The use of Instruction Set Extension (ISE) in customising embedded processors for a specific application has been studied extensively in recent years. The addition of a set of complex arithmetic instructions to a baseline core has proven to be a cost-effective means of meeting design performance requirements. This thesis proposes and evaluates a reconfigurable ISE implementation called “Configurable Flow Accelerators” (CFAs), a number of refinements to an existing Automated ISE (AISE) algorithm called “ISEGEN”, and the effects of source form on AISE. The CFA is demonstrated repeatedly to be a cost-effective design for ISE implementation. A temporal partitioning algorithm called “staggering” is proposed and demonstrated on average to reduce the area of CFA implementation by 37% for only an 8% reduction in acceleration. This thesis then turns to concerns within the ISEGEN AISE algorithm. A methodology for finding a good static heuristic weighting vector for ISEGEN is proposed and demonstrated. Up to 100% of merit is shown to be lost or gained through the choice of vector. ISEGEN early-termination is introduced and shown to improve the runtime of the algorithm by up to 7.26x, and 5.82x on average. An extension to the ISEGEN heuristic to account for pipelining is proposed and evaluated, increasing acceleration by up to an additional 1.5x. An energyaware heuristic is added to ISEGEN, which reduces the energy used by a CFA implementation of a set of ISEs by an average of 1.6x, up to 3.6x. This result directly contradicts the frequently espoused notion that “bigger is better” in ISE. The last stretch of work in this thesis is concerned with source-level transformation: the effect of changing the representation of the application on the quality of the combined hardwaresoftware solution. A methodology for combined exploration of source transformation and ISE is presented, and demonstrated to improve the acceleration of the result by an average of 35% versus ISE alone. Floating point is demonstrated to perform worse than fixed point, for all design concerns and applications studied here, regardless of ISEs employed.

Introduction Radiometals are finding more and more applications in molecular imaging and targeted therapy. For PET imaging, all the novel radiometals are directly or indirectly produced on cyclotrons. Key step in their production is achieving proper radionuclidic, radiochemical and chemical purity, as well as high specific activity. Automation of the process enhances reproducibility, shortens necessary operations and decreases radiation burden. We have, therefore, developed universal radio-metal automated laboratory workbench (RALW) that is focused on separation processes from solid and liquid (solution) targets via solid phase extraction (SPE). Material and Methods RALW is versatile platform for separation, formulation and simple labeling processes. The following FIG. 1 displays its basic scheme. RALW´s main parts are: two reactors, two selec-tors, peristaltic pump, 3/2 way valves, and separation column. Prime reactor R1 is designed to carry out several functions. It can transport solid target material from shielding container to process position, or handle liquid target filling. In both cases, the reactor is leakagefree up to 5 bars. There are 4 positions available to bring solvents to the reactor 1 or applying on a SPE column according to the separation sequence with use of peristaltic pump. Smart software allows for collecting defined fractions leaving the column, e.g. enriched target matrix and the desired radionuclide, by monitoring activity profile and controlling the splitting valves. The system also minimizes losses during transport of the solvents/fractions to the reactor R2 and the software also controls final volume settings (activity concentration) of the product. Up to three positions are available for bringing solvents/solutions to the reactor R2 for formulation or simple labeling steps like chelation. The system’s hardware is driven by a PLC and I/O cards. The PLC is placed outside the module to avoid radiation damage. The module, PLC and host PC communicate via an Ethernet cable. This solution significantly reduced number of cables connecting the module with other component in the control chain. The PLC is controlled via host PC equipped with userfriendly interface. Results and Conclusion The presented RPLW system is rather versatile tool for separation of metal radionuclides and simple postprocessing (formulation/labelling) of the product in stable environment and easy control mechanisms. The RPLW operating prototype is shown on the FIG. 2.

