This study is about replacing an old bluetooth module with a new variant, namely the BM83 which is an integrated circuit that contains an internal DSP circuit, profiles and important functions such as noise reduction, acoustic echo removal and EQ filtering. The purpose of this study is to replace the old module with the BM83, as well as explore the internal DSP circuit in the BM83. The goal is to develop the audio system with a high performance bluetooth and explore the BM83's built-in DSP functions and its profiles to optimize sound quality. This study takes different methods and performs different experiments to test the ability of BM83 to replace RN52 in a DSP platform. In addition, it was proposed that an audiosystem should be managed in an operating system with the idea of optimizing data transfer by using some of new operating system mechanism methods. In this study, the differences between BM83 and RN52 were discussed in terms of their profiles, built-in CODEC and DSP algorithm.This study provides how SPP, A2DP and HFP can be used together when the BM83 is controlled by a DSP platform. In addition, it was tested how A2DP and HFP have a great importance in providing events that a DSP platform can decide on and how it chooses its source depending on these events. In addition, the data communication between the BM83 and an STM32F7 was tested via the SPP protocol, with the idea that any data would be sent and received via SPP without loss in data transmission. In conclusion, it was discussed what type of data communication is used between BM83 and an MCU in comparison between RN52 and how the built-in DSP circuit and itsprofiles are important for future research. This project was funded by the Hearing Research Foundation in project FA21-0017 and was carried out under the supervision of Amin Saremi. / Denna studie handlar om att ersätta en gammal bluetooth modul med en ny variant, nämligen BM83 som är en integrerad krets som innehåller en interna DSP krets, profiler och viktiga funktioner som brusreducering, akustisk ekoborttagning och EQ-filtrering. Syftet med denna studie är att ersätta den gamla modulen med BM83, samt utforska den interna DSP kretsen i BM83. Målet är att utveckla ljudsystemet med en högprestanda bluetooth och utforska BM83:s inbyggda DSP-funktioner och dess profilerför att optimera ljudkvalitet. Denna studie tar olika metoder och utför olika experiment för att testa BM83:s förmåga att ersätta RN52 i en DSP plattform. Dessutom föreslogs om att hur ett ljudsystem skulle hanteras i ett operativsystem med tanken på att optimera dataöverföringen. I denna studie diskuterades skillnaderna mellan BM83 och RN52 när det gäller deras profiler, inbyggda CODEC- och DSP-algoritmen. I denna studie belystes hur SPP, A2DP och HFP användes tillsammans när BM83 styrdes av en DSP plattform. Dessutom testades hur A2DP och HFP har en stor betydelse för att tillhandahålla händelser som kan en DSP plattform bestämma sig av och hur den väljer sin källa beroende på dessa händelser. Dessutom testades datakommunikationen mellan BM83 och en STM32F7 via SPP protokollet, med tanken på att valfri data skulle skickas och tas emot via SPP utan förlust i dataöverföring. Avslutningsvis diskuterades vilken typ av datakommunikation används mellan BM83 ochen MCU i jämförelse mellan RN52 och hur den inbyggda DSP kretsen och dess profiler är viktiga för framtida forskningar. Detta projekt finansierades av Hörselforskningsfonden i projekt FA21-0017 och utfördes under uppsikt av Amin Saremi.

