Yield improvement using configurable analogue transistors (CATs)

Continued process scaling has led to significant yield and reliability challenges for today’s designers. Analogue circuits are particularly susceptible to poor variation, driving the need for new yield resilient techniques in this area. This paper describes a new configurable analogue transistor structure and supporting methodology that facilitates variation compensation at the post-manufacture stage. The approach has demonstrated significant yield improvements and can be applied to any analogue circui

Behavioral simulation and synthesis of biological neuron systems using synthesizable VHDL

Neurons are complex biological entities which form the basis of nervous systems. Insight can be gained into neuron behavior through the use of computer models and as a result many such models have been developed. However, there exists a trade-off between biological accuracy and simulation time with the most realistic results requiring extensive computation. To address this issue, a novel approach is described in this paper that allows complex models of real biological systems to be simulated at a speed greater than real time and with excellent accuracy. The approach is based on a specially developed neuron model VHDL library which allows complex neuron systems to be implemented on field programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware. The locomotion system of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is used as a case study and the measured results show that the real time FPGA based implementation performs 288 times faster than traditional ModelSim simulations for the same accuracy

A Linear-Nonlinear Formulation of Einstein Equations for the Two-Body Problem in General Relativity

A formulation of Einstein equations is presented that could yield advantages in the study of collisions of binary compact objects during regimes between linear-nonlinear transitions. The key idea behind this formulation is a separation of the dynamical variables into i) a fixed conformal 3-geometry, ii) a conformal factor possessing nonlinear dynamics and iii) transverse-traceless perturbations of the conformal 3-geometry.Comment: 7 pages, no figure

Using a task-based approach in evaluating the usability of BoBIs in an e-book environment

This paper reports on a usability evaluation of BoBIs (Back-of-the-book Indexes) as searching and browsing tools in an e-book environment. This study employed a task-based approach and within-subject design. The retrieval performance of a BoBI was compared with a ToC and Full-Text Search tool in terms of their respective effectiveness and efficiency for finding information in e-books. The results demonstrated that a BoBI was significantly more efficient (faster) and useful compared to a ToC or Full-Text Search tool for finding information in an e-book environment

Coronal Fe XIV Emission During the Whole Heliosphere Interval Campaign

Solar Cycle 24 is having a historically long and weak start. Observations of the Fe XIV corona from the Sacramento Peak site of the National Solar Observatory show an abnormal pattern of emission compared to observations of Cycles 21, 22, and 23 from the same instrument. The previous three cycles have shown a strong, rapid "Rush to the Poles" (previously observed in polar crown prominences and earlier coronal observations) in the parameter N(t,l,dt) (average number of Fe XIV emission features per day over dt days at time t and latitude l). Cycle 24 displays a weak, intermittent, and slow "Rush" that is apparent only in the northern hemisphere. If the northern Rush persists at its current rate, evidence from the Rushes in previous cycles indicates that solar maximum will occur in early 2013 or late 2012, at least in the northern hemisphere. At lower latitudes, solar maximum previously occurred when the time maximum of N(t,l,365) reached approximately 20{\deg} latitude. Currently, this parameter is at or below 30{\deg}and decreasing in latitude. Unfortunately, it is difficult at this time to calculate the rate of decrease in N(t,l,365). However, the southern hemisphere could reach 20{\deg} in 2011. Nonetheless, considering the levels of activity so far, there is a possibility that the maximum could be indiscernibleComment: 8 pages, 4 figures; Solar Physics Online First, 2011 http://www.springerlink.com/content/b5kl4040k0626647

