Les T. Walczowski

The role of social media for patients and consumer health : contribution of the IMIA consumer health informatics working group

OBJECTIVES : To provide an overview on social media for consumers and patients in areas of health behaviours and outcomes. METHODS A directed review of recent literature. RESULTS : We discuss the limitations and challenges of social media, ranging from social network sites (SNSs), computer games, mobile applications, to online videos. An overview of current users of social media (Generation Y), and potential users (such as low socioeconomic status and the chronically ill populations) is also presented. Future directions in social media research are also discussed. CONCLUSIONS : We encourage the health informatics community to consider the socioeconomic class, age, culture, and literacy level of their populations, and select an appropriate medium and platform when designing social networked interventions for health. Little is known about the impact of second-hand experiences faciliated by social media, nor the quality and safety of social networks on health. Methodologies and theories from human computer interaction, human factors engineering and psychology may help guide the challenges in designing and evaluating social networked interventions for health. Further, by analysing how people search and navigate social media for health purposes, infodemiology and infoveillance are promising areas of research that should provide valuable insights on present and emergening health behaviours on a population scale.

Using software agents to generate VLSI layouts

Software agents can provide flexibility and scalability in a client-server architecture. To demonstrate how agents can aid layout generation, the authors created Agents, a scalable distributed system that generates full-custom digital and mixed-signal VLSI layouts implemented in CMOS or BiCMOS technologies.

Java servlet technology for analogue module generation

A World Wide Web (WWW) based client/server system has been developed which uses Java servlet technology. The system allows a server-side, process-independent layout generator servlet to generate active messages, which create design rule correct geometry of analogue components such as resistors, capacitors and transistors within a design system on the local workstation. This combination of server based servlets and active messages is a very powerful technique for developing remote applications which run in cooperation with a local design system, leading to real increases in system availability, functionality and performance.

Multiple server WWW-based synthesis of VLSI circuits

A three-tier client/server system for the synthesis of VLSI circuits has been developed. The design system uses the World Wide Web as a backbone communications medium, whilst the sub-components of the synthesis applications are organised as servers, accessed through client/server communications between a tool server and thin client applets. This paper describes the architecture of the system, and in particular examines the use of multi-threading and multiple servers for improving system performance.

Analogue layout generation by World Wide Web server-based agents

A World Wide Web (WWW) based client/server system has been developed which allows server-side process independent layout generators to generate the design rule correct geometry of analogue components such as resistors, capacitors and transistors for a design system running on a local workstation. The complete system is based on the bidirectional interface between a WWW browser and a VLSI design system, with layout generators running remotely on a WWW server.

A leaf-cell generator for silicon compilers

A program for the design of leaf cells for silicon compilers of digital VLSI (Very Large Scale Integrated) circuits, is being developed. This program uses rule based reasoning and genetic algorithmic search techniques, whenever each is appropriate. Leaf cells are subcircuits of a complexity comparable with SSI (Small Scale Integration) components such as one-bit adders, flip-flops or multiplexers. They typically contain between 10 to 100 transistors. Silicon compilers can use libraries of ready designed leaf cells or each leaf cell can be automatically generated [1] by synthesis tools such as the program we are developing. The main advantage of the synthesis approach is that circuit performance will not be sacrificed since a new, optimal layout will be produced whatever the complexity of the circuit and whenever the fabrication process is upgraded.

Automated placement for a leaf cell generator

A program for the design of leaf cells for silicon compilers of digital VLSI circuits, is being developed. It uses rule based modules to put together basic circuits, check design rules, check designs constraints and to control each of these constituent tasks. An optimization algorithm, in this case a genetic algorithm, optimizes the layout, under the control of the rule system. The program is divided into modules that can run together using a client-server model.<<ETX>>

The Development of Very Large Scale Integration Systems

Publisher Summary Software agents are characterized by their ability to communicate and cooperate with each other. This key characteristic is exploited in the layout generation domain by the Agents system to generate flexible very large scale integration (VLSI) mask level layouts. At a high level, the system is subdivided into four large agents (macroagents) distributed over a network of computers: the Placer, the Router, the Database, and the Broker. The Placer places components in a cell, the Router wires the circuits sent to it, the Database keeps all the information that is dependent upon the fabrication process, and the Broker manages the services of the other agents. At a lower level, inside the Router and Placer agents, small relatively simple agents (microagents) work together to accomplish complex tasks. These microagents are responsible for all reasoning carried out by the Router and the Placer because they hold the basic inference routines and the knowledge needed by the agents. The key concept is that competence emerges out of the collective behavior of a large number of relatively simple agents.

A digital engineering curriculum with integrated, Windows-based EDA tools

The move to the Windows NT operating system by the University Computing Service, was an excellent opportunity for the Electronic Engineering Department at Kent to develop a new digital engineering curriculum, which closely integrated EDA tools and multi-media courseware into the syllabus. This paper examines the development of the curriculum and describes the software that has been integrated including tools for schematic capture, logic simulation, VLSI design and high-level simulation. The advantages of closely integrating computer based teaching with conventional lecture based material are described.

Rapid layout synthesis for analog VLSI

A technology independent synthesis system which rapidly generates the layout of analog VLSI circuits has been developed. Based on a specification of a circuits required performance and the target process, a design rule correct layout is generated. The complete system has been tested by synthesizing op amps in the CMOS and bipolar domains. Comparison of the specification with results of simulating the circuit extracted from the synthesized layout, show that the system is accurate to within a few per cent for most parameters.