Introduction [11C]choline is a very effective PET radiopharma-ceutical for the study of prostate cancer. To support the increasing demand for [11C]choline, several different synthetic approaches have been described in the literature, including different automated production methods using remote-controlled synthesis modules [1–4]. The most popular method uses a C18 Sep-Pak as solid support for methylation and, subsequently, a CM Sep-Pak for purification [2]. We report an optimized method for producing [11C]choline using only one CM Sep-Pak for both reaction and purification as was shown in the literature [4]. For synthesis of [11C]choline we used two modules Tracerlab FXC for preparation of methylation reagent [11C]CH3I and GPF-101 for [11C]choline synthesis. Material and Methods TracerlabFXC GE, GPF-101 Veenstra Instrument, 2-(dimethylamino)-ethanol (DMAE) ABX, Sep-Pak Light Accell Plus CM cation-exchange cartridges Waters used without conditioning, precursor 50 µL of DMAE dissolved in 25 µL of ethanol and loaded on a CM Sep-Pak. Schematic diagram of the automated system for the production of [11C]choline is given below. [11C]CH4 was produced in two standard Nitra target IBA irradiation of mixture 90 % N2/10 % H2 with 15 MeV protons using dual beam. Results and Conclusion [11C]CH4 was prepared in the targets and connected with Tracerlab FXC. [11C]CH3I was pre-pared in a loop in which allowed to react of elemental iodine at a temperature 720 oC. Con-version to [11C]CH3I usually is around 50% uncorrected activity. Activity is within the range 15–18 GBq of [11C]CH3I and time of production 10 min. Synthesis of [11C]choline is based on the reaction DMAE with [11C]CH3I on a Accell Plus CM cation-exchange column which serves both as a support for reaction and for separation of choline from DMAE by ethanol washing. The basic parameters are shown in TABLE 1. Beam current 2X 20 µA Irradiation time 30 min DMAE 50 µl Synthesis time from EOB 25 min Absolute yield without correction 6.6 GBq Radiochemical purity > 99 % Residual DMAE in product < 5 ppm Ethanol < 1000 mg/L pH 4.5–8.5 TABLE 1. Reaction parameters and result of production of [11C]choline syntheses Conclusion We have applied a simple synthesis method for [11C]choline preparation using automated commercial equipments with one column used both for reaction and separation purpose. The main advantage of using one column is lower contamination of the product [11C]choline with DMAE. When for synthesis of [11C]choline two columns C18 for synthesis and CM for separation is used, higher contamination of DMAE can be found in the product due to a release of DMAE from C18 column.

As multi-agent systems (MAS) have become more mature and systems in general have become more distributed, it is necessary for those who want to build large scale systems to consider, in some computational depth, how agents can communicate in large scale, complex and distributed systems. Currently, some MAS systems have been developed to use an abstract specification language for argumentation. This as a basis for agent communication; to provide effective decision support for agents and yield better agreements. However, as we build complete MAS that involve argumentation, there is a need to produce concrete implementations in which these abstract specifications are realised via protocols coordinating agent behaviour. This creates a gap between standard argument specification and deployment of protocols. This thesis attempts to close this gap by using a combination of automated synthesis and verification methods. More precisely, this thesis proposes a means of moving rapidly from argument specification to protocol implementation using an extension of the Argument Interchange Format (AIF is a generic specification language for argument structure) called a Dialogue Interaction Diagram (DID) as the dialogue game specification language and the Lightweight Coordination Calculus (LCC is an executable specification language used for coordinating agents in open systems) as an implementation language. The main contribution of this research is to provide approaches for enabling developers of dialogue game argumentation systems to use specification languages (in our case AIF/DID) to generate agent protocol systems that are capable of direct implementation on open infrastructures (in our case LCC).

Pravdepodobnostné programy zohrávajú rozhodujúcu úlohu v rôznych technických doménach, ako napríklad počítačové siete, vstavané systémy, stratégie riadenia spotreby energie alebo softvérové produčkné linky. PAYNT je nástroj na automatizovanú syntézu pravdepodobnostných programov vyhovujúcich zadaným špecifikáciam. V tejto práci rozširujeme tento nástroj predovšetkým o podporu optimálnej syntézy a syntézy viacerých špecifikácií. Ďalej sme navrhli a implementovali novú metódu, ktorá dokáže efektívne syntetizovať parametre so spojitým definičným oborom ovplyvňujúce pravdepodobnostné prechody popri syntéze topológie programov, t.j., podporu pre syntézu topológie aj parametrov súčasne. Demonštrujeme užitočnosť a výkonnosť nástroja PAYNT na širokej škále prípadových štúdií z rôznych aplikačných domén ktoré majú uplatnenie v reálnom svete. Pri náročných problémoch syntézy môže PAYNT výrazne znížiť dobu behu až z dní na minúty a zároveň zaistiť úplnosť procesu syntézy.