Geology of the Llanidloes district : British Geological Survey Sheet 164

This Sheet Explanation provides a summary of the geology of the district covered by Geological 1:50 000 Series Map Sheet 164 (Llanidloes), published in 2010 as a Bedrock and Superficial Deposits edition. The district mostly lies within the county of Powys, but includes small parts of Ceredigion in the extreme west and south-west. Much of the western part of the district is occupied by the deeply dissected uplands of the Cambrian Mountains, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In this area the land rises to 740 m on the flanks of Plynlimon (Pumlumon Fawr), the highest summit in the range. It falls away towards the eastern part of the district into rolling countryside that includes the important catchment of the River Severn (Afon Hafren) and its tributaries, the largest of which are the rivers Carno, Trannon, Cerist, Clywedog and Dulas. A major reservoir (Llyn Clywedog) occupies the upper reaches of the Clywedog valley, its purpose being to regulate river discharge and groundwater levels within the catchment. The south-western part of the district is drained by the River Wye (Afon Gwy) and its tributaries, that flow south-eastwards via Llangurig. The sources of both the Severn and Wye are situated on the eastern flanks of Plynlimon within the western part of the district. The town of Llanidloes is the main centre of population, with smaller settlements at Llangurig, Carno, Trefeglwys, Caersws and Staylittle; the Newtown conurbation impinges on the eastern part of the district. Much of the district is given over to beef and dairy farming, although sheep are reared in the remote upland areas in the west and extensive forestry plantations have been developed in places. The Ordovician and Silurian rocks of the district have been exploited locally, in the past, as a source of building material and, recently, commercial quantities of sandstone aggregate have been excavated at Penstrowed Quarry [SO 0680 9100]. The district includes part of the Central Wales Mining Field from which substantial volumes of lead and zinc ore were extracted during the 19th and early 20th centuries. A number of former mine sites are still visible, notably along the Van, Nant-y-ricket, Dylife, Dyfngwm and Llanerchyraur lodes (Jones, 1922[1]; IGS, 1974), and the historic Bryntail Mine, below the Clywedog Dam has been restored as a site of industrial archaeological interest. The district is underlain by a succession of Late Ordovician (Ashgill) to Silurian sedimentary rocks, over 5 km thick, deposited between 450 and 420 million years ago in the Early Palaeozoic Welsh Basin (Figure P930911). The basin developed on a fragment of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana, known as Eastern Avalonia (e.g. Pickering et al., 1988[2]), that drifted northwards to collide with the continents of Baltica and Laurentia during the Late Ordovician and Silurian (Soper and Hutton, 1984[3]; Soper and Woodcock, 1990[4]; Woodcock and Strachan, 2000[5]). To the east and the south of the basin lay the Midland Platform, a relatively stable shallow marine shelf that was subject to periodic emergence. The basinal sediments are predominantly deep marine turbiditic facies that were introduced into the district by density currents from southerly, south-easterly and north-westerly quadrants. Coeval shallower-water ‘shelfal’ sediments were deposited north and east of the district, and locally impinge on its northern margins. Thickness variations within the major sedimentary units suggest that, at times, syndepositional fault movements were an important control on their distribution. During late Silurian (Ludlow) times, shallowing of the basin occurred, and sandstones, variably interpreted as a turbiditic (Cave and Hains, 2001[6]) or storm-generated facies (Tyler and Woodcock, 1987[7]), were laid down over the eastern part of the district and adjacent areas. The shallowing was a result of tectonic reconfiguration of the basin, a precursor to the late Caledonian (Acadian) Orogeny that affected the region during the late Early Devonian, around 400 million years ag

