Parallel Software-Based Self-Testing with Bounded Model Checking for Kilo-Core Networks-on-Chip

Online testing is critical to ensuring reliable operations of the next generation of supercomputers based on a kilo-core network-on-chip(NoC)interconnection fabric.We present a parallel software-based self-testing(SBST)solution that makes use of the bounded model checking(BMC)technique to generate test sequences and parallel packets.In this method,the parallel SBST with BMC derives the leading sequence for each router’s internal function and detects all functionally-testable faults related to the function.A Monte-Carlo simulation algorithm is then used to search for the approximately optimum configuration of the parallel packets,which guarantees the test quality and minimizes the test cost.Finally,a multi-threading technology is used to ensure that the Monte-Carlo simulation can reach the approximately optimum configuration in a large random space and reduce the generating time of the parallel test.Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves a high fault coverage with a reduced test overhead.Moreover,by performing online testing in the functional mode with SBST,it effectively avoids the over-testing problem caused by functionally untestable turns in kilo-core NoCs.

Preferences for oral-vs blood-based human immunodeficiency virus self-testing:A scoping review of the literature

BACKGROUND The evidence on preferences for oral-vs blood-based human immunodeficiency virus self-testing(HIVST)has been heterogenous and inconclusive.In addition,most evaluations have relied on hypothetical or stated use cases using discreet choice experiments rather than actual preferences among experienced users,which are more objective and critical for the understanding of product uptake.Direct head-to-head comparison of consumer preferences for oral-versus bloodbased HIVST is lacking.AIM To examine the existing literature on preferences for oral-vs blood-based HIVST,determine the factors that impact these preferences,and assess the potential implications for HIVST programs.METHODS Databases such as PubMed,Medline,Google Scholar,and Web of Science were searched for articles published between January 2011 to October 2022.Articles must address preferences for oral-vs blood-based HIVST.The study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist to ensure the quality of the study.RESULTS The initial search revealed 2424 records,of which 8 studies were finally included in the scoping review.Pooled preference for blood-based HIVST was 48.8%(9%-78.6%),whereas pooled preference for oral HIVST was 59.8%(34.2%-91%)across all studies.However,for male-specific studies,the preference for blood-based HIVST(58%-65.6%)was higher than that for oral(34.2%-41%).The four studies that reported a higher preference for blood-based HIVST were in men.Participants considered blood-based HIVST to be more accurate and rapid,while those with a higher preference for oral HIVST did so because these were considered non-invasive and easy to use.CONCLUSION Consistently in the literature,men preferred blood-based HIVST over oral HIVST due to higher risk perception and desire for a test that provides higher accuracy coupled with rapidity,autonomy,privacy,and confidentiality,whereas those with a higher preference for oral HIVST did so because these were considered non-invasive and easy to use.Misinformation and distrust need to be addressed through promotional messaging to maximize the diversity of this new biomedical technology.

Acceptability and strategies for enhancing uptake of human immunodeficiency virus self-testing in Nigeria

