A PLL frequency synthesizer and Gilbert cell multiplier for a 916 MHz ISM band transmitter realized in 0.5 [mu]m [i.e. micrometer] CMOS technology

This thesis is a study of the design of a 3rd order phase lock loop (PLL) and Gilbert cell multiplier to implement a 916MHz ISM band transmitter in 0.5μm CMOS technology. The transmitter is designed for implementing distributed biosensor systems for environmental monitoring. The transmitter is described from a system level with the discussion of design issues concerning system topology and communication signal requirements as related to project requirements. The PLL system is described as a negative feedback system and important design considerations are discussed. Each PLL and transmitter system component is analyzed and discussed. A prototyped double balanced Gilbert cell multiplier with a power gain of 8dB, -10dBm compression point, and dissipates 7.2mW of power is analyzed and presentedThe analysis and design of a prototyped current mode logic frequency divider with a fixed division factor of 256 is presented. The frequency divider dissipated 15mW of power for a -20dBm 916 MHz input signal with a maximum operating frequency of 1.8 GHz. An off-chip LC tank voltage controlled oscillator was prototyped with a tuning range of 120 MHz, dissipated 3.3mW, -15dBm single-ended output signal, and had a phase noise performance of -60dBc at a 10 kHz offset and -80dBc at 100 kHz offset is analyzed and presentedThe design and simulation issues of a digital phase frequency detector (PFD), charge pump, and loop filter is presented. The charge pump was designed to source or sink a 10 μA current for an output voltage to within 0.1 V of the power supply voltages. Results show that the final transmitter can be successfully implemented with the prototyped and simulated transmitter components

Information and Economic Efficiency

Is an economy with adverse selection, moral hazard, or an incomplete set of risk markets "constrained" Pareto efficient? There are two sets of papers addressing this question, one asserting that, under seemingly quite general conditions, the economy is constrained Pareto efficient, the other (to which we have contributed), that it is not. In this paper, we delineate the differences in assumptions between the two sets of papers, and under our assumptions present an intuitive proof of the Pareto inefficiency of market equilibrium with moral hazard and identify what it is that the government can do that the market cannot

Bioclimatic and Soil Moisture Monitoring Across Elevation in a Mountain Watershed: Opportunities for Research and Resource Management

Soil moisture data are critical to understanding biophysical and societal impacts of climate change. However, soil moisture data availability is limited due to sparse in situ monitoring, particularly in mountain regions. Here we present methods, specifications, and initial results from the interactive Roaring Fork Observation Network (iRON), a soil, weather, and ecological monitoring system in the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Initiated in 2012, the network is currently composed of nine stations, distributed in elevation from 1,890 to 3,680 m, that continually collect and transmit measurements of soil moisture at three depths (5, 20, and 50 cm), soil temperature (20 cm), and meteorological conditions. Time‐lapse cameras for phenological observations, snow depth sensors, and periodic co‐located vegetation surveys complement selected stations. iRON was conceived and designed with the joint purpose of supporting bioclimatic research and resource management objectives in a snow‐dominated watershed. In the short term, iRON data can be applied to assessing the impact of temperature and precipitation on seasonal soil moisture conditions and trends. As more data are collected over time, iRON will help improve understanding of climate‐driven changes to soil, vegetation, and hydrologic conditions. In presenting this network and its initial data, we hope that the network’s elevational gradient will contribute to bioclimatic mountain research, while active collaboration with partners in resource management may provide a model for science‐practice interaction in support of long‐term monitoring.Plain Language SummaryAs climate change drives shifts in temperature and precipitation, researchers and resource managers can benefit from improved monitoring of soil moisture. Understanding the relationship between soil moisture and other system components is crucial to improving water availability projections and understanding ecosystem responses to climate change. Despite their significance, in‐ground soil‐moisture measurements are often not available across multiple elevations within a single watershed. This paper presents a network in the Southern Rocky Mountains intended to help address this data gap and compliment data from other networks. The interactive Roaring Fork Observation Network consists of nine locations across an 1,800‐m change in elevation. Each station measures soil moisture at three depths, soil temperature, air temperature, humidity, and precipitation. Some stations are equipped with cameras or snow depth gauges, and for eight sites vegetation surveys are conducted. The data are available through a simple data portal. The network was established with local resource manager support, and one of its guiding purposes is to support management and restoration planning efforts. Because of the network’s ongoing monitoring across multiple elevations and habitats, interactive Roaring Fork Observation Network will provide researchers and resource managers with access to valuable information about changes in soil conditions in a changing climate.Key PointsSoil moisture is key to understanding and predicting change in hydrology and ecology amid climate variability and changeIn situ soil moisture and weather monitoring data are now available across an 1,800‐m elevation span in a mountain watershedThe network is supported and guided by resource managers and supports both research and resource management goalsPeer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149210/1/wrcr23834_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149210/2/wrcr23834.pd