With the scaling of technology nodes, modern CMOS integrated circuits face severe fundamental challenges that stem from device scaling limitations, interconnection bottlenecks and increasing manufacturing complexities. These challenges drive researchers to look for revolutionary technologies beyond the end of CMOS roadmap. Towards this end, a new nanoscale 3-D computing fabric for future integrated circuits, Skybridge, has been proposed [1]. In this new fabric, core aspects from device to circuit style, connectivity, thermal management and manufacturing pathway are co-architected in a 3-D fabric-centric manner. However, the Skybridge fabric uses only n-type transistors in a dynamic circuit style for logic and memory implementations. Therefore, it requires complicated clocking schemes to overcome signal monotonicity associated with cascading dynamic logic gates. For Skybridge’s large-scale circuits, the dynamic circuit style requires cascaded stages to be micro-pipelined, which results in large number of buffers used for storing minterms causing significant overhead in terms of area and power. Moreover, implementation of logic is limited to NAND or AND-of-NAND based logic expressions, which does not always result in compact circuits. In this work, we propose an extension of original Skybridge fabric, called NP-Dynamic-Skybridge, to solve these challenges by using both n-and p-type transistors in an innovative circuit style. Here, every stage in a given circuit is implemented by either n-type or p-type dynamic logic. Cascading n- and p-type dynamic logic effectively avoids signal monotonicity problem, and allows combinational-like circuit implementation. This helps to simplify the clocking scheme for cascaded logics requiring only one set of global precharge and evaluate clock signals. And also it expands the degree of expressing logic enabling expressions such as NOR, OR-of-NORs, in addition to those previously mentioned. Furthermore, the number of pipeline stages is significantly reduced for a given logic function, and buffer requirements are less compared with Skybridge 3D fabric thus improving on area and power metrics. Initial evaluation for NP-Dynamic-Skybridge’s 4-bit carry look-ahead adder shows up to 2x density benefits over Skybridge 3-D fabric and at least 17% power/throughput benefit.

Hardware implementations of artificial neural networks (ANNs) have become feasible due to the advent of persistent 2-terminal devices such as memristor, phase change memory, MTJs, etc. Hybrid memristor crossbar/CMOS systems have been studied extensively and demonstrated experimentally. In these circuits, memristors located at each cross point in a crossbar are, however, stacked on top of CMOS circuits using back end of line processing (BOEL), limiting scaling. Each neuron’s functionality is spread across layers of CMOS and memristor crossbar and thus cannot support the required connectivity to implement large-scale multi-layered ANNs. This work proposes a new fine-grained 3D integrated circuit technology for ANNs that is one of the first IC technologies for this purpose. Synaptic weights implemented with devices are incorporated in a uniform vertical nanowire template co-locating the memory and computation requirements of ANNs within each neuron. Novel 3D routing features are used for interconnections in all three dimensions between the devices enabling high connectivity without the need for special pins or metal vias. To demonstrate the proof of concept of this fabric, classification of binary images using a perceptron-based feed forward neural network is shown. Bottom-up evaluations for the proposed fabric considering 3D implementation of fabric components reveal up to 19x density, 1.2x power benefits when compared to 16nm hybrid memristor/CMOS technology.

<p>In Chapter 2, an experiment has been developed to investigate the passive pre-chamber jet ignition process in gasoline engine configurations and low-load operating conditions. The apparatus adopted a modified 4-cylinder 2.0L gasoline engine to enable single-cylinder operation. To reduce the complexity, the piston position was fixed at a predefined position relative to the top dead center (TDC) to simulate thermodynamic conditions at ignition and injection timings. High-speed Infrared (IR) imaging was applied to visualize the jet penetration and ignition process inside the main cylinder and to investigate the cyclic spatial variability. Two passive pre-chambers with different total nozzle areas and numbers of nozzles were used. In addition, the pre-chamber volume and pressure at ignition timing were varied to examine their effect on jet ignition performance. Misfire behavior was observed in the main chamber of all test cases, and the results suggested that the main cause is a high Residual Mass Fraction (RMF) in the pre-chamber affecting the subsequent cycle. A larger total nozzle area, smaller volume, higher pressure, and fuel-lean operation tended to mitigate the misfire behavior. For a test case with a spark pressure of 6 bar, a reduced cyclic variability in terms of coefficient of variation peak cylinder pressure (COVPmax) from 10.03% to 7.38% and combustion phasing variation from 81 crank angle degree (CAD) to 12 CAD were observed with increasing pre-chamber volume-to-area (V/A) ratio from 59.37 m to 103.11 m, but slightly higher misfire frequency was observed, from 46.67% to 50.00%, suggesting an accurate combination of pre-chamber design parameters is needed to improve overall performance at low-load operation.