BACKGROUND In 2019,the Nigerian Ministry of Health published the first operational guidelines for human immunodeficiency virus self-testing(HIVST)to improve access to human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)testing services among undertested populations in the country.Also,as part of the campaign to increase HIV testing services in Nigeria,the Nigerian Ministry of Health developed standard operating procedures for using HIVST kits.AIM To systematically review the acceptability and strategies for enhancing the uptake of HIVST in Nigeria.METHODS The systematic review was conducted and reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.Different databases were searched to get the necessary materials needed for this review.Standardized forms developed by the authors were used for data extraction to minimize the risk of bias and ensure that the articles used for the study were properly screened.Identified articles were first screened using the titles and their abstracts.The full papers were screened,and the similarities of the documents were determined.Qualitative,quantitative,and mixed-method studies were evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme and Critical Appraisal Framework criteria.RESULTS All the publications reviewed were published between 2015 and 2022,with 33.3%published in 2021.Most(77.8%)of the studies were cross-sectional,43.3%were conducted in Lagos State,and 26.3%were conducted among young people.The study revealed a high level of acceptability of HIVST.Certain factors,such as gender,sexual activity,and previous testing experience,influence the acceptability of HIV self-testing,with some individuals more likely to opt-out.The cost of the kit was reported as the strongest factor for choosing HIVST services,and this ranged from 200 to 4000 Naira(approximately United States Dollar 0.55-11.07),with the majority willing to pay 500 Naira(approximately United States Dollar 1.38).Privately-owned,registered pharmacies,youthfriendly centres,supermarkets,and online stores were the most cited access locations for HIVST.The least influential attribute was the type of specimen needed for HIVST.Strategies addressing cost and preferred access points and diverse needs for social media promotion,local translation of product use instructions,and HIVST distribution led by key opinion leaders for key populations were found to significantly enhance HIVST uptake and linkage to care.CONCLUSION HIVST acceptability is generally high from an intention-to-use perspective.Targeted strategies are required to improve the acceptability of HIV self-testing,especially among males,sexually active individuals,and first-time testers.Identified and proposed uptake-enhancing strategies need to be investigated in controlled settings and among different populations and distribution models in Nigeria.

Uptake of HIV Self-testing among Men Who have Sex with Men in Beijing, China： a Cross-sectional Study

Objective To examine HIV self-testing uptake and its determinates among men who have sex with men （MSM） in Beijing, China. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Beijing, China in 2016. Participants were users of a popular Chinese gay networking application and had an unknown or negative HIV status. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine factors associated with HIV self-testing based on adjusted odds ratio （AOR） and 95% confidence interval （CI）. Results Among the 5,996 MSM included in the study, 2,383 （39.7%） reported to have used HIV self-testing kits. Willingness to use an HIV self-test kit in the future was expressed by 92% of the participants. High monthly income （AOR = 1.49; CI = 1.10-2.02; P = 0.010）, large number of male sex partners （≥2： AOR = 1.24; CI = 2.09-1.43; P = 0.002）, sexual activity with commercial male sex partners （〉 2： AOR = 1.94; CI = 1.34 -2.82; P = 0.001）, long-term drug use （AOR = 1.42; CI = 1.23-1.62; P 〈 0.001）, and long-term HIV voluntary counseling and testing （VCT） attendance （AOR = 3.62; CI = 3.11-4.22; P 〈 0.001） were all associated with increased odds of HIV self-testing uptake. Conclusion The nearly 40% rate of HIV self-testing uptake among MSM in our sample was high. In addition, an over 90% willingness to use kits in the future was encouraging. HIV self-testing could be an important solution to help China achieve the global target of having 90% of all people living with HIV diagnosed by 2020.

Key Technology of Embedded System Implementation for Software-based CNC System

The software-based computer numerical control（CNC） system includes three types of tasks： periodic real-time tasks, aperiodic real-time tasks, and non-real-time tasks. The tasks are characterized by concurrency, hybridization, and correlation, which make system implementation difficult. The conventional scheduling algorithm can not meet the demands of system implementation in the software-based CNC system completely. The uncertainty factors when running real-time tasks affect control performance by degrading manufacturing accuracy as a result of system resource and processor use restrictions. To address the technical difficulty of embedded system implementation, a novel fuzzy feedback scheduling algorithm based on output jitter of key real-time tasks for a software-based CNC system is proposed. Time characteristics, such as sampling jitter, input-output jitter, and non-schedulability are discussed, followed by quantification through simulations of the impact of time characteristics on manufacturing accuracy. On the basis of this research, the scheduler architecture is designed, and then the algorithm table is calculated. When the system resource changes, the key periodic real-time tasks meet their deadlines by means of dynamically adjusting the task period. The simulated results show that the machining precision rises by an order of magnitude for the proposed scheduler in resource-constrained software-based CNC systems. Moreover, unlike conventional feedback scheduling methods, the algorithm in this paper does not rely on the availability of task execution times and is easy to implement while incurring only a small overhead.

