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At least 1,279 records · Page 71

An empirical analysis of supply offers in the ERCOT operating reserves markets

Here, this paper seeks to improve theoretical and empirical understanding of supplier dynamics in wholesale markets for operating reserves, which have been understudied compared to energy markets. We begin by identifying several economic factors that unit owners may consider when submitting offers into operating reserves auctions in two-stage, co-optimized markets common across much of North America. Next, we analyze historical offer data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market to assess whether actual reserve market behavior aligns with expectations based on economic theory, as well as with commonly used assumptions in electricity market modeling efforts. We find that the aggregate supply of operating reserves in ERCOT varies meaningfully over time, becoming more expensive during summer afternoons, which is consistent with theoretical expectations but contradicts the typical modeling assumption of temporally invariant reserve offers. Analysis of offers made by individual units uncovers additional insights, such as the existence of large offer pattern differences by unit owner and the tendency of battery storage units to submit very low offer prices. We conclude by discussing how our findings can be integrated into electricity market modeling assumptions to improve alignment with observed operating reserve offer inputs and pricing outcomes.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Home energy management (HEM) database: A list with coded attributes of 308 devices commercially available in the US

Policymakers worldwide are currently discussing whether to include home energy management (HEM) products in their portfolio of technologies to reduce carbon emissions and improve grid reliability. However, very little data is available about these products. Here we present the results of an extensive review including 308 HEM products available on the US market in 2015–2016. We gathered these data from publicly available sources such as vendor websites, online marketplaces and other vendor documents. A coding guide was developed iteratively during the data collection and utilized to classify the devices. Each product was coded based on 96 distinct attributes, grouped into 11 categories: Identifying information, Product components, Hardware, Communication, Software, Information - feedback, Information - feedforward, Control, Utility interaction, Additional benefits and Usability. The codes describe product features and functionalities, user interaction and interoperability with other devices. A mix of binary attributes and more descriptive codes allow to sort and group data without losing important qualitative information. The information is stored in a large spreadsheet included with this article, along with an explanatory coding guide. This dataset is analyzed and described in a research article entitled “Categories and functionality of smart home technology for energy management” (Ford et al., 2017) [1].

Home automation↗

Scattering insights into shear-induced scission of rod-like micelles

Understanding the scission of rod-like micelles under mechanical forces is crucial for optimizing their stability and behavior in industrial applications. This study investigates how micelle length, flexibility, and external forces interact, offering insights into the design of micellar systems in processes influenced by mechanical stress. Although significant, direct experimental observations of flow-induced micellar scission using scattering techniques remain scarce. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) is used to explore the shear response of aqueous cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) solutions with sodium nitrate. Rheological tests show shear thinning with no shear banding, ensuring a uniform flow field for reliable interpretation of scattering data. As shear rate increases, the scattering spectra show angular distortion, which is analyzed using spherical harmonic decomposition to characterize flow-induced scission and micelle orientation under shear. Two analysis steps are used: a model-independent spectral eigendecomposition reveals a decrease in micellar length, while regression analysis quantifies the evolution of the length distribution and mean length with shear rate. Additionally, micelle alignment increases with shear, quantified by the orientational distribution function. In conclusion, these findings provide experimental evidence for flow-induced alignment and scission, offering a new framework for understanding shear-induced phenomena in micellar systems.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Electrochemical behavior of SnCl 2 and influence of Cu and Ni ions in molten LiCl−KCl−CaCl 2 eutectic

Reliable transport and thermodynamic data for multivalent ions in complex molten salts are scarce, limiting model fidelity for electrorefining and impurity control. Here, we report a comprehensive electrochemical characterization of SnCl₂ in LiCl–KCl–CaCl₂ (50.5–44.2–5.3 mol%) at 685 K, including the effects of Ni 2+ and Cu + impurities. Using cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), and chronopotentiometry (CP), we quantified Sn 2+ and Ni 2+ diffusion with exceptional agreement across methods: Sn 2+ averaged (1.03 ± 0.10) × 10 −5 cm 2 s −1 , and Ni 2+ averaged (0.75 ± 0.19) × 10 −5 cm 2 s −1 . The tight confidence-interval overlap across CV, CA, and CP strengthens confidence in these values and is uncommon in molten chloride studies. Open-circuit-potential measurements provided standard apparent reduction potentials that closely match LiCl–KCl literature, indicating minimal shift with CaCl₂ present. The Sn 2+ /Sn couple behaves as a reversible two-electron soluble–insoluble process at 685 K; the Sn 4+ /Sn 2+ couple transitions to soluble–soluble behavior near 788 K, which may correlate with the decomposition of surface bound chlorostannates, though direct characterization remains to be established. In mixed systems, Cu+/Cu overlaps Sn 2+ /Sn, limiting Cusingle bondSn electroseparation, whereas the larger potential gap between Ni 2+ /Ni and Sn 2+ /Sn supports selective Ni removal. These internally consistent transport and thermodynamic data establish a validated basis for process modeling and optimization of Sn electrorefining and impurity management in LiCl–KCl–CaCl₂.

