Abstract-In this paper, we examine the impact of application task mapping on the reliability of MPSoC in the presence of single-event upsets (SEUs). We propose a novel soft erroraware design optimization using joint power minimization with voltage scaling and reliability improvement through application task mapping. The aim is to minimize the number of SEUs experienced by the MPSoC for a suitably identified voltage scaling of the system processing cores such that the power is reduced and the specified real-time constraint is met. We evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed optimization technique using an MPEG-2 decoder and random task graphs. We show that for an MPEG-2 decoder with four processing cores, our optimization technique produces a design that experiences 38% less SEUs than soft error-unaware design optimization for a soft error rate of 10 −9 , while consuming 9% less power and meeting a given real-time constraint. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of architecture allocation (varying the number of MPSoC cores) on the power consumption and SEUs experienced. We show that for an MPSoC with six processing cores and a given realtime constraint, the proposed technique experiences upto 7% less SEUs compared to soft error-unaware optimization, while consuming only 3% more power.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of vesical filling and voiding on anal continence and rectal pressure. Fourteen healthy volunteers (age 37.2 +/- 9.6 years; 10 men, four women) were studied. The response of the rectal pressure and EMG of the external (EAS) and internal (IAS) anal sphincters to slow vesical filling and voiding was recorded before and after individual anaesthetization by xylocaine of the EAS, rectum and urinary bladder. Saline instead of xylocaine was used as control testing. The rectal pressure and EAS EMG activity showed no response to vesical filling (P > 0.05, P > 0.05, respectively) while a momentary increase in both parameters occurred upon voiding (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively). The IAS EMG exhibited no response to either filling or voiding. Separate anaesthetization of either of the EAS, rectum or bladder produced no response of the rectal pressure or EAS EMG activity upon vesical voiding, whereas a response was registered after saline administration. The increase of the rectal pressure and EAS EMG activity upon voiding suggests the presence of a reflex relationship between the two actions. This relationship is evidenced by reproducibility and by abolition of the response on anaesthetizing either of the proposed two arms of the reflex: the anorectum and the bladder. We call this reflex 'vesico-anorectal reflex'. The clinical significance of this vesico-anorectal reflex remains to be established.