Robustness self-testing of states and measurements in the prepare-and-measure scenario with 3 → 1 random access code

Recently, Tavakoli et al.proposed a self-testing scheme in the prepare-and-measure scenario, showing that self-testing is not necessarily based on entanglement and violation of a Bell inequality [Phys.Rev.A 98 062307(2018)].They realized the self-testing of preparations and measurements in an N → 1(N ≥ 2) random access code(RAC), and provided robustness bounds in a 2 → 1 RAC.Since all N → 1 RACs with shared randomness are combinations of 2 → 1 and 3 → 1 RACs, the3 → 1 RAC is just as important as the 2 → 1 RAC.In this paper, we find a set of preparations and measurements in the3 → 1 RAC, and use them to complete the robustness self-testing analysis in the prepare-and-measure scenario.The method is robust to small but inevitable experimental errors.

Efficient self-testing system for quantum computations based on permutations

Verification in quantum computations is crucial since quantum systems are extremely vulnerable to the environment.However,verifying directly the output of a quantum computation is difficult since we know that efficiently simulating a large-scale quantum computation on a classical computer is usually thought to be impossible.To overcome this difficulty,we propose a self-testing system for quantum computations,which can be used to verify if a quantum computation is performed correctly by itself.Our basic idea is using some extra ancilla qubits to test the output of the computation.We design two kinds of permutation circuits into the original quantum circuit:one is applied on the ancilla qubits whose output indicates the testing information,the other is applied on all qubits(including ancilla qubits) which is aiming to uniformly permute the positions of all qubits.We show that both permutation circuits are easy to achieve.By this way,we prove that any quantum computation has an efficient self-testing system.In the end,we also discuss the relation between our self-testing system and interactive proof systems,and show that the two systems are equivalent if the verifier is allowed to have some quantum capacity.

Feasibility of a finger prick-based self-testing kit in first- and second-degree relatives of children with coeliac disease

AIM:To assess feasibility of a finger prick-based kit as method for self-testing of first and second-degree relatives of coeliac disease (CD) patients. METHODS:A total number of 379 subjects were invited to participate in this study,consisting of 197 first- degree and 182 second-degree relatives of CD patients. The self-testing kit (BiocardTM) was sent out with included instructions for use. Completed tests were sent back to the study coordinator for assessment. RESULTS:One hundred and ninety-six invited relatives carried out the BiocardTM test at home. Amongst these,70% were children. In 97% of the cases the test was performed correctly. Three tests revealed a positive result,all of which were later confirmed by serology and histology as coeliac disease.CONCLUSION:Our study indicates that BiocardTM test is a reliable,easy to use and well-accepted tool for home testing of first- and second-degree relatives of CD patients.

Assessing the Acceptability and Willingness to Use HIV Self-Testing among Student Nurses in a Private Nursing College, Gauteng Province, South Africa

Globally, there is increasing evidence that HIV self-testing (HIVST) is commonly practiced among health care workers (HCWs). Although HIVST kits are available in South Africa, their distribution and use remain unregulated and its acceptability, undocumented. The aim of the study was to explore the acceptability of HIV self-testing among student nurses, examine their willingness to use self-testing, and evaluate their views on the implementation of a regulated HIV self-testing programme. This was a qualitative explorative study, and six focus group discussions were conducted with 67 student nurses recruited from a private nursing college, in Pretoria, South Africa. Thematic analysis and NVivo10 qualitative software were used for data analysis. The nurses perceived HIVST as an acceptable option for HIV testing and most were willing to self-test. Self-testing will provide confidential and accessible HIV testing services, reduce the stigma associated with the condition, and increase partner testing and disclosure. HIVST is more likely to be practised if self-testing kits are easily accessible and affordable, and there are strategies to educate people before the adoption of HIVST. The lack of pre- and post-test counselling, the risk of inaccurate test results, and lack of strategies for the confirmation of self-testing results were the main arguments against HIVST. The high acceptance of HIVST among nurses suggests that HIVST is a feasible option to increase the uptake of HIV-testing among HCWs. However, pre- and post-test counselling should be considered important components in the implementation of self-testing services. Educational and awareness campaigns should precede the roll-out of the self-testing programs.