Berzins-Delahay↗

HIV drug resistance during antiretroviral therapy scale-up in Uganda, 2012–19: a population-based, longitudinal study

Background With scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa, increasing pretreatment HIV drug resistance has been reported; however, the broader effect of ART expansion on population-level resistance patterns remains insufficiently quantified. We aimed to estimate the longitudinal prevalence of drug resistance and resistance-conferring mutations. Methods This study used data collected as part of the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS), an open population-based census and cohort study conducted in southern Uganda. At each survey round, residents aged 15–49 years are invited to participate and receive a structured questionnaire that obtains sociodemographic, behavioural, and health information, including self-reported past and current ART use. Voluntary HIV testing is conducted using a rapid test algorithm and a venous blood sample. People with HIV provide samples for viral load quantification and deep sequencing. We analysed RCCS survey, HIV viral load, and deep sequencing (which was used to predict resistance) data from five survey rounds. The key outcomes were the population prevalence of viraemic people with HIV with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), protease inhibitor, or multiclass resistance among all participants (regardless of HIV serostatus) in the 2015 and 2017 surveys. Prevalence of class-specific resistance and resistance-conferring substitutions were estimated using robust log-Poisson regression. Findings Between Aug 10, 2011, and Nov 4, 2020, there were 43 361 participants in the RCCS and 7923 (18·27%) people with HIV. Over five survey rounds, 93 622 participant visits occurred, among which 17 460 (18·65%) were from people with HIV. Over the analysis period, the median age of study participants remained similar (28 years [22–35] in 2012 and 29 years [21–38] in 2019). Sufficient data were available to reliably genotype 4072 (90·03%) of 4523 participant visits from 3407 people with HIV for at least one drug. Overall population prevalence of resistance contributed by viraemic pretreatment people with HIV decreased between 2012 and 2017 from 0·56% (95% CI 0·42–0·75) to 0·25% (0·18–0·33) for NNRTI and from 0·24% (0·15–0·37) to 0·05% (0·02–0·10) for NRTI (prevalence ratio 0·44 [0·29–0·68] for NNRTI and 0·21 [0·09–0·47] for NRTI). Between 2012 and 2017, NNRTI resistance among viraemic pretreatment people with HIV increased from 4·86% (3·69–6·42) to 9·61% (7·27–12·7; prevalence ratio 1·98 [1·34–2·91]). The prevalence of NNRTI and NRTI resistance was substantially higher among viraemic treatment-experienced people with HIV (51·49% [46·24–57·34] for NNRTI and 36·46% [30·06–44·22] for NRTI in 2017) than among pretreatment people with HIV. NNRTI and NRTI resistance was predominantly attributable to rtK103N and rtM184V. inT97A was observed at a similar prevalence among viraemic treatment-experienced (9·96% [6·41–15·48]) and viraemic pretreatment (10·56% [8·01–13·93]) people with HIV; no major dolutegravir resistance mutations were observed. Interpretation Despite rising NNRTI resistance among pretreatment people with HIV, overall population prevalence of pretreatment HIV drug-resistant viraemia decreased due to increasing ART uptake and viral suppression. This finding underscores the crucial role of achieving and maintaining high ART coverage in reducing transmission of drug-resistant HIV. The high prevalence of mutations conferring resistance to components of first-line ART regimens among viraemic people with HIV is potentially concerning. Funding National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins University Center for AIDS Research, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

A critical review and meta-analysis of energy demand, carbon footprint, and other environmental impacts from carbon fiber manufacturing