</p> <p>In Chapter 3, it examines the influence of passive pre-chamber nozzle diameter and dilution level on jet formation and engine performance. Utilizing a modified constant-volume gasoline direct injection engine with an optically-accessible piston, we tested three passive pre-chambers with nozzle diameters of 1.2, 1.4, and 1.6 mm, while nitrogen dilution varied from 0 to 20%. With the help of high-speed imaging, we captured pre-chamber jet formations and subsequent flame propagation within the main chamber. Our novel findings reveal that asymmetric temporal and spatial jet formation patterns arising from pre-chambers significantly impact engine performance. The larger nozzle diameter pre-chambers exhibited the least variation in jet formation due to their improved scavenging and main mixture filling processes, but had the slowest jet velocity and lowest jet penetration depth. At no dilution condition, the 1.2 mm-PC demonstrated superior performance attributed to higher pressure build-up in the pre-chamber, resulting in accelerated jet velocity and increased jet penetration depth. However, at high dilution condition, the 1.6 mm-PC performed better, highlighting the importance of scavenging and symmetry jet formation. This study emphasizes the importance of carefully selecting the pre-chamber nozzle diameter, based on the engine's operating conditions, to achieve an optimal and balanced configuration that can improve both jet formation and jet characteristics, as well as scavenging.</p> <p>In Chapter 4, it investigates the influence of passive pre-chamber nozzle diameter on jet ignition and subsequent main chamber combustion under varying load conditions and dilution levels using a constant-volume optical gasoline direct injection engine. The results reveal that as the load decreases, both fuel availability and flow conditions deteriorate, leading to delayed and inferior jet characteristics that affect main chamber ignition and combustion processes. In high and medium load conditions without dilution, the smallest nozzle diameter pre-chamber (1.2mm-PC) shows improved jet ignition and main combustion due to earlier jet ejection, enhanced penetration, and intensified jet. This is facilitated by the smaller nozzle diameter enabling faster and higher pre-chamber pressurization. Conversely, under low load conditions, the largest nozzle diameter pre-chamber (1.6mm-PC) performs better, likely due to improved scavenging and reduced residual levels, resulting in less compromised pre-chamber combustion and subsequent jet characteristics. The nozzle diameter also has a significant impact on cycle-to-cycle variations, with smaller diameters enhancing jet ignition performance but increasing variability. The effect of external residuals (dilution) on jet ignition performance varies depending on the nozzle diameter, with the 1.6mm-PC exhibiting less degradation and demonstrating earlier jet ejection and CA50 timing compared to smaller nozzle diameter pre-chambers at higher dilution conditions. The improved scavenging and relatively lower residual levels in the larger nozzle diameter pre-chamber contribute to its increased resistance to dilution and potential extension of dilution tolerance.</p> <p>In Chapter 5, it presents an analysis of the effects of pre-chamber nozzle orientation on dilution tolerance in a constant-volume optical engine. Using a combination of experimental and numerical methodologies, we provide novel insights into how variations in nozzle number, orientation, and size influence combustion performance under different dilution conditions. The findings reveal that an increase in the number of nozzles, for a fixed A/V ratio, tends to enhance ignition performance and stability across a range of dilution scenarios, primarily due to an increase in ignition points and a larger ignition surface area. Meanwhile, swirling pre-chambers, despite their potential to boost initial combustion performance at no dilution condition, may limit dilution tolerance due to the complexity of their internal flow dynamics and increased heat loss through nozzle surfaces. Furthermore, pre-chambers combining swirling and straight nozzle orientations fail to synergize the benefits of each type, and instead, exacerbate challenges such as heat loss, flame quenching, and unfavorable flow dynamics. These findings emphasize the complexity and nuanced trade-offs involved in optimizing pre-chamber design for improved dilution tolerance and suggest potential directions for future research in this area.</p> <p>In Chapter 6, it investigates the behavior of pre-chamber knock in comparison to traditional spark ignition engine knock, using a modified constant-volume gasoline engine with an optically-accessible piston. The aim is to provide a deeper understanding of pre-chamber knock combustion and its potential for mitigating knock. Five passive pre-chambers with different nozzle diameters, volumes, and nozzle numbers were tested, and nitrogen dilution was varied from 0 to 10%. The stochastic nature of knock behavior necessitates the use of statistical methods, leading to the proposal of a high-frequency band-pass filter (37-43 kHz) as an alternative pre-chamber knock metric. Pre-chamber knock combustion was found to exhibit fewer strong knock cycles compared to SI engines, indicating its potential for mitigating knock intensity. High-speed images revealed pre-chamber knock primarily occurs near the liner, where end-gas knock is typically exhibited. The study identified that increasing pre-chamber nozzle diameter resulted in a larger dispersion of knock cycles and more severe knock intensity, likely due to shorter jet penetration depth requiring more time for end-gas consumption. Strategies for mitigating knock in pre-chamber combustion systems include reducing the pre-chamber volume for a fixed A/V ratio and increasing dilution level. The results of this study offer valuable insights for developing effective knock mitigation approaches in pre-chamber combustion systems, contributing to the advancement of more efficient and reliable engines.