Power Efficient, Low Noise 2-5 GHz Phase Locked Loop

A power and noise efficient solution for phase locked loop (PLL) is presented. A lock detector is implemented to deactivate the PLL components, except the voltage controlled oscil ator (VCO), in the locked state. Signals deactivating/activating the PLL are discussed on system level. The introduced technique significantly saves power and decreases PLL output jitter. As a result whole PLL power consumption and output noise decreased about 35-38% in expense of approximately 17% area overhead.Запропоновано рішення для системи фазового автопідстроювання частоти (ФАПЧ) з низьким енергоспоживанням та шумовими характеристиками. Сигнали активації та деактивації ФАПЛ розглянуті на системному рівні. Впроваджена техніка значно покращує енергозбереження та зменшує випадкові зміни фази. В результаті вдалося зменшити витрати енергії та фазовий шум приблизно на 35-38% при збільшенні площі робочої поверхні приблизно на 17%

Targeting Antibody Responses to the Membrane Proximal External Region of the Envelope Glycoprotein of Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Although human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) infection induces strong antibody responses to the viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) only a few of these antibodies possess the capacity to neutralize a broad range of strains. The induction of such antibodies represents an important goal in the development of a preventive vaccine against the infection. Among the broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies discovered so far, three (2F5, Z13 and 4E10) target the short and hidden membrane proximal external region (MPER) of the gp41 transmembrane protein. Antibody responses to MPER are rarely observed in HIV-infected individuals or after immunization with Env immunogens. To initiate antibody responses to MPER in its membrane-embedded native conformation, we generated expression plasmids encoding the membrane-anchored ectodomain of gp41 with N-terminal deletions of various sizes. Following transfection of these plasmids, the MPER domains are displayed on the cell surface and incorporated into HIV virus like particles (VLP). Transfected cells displaying MPER mutants bound as efficiently to both 2F5 and 4E10 as cells transfected with a plasmid encoding full-length Env. Mice immunized with VLPs containing the MPER mutants produced MPER-specific antibodies, the levels of which could be increased by the trimerization of the displayed proteins as well as by a DNA prime-VLP boost immunization strategy. Although 2F5 competed for binding to MPER with antibodies in sera of some of the immunized mice, neutralizing activity could not be detected. Whether this is due to inefficient binding of the induced antibodies to MPER in the context of wild type Env or whether the overall MPER-specific antibody response induced by the MPER display mutants is too low to reveal neutralizing activity, remains to be determined

First measurement of coherent ρ0 photoproduction in ultra-peripheral Xe–Xe collisions at √sNN = 5.44 TeV

The first measurement of the coherent photoproduction of ρ0 vector mesons in ultra-peripheral Xe–Xe collisions at sNN=5.44 TeV is presented. This result, together with previous HERA γp data and γ–Pb measurements from ALICE, describes the atomic number (A) dependence of this process, which is particularly sensitive to nuclear shadowing effects and to the approach to the black-disc limit of QCD at a semi-hard scale. The cross section of the Xe+Xe→ρ0+Xe+Xe process, measured at midrapidity through the decay channel ρ0→π+π−, is found to be dσ/dy=131.5±5.6(stat.)−16.9+17.5(syst.) mb. The ratio of the continuum to resonant contributions for the production of pion pairs is also measured. In addition, the fraction of events accompanied by electromagnetic dissociation of either one or both colliding nuclei is reported. The dependence on A of cross section for the coherent ρ0 photoproduction at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon of the γA system of WγA,n=65 GeV is found to be consistent with a power-law behaviour σ(γA→ρ0A)∝Aα with a slope α=0.96±0.02(syst.). This slope signals important shadowing effects, but it is still far from the behaviour expected in the black-disc limit.publishedVersio

A(c)(+) Production and Baryon-to-Meson Ratios in pp and p-Pb Collisions at root S-NN=5.02 TeV at the LHC

The prompt production of the charm baryon \u39bc+ and the \u39bc+/D0 production ratios were measured at midrapidity with the ALICE detector in pp and p-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV. These new measurements show a clear decrease of the \u39bc+/D0 ratio with increasing transverse momentum (pT) in both collision systems in the range 2<12 GeV/c, exhibiting similarities with the light-flavor baryon-to-meson ratios p/\u3c0 and \u39b/KS0. At low pT, predictions that include additional color-reconnection mechanisms beyond the leading-color approximation, assume the existence of additional higher-mass charm-baryon states, or include hadronization via coalescence can describe the data, while predictions driven by charm-quark fragmentation processes measured in e+e- and e-p collisions significantly underestimate the data. The results presented in this Letter provide significant evidence that the established assumption of universality (colliding-system independence) of parton-to-hadron fragmentation is not sufficient to describe charm-baryon production in hadronic collisions at LHC energies

A(c)(+) Production and Baryon-to-Meson Ratios in pp and p-Pb Collisions at root S-NN=5.02 TeV at the LHC

The prompt production of the charm baryon Λ_{c}^{+} and the Λ_{c}^{+}/D^{0} production ratios were measured at midrapidity with the ALICE detector in pp and p-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV. These new measurements show a clear decrease of the Λ_{c}^{+}/D^{0} ratio with increasing transverse momentum (p_{T}) in both collision systems in the range 2<p_{T}<12  GeV/c, exhibiting similarities with the light-flavor baryon-to-meson ratios p/π and Λ/K_{S}^{0}. At low p_{T}, predictions that include additional color-reconnection mechanisms beyond the leading-color approximation, assume the existence of additional higher-mass charm-baryon states, or include hadronization via coalescence can describe the data, while predictions driven by charm-quark fragmentation processes measured in e^{+}e^{-} and e^{-}p collisions significantly underestimate the data. The results presented in this Letter provide significant evidence that the established assumption of universality (colliding-system independence) of parton-to-hadron fragmentation is not sufficient to describe charm-baryon production in hadronic collisions at LHC energies

Метод параметричної оптимізації багатоядерних процесорів

A post-layout design power optimization algorithm is suggested. Both, gate sizing and multi threshold optimization methods are implemented. The main advantages are the improved performance characteristics and intactness of the initial design placement and routing. Free layout spaces due to decrease of optimized cell sizes is suggested to be filled with decoupling capacitors which decreases power supply noises. The algorithm ensures decrease of static and dynamic power by respectably 19% and 11% for eight-core OpenSPARC processor architectures. It demonstrates improved optimization time compared to existing algorithms by about 29%, in expense of decrease of optimized power by 2-5%.Пропонується алгоритм оптимізації енергоспоживання (ОЭ) на посттопологічному етапі проектування. Одночасно застосовуються методи калібрування логічних елементів і багатопорової оптимізації. Головними перевагами запропонованого методу є швидка дія та мінімальний вплив на початкове розміщення і трассировку. Свободную площадь, образованную вследствии оптимізації, пропонується заповнити емкостними ячейками, які зменшують помехи через цепь питания. Застосування алгоритму забезпечує зменшення статичної та динамічної споживаної енергії відповідно на 19% і 11% для восьмиядерного процесора OpenSPARC. Запропоноване рішення перевершує існуючі алгоритми за швидкістю оптимізації приблизно на 29%, уступая им по эффективности ОЭ всего на 2-5%

THE CAUCASIAN CENTRE OF FORMATION OF WILD DI- AND TETRAPLOID WHEATS: THE ARMENIA 2013 EXPEDITION

The results of an international expedition to the Republic of Armenia in the summer of 2013 are presented. An important result of field work is the discovery of several habitats of wheats Triticum araraticum Jakubz. and T. boeoticum Boiss