Physical Design Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

In this paper, evolutionary algorithms are explored with the objective of demonstrating that they offer the most efficient and adequate solution to the Index Selection Problem (ISP). The final target is to develop a self-tuning database... more

In this paper, evolutionary algorithms are explored with the objective of demonstrating that they offer the most efficient and adequate solution to the Index Selection Problem (ISP). The final target is to develop a self-tuning database system requiring little (or no) intervention from experts in physical design. Following the evaluation of the proposal and the discussion of experimental results, conclusions are made regarding the possibilities presented by evolutionary algorithms for future projects.

It is now known that the quality of the physical, designed environment of early childhood centers - size, density, privacy, well-defined activity settings, modified open-plan space, a variety of technical design features and the quality... more

It is now known that the quality of the physical, designed environment of early childhood centers - size, density, privacy, well-defined activity settings, modified open-plan space, a variety of technical design features and the quality of outdoor play spaces - is related to children's cognitive, social and emotional development. A number of scales are in existence for assessing childcare centres and are widely used around the English-speaking world, including the Harms' et al family of Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales (ECERS, ITERS and ECERS-R) and the NAEYC Accreditation Procedures. The new Children's Physical Environments Rating Scale (CPERS), however, is the first tool for centre directors, early childhood educators, policy makers and regulators to assess the quality of the physical environment of childcare, preschool, kindergarten and other early childhood education settings. CPERS is based on a Piagetian ecological theory of child development and the en...

While cemeteries represent a part of any society's cultural heritage, their continued existence in urban areas has raised concerns, mainly due to the scarcity of urban land. Referring specifically to the Chinese cemeteries of Kuala... more

While cemeteries represent a part of any society's cultural heritage, their continued existence in urban areas has raised concerns, mainly due to the scarcity of urban land. Referring specifically to the Chinese cemeteries of Kuala Lumpur, this paper explored the perceptions among the local Chinese residents of the possible multi-dimensional uses of cemeteries for recreational purposes. This issue involves questions of city planning and future land use, urban green purposing and the potential contribution of such land to urban fabric enhancement. Specifically, the authors intended to identify the influence of demographic profile on perceptions in consideration of future planning of cemeteries for recreational purposes. A total of 403 questionnaire samples were collected for analysis. The analysis findings indicated that the possible use of cemeteries for educational purposes was favoured among the respondents in general, with a higher acceptance rate of multiple uses of cemeteries for recreational purposes among younger respondents. Physical design enhancing landscaping, avoiding conflicts overuse, appropriate safety measures and awareness campaigns are all vital if cemeteries are to be promoted for recreational purposes.

The physical and technical characteristics of a cohousing community influence social interactions of dwellers. Technology for instance has a mediating effect on the praxis and/or the perception of humans. In the social ecology of a... more

The physical and technical characteristics of a cohousing community influence social interactions of dwellers. Technology for instance has a mediating effect on the praxis and/or the perception of humans. In the social ecology of a cohousing community social and individual factors also influence social interactions between residents. This paper presents the relation between social interactions and the physical characteristics of the common areas in a cohousing community and discusses the possibilities for technology to support social contact design principles of cohousing communities.
The study was performed in two directions. Firstly information about the effect of technology and social interactions in cohousing communities was derived from literature. Secondly a project with students was performed that concentrated on the importance of common areas for social interactions in two cohousing communities. From the literature and the case studies it can be concluded that common hallways and the common room have an important function in facilitating social nteractions. Technology may be used to support these functions and influence interactions by a change of script or a change in the perception of the dwellers.

This aim of this study was to describe and compare the physical design, as well as the atmosphere of each of gay bathhouses, and reflect on how desire operates within these premises when it intersects with the bathhouse environment and... more

This aim of this study was to describe and compare the physical design, as well as the atmosphere of each of gay bathhouses, and reflect on how desire operates within these premises when it intersects with the bathhouse environment and health imperatives. Three bathhouses were studied for a total of 147 hours. Men’s desire for other men has created a landscape of spaces (real and virtual) where sex takes place in parks, alleys, restrooms, rest stops, adult theatres, video arcades, bookstores, bars, gay bathhouses and finally, the Internet. Although the Internet is perceived as an easy way for encountering sexual partners, gay bathhouses remain the most popular and convenient way, for men to meet for anonymous and casual sex. This paper presents the descriptive results of an ethnographic nursing study that took place in three gay bathhouses located in two Canadian metropolitan areas. Gay bathhouses offer patrons a space within which a wide range of interactions, sensations and pleasure can be experienced. The objectives of this paper are to highlight the specific features of three gay bathhouses, to compare settings according to their specific architectural features and related sexual activities, and finally, to propose some changes in light of certain health issues.

Electromigration is increasingly relevant to the physical design of electronic circuits. It is caused by excessive current density stress in the interconnect. The ongoing reduction of circuit feature sizes has aggravated the problem over... more

Electromigration is increasingly relevant to the physical design of electronic circuits. It is caused by excessive current density stress in the interconnect. The ongoing reduction of circuit feature sizes has aggravated the problem over the last couple of years. It is therefore an important reliability issue to consider electromigration-related design parameters during physical design. In this talk, we give an introduction to the electromigration problem and its relationship to current density. We then present various physical design constraints that affect electromigration. Finally, we introduce components of an electromigration-aware physical design flow.

Re: layout of CMOS circuits. Please see the doc for the abstract.