</p> <p>In Chapter 7, a numerical investigation of different premixed gaseous injection strategies was performed to understand their impact on the scavenging and mixture formation of an air-fuel premixed pre-chamber with high exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) operations. EGR dilution is effective for reducing coolant heat loss, pumping work at throttled conditions, and mitigates knock at high-load conditions, thus increasing engine efficiency. To further extend the EGR limit of an air-fuel premixed pre-chamber engine, the effects of different injection strategies (including timing, duration, pressure, pre-chamber volume, and hardware) on the EGR level, trap efficiency, and parasitic loss were determined. Regardless of injection duration and upstream pressure, injecting too early not only increased the amount of the injected premixed gas leaking into the main chamber but also was inefficient in reducing the EGR level in the pre-chamber. To reduce the EGR level in the pre-chamber to a level where successful ignition and combustion of the pre-chamber mixture is possible, the injection timing should be delayed to be close to the ignition timing. A premixed air-fuel injection is thus proposed to reduce the time required for air-fuel mixing in the pre-chamber. With a delayed end of injection (EOI), both leakage amount and EGR level were reduced compared to the cases with earlier injection timings. The results show that an injection with 15 bar upstream pressure, 20 CA duration, EOI of −20 CAD aTDC (ignition timing), and with guided injection hardware for the base pre-chamber volume resulted in about 0.17% air compression parasitic loss, over a 94% trap efficiency, at the same time maintaining the mean EGR level in the pre-chamber below 20%, ensuring good pre-chamber combustion. With a 50% increase in pre-chamber volume from the base case, the parasitic loss increased by 65% (from 0.17% to 0.28% loss), indicating a problem with a larger pre-chamber with a separate air valve and injector.</p>

This dissertation features a curriculum development project on redesigning a piloted multicultural reader which serves to cultivate intercultural competence in diverse domestic and international students in first year writing courses. My redesign process was guided by pedagogical implications from the preliminary results of the implemented multicultural reader and from composition scholarship on multicultural readers. Specifically, my redesigned multicultural reader must(i) achieve pedagogical alignment among learning objectives, assessment practices, and instructional materials and (ii) overcome the commonplaces in multicultural reader design regarding cultural and linguistic inclusivity of authorship, content and student audience, genre diversity, text sequencing vigor, and intervention authenticity. I adopted Wiggins and McTighe’s (2005) Backward Design framework to the (re)design of the Multicultural Reader and illustrate my material development principles in one Sample Section that moves students from the Minimization of difference orientation to the Acceptance of difference orientation.<div><br></div><div>First, I converted the definition and indicators of intercultural competence emerged from Deardorff’s (2006) study as well as the pedagogical implications from Bennett’s (1986) DMIS into learning outcomes for the Reader to aligning learning outcomes and assessment. Second, I integrated the DMIS into the Reader to align assessment practices and instructional materials. I divided the Reader into four sections correspondent to the five stages of intercultural development on the DMIS, namely(i) from Denial to Defense, (ii) from Defense to Minimization, (iii) from Minimization to Acceptance, and (iv) from Acceptance to Adaptation. I selected, designed, adapted, and sequenced the readings and intervention tasks based on stages and strategies of intercultural progression as highlighted in the DMIS scholarship. In my Sample Section, I also provided guidelines on how instructors can map students’ reflective writings onto the DMIS for both formative and summative evaluation. Finally, my redesign of the Multicultural Reader addresses the limitations in previous multicultural readers. To improve the social representativeness of authorship and content, my Reader showcases exemplary texts written by a diverse author group which foreground contemporary issues in different multicultural societies. Reading instructions do not forward any assumptions about the potential student audience, overcoming the issue of audience misrepresentation. The selected readings also exhibit genre diversity in terms of rhetorical modes and types of sources. Readings and interventions are sequenced based on the DMIS guidelines and projects a progressively complex trajectory of affective, cognitive, and behavioral practices for students’ intellectual growth. Each multicultural reading is augmented with intervention tasks adapted from composition studies and intercultural training scholarship to sharpen students’ academic writing and research skills. My interactive tasks also require students to move past passive reading by activating their reading knowledge into real world cross-cultural encounters and purposefully reflecting on their experiential learning in writing assignments.<br></div>

