On The Energy-Efficiency of Byte-Addressable Non-Volatile Memory

Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) technology holds promise to replace SRAM and DRAM at various levels of the memory hierarchy. The interest in NVM is motivated by the difficulty faced in scaling DRAM beyond 22 nm and, long-term, lower cost per bit. While offering higher density and negligible static power (leakage and refresh), NVM suffers increased latency and energy per memory access. This paper develops energy and performance models of memory systems and applies them to understand the energy-efficiency of replacing or complementing DRAM with NVM. Our analysis focusses on the application of NVM in main memory. We demonstrate that NVM such as STT-RAM and RRAM is energy-efficient for memory sizes commonly employed in servers and high-end workstations, but PCM is not. Furthermore, the model is well suited to quickly evaluate the impact of changes to the model parameters, which may be achieved through optimization of the memory architecture, and to determine the key parameters that impact system-level energy and performance.

Improving Bandwidth Efficiency in E-band Communication Systems

The allocation of a large amount of bandwidth by regulating bodies in the 70/80 GHz band, i.e., the E-band, has opened up new potentials and challenges for providing affordable and reliable Gigabit per second wireless point-to-point links. This article first reviews the available bandwidth and licensing regulations in the E-band. Subsequently, different propagation models, e.g., the ITU-R and Cane models, are compared against measurement results and it is concluded that to meet specific availability requirements, E-band wireless systems may need to be designed with larger fade margins compared to microwave systems. A similar comparison is carried out between measurements and models for oscillator phase noise. It is confirmed that phase noise characteristics, that are neglected by the models used for narrowband systems, need to be taken into account for the wideband systems deployed in the E-band. Next, a new multi-input multi-output (MIMO) transceiver design, termed continuous aperture phased (CAP)-MIMO, is presented. Simulations show that CAP-MIMO enables E-band systems to achieve fiber-optic like throughputs. Finally, it is argued that full-duplex relaying can be used to greatly enhance the coverage of E-band systems without sacrificing throughput, thus, facilitating their application in establishing the backhaul of heterogeneous networks.

Water efficiency as a means of reducing carbon emissions in Northern Ireland (NI) Water

The water and sewerage sectors' combined emissions account for just over 1% of total UK emissions, while household water heating accounts for a further 5%. Energy use, particularly electricity, is the largest source of emissions in the sector. Water efficiency measures should therefore result in reduced emissions from a lower demand for water and wastewater treatment and pumping, as well as from decreased domestic water heating. Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) is actively pursuing measures to reduce its carbon footprint. This paper investigated the carbon impacts of implementing a household water efficiency programme in Northern Ireland. Assuming water savings of 59.6 L/prop/day and 15% uptake among households, carbon savings of 0.6% of NI Water's current net operational emissions are achievable from reduced treatment and pumping. Adding the carbon savings from reduced household water heating gives savings equivalent to 6.2% of current net operational emissions. Cost savings to NI Water are estimated as 300,000 per year. The cost of the water efficiency devices is approximately 1.6 million, but may be higher depending on the number of devices distributed relative to the number installed. This paper has shown clear carbon benefits to water efficiency, but further research is needed to examine social and cost impacts. © IWA Publishing 2013.

The impacts of management reform on irrigation water use efficiency in the Guanzhong plain, China

This paper examines the efficiency of the 1998 irrigation management reform in the Guanzhong Plain, Shaanxi, China, at farm and canal level. Stochastic frontier analysis is applied to estimate irrigation water use efficiency, based on panel data for 800 farmers, spread over 80 irrigation canals, for the period 1999–2005. Analysis of determinants of water use efficiency shows that at farm level, water price and disclosure are important factors. Compared to the base case of unreformed, management reform has a positive impact with water user association having the largest effect, followed by joint-stock co-operative and private company. The canal model is in line with the farm level model, although estimates are less significant.

Looking for free riding: Energy efficiency incentives and Italian homeowners

We examine the effect of energy efficiency incentives on household energy efficiency home improvements. Starting in February 2007, Italian homeowners have been able to avail themselves of tax credits on the purchase and installation costs of certain types of energy efficiency renovations. We examine two such renovations—door/window replacements and heating system replacements—using multi-year cross-section data from the Italian Consumer Expenditure Survey and focusing on a narrow period around the introduction of the tax credits. Our regressions control for dwelling and household characteristics and economy-wide factors likely to influence the replacement rates. The effects of the policy are different for the two types of renovations. With window replacements, the policy is generally associated with a 30 % or stronger increase in the renovation rates and number of renovations. In the simplest econometric models, the effect is not statistically significant, but the results get stronger when we allow for heterogeneous effects across the country. With heating system replacements, simpler models suggest that the tax credits policy had no effect whatsoever or that free riding was rampant, i.e., people are now accepting subsidies for replacements that they would have done anyway. Further examination suggests a strong degree of heterogeneity in the effects across warmer and colder parts of the country, and effects in the colder areas that are even more pronounced than those for window replacements. These results should, however, be interpreted with caution due to the low rates of renovations, which imply that the effects are estimated relatively imprecisely.

Optimizing the efficiency of the sub-map technique for large-scale simultaneous localization and mapping

A technique for optimizing the efficiency of the sub-map method for large-scale simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is proposed. It optimizes the benefits of the sub-map technique to improve the accuracy and consistency of an extended Kalman filter (EKF)-based SLAM. Error models were developed and engaged to investigate some of the outstanding issues in employing the sub-map technique in SLAM. Such issues include the size (distance) of an optimal sub-map, the acceptable error effect caused by the process noise covariance on the predictions and estimations made within a sub-map, when to terminate an existing sub-map and start a new one and the magnitude of the process noise covariance that could produce such an effect. Numerical results obtained from the study and an error-correcting process were engaged to optimize the accuracy and convergence of the Invariant Information Local Sub-map Filter previously proposed. Applying this technique to the EKF-based SLAM algorithm (a) reduces the computational burden of maintaining the global map estimates and (b) simplifies transformation complexities and data association ambiguities usually experienced in fusing sub-maps together. A Monte Carlo analysis of the system is presented as a means of demonstrating the consistency and efficacy of the proposed technique.

High-Efficiency Harmonic-Peaking Class-EF Power Amplifiers with Enhanced Maximum Operating Frequency

The recently introduced Class-EF power amplifier (PA) has a peak switch voltage lower than that of the Class-E PA. However, the value of the transistor output capacitance at high frequencies is typically larger than the required Class-EF optimum shunt capacitance. Consequently, soft-switching operation that minimizes power dissipation during off-to-on transition cannot be achieved at high frequencies. Two new Class-EF PA variants with transmission-line load networks, namely, third-harmonic-peaking (THP) and fifth-harmonic-peaking (FHP) Class-EF PAs are proposed in this paper. These permit operation at higher frequencies at no expense to other PA figures of merit. Analytical expressions are derived in order to obtain circuit component values, which satisfy the required Class-EF impedances at fundamental frequency, all even harmonics, and the first few odd harmonics as well as simultaneously providing impedance matching to a 50- Ω load. Furthermore, a novel open-circuit and shorted stub arrangement, which has substantial practical benefits, is proposed to replace the normal quarter-wave line connected at the transistor's drain. Using GaN HEMTs, two PA prototypes were built. Measured peak drain efficiency of 91% and output power of 39.5 dBm were obtained at 2.22 GHz for the THP Class-EF PA. The FHP Class-EF PA delivered output power of 41.9 dBm with 85% drain efficiency at 1.52 GHz.

Technical and allocative efficiency of irrigation water use in the Guanzhong Plain, China

Due to increasing water scarcity, accelerating industrialization and urbanization, efficiency of irrigation water use in Northern China needs urgent improvement. Based on a sample of 347 wheat growers in the Guanzhong Plain, this paper simultaneously estimates a production function, and its corresponding first-order conditions for cost minimization, to analyze efficiency of irrigation water use. The main findings are that average technical, allocative, and overall economic efficiency are 0.35, 0.86 and 0.80, respectively. In a second stage analysis, we find that farmers’ perception of water scarcity, water price and irrigation infrastructure increase irrigation water allocative efficiency, while land fragmentation decreases it. We also show that farmers’ income loss due to higher water prices can be offset by increasing irrigation water use efficiency.

Process efficiency in polymer extrusion: Correlation between the energy demand and melt thermal stability

Thermal stability is of major importance in polymer extrusion, where product quality is dependent upon the level of melt homogeneity achieved by the extruder screw. Extrusion is an energy intensive process and optimisation of process energy usage while maintaining melt stability is necessary in order to produce good quality product at low unit cost. Optimisation of process energy usage is timely as world energy prices have increased rapidly over the last few years. In the first part of this study, a general discussion was made on the efficiency of an extruder. Then, an attempt was made to explore correlations between melt thermal stability and energy demand in polymer extrusion under different process settings and screw geometries. A commodity grade of polystyrene was extruded using a highly instrumented single screw extruder, equipped with energy consumption and melt temperature field measurement. Moreover, the melt viscosity of the experimental material was observed by using an off-line rheometer. Results showed that specific energy demand of the extruder (i.e. energy for processing of unit mass of polymer) decreased with increasing throughput whilst fluctuation in energy demand also reduced. However, the relationship between melt temperature and extruder throughput was found to be complex, with temperature varying with radial position across the melt flow. Moreover, the melt thermal stability deteriorated as throughput was increased, meaning that a greater efficiency was achieved at the detriment of melt consistency. Extruder screw design also had a significant effect on the relationship between energy consumption and melt consistency. Overall, the relationship between the process energy demand and thermal stability seemed to be negatively correlated and also it was shown to be highly complex in nature. Moreover, the level of process understanding achieved here can help to inform selection of equipment and setting of operating conditions to optimise both energy and thermal efficiencies in parallel. 

Falling in love outwards: Eco-social work and the sensuous event

Summary: Social work is a discipline that focuses on the person-in-the-environment. However, the social domains of influence have traditionally received more attention from the profession compared with the impact of the natural world on human well-being. With the development of ecological theories, and growing threats to the environment, this gap has been addressed and now the notion of eco-social work is attracting more interest. This article builds on this corpus of work by exploring, and augmenting, the thinking of the philosopher, David Abram, and his phenomenological investigation of perception, meaning, embodiment, language and Indigenous experience. The implications for eco-social work are then addressed.

Findings: The development of Abram’s philosophical thesis is charted by reviewing his presentation of the ideas of the European phenomenologists, Edmund Husserl and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. It is argued that Abram uses phenomenology to explore the character of perception and the sensual foundations of language which, in Indigenous cultures, are connected with the natural world. A gap in Abram’s thinking is then revealed showing the need to set human perception and language within an understanding of power. Overall, this re-worked thesis is underpinned by a meta-narrative in which ecology engages with philosophy, psychology and Indigenous experience.

Applications: By grounding such ideas in Slavoj Žižek’s construct of the sensuous event, three applications within social work are evinced, namely: (i) reflecting on the sensuous event in social work education; (ii) rekindling the sensuous event with Indigenous Peoples; and (iii) instigating the sensuous event with non-Indigenous populations.

