475 research outputs found
Time-modulated multibeam phased arrays with periodic Nyquist pulses
We present a single sideband time-modulated multibeam phased array governed
by periodic Nyquist pulsed signals. A Nyquist pulse is a physically realizable
approach to the ideal sinc function. Hence, its low-pass spectrum suits
particularly well for time-modulated arrays (TMAs) to perform harmonic beam
steering. Contrarily to switched TMAs and standard solutions based on variable
phase shifters, the performance and complexity of the proposed time modulation
scheme is rather robust when increasing the number of multibeams.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Published in IEEE Antennas and Wireless
Propagation Letter
Time-modulated arrays with Haar wavelets
Time-modulated arrays (TMAs) can effectively perform beamsteering over the
first positive harmonic pattern by applying progressively delayed versions of
stair-step approximations of a sine waveform to the antenna excitations. In
this letter, we consider synthesizing such stair-step sine approximations by
means of Haar wavelets. Haar functions constitute a complete orthonormal set of
rectangular waveforms, which have the ability to represent a given function
with a high degree of accuracy using few constituent terms. Hence, when they
are applied to the TMA synthesis, employing single-pole double-throw switches,
such a feature leads to an excellent rejection level of the undesired harmonics
as well as a bandwidth greater than that supported by conventional TMAs with
on-off switches.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Published in IEEE Antennas and Wireless
Propagation Letter
Unleashing the Potential of LTE for Next Generation Railway Communications
In an increasingly demanding marketplace that will put great strain on
railway services, research on broadband wireless communication must continue to
strive for improvement. Based on the mature narrowband GSM technology, Global
System for Mobile Communications-Railways (GSM-R) has been deployed both for
operational and voice communications. Although GSM-R fulfills the requirements
of current railway services, it imposes limited capacity and high costs that
restrict enhancements of operational efficiency, passenger security and
transport quality. 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) is expected to be the natural
successor of GSM-R not only for its technical advantages and increasing
performance, but also due to the current evolution of general-purpose
communication systems. This paper examines the key features of LTE as well as
its technical ability to support both the migration of current railway services
and the provisioning of future ones.Comment: This is a portion of the ACCEPTED VERSION of the published document
in: Kassab, M., Berbineau,M., Vinel, A., Jonsson, M., Garcia, F., Soler, J.
(eds) Communication Technologies for Vehicles.
Nets4Cars/Nets4Trains/Nets4Aircraft 2015. Lecture Notes in Computer Science,
vol 9066. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17765-6_1
A feasibility analysis towards the simulation of hysteresis with spin-lattice dynamics
We use spin-lattice dynamics simulations to study the possibility of modeling
the magnetic hysteresis behavior of a ferromagnetic material. The temporal
evolution of the magnetic and mechanical degrees of freedom is obtained through
a set of two coupled Langevin equations. Hysteresis loops are calculated for
different angles between the external field and the magnetocrystalline
anisotropy axes. The influence of several relevant parameters is studied,
including the field frequency, magnetic damping, magnetic anisotropy (magnitude
and type), magnetic exchange, and system size. The role played by a moving
lattice is also discussed. For a perfect bulk ferromagnetic system we find
that, at low temperatures, the exchange and lattice dynamics barely affect the
loops, while the field frequency and magnetic damping have a large effect on
it. The influence of the anisotropy magnitude and symmetry are found to follow
the expected behavior. We show that a careful choice of simulation parameters
allows for an excellent agreement between the spin-lattice dynamics
measurements and the paradigmatic Stoner-Wohlfarth model. Furthermore, we
extend this analysis to intermediate and high temperatures for the perfect bulk
system and for spherical nanoparticles, with and without defects, reaching
values close to the Curie temperature. In this temperature range, we find that
lattice dynamics has a greater role on the magnetic behavior, especially in the
evolution of the defective samples. The present study opens the possibility for
more accurate inclusion of lattice defects and thermal effects in hysteresis
simulation
An automated fluorescence videomicroscopy assay for the detection of mitotic catastrophe
Mitotic catastrophe can be defined as a cell death mode that occurs during or shortly after a prolonged/aberrant mitosis, and can show apoptotic or necrotic features. However, conventional procedures for the detection of apoptosis or necrosis, including biochemical bulk assays and cytofluorometric techniques, cannot discriminate among pre-mitotic, mitotic and post-mitotic death, and hence are inappropriate to monitor mitotic catastrophe. To address this issue, we generated isogenic human colon carcinoma cell lines that differ in ploidy and p53 status, yet express similar amounts of fluorescent biosensors that allow for the visualization of chromatin (histone H2B coupled to green fluorescent protein (GFP)) and centrosomes (centrin coupled to the Discosoma striata red fluorescent protein (DsRed)). By combining high-resolution fluorescence videomicroscopy and automated image analysis, we established protocols and settings for the simultaneous assessment of ploidy, mitosis, centrosome number and cell death (which in our model system occurs mainly by apoptosis). Time-lapse videomicroscopy showed that this approach can be used for the high-throughput detection of mitotic catastrophe induced by three mechanistically distinct anti-mitotic agents (dimethylenastron (DIMEN), nocodazole (NDZ) and paclitaxel (PTX)), and – in this context – revealed an important role of p53 in the control of centrosome number
Microarray in clinical practice – utility vs complexity. Mixed phenotype of duplication 15q11.2q13.1 and deletion 16p11.2
Introduction: There’s a consensus to perform chromosomal microarray
technique as first-tier clinical diagnostic test for individuals with developmental
disabilities. However, given the complexity of clinical presentations, often several
diagnostic methods are held before conducting microarray.
Method: We report the case of a 5 year-old boy referred to Medical Genetics due
to short stature, developmental disabilities and facial dysmorphic features.
He was born from eutocic delivery after an uneventful pregnancy. He had
psychomotor milestones delayed like sitting at 9 months and walking at 24
months, holding an immature broad-based gait. There was history of learning
difficulties from both parents, and the mother has also short stature.
On examination it was noted some facial dysmorphic features like high forehead,
conical canines and rarefaction of the distal portion of the eyebrows.
Due to the history of an episode of transient ataxia, and suspicion of an inherited
metabolic disorder, he had already performed various analytical and imaging
screenings, all normal.
Results: Chromosomal microarray analysis revealed two pathogenic Copy
Number Variants (CNV’s): 16p11.2 deletion and 15q11.2q13.1 duplication.
The 15q11q13 microduplication syndrome (OMIM # 608636) is a very rare clinical
entity with about 30 reported cases with maternal origin, and it is characterized by
neurobehavioral disorder, hypotonia, cognitive impairment, epilepsy and short
stature.
The 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome (OMIM # 613444) is also a rare clinical
entity, with high penetrance, associated with obesity and developmental
disabilities.
Discussion: Despite the unquestionable utility of microarray, the correlation of
the CNV's with the phenotype is often difficult by the rarity of these new
microdeletion/duplication clinical entities. In this case the interpretation has
increased difficulty because of the simultaneous existence of two distinct clinical
entities. Segregation studies, which in the first step include parental analysis, are
essential for genetic counseling and determining the risk of recurrence but also
for a more accurate correlation genotype-phenotype
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