A 0.2-to-2.0GHz 65nm CMOS Receiver without LNA achieving >11dBm IIP3 and <6.5 dB NF

Spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) is a key specification of radio receivers and spectrum analyzers, characterizing the maximum distance between signal and noise+distortion. SFDR is limited by the linearity (intercept point IIP3 mostly, sometimes IIP2) and the noise floor. As receivers already have low noise figure (NF) there is more room for improving the SFDR by increasing the linearity. As there is a strong relation between distortion and voltage swing, it is challenging to maintain or even improve linearity intercept points in future CMOS processes with lower supply voltages. Circuits can be linearized with feedback but loop gain at RF is limited [1]. Moreover, after LNA gain, mixer linearity becomes even tougher. If the amplification is postponed to IF, much more loop gain is available to linearize the amplifier. This paper proposes such an LNA-less mixer-first receiver. By careful analysis and optimization of a passive mixer core [2,3] for low conversion loss and low noise folding it is shown that it is possible to realize IIP3≫11dBm and NF≪6.5dB, i.e. a remarkably high SFDR≫79dB in 1MHz bandwidth over a decade of RF frequencies

Landlord Liability to Tenants for Crimes of a Third Party: The Status in Florida

In recent decisions,\u27 Florida courts have allowed tenants to recover damages from landlords resulting from criminal acts of third parties which occurred on the landlord\u27s premises

Greening the grid : the ecological modernisation of network-bound systems

Environmental innovation in network-bound systems influences the traditional relations between providers of these services and consumers. By applying ecological modernisation theory to environmental innovation in Dutch water and electricity systems, it is argued that projects which aim at 'environmental monitoring' and 'environmental differentiation' are most relevant to study the changing relations between consumers and providers as well as opportunities for environmental reform.Consumer-oriented environmental monitoring offers transparency to both consumers and providers concerning environmental performance. Monitoring and metering projects in Dutch water and electricity systems do not yet meet the requirements of transparency in environmental performance at both sides of the meter.Environmental differentiation and market liberalisation of network-bound systems enable users to make a shift from the traditional role of 'captive consumer' to that of 'customer', 'co-provider' and 'citizen-consumer'. The study of environmental differentiation in Dutch water and electricity sectors illustrated that consumer involvement towards providers indeed diversifies along these lines.The insights in this study of consumer-provider relations in water and electricity systems are also valid for the ecological modernisation of other network-bound systems like transport and sanitation systems and other systems of provision such as the food sector

Observations of the J = 2→1 transitions of ¹²C¹⁶O and ¹²C¹⁸O towards galactic H II regions

Observations are reported of the J = 2→1 transitions of CO and 12C18O at 230 and 219 GHz respectively from a number of galactic sources. A map of the central 1/2° × 1/2° of the Orion A molecular cloud is presented. The spectra are interpreted to derive molecular densities and abundance ratios in the molecular clouds observed

Wild plant and animal genetic resources

Wild resources from ecosystems around the globe have been used for millennia to meet people’s basic needs for food, fuel, medicines, tools and materials, and for spiritual and cultural uses. Today, many species are still used for subsistence and as a basis for trade. This chapter provides an introduction to the range of species gathered from forests, shrub and grasslands, fresh water and oceans, and their uses. Two particularities distinguishing wild genetic resources from cultivated ones are discussed: Many wild species are governed as public goods or common property, raising questions about if and how they are managed, and by whom, and how access to, and benefits from, these resources is arranged. How these resources (and the ecosystems which provide them) are governed affects their sustainability. Sustainability also depends on factors such as (a) the abundance of the species from which a product originates; (b) direct anthropogenic factors such as forest degradation, as well as semi-natural ones such as climate change threats; (c) inherent species vulnerability which depends on the part(s) of the organism used; and (d) a species’ tolerance to harvesting. The chapter illustrates how knowledge of these aspects helps our understanding of why and when wild species have been domesticated and also, when resources are sourced only from the wild, the conservation issues which are likely to arise

Polyphony in Architecture

Based on interviews with a number of architects and managers from a wide range of organizations, we characterize how architecture is perceived in practice. We identify three groups of organizations that differ with respect to their level of architectural thinking and the alignment of business and IT on architectural issues. Analysis of the interviews further indicates that these three groups differ in the architecture aspects and critical success factors they emphasize. Our results provide a starting point for assessing architecture maturity and alignment within organizations, and can be used to help harmonize different architectural tunes played within organizations