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Corannulene (C20H10) is a bowl-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. The molecular curvature endows corannulene with a dipole moment, affinity for electrons, and the capacity to host fullerenes. Corannulene can also act as a guest in the cavity of gamma cyclodextrin. Corannulene is thus an appealing building block for polymer synthesis. It is envisaged that the multifaceted properties of corannulene can be combined with the modularity of synthetic polymers to access functional soft materials. Indeed, these efforts are now a decade old and some corannulene polymers have already been tested in real-life devices. In this perspective, we will contemplate the motivation behind these efforts, progress made within the past decade, and future prospects of the field. Ministry of Education (MOE) Financial support from the Ministry of Education Singapore under the AcRF Tier 1 (MOE T1 RG11/ 21) and AcRF Tier 2 (MOE-T2EP10221-0002) is gratefully acknowledged.

Herein, we report, a general, facile and environmentally friendly Minisci-type alkylation of N-heteroarenes under simple and straightforward electrochemical conditions using widely available alkyl halides as radical precursors. Primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl radicals have been shown to be efficiently generated and coupled with a large variety of N-heteroarenes. The method presents a very high functional group tolerance, including various heterocyclic-based natural products, which highlights the robustness of the methodology. This applicability has been further proved in the synthesis of various interesting biologically valuable building blocks. In addition, we have proposed a mechanism based on different proofs and pieces of electrochemical evidence

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a vital role in both chemistry and physiology. Developing effective photocatalysts becomes a feasible approach to trigger the generation of ROS. Herein, a photosensitive covalent organic framework (COF) was rationally designed and constructed by incorporating the photoactive triphenylamine moieties into its skeleton, characterizations of which not only showed the success formation of the highly crystalline and stable framework, but also revealed the photoactive property derived from triphenylamine-based building block. Electron paramagnetic resonance measurements displayed that the COF was an effective photocatalyst for generating ROS with one unpaired electron, that is, superoxide radical anion (O2•-). Subsequently, its high efficiency, selectivity, and reusability in photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of sulfides confirmed that the COF is a promising photocatalyst in the applications of ROS-involved reactions, demonstrating that precisely embedding organic photochromic groups into COFs could be a powerful strategy to fabricate metal-free heterogeneous photocatalysts for targeted reactions. Ministry of Education (MOE) Submitted/Accepted version This work was supported by the financial support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21771119), the “Qilu Young Talent Scholar” program (No. 11190088963032) of Shandong University, and the Ministry of Education Singapore under its Academic Research Funds (Nos. RG3/21 and MOET2EP10120-0003).

Thermodynamic models constitute one of the essential tools to properly design supersonic ejectors. However, by their simplistic nature, most of said models remain unable to properly integrate the adequate physics that takes place within the device. Most notably, the Fabri-choking theory constitutes the building block of the large majority of those models. However, it has recently been shown that the so-called compound-choking theory may be better suited to predict the behavior of a double choked ejector. In the present study, a new state-of-the-art thermodynamic model based on the compound-choking theory is presented. First, the algorithm of the on- and off-design model is laid out. Then, the link between Fabri- and compound-choking is clarified by comparing the model with its Fabri-choking counterpart. Characteristic curves are calibrated onto air and R134a experimental data. Finally, an analytical study is performed to show that imposing the compound-choking is actually equivalent to maximizing the mass flow rate within the ejector. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Radioactive iodine in nuclear waste is increasingly harmful to nature with continuous development and utilization of nuclear energy. Herein, two new two-dimensional covalent-organic frameworks (COFs, TJNU-201 and TJNU-202) were designed and synthesized by using sterically hindered 1,3,5-trimethyl-2,4,6-tris(4-aminophenyl)-benzene as a three-connected building block. Both COFs showed ultrahigh iodine capture capacity (5.625 g/g for TJNU-201 and 4.820 g/g for TJNU-202), which can be attributed to the physical-chemical adsorption. National Research Foundation (NRF) Submitted/Accepted version This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21771138) and the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (16JCYBJC19700). This research was also supported by the Singapore National Research Foundation Investigatorship (NRF-NRFI2018-03).