PARTISIPASI MASYARAKAT DALAM MUSRENBANG DI DESA MALOLA KECAMATAN KUMELEMBUAI KABUPATEN MINAHASA SELATAN

ABSTRAKPartisipasi masyarakat desa dalam penyusunan rencana pembangunan desa seyogyanya dapat menjadi salah satu tolak ukur sejauh mana desa tersebut mengembangkan nilai-nilai tata kelola pemerintahan desa yang baik dalam roda pemerintahannya. Keterlibatan masyarakat desa dalam arti luas harus didorong baik melalui regulasi maupun penciptaan iklim demokratisasi yang ideal di desa. Partisipasi dalam konteks pelaksanaan Musyawarah Perencanaan Pembangunan (Musrembang) Desa, ternyata lebih dipahami sebagai kontribusi masyarakat desa untuk meningkatkan efektivitas dan efisiensi pembangunan. Bukan secara komprehensif untuk mempromosikan demokratisasi dan pemberdayaan masyarakat desa dalam pengambilan keputusan pembiayaan pembangunan, sehingga pemerintah desa dan BPD belum bisa menjamin bahwa seluruh usul masyarakat dalam Musrenbang akan direalisasikan dalam APBDes. Musrenbang merupakan amanat UU Nomor 25 Tahun 2004 tentang sistem perencanaan pembangunan nasional. Dengan Musrenbang ini, rakyat banyak diharapkan bisa berpartisipasi dalam proses pembangunan. Pemerintah menginginkan agar proses pembangunan digagas dari bawah. Ada beberapa persoalan yang menyebabkan Musrenbang tidak efektif. Pertama, prinsip partisipasi rakyat dalam proses Musrenbang sangat minim. Kedua, prinsip responsive, Musrenbang kurang ditopang oleh pembangunan organisasi-organisasi rakyat. Demokrasi tidak mungkin berdiri tanpa adanya rakyat yang terorganisir. Ketiga, prinsip holistic, proposal Musrenbang sering disabotase oleh birokrasi korup peninggalan kolonialisme. Dalam banyak kasus, proposal Musrenbang dari desa tidak diwakili oleh delegasi yang ditunjuk rakyat. Akan tetapi, pada tingkat desa, forum Musrenbang berpotensi dimajukan oleh gerakan rakyat. Asalkan bisa membangkitkan partisipasi rakyat di dalamnya, maka forum Musrenbang di tingkat lokal bisa menjadi alat untuk memaksa pemerintahan lokal merespon kebutuhan-kebutuhan mendesak rakyat. Kata Kunci : Partisipasi Masyarakat; Musrenbang  ABSTRACTThe participation of the village community in the preparation of a village development plan should be a measure of the extent to which the village develops the values of good village governance in the wheels of government. The involvement of village communities in a broad sense must be encouraged through both regulation and the creation of an ideal climate for democratization in the village. Participation in the context of the implementation of the Village Development Planning Consultation (Musrembang) is actually more understood as the contribution of the village community to increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of development. Not comprehensively to promote democratization and empowerment of village communities in decision-making for development financing, so the village government and BPD cannot guarantee that all community proposals in the Musrenbang will be realized in the APBDes. Musrenbang is the mandate of Law Number 25 of 2004 concerning the national development planning system. With this Musrenbang, it is hoped that many people can participate in the development process. The government wants the development process to be initiated from below. There are several problems that cause the Musrenbang to be ineffective. First, the principle of people's participation in the Musrenbang process is minimal. Second, the principle of responsiveness, the Musrenbang is less supported by the development of people's organizations. Democracy is impossible without an organized people. Third, holistic principles, Musrenbang proposals are often sabotaged by the corrupt bureaucracy left over from colonialism. In many cases, Musrenbang proposals from villages were not represented by delegates appointed by the people. However, at the village level, the Musrenbang forum has the potential to be promoted by the people's movement. As long as it can generate people's participation in it, the Musrenbang forum at the local level can be a tool to force local governments to respond to the pressing needs of the people. Keywords: Community Participation; Musrenban

Classtalk: A Classroom Communication System for Active Learning

This pdf file is an article describing the advantages of using Classtalk technology in the classroom to enhance classroom communication. Classtalk technology cab facilitate the presentation of questions for small group work, collec the student answers and then display histograms showing how the class answered. This new communication technology can help instructors create a more interactive, student centered classroom, especially when teaching large courses. The article describes Classtalk as a very useful tool not only for engaging students in active learning, but also for enhancing the overall communication within the classroom. This article is a selection from the electronic Journal for Computing in Higher Education. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

Kafirin structure and functionality

The structural and functional properties of kafirins are reviewed. Three classes of kafirin: the a, ß and ? forms have been identified at the protein level and one, the d, has been identified only at the gene and transcript levels. All forms show high homology with the equivalent zein proteins. By analogy with the zeins it is believed that the a-kafirins probably have an extended hairpin structure in solution, comprising elements of a-helix, ß-sheet and turns folded back on itself. Kafirins are the most hydrophobic of the prolamins as shown by their solubility, and calculated hydration free energies. The proteins exhibit extensive cross-linking by disulphide bonds and on cooking form indigestible aggregates which are not solubilised by reduction of disulphide bonds. In spite of continuing studies, the reasons for the low digestibility of the protein remain uncertain and there may be several factors involved. Other research has shown that kafirins may have non-food uses and may be used to form films

Special relativity constraints on the effective constituent theory of hybrids

We consider a simplified constituent model for relativistic strong-interaction decays of hybrid mesons. The model is constructed using rules of renormalization group procedure for effective particles in light-front quantum field theory, which enables us to introduce low-energy phenomenological parameters. Boost covariance is kinematical and special relativity constraints are reduced to the requirements of rotational symmetry. For a hybrid meson decaying into two mesons through dissociation of a constituent gluon into a quark-anti-quark pair, the simplified constituent model leads to a rotationally symmetric decay amplitude if the hybrid meson state is made of a constituent gluon and a quark-anti-quark pair of size several times smaller than the distance between the gluon and the pair, as if the pair originated from one gluon in a gluonium state in the same effective theory.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure