Pass Transistor Logic (PTL) is a well known approach for implementing digital circuits. In order to handle larger designs and also to ensure that the total number of series devices in the resulting circuit is bounded, partitioned Reduced Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams (ROBDDs) can be used to generate the PTL circuit. The output signals of each partitioned block typically needs to be buffered. In this thesis, a new methodology is presented to perform generalized buffering of the outputs of PTL blocks. By performing the Boolean division of each PTL block using different gates in a library, we select the gate that results in the largest reduction in the height of the PTL block. In this manner, these gates serve the function of buffering the outputs of the PTL blocks, while also reducing the height and delay of the PTL block. PTL synthesis with generalized buffering was implemented in two different ways. In the first approach, Boolean division was used to perform generalized buffering. In the second approach, compatible observability don't cares (CODCs) were utilized in tandem with Boolean division to simplify the ROBDDs and to reduce the logic in PTL structure. Also CODCs were computed in two different manners: one using full simplify to compute complete CODCs and another using, approximate CODCs (ACODCs). Over a number of examples, on an average, generalized buffering without CODCs results in a 24% reduction in delay, and a 3% improvement in circuit area, compared to a traditional buffered PTL implementation. When ACODCs were used, the delay was reduced by 29%, and the total area was reduced by 5% compared to traditional buffering. With complete CODCs, the delay and area reduction compared to traditional buffering was 28% and 6% respectively. Therefore, results show that generalized buffering provides better implementation of the circuits than the traditional buffering method.

Multi-node optimization using Boolean relations is a powerful approach for network minimization. The approach has been studied in theory, and so far its superiority over single node optimization techniques has only been conjectured for practical designs. This is due to the highly memory intensive computations involved in the calculation of Boolean relations representing the multi-node optimization exibility. In this thesis, an algorithm to perform Boolean relation-based multi-node optimization using a robust, fast and memory efcient algorithm is presented. In particular, two nodes are simultaneously optimized at a time. Results are reported on large designs, demonstrating the initial power of this multi-node optimization algorithm. The robustness of the approach arises from the use of a window-based technique for computing these Boolean relations. Secondly, aggressive early quantication is performed during the computation, keeping memory utilization low. Finally, smart heuristics are employed for selecting the node pair to be optimized simultaneously. These features allow the approach to scale well and provide good results for large designs. Experiments are performed on a set of large benchmarks and the algorithm's performance is compared to a SAT-based network optimization technique using complete don't cares. On average, the approach presented in this thesis achieves a 12% reduction in literal count across all the large designs compared to the complete don't cares, while maintaining small runtimes and low memory usage.

Multi-node optimization using Boolean relations is a powerful approach for network minimization. The approach has been studied in theory, and so far its superiority over single node optimization techniques has only been conjectured for practical designs. This is due to the highly memory intensive computations involved in the calculation of Boolean relations representing the multi-node optimization exibility. In this thesis, an algorithm to perform Boolean relation-based multi-node optimization using a robust, fast and memory efcient algorithm is presented. In particular, two nodes are simultaneously optimized at a time. Results are reported on large designs, demonstrating the initial power of this multi-node optimization algorithm. The robustness of the approach arises from the use of a window-based technique for computing these Boolean relations. Secondly, aggressive early quantication is performed during the computation, keeping memory utilization low. Finally, smart heuristics are employed for selecting the node pair to be optimized simultaneously. These features allow the approach to scale well and provide good results for large designs. Experiments are performed on a set of large benchmarks and the algorithm's performance is compared to a SAT-based network optimization technique using complete don't cares. On average, the approach presented in this thesis achieves a 12% reduction in literal count across all the large designs compared to the complete don't cares, while maintaining small runtimes and low memory usage.

