A 7-8 GHz serrodyne modulator in SiGe for MIMO signal generation

An 8-bit 360o sawtooth modulated phase shifter is used to apply very small frequency offsets to RF signals between 7 and 8 GHz. Offsets between 6 Hz and 10MHz can be obtained. Such frequency offsets can be used to generate orthogonal signals, which are required in e.g. MIMO applications. Each undesired frequency component is suppressed to below -30 dBc. The phase modulator is realized in a 250 nm SiGe BICMOS technology

Advances in silicon phased-array receiver IC's

Phased-Arrays are increasingly used, and require Silicon implementations to result in affordable multi-beam systems. In this paper, CMOS implementations of two novel analogue beamforming multi-channel receivers will be presented. A narrow-band highly linear system exploiting switches and capacitors in advanced CMOS is presented, implementing a fully passive switched capacitor vector modulator exploiting a zero-IF I/Q mixer: This technique is not applicable to very wideband phased-array receivers. These systems require true-time delay beamforming, which is implemented in the second CMOS implementation. An innovative gm-RC implementation of a true-time delay cell is exploited in a four-channel beamforming receiver with more than L.5 GHz bandwidth, in a standard 0.13 um CMOS process. Professional phased-arrays can often not live with the dynamic range limitations imposed by these implementations. To that end a SiGe implementation of an integrated receiver was realized targeting a digital beamforming phased-array. Dynamic range and flexibility of use were the main driving factors. Alltogether, these results show large progress with respect to the feasibility of Silicon-based phased-array front-end implementation for commercial as well as professional phased-arrays. © 2012 IEEE

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is associated with a variant in low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality and has a significant heritability. We carried out a genome-wide association discovery study of 1866 patients with AAA and 5435 controls and replication of promising signals (lead SNP with a p value < 1 × 10-5) in 2871 additional cases and 32,687 controls and performed further follow-up in 1491 AAA and 11,060 controls. In the discovery study, nine loci demonstrated association with AAA (p < 1 × 10-5). In the replication sample, the lead SNP at one of these loci, rs1466535, located within intron 1 of low-density-lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) demonstrated significant association (p = 0.0042). We confirmed the association of rs1466535 and AAA in our follow-up study (p = 0.035). In a combined analysis (6228 AAA and 49182 controls), rs1466535 had a consistent effect size and direction in all sample sets (combined p = 4.52 × 10-10, odds ratio 1.15 [1.10-1.21]). No associations were seen for either rs1466535 or the 12q13.3 locus in independent association studies of coronary artery disease, blood pressure, diabetes, or hyperlipidaemia, suggesting that this locus is specific to AAA. Gene-expression studies demonstrated a trend toward increased LRP1 expression for the rs1466535 CC genotype in arterial tissues; there was a significant (p = 0.029) 1.19-fold (1.04-1.36) increase in LRP1 expression in CC homozygotes compared to TT homozygotes in aortic adventitia. Functional studies demonstrated that rs1466535 might alter a SREBP-1 binding site and influence enhancer activity at the locus. In conclusion, this study has identified a biologically plausible genetic variant associated specifically with AAA, and we suggest that this variant has a possible functional role in LRP1 expression

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Microwaves. When waves matter.

De leerstoel Het is goed eerst een paar woorden te wijden aan het onderwerp van de leerstoel, de microgolftechniek. Zoals het onderwerp aangeeft, gaat het om systemen met een frequentie van grofweg hoger dan 1 GHz, met inbegrip van de zogeheten sub-mmwaves. Zoals een zwemmer zich, in tegenstelling tot een olietanker of een garnaal, rekenschap moet geven van de lengte van de golven waarin hij zwemt om vooruit te komen, moet een microgolfontwerper rekening houden met de fysieke dimensies van zijn ontwerp, in termen van golflengte, om optimale functionaliteit te bereiken. Dat onderwerp is preciezer omschreven als ‘microwave integration’, microgolfintegratie

An 8-10 GHz upconversion mixer, with a low-frequency calibration loop resulting in better than -73dbc in-band spurs

Abstract—An 8-10 GHz X-band upconversion quadrature mixer stage implemented in 250 nm SiGe BiCMOS is presented. Orthogonality of the spurious responses caused by clock feed through, I/Q mismatch and baseband harmonics after self-mixing was exploited to realize a baseband calibration scheme reducing all in-band spurs down to below -73dBc, for baseband signals up to a bandwidth of 2MHz and with an IF center frequency up to 100MHz. Utilizing a low-frequency output spectrum analysis of an integrated self-mixer at the upconversion mixer output for calibration, eliminates the need for expensive microwave frequency spectrum analyzer

Spatial Interferer Rejection in a 4-Element Beamforming Receiver Frontend with a Switched-Capacitor Vector Modulator

A 1-4GHz 4-element phased array receiver frontend demonstrates spatial interferer rejection using null steering. Element phase and amplitude control are performed by a switchedcapacitor vector modulator with integrated downconversion, utilizing a rational sine/cosine approximation. The 65nm CMOS receiver achieves more than 20dB of spatial interferer rejection up to an angular separation of 15°

Modeling of Rotary Cement Kilns: Reaction Engineering and CFD

During the past five years, dielectric and metallic post-wall waveguides (PWWGs) have been analyzed at TNO Defence, Security and Safety, using both an integral equation approach and a modal approach. The model developed focuses on TEn0 modes facilitating the analysis of infinitely-long, straight PWWGs as well as finite PWWGs with arbitrary post positioning. Quite recently, we introduced an alternative approach for dealing with complex propagation constants, so that PWWG losses, and the scattering matrices of PWWG sections can be computed. These sections are represented by `current matrices' that relate the `incoming' electric and magnetic surface currents on predefined ports to the `outgoing' surface currents. The derivation of the current matrices is based on Lorentz's reciprocity and Love's equivalence theorems. Both the `incoming' and `outgoing' surface currents are represented by rooftop bases. The scattering parameters of a PWWG section are determined by expressing waveguide modes in terms of these bases. Finally, the corresponding software code can be integrated in a circuit simulator, a familiar platform for microwave designers