The demand for carbon fibers and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) is rapidly growing due to their outstanding mechanical properties and potential to enhance sustainability, particularly for lightweighting applications. However, carbon fibers are typically produced from fossil-based feedstocks, involve energy-intensive processes, and have limited options for sustainable end-of-life management or circularity. Despite these challenges, the energy demand and lifecycle environmental implications of their production remain poorly understood. Here, we conduct a critical literature review and meta-analysis of carbon fiber manufacturing, revealing significant variations in reported energy demand, carbon footprint, and lifecycle inventory data. Our analysis makes two novel contributions. First, we identify key underlying factors driving these variations. Second, we highlight that carbon fiber, far from being a homogeneous product, has grades varying substantially in mechanical properties, end-use markets, energy intensity of manufacturing processes, and therefore environmental impacts—an aspect often underrepresented in life cycle assessments. We assert that current data are insufficient for reliably evaluating environmental impacts, posing a risk of misleading decision-making. Addressing this gap requires new lifecycle inventory datasets clearly incorporating carbon fiber heterogeneity and key influencing factors identified in this study. Additionally, we propose actionable recommendations, including a checklist, to advance sustainability in the carbon fiber sector.

CED↗

Net-zero energy building design and life-cycle cost analysis with air-source variable refrigerant flow and distributed photovoltaic systems

Net-zero energy building (NZEB) design has been gaining widespread acceptance as a major driver to reach feasible long-term goals of energy reductions in a building sector for the coming decades. Accordingly, net-zero energy targets for commercial buildings have been specified by federal and/or local government agencies in U.S. Although moving toward NZEB goals has technically feasible long-term advantages, economic issues are one of primarily concerns by building owners and designers for the application of advanced building technologies in NZEB design of their retrofit or new building construction. However, the lack of life cycle cost (LCC) data has still hindered reliable understanding of adopting NZEB design by building owners in a cost-effective manner. In response to this gap, this study conducts life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) of NZEB design with an energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and a solar power generation system. Here, to enable NZEB design, an air-source VRF heat pump (HP) type system is considered for energy-efficient HVAC equipment in an office building model with a grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) system. Results reveal that the LCC of NZEBs varies primarily due to a combined effect of annual site EUIs, on-site power generation, and cost-items of each location in U.S. climates. Some hot and mild climate zones in the U.S. represent that LCC values of NZEBs are considerably lower. In contrast, some other cold zones result in unattractive LCC values for NZEBs, caused by a combined effect of relatively lower potential of on-site PV electricity generation and city cost indices. Yet, with subsidized financing by the federal government for PV installation costs, LCC values of NZEBs become significantly attractive in most climate locations.

42 ENGINEERING↗

The influence of environmental microseismicity on detection and interpretation of small-magnitude events in a polar glacier setting

Glacial environments exhibit temporally variable microseismicity. To investigate how microseismicity influences event detection, we implement two noise-adaptive digital power detectors to process seismic data from Taylor Glacier, Antarctica. We add scaled icequake waveforms to the original data stream, run detectors on the hybrid data stream to estimate reliable detection magnitudes and compare analytical magnitudes predicted from an ice crack source model. We find that detection capability is influenced by environmental microseismicity for seismic events with source size comparable to thermal penetration depths. When event counts and minimum detectable event sizes change in the same direction (i.e. increase in event counts and minimum detectable event size), we interpret measured seismicity changes as ‘true’ seismicity changes rather than as changes in detection. Generally, one detector (two degree of freedom (2dof)) outperforms the other: it identifies more events, a more prominent summertime diurnal signal and maintains a higher detection capability. We conclude that real physical processes are responsible for the summertime diurnal inter-detector difference. One detector (3dof) identifies this process as environmental microseismicity; the other detector (2dof) identifies it as elevated waveform activity. Our analysis provides an example for minimizing detection biases and estimating source sizes when interpreting temporal seismicity patterns to better infer glacial seismogenic processes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Bulk Glassy GeTe 2 : A Missing Member of the Tetrahedral GeX 2 Family and a Precursor for the Next Generation of Phase-Change Materials