In this review, we focused on putatively interesting biomarkers of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) in relation to the etiopathology of this disease. Since its etiopathology is still under discussion, the development of novel biomarkers is critical for the correct classification of the patients in order to open personalized treatment options, on the one hand, and to separate true IC/BPS from the numerous confusable diseases with comparable symptom spectra on the other hand. There is growing evidence supporting the notion that the classical or Hunner-type IC (HIC) and the non-Hunner-type IC (NHIC) are different diseases with different etiopathologies and different pathophysiology at the full-blown state. While genetic alterations indicate close relationship to allergic and autoimmune diseases, at present, the genetic origin of IC/BPS could be identified. Disturbed angiogenesis and impairment of the microvessels could be linked to altered humoral signaling cascades leading to enhanced VEGF levels which in turn could enhance leucocyte and mast cell invasion. Recurrent or chronic urinary tract infection has been speculated to promote IC/BPS. New findings show that occult virus infections occurred in most IC/BPS patients and that the urinary microbiome was altered, supporting the hypothesis of infections as major players in IC/BPS. Environmental and nutritional factors may also influence IC/BPS, at least at a late state (e.g., cigarette smoking can enhance IC/BPS symptoms). The damage of the urothelial barrier could possibly be the result of many different causality chains and mark the final state of IC/BPS, the causes of this development having been introduced years ago. We conclude that the etiopathology of IC/BPS is complex, involving regulatory mechanisms at various levels. However, using novel molecular biologic techniques promise more sophisticated analysis of this pathophysiological network, resulting in a constantly improvement of our understanding of IC/BPS and related diseases.

No description available.

No description available.

Increased salinity in freshwater systems – also called the Freshwater Salinization Syndrome (FSS) – can have far-ranging implications for the natural and built environment, agriculture, and public health at large. Such risks are clearly on display in the Occoquan Reservoir – a drinking water source for roughly one million people in the northern Virginia/ National Capital Region. Sodium concentrations in the Occoquan Reservoir are approaching levels that can affect taste and health. The Reservoir is also noteworthy as a flagship example of indirect potable reuse, which further adds complexity to understanding the sources of rising levels of sodium and other types of salinity. To help understand the role residential discharges might play in salinization of the Occoquan Reservoir, a suite of laundry detergent products was identified based upon survey data collected in the northern Virginia region. The ionic compositions of these products were then characterized using ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to quantify select ionic and elemental analytes. Sodium, chloride, and sulfate were consistently found in appreciable amounts. To comparatively characterize the laundry detergents, principal component analysis was employed to identify clusters of similar products. The physical formulation of the products was identified as a marker for their content, with dry formulations (free-flowing and encapsulated powders) being more enriched in sodium and sulfate. This result was corroborated by comparing nonparametric bootstrap intervals for individual analytes. The study's findings suggest an opportunity wherein consumer choice can play a role in mediating residential salt inputs in receiving bodies such as the Occoquan Reservoir. / Master of Science / Many streams, rivers, and other freshwater systems have become increasingly salty in recent decades. A rise in salinity can be problematic, stressing aquatic life, corroding pipes, and even enhancing the release of more pollutants into the water. This phenomenon, called Freshwater Salinization Syndrome, can threaten such systems' ability to serve as sources of drinking water, as is the case for the Occoquan Reservoir in northern Virginia. Serving roughly one million people, the Reservoir is notable for being one of the first in the country to purposely incorporate highly treated wastewater upstream of a drinking water supply. Despite the Reservoir's prominence, the reasons behind its rising salt levels are not well understood. This study sought to understand the role that individual residences could play when household products travel down the drain and are ultimately discharged into the watershed. Laundry detergents are potentially high-salt products. A survey of northern Virginian's laundry habits was conducted to understand local tastes and preferences. Informed by the survey, a suite of laundry detergents was chemically characterized to measure salt and element concentrations. The detergents were found to have notable amounts of sodium, chloride, and sulfate in particular, with sodium being the most abundant analyte in every detergent. However, not all detergents were equally salty; statistical tools revealed that dry formulations (such as powdered and powder-filled pak detergents) contributed more sodium and sulfate, among other things. This study's findings suggest that laundry detergents could be contributing to Freshwater Salinization Syndrome in the Occoquan Reservoir, and that local consumers' choice of detergents could make a difference.