When students are asked about their motivation to succeed in a course, about whether they enjoyed their instructor, and about their overall satisfaction with the class, answers can often be traced back to an educator who was perceived by the student as caring. Perceived caring occurs when a student feels that a teacher’s positive behaviors directed toward the student are motivated by good intentions and good will. Research in the area of teacher care has almost exclusively focused on elementary and secondary classrooms, and has advanced the theory that caring teachers and caring classroom environments prompt many positive educational outcomes. Noticeably lacking from the caring literature is research focusing on the application of caring theory in postsecondary classrooms. Does caring have as large an impact on college students? A pilot study was conducted in which four students at a major university were invited to document their thoughts and perceptions of care by their professors, and were asked to pay particular attention to what caring behaviors their professors took. As a result of the qualitative analysis, five caring behaviors were discovered: efforts by professors to know student names, efforts to display care and concern during office hours, efforts in knowing and understanding students, efforts to create interesting and applicable lessons, and efforts to address student concerns during class. The current study sought through further qualitative inquiry to validate these five caring behaviors and attempted to identify others that may strengthen an atmosphere of perceived care in the college classroom. Twenty students were interviewed and invited to chronicle impressions of caring principles in their classrooms, with the objective of shedding insight into those caring behaviors that are most meaningful. Ten professors were also interviewed regarding their perceptions of extending care to students. Eight factors were found to influence the perception of care in college classrooms. These included verbal expressions of care, nonverbal expressions of care, knowing student names, displaying care and concern during office hours, making an effort to get to know students, creating interesting and applicable lessons, addressing student concerns during class, and the existence of a “feeling of care.”

Like a wild card in a game of poker, an unspecified truth table entry called a “don’t care” can make our sum-of-products expressions so much nicer.

This short episode shows how a complicated truth table can be clarified by using “don’t cares” to represent input values.

No description available.

Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2017-05-04T18:21:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PaulaSimoneOrtizBarros_DISSERT.pdf: 1974784 bytes, checksum: 875673ea036b35aada057e293fc939d7 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Monica Paiva (monicalpaiva@hotmail.com) on 2017-05-04T18:29:34Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 PaulaSimoneOrtizBarros_DISSERT.pdf: 1974784 bytes, checksum: 875673ea036b35aada057e293fc939d7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-04T18:29:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PaulaSimoneOrtizBarros_DISSERT.pdf: 1974784 bytes, checksum: 875673ea036b35aada057e293fc939d7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-10-29 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico (CNPq) / Experimentos de suplementa??o in vitro utilizando pl?ntulas de girassol foram realizados para investigar o efeito modulador de a??cares ex?genos sobre a mobiliza??o de diferentes reservas e as altera??es concomitantes sobre a parti??o de metab?litos e a atividade de enzimas degradadoras. Quando sacarose 100 mM foi adicionada ao meio de cultura, a mobiliza??o de lip?deos e prote?nas de reserva foi retardada nos cotil?dones. Uma mistura equimolar de glicose e frutose falhou em mimetizar esta resposta, mas resultados semelhantes foram encontrados utilizando concentra??o equimolar de glicose ou an?logos n?o metaboliz?veis da glicose. O atraso da mobiliza??o lip?deos e prote?nas de reserva ? acompanhado pela acumula??o de a??cares n?o redutores em um gradiente decrescente das ra?zes para os cotil?dones. Al?m disso, a glicose e os a??cares n?o-metaboliz?veis, manose e 3-O-metil-glicose, foram capazes de diminuir a atividade de lipases, amilases e proteases ?cidas nos cotil?dones. De acordo com estes resultados, a??cares ex?genos modulam a mobiliza??o das principais reservas (lip?deos e prote?nas de reserva) durante o estabelecimento de pl?ntulas em girassol. Esta resposta n?o foi especificamente desencadeada por sacarose e n?o foi exclusivamente devido a efeitos metab?licos dos a??cares. As atividades das diferentes enzimas degradadoras de reservas s?o simultaneamente moduladas pela glicose ex?gena. Um gradiente de a??cares n?o redutores (provavelmente sacarose) pode desempenhar um papel na sinaliza??o ? longa dist?ncia, indicando altera??es da rela??o fonte-dreno. / Experimentos de suplementa??o in vitro utilizando pl?ntulas de girassol foram realizados para investigar o efeito modulador de a??cares ex?genos sobre a mobiliza??o de diferentes reservas e as altera??es concomitantes sobre a parti??o de metab?litos e a atividade de enzimas degradadoras. Quando sacarose 100 mM foi adicionada ao meio de cultura, a mobiliza??o de lip?deos e prote?nas de reserva foi retardada nos cotil?dones. Uma mistura equimolar de glicose e frutose falhou em mimetizar esta resposta, mas resultados semelhantes foram encontrados utilizando concentra??o equimolar de glicose ou an?logos n?o metaboliz?veis da glicose. O atraso da mobiliza??o lip?deos e prote?nas de reserva ? acompanhado pela acumula??o de a??cares n?o redutores em um gradiente decrescente das ra?zes para os cotil?dones. Al?m disso, a glicose e os a??cares n?o-metaboliz?veis, manose e 3-O-metil-glicose, foram capazes de diminuir a atividade de lipases, amilases e proteases ?cidas nos cotil?dones. De acordo com estes resultados, a??cares ex?genos modulam a mobiliza??o das principais reservas (lip?deos e prote?nas de reserva) durante o estabelecimento de pl?ntulas em girassol. Esta resposta n?o foi especificamente desencadeada por sacarose e n?o foi exclusivamente devido a efeitos metab?licos dos a??cares. As atividades das diferentes enzimas degradadoras de reservas s?o simultaneamente moduladas pela glicose ex?gena. Um gradiente de a??cares n?o redutores (provavelmente sacarose) pode desempenhar um papel na sinaliza??o ? longa dist?ncia, indicando altera??es da rela??o fonte-dreno.