Vitreous germanium disulfide GeS 2 and diselenide GeSe 2 belong to canonical chalcogenide glasses extensively studied over the past half century. Their high-temperature orthorhombic polymorphs are congruently melting compounds, and the tetrahedral crystal and glass structure is largely preserved in the melt. In contrast, the ditelluride counterpart is absent in the Ge-Te phase diagram, which shows only a single compound, monotelluride GeTe. Phase-change materials based on GeTe have become a technologically important class of solids, and their structure and properties are also widely studied. Surprisingly, very scarce information is available for alloys having GeTe 2 stoichiometry. Using a fast quenching procedure in silica capillaries, high-energy X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy supported by first-principles simulations, we show that bulk glassy GeTe 2 differs substantially from the lighter GeX 2 members, revealing 46% of trigonal germanium, 31% of three-fold coordinated tellurium, and only 20% of edge-sharing tetrahedra or pyramids. The fraction of homopolar Ge-Ge bonds is low; however, the population of dominant Te-Te dimers and Te n oligomers, n <= 10, appears to be significant. The complex structural and chemical topology of g-GeTe 2 is directly related to the thermodynamic metastability of germanium ditelluride, schematically represented by the following reaction: GeTe 2 $\rightleftarrows$ GeTe + Te. Disproportionation is complete above liquidus in the temperature range of semiconductor-metal transition, and the dense metallic GeTe 2 liquid, mostly consisting of five-fold coordinated Ge species, exhibits high fluidity, strong fragility (m = 99 ± 5), and presumably a fast structural transformation rate combined with low atomic mobility in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature, favorable for reliable long-term data retention in nonvolatile memories. The observed and predicted characteristic features make GeTe 2 a promising precursor for the next generation of phase-change materials, especially coupled with additional metal doping, depolymerizing the tetrahedral interconnected glass network and accelerating (sub)nanosecond crystallization.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

CHUWD-H v1.0: a comprehensive historical hourly weather database for U.S. urban energy system modeling

Reliable and continuous meteorological data are crucial for modeling the responses of energy systems and their components to weather and climate conditions, particularly in densely populated urban areas. However, existing long-term datasets often suffer from spatial and temporal gaps and inconsistencies, posing great challenges for detailed urban energy system modeling and cross-city comparison under realistic weather conditions. Here we introduce the Historical Comprehensive Hourly Urban Weather Database (CHUWD-H) v1.0, a 23-year (1998-2020) gap-free and quality-controlled hourly weather dataset covering 550 weather station locations across all urban areas in the contiguous United States. CHUWD-H v1.0 synthesizes hourly weather observations from stations with outputs from a physics-based solar radiation model and a reanalysis dataset through a multi-step gap filling approach. A 10-fold Monte Carlo cross-validation suggests that the accuracy of this gap filling approach surpasses that of conventional gap filling methods. Designed primarily for urban energy system modeling, CHUWD-H v1.0 should also support historical urban meteorological and climate studies, including the validation and evaluation of urban climate modeling.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Spin wave theory for the triaxial magnetic anisotropy 2D van der Waals antiferromagnet CrSBr

The magnetic properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials have been attracting increasing attention in recent years due to their unique behavior and possible applications in new devices. One material of great interest is the 2D van der Waals (vdW) crystal CrSBr, which exhibits antiferromagnetic (AF) order at low temperatures due to an interlayer AF exchange interaction. Here, we present a full quantum spin-wave theory for vdW crystals considering one interlayer and three intralayer exchange interactions, and triaxial magnetic anisotropy. The fits of the theoretical results to antiferromagnetic resonance measurements and inelastic neutron scattering data in CrSBr yield reliable values for the seven interaction parameters that can be used to calculate other properties of this interesting material.