CD44 increases the efficiency of distant metastasis of breast cancer

Metastasis is the predominant cause of death from cancer yet we have few biomarkers to predict patients at increased risk of metastasis and are unable to effectively treat disseminated disease. Analysis of 448 primary breast tumors determined that expression of the hylauronan receptor CD44 associated with high grade (p = 0.046), ER- (p = 0.001) and PR-negative tumors (p = 0.029), and correlated with increased distant recurrence and reduced disease-free survival in patients with lymph-node positive or large tumors. To determine its functional role in distant metastasis, CD44 was knocked-down in MDA-MB-231 cells using two independent shRNA sequences. Loss of CD44 attenuated tumor cell adhesion to endothelial cells and reduced cell invasion but did not affect proliferation in vitro. To verify the importance of CD44 to post-intravasation events, tumor formation was assessed by quantitative in vivo imaging and post-mortem tissue analysis following an intra-cardiac injection of transfected cells. CD44 knock-down increased survival and decreased overall tumor burden at multiple sites, including the skeleton in vivo. We conclude that elevated CD44 expression on tumour cells within the systemic circulation increases the efficiency of post-intravasation events and distant metastasis in vivo, consistent with its association with increased distant recurrence and reduced disease-free survival in patients.

Thermography-based virtual MPPT scheme for improving PV energy efficiency under partial shading conditions

This paper proposes a new thermography-based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) scheme to address photovoltaic (PV) partial shading faults. Solar power generation utilizes a large number of PV cells connected in series and in parallel in an array, and that are physically distributed across a large field. When a PV module is faulted or partial shading occurs, the PV system sees a nonuniform distribution of generated electrical power and thermal profile, and the generation of multiple maximum power points (MPPs). If left untreated, this reduces the overall power generation and severe faults may propagate, resulting in damage to the system. In this paper, a thermal camera is employed for fault detection and a new MPPT scheme is developed to alter the operating point to match an optimized MPP. Extensive data mining is conducted on the images from the thermal camera in order to locate global MPPs. Based on this, a virtual MPPT is set out to find the global MPP. This can reduce MPPT time and be used to calculate the MPP reference voltage. Finally, the proposed methodology is experimentally implemented and validated by tests on a 600-W PV array. 

The effect of pH on the photonic efficiency of the destruction of methyl orange under controlled periodic illumination with UV-LED sources

The nature of photon interaction and reaction pH can have significant impacts on semiconductor photocatalysis. This paper describes the effect of pH on the photonic efficiency of photocatalytic reactions in the aqueous phase using TiO2 catalysts. The reactor was irradiated using periodic illumination with UV-LEDs through control of the illumination duty cycle (γ) through a series of light and dark times (Ton/Toff). Photonic efficiencies for methyl orange degradation were found to be comparable at high γ irrespective of pH. At lower γ, pH effects on photonic efficiency were very distinct across acidic, neutral and alkaline pH indicating an effect of complementary parameters. The results suggest photonic efficiency is greatest as illumination time, Ton approaches interfacial electron-transfer characteristic time which is within the range of this study or charge-carrier lifetimes upon extrapolation and also when electrostatic attraction between surface-trapped holes, {TiIVOH}ads+ and substrate molecules is strongest.

Effect of controlled periodic-based illumination on the photonic efficiency of photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange

The use of controlled periodic illumination with UV LEDs for enhancing photonic efficiency of photocatalytic decomposition processes in water has been investigated using methyl orange as a model compound. The impact of the length of light and dark time periods (T _ON/T _OFF times) on photodegradation and photonic efficiency using a UV LED-illuminated photoreactor has been studied. The results have shown an inverse dependency of the photonic efficiency on duty cycle and a very little effect on T _ON or T _OFF time periods, indicating no effect of rate-limiting steps through mass diffusion or adsorption/desorption in the reaction. For this reactor, the photonic efficiency under controlled periodic illumination (CPI) matches to that of continuous illumination, for the same average UV light intensities. Furthermore, under CPI conditions, the photonic efficiency is inversely related to the average UV light intensity in the reactor, in the millisecond time regime. This is the first study that has investigated the effect of controlled periodic illumination using ultra band gap UV LED light sources in the photocatalytic destruction of dye compounds using titanium dioxide. The results not only enhance the understanding of the effect of periodic illumination on photocatalytic processes but also provide a greater insight to the potential of these light sources in photocatalytic reactions.