Introduction Radiometals are finding more and more applications in molecular imaging and targeted therapy. For PET imaging, all the novel radiometals are directly or indirectly produced on cyclotrons. Key step in their production is achieving proper radionuclidic, radiochemical and chemical purity, as well as high specific activity. Automation of the process enhances reproducibility, shortens necessary operations and decreases radiation burden. We have, therefore, developed universal radio-metal automated laboratory workbench (RALW) that is focused on separation processes from solid and liquid (solution) targets via solid phase extraction (SPE). Material and Methods RALW is versatile platform for separation, formulation and simple labeling processes. The following FIG. 1 displays its basic scheme. RALW´s main parts are: two reactors, two selec-tors, peristaltic pump, 3/2 way valves, and separation column. Prime reactor R1 is designed to carry out several functions. It can transport solid target material from shielding container to process position, or handle liquid target filling. In both cases, the reactor is leakagefree up to 5 bars. There are 4 positions available to bring solvents to the reactor 1 or applying on a SPE column according to the separation sequence with use of peristaltic pump. Smart software allows for collecting defined fractions leaving the column, e.g. enriched target matrix and the desired radionuclide, by monitoring activity profile and controlling the splitting valves. The system also minimizes losses during transport of the solvents/fractions to the reactor R2 and the software also controls final volume settings (activity concentration) of the product. Up to three positions are available for bringing solvents/solutions to the reactor R2 for formulation or simple labeling steps like chelation. The system’s hardware is driven by a PLC and I/O cards. The PLC is placed outside the module to avoid radiation damage. The module, PLC and host PC communicate via an Ethernet cable. This solution significantly reduced number of cables connecting the module with other component in the control chain. The PLC is controlled via host PC equipped with userfriendly interface. Results and Conclusion The presented RPLW system is rather versatile tool for separation of metal radionuclides and simple postprocessing (formulation/labelling) of the product in stable environment and easy control mechanisms. The RPLW operating prototype is shown on the FIG. 2.

Introduction [11C]choline is a very effective PET radiopharma-ceutical for the study of prostate cancer. To support the increasing demand for [11C]choline, several different synthetic approaches have been described in the literature, including different automated production methods using remote-controlled synthesis modules [1–4]. The most popular method uses a C18 Sep-Pak as solid support for methylation and, subsequently, a CM Sep-Pak for purification [2]. We report an optimized method for producing [11C]choline using only one CM Sep-Pak for both reaction and purification as was shown in the literature [4]. For synthesis of [11C]choline we used two modules Tracerlab FXC for preparation of methylation reagent [11C]CH3I and GPF-101 for [11C]choline synthesis. Material and Methods TracerlabFXC GE, GPF-101 Veenstra Instrument, 2-(dimethylamino)-ethanol (DMAE) ABX, Sep-Pak Light Accell Plus CM cation-exchange cartridges Waters used without conditioning, precursor 50 µL of DMAE dissolved in 25 µL of ethanol and loaded on a CM Sep-Pak. Schematic diagram of the automated system for the production of [11C]choline is given below. [11C]CH4 was produced in two standard Nitra target IBA irradiation of mixture 90 % N2/10 % H2 with 15 MeV protons using dual beam. Results and Conclusion [11C]CH4 was prepared in the targets and connected with Tracerlab FXC. [11C]CH3I was pre-pared in a loop in which allowed to react of elemental iodine at a temperature 720 oC. Con-version to [11C]CH3I usually is around 50% uncorrected activity. Activity is within the range 15–18 GBq of [11C]CH3I and time of production 10 min. Synthesis of [11C]choline is based on the reaction DMAE with [11C]CH3I on a Accell Plus CM cation-exchange column which serves both as a support for reaction and for separation of choline from DMAE by ethanol washing. The basic parameters are shown in TABLE 1. Beam current 2X 20 µA Irradiation time 30 min DMAE 50 µl Synthesis time from EOB 25 min Absolute yield without correction 6.6 GBq Radiochemical purity > 99 % Residual DMAE in product < 5 ppm Ethanol < 1000 mg/L pH 4.5–8.5 TABLE 1. Reaction parameters and result of production of [11C]choline syntheses Conclusion We have applied a simple synthesis method for [11C]choline preparation using automated commercial equipments with one column used both for reaction and separation purpose. The main advantage of using one column is lower contamination of the product [11C]choline with DMAE. When for synthesis of [11C]choline two columns C18 for synthesis and CM for separation is used, higher contamination of DMAE can be found in the product due to a release of DMAE from C18 column.