International audience; Adaptive coordination-driven supramolecular chemistry based on conformationally flexible pre-organized luminescent Cu(I) precursors paves the way to the ready formation of intricate supramolecular scaffold possessing intrinsic luminescence properties. A formal ring extension of a tetrametallic Cu(I) metallacycle bearing Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF) properties can thus be carried out, affording a new hexametallic Cu(I) metallacycle 1 bearing modulated solid-state TADF properties. Attempts to adapt this ring extension process to the formation of targeted heterometallic Au2Cu4 and Pt2Cu8 assemblies led to the unexpected and ready formation of the Au2Cu10 and Pt4Cu11 derivatives 2 and 3, respectively. These outcomes strengthen the scope and perspectives of adaptive coordination-driven supramolecular chemistry compared to those of conventional coordination-driven supramolecular chemistry. Indeed, it guides concerted intramolecular fragmentation and redistribution of the particular building blocks used, affording selectively supramolecular scaffolds of higher nuclearity and complexity. The study of the solid-state photophysical properties of the assemblies 2 and 3 highlights enhanced and original behaviors, in which the heavy metal spin-orbit coupling values significantly influence the relaxation processes centered on the Cu(I) metal centers.

The past 20 years have witnessed tremendous advances in the field of porous materials, including the development of novel metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) that show great potential for practical applications aimed at addressing global environmental and industrial challenges. A critical tool enabling this progress has been reticular chemistry, through which researchers can design materials that exhibit highly regular (i.e., edge-transitive) topologies, based on the assembly of geometrically matched building blocks into specific nets. However, innovation sometimes demands that researchers steer away from default topologies to instead pursue unusual geometries. In this Perspective, we cover this aspect and introduce the concept of geometry mismatch, in which seemingly incompatible building blocks are combined to generate non-default structures. We describe diverse MOF assemblies built through geometry mismatch generated by use of ligand bend angles, twisted functional groups, zigzag ligands and other elements, focusing on carboxylate-based MOFs combined with common inorganic clusters. We aim to provide a fresh perspective on rational design of MOFs and to help readers understand the countless options now available to achieve greater structural complexity in MOFs., This work was supported by the Spanish MINECO (project RTI2018-095622-B-I00) and the Catalan AGAUR (project 2017 SGR 238). It was also funded by the CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya. ICN2 is supported by the Severo Ochoa program from the Spanish MINECO (Grant No. SEV-2017-0706).

Short peptides are attractive building blocks for supramolecular biomaterials for their low-cost, scalability of production and purification, possibility to encode biological messages, and to be processed by enzymes to fine-tune their lifetime toward controlled biodegradation. Over the last few decades, great progress has been made in the understanding of these building blocks for their tailored design to a variety of biological applications. This chapter reviews the design strategies to achieve hydrogels that have been applied to address a variety of biomedical needs. As more knowledge has been gathered in the field, a higher complexity could be achieved, for instance to target subcellular organelles, specific cells, and even to stimulate the immune response. Overall, self-assembling short peptides are reaching their full potential and have opened the gates to new paradigms in therapy to realize futuristic medicine.

1-Hydroxy-2,5-hexanedione, obtained in good yield from renewable 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, is a versatile building block for a variety of new compounds., The limits to the supply of fossil resources and their ever increasing use forces us to think about future scenarios for fuels and chemicals. The platform chemical 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural (HMF) can be obtained from biomass in good yield and has the potential to be converted in just a few steps into a multitude of interesting products. Over the last 20 years, the conversion of HMF to 1-hydroxyhexane-2,5-dione (HHD) has been studied by several groups. It is possible to convert HMF into HHD by hydrogenation/hydrolytic ring opening reaction in aqueous phase using various heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts. This review addresses both the state of the art of HHD synthesis, including mechanistic aspects of its formation, as well as the recent progress in the application of HHD as a building block for many useful chemicals including pyrroles, cyclopentanone derivatives and triols.

Novel copper phosphate chloride has been obtained under middle-temperature hydrothermal conditions. Its crystal structure was established based on the low-temperature X-ray diffraction data: Na2 Li0.75 (Cs,K)0.5 [Cu5 (PO4)4 Cl]·3.5(H2 O,OH), sp. gr. C2/m, a = 19.3951(8) Å, b = 9.7627(3) Å, c = 9.7383(4) Å, β = 99.329(4)◦, T = 150 K, MoKα (λ = 0.71073 Å), R = 0.049. The crystal structure includes tetrameric copper clusters as the main building blocks, which are built of four CuO4 Cl pyra-mids sharing apical Cl vertices. The clusters are combined through phosphate groups and additional copper-centered polyhedra to form two mostly ordered periodic layers. between the layers and inside the framework channels, alkali ions, H2 O molecules, or OH groups are statistically distributed. Na2 Li0.75 (Cs,K)0.5 [Cu5 (PO4)4 Cl]·3.5(H2 O,OH) is a synthetic modification of a sampleite-polymorph of the lavendulan mineral group and represents a new member in a mero-plesiotype series of copper phosphates and arsenates, for which the crystal structures contain two-periodic [Cu4 X(TO4)4 ]∞ modules (T = As, P; X = Cl, O). Magnetically, this phase exhibits the phase transition at TC = 6.5 K, below which it possesses a weak ferromagnetic moment. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Funding: This work, in part of magnetic measurements, was supported by the Megagrant Program of the Government of the Russian Federation, project 075-15-2021-604. The crystal chemical research was provided by state budget research project AAAA-A16-116033010121-7, N 6-5.

We fully describe the mechanisms underlying synchronization in starlike networks of phase oscillators. In particular, the routes to synchronization and the critical points for the associated phase transitions are determined analytically. In contrast to the classical Kuramoto theory, we unveil that relaxation rates to each equilibrium state indeed exist and remain invariant under three levels of descriptions corresponding to different geometric implications. The special symmetry in the coupling determines a quasi-Hamiltonian property, which is further unveiled on the basis of singular perturbation theory. Since starlike coupling configurations constitute the building blocks of technological and biological real world networks, our paper paves the way towards the understanding of the functioning of such real world systems in many practical situations.

This study introduces the exergy analysis method into the field of urban planning, in order to find out the amount of energy that can be conserved in a building block when an energy efficient construction design is applied. This was done in four steps. First, energy efficient design parameters were derived from the literature and design alternatives were developed accordingly. Second, data was gathered from the case area for the exergy calculations. Third, exergy analysis of existing building blocks and proposed design alternatives were separately carried out. Finally, the amount of decrease in the exergy loss due to suggested energy efficient design was found out. The results show that the exergy efficiency of the existing building blocks is about 2%, while the proposed design alternatives will be around 10–11%. The overall exergy loads of the alternative plans were found as 166.3 W, 225.1 W, 142.5 W and 137.8 W respectively for winter and 105.4 W, 140.0 W, 89.9 W and 86.3 W respectively for summer, on a housing unit basis. As a result, the suitability and importance of the exergy analysis on the built environment was proven, by revealing actual and considerable energy conservation and sustainable use of energy through application of energy efficient design parameters.

