi algorithm has been used as a test application to validate the metodology. Results confirm expectations about performance and effectiveness of system exploration and desig

"Delirium Day": A nationwide point prevalence study of delirium in older hospitalized patients using an easy standardized diagnostic tool

Background: To date, delirium prevalence in adult acute hospital populations has been estimated generally from pooled findings of single-center studies and/or among specific patient populations. Furthermore, the number of participants in these studies has not exceeded a few hundred. To overcome these limitations, we have determined, in a multicenter study, the prevalence of delirium over a single day among a large population of patients admitted to acute and rehabilitation hospital wards in Italy. Methods: This is a point prevalence study (called "Delirium Day") including 1867 older patients (aged 65 years or more) across 108 acute and 12 rehabilitation wards in Italian hospitals. Delirium was assessed on the same day in all patients using the 4AT, a validated and briefly administered tool which does not require training. We also collected data regarding motoric subtypes of delirium, functional and nutritional status, dementia, comorbidity, medications, feeding tubes, peripheral venous and urinary catheters, and physical restraints. Results: The mean sample age was 82.0 \ub1 7.5 years (58 % female). Overall, 429 patients (22.9 %) had delirium. Hypoactive was the commonest subtype (132/344 patients, 38.5 %), followed by mixed, hyperactive, and nonmotoric delirium. The prevalence was highest in Neurology (28.5 %) and Geriatrics (24.7 %), lowest in Rehabilitation (14.0 %), and intermediate in Orthopedic (20.6 %) and Internal Medicine wards (21.4 %). In a multivariable logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.05), Activities of Daily Living dependence (OR 1.19, 95 % CI 1.12-1.27), dementia (OR 3.25, 95 % CI 2.41-4.38), malnutrition (OR 2.01, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), and use of antipsychotics (OR 2.03, 95 % CI 1.45-2.82), feeding tubes (OR 2.51, 95 % CI 1.11-5.66), peripheral venous catheters (OR 1.41, 95 % CI 1.06-1.87), urinary catheters (OR 1.73, 95 % CI 1.30-2.29), and physical restraints (OR 1.84, 95 % CI 1.40-2.40) were associated with delirium. Admission to Neurology wards was also associated with delirium (OR 2.00, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), while admission to other settings was not. Conclusions: Delirium occurred in more than one out of five patients in acute and rehabilitation hospital wards. Prevalence was highest in Neurology and lowest in Rehabilitation divisions. The "Delirium Day" project might become a useful method to assess delirium across hospital settings and a benchmarking platform for future surveys

Indoor air quality monitoring with stable carbon isotope ratio of CO2 in Museum Environments: study for the Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper”

This work regarded the possible use of stable carbon isotopic ratio of CO2 to monitor the influence of visitors in the Refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milan, Italy) which houses one of the most important paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, the Last Supper. Indoor air quality is of utmost importance to guarantee the appropriate preservation condition of the painting since the exposure of artwork and materials to gaseous and particulate pollutants emitted from either indoor or outdoor sources contributes to their decay. The results showed a good correlation between the isotopic composition of CO2 and the tourists inside the museum during the visits and the closure of the museum. The variation of indoor atmospheric δ13C is related to the presence of visitors in the Refectory and follows their direction from the entrance to the exit. This new methodology can be used as a supplemental and non-invasive tool to help in calibrating microclimatic conditions through the ventilation rate of HVAC and air filtration systems in the museum and to manage the number of visitors per turn