In this paper, Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) is analyzed for application to low power, mixed signal environments. A small CMOS cell library is developed and optimized for several different performance requirements. The... more

In this paper, Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) is analyzed for application to low power, mixed signal environments. A small CMOS cell library is developed and optimized for several different performance requirements. The cells are then applied to the generation of ripple adders and pipelined CORDIC structures and compared with equivalent MCML circuits. CMOS CORDICs are designed which can operate from 130MHz to 330MHz with power consumption varying between 4.5mW and 18.8mW. These power results are up to 1.5 times less than MCML CORDICs, with equivalent propagation delays. Design was done in a 0.25m standard MCML process from ST Microelectronics.

Physical design of Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits is the phase where the physical shape of a circuit is decided. Layout is part of the physical design step where the locations of all circuit components and their wiring are... more

Physical design of Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits is the phase where the physical shape of a circuit is decided. Layout is part of the physical design step where the locations of all circuit components and their wiring are decided. Layout typically consists of 3 stages: partitioning, placement, and routing. The main focus of this research is on the

Urban Renewal is said to be one of the alternative actions for mitigating the negative impacts of urbanization and urban decay. Th is study investigated the impacts of urban renewal factors on the environmental setting and physical design... more

Urban Renewal is said to be one of the alternative actions for mitigating the negative impacts of urbanization and urban decay. Th is study investigated the impacts of urban renewal factors on the environmental setting and physical design of the City of Manila. It reviewed redevelopment plans, zoning ordinances, previous studies and conducted an ocular inspection of the City’s major areas. Despite being limited to the City of Manila, urban planners may find the study useful in
formulating redevelopment plans of cities in the light of sustainability. Moreover, the study can present policy makers with better ideas on how the development planning of a city can be managed, say by boosting the economic sector, and how they can keep the environmental and historical conditions at par with each other.

Voltage drop is becoming increasingly significant as integrated circuit (IC) fabrication processes move beyond 45nm, affecting both timing and reliability. We propose an IR-Drop based detailed standard cell placer that can achieve... more

Voltage drop is becoming increasingly significant
as integrated circuit (IC) fabrication processes move
beyond 45nm, affecting both timing and reliability.
We propose an IR-Drop based detailed standard cell
placer that can achieve significant optimization of
up to 6% for the timing of the critical path of a
design. Our placer works incrementally to existing
placers and is, thus, easier to integrate into existing
industrial design flows.

Electromigration (EM) is one of the key concerns going forward for interconnect reliability in integrated circuit (IC) design. Although analog designers have been aware of the EM problem for some time, digital circuits are also being... more

Electromigration (EM) is one of the key concerns going forward for interconnect reliability in integrated circuit (IC) design. Although analog designers have been aware of the EM problem for some time, digital circuits are also being affected now. This talk addresses basic design issues and their effects on electromigration during interconnect physical design. The intention is to increase current density limits in the interconnect by adopting electromigration-inhibiting measures, such as short-length and reservoir effects. Exploitation of these effects at the layout stage can provide partial relief of EM concerns in IC design flows in future.

This paper examines the policies and strategies governing the design and, especially, operations of bus lanes in major congested urban centers. It focuses on bus lanes that operate in mixed traffic conditions; the study does not examine... more

This paper examines the policies and strategies governing the design and, especially, operations of bus lanes in major congested urban centers. It focuses on bus lanes that operate in mixed traffic conditions; the study does not examine practices concerning bus priority lanes on urban highways or freeways. Three key questions addressed in the paper are: 1. What is the physical design of the lanes? 2. What is the scope of the priority use granted to buses? When is bus priority in effect, and what other users may share the lanes during these times? 3. How are the lanes enforced? To answer these questions, the study developed detailed cases on the bus lane development and management strategies in seven cities that currently have shared-use bus priority lanes: Los Angeles, London, New York City, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, and Sydney. Through the case studies, the paper examines the range of practices in use, thus providing planners and decisionmakers with an awareness of the wide vari...

Can Augmented Reality (AR) techniques inform the design and implementation of a mobile multimedia guide for the museum setting? Drawing from our experience both on previous mobile museum guides projects and in AR technology, we present a... more

Can Augmented Reality (AR) techniques inform the design and implementation of a mobile multimedia guide for the museum setting? Drawing from our experience both on previous mobile museum guides projects and in AR technology, we present a fully functional prototype of an AR-enabled mobile multimedia museum guide, designed and implemented for the Museum of Fine Arts in Rennes, France. We report on the life cycle of the prototype and the methodology employed for the AR approach as well as on the selected mixed method evaluation process; finally, the first results emerging from quantitative evaluation are discussed, supported by evidence and findings from the qualitative part of the assessment process. We conclude with lessons learned during the full circle of conception, implementation, testing and assessment of the guide.

This paper extends Mehrabian and Russell's Stimulus-Organism-Response framework to investigate the influence of two selected environmental variables – esthetic design and tenant variety – relating to an urban shopping area on consumers'... more

This paper extends Mehrabian and Russell's Stimulus-Organism-Response framework to investigate the influence of two selected environmental variables – esthetic design and tenant variety – relating to an urban shopping area on consumers' emotional states and actual shopping responses. Results of a survey conducted in an Italian town center show that the variety of tenant-mix positively affects both pleasure and arousal while esthetic design has a significant influence only on pleasure. Moreover, emotional states induced by the urban environment exert a different influence on shopping outcomes, with pleasure increasing the amount of money and time spent, and arousal positively influencing unplanned shopping and negatively affecting time and money. The paper concludes by discussing managerial and research implications for both retailing and urban marketing.