Spin-orbit coupling stands as a powerful tool to interconvert charge and spin currents and to manipulate the magnetization of magnetic materials through the spin torque phenomena. However, despite the diversity of existing bulk materials and the recent advent of interfacial and low-dimensional effects, control of the interconvertion at room-temperature remains elusive. Here, we unequivocally demonstrate strongly enhanced room-temperature spin-to-charge (StC) conversion in graphene driven by the proximity of a semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenide(WS2). By performing spin precession experiments in properly designed Hall bars, we separate the contributions of the spin Hall and the spin galvanic effects. Remarkably, their corresponding conversion effiencies can be tailored by electrostatic gating in magnitude and sign, peaking nearby the charge neutrality point with a magnitude that is comparable to the largest efficiencies reported to date. Such an unprecedented electric-field tunability provides a new building block for spin generation free from magnetic materials and for ultra-compact magnetic memory technologies., Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures

Biomedical knowledge graphs such as STITCH, SIDER, and Drugbank provide the basis for the discovery of associations between biomedical entities, e.g., interactions between drugs and targets. Link prediction is a paramount task and represents a building block for supporting knowledge discovery. Although several approaches have been proposed for effectively predicting links, the role of semantics has not been studied in depth. In this work, we tackle the problem of discovering interactions between drugs and targets, and propose SimTransE, a machine learning-based approach that solves this problem effectively. SimTransE relies on translating embeddings to model drug-target interactions and values of similarity across them. Grounded on the vectorial representation of drug-target interactions, SimTransE is able to discover novel drug-target interactions. We empirically study SimTransE using state-of-the-art benchmarks and approaches. Experimental results suggest that SimTransE is competitive with the state of the art, representing, thus, an effective alternative for knowledge discovery in the biomedical domain.

We combine state-of-the-art Green's-function methods and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics calculations to study phonon transport across the unconventional interfaces that make up crystal-phase and twinning superlattices in nanowires. We focus on two of their most paradigmatic building blocks: cubic (diamond/zinc blende) and hexagonal (lonsdaleite/wurtzite) polytypes of the same group-IV or III–V material. Specifically, we consider InP, GaP and Si, and both the twin boundaries between rotated cubic segments and the crystal-phase boundaries between different phases. We reveal the atomic-scale mechanisms that give rise to phonon scattering in these interfaces, quantify their thermal boundary resistance and illustrate the failure of common phenomenological models in predicting those features. In particular, we show that twin boundaries have a small but finite interface thermal resistance that can only be understood in terms of a fully atomistic picture., We acknowledge financial support by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) under grants FEDER-MAT2017-90024-P, TEC2015-67462-C2-1-R (MINECO/FEDER) and RTI2018-097876-B-C21 (MICINN/FEDER), the Severo Ochoa Centres of Excellence Program under Grant SEV-2015-0496 and by the Generalitat de Catalunya under grants no. 2014 SGR 301 and 2017 SGR 1506. M. L. S. is funded through a Juan de la Cierva fellowship. M. R. M. acknowledges support from FPU2016/02565., We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI)

The discovery of selective water channel proteins—aquaporins—has prompted growing interest in using these proteins, as the building blocks for designing new types of membranes. However, as with any other new and potentially disruptive technology, barriers for successful market entry exist. One category includes customer-related barriers, which can be influenced to some extent. Another category includes market-technical-related barriers, which can be very difficult to overcome by an organization/company aiming at successfully introducing their innovation on the market—in particular if both the organization and the technology are at early stages. Often, one faces barriers from both these categories at the same time, which makes it necessary to gain insight of the particular market when introducing a new innovative product. In this review we present the basic concepts and discuss some of these barriers and challenges associated with introducing biomimetic aquaporin membranes. These include technical issues in membrane production and product testing. Then we discuss possible business models for introducing new technologies in general, followed by a presentation of beach-head market segments relevant for biomimetic aquaporin membranes.