2D materials↗

Potential improvements in brain dose estimates for internal emitters

Background: Element-specific biokinetic models are used to reconstruct doses to systemic tissues from internal emitters. Typically, a systemic model for a radionuclide explicitly depicts only its dominant repositories. Remaining tissues and fluids are aggregated into a pool called Other tissue in which the radionuclide is assumed to be uniformly distributed. In the systemic biokinetic models used in radiation protection, the brain usually is addressed as an implicit mass fraction of Other tissue rather than an explicitly depicted repository. Additionally, due to increasing interest in radiation effects on the brain, efforts are underway to improve brain dosimetry for internal radiation sources. Methods: We assessed potential improvements in brain dosimetry for internal emitters by explicitly modelling brain kinetics rather than treating the brain as a mass fraction of Other tissue. We selected ten elements for which brain kinetics can be modeled using published biokinetic data. Injection dose coefficients were calculated for a relatively long-lived radioisotope of each element using each of two versions of the ICRP’s latest systemic biokinetic model for each element, the original version and a modified version differing only in the treatment of brain. If the ICRP model contained an explicit brain pool, the modified version depicted brain instead as a mass fraction of Other tissue. If the ICRP model included brain in Other tissue, the modified version included an explicit brain pool with kinetics based on best available brain-specific data.Results: The result for a given radionuclide is expressed as a ratio A:B, where A and B are the dose coefficients based on the versions of the model with and without an explicit brain pool, respectively. The following ratios A:B were obtained for the 10 radionuclides addressed here: 241 Am, 0.13; 207 Bi, 0.57; 234 U, 0.81; 239 Pu, 0.96; 203 Hg (vapor), 1.4; 134 Cs, 1.5; 54 Mn, 1.7; 210 Po, 1.7; 226 Ra, 1.9; 210 Pb, 3.3. These ratios indicate that a dose estimate for brain based on a biokinetic model with brain implicitly contained in Other tissue may substantially underestimate or substantially overestimate a dose estimate that reflects best available brain-specific biokinetic data. Of course, the reliability of the latter estimate depends on the quality of the underlying biokinetic data.Conclusions: Finally, where feasible, the brain should be depicted explicitly in biokinetic models used in epidemiological studies addressing adverse effects of ionizing radiation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Comprehensive Analysis of Streaming and Shutdown Dose Rate Experiments at JET with ORNL Fusion Neutronics Workflows

Current experimental fusion systems and conceptual designs of fusion pilot plants (FPPs) are growing in complexity and size. Several radiation metrics are crucial to the safe operation of fusion machines, including neutron flux streaming through openings and the shutdown dose rate (SDDR). Most current designs of advanced experimental fusion systems—and the most probable candidates for FPPs—are based on the tokamak concept, which is prone to neutron streaming through the myriad openings needed for diagnostic and support systems. SDDR is caused by decay gamma rays from radionuclides that become activated by neutrons during the operation of a fusion system that use deuterium-deuterium (DD), tritium-tritium, or deuterium-tritium plasma. Because computational tools have become essential for determining these radiation metrics, they must be validated against reliable and applicable experimental data. Experiments at the Joint European Torus (JET) provide a unique source of experimental data for validating computational tools and nuclear data used to determine SDDR and neutron fluxes in streaming-dominated geometries. Here, this paper presents the comprehensive analysis of the high-performance DD JET SDDR, and streaming experiments performed using Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) fusion workflows. The computational results were compared with experimental results that consist of online SDDR measurements with ionization chambers and neutron fluence streaming measurements using thermoluminescent detectors. The ratio of calculated-to-experimental SDDR values ranges from 0.6 to 2.5, and the streaming results range from 0.5 to 8.0. Future work will include analyzing the JET 2021 DTE2 campaign alongside the integration of the Shift Monte Carlo transport code into all ORNL fusion neutronics workflows.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

SDSS-IV MaNGA: calibration of astrophysical line-widths in the Hα region using HexPak observations

ABSTRACT We have re-observed $\rm \sim$40 low-inclination, star-forming galaxies from the MaNGA survey (σ ∼ 65 km s−1) at ∼6.5 times higher spectral resolution (σ ∼ 10 km s−1) using the HexPak integral field unit on the WIYN 3.5-m telescope. The aim of these observations is to calibrate MaNGA’s instrumental resolution and to characterize turbulence in the warm interstellar medium and ionized galactic outflows. Here we report the results for the Hα region observations as they pertain to the calibration of MaNGA’s spectral resolution. Remarkably, we find that the previously reported MaNGA line-spread-function (LSF) Gaussian width is systematically underestimated by only 1 per cent. The LSF increase modestly reduces the characteristic dispersion of H ii regions-dominated spectra sampled at 1–2 kpc spatial scales from 23 to 20 km s−1 in our sample, or a 25 per cent decrease in the random-motion kinetic energy. This commensurately lowers the dispersion zeropoint in the relation between line-width and star-formation rate surface-density in galaxies sampled on the same spatial scale. This modest zero-point shift does not appear to alter the power-law slope in the relation between line-width and star-formation rate surface-density. We also show that adopting a scheme whereby corrected line-widths are computed as the square root of the median of the difference in the squared measured line width and the squared LSF Gaussian avoids biases and allows for lower signal-to-noise data to be used reliably.