No cuidado cotidiano a crianças portadoras de cardiopatias congênitas percebe-se que os pais têm dificuldade para lidar, no domicílio, com as situações decorrentes da própria situação clínica, tais como cianose, prevenção da endocardite infecciosa, administração dos fármacos, etc. Com a finalidade de conhecer melhor os determinantes e possíveis soluções para tais situações, buscou-se identificar trabalhos científicos que abordassem as necessidades de informação e suporte a pais de criança cardiopatas, de 0 a 12 anos de idade, quanto à sete pontos: cardiopatia congênita propriamente dita; como lidar com a cianose; promoção de atividade física; promoção da alimentação; promoção da saúde bucal; prevenção da endocardite infecciosa e administração de fármacos. A busca foi realizada nas bases de dados MEDLINE, Cochrane, CINAHL, LILACS e Scielo, tendo-se limitado o período entre janeiro de 1997 e abril de 2007. Foram identificados 17 estudos, nos quais foi utilizada a análise temática de conteúdo como referencial metodológico. As categorias de análise foram os sete pontos previamente determinados. Os resultados mostraram que há categorias pouco exploradas, como, cuidados por ocasião de crise de cianose, promoção de atividade física e administração de fármacos. As outras concentram a maior parte dos estudos. São elas: conhecimento dos pais sobre a cardiopatia, promoção de alimentação (compreendendo aleitamento natural), promoção da saúde bucal e prevenção da endocardite infecciosa. Na análise geral percebe-se que o conhecimento dos pais, como um todo, é incompleto e fragmentado, tanto em países desenvolvidos, quanto nos em desenvolvimento. São descritos cuidados prestados por enfermeiros, dentistas e médicos, entre outros. Programas de capacitação de pais são poucos e apenas um é descrito como tendo êxito. Tais resultados apontam para a necessidade de mudanças, tanto em termos da relação direta com os pais, quanto em termos de re-organização dos serviços com vistas a abarcar de modo mais completo a necessidade de informação e suporte a estes / In the daily care regarding to children bearing congenital heart disease one can realize that parents have difficulties to deal, at home, with situations coming from the clinical situation itself, such as cyanosis, prevention of the infective endocarditis, administration of medicines, etc. In order to know better the main causes and possible solutions to such situations, one has sought to identify scientifical studies which approach the necessities of information and support to the parents of congenital heart disease from 0 up to 12 years old concerning seven points: congenital heart disease in the very sense of the problem; how to deal with cyanosis; promotion of physical activity; promotion of feeding; promotion of mouth and teeth hygiene; prevention of infective endocarditis and administration of medicines. The search was done in the bases of data MEDLINE, Cochrane, CINAHL, LILACS and Scielo, in the period between 1997 January to 2007 April. Seventeen studies were identified and the tematic analyses of content was used as methodological reference. The categories to analyse were the 7 points previously determinate. The results showed that there are categories with few reaserches carried out, as, for example, the care in situations of cyanosis crisis, promotion of physical activity and administration of medicines. The other ones concentrate the most of the studies. They are: parents\' knowledge about heart disease, promotion of feeding (including breast-feeding), promotion of mouth and teeth hygiene and prevention of infective endocarditis. The general analyses demonstrates that the parents\' knowledge, as a whole, is incomplete and fragmented both in developed world\'s countries and in the developing world ones. Cares rendered by nursery, odontological and medical staff are described along other sort of cares. Programs to capacitate parents are few and only one is describeb as succesful. Such results point to the need of changing.concerning the straight relation with parents and concerning the re-organization of the service as well, in order to embrace in a more complete way the necessity of information and support to parents

Sport and Traditions of Feminist Theory involves a philosophical examination of the opportunities that are offered to females who seek authority in sporting participation, by an examination of the ideas that emanate from various streams of feminist thought. Chapter One introduces the concepts of oppression and authority in sport for females. It also introduces Rortian pragmatism, and four strands of feminist thought which will be utilised throughout the thesis; liberal, standpoint, poststructural and Foucauldian feminism. Finally it briefly suggests the potentials for each of these feminisms to explain and alter the situation of women in sport. Chapter Two is an elaboration of Rortian liberalism. It explains the concepts of anti-foundationalism, the private-public split and the ideal liberal society. These ideas are then applied to an understanding of the opportunities for freedom in sport. Sport is viewed as a symbolic language medium where athletes have the opportunity to express their private freedom through idiosyncratic action. The chapter then goes on to address feminist concerns with Rortian pragmatism. It will be suggested that the female position in society forces a reformulation of Rortian pragmatism to include the possibility of collective expressions of freedom, and to recognise the systematic oppression of women in, and by, society. The female athlete must negotiate the unenviable position of performing in a practice that has a long history of male control over sporting discourses, and female exclusion from, or incorporation into, those sporting discourses. A feminist -reformed, Rortian pragmatism gives the female some tools with which to break down male control and produce individual and collective changes in the language; practice and theory of sport. Chapter Three is a selective history of feminist politics and female participation in sport. The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate that strong poetry; i.e. collective and individual language changes which increased the opportunity for females to speak with authority, were often the result of both contingent conditions in society, and the whims of the dominant class of males. Yet two important points should be made; firstly, within that limited area of freedom in both politics and sport, women did recreate themselves and their society, and secondly, the public discourse about female athleticism throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries suggests a genealogy of ideas which continues to limit female athletic participation and authority. It would be naïve to suggest that this history of ideas about female athleticism would be broken down simply by legislative change which allows for wider female participation in sport. Chapter Four investigates one mechanism of gaining authority for females in society and sport, the liberal intervention of equal opportunities. It has been suggested by radical and postmodern feminisms that such an intervention is inadequate because it leaves in place the structure of ideas that oppress females in the first place. Critiques of liberal feminist interventions in sport likewise suggest that such interventions maintain the maleness of reason in sport. Females are asked to participate and be judged in sports that have a male history and male structure of control. However, because Rortian pragmatism recognises that sport is a symbolic medium, liberal interventions should not be discarded. There are a number of sports which women either are not allowed to play or are discouraged from playing. The liberal intervention may allow women to participate in sport, and gain authority through their local and specific languages of participation. Chapter Five is an application of feminist standpoint theories to women's authority in sport. Feminist standpoints will be suggested as an important method for doubting the certainty of gendered truth statements in sport and society. The truth statements, which oppress women in sport reporting, and reinforce different modes of sport participation, will be deconstructed using feminist standpoint theories. Rortian pragmatism offers tools with which alternate candidates for truth status may be produced and disseminated throughout the sporting world. These alternatives may grant women greater authority in performing and talking about sports. Chapter Six will look at the postmodern and Foucauldian treatments of the female body as another mechanism of challenging the his-story about female athletes, which continues to limit both their participation in sports and their commentary about sports. It will be suggested that the fuzziness of the athletic body allows women all sorts of opportunities to challenge the maleness of authority in sport. One case study, which will be particularly investigated here, is the suggestion that women athletes could look at drugs as a mechanism for approaching the narrowly defined -by men- participation standards of male athletes. And as authority in sport is partially granted on the basis of objective sporting performance, females should view the drug ban as potentially a piece of phallocentric legislation designed to maintain male power. Other case studies that could be investigated at a later date are the suspicions about genetic engineering and virtual reality sport, and the distaste for female athletes aborting before sporting performance. Are these suspicions and distaste mechanisms of the control of the female athlete's performance which females should oppose? The final chapter summarises the opportunities that a reformed Rortian pragmatism, reformed by the female question, provides for females in sport. Sport as a bodily activity may offer some potentials and obstacles that are not present in theoretical activities like education and politics. This is not to imply a dualism, but simply to suggest that sport, like dance and theatre, is an activity where the body's movements and actions are symbolically communicative.