Statistical Power Supply Dynamic Noise Prediction in Hierarchical Power Grid and Package Networks

One of the most crucial high performance systems-on-chip design challenge is to front their power supply noise sufferance due to high frequencies, huge number of functional blocks and technology scaling down. Marking a difference from traditional post physical-design static voltage drop analysis, /a priori dynamic voltage drop/evaluation is the focus of this work. It takes into account transient currents and on-chip and package /RLC/ parasitics while exploring the power grid design solution space: Design countermeasures can be thus early defined and long post physical-design verification cycles can be shortened. As shown by an extensive set of results, a carefully extracted and modular grid library assures realistic evaluation of parasitics impact on noise and facilitates the power network construction; furthermore statistical analysis guarantees a correct current envelope evaluation and Spice simulations endorse reliable result

Magnetic and axial vector form factors as probes of orbital angular momentum in the proton

We have recently examined the static properties of the baryon octet (magnetic moments and axial vector coupling constants) in a generalized quark model in which the angular momentum of a polarized nucleon is partly spin $\langle S_z \rangle$ and partly orbital $\langle L_z \rangle$. The orbital momentum was represented by the rotation of a flux-tube connecting the three constituent quarks. The best fit is obtained with $\langle S_z \rangle = 0.08\pm 0.15$, $\langle L_z \rangle = 0.42\pm 0.14$. We now consider the consequences of this idea for the $q^2$-dependence of the magnetic and axial vector form factors. It is found that the isovector magnetic form factor $G_M^{\mathrm{isovec}}(q^2)$ differs in shape from the axial form factor $F_A(q^2)$ by an amount that depends on the spatial distribution of orbital angular momentum. The model of a rigidly rotating flux-tube leads to a relation between the magnetic, axial vector and matter radii, $\langle r^2 \rangle_{\mathrm{mag}} = f_{\mathrm{spin}} \langle r^2 \rangle_{\mathrm{axial}} + \frac{5}{2} f_{\mathrm{orb}} \langle r^2 \rangle_{\mathrm{matt}}$, where $f_{\mathrm{orb}}/ f_{\mathrm{spin}} = \frac{1}{3}\langle L_z \rangle / G_A$, $f_{\mathrm{spin}} + f_{\mathrm{orb}} = 1$. The shape of $F_A(q^2)$ is found to be close to a dipole with $M_A = 0.92\pm 0.06$ GeV.Comment: 18 pages, 5 ps-figures, uses RevTe

Octet Magnetic Moments with Null Instantons and Semibosonized Nambu-Jona-Lasinio Model

It is shown that the difference between the magnetic moment results in the quark model with null instantons and semibosonized Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model lies in the description of the magnetic moment of the $\Lambda$-hyperon.Comment: RevTex, 6 pages, submitted to Progr.Theor.Phy

Semileptonic decays, magnetic moments and spin distributions of spin-1/2 baryons with sea contribution

Spin-1/2 baryons are considered as a composite system made out of a "core" of three quarks surrounded by a "sea" (of gluons and $q\bar{q}$-pairs) which is specified by its total quantum numbers. Specifically, we assume this sea to be a flavor octet with spin-0 or 1 but no color. We show our model can provide very goods fits to magnetic moments and semileptonic decay data using experimental errors. The predictions for spin distributions are in reasonable agreement with experiment.Comment: To be published in Int. J. of Mod. Phys.

Polimeri conduttori e metallopolimeri redox

Il nostro gruppo di ricerca è da anni attivo nella sintesi e caratterizzazione elettrochimica di polimeri conduttori a base tiofenica. In particolare la nostra attenzione è rivolta verso materiali costituiti da un backbone di tipo tertiofenico, che consente la polimerizzazione nelle posizioni 2 e 5, e da unità chelanti all’azoto, (terpiridine o fenantroline), che possono consentire la coordinazione con metalli di transizione all’interno del polimero ed incrementarne ulteriormente le proprietà conduttive

Measurement of the front-end dead-time of the LHCb muon detector and evaluation of its contribution to the muon detection inefficiency

A method is described which allows to deduce the dead-time of the front-end electronics of the LHCb muon detector from a series of measurements performed at different luminosities at a bunch-crossing rate of 20 MHz. The measured values of the dead-time range from 70 ns to 100 ns. These results allow to estimate the performance of the muon detector at the future bunch-crossing rate of 40 MHz and at higher luminosity

Cognitive Impairment and Age-Related Vision Disorders: Their Possible Relationship and the Evaluation of the Use of Aspirin and Statins in a 65 Years-and-Over Sardinian Population

Neurological disorders (Alzheimer’s disease, vascular and mixed dementia) and visual loss (cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy) are among the most common conditions that afflict people of at least 65 years of age. An increasing body of evidence is emerging, which demonstrates that memory and vision impairment are closely, significantly, and positively linked and that statins and aspirin may lessen the risk of developing age-related visual and neurological problems. However, clinical studies have produced contradictory results. Thus, the intent of the present study was to reliably establish whether a relationship exist between various types of dementia and age-related vision disorders, and to establish whether statins and aspirin may or may not have beneficial effects on these two types of disorders. We found that participants with dementia and/or vision problems were more likely to be depressed and displayed worse functional ability in basic and instrumental activities of daily living than controls. Mini mental state examination scores were significantly lower in patients with vision disorders compared to subjects without vision disorders. A closer association with macular degeneration was found in subjects with Alzheimer’s disease than in subjects without dementia or with vascular dementia, mixed dementia, or other types of age-related vision disorders. When we considered the associations between different types of dementia and vision disorders and the use of statins and aspirin, we found a significant positive association between Alzheimer’s disease and statins on their own or in combination with aspirin, indicating that these two drugs do not appear to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or improve its clinical evolution and may, on the contrary, favor its development. No significant association in statin use alone, aspirin use alone, or the combination of these was found in subjects without vision disorders but with dementia, and, similarly, none in subjects with vision disorders but without dementia. Overall, these results confirm the general impression so far; namely, that macular degeneration may contribute to cognitive disorders (Alzheimer’s disease in particular). In addition, they also suggest that, while statin and aspirin use may undoubtedly have some protective effects, they do not appear to be magic pills against the development of cognitive impairment or vision disorders in the elderly

Quark Orbital Angular Momentum in the Baryon

Analytical and numerical results, for the orbital and spin content carried by different quark flavors in the baryons, are given in the chiral quark model with symmetry breaking. The reduction of the quark spin, due to the spin dilution in the chiral splitting processes, is transferred into the orbital motion of quarks and antiquarks. The orbital angular momentum for each quark flavor in the proton as a function of the partition factor $\kappa$ and the chiral splitting probability $a$ is shown. The cancellation between the spin and orbital contributions in the spin sum rule and in the baryon magnetic moments is discussed.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figures, revised version with minor eq. no and ref. no. corrections. Discussion on the $\Lambda$ spin and a new ref. are adde