Chattopadhyay, Sabyasachi↗

Photonuclear cross sections for the 197 Au ⁢(𝛾, 𝑝⁢𝑛)⁢ 195⁢𝑚 Pt reaction near threshold

Platinum radioisotopes are of growing interest for targeted cancer therapy and diagnostic imaging because their decay delivers highly localized radiation doses in tissue, herewith enabling precise DNA damage through Auger-electron emission. Developing production technologies that provide platinum isotopes with high specific activity is essential in radioisotope therapy. Photonuclear reactions on stable nuclei offer a viable accelerator-based route for isotope production when supported by reliable cross-section data. We report photonuclear cross-section measurements for the 197 Au(γ, pn) 195m Pt reaction at incident γ-ray energies of 27, 29, and 31 MeV using the activation method. The measurements were performed by irradiating a stack of concentric-ring gold targets with a quasi-monoenergetic γ-ray beam provided by the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HI γS). The induced 195m Pt activity was quantified using off-line γ-ray spectroscopy. These data provide the first experimental constraints on the 197 Au(γ, pn) 195m Pt cross section in the near-threshold region. Furthermore, the comparison of the measured excitation function to PHITS and TALYS calculations indicates that the reaction becomes measurable only near 30 MeV and that substantially higher bremsstrahlung end-point energies are required for practically meaningful production.

190 ≤ A ≤ 219↗

Deep Learning on Operational Facility Data Related to Large-Scale Distributed Area Scientific Workflows

Abstract—Distributed computing platforms provide a robust mechanism to perform large-scale computations by splitting the task and data among multiple locations, possibly located thousands of miles apart geographically. This distribution of resources can lead to benefits such as redundancy of data, engagement with scientific teams that involve a diverse group of domain experts distributed spatially around the globe. It allows scientists to share their expertise and data with everyone and achieve insights by deploying collective intelligence of entire team. However, this distributed computing comes with its associated problems such as rampant duplication of file transfers increasing congestion, long job completion times, unexpected site crashing, suboptimal data transfer rates, unpredictable reliability in a time range, overshooting congestion, suboptimal usage of storage elements. In addition, each sub-system becomes a potential failure node that can trigger system wide disruptions.

Machine Learning, Provenance, Time Series, Semanti↗

Algorithm-Based Fault Tolerance for Convolutional Neural Networks

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are becoming more and more important for solving challenging and critical problems in many fields. CNN inference applications have been deployed in safety-critical systems, which may suffer from soft errors caused by high-energy particles, high temperature, or abnormal voltage. Of critical importance is ensuring the stability of the CNN inference process against soft errors. Traditional fault tolerance methods are not suitable for CNN inference because error-correcting code is unable to protect computational components, instruction duplication techniques incur high overhead, and existing algorithm-based fault tolerance (ABFT) techniques cannot protect all convolution implementations. In this paper, we focus on how to protect the CNN inference process against soft errors as efficiently as possible, with the following three contributions. (1) We propose several systematic ABFT schemes based on checksum techniques and analyze their fault protection ability and runtime thoroughly. Unlike traditional ABFT based on matrix-matrix multiplication, our schemes support any convolution implementations. (2) We design a novel workflow integrating all the proposed schemes to obtain a high detection/correction ability with limited total runtime overhead. (3) We perform our evaluation using ImageNet with well-known CNN models including AlexNet, VGG-19, ResNet-18, and YOLOv2. Here, experimental results demonstrate that our implementation can handle soft errors with very limited runtime overhead (4%~8% in both error-free and error-injected situations).

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Special Section on InterPACK 2017—Part 1

InterPACK is a premier international forum for exchange of state-of-the-art knowledge in research, development, manufacturing, and applications of micro-electronics packaging. It is the flagship conference of the ASME Electronic and Photonic Packaging Division (EPPD) founded in 1992 as an ASME-JSME joint biannual conference. Rapid changes in the semiconductor landscape together with findings from InterPACK Pathfinding workshop (IPW) in 2016 led to a significant reset of InterPACK conference priorities and focus to comprehensively address needs of the InterPACK community. As a result, starting in 2017, InterPACK has become an annual conference and the scope of the conference has increased significantly together with a systems-focus to include some of the most cutting-edge topics in electronics packaging, device integration, and reliability. These topics are organized across five different tracks: (1) heterogeneous integration: microsystems with diverse functionality, (2) servers of the future, (3) structural and physical health monitoring, (4) energy conversion and storage, and (5) transportation: autonomous and electric vehicles.

3D-printing↗