Tind Technologies (Norway)
Hes-so: ArODES Open Archive (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland / Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale / FH Westschweiz)Not a member yet
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Power efficient hardware acceleration of genomic algorithms
No full textGenome sequence analysis plays an essential role in scientific and medical research, with applications spanning disease analysis, personalized medicine, epidemiology, forensics, evolutionary biology, and population genetics. Recent advancements in DNA sequencing technologies have led to an explosion in data generation, far outpacing the growth of computational power. As large-scale projects, such as the UK Biobank, which includes 500,000 sequenced individuals and associated biomedical data, become increasingly common, the computational burden intensifies, exacerbating existing bottlenecks and significantly raising energy consumption. Addressing these challenges is crucial to ensure that genomic research remains both scalable and sustainable.
This thesis focuses on accelerating genomic data processing while reducing its overall energy footprint. Several strategies are explored to achieve this goal. First, we introduce a novel genotype compression format that reduces storage requirements and enhances computational efficiency by enabling faster data access and allowing direct processing of compressed data, a concept known as "compressive genomics". We then present a parallelized version of the positional Burrows-Wheeler transform and associated algorithms, designed to leverage modern multi-core processors and accelerate genetic applications such as haplotype estimation and population structure analysis. Additionally, we propose a cloud-distributed method capable of efficiently processing population-scale whole-genome sequencing data, improving the statistical phasing of hundreds of thousands of genomes at petabyte scale. Finally, we introduce innovative hardware in the form of computational storage devices, which not only store data but are also capable of processing it locally. We demonstrate their potential for acceleration and energy efficiency by designing a computational storage device specifically for genomics. This device integrates a complete genomic analysis pipeline, from DNA sequence alignment to variant calling, directly within the storage hardware. This integration minimizes data movement, reduces energy consumption, and provides acceleration opportunities.
By combining advances in compression, algorithmic optimization, could-scale processing, and hardware architecture innovation, this work offers a comprehensive approach to accelerating genomic data analysis while improving energy efficiency. These contributions not only enable faster and deeper genomic research but also lay the foundation for sustainable, large-scale genomics studies
A scoping review of sustainable strategies adopted in nuclear medicine
No full textIntroduction : Sustainable development is an approach that must be applied to all areas within healthcare, especially those in constant technological development, such as nuclear medicine. The aim of this study was to scope the literature to identify knowledge gaps in the sustainable development of the nuclear medicine field.
Methods : The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews was employed. A search strategy was conducted in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science in December 2024 using Mesh terms and keywords related to sustainability development and nuclear medicine. Three independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full text. Four authors performed the data extraction and analysis.
Results : A total of 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority originated from Spain, and most were published in 2022 and 2023. Studies were categorised by procedure type: 33.3 % focused on therapy, 9.7 % on PET imaging, 33.3 % on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and 18.1 % on SPECT imaging. They were also categorised by location to include research conducted in hospital settings (n = 23), non-hospital settings (n = 8), both (n = 4) or none (n = 1). Reviewed studies implemented sustainability measures across the sustainability pillars: environmental (n = 30), economic (n = 12), and social (n = 9) pillars.
Conclusion : This scoping review has highlighted the growing interest in sustainability, within the nuclear medicine field. Findings indicate that there is a strong emphasis on reducing environmental impact, with efforts such as waste minimisation, implementation of alternative discharge methods, and radionuclide extraction systems gaining popularity; however, further evidence is needed to understand the economic and social impact of nuclear medicine procedures.
Implications for practice : The scoping review identified a range of strategies focused on mitigating the adverse impact on the environment and working towards efficient economic and social resources, to foster sustainable practices in nuclear medicine
Peut-on mettre en évidence un effet des restitutions d'eau en aval du barrage de Mallemort (F) sur le peuplement piscicole de la basse Durance dans un contexte de forte dynamique hydro-sédimentaire ?
