On-line self-healing of circuits implemented on reconfigurable FPGAs

To boost logic density and reduce per unit power consumption SRAM-based FPGAs manufacturers adopted nanometric technologies. However, this technology is highly vulnerable to radiation-induced faults, which affect values stored in memory cells, and to manufacturing imperfections. Fault tolerant implementations, based on Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) infrastructures, help to keep the correct operation of the circuit. However, TMR is not sufficient to guarantee the safe operation of a circuit. Other issues like module placement, the effects of multi- bit upsets (MBU) or fault accumulation, have also to be addressed. In case of a fault occurrence the correct operation of the affected module must be restored and/or the current state of the circuit coherently re-established. A solution that enables the autonomous restoration of the functional definition of the affected module, avoiding fault accumulation, re-establishing the correct circuit state in real-time, while keeping the normal operation of the circuit, is presented in this paper.

A framework for self-healing radiation-tolerant implementations on reconfigurable FPGAs

To increase the amount of logic available in SRAM-based FPGAs manufacturers are using nanometric technologies to boost logic density and reduce prices. However, nanometric scales are highly vulnerable to radiation-induced faults that affect values stored in memory cells. Since the functional definition of FPGAs relies on memory cells, they become highly prone to this type of faults. Fault tolerant implementations, based on triple modular redundancy (TMR) infrastructures, help to keep the correct operation of the circuit. However, TMR is not sufficient to guarantee the safe operation of a circuit. Other issues like the effects of multi-bit upsets (MBU) or fault accumulation, have also to be addressed. Furthermore, in case of a fault occurrence the correct operation of the affected module must be restored and the current state of the circuit coherently re-established. A solution that enables the autonomous correct restoration of the functional definition of the affected module, avoiding fault accumulation, re-establishing the correct circuit state in realtime, while keeping the normal operation of the circuit, is presented in this paper.

A self-healing real-time system based on run-time self-reconfiguration

The new generations of SRAM-based FPGA (field programmable gate array) devices are the preferred choice for the implementation of reconfigurable computing platforms intended to accelerate processing in real-time systems. However, FPGA's vulnerability to hard and soft errors is a major weakness to robust configurable system design. In this paper, a novel built-in self-healing (BISH) methodology, based on run-time self-reconfiguration, is proposed. A soft microprocessor core implemented in the FPGA is responsible for the management and execution of all the BISH procedures. Fault detection and diagnosis is followed by repairing actions, taking advantage of the dynamic reconfiguration features offered by new FPGA families. Meanwhile, modular redundancy assures that the system still works correctly

Nuclear factor I-C links platelet-derived growth factor and transforming growth factor beta1 signaling to skin wound healing progression.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and platelet-derived growth factor A (PDGFAlpha) play a central role in tissue morphogenesis and repair, but their interplay remain poorly understood. The nuclear factor I C (NFI-C) transcription factor has been implicated in TGF-beta signaling, extracellular matrix deposition, and skin appendage pathologies, but a potential role in skin morphogenesis or healing had not been assessed. To evaluate this possibility, we performed a global gene expression analysis in NFI-C(-/-) and wild-type embryonic primary murine fibroblasts. This indicated that NFI-C acts mostly to repress gene expression in response to TGF-beta1. Misregulated genes were prominently overrepresented by regulators of connective tissue inflammation and repair. In vivo skin healing revealed a faster inflammatory stage and wound closure in NFI-C(-/-) mice. Expression of PDGFA and PDGF-receptor alpha were increased in wounds of NFI-C(-/-) mice, explaining the early recruitment of macrophages and fibroblasts. Differentiation of fibroblasts to contractile myofibroblasts was also elevated, providing a rationale for faster wound closure. Taken together with the role of TGF-beta in myofibroblast differentiation, our results imply a central role of NFI-C in the interplay of the two signaling pathways and in regulation of the progression of tissue regeneration.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs): from metabolic control to epidermal wound healing.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors control many cellular and metabolic processes. They are transcription factors belonging to the family of ligand-inducible nuclear receptors. Three isotypes called PPARalpha, PPARbeta/delta and PPARgamma have been identified in lower vertebrates and mammals. They display differential tissue distribution and each of the three isotypes fulfills specific functions. PPARalpha and PPARgamma control energy homoeostasis and inflammatory responses. Their activity can be modulated by drugs such as the hypolipidaemic fibrates and the insulin sensitising thiazolidinediones (pioglitazone and rosiglitazone). Thus, these receptors are involved in the control of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis. Little is known about the main function of PPARbeta, but it has been implicated in embryo implantation, tumorigenesis in the colon, reverse cholesterol transport, and recently in skin wound healing. Here, we present recent developments in the PPAR field with particular emphasis on both the function of PPARs in lipid metabolism and energy homoeostasis (PPARalpha and PPARgamma), and their role in epidermal maturation and skin wound repair (PPARalpha and PPARbeta).

Learning and healing: a wellness pedagogy for Aboriginal teacher education /

During the last 30 years Aboriginal peoples in Canada have made steady progress in reclaiming the responsibility for the education of their young people, especially in primary and secondary school. In comparison the education and or training of adult populations has not kept pace and many socioeconomic and sociocultural indicators demonstrate a ' , continued confinement of those populations to the margins of the dominant society of Canada. It is the adults, the mothers and the fathers, the grandmothers and grandfathers, the aunties and uncles that are the first teachers of the next generation and the nature of these relationships replicates the culture of unwellness in each subsequent generation through those teachers. There are few examples in the Aboriginal adult education literatures that give voice to the educational experience of the Learner. This study addresses that gap by exploring the perspectives embedded in the stories of a Circle of Learners who are, or were enrolled in the Bachelor of Education in Aboriginal Adult Education program at Brock University. That Circle of 1 participants included 9 women and 1 man, 6 of whom were from various i Anishinabek nations while 4 represented the Hotinonshd:ni nations in southern Ontario. They are an eclectic group, representing many professions, age groups, spiritual traditions, and backgrounds. This then is their story, the story of the heaming and Healing pedagogy and an expanded vision of Aboriginal education and research at Brock University.

Legal education in crisis: healing and humanizing Canadian law schools /

Western law schools are suffering from an identity and moral crisis. Many of the legal profession's problems can be traced to the law school environment, where students are taught to reason and practice in ways that are often at odds with their own personalities and values and even with generally accepted psychologically healthy practices. The idealism, ethic of care, and personal moral compasses of many students become eroded and even lost in the present legal education system. Formalism, rationalism, elitism, and big business values have become paramount. In such a moment of historical crisis, there exists the opportunity to create a new legal education story. This paper is a conceptual study of both my own Canadian legal education and the general legal education experience. It examines core problems and critiques of the existing Western legal education organizational and pedagogical paradigm to which Canadian law schools adhere. New approaches with the potential to enrich, humanize, and heal the Canadian law school experience are explored. Ultimately, the paper proposes a legal education system that is more interdisciplinary, theoretically and practically integrated, emotionally intelligent, technologically connected, morally accountable, spiritual, and humane. Specific pedagogical and curricular strategies are suggested, and recommendations for the future are offered. The dehumanizing aspects of the law school experience in Canada have rarely been studied. It is hoped that this thesis will fill a gap in the research and provide some insight into an issue that is of both academic and public importance, since the well-being of law students and lawyers affects the interests of their clients, the general public, and the integrity and future of the entire legal system.

LEISURE CONNECTIONS AND HEALING FOLLOWING TRAUMA: CONSTRUCTIVIST AND EXISTENTIAL REFLECTIONS AND THEORIZING

Trauma can have lasting effects on health (CAMH, 2010; DSM-IV, 1994; Lazarus, 1966), negatively influencing meanings and experiences of leisure in relation to health (Griffin, 2002, 2005; Meister & Pedlar, 1996). This interpretive grounded theory explored understandings of leisure during Leisure Connections and how Leisure Connections provides a context for healing from trauma. Data included observations, interviews with six participants, and reflection cards. Nine themes emerged: responding to trauma in leisure, letting go of familiar coping patterns and opening to joy, being in the moment of small steps and simple things, changing understandings of self, reconnecting with the body, shifting to internal motivation, choosing, reconnecting with others in leisure, balancing life with leisure, and growth and connections. Leisure Connections supported participants to explore leisure and its benefits as issues arise, to understand and respond differently. Leisure Connections provides boundary situations critical for existential growth and opportunity to change coping patterns.

Gender and Healing in the Hippocratic Corpus

Hippocratic physicians sought to establish themselves as medical authorities in ancient Greece. An examination of the deontological texts of the Hippocratic corpus reveals that the Hippocratics created a medical authority based on elite male characteristics. The key quality of the Hippocratic physician was sōphrosunē, a quality closely associated with men and used in the differentiation of genders in the Greek world. Women were not believed to innately possess this quality and so their healing activities were restricted within the Hippocratic framework. Women’s healing activities are only mentioned in the corpus when women are involved in the treatment of other women or self-treatment. The Hippocratic construction of medicine as a male domain fit within a Classical cultural framework, as the cultural anxiety concerning women healers and women’s use of pharmaka are evident in both Greek myth and literature.

Dietary Strategies to Optimize Wound Healing after Periodontal and Dental Implant Surgery: An Evidence-Based Review

Methods to optimize healing through dietary strategies present an attractive option for patients, such that healing from delicate oral surgeries occurs as optimally as possible with minimal patient-meditated complications through improper food choices. This review discusses findings from studies that have investigated the role of diet, either whole foods or individual dietary components, on periodontal health and their potential role in wound healing after periodontal surgery. To date, research in this area has largely focused on foods or individual dietary components that may attenuate inflammation or oxidant stress, or foster de novo bone formation. These studies suggest that a wide variety of dietary components, including macronutrients and micronutrients, are integral for optimal periodontal health and have the potential to accelerate oral wound healing after periodontal procedures. Moreover, this review provides guidance regarding dietary considerations that may help a patient achieve the best possible outcome after a periodontal procedure.

Frequency of Chromosome Healing and Interstitial Telomeres in 40 Cases of Constitutional Abnormalities.

