Lee Chi-wai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-196). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract of this thesis entitled: --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.iii / Acknowledgements --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.vii / List of Tables --- p.x / List of Figures --- p.xi / Chapter Chapter1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Synchronous Design --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Asynchronous Design --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Discrete Cosine Transform --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4 --- Motivation --- p.5 / Chapter 1.5 --- Organization of the Thesis --- p.6 / Chapter Chapter2 --- Asynchronous Design Methodology --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1 --- Overview --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2 --- Background --- p.8 / Chapter 2.3 --- Past Designs --- p.10 / Chapter 2.4 --- Micropipeline --- p.12 / Chapter 2.5 --- New Asynchronous Architecture --- p.15 / Chapter Chapter3 --- DCT/IDCT Processor Design Methodology --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1 --- Overview --- p.24 / Chapter 3.2 --- Hardware Architecture --- p.25 / Chapter 3.3 --- DCT Algorithm --- p.26 / Chapter 3.4 --- Used Architecture and DCT Algorithm --- p.30 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Implementation on Programmable DSP Processor --- p.31 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Implementation on Dedicated Processor --- p.33 / Chapter Chapter4 --- New Techniques for Operating Dynamic Logic in Low Frequency --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1 --- Overview --- p.36 / Chapter 4.2 --- Background --- p.37 / Chapter 4.3 --- Traditional Technique --- p.39 / Chapter 4.4 --- New Technique - Refresh Control Circuit --- p.40 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Principle --- p.41 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Voltage Sensor --- p.42 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Ring Oscillator --- p.43 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- "Counter, Latch and Comparator" --- p.46 / Chapter 4.4.5 --- Recalibrate Circuit --- p.47 / Chapter 4.4.6 --- Operation Monitoring Circuit --- p.48 / Chapter 4.4.7 --- Overall Circuit --- p.48 / Chapter Chapter5 --- DCT Implementation on Programmable DSP Processor --- p.51 / Chapter 5.1 --- Overview --- p.51 / Chapter 5.2 --- Processor Architecture --- p.52 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Arithmetic Unit --- p.53 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Switching Network --- p.56 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- FIFO Memory --- p.59 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Instruction Memory --- p.60 / Chapter 5.3 --- Programming --- p.62 / Chapter 5.4 --- DCT Implementation --- p.63 / Chapter Chapter6 --- DCT Implementation on Dedicated DCT Processor --- p.66 / Chapter 6.1 --- Overview --- p.66 / Chapter 6.2 --- DCT Chip Architecture --- p.67 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- ID DCT Core --- p.68 / Chapter 6.2.1.1 --- Core Architecture --- p.74 / Chapter 6.2.1.2 --- Flow of Operation --- p.76 / Chapter 6.2.1.3 --- Data Replicator --- p.79 / Chapter 6.2.1.4 --- DCT Coefficients Memory --- p.80 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Combination of IDCT to 1D DCT core --- p.82 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Accuracy --- p.85 / Chapter 6.3 --- Transpose Memory --- p.87 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Architecture --- p.89 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Address Generator --- p.91 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- RAM Block --- p.94 / Chapter Chapter7 --- Results and Discussions --- p.97 / Chapter 7.1 --- Overview --- p.97 / Chapter 7.2 --- Refresh Control Circuit --- p.97 / Chapter 7.2.1 --- Implementation Results and Performance --- p.97 / Chapter 7.2.2 --- Discussion --- p.100 / Chapter 7.3 --- Programmable DSP Processor --- p.102 / Chapter 7.3.1 --- Implementation Results and Performance --- p.102 / Chapter 7.3.2 --- Discussion --- p.104 / Chapter 7.4 --- ID DCT/IDCT Core --- p.107 / Chapter 7.4.1 --- Simulation Results --- p.107 / Chapter 7.4.2 --- Measurement Results --- p.109 / Chapter 7.4.3 --- Discussion --- p.113 / Chapter 7.5 --- Transpose Memory --- p.122 / Chapter 7.5.1 --- Simulated Results --- p.122 / Chapter 7.5.2 --- Measurement Results --- p.123 / Chapter 7.5.3 --- Discussion --- p.126 / Chapter Chapter8 --- Conclusions --- p.130 / Appendix --- p.133 / Operations of switches in DCT implementation of programmable DSP processor --- p.133 / C Program for evaluating the error in DCT/IDCT core --- p.135 / Pin Assignments of the Programmable DSP Processor Chip --- p.142 / Pin Assignments of the 1D DCT/IDCT Core Chip --- p.144 / Pin Assignments of the Transpose Memory Chip --- p.147 / Chip microphotograph of the 1D DCT/IDCT core --- p.150 / Chip Microphotograph of the Transpose Memory --- p.151 / Measured Waveforms of 1D DCT/IDCT Chip --- p.152 / Measured Waveforms of Transpose Memory Chip --- p.156 / Schematics of Refresh Control Circuit --- p.158 / Schematics of Programmable DSP Processor --- p.164 / Schematics of 1D DCT/IDCT Core --- p.180 / Schematics of Transpose Memory --- p.187 / References --- p.191 / Design Libraries - CD-ROM --- p.197