The role of sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A narrative review of potential mechanisms

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a class of medication with broad cardiovascular benefits in those with type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure. These include reductions in major adverse cardiac events and cardiovascular death. The mechanisms that underlie their benefits in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) are not well understood, but they extend beyond glucose lowering. This narrative review summarises the ASCVD benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors seen in large human outcome trials, as well as the mechanisms of action explored in rodent and small human studies. Potential pathways include favourable alterations in lipid metabolism, inflammation, and endothelial function. These all require further investigation in large human clinical trials with mechanistic endpoints, to further elucidate the disease modifying benefits of this drug class and those who will benefit most from it

Valuable Behavioural Phenotypes in Australian Farm Dogs

This report presents findings regarding the ways to optimise the performance of livestock working dogs in Australia. The methods available to optimise dog performance include both environmental and genetic factors. The objectives of this study were to identify objective measures of desirable behavioural phenotypes in Australian livestock working dogs and explore genetic parameters of these \u27quality of working life\u27 traits within the Kelpie breed. The document reports on genotyping that reveals gene-behaviour associations and describes heritability estimates that underpin a database for potential estimated breeding value (EBV) calculations

Comparing Wireless Traffic Tracking with Regular Traffic Control Systems for the Detection of Congestions in Streets

Detecting congestions on streets is one of the main issues in the area of smart cities. Regular monitoring methods can supply information about the number of vehicles in transit and thus the saturation of the streets, but they are usually expensive and intrusive with respect to the road. In recent years a new trend in traffic detection has arisen, considering the Wireless signals emitted by ‘smart’ on-board devices for counting and tracking vehicles. In this paper, two traffic monitoring methods are compared: detections using a regular Inductive Loop Detector on the road and an own Wireless Tracking System based on Bluetooth detection called Mobywit. The correlation between the day of the week and the hour with the traffic flow in a metropolitan busy street has been analysed. Assuming that our system is not able to defect all the vehicles, but just only subset of them, it is expected a causality between the results obtained using the two methods. This means, that the Bluetooth-based system can detect the same variations in the traffic flow that the regular loop detector, but having two main advantages: the tracking possibilities and a much lower cost.This work has been supported in part by project MOSOS (reference PRY142/14), which has been granted by Fundación Pública Andaluza Centro de Estudios An- daluces in the call `IX Convocatoria de Proyectos de Investigación'. It also has been partially funded by national projects TIN2014-56494-C4-3-P and TEC2015- 68752 (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness), PROY-PP2015-06 (Plan Propio 2015 UGR), and project CEI2015-MP-V17 of the Microprojects program 2015 from CEI BioTIC Granada

Estimating the Economic Value of Australian Stock Herding Dogs

This study aimed to estimate the value of the typical Australian herding dog in terms of predicted return on investment. This required an assessment of the costs associated with owning herding dogs and estimation of the work they typically perform. Data on a total of 4,027 dogs were acquired through The Farm Dog Survey which gathered information from 812 herding dog owners around Australia. The median cost involved in owning a herding dog was estimated to be a total of AU$7,763 over the period of its working life. The work performed by the dog throughout this time was estimated to have a median value of AU$40,000. So, herding dogs typically provided their owners with a 5.2-fold return on investment. When respondents were asked to nominate the maximal, one-off, veterinary expenditure they would consider to remedy an illness or injury for an especially valued dog, the median response was AU$1,001–2,000 which is not concordant with the dogs’ calculated median lifetime value. The current findings equip working dog owners with useful information to make financially appropriate expenditure decisions related to their working dogs. This is expected to increase farm profitability and improve welfare for farm dogs