In this paper, we present techniques for partial synthesis through sampling mostly for combinational circuits.Here partial synthesis means that most parts of the target circuits are fixed whereas the missing portions must be logic synthesized from scratch. By modeling the missing portions with Look Up Table (LUT) or uninterpreted function (UF), their synthesis and verification problems can be formulated as Quantified Boolean Formulae (QBF). We solve these QBF by repeatedly applying a two step procedure i.e., synthesizing circuits from sample simulation results (necessary conditions) followed by formal verification on the synthesized ones with their specifications for the entire circuits (sufficient conditions). If a circuit is not correct, a counter example is automatically generated which is added to the sampling in the next iteration. With state-of-theart combinational formal equivalence checkers, our experiments show that large circuits having more than hundreds of thousands of gates can be successfully processed with small numbers of repetitions (in the order of hundreds). Next, we extend the techniques in such a way that no formal specifications nor formal verifiers are available, but only simulation models are used for "correct" partial synthesis. This is achieved by searching for multiple different solution circuits for missing portions which behave the same for the sampled inputs but differently with another input. By repeating this process, we can narrow down the search space, and the solution circuit may become only one which should be the "correct" partial synthesis. We show successfully experimental results with small numbers of repetitions for circuits where 32-inputs/32-outputs sub-circuits are missing.

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IntroductionCerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is one of the leading causes of stroke; each neuroimaging marker of SVD is correlated with vascular risk factors and associated with poor prognosis after stroke. However, longitudinal studies investigating the association between comprehensive SVD burden scoring system, “total SVD score” – which encompasses the established neuroimaging markers of lacunae, cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), white matter hyperintensities (WMH) including periventricular hyperintensities, and perivascular spaces in basal ganglia– and clinical outcomes are limited. The aim of this study is to determine the association between SVD burden and long-term prognosis in patients with ischemic stroke.Methods and designThis prospective, single-center, observational study enrolled patients with acute ischemic stroke, including cerebral infarction and transient ischemic attack. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed, and then total SVD score (range, 0–4) was calculated. We recorded baseline characteristics and evaluated the relationships of long-term outcomes to SVD neuroimaging markers and total SVD score. Stroke recurrence was thought as primary outcome. Hazard ratios (HRs) of events during follow-up were calculated using Cox proportional hazards modeling with adjustments for age, sex, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, and smoking. Cumulative event rates were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method.ResultsConsecutive 564 acute ischemic stroke patients were enrolled according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 467 participants with first-ever ischemic stroke were analyzed (median age 75.0 [interquartile range, 64.0–83.0] years, 59.3% male). Total SVD score was 0 point in 47 individuals (12.0%), 1 point in 83 (21.2%), 2 points in 103 (26.3%), 3 points in 85 (21.7%), and 4 points in 73 (18.7%). Twenty-eight recurrent stroke events were identified during follow-up. Total SVD score ≥ 2, presence of CMBs, and moderate-to-severe WMH were associated with increased risk of recurrent stroke events (HR 9.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.33–64.23; HR 2.81, 95% CI 1.08–7.30; HR 2.90, 95% CI 1.22–6.88, respectively).ConclusionThe accumulation of SVD biomarkers as determined by total SVD score offered a reliable predictor of stroke recurrence. This study established a firm understanding of SVD prognosis in clinical settings.

Hydrophilic copolymers containing N-isopropylacrylamide and acrylate with coumarin or 4-methylcoumarin moieties have been synthesized. We reveal that the copolymers with a very small content of coumarin and 4-methylcoumarin units exhibit macroscopic photoinduced and reversible sol-gel conversions. UV light (λ>310 nm) irradiation of aqueous solutions for the copolymers causes the increase in viscosity and the formation of hydrogels, based on photodimerization of coumarin moieties. Subsequent irradiation with UV light (λ=254 nm) of the hydrogels induces the return of fluidity and the change to sol state, due to the decomposition of coumarin dimers. The amount of crosslink structures in the copolymers can be regulated by the reversible photoreaction of coumarin moieties.

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