We present recent developments on flexible a-IGZO TFT technology scaling in terms of TFT channel length and operating voltage, as well as manufacturing cost optimization with a focus on R2R processing compatibility. We present progress on the relevant technology building blocks; (i) R2R compatible TFT architecture, (ii) (multilevel) nanoimprint lithography and (iii) S-ALD deposited TFT materials. Additionally, we show a developing application that drives scaling of the technology, namely a monolithically integrated flexible AMOLED display with in-display fingerprint detection. © 2018 FTFMD. International Society of Functional Thin Film Materials and Devices; The Japan Society of Applied Physics

Social capital has been a key factor for co-management initiatives' success in small-scale fisheries. Nonetheless, this is a complex concept, which can be operationalized in different ways and has no specific standardized measures. This research explores Peruvian scallop aquaculture in the Sechura Bay of Peru as a case study, focusing on the development of social capital among fishers, enterprises and authorities. We evaluated social capital through three of its conceptual building components: (i) trust, (ii) collaboration and reciprocity, and (iii) common norms and sanctions. Specific indicators for each component were developed for analytical purposes. We conducted 66 surveys and 12 interviews with fishers and other key stakeholders. Based on our results, there is weak social capital among aquaculture fishers, enterprises and authorities in the Sechura Bay. This is evident through the low levels of trust and collaboration, as well as the lack of respect for common norms. Weak social capital may explain the two critical problems the system is currently facing for achieving sustainability: reduced availability of seeds and unfair agreements between enterprises and fishermen associations. Strengthening social ties and collaboration can increase aquaculture's resilience at Sechura Bay.

Hybridization with exfoliated two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets provides a very effective and powerful way not only to control the physicochemical properties of hybridized species but also to explore nanocomposites with novel functionalities. Deliberate coupling between the hybridized species is critically important in maximizing the effect of hybridization on the physicochemical properties and functionality of hybridized components. The very small thickness and extremely large surface of exfoliated 2D nanosheets render these materials ideal candidates for achieving a strong coupling with diverse guest species. This Perspective focuses on the unique characteristics of exfoliated 2D nanosheets as building blocks for designing hybrid materials. Several intriguing examples of strong interaction between exfoliated 2D nanosheets and hybridized species are summarized with an emphasis on the effective control of electronic, optical, structural, and morphological characteristics. An outlook on the future research directions is provided along with new strategies to maximize the coupling in the 2D nanosheet-based hybrid materials. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

The i-motif structure is formed in cytosine-rich sequences, its building block being the cytosine·cytosine + base pair. This structure is particularly stable at pH values below physiological (∼7.4) and, because of that, it has not attracted as much biological interest as other non-canonical structures such as the G-quadruplex. Nowadays, the proposal of potential roles in vivo, as well as nanotechnological applications, has produced an increasing interest in its study. In this context, the present work provides an overall picture of the i-motif structure. Those aspects related to formation and stability, such as chemical modifications or the interaction with ligands, are discussed. Special attention has been made to the i-motif structures that could have a hypothetical role in vivo, such as those present near the promoter region of several oncogenes., We acknowledge funding from the Spanish government (CTQ2012-38616-C02-02 and CTQ-2010-20541-C03). Sanae Benabou thanks the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad for a PhD grant.

International audience; The dinitroxide bis(TEMPO) bisketal (bTbk) was shown to crystallize into open frameworks whose structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. We show that bTbk can be used as a supramolecular building block for the hosting of a plethora of guests inside the 1D channels of its paramagnetic framework, including other radicals such as TEMPO or 2-azaadamantane-N-oxyl. C60 and C70 were also found to be easily included in this open framework during its crystallization. This resulted in well-defined, nanostructured assemblies of composite radical crystals (bTbk/toluene/C60 or C70) or (bTbk/toluene/TEMPO) by a very simple dissolution/crystallization process with tunable guest content. Selective C60 extraction was also demonstrated directly from fullerene soot.