Phase-Coding Self-Testing Quantum Random Number Generator

How to estimate the randomness of the measurement outcomes generated by a given device is an important issue in quantum information theory. Recently, Brunner et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 112 （2014）140407] proposed a prepare-and-measure quantum random number generation scenario with device-independent assumption, which indicates a method to test the randomness of bit strings according to the generation process rather than the results. Based on this protocol, we implement a quantum random number generator with an intrinsic stable phase-encoded quantum key distribution system. The system has been continuously running for more than 200 h, a stable witness W with the average value of 0.9752 and a standard deviation of 0.0024 are obtained. More than 1 G random bits are generated and the results pass all items of NIST test suite.

HIV Self-Testing Kits Uptake in Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe, 2019-2020: A Secondary Data Analysis

Background: Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus Self-Testing (HIVST) is a process where an individual who wants to know their HIV status collects a specimen, performs a test and interprets the result by themselves. HIVST data from the Zimbabwe AIDS and TB Program (ATP) directorate showed that between 2019-2020, only 31% of the target HIVST kits were distributed in the country. Mashonaland West Province was one of the least performing provinces in meeting targets for HIVST kits distribution. Gaps in the implementation of the HIVST in the province ultimately affect the nationwide scaleup of targeted testing, a key enabler in achieving HIV epidemic control. We analyzed HIVST trends in Mashonaland West Province to inform HIV testing services programming. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using HIVST secondary data obtained from the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) electronic database. We conducted regression analysis for trends using Epi Info 7.2 and tables, bar graphs, pie charts and linear graphs were used for data presentation. Results: A total of 31,070 clients accessed HIVST kits in Mashonaland West Province from 2019-2020. A slightly higher proportion (50.4% and 51.7%) of females as compared to males accessed HIVST kits in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Overall, an increase in the trend of HIVST kits uptake was recorded (males R2 = 0.3945, p-value = 0.003 and females R2 = 0.4739, p-value = 0.001). There was generally a decline in the trend of community-based distribution of HIVST kits from the third quarter of 2019 throughout 2020 (R2 = 0.2441, p-value = 0.006). Primary distribution of HIVST kits remained the dominant method of distribution, constituting more than half of the kits distributed in both 2019 (67%) and 2020 (86%). Conclusion: Mashonaland West Province was mainly utilising facility-based distribution model for HIVST over the community-based distribution model. We recommended training more community-based distribution agents to increase community distribution of HIVST kits.

An Adaptive Ramp Generator for ADC Built-in Self-Test

An adaptive ramp generator based on linear histogram was proposed for the built-in selftest (BIST) of analog to digital convertor (ADC) in CMOS image sensor. By comparing the generated ramp signal to a reference voltage and feeding back a calibration signal, the slope adjustment was implemented, and high linearity and precision of ramp slope were realized. By modulating the pulse width and reference voltage, sweep length varied from microsecond to second and signal swing could reach 3 V with 5.6 mW power consumption. The ramp was used as input to an ideal 10-bit single-slope ADC, and the corresponding DNL and INL were 0.032 LSB and 0.078 LSB, re-spectively.

Multicenter evaluation of a simple and sensitive nucleic acid self-testing for SARS-CoV-2