No full textSur la Durance, 8 barrages ont été construits entre Serre-Ponçon et la confluence avec le Rhône, pour l’alimentation en eau de 16 usines hydroélectriques (pour une puissance de 2000 MW) ainsi que des prises agricoles et d’eau potable via un canal latéral (canal EDF). Dans ce secteur, les peuplements piscicoles sont soumis à une importante variabilité naturelle des conditions hydroclimatiques du fait du climat méditerranéen, qui s’ajoute aux altérations des régimes hydrologique et sédimentaire liées à la présence et au fonctionnement des ouvrages. En particulier, dans le tronçon en débit réservé situé à l’aval du barrage de Mallemort en Basse Durance (tronçon d’environ 40 km) peuvent se produire des restitutions d’eau importantes en provenance du canal usinier d’EDF. Ces restitutions s’apparentent à des éclusées, entrainant des variations de débit non prévisibles pouvant être importantes, en lien notamment avec les demandes en électricité. Ici, nous analysons des données piscicoles collectées annuellement depuis 2003 sur deux stations en tronçon court-circuité à l’aval et à l’amont du barrage de Mallemort (une soumise aux restitutions et l’autre non) afin de déterminer les effets des principaux facteurs environnementaux (débit, température, matières en suspension). Nous cherchons notamment à appréhender le rôle respectif des crues naturelles par rapport à l’influence de l’exploitation des ouvrages sur les dynamiques interannuelles des peuplements. Un accent particulier est mis sur la caractérisation fine des restitutions et l’évaluation de leurs effets potentiels.On the Durance, 8 dams have been built between Serre-Ponçon and the confluence with the Rhône, to supply water to 16 hydroelectric plants (with a capacity of 2,000 MW) as well as agricultural and drinking water intakes via a lateral canal (EDF canal). In this sector, fish populations are subject to significant natural variability in hydroclimatic conditions due to the Mediterranean climate, in addition to changes in the hydrological and sedimentary regimes linked to the presence and operation of the dams. In particular, the minimum flow reach located downstream of the Mallemort dam in the Lower Durance (a section of ca. 40 km long), can receive significant flow releases from the EDF canal. Releases are similar to hydropeaking, resulting in large and unpredictable flow variations, mainly depending on electricity demand. Here, we analyse fish data collected annually since 2003 at two stations in minimum flow sections downstream and upstream of the Mallemort dam (one subject to releases and the other not) to determine the effects of the main environmental factors (flow, temperature, suspended matter). We are especially seeking to disentangle the respective roles of natural flooding vs the influence of dam operations on the interannual dynamics of fish populations. Emphasis is placed on the detailed characterisation of hydropeaking and on the assessment of their potential effects
Les formes de placement sur le marché du travail ordinaire par les entreprises sociales d’insertion en Suisse pour leurs bénéficiaires
No full textFast sorting method for balancing capacitor voltages in modular multilevel converters
No full textThe modular multilevel converter (MMC) is attracting more and more interest in high-power and high-voltage applications. Highly redundant, each arm of the converter is made of a large number of identical submodules with inner storage capability allowing to reach very high voltage without dc-link capacitor. The control of such a converter represents a challenge when it comes to the implementation of an MMC with a large number of submodules, namely in distributing the control tasks and handling the communicated values in-between controllers and submodules. This paper presents the details of an innovative submodule selection method for the submodule capacitor's voltage balancing within one arm of an MMC. “The Tortoise and the Hare” sorting method shows very fast response, high reliability, and its implementation suits a large number of implemented submodules as for high-voltage dc applications. The proposed submodule capacitor's balancing method is validated on a three-phase 10-kVA prototype with five submodules per arm
Optimizing the training schedule of multilingual NMT using reinforcement learning
No full textMultilingual NMT is a viable solution for translating low-resource languages (LRLs) when data from high-resource languages (HRLs) from the same language family is available. However, the training schedule, i.e. the order of presentation of languages, has an impact on the quality of such systems. Here, in a many-to-one translation setting, we propose to apply two algorithms that use reinforcement learning to optimize the training schedule of NMT: (1) Teacher-Student Curriculum Learning and (2) Deep Q Network. The former uses an exponentially smoothed estimate of the returns of each action based on the loss on monolingual or multilingual development subsets, while the latter estimates rewards using an additional neural network trained from the history of actions selected in different states of the system, together with the rewards received. On a 8-to-1 translation dataset with LRLs and HRLs, our second method improves BLEU and COMET scores with respect to both random selection of monolingual batches and shuffled multilingual batches, by adjusting the number of presentations of LRL vs. HRL batches
Enabling MVDC PV collection grids with modular solid state transformers
No full textSolar energy is typically collected through AC grids because of strong reliability and availability of standard solutions. The introduction of Solid State Transformers may not only allow reducing footprint and losses, but also implement peak shaving capabilities and the injection to MVDC grids directly. This work proposes an innovative PV energy collecting strategy with modular isolated DC/DC converters
Night lights from space::potential of SDGSAT-1 for ecological applications
No full textLight pollution affects biodiversity at all levels, from genes to ecosystems, and improved monitoring and research is needed to better assess its various ecological impacts. Here, we review the current contribution of night-time satellites to ecological applications and elaborate on the potential value of the Glimmer sensor onboard the Chinese Sustainable Development Goals Science Satellite 1 (SDGSAT-1), a novel medium-resolution and multispectral sensor, for quantifying artificial light at night (ALAN). Due to their coarse spatial, spectral or temporal resolution, most of the currently used space-borne sensors are limited in their contribution to assessments of light pollution at multiple scales and of the ecological and conservation-relevant effects of ALAN. SDGSAT-1 now offers new opportunities to map the variability in light intensity and spectra at finer spatial resolution, providing the means to disentangle and characterize different sources of ALAN, and to relate ALAN to local environmental parameters, in situ measurements and surveys. Monitoring direct light emissions at 10–40 m spatial resolution enables scientists to better understand the origins and impacts of light pollution on sensitive species and ecosystems, and assists practitioners in implementing local conservation measures. We demonstrate some key ecological applications of SDGSAT-1, such as quantifying the exposure of protected areas to light pollution, assessing wildlife corridors and dark refuges in urban areas, and modelling the visibility of light sources to animals. We conclude that SDGSAT-1, and possibly similar future satellite missions, will significantly advance ecological light pollution research to better understand the environmental impacts of light pollution and to devise strategies to mitigate them