We ink-jet print a blend of 6,13-bis(triisopropyl-silylethynyl)pentacene and polystyrene as the active layer for flexible circuits. The discrete ink-jet printed transistors exhibit a saturation mobility of 0.5 cm2 V -1 s-1. The relative spread in transistor characteristics can be very large. This spread is due to the morphology of the TIPS-PEN crystals, and is difficult to control using inkjet printing. Here we apply a novel circuitry design to minimize the probability of differences between the transistors. We include up to four transistors under the same ink-jet printed deposit. With the new design, we demonstrate unipolar circuitry building blocks such as inverters, NANDs and 19-stage ring-oscillators. Additionally, we integrate almost 300 TFTs, on a surface area of 34 mm2 of plastic foil, for 8-bit RFID transponder circuits. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The review focuses on the synthesis and chemical properties of polyfluoroalkylated 2-ethoxymethylene-3-oxo esters. The scope and peculiarities of their use as organic reagents in reactions with various N-, C-, O-, mono- and dinucleophiles are discussed in detail. The high reactivity of such derivatives is employed in the construction of enaminoketone, arene and heterocycle frameworks. Particular attention is paid to applications of these building blocks as chemicals for fine organic synthesis, bioactive compounds and metal complexes synthesis. © 2017 IUPAC & De Gruyter. The authors gratefully acknowledge Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant no. 16-33-60048 mol-a-dk) and the State Program for Supporting of Leading Scientific Schools of the Russian Federation (grant no. NSh-8922.2016.3) for financial support.

Globulins are an important group of seed storage proteins in dicotyledonous plants. They are synthesized during seed development, assembled into very compact protein complexes, and finally stored in protein storage vacuoles (PSVs). Here, we report a proteomic investigation on the native composition and structure of cruciferin, the 12 S globulin of Brassica napus. PSVs were directly purified from mature seeds by differential centrifugations. Upon analyses by blue native (BN) PAGE, two major types of cruciferin complexes of ∼ 300–390 kDa and of ∼470 kDa are resolved. Analyses by two-dimensional BN/SDS-PAGE revealed that both types of complexes are composed of several copies of the cruciferin α and β polypeptide chains, which are present in various isoforms. Protein analyses by two-dimensional isoelectric focusing (IEF)/SDS-PAGE not only revealed different α and β isoforms but also several further versions of the two polypeptide chains that most likely differ with respect to posttranslational modifications. Overall, more than 30 distinct forms of cruciferin were identified by mass spectrometry. To obtain insights into the structure of the cruciferin holocomplex, a native PSV fraction was analyzed by single particle electron microscopy. More than 20,000 images were collected, classified, and used for the calculation of detailed projection maps of the complex. In contrast to previous reports on globulin structure in other plant species, the cruciferin complex of Brassica napus has an octameric barrel-like structure, which represents a very compact building block optimized for maximal storage of amino acids within minimal space. Background: Cruciferin represents the most abundant protein in Brassica napus seeds where its efficient storage is essential under minimized space conditions. Results: The cruciferin complex has an octameric barrel-like structure of ∼420 kDa. Conclusion: The barrel-like structure represents a compact building block optimized for maximal storage of amino acids. Significance: Novel insights into structure and packing of seed storage proteins.

The synthesis of a new alternating conjugated polymer, PDTTTPD, based on electron-donating dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]thiophene (DTT) and electron-withdrawing thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD) units is reported. This polymer shows strong thermochromic effect in chlorobenzene with a peak shift up to 170 nm. This phenomenon is studied with fluorescence spectroscopy and related to the steric hindrance along the polymer main chain. Polymer solar cells are fabricated from its blends with PC71BM, and shows modest power conversion efficiency up to 2.1%. The low efficiency is due to the low short-circuit current, which is also attributed to the steric effect. Based on these results, a general design rule for polymer photovoltaic material with controlled backbone conformation is proposed. A new alternating conjugated polymer, PDTTTPD, based on electron-rich dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d] thiophene (DTT) and electron-deficient thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD) building blocks is designed and synthesized. PDTTTPD shows strong thermochromic effect in chlorobenzene solution and modest PCE of 2.1% in organic solar cell devices due to the steric hindrance induced twisting of the conjugated main chain. A general design rule is then suggested to control the main chain conformation of polymer materials for photovoltaic applications. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis of dehydrobenzoannulenes (DBAs) with pyrene core from 1,8-diethynylpyrene and 1,3,6,8-tetraethynylpyrene as building blocks is reported. A sequence involving Sonogashira coupling, Corey- Fuchs reaction and oxidative coupling (Eglinton coupling) is used for the synthesis of pyrene-based dehydrobenzoannulenes. Due to the presence of pyrenechromophore these DBAs and their precursors are highly fluorescent and emit in the visible region, due to extended conjugation of the acetylenic units with the pyrene core. � Indian Academy of Sciences.