本研究之目的，以S公司的IC設計服務專案問題解決方式為案例，運用Dorothy Leonard的基本架構為分析主軸，試圖對S公司IC設計服務部門（台灣工程中心）核心能力建構提出學術性的解釋。本研究採用非實驗性之質性個案研究法，以S公司的三個設計代工及一個內度專案為研究對象。本研究發現如下： 　　壹、技術知識特質對內部技術網路之影響 　　一、本研究發現S公司的IC設計服務專案所面臨的技術問題主要為與設計工具相關知識的改變所導引出來的模組式創新或突破式創新。 　　二、本研究發現面對的問題創新程度高的專案，其內部技術網路連結關係愈強。 　　貳、內部技術網路對知識流通之影響 　　一、本研究發現知識經驗的分享有助於組織知識在轉換過程中創造與蓄積。知識經驗透過師徒制、在職訓練及內部經驗分享，有助於知識在共同化過程中蓄積與傳播。知識經驗透過文件資料撰寫，有助於知識在外化過程中蓄積與傳播。知識經驗透過內部網路分享，有助於知識在結合過程中蓄積與傳播。 　　二、本研究發現組織擁有知識創造型團員有助於組織知識的流通。例如S公司的知識工程師將其內隱知識文件化，加上知識主管的鼓勵，透過共同化、外化的過程，促進了組織的知識流通。 　　三、本研究發現S公司在實驗與原型的活動中，有助於解決知識創造過程中的問題。 　　參、S公司的核心能力 　　一、本研究發現S公司台灣工程中心的核心競爭力如下： 　　　　1. 員工知識和技能－一群對設計工具相當熟悉的I型工程師 　　　　2. 實體技術系統－公司發展的設計工具 　　　　3. 管理系統－經理個人魅力鼓勵員工進行知識經驗的分享 　　　　4. 價值觀和規範－以客為尊，建立長期合作夥伴關係 　　二、本研究發現組織知識流通愈強的專案，有助於組織核心能力建置。 / The intend of study is trying to identify core competency of S Company IC Design Service Department, Taiwan Engineering Center, using the framework proposed by Dorothy Leonard-Barton in 1995. This study is a descriptive and exploratory case study for S company Taiwan engineering center handling three customers’ IC implementation project and one internal new design methodology development project. The major conclusions for this study as below: 　　1. The characteristics of technical knowledge affect internal networking including: 　　　● The technical knowledge challenge, which S company is faced, is mainly derived from module innovation and/or radical innovation when new design tools introduced. 　　　● When the problem project team encountered is lower dependency of organizational technical knowledge, then internal networking work closely is required to resolve the problem. 　　2. The internal networking affects knowledge flow process including: 　　　● Sharing of knowledge experiences is contributive to organizational knowledge creation and storage during conversion process. Making use of master and apprentice system and on-job training to share knowledge experiences is contributive to knowledge storage and spread during socialization process. Making use of writing documents to share knowledge experiences is contributive to knowledge storage and spread during externalization process. Making use of intranet to share knowledge experiences is contributive to knowledge storage and spread during combination process. 　　　● Having knowledge-creating crew is contributive to organizational knowledge flow process. 　　　● During problem solving stage, experimental and prototyping making is helpful for creating organizational knowledge. 　　3. S Company core competency analysis 　　　● S company Taiwan engineering center core competency is concluded as following: 　　　　1. Employee knowledge and skill — There is a group of I type engineers who are skillful in using design tools, 　　　　2. Technical system — Employees have early and un-limited access to S company’s well-developed design tools 　　　　3. Managerial system — Knowledge officer personal inference power 　　　　4. Value and norms — Company motto “Your Long Term Design Partner” 　　　● High throughput knowledge flow project helps S company creating core competency.