Sham Chiu Wing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-113). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Motivations --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Progress on the Problem --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Our Contributions --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4 --- Thesis Organization --- p.5 / Chapter 2 --- Preliminaries --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- The Role of Floorplanning --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Wirelength Estimation --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Different Types of Floorplan --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2 --- Representations of Floorplan --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Polish Expressions --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Sequence Pair --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Bounded-Sliceline Grid (BSG) Structure --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- O-Tree --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- B*-Tree --- p.16 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Corner Block List --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2.7 --- Twin Binary Tree --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.8 --- Comparisons between Different Representations --- p.20 / Chapter 2.3 --- Algorithms of Floorplan Design --- p.20 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Constraint Based Floorplanning --- p.21 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Integer Programming Based Floorplanning --- p.21 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Neural Learning Based Floorplanning --- p.22 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Rectangular Dualization --- p.22 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- Simulated Annealing --- p.23 / Chapter 2.3.6 --- Genetic Algorithm --- p.23 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary --- p.24 / Chapter 3 --- Literature Review on Interconnect-Driven Floorplanning --- p.25 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2 --- Simulated Annealing Approach --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- """Pepper - A Timing Driven Early Floorplanner""" --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- """A Timing Driven Block Placer Based on Sequence Pair Model""" --- p.26 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- """Integrated Floorplanning and Interconnect Planning""" --- p.27 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- """Interconnect Driven Floorplanning with Fast Global Wiring Planning and Optimization""" --- p.27 / Chapter 3.3 --- Genetic Algorithm Approach --- p.28 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- "“Timing Influenced General-cell Genetic Floorplanning""" --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4 --- Force Directed Approach --- p.29 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- """Timing Influenced Force Directed Floorplanning""" --- p.29 / Chapter 3.5 --- Congestion Planning --- p.30 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- """On the Behavior of Congestion Minimization During Placement""" --- p.30 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- """Congestion Minimization During Placement""" --- p.31 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- "“Estimating Routing Congestion Using Probabilistic Anal- ysis""" --- p.31 / Chapter 3.6 --- Buffer Planning --- p.32 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- """Buffer Block Planning for Interconnect Driven Floor- planning""" --- p.32 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- """Routability Driven Repeater Block Planning for Interconnect- centric Floorplanning""" --- p.33 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- """Provably Good Global Buffering Using an Available Block Plan""" --- p.34 / Chapter 3.6.4 --- "“Planning Buffer Locations by Network Flows""" --- p.34 / Chapter 3.6.5 --- """A Practical Methodology for Early Buffer and Wire Re- source Allocation""" --- p.35 / Chapter 3.7 --- Summary --- p.36 / Chapter 4 --- Floorplanner with Fixed Buffer Planning [34] --- p.37 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.37 / Chapter 4.2 --- Overview of the Floorplanner --- p.38 / Chapter 4.3 --- Congestion Model --- p.38 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Construction of Grid Structure --- p.39 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Counting the Number of Routes at a Grid --- p.40 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Buffer Location Computation --- p.41 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Counting Routes with Blocked Grids --- p.42 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Computing the Probability of Net Crossing --- p.43 / Chapter 4.4 --- Time Complexity --- p.44 / Chapter 4.5 --- Simulated Annealing --- p.45 / Chapter 4.6 --- Wirelength Estimation --- p.46 / Chapter 4.6.1 --- Center-to-center Estimation --- p.47 / Chapter 4.6.2 --- Corner-to-corner Estimation --- p.47 / Chapter 4.6.3 --- Intersection-to-intersection Estimation --- p.48 / Chapter 4.7 --- Multi-pin Nets Handling --- p.49 / Chapter 4.8 --- Experimental Results --- p.50 / Chapter 4.9 --- Summary --- p.51 / Chapter 5 --- Floorplanner with Flexible Buffer Planning [35] --- p.53 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.53 / Chapter 5.2 --- Overview of the Floorplanner --- p.54 / Chapter 5.3 --- Congestion Model --- p.55 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Probabilistic Model with Variable Interval Buffer Inser- tion Constraint --- p.57 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Time Complexity --- p.61 / Chapter 5.4 --- Buffer Planning --- p.62 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Estimation of Buffer Usage --- p.62 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Estimation of Buffer Resources --- p.69 / Chapter 5.5 --- Two-phases Simulated Annealing --- p.70 / Chapter 5.6 --- Wirelength Estimation --- p.72 / Chapter 5.7 --- Multi-pin Nets Handling --- p.73 / Chapter 5.8 --- Experimental Results --- p.73 / Chapter 5.9 --- Remarks --- p.76 / Chapter 5.10 --- Summary --- p.76 / Chapter 6 --- Global Router --- p.77 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.77 / Chapter 6.2 --- Overview of the Global Router --- p.77 / Chapter 6.3 --- Buffer Insertion Constraint and Congestion Constraint --- p.78 / Chapter 6.4 --- Multi-pin Nets Handling --- p.79 / Chapter 6.5 --- Routing Methodology --- p.79 / Chapter 6.6 --- Implementation --- p.80 / Chapter 6.7 --- Summary --- p.86 / Chapter 7 --- Interconnect-Driven Floorplanning by Alternative Packings --- p.87 / Chapter 7.1 --- Introduction --- p.87 / Chapter 7.2 --- Overview of the Method --- p.87 / Chapter 7.3 --- Searching Alternative Packings --- p.89 / Chapter 7.3.1 --- Rectangular Supermodules in Sequence Pair --- p.89 / Chapter 7.3.2 --- Finding rearrangable module sets --- p.90 / Chapter 7.3.3 --- Alternative Sequence Pairs --- p.94 / Chapter 7.4 --- Implementation --- p.97 / Chapter 7.4.1 --- Re-calculation of Interconnect Cost --- p.98 / Chapter 7.4.2 --- Cost Function --- p.101 / Chapter 7.4.3 --- Time Complexity --- p.101 / Chapter 7.5 --- Experimental Results --- p.101 / Chapter 7.6 --- Summary --- p.103 / Chapter 8 --- Conclusion --- p.105 / Bibliography --- p.107

Wong Wai-Chiu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-101). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.iii / Abstract in Chinese --- p.v / Acknowledgements --- p.vi / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Motivations --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- Progress on Interconnect-driven Floorplanning --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Congestion Optimization --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Buffer Insertion --- p.5 / Chapter 1.3 --- Contributions --- p.6 / Chapter 1.4 --- Organization of this Thesis --- p.7 / Chapter 2 --- "VLSI Circuit Design, Physical Design Cycle and Floorplanning" --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1 --- VLSI Circuit Design Cycle --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- Physical Design Cycle --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Circuit Partitioning --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Floorplanning and Placement --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Routing --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Compaction --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3 --- Introduction to Floorplanning --- p.13 / Chapter 2.4 --- Types of Floorplan --- p.14 / Chapter 2.5 --- Simulated Annealing --- p.15 / Chapter 2.6 --- Floorplan Representation --- p.16 / Chapter 2.6.1 --- Polish Expression --- p.17 / Chapter 2.6.2 --- Sequence Pair --- p.18 / Chapter 2.6.3 --- Twin Binary Tree --- p.20 / Chapter 2.6.4 --- Comparisons between Different Floorplan Representations --- p.21 / Chapter 2.7 --- Chapter Summary --- p.22 / Chapter 3 --- Interconnect Optimization in Floorplanning --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1 --- Routing Congestion Optimization --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2 --- Buffer Planning --- p.26 / Chapter 3.3 --- Wire Sizing --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4 --- Simultaneous Wire Sizing and Buffer Planning --- p.30 / Chapter 3.5 --- Literature Review on Interconnect-driven Floorplanning --- p.31 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Congestion Optimization --- p.31 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Buffer Insertion --- p.36 / Chapter 3.6 --- Chapter Summary --- p.40 / Chapter 4 --- Floorplanning with Congestion Optimization and Buffer Block Planning --- p.41 / Chapter 4.1 --- Floorplanner Overview --- p.42 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Grid Structure and Blocked Grids --- p.44 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Buffer Block Planning --- p.44 / Chapter 4.2 --- Elmore Delay Model --- p.46 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Wire Sizing --- p.47 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Buffer Insertion --- p.48 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Simultaneous Buffer Insertion and Wire Sizing --- p.49 / Chapter 4.3 --- Dynamic Programming Approach for Buffer Planning and Wire Sizing --- p.49 / Chapter 4.4 --- Implementation of the Dynamic Programming Approach --- p.51 / Chapter 4.5 --- Lookup Table Construction --- p.53 / Chapter 4.6 --- Congestion Model --- p.55 / Chapter 4.7 --- Cost Function --- p.56 / Chapter 4.8 --- Algorithm --- p.56 / Chapter 4.9 --- Experimental Results --- p.57 / Chapter 4.9.1 --- Experimental Results on Simultaneous Buffer Insertion and Wire Sizing --- p.57 / Chapter 4.9.2 --- Experimental Results of using the Table Lookup Approach --- p.58 / Chapter 4.10 --- Chapter Summary --- p.60 / Chapter 5 --- Floorplanning with Flexible Buffer Planning and Routability Op- timization --- p.63 / Chapter 5.1 --- Floorplanner Overview --- p.64 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Constraints in Buffer Locations --- p.64 / Chapter 5.2 --- Congestion Estimation --- p.66 / Chapter 5.3 --- Buffer Location Computation --- p.67 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Feasible Locations for Buffer Insertion --- p.67 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Cost of Grids for Buffer Insertion --- p.69 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Dynamic Programming Approach for Selecting Buffer Lo- cation of a Net --- p.70 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- An Example --- p.70 / Chapter 5.4 --- Congestion Model --- p.72 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Net-count Congestion Model --- p.72 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Grid-count Congestion Model --- p.74 / Chapter 5.5 --- Buffer Location Bounds --- p.75 / Chapter 5.6 --- Net Grouping --- p.77 / Chapter 5.7 --- Cost Function --- p.79 / Chapter 5.8 --- Algorithm . --- p.79 / Chapter 5.9 --- Experimental Results --- p.79 / Chapter 5.9.1 --- Net Grouping Factor --- p.80 / Chapter 5.9.2 --- Experimental Results of our Floorplanner --- p.80 / Chapter 5.9.3 --- Comparison on Different Congestion Models --- p.82 / Chapter 5.10 --- Chapter Summary --- p.83 / Chapter 6 --- Conclusion --- p.86 / Chapter 6.1 --- Discussion --- p.87 / Chapter 6.2 --- Improvements --- p.88 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Net Grouping and Ordering --- p.88 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Congestion Modelling --- p.89 / Appendix --- p.90 / Chapter A --- Overview on VLSI Technology --- p.91 / Chapter A.l --- Moore's Law and Trends in VLSI --- p.91 / Chapter A.2 --- Scaling --- p.93 / Bibliography --- p.101

Ching Lap Sze. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-71). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.iv / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Shuttle Mask --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- Voltage Island --- p.6 / Chapter 1.3 --- Structure of the Thesis --- p.8 / Chapter 2 --- Literature Review on Shuttle Mask Floorplanning --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Problem formulation --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2 --- Slicing Floorplan --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3 --- General Floorplan --- p.11 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Conflict Graph Approaches --- p.11 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Integer Linear Programming Approaches --- p.14 / Chapter 2.4 --- Grid Packing --- p.15 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- "(α,β,γ)-restricted Grid Approach" --- p.15 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Branch and Bound Searching Approach --- p.17 / Chapter 3 --- Shuttle Mask Floorplanning --- p.18 / Chapter 3.1 --- Problem Description --- p.18 / Chapter 3.2 --- An Overview --- p.20 / Chapter 3.3 --- Modified α-Restricted Grid --- p.21 / Chapter 3.4 --- Branch and Bound Algorithm --- p.23 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Feasibility Check --- p.25 / Chapter 3.5 --- Dicing Plan --- p.30 / Chapter 3.6 --- Experimental Result --- p.30 / Chapter 4 --- Literature Review on Voltage Island Partitioning --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.36 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Problem Definition --- p.36 / Chapter 4.2 --- Dynamic Programming --- p.38 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Problem Definition --- p.38 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Algorithm Overview --- p.38 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Size Reduction --- p.39 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Approximate Voltage-Partitioning --- p.40 / Chapter 4.3 --- Quad-tree Approach --- p.41 / Chapter 5 --- Voltage Island Partitioning --- p.44 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.44 / Chapter 5.2 --- Problem Formulation --- p.45 / Chapter 5.3 --- Methodology --- p.46 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Coarsening and Graph Construction --- p.47 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Tree Construction --- p.49 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Optimal Tree Partitioning --- p.50 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- Tree Refinement --- p.52 / Chapter 5.3.5 --- Solution Legalization --- p.53 / Chapter 5.3.6 --- Time Complexity --- p.54 / Chapter 5.4 --- Direct Method --- p.55 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Dual Grid-partitioning Problem (DGPP) --- p.56 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Time Complexity --- p.58 / Chapter 5.5 --- Experimental Results --- p.59 / Chapter 6 --- Conclusion --- p.66 / Bibliography --- p.69

