Analog VLSI Implementation of Feed Forward Neural Network for Signal Processing

With the emergence of VLSI Technology in electronic industry, the numerous applications of integrated circuits in high-performance computing, consumer electronics, and telecommunications has been rising steadily, and at a very fast pace. Artificial intelligence is integral part of a neural network is based on mathematical equations and artificial neurons. The focus here is the implementation of the Neural Network Architecture (NNA) with on chip learning in analog VLSI for generic signal processing applications. The artificial neural network comprises of analog components like multipliers and adders along with the tan-sigmoid function generating circuit. The given architecture uses components such as Gilbert cell mixer (GCM), neuron activation function (NAF) to implement the functions an artificial neural network. With the balanced operation of the Gilbert cell clearer output is obtained by eliminating unwanted signals. The architecture is designed using 180nm CMOS/VLSI technology with Cadence virtuoso tool. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.150517

Health in food systems policies in India: a document review

Food systems affect nutritional and other health outcomes. Recent literature from India has described policy aspects addressing nutritional implications of specific foods (eg, fruits, vegetables, and trans-fats), and identified opportunities to tackle the double burden of malnutrition. This paper attempts to deepen the understanding on how health concerns and the role of the health sector are addressed across food systems policies in India.; This qualitative study used two approaches; namely (i) the framework method and (ii) manifest content analysis, to investigate national-level policy documents from relevant sectors (ie, food security, agriculture, biodiversity, food processing, trade, and waste management, besides health and nutrition). The documents were selected purposively. The textual data were coded and compared, from which themes were identified, described, and interpreted. Additionally, mentions of various health concerns and of the health ministry in the included documents were recorded and collated.; A total of 35 policy documents were included in the analysis. A variety of health concerns spanning nutritional, communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were mentioned. Undernutrition received specific attention even beyond nutrition policies. Only few policies mentioned NCDs, infectious diseases, and injuries. Governing and advisory bodies were instituted by 17 of the analysed policies (eg, food safety, agriculture, and food processing), and often included representation from the health ministry (9 of the 17 identified inter-ministerial bodies).; We found some evidence of concern for health, and inclusion of health ministry in food policy documents in India. The ongoing and planned intersectoral coordination to tackle undernutrition could inform actions to address other relevant but currently underappreciated concerns such as NCDs. Our study demonstrated a method for analysis of health consideration and intersectoral coordination in food policy documents, which could be applied to studies in other settings and policy domains

Perceived health impacts of watershed development projects in southern India: a qualitative study

Watershed development (WSD) projects-planned for over 100 million ha in semi-arid areas of India-should enhance soil and water conservation, agricultural productivity and local livelihood, and contribute to better nutrition and health. Yet, little is known about the health impacts of WSD projects, especially on nutrition, vector breeding, water quality and the distribution of impacts. We conducted a qualitative study to deepen the understanding on perceived health impacts of completed WSD projects in four villages of Kolar district, India. Field data collection comprised: (i) focus group discussions with local women (; n; = 2); (ii) interviews (; n; = 40; purposive sampling) with farmers and labourers, project employees and health workers; and (iii) transect walks. Our main findings were impacts perceived on nutrition (e.g., food security through better crop survival, higher milk consumption from livestock, alongside increased pesticide exposure with expanded agriculture), potential for mosquito larval breeding (e.g., more breeding sites) and through opportunistic activities (e.g., reduced mental stress due to improved water access). Impacts perceived varied between participant categories (e.g., better nutrition in woman-headed households from livelihood support). Some of these findings, e.g., potential negative health implications, have previously not been reported. Our observations informed a health impact assessment of a planned WSD project, and may encourage implementing agencies to incorporate health considerations to enhance positive and mitigate negative health impacts in future WSD projects

Quantum enhanced correlated interferometry for quantum gravity tests: the experimental set-up and the locking scheme

Abstract The search for Planck scale scale effect is one of holy grails of physics. In Fermilab a double Michelson interferometer was built for this purpose: the holometer. In this proceedings we review our effort to build a quantum enhanced holometer

Twin beam quantum-enhanced correlated interferometry for testing fundamental physics

Quantum metrology deals with improving the resolution of instruments that are otherwise limited by shot noise and it is therefore a promising avenue for enabling scientific breakthroughs. The advantage can be even more striking when quantum enhancement is combined with correlation techniques among several devices. Here, we present and realize a correlation interferometry scheme exploiting bipartite quantum correlated states injected in two independent interferometers. The scheme outperforms classical analogues in detecting a faint signal that may be correlated/uncorrelated between the two devices. We also compare its sensitivity with that obtained for a pair of two independent squeezed modes, each addressed to one interferometer, for detecting a correlated stochastic signal in the MHz frequency band. Being the simpler solution, it may eventually find application to fundamental physics tests, e.g., searching for the effects predicted by some Planck scale theories

SN 2023ixf in Messier 101: Photo-ionization of Dense, Close-in Circumstellar Material in a Nearby Type II Supernova

We present UV/optical observations and models of supernova (SN) 2023ixf, a type II SN located in Messier 101 at 6.9 Mpc. Early-time ("flash") spectroscopy of SN 2023ixf, obtained primarily at Lick Observatory, reveals emission lines of H I, He I/II, C IV, and N III/IV/V with a narrow core and broad, symmetric wings arising from the photo-ionization of dense, close-in circumstellar material (CSM) located around the progenitor star prior to shock breakout. These electron-scattering broadened line profiles persist for $\sim$8 days with respect to first light, at which time Doppler broadened features from the fastest SN ejecta form, suggesting a reduction in CSM density at $r \gtrsim 10^{15}$ cm. The early-time light curve of SN2023ixf shows peak absolute magnitudes (e.g., $M_{u} = -18.6$ mag, $M_{g} = -18.4$ mag) that are $\gtrsim 2$ mag brighter than typical type II supernovae, this photometric boost also being consistent with the shock power supplied from CSM interaction. Comparison of SN 2023ixf to a grid of light curve and multi-epoch spectral models from the non-LTE radiative transfer code CMFGEN and the radiation-hydrodynamics code HERACLES suggests dense, solar-metallicity, CSM confined to $r = (0.5-1) \times 10^{15}$ cm and a progenitor mass-loss rate of $\dot{M} = 10^{-2}$ M$_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$. For the assumed progenitor wind velocity of $v_w = 50$ km s$^{-1}$, this corresponds to enhanced mass-loss (i.e., ``super-wind'' phase) during the last $\sim$3-6 years before explosion.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to ApJ

Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

© 2020 Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license Background: Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves all people receiving the health services they need, of high quality, without experiencing financial hardship. Making progress towards UHC is a policy priority for both countries and global institutions, as highlighted by the agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13). Measuring effective coverage at the health-system level is important for understanding whether health services are aligned with countries' health profiles and are of sufficient quality to produce health gains for populations of all ages. Methods: Based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we assessed UHC effective coverage for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Drawing from a measurement framework developed through WHO's GPW13 consultation, we mapped 23 effective coverage indicators to a matrix representing health service types (eg, promotion, prevention, and treatment) and five population-age groups spanning from reproductive and newborn to older adults (≥65 years). Effective coverage indicators were based on intervention coverage or outcome-based measures such as mortality-to-incidence ratios to approximate access to quality care; outcome-based measures were transformed to values on a scale of 0–100 based on the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile of location-year values. We constructed the UHC effective coverage index by weighting each effective coverage indicator relative to its associated potential health gains, as measured by disability-adjusted life-years for each location-year and population-age group. For three tests of validity (content, known-groups, and convergent), UHC effective coverage index performance was generally better than that of other UHC service coverage indices from WHO (ie, the current metric for SDG indicator 3.8.1 on UHC service coverage), the World Bank, and GBD 2017. We quantified frontiers of UHC effective coverage performance on the basis of pooled health spending per capita, representing UHC effective coverage index levels achieved in 2019 relative to country-level government health spending, prepaid private expenditures, and development assistance for health. To assess current trajectories towards the GPW13 UHC billion target—1 billion more people benefiting from UHC by 2023—we estimated additional population equivalents with UHC effective coverage from 2018 to 2023. Findings: Globally, performance on the UHC effective coverage index improved from 45·8 (95% uncertainty interval 44·2–47·5) in 1990 to 60·3 (58·7–61·9) in 2019, yet country-level UHC effective coverage in 2019 still spanned from 95 or higher in Japan and Iceland to lower than 25 in Somalia and the Central African Republic. Since 2010, sub-Saharan Africa showed accelerated gains on the UHC effective coverage index (at an average increase of 2·6% [1·9–3·3] per year up to 2019); by contrast, most other GBD super-regions had slowed rates of progress in 2010–2019 relative to 1990–2010. Many countries showed lagging performance on effective coverage indicators for non-communicable diseases relative to those for communicable diseases and maternal and child health, despite non-communicable diseases accounting for a greater proportion of potential health gains in 2019, suggesting that many health systems are not keeping pace with the rising non-communicable disease burden and associated population health needs. In 2019, the UHC effective coverage index was associated with pooled health spending per capita (r=0·79), although countries across the development spectrum had much lower UHC effective coverage than is potentially achievable relative to their health spending. Under maximum efficiency of translating health spending into UHC effective coverage performance, countries would need to reach $1398 pooled health spending per capita (US$ adjusted for purchasing power parity) in order to achieve 80 on the UHC effective coverage index. From 2018 to 2023, an estimated 388·9 million (358·6–421·3) more population equivalents would have UHC effective coverage, falling well short of the GPW13 target of 1 billion more people benefiting from UHC during this time. Current projections point to an estimated 3·1 billion (3·0–3·2) population equivalents still lacking UHC effective coverage in 2023, with nearly a third (968·1 million [903·5–1040·3]) residing in south Asia. Interpretation: The present study demonstrates the utility of measuring effective coverage and its role in supporting improved health outcomes for all people—the ultimate goal of UHC and its achievement. Global ambitions to accelerate progress on UHC service coverage are increasingly unlikely unless concerted action on non-communicable diseases occurs and countries can better translate health spending into improved performance. Focusing on effective coverage and accounting for the world's evolving health needs lays the groundwork for better understanding how close—or how far—all populations are in benefiting from UHC. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation