A Parameterized CMOS standard cell library and a full 8-bit grey scale morphological array processor

The creation of a parameterized, full custom CMOS VLSI design library is discussed. This library consists of a schematic component library that is integrated with both logic and circuit level simulators, as well as a corresponding layout cell library that is integrated with automatic place-and-route tools as well as several layout verification tools. The library enabled the design and implementation of a Morphological Array Processor (MAP). This VLSI chip fully implements the morphological operations of erosion and dilation using a 7x7 matrix. It will operate on a 512x512 image in real time (60 images per second). The chip is designed to be pipelined for multiple successive morphologic operations on a series of images. The MAP is implemented using an 2.0 micrometers N-well CMOS process which can be fabricated through the MOSIS program

Conditional moments of the breakthrough curves of kinetically sorbing solute in heterogeneous porous media using multirate mass transfer models for sorption and desorption

A methodology is presented for evaluating the temporal moments of solutes undergoing linear rate‐limited mass transfer processes based on a Lagrangian approach to solute transport in heterogeneous media. The temporal moments of sorbing solutes are written as a function of those of conservative tracers. The general continuous diffusion rate model that has recently appeared in the hydrologic literature is used to model the rate‐limited mass transfer processes. The methodology is also applied to desorption from an initially uniformly contaminated aquifer, and the concentration expected value and variance are found quasi‐analytically. The conditional temporal moments of sorbing solutes can be written as a function of the conditional moments of conservative tracers. Conditioning results in a reduction of the variance of travel time. The amount of reduction depends on the chemical model selecte

The Use of Chemical Weapons in Warfare: Insights from Archives and Battlefields

Performer: Georgia Tech Research Corporation Project Lead: Lawrence Rubin Project Cost: $72,002 FY16–17There are no unclassified analyses of Iraqi decision making about chemical weapon use in the 1980s. Based on newly available documentation from Ba’athist Iraq, this project will produce the first publicly available study. The project will investigate Iraq’s chemical weapons decision making in 1988 in order to produce a monograph that draws insights from the Iraq case study that are applicable to understanding Syria’s recent chemical atrocities. The use of unparalleled documentation on Iraq’s chemical weapon decision-making in 1988 makes this a uniquely rich case study. The project will seek to answer three research questions: First, under what conditions do leaders decide to gas domestic groups? Second, how much leverage does the United States have to deter a country from employing chemical weapons? Third, if the United States chooses not to take strong action, will this embolden the aggressor state to engage in more undesirable behavior?PASC

Composition of Near-Earth Asteroid 2008 EV5: Potential target for Robotic and Human Exploration

We observed potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) 2008 EV5 in the visible (0.30-0.92 microns) and near-IR (0.75-2.5 microns) wavelengths to determine its surface composition. This asteroid is especially interesting because it is a potential target for two sample return mission proposals (Marco Polo-R and Hayabusa-2) and human exploration due to its low delta-v for rendezvous. The spectrum of 2008 EV5 is essentially featureless with exception of a weak 0.48-microns spin-forbidden Fe3+ absorption band. The spectrum also has an overall blue slope. The albedo of 2008 EV5 remains uncertain with a lower limit at 0.05 and a higher end at 0.20 based on thermal modeling. The Busch et al. (2011) albedo estimate of 0.12 is consistent with our thermal modeling results. The albedo and composition of 2008 EV5 are also consistent with a C-type taxonomic classification (Somers et al. 2008). The best spectral match is with CI carbonaceous chondrites similar to Orgueil, which also have a weak 0.48-microns feature and an overall blue slope. This 0.48-microns feature is also seen in the spectrum of magnetite. The albedo of CI chondrites is at the lower limit of our estimated range for the albedo of 2008 EV5.Comment: Pages: 19 Figures: 6 Tables:

Quantifying EMI Resulting from Finite-Impedance Reference Planes

Parasitic inductance in printed circuit board (PCB) geometries can detrimentally impact the electromagnetic interference(EMI) performance and signal integrity of high-speed digital designs. This paper identifies and quantifies the parameters that affect the inductance of some typical PCB geometries. Closed-form expressions are provided for estimating the inductances of simple trace and ground plane configurations

Increased social anhedonia and reduced helping behaviour in young people with high depressive symptomatology

Background: Social anhedonia, the decreased enjoyment of pleasant social experiences, is associated with depression. However, whether social anhedonia in depression affects prosocial behaviours is unclear. The current study aimed to examine how high levels of depressive symptomatology in young people affect responses to usually rewarding social situations including helping behaviour. Methods: We recruited 46 females, 16 scoring high on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI scores ≥ 20; Mage = 19; HD) and 30 scoring low (BDI ≤ 10, Mage = 20; LD). In a social emotion task (SET), participants were presented with social scenarios and asked to rate their expected emotional responses. Subsequently, participants’ helping behaviour was measured by dropping a pile of papers near them and recording their responses. Lastly, participants completed the SET again. Results: The SET at time 1 revealed that HD individuals reported significantly stronger negative (p <.001) and weaker positive (p <.05) emotional responses to social situations than LD subjects. Additionally, all participants showed a significant increase in positive responses (p <.05) on the SET between time 1 and time 2. Moreover, HD subjects were less likely to engage in actual helping behaviour than LD participants. Limitations: Limitations of the study are that only females were tested and that no psychiatric screening interview was conducted. Conclusions: Our results indicate that young females with high levels of depression symptoms expect to respond less positively to social situations and engage less in helping behaviour compared to those with low depressive symptomatology. Social anhedonia in depression may thus contribute to decreased engagement in rewarding social situations. This, in turn, may lead to social withdrawal and might maintain depression symptoms though a lack of exposure to positive social feedback

Lunar meteorite regolith breccias: an in situ study of impact melt composition using LA-ICP-MS with implications for the composition of the lunar crust

Dar al Gani (DaG) 400, Meteorite Hills (MET) 01210, Pecora Escarpment (PCA) 02007, and MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88104/88105 are lunar regolith breccia meteorites that provide sampling of the lunar surface from regions of the Moon that were not visited by the US Apollo or Soviet Luna sample return missions. They contain a heterogeneous clast population from a range of typical lunar lithologies. DaG 400, PCA 02007, and MAC 88104/88105 are primarily feldspathic in nature, and MET 01210 is composed of mare basalt material mixed with a lesser amount of feldspathic material. Here we present a compositional study of the impact melt and impact melt breccia clast population (i.e., clasts that were generated in impact cratering melting processes) within these meteorites using in situ electron microprobe and LA-ICP-MS techniques. Results show that all of the meteorites are dominated by impact lithologies that are relatively ferroan (Mg#10), and have low incompatible trace element (ITE) concentrations (i.e., typically 10 ppm Sm), High Magnesium Suite (typically >70 Mg#) or High Alkali Suite (high ITEs, Sc/Sm ratios <2) target rocks. Instead the meteorite mafic melts are more ferroan, KREEP-poor and Sc-rich, and represent mixing between feldspathic lithologies and low-Ti or very low-Ti (VLT) basalts. As PCA 02007 and MAC 88104/05 were likely sourced from the Outer-Feldspathic Highlands Terrane our findings suggest that these predominantly feldspathic regions commonly contain a VLT to low-Ti basalt contribution