<p>The development of new aza-bicyclic structures with potential applications as ligands synthesised <i>via</i> an aza-Diels-Alder cycloaddition has been studied. The studies are concerning the i) development of large scale aza-Diels-Alder reaction, ii) development of a fast and simple route to bicyclic diamine ligands, iii) development of new aza-Diels-Alder adducts from different dienes, iv) development and application of bicyclic N,P ligands for catalytic Michael additions and v) development of robotized asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reactions.</p><p>i) Development of large-scale aza-Diels-Alder reaction giving up to 110 g pure product, in ordinary laboratory equipment without the need of any flash chromatography.</p><p>ii) Development of a new synthetic route to bicyclic diamine ligands highly useful for asymmetric rearrangement of olefin oxides to allylic alcohols and thereby shortening the ligand synthesis dramatically and moreover providing with a faster access to those ligands.</p><p>iii) Expanding the scope of the aza-Diels-Alder reaction by the use of spirodienes and anthracene as dienes.</p><p>iv) Development and application of a new bidentate ligands for catalytic Michael addition to cyclic enones using 5 mol % ligand giving the product in 71 % ee.</p><p>v) Utilisation of Chemspeed ASW 2000 in catalytic transfer hydrogenation and solving of problems regarding use of highly air sensitive reactions in an automated environment.</p>

State-of-the art electronic systems include ever more features and gather mixed-signal subsystems, possibly from different physical domains. At the same time, cost and development time are reduced; stressing the need for an efficient design flow for fast and reliable design. The present thesis contributes to the construction of an improved design flow supported by mixed-signal hardware description languages (HDL-AMS). In a hierarchical view, the electronic systems are recursively divided into subsystems, down to basic cells and transistor level. The typical design flow results of a top-down synthesis, from the system specifications to the physical realizations, and of a bottom-up validation, from the test of the basic cells up to the test of the system. To improve the link between the technological level and the basic cells, we develop a measurement-based analog ID card which aims to optimize the analog performance and the reliability at high temperature by enabling the choice of optimal process (bulk vs. partially-depleted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) vs. fully-depleted SOI), optimal devices (e.g. multi-threshold voltages process) and optimal bias (weak vs. moderate vs. strong inversion). In the present thesis, we deal with the following analog performance parameters: gain, gain-bandwidth product, MOSFET mismatch in weak inversion and harmonic distortion of MOSFETs in triode regime. We show that SOI transistors are still advantageous over bulk in deep-submicron CMOS technologies and that short-channel SOI transistors can safely be used for mixed-signal operation up to 250°C. The analog ID card can be included in the design flow supported by HDL-AMS. Behavioral models for the basic cells are developed using such languages and further assembled into a ÄÓ modulator with continuous-time integrators as it is a good candidate for low-power consumption and operation at high temperature. The related design issues are assessed using the behavioral models and a design optimization method is presented for a key building block, an active RC integrator with passive resistors.

The development of new aza-bicyclic structures with potential applications as ligands synthesised via an aza-Diels-Alder cycloaddition has been studied. The studies are concerning the i) development of large scale aza-Diels-Alder reaction, ii) development of a fast and simple route to bicyclic diamine ligands, iii) development of new aza-Diels-Alder adducts from different dienes, iv) development and application of bicyclic N,P ligands for catalytic Michael additions and v) development of robotized asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reactions. i) Development of large-scale aza-Diels-Alder reaction giving up to 110 g pure product, in ordinary laboratory equipment without the need of any flash chromatography. ii) Development of a new synthetic route to bicyclic diamine ligands highly useful for asymmetric rearrangement of olefin oxides to allylic alcohols and thereby shortening the ligand synthesis dramatically and moreover providing with a faster access to those ligands. iii) Expanding the scope of the aza-Diels-Alder reaction by the use of spirodienes and anthracene as dienes. iv) Development and application of a new bidentate ligands for catalytic Michael addition to cyclic enones using 5 mol % ligand giving the product in 71 % ee. v) Utilisation of Chemspeed ASW 2000 in catalytic transfer hydrogenation and solving of problems regarding use of highly air sensitive reactions in an automated environment.