A novel Digital OTA topology with 66-dB DC Gain and 12.3-kHz Bandwidth

The paper introduces an enhanced digital OTA topology which allows increasing the DC gain thanks to the adoption of an inverter-based output stage. Moreover, a new equivalent small-signal model is proposed which allows to simplify the circuit analysis and paves the way to new frequency compensation strategies. Designed using a 28-nm standard CMOS technology and working at 0.3-V power supply, post-layout simulations show a 66-dB gain and a 12.3-kHz gain bandwidth product while driving a 250-pF capacitive load. As compared to other ultra-low-voltage OTAs in literature, an increase of small and large signal performance, respect to area occupation, equal to 4.6X and 1.5X, respectively, is obtained

Testing Photovoltaic Pavers for Roadway Applications

Concrete and asphalt are the primary materials used to construct roadways for motor vehicles, bike paths for pedestrians and bicyclists, and runways for aircraft. Solar Roadways®, Inc. (SR) in Sandpoint, ID, proposed using robust, Solar Road Panels (SRPs) as an alternative roadway material due to the potential for creating a modular, multi-functional infrastructure product with cost-savings, user-safety, power-generation, and a better alternative in terms of environmental sustainability when compared to contemporary pavement materials. Typical roadway construction materials, on average, need to be replaced every 10-15 years while also requiring regular annual maintenance to maintain proper safety standards. SR’s novel roadway material is intended to extend roadway replacement timelines, lower annual maintenance costs, and provide energy to the power grid. In this study, we tested the mechanical properties of the “SR3” model prototype SRP and evaluated its suitability as a replacement roadway material with the added benefit of generating electric power. Specifically, we tested this unique pavement material in submerged water environments, under extreme temperature conditions, and under dynamic loading conditions

use of the electronic nose on products of cinta senese pigs

The use of a quartz microbalance based (QMB) electronic nose for feed traceability of fresh and cured fat of Cinta Senese pigs has been evaluated. Thirty-three pigs were fed different feeding during fattening: "three months chestnut" (3-CH), "1 month chestnut" (1-CH) "fed commercial feedstuff" (0-CH). Fresh fat and cured lard of each animal were analysed. Overall data set was analysed by factorial analysis to test if the instruments allowed a satisfactory pattern separation among groups. Afterwards, on the three factors generated by factorial analysis, a GLM procedure was applied to estimate effects such as: feeding type, operative temperature, day of analysis, order within day, layer of the subcutaneous fat. The results showed a clear separation according to feeding regimen in fresh fat only, especially between 1-CH and 0-CH, but also a strong effect of the other sources of variability. Concerning this, the date of analysis had a significant effect on each factor generated by factorial analysis that invalidated the discrimination obtained

In vita performance and slaughter characteristics of Suffolk and Bergamasca lambs at 90 days of age

The objective of the present study was to compare in vita performance and carcass characteristics of Bergamasca and Suffolk lambs of 90 days of age. Bergamasca (15) and Suffolk (15) male lambs, originated from single and twin births equally represented, were weighed twice a month. Lambs were slaughtered to evaluate post-mortem characteristics and EUROP conformation score. Suffolk and Bergamasca lambs of 90 days of age produced carcasses with good quality; Suffolk had more compact carcasses than Bergamasca lambs whereas they showed higher percentage of intermuscular fat deposit. The results suggested that the two breeds raised with the forage-based feeding system could produce carcasses of good quality

Enabling fast power integrity transient analysis through parameterized small-signal macromodels

In this paper, we present an automated strategy for extracting behavioral small-signal macromodels of biased nonlinear circuit blocks. We discuss in detail the case study of a Low DropOut (LDO) voltage regulator, which is an essential part of the power distribution network in electronic systems. We derive a compact yet accurate surrogate model of the LDO, which enables fast transient power integrity simulations, including all parasitics due to the specific layout of the LDO realization. The model is parameterized through its DC input voltage and its output current and is thus available as a SPICE netlist. Numerical experiments show that a speedup up to 700X is achieved when replacing the extracted post-layout netlist with the surrogate model, with practically no loss in accuracy

Monitoring of fish species in the Lamone river: distribution and morphometric measures of the populations.

Fish samplings were carried out monthly from spring to autumn during 2008, on the Lamone river and the Campigno stream by an electrofishing, in order to verify the presence of fish populations and the most common species represented. Barb, Barbus plebejus, Blageon, Leuciscus muticellus, Chub, Leuciscus cephalus, South European Nase, Chondrostoma genei were identified. A small population of Brown trout, Salmo trutta fario was also recognized. Barb is the most represented species in all the sites. The samplings highlight that Lamone river presented conditions suitable to fully guarantee the life of the fish populations

Diversidad genética de las razas porcinas ibérica y alentejana mediante el genotipado de variantes genéticas en genes mayores y genes candidatos

Las razas porcinas ibérica y alentejana se encuentran biogeográficamente localizadas en el suroeste de la península Ibérica. Estas razas comparten un conjunto de características comunes. Ambas son fenotípicamente muy similares; muestran un bajo índice de crecimiento y una elevada deposición grasa y tienen un sistema común de producción al aire libre en el que se explotan los recursos de la Dehesa. El objetivo del presente trabajo, dentro del marco del proyecto TREASURE, consistió en caracterizar la diversidad genética de ambas razas usando los datos de genotipado de 39 polimorfismos localizados en 34 genes previamente asociados a distintos caracteres de interés económico. Estos polimorfismos fueron genotipados en 950 cerdos pertenecientes a las razas ibérica y alentejana y a 18 razas europeas autóctonas adicionales. Los bajos valores para heterozigosidad observada y esperada indican una baja diversidad genética en ibéricos y alentejanos. Las distancias genéticas estimadas usando DS y FST fueron cercanas a 0 (0.007 y 0.039, respectivamente), sugieren que estas razas son genéticamente muy similares. Asimismo, las técnicas de análisis multivariante utilizadas como análisis de componentes principales y asignación a grupos mostraron que los individuos de estas razas están muy próximos formando clusters diferenciados del resto de razas. Estos resultados concuerdan con los de otros autores que ya mostraron distancias genéticas cortas entre ambas razas usando secuencias de ADN mitocondrial