The inflationary ΛCDM cosmology currently provides an accurate description of the Universe. It has been tested using several observational techniques over a wide redshift range, and it provides a good fit to most of them. In addition, it is a surprisingly economical model, requiring only six parameters to characterize the background cosmology and its fluctuations. In this model, the Universe is dominated by a cosmological constant Λ driving an accelerated expansion, and by cold dark matter. The strongest constraints on parameters to date come from observations of the temperature and polarization anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background measured by the Planck satellite. There are, however, indications of features in the Planck power spectra, possible differences with high redshift ground-based CMB experiments, and 'tensions' between Planck and low redshift measurements of the Hubble constant and weak gravitational lensing. In this thesis, we review possible tensions and extensions to the Planck cosmology, at both high and low redshifts. We begin with the high redshift analysis, using the Planck data to test models which introduce oscillatory features in the primordial power spectrum. We also study possible departures from slow roll inflation using the generalized slow-roll formalism, which allows for order unity deviations. Although we find models which give marginal improvements on the temperature or polarization power spectra, the combination of temperature and polarization is found to be consistent with a featureless power-law primordial spectrum. We then focus on measurements of the polarized CMB sky by the South Pole Telescope collaboration, who report tension between their measurements and the ΛCDM cosmology and with the cosmological parameters determined by Planck. We find evidence of a high χ2 in the SPTpol spectra which is unlikely to be cosmological. We report consistency between the Planck and SPTpol polarization spectra over the multipoles accessible to Planck (l ∼< 1500). We then investigate tension at low redshifts. We begin with weak gravitational lensing in which a number of surveys have suggested that the amplitude of the fluctuation spectra is lower than the Planck value. We review the small-angle approximations commonly used in galaxy weak lensing analyses and their effect on cosmological parameters. We find that these approximations are perfectly adequate for present and near future experiments. We find internal inconsistencies in the recent KiDS-450 analysis involving photometric redshifts and the KiDS covariance matrix at large scales. Finally, we investigate the difference between measurements of the present day expansion rate of the Universe. We apply a novel parameterization of the inverse distance ladder to determine the present date value of the Hubble parameter H0, which assumes General Relativity but makes no further assumptions about systematic errors or the nature of dark energy. Our analysis uses baryon acoustic oscillation data and Type Ia Supernovae to constrain the expansion history assuming a value of the sound horizon determined from the CMB. Our results are in tension with recent direct determinations of H0. We conclude that this tension, if real, cannot be solved by modifications of the ΛCDM model at late times. Instead, we would require a modification of the theory at early times which reduces the sound horizon. We conclude that at this time there is no compelling evidence that conflicts with the ΛCDM cosmology either at low or at high redshifts.

Information about the very early universe can be accessed from observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation and the later formation of large-scale structure (LSS) that are produced from cosmological perturbations of the early universe. The most developed theoretical explanation for the origin of these perturbations is the theory of inflation, in which the early universe undergoes a period of accelerated expansion, amplifying quantum fluctuations to macroscopic size, which act as the seeds for the CMB anisotropies and the cosmic web of the LSS. The work in this thesis aims to connect the theory of inflation to properties of these observables in a highly detailed way, suitable for future high-precision astronomical surveys. After some introductory review chapters, we begin with new research on a study of inflation from string theory, deriving an observably-large value of the tensor-to-scalar ratio, which had been previously difficult to achieve theoretically. The next study investigates the link between the observed CMB power asymmetry and non-Gaussianity, including a novel non-zero value for the trispectrum. Next we study soft limits of non-Gaussian inflationary correlation functions, focussing first on the squeezed limit of the bispectrum and then generalizing to soft limits of higher-point correlation functions, giving results valid for multi-fi eld models of inflation.

Esta tese tem como objetivo analisar as ações do Estado brasileiro na educação básica no período de 1995 a 2014. Para tanto, faço uso de uma política pública educacional – o Sistema de Avaliação da Educação Básica (Saeb) – como “janela” desta pesquisa. O uso de uma política educacional como “janela” implica no entendimento de que as políticas públicas estão inseparavelmente relacionadas ao Estado (AGUDELO, 2011; OSCAR OSZLAK; GUILLERMO O'DONNELL, 1995) e que só se pode definir como política pública a ação que tem o aval estatal (OSZLAK; O'DONNELL, 1995). A escolha do Saeb, por sua vez, esteve alicerçada em uma revisão bibliográfica que aponta que, a partir das reformas estatais dos anos de 1990, as avaliações ganharam centralidade no cenário brasileiro (HYPOLITO, 2008; PERONI, 2003; FREITAS, 2004; BONAMINO; SOUSA, 2012; SOUZA; OLIVEIRA, 2003; COELHO, 2008). Esta é a justificativa para fazer uso de uma política pública educacional que inclui avaliações de larga escala, pois entendo que, olhando para tais avaliações, posso ter um acesso privilegiado para identificar como o Estado age na educação básica. A revisão bibliográfica também apontou que as reformas estatais de 1990 no Brasil foram fortemente influenciadas pelo modelo gerencial. Assim, os pressupostos gerencialistas foram aqueles, centralmente, utilizados para o entendimento das mudanças ocorridas no Estado brasileiro na década de 1990. Como forma de entender o modelo gerencial, faço uso das contribuições dos autores John Clarke e Janet Newman – que estudaram as reformas gerenciais no contexto da Inglaterra. Apresento um breve panorama histórico dos contextos internacional e brasileiro, no qual trato sobre a reestruturação do Estado e as principais mudanças que passaram a existir em relação às políticas educacionais, examinando, de forma especial, a centralidade que ganharam as avaliações de larga escala na educação. Através da realização de entrevistas realistas (PAWSON; TILLEY, 2000) com pessoas ligadas a órgãos estatais e a instituições não-estatais – que têm exercido um importante papel nas discussões educacionais –, da análise de documentos e da teoria construída para a tese, realizei uma análise que levou em conta as lentes teóricas utilizadas ao longo do estudo – análise relacional (APPLE, 2006) e a abordagem estratégico-relacional (JESSOP, 2008) – e que permitiu inferir, de forma complexa, sobre como se caracterizam as ações do Estado brasileiro na educação básica no período de 1995 a 2014. Concluí que, apesar da existência de particularidades no âmbito estatal brasileiro, sendo o Estado ainda forte e bastante centralizado e caracterizado pelo patrimonialismo, coronelismo e populismo (FAORO, 2001), as avaliações de larga escala e os pressupostos gerenciais servem como importantes orientadores das ações do Estado na educação básica, o que corrobora o alerta de Clarke e Newman (1997) de que, apesar das contradições existentes no Estado, o gerencialismo possui, atualmente, primazia sobre outros modelos. / This dissertation aims to analyze the action of the Brazilian State in the context of basic education from 1995 to 2014. Therefore, I use a public educational policy – the Basic Education Assessment System – as a “window” of this research. The use of a educational policy as a “window” implies the understanding that public policies are inseparably related to the State (HYPOLITO, 2008; PERONI, 2003; FREITAS, 2004; BONAMINO; SOUSA, 2012; SOUZA; OLIVEIRA, 2003; COELHO, 2008) and also requires the understanding that a policy can only be set as public policy when it has the State guarantee (OSZLAK; O'DONNELL, 1995). The choice of the Basic Education Assessment System was based on the literature review that points out that evaluations gained centrality in the Brazilian context since the State reforms in the 1990s (HYPOLITO, 2008; PERONI, 2003; FREITAS, 2004; BONAMINO; SOUSA, 2012; SOUZA; OLIVEIRA, 2003; COELHO, 2008). This is the justification for using an educational policy that includes large-scale assessments; I understand that, when looking for such assessments, I can have a privileged access to identify how the State acts in basic education. The literature review also pointed out that in the 1990s the State reform in Brazil was strongly influenced by managerialism. Thus, managerial assumptions were used to understand the changes in the Brazilian State in the 1990s. In order to understand managerialism, I use the contributions from John Clarke and Janet Newman – who have studied managerial reforms in England’s context. I present a brief historical overview of both international and Brazilian contexts, in which I deal with the restructuring of the State and the major changes in relation to educational policies, examining, specially, the centrality of large-scale assessments in education. By conducting realistic interviews (PAWSON; TILLEY, 2000) with people linked to State agencies and non-state institutions – which have played an important role in educational discussions –, document analysis and the theory built in this dissertation, I carried out an analysis that took into account the theoretical lens used throughout the study – relational analysis (APPLE, 2006) and the strategic-relational approach (JESSOP, 2008) – which allowed me to infer, in a complex way, how the action of the Brazilian State in basic education from 1995 to 2014 is characterized. I concluded that, despite of the existence of peculiarities in the Brazilian State level, which means that the State is still strong and quite centralized and characterized by paternalism, “coronelismo” and populism (FAORO, 2001), large-scale assessments and managerial assumptions have served as important guides of the State's actions in basic education, which confirms the Clarke and Newman’s alert (1997) that, in spite of the existence of contradictions in the State, managerialism has primacy over other models nowadays.

Esta dissertação tem como problema de pesquisa: quais são as representações de professores e de alunos sobre a Provinha Brasil? Objetiva: (1) identificar e problematizar as representações – significados, modos de operacionalização e usos – sobre a Provinha Brasil a partir das falas de professores de três turmas de 2º ano do Ensino Fundamental e (2) inventariar e analisar o que representa ser avaliado pela Provinha Brasil na perspectiva dos alunos. A Provinha Brasil é uma avaliação em larga escala com função diagnóstica, aplicada no início e no final do 2º ano do Ensino Fundamental, visando aferir os progressos no rendimento dos alunos (em leitura e matemática) e dar subsídio ao planejamento dos professores. A pesquisa foi realizada em três escolas públicas de âmbito federal, estadual e municipal. Se enquadra em uma abordagem de pesquisa qualitativa, utilizando as seguintes ferramentas metodológicas: entrevista semiestruturada, observação e “aula-conversa”, esta última ferramenta criada para produção dos dados junto aos alunos. Os conceitos-ferramentas utilizados na investigação foram: Representação cultural (HALL, 1997) e Governamento (FOUCAULT, 1982). As análises mostraram que: os significados que as professoras atribuem à Provinha Brasil envolvem enxergá-la como um parâmetro, a partir da legitimação dos conhecimentos e habilidades abordados pelo exame, por serem similares aos que trabalham em suas salas de aula, mas que não têm fortes impactos nas suas práticas, sendo um reforço ao que elas já vinham observando sobre seus alunos. Os modos de operacionalização mostram que as professoras tentam tornar o momento de aplicação tranquilo, para que os alunos consigam fazer a prova e para que esse jeito de conduzir o processo, motivando os alunos, tenha impacto nos desempenhos. As professoras se põem contrárias a focar suas aulas na preparação dos alunos para “irem bem” na avaliação, mas os preparam, fazendo questões de múltipla escolha esporadicamente, para dar conta dos rituais de exame. Quanto aos usos, as professoras tentam “fazer desse limão uma limonada”, usando a Provinha Brasil dentro de sua potência, que é dar uma visão geral do desempenho da turma. Elas também apontam que interpretam os resultados, às vezes categorizando os alunos nos níveis que a avaliação propõe, e pensam ações para dar conta das aprendizagens não consolidadas pelos alunos. Os alunos representaram a avaliação como uma novidade bem aceita e trouxeram à tona significações partilhadas culturalmente sobre “prova”. Mesmo em menor número, alguns alunos também representaram a avaliação como um lugar de desconforto, a partir da insegurança, do nervosismo e das dúvidas, fruto de uma relação recém iniciada com o instrumento “prova”. Também relacionaram a avaliação à autorresponsabilização, trazendo outro significado partilhado culturalmente, uma vez que produzem uma ligação entre desempenho e futuro. / This dissertation has as research problem: what are the representations from teachers and students about the Provinha Brasil? It aims to: (1) identify and problematize the representation – meanings, ways of operationalization and the uses – about the Provinha Brasil based on the talks of three teachers from 2nd grade of elementary school and (2) listing and analyze what represents being evaluated by the Provinha Brasil on the students’ perspective. The Provinha Brasil is a large-scale assessment with diagnostic function that is applied at the beginning and at the end of 2nd grade of elementary school, aiming to assess the progress in student achievement (in reading and mathematics) and to contribute to teachers’ lesson plan. The research was realized in three public schools from different spheres, federal, state and municipal. It is a qualitative research that uses as methodological resources: the semi structured interview, the observations and “class-talk”, this last one created to produce data with the students. The main concepts that were used in this investigation were Cultural Representation (HALL, 1997) and Government (FOUCALT, 1982). The analyses revealed that: the meanings that teachers attribute to the Provinha Brasil involve consider it as a parameter, based on the legitimation of knowledge and abilities that are approached by the exam, because they are similar to the ones worked in their classrooms, but they do not have a strong impact in their practices, being considered a reinforcement to the things they have already observed about their students. The ways of operationalizing shows that the teachers try to make it a calm moment, in order to the students can answer the text and so that, this way of conducting the process, motivating the students, may cause an impact on their performance. The teachers do not put the focus of their classes on the preparation of their students to “do it well” in the evaluation, but they prepare them, proposing questions of multiple choice, occasionally, so the ritual of the exam is practiced. Concerning the uses, the teachers try to “make a lemonade out of lemons”, using the Provinha Brasil in its force, that is to give a general view from the group performance. They also point out that they interpret the results, sometimes categorizing the students in the levels proposed by the evaluation and planning actions to work on these nonconsolidated learning aspects of the students. The students represent the evaluation as a novelty well accepted and bring out meanings culturally shared concerning the meaning of “test”. Even though being in a small number, some students also represent the evaluation as a uncomfortable place, due to the insecurity, the jitters and the doubts, that come from a relation that began recently with the“test” as an instrument of assessment. They also associate evaluation and self-responsability, bringing out another meaning culturally shared, since they produce a connection between performance and future.

A presente tese tem como objetivo geral analisar as linhas do dispositivo da Numeramentalidade na constituição das práticas avaliativas em larga escala, mais especificamente, tomando a Avaliação Nacional da Alfabetização – ANA – como foco empírico. Metodologicamente, analisam-se documentos referentes à ANA com inspiração na maneira foucaultiana de fazer pesquisa, utilizando algumas das ferramentas teórico-analíticas criadas pelo autor. Dessa forma, busca-se mostrar o funcionamento do dispositivo da Numeramentalidade através de suas linhas constitutivas, isolando as estratégias e os jogos de verdade na produção de saberes, as táticas ou técnicas para condução das condutas de si e dos outros e os modos de constituição de subjetividades. Ao colocar em funcionamento esse conceito, entendido como um dispositivo de nossa época, foram traçadas tramas discursivas entre as suas linhas, as mesmas que constituem os resultados e as análises da tese. A primeira trama aborda a produção do risco do analfabetismo infantil e as estratégias de produção numérica das práticas avaliativas para comparar. A segunda trama trata da metodologia adotada nos testes de desempenho da ANA, marcada pela medição e por processos classificatórios, a partir dos quais é possível discutir a construção de níveis de leitura e escrita proposta pelas escalas de proficiência. Na terceira trama argumenta-se que o dispositivo da Numeramentalidade, através dos saberes estatísticos, dos processos classificatórios e das verdades que coloca em jogo, produz formas-sujeito e subjetividades numeramentalizadas. Por fim, considera-se a produtividade do conceito de Numeramentalidade para analisar as práticas avaliativas em larga escala. Através da analítica desenvolvida, formula-se a tese desta pesquisa: as linhas do dispositivo da Numeramentalidade que operam nas práticas avaliativas em larga escala, mais especificamente, na Avaliação Nacional da Alfabetização, produzem visibilidades e dizibilidades sobre a alfabetização das crianças através dos jogos de verdade das estatísticas e dos processos classificatórios, em articulação com discursos pedagógicos e psicológicos, produzindo tipos de sujeito e subjetividades numeramentalizadas. / This thesis has as main purpose to analyse the lines of Numeramentality dispositif in the composition of assessment practices on a large scale, more specifically, taking the “Avaliação Nacional da Alfabetização.” – ANA – as empirical focus. Methodologically, we analysed documents related to ANA with inspiration in Foucault's way of doing research, using some of the theoretical and analytical tools created by the author. Thus, we seek to show the functioning of Numeramentality dispositif through its constituent lines, isolating strategies and the truth games in the production of knowledge, the tactics and techniques for conducting the conduct of others and one’s self, as well as the subjectivities constitution modes.Once this concept was put into operation, which is understood as a dispositif of our time, discursive plots were drawn between its lines, which are the same presented in the results and analyses of this thesis. The first plot deals with the production of the risk of child illiteracy and the numerical production strategies of assessment practices to be compared. The second plot deals with the methodology used in performance tests of ANA, marked by measurement and qualifying processes, from which it is possible to discuss the construction of reading and writing levels proposed by the proficiency scales. The third plot argues that the Numeramentality dispositif through the statistical knowledge, the qualifying process and the truths that puts at stake, produces form- subject and a “numeramentalized” subjectivity. Finally, it is taken into account the productivity of the Numeramentality concept to analyse assessment practices on a large scale. Through the developed analytics, the thesis of this research is formulated: the lines of the dispositif of Numeramentality that operate in the evaluative practices in large scale, more specifically, in the “Avaliação Nacional de Alfabetização”, produce ways of being and ways of saying on children's illiteracy through the truth statistical games and qualifying processes in conjunction with pedagogical and psychological discourses, producing discursively types of subject and “numeramentalized” subjectivity.

Les interférons de Type I (IFN) sont des cytokines produites par les cellules en réponse à une infection virale. Les IFNs ont des effets pleïotropiques et parfois paradoxaux, protecteur ou néfaste pour l’immunité Innée ou adaptative. Certains facteurs intrinsèques (type cellulaire) peuvent expliquer une partie ces discordances. Mon travail de thèse s’est intéressé à l‘effet du microenvironnement cytokinique sur la réponse IFN. En utilisant des analyses à large échelle, nous avons étudié la réponse IFN dans 4 contextes de polarisation des lymphocytes T auxiliaires (Th). Nous avons identifié 1/ un programme de transcription conservé et 2/ une réponse IFN flexible, modulant spécifiquement les principales fonctions des Th (cytokines, chemokines) en fonction du contexte polarisant. La réponse antivirale apparait aussi flexible avec une moins bonne protection des Th2 et Th17 contre l’infection par HIV-1et HIV-2. Nos résultats suggèrent que l’environnement cytokinique contrôle en partie la réponse IFN et peut ainsi moduler cette dernière dans différents contextes physiopathologiques. / Type I IFN (IFN) are innate cytokines produced by host cells during viral infection. Ithas pleiotropic and sometimes opposing, protective or detrimental effects, on both innateand adaptive immunity that remain poorly understood. Parts of IFN response may be explain by intrinsic effect (cell-­‐specificity). My thesis was focused on the effect of the microenvironment, as present during T Helper cell differentiation, on IFN response. Using a systems level approach, we studied IFN responses during Four Human T Helper cell differentiation. We identified 1/ a conserved IFN-­‐induced transcriptional program comprising mostly antiviral genes 2/ a flexible IFN response, leading to a different pattern of chemokine and cytokine induction by IFN in distinct Th environments. Antiviral response was also flexible with a lesser protection to HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection in Th2 and Th17 contexts. Our in vitro results suggested that environmental control might shape the effects of IFN in different physiopathological contexts.