An 826 MOPS, 210 uW/MHz Unum ALU in 65 nm

To overcome the limitations of conventional floating-point number formats, an interval arithmetic and variable-width storage format called universal number (unum) has been recently introduced. This paper presents the first (to the best of our knowledge) silicon implementation measurements of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for unum floating-point arithmetic. The designed chip includes a 128-bit wide unum arithmetic unit to execute additions and subtractions, while also supporting lossless (for intermediate results) and lossy (for external data movements) compression units to exploit the memory usage reduction potential of the unum format. Our chip, fabricated in a 65 nm CMOS process, achieves a maximum clock frequency of 413 MHz at 1.2 V with an average measured power of 210 uW/MHz

A system-level power saving approach for cellular networks with microcells/picocells

Network power consumption reduction has recently become an active research topic. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to save power consumption of a three-cell microcellular network. When the traffic load in the middle cell is low, it can be switched-off and its users are covered. This is enabled by increasing the transmission power of one sector antenna in the two neighboring cells. Numerical results show that by increasing antenna transmission power of the two sectors, the overall network power consumption can be reduced

Serum uric acid and chronic kidney disease: The role of hypertension

Background: There are inconsistent findings on the role of hyperuricemia as an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hypertension has been implicated as a factor influencing the association between serum uric acid and CKD. In this population-based study we investigated the association between serum uric acid and decline in renal function and tested whether hypertension moderates this association. Methods: We included 2601 subjects aged 55 years and over from the Rotterdam Study. Serum uric acid and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were assessed at baseline. After average 6.5 years of follow-up, second eGFR was assessed. CKD was defined as eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m2. All associations were corrected for socio-demographic and cardiovascular factors. Results: Each unit (mg/dL) increase in serum uric acid was associated with 0.19 ml/min per 1.73 m2 faster annual decline in eGFR. While the association between serum uric acid and incidence of CKD was not significant in our study population (Hazard Ratio: 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.98-1.28), incorporating our results in a meta-analysis with eleven published studies revealed a significant association (Relative Risk: 1.18, 95%CI: 1.15-1.22). In the stratified analyses, we observed that the associations of serum uric acid with eGFR decline and incident CKD were stronger in hypertensive subjects (P for interaction = 0.046 and 0.024, respectively). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that hyperuricemia is independently associated with a decline in renal function. Stronger association in hypertensive individuals may indicate that hypertension mediates the association between serum uric acid and CKD

An adaptive meta-search engine considering the user’s field of interest

AbstractExisting meta-search engines return web search results based on the page relevancy to the query, their popularity and content. It is necessary to provide a meta-search engine capable of ranking results considering the user’s field of interest. Social networks can be useful to find the users’ tendencies, favorites, skills, and interests. In this paper we propose MSE, a meta-search engine for document retrieval utilizing social information of the user. In this approach, each user is assumed to have a profile containing his fields of interest. MSE extracts main phrases from the title and short description of receiving results from underlying search engines. Then it clusters the main phrases by a Self-Organizing Map neural network. Generated clusters are then ranked on the basis of the user’s field of interest. We have compared the proposed MSE against two other meta-search engines. The experimental results show the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method

Introduction : On the interrelation of gender and protest

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Effect of Strategic Management on the Development of Entrepreneurial Competency in Nigeria

This article determined the effect that strategic management has on the development of entrepreneurial competence in Nigeria. It also examined the influence of strategic management on competitive advantage, development and advancement of entrepreneurial competencies in Organizations. This study made use of survey research design. The population consists of forty (40) managers of small and medium sized enterprises operating in Abuja Nigeria. Simple random sampling techniques was employed. The study made use of primary source of data through distribution of questionnaire, using a five-point likert scale. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test hypotheses, with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 20.1). In conclusion, the strategic management of an organization therefore can result in the positive advancement of entrepreneurial competencies if is appropriately implemented. Organizations that witnessed a positive implication of strategic management on the development and advancement of entrepreneurial competence are those who offered training centered on the acquisition of entrepreneurial competencies. The results showed that strategic management significantly enhance competitive advantage, there is significant relationship between strategic management and development of entrepreneurial competencies in Nigeria and strategic management significantly enhance advancement of entrepreneurial competencies in Organizations. The study therefore recommended amongst others that organizations should invest in training of their employees, as the human resource is an important internal strength of every organization and are therefore a source of competitive advantage for the firm and organizations should involve professional in their strategic management processes to increase the level of development and advancement of entrepreneurial competencies in Organizations. Keywords: Strategic Management, Entrepreneurial Competence, Entrepreneurship. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-3-21 Publication date: January 31st 202

ADAMTS13 activity as a novel risk factor for incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: a population-based cohort study

Aims/hypothesis: ADAMTS13 is a protease that breaks down von Willebrand factor (VWF) multimers into smaller, less active particles. VWF has been associated with an increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus. Here, we determine whether ADAMTS13 activity and VWF antigen are associated with incident diabetes. Methods: This study included 5176 participants from the Rotterdam Study, a prospective population-based cohort study. Participants were free of diabetes at baseline and followed up for more than 20 years. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association of ADAMTS13 activity and VWF antigen with incident diabetes. Results: ADAMTS13 activity was associated with an increased risk of incident diabetes (HR 1.17 [95% CI 1.08, 1.27]) after adjus

EFFECT OF TACTICAL PLANNING ON THE PERFORMANCE OF MOBILE SERVICE PROVIDERS IN NIGERIA

Purpose: The research aimed to examine the impact of tactical planning on the performance of mobile service providers in Nigeria.   Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework employed in this research is rooted in the Resource-Based View (RBV) Theory. RBV offers a comprehensive framework for understanding how operational planning influences the performance of mobile service providers by aligning internal resources with external market conditions and contributing to sustained competitive advantage.   Design/Methodology/Approach: Employing a survey research design, the study utilized a multistage sampling technique to gather primary data from a sample of 350 randomly chosen employees representing the workforce of the four major mobile network operators in Nigeria—MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and 9Mobile—comprising the study's target population.   Findings: The result of the regression analysis established a positive and statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) relationship between tactical planning and business growth in Nigeria's mobile communication sector. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that tactical planning is a substantial contributor to business growth in the telecom sector in Nigeria.   Research, Practical &amp; Social Implications: The study suggests that Nigerian mobile service providers should invest in refining their tactical planning processes, regularly assess their strategies, foster a culture of continuous improvement, engage in employee training, collaborate with industry peers, and stay updated with technological advancements. Companies should invest in comprehensive training programs and knowledge-sharing initiatives to build the strategic capabilities of their teams, ensuring a more effective implementation of tactical plans.   Originality/Value: The findings of this study are likely to have practical implications for mobile service providers, informing their tactical strategies and decision-making processes for improved performance and competitiveness in the Nigerian market