Human telomeres play a major role in stabilizing chromosome ends and preventing fusions. Chromosomes bearing a broken end are rescued by the acquisition of a new telomeric cap without any subtelomeric sequences being present at the breakpoint, a process referred to as chromosome healing. Conversely, a loss of telomeric function or integrity can lead to the presence of interstitial telomeres at the junction site in translocations or ring chromosomes. In order to determine the frequency at which interstitial telomeres or chromosome healing events are observed in target chromosome abnormalities, we conducted a retrospective FISH study using pan-telomeric and chromosome-specific subtelomeric probes on archival material from 40 cases of terminal deletions, translocations or ring chromosomes. Of the 19 terminal deletions investigated, 17 were negative for the subtelomeric probe specific to the deleted arm despite being positive for the pan-telomeric probe. These 17 cases were thus considered as been rescued through chromosome healing, suggesting that this process is frequent in terminal deletions. In addition, as two of these cases were inherited from a parent bearing the same deletion, chromosomes healed by this process are thus stable through mitosis and meiosis. Regarding the 13 cases of translocations and eight ring chromosomes, four and two cases respectively demonstrated pan-telomeric sequences at the interstitial junction point. Furthermore, two cases of translocations and one ring chromosome had both interstitial pan-telomeres and subtelomeres, whereas two other cases of ring chromosomes and one case of translocation only showed interstitial subtelomeres. Therefore, interstitial (sub)telomeric sequences in translocations and ring chromosomes are more common than previously thought, as we found a frequency of 43% in this study. Moreover, our results illustrate the necessity of performing FISH with both subtelomeric and pan-telomeric probes when investigating these rearrangements, as the breakpoints can be either in the distal part of the pan-telomeres, or in between the two types of sequences.

Fiabilité et changement minimal détectable de mesures obtenues à partir d'images enregistrées par ultrasonographie afin de caractériser l'intégrité du tendon d'Achille

Problématique : La quantification de l’intégrité du tendon d’Achille (TA) représente un défi en réadaptation. L’adoption de mesures quantitatives du TA, extraites à partir d’une image ultrasonographique (QUS), pourrait remédier à cette lacune. Objectifs : 1) Évaluer la fiabilité test-retest et la précision de mesures QUS du TA; 2) Déterminer le meilleur protocole de collecte de mesures QUS à employer en pratique clinique. Méthodologie : Un total de 23 TAs présentant des symptômes d’une tendinopathie achilléenne et 63 TAs asymptomatiques ont été évalués. Pour chaque TA, 8 images ont été enregistrées (2 visites * 2 évaluatrices * 2 images). Différents types de mesures QUS ont été prises : géométriques (épaisseur, largeur, aire), dérivées d’un histogramme des niveaux de gris et dérivées d’une matrice de co-occurrence. Une étude de généralisabilité a quantifié la fiabilité et la précision de chaque mesure QUS et une étude de décision a fait ressortir les meilleurs protocoles de prise de mesures. Résultats : Les mesures géométriques ont démontré une excellente fiabilité et précision. Les mesures dérivées de l’histogramme des niveaux de gris ont démontré une fiabilité et précision médiocres. Les mesures dérivées d’une matrice de co-occurrence ont démontré une fiabilité modérée à excellente et une précision variable. En pratique clinique, il est recommandé de moyenner les résultats de trois images collectées par un évaluateur lors d’une visite. Conclusion : L’utilisation des mesures QUS géométriques permet de quantifier l’intégrité du TA (clinique et recherche). Davantage d’études sur les mesures QUS dérivées d’une matrice de co-occurrence s’avèrent nécessaires.

Biochemical Characterization and Bio-evaluation of Collagen and Collagen Peptides Extracted and Purified from Fish Skin: In vitro and In vivo Studies on Antiarthritic and Wound Healing Properties

In fish processing plants, there is huge amount of skin that is left as the waste. When this skin is taken and processed into fish collagen, it will save large amount of money that is used for extraction of collagen from other animal s.Fish collagen can be used as an alternative to replace mammalian collagen, especially collagen extracted from bovine, when we consider the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) and the foot - and-mouth disease (FMD) issues. BSE and TSE are progressive neurological disorders affecting cattles caused by proteinacious infectious particles called prions.The study aims in producing collagen that has been extracted from fish skin to replace other animal collagen so as to overcome the problem of other animal collagen issues. Also the study utilized the abandoned fish waste produced by fish processing industry since bone, skin, fin and scales of fish can be a useful source of collagen.

Peeling, healing and bursting in a lubricated elastic sheet

We consider the dynamics of an elastic sheet lubricated by the flow of a thin layer of fluid that separates it from a rigid wall. By considering long wavelength deformations of the sheet, we derive an evolution equation for its motion, accounting for the effects of elastic bending, viscous lubrication and body forces. We then analyze various steady and unsteady problems for the sheet such as peeling, healing, levitating and bursting using a combination of numerical simulation and dimensional analysis. On the macro-scale, we corroborate our theory with a simple experiment, and on the micro-scale, we analyze an oscillatory valve that can transform a continuous stream of fluid into a series of discrete pulses.