A rapid and accurate COVID-19 diagnosis is a prerequisite for blocking the source of infection as soon as possible and taking the appropriate medical action.Herein,we developed GeneClick,a device for nucleic acid self-testing of SARS-CoV-2,consisting of three modules:a sampling kit,a microfluidic chip-based disposable cartridge,and an amplification reader.In addition,we evaluated the clinical performance of GeneClick using 2162 nasal swabs collected at three medical institutions,using three commercial RT-qPCR kits and an antigen self-test as references.Compared to RT-qPCR,the sensitivity and specificity of the GeneClick assay were 97.93%and 99.72%,respectively,with a kappa value of 0.979(P<0.01).Of the 2162 samples,2076 were also tested for SARS-CoV-2 antigens.Among the 314 positive samples identified by GeneClick assay,63 samples were undetected by antigen tests.Overall,the GeneClick nucleic acid self-test demonstrated higher accuracy than the antigen-based detection.Based on the additional features,including simple operation,affordable price,portable device,and reliability of smartphone APP-driven sampling and result reporting,GeneClick offers a powerful tool for field-based SARS-CoV-2 detection in primary healthcare institutions or at-home use.

A Review of the Calculation Formula for the Four-component Borehole Strainmeter and Application to Earthquake Cases

Based on the principle formula for the four-component strainmeters, we can directly obtain the specific plane strain, shear strain and azimuthal angle of the principal strain, and the maximum and minimum principal strains calculated afterwards are the indirect result. The problems of practicality of the sensitivity coefficients A and B of plane strain and shear strain are then discussed. Based on this idea, we analyzed the observation data of several four-component borehole strainmeters near the epicenter of the Yiliang M_S5.7 earthquake in 2012 and the Ludian M_S6.5 earthquake in 2014 in the Zhaotong area, Yunnan Province. The results show that the analysis based on the perspective of plane strain and shear strain has an obviously better effect than that based on the component readings, and can directly peel off the respective abnormality of the plane strain and shear strain. In addition, the correlation coefficient curves between measured data of two plane strains show significant anomalies which often occur several days before and during the earthquake.

An LFSR-based address generator using optimized address partition for low power memory BIST

Power consumption in test mode is much higher than that in normal mode,which is prone to causing circuit damage and reducing the yield of chips.To reduce the power dissipation efficiently,a modified linear feedback shift register(LFSR)is designed to decrease switching activity dramatically during the generation of address sequences for memory built-in self-test(MBIST).The address models are generated by a blend of two address generators with an optimized address partition and two distinct controlled clock signals.An address generator circuit for MBIST of 64 k×32 static random access memory(SRAM)is designed to illustrate the proposed scheme.Experimental results show that when the address bus size is 16 bits,compared with the traditional LFSR,the proposed LFSR can reduce the switching activity and dynamic power by 71.1%and 68.2%,respectively,with low area overhead.

A vector inserting TPG for BIST design with low peak power consumption

A test pattern generator （TPG） which can highly reduce the peak power consumption during built-in self-test （BIST） application is proposed. The proposed TPG, called LPpe-TPG, consists of a linear feedback shift register （LFSR） and some control circuits. A procedure is presented firstly to make compare vectors between pseudorandom test patterns by adding some circuits to the original LFSR and secondly to insert some vectors between two successive pseudorandom test patterns according to the ordinal selection of every two bits of the compare vector. Then the changes between any successive test patterns of the test set generated by the LPpe-TPG are not more than twice. This leads to a decrease of the weighted switching activity （WSA） of the circuit under test （CUT） and therefore a reduction of the power consumption. Experimental results based on some ISCAS＇ 85 benchmark circuits show that the peak power consumption has been reduced by 25.25% to 64.46%. Also, the effectiveness of our approach to reduce the total and average power consumption is kept, without losing stuck-at fault coverage.

ON SHORTENING TEST SEQUENCE LENGTH FOR SIGNATURE ANALYZER

Based on the built-in self-test for logic circuit, a new approach is proposed to reduce pseudorandom test length. After finding worst faults in the circuit and creating their circuit models the output signals of these models will be compressed by linear feedback shift register. The test length for the worst faults can be obtained by analyzing compressed signature . Finally, using the relation between input probability and test length, we propose a new algorithm to shorten the test sequence length. So the optimum input probability and the shortest test length can be received.

Correlates of HIV self-testing among female sex workers in China: implications for expanding HIV screening

Background:Human immunodefciency virus(HIV)self-testing may help improve test uptake among female sex workers.China has implemented many HIV self-testing programs among men who have sex with men,creating an opportunity for promotion among female sex workers.However,there is a limited literature on examining HIV selftesting among female sex workers.This study aimed to examine HIV self-testing experiences and its determinants among female sex workers in China.Methods:A venue-based,cross-sectional study was conducted among Chinese female sex workers in 2019.Participants completed a survey including social-demographic characteristics,sexual behaviors,and HIV self-testing history,the distribution of which were analyzed using descriptive analysis.Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify associations with HIV self-testing.Results:Among 1287 Chinese female sex workers,1072(83.3%,95%confdence interval[CI]81.2-85.3%)had ever tested for HIV,and 103(8.0%,95%CI 6.6-9.6%)had ever used HIV self-testing.More than half reported that the selftest was their frst HIV test(59.2%,61/103),around one-ffth reported HIV self-testing results infuenced the price of sex(21.4%,22/103).A minority of individuals reported ever experiencing pressure to undertake HIV self-testing(6.8%,7/103).After adjusting for covariates,HIV self-testing was positively associated with receiving anal sex in the past month(adjusted odds ratio[aOR]=2.2,95%CI 1.4-3.5),using drugs before or during sex(aOR=2.8,95%CI 1.8-4.5),injecting drugs in the past 6 months(aOR=2.6,95%CI 1.2-6.0),being diagnosed with other sexually transmitted infections(aOR=1.6,95%CI 1.0-2.5),tested for other sexually transmitted infections in the past six months(aOR=3.4,95%CI 2.1-5.5),ever tested in the hospital(aOR=3.4,95%CI 2.0-5.6),and ever tested in the community(aOR=1.5,95%CI 1.2-1.9).Conclusions:Our fndings suggest that HIV self-testing could expand overall HIV testing uptake,increase HIV testing frequency,reach sub-groups of high-risk female sex workers and has limited potential harms among female sex workers.HIV self-testing should be incorporated among Chinese female sex workers as a complement to facility-based HIV testing services.

A Fully Differential Interface Circuit of Closed-loop Accelerometer with Force Feedback Linearization

In this paper,a fifth-order fully differential interface circuit( IC) is presented to improve the noise performance for micromechanical sigma-delta( Σ-Δ) accelerometer. A lead compensator is adopted to ensure the stability of the closed-loop high-order system. A low noise capacitance detection circuit is described with a correlated-double-sampling( CDS) technique to decrease 1 /f noise and offset of the operational amplifier. This paper also proposes a self-test technique for the interface circuit to test the harmonic distortion. An electrostatic force feedback linearization circuit is presented to reduce the harmonic distortion resulting in larger dynamic range( DR). The layout of the IC is implemented in a standard 0. 6 μm CMOS technology and operates at a sampling frequency of 250 kHz. The interface consumes 20 mW from a 5 V supply. The post-simulation results indicate that the noise floor of the digital accelerometer is about- 140 dBV /Hz1 /2at low frequency. The sensitivity is 2. 5 V /g and the nonlinearity is 0. 11%. The self-test function is achieved with 98. 2 dB thirdorder harmonic distortion detection based on the electrostatic force feedback linearization.

A DFT Method for Single-Control Testability of RTL Data Paths for BIST

This paper presents a new BIST method for RTL data paths based on single-control testability, a new concept of testability. The BIST method adopts hierarchical test. Test pattern generators are placed only on primary inputs and test patterns are propagated to and fed into each module. Test responses are similarly propagated to response analyzers placed only on primary outputs. For the propagation of test patterns and test responses paths existing in the data path are utilized. The DFT method for the single-control testability is also proposed. The advantages of the proposed method are high fault coverage (for single Stuck-at faults), low hardware overhead and capability of at-speed test. Moreover, test patterns generated by test pattern generators can be fed into each module at consecutive system clocks, and thus, the BIST can also detect some faults of other fault models (e.g., transition faults and delay faults) that require consecutive application of test patterns at speed of system clock.