A review. This Minireview provides a crit. account of the development of allene-contg. advanced functional materials, starting with the design and synthesis of stable and enantiopure building blocks. A variety of systems, including shape-persistent macrocycles, foldamers, polymers, charge-transfer chromophores, dendrimers, liq. crystals, and redox-switchable chiral chromophores are discussed from the viewpoint of their syntheses, properties, and potential applications. The goal of this Minireview is to inspire new uses of enantiopure allenes for the rational design of advanced materials.

Chip multiprocessors (CMPs) are expected to be the building blocks for future computer systems. While architecting these emerging CMPs is a challenging problem on its own, programming them is even more challenging. As the number of cores accommodated in chip multiprocessors increases, network-on-chip (NoC) type communication fabrics are expected to replace traditional point-to-point buses. Most of the prior software related work so far targeting CMPs focus on performance and power aspects. However, as technology scales, components of a CMP are being increasingly exposed to both transient and permanent hardware failures. This paper presents and evaluates a compiler-directed power-performance aware reliability enhancement scheme for network-on-chip (NoC) based chip multiprocessors (CMPs). The proposed scheme improves on-chip communication reliability by duplicating messages traveling across CMP nodes such that, for each original message, its duplicate uses a different set of communication links as much as possible (to satisfy performance constraint). In addition, our approach tries to reuse communication links across the different phases of the program to maximize link shutdown opportunities for the NoC (to satisfy power constraint). Our results show that the proposed approach is very effective in improving on-chip network reliability, without causing excessive power or performance degradation. In our experiments, we also evaluate the performance oriented and energy oriented versions of our compiler-directed reliability enhancement scheme, and compare it to two pure hardware based fault tolerant routing schemes. Copyright © 2010 ACM.

Current interferometric gravitational wave detectors use the combination of quasi-monochromatic, continuous-wave laser light at 1064 nm and fused silica test masses at room temperature. Detectors of the third generation, such as the Einstein-Telescope, will involve a considerable sensitivity increase. The combination of 1550 nm laser radiation and crystalline silicon test masses at low temperatures might be important ingredients in order to achieve the sensitivity goal. Here we compare some properties of the fused silica and silicon test mass materials relevant for decreasing the thermal noise in future detectors as well as the recent technology achievements in the preparation of laser radiation at 1064 nm and 1550 nm relevant for decreasing the quantum noise. We conclude that silicon test masses and 1550 nm laser light have the potential to form the future building blocks of gravitational wave detection. DFG/EXC/QUEST DFG/SFB/TR7 EC/FP7/2007-2013

This paper presents the Flex5Gware project, whose goal is to deliver highly reconfigurable hardware (HW) platforms and HW-agnostic software (SW) platforms for 5G network elements and terminal devices. Flex5Gware will enable 5G HW/SW platforms to meet the requirements imposed by the growth in mobile traffic and the diversity of applications by increasing their capacity, reducing their energy footprint and enhancing their scalability and modularity. To put in place this vision in this early stage of 5G PPP research, Flex5Gware is designing and prototyping key building blocks of 5G HW/SW platforms. In particular, the developed technologies will be evaluated and demonstrated with proofs-of-concept by the end of the project. Copyright (c) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.