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We present a digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) operating from 2.8 to 3.8 GHz with an on-chip 40-MHz reference crystal oscillator. The DPLL makes use of a class-D digitally controlled oscillator and a digital-to-time converter with a single-bit (bang-bang) phase detector. The DPLL displays an excellent behavior in terms of in-band fractional spurs, which are consistently below −65 dBc across the tuning range, thanks to a number of digital correction algorithms running in the background. The 65-nm CMOS DPLL consumes 18.2 mW for an in-band phase noise of −102 dBc/Hz at 100-kHz offset. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the period of 2012-2014 the influence of three interstocks on the reproductive characteristics of the sweet cherry cultivars Bigarreau burlat and Stella grafted on Prunus mahaleb L. - P 1 seedling rootstock was tested. The rootstock Gisela 5, the North Star sour cherry cultivar and Hybrid 2/10 were used as interstocks, each of them being 10cm and 30cm long. The same sweet cherry cultivars grafted directly on P 1 rootstock were used as control. The trees were planted in March 2006 with planting distance 6.0 x 4.5 m, grown under non-irrigated conditions and formed as free-growing crowns. It was established that for most traits giving information for the potential productivity (number of spurs, flower buds and blossoms) of the Bigarreau burlat cultivar, the Hybrid 2/10 interstock and Gisela 5 long interstock trees had advantage over the other variants. In that respect the Stella cultivar trees grafted on interstocks had some advantages over the control. The total yield per tree unit crown volume for the period for Bigarreau burlat was the highest from the control trees and from those grafted on Hybrid 2/10 long interstock. For the Stella cultivar the highest yield was obtained from the trees grafted on Gisela 5 and Hybrid 2/10 interstocks, as well as from the control. In relation to the influence of the length of the interstock component for the two cultivars a certain advantage was observed in all variants with longer interstocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Belgrade is the property of University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Material Culture Review is the property of Cape Breton University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the Midwestern USA, bank erosion is a common hazard due to the high erodibility of the bank soils. In this paper, an improved methodology aimed at identifying the optimal countermeasures to control bank erosion was developed and applied in two sites of the Des Moines River (USA).In situflow measurements, bed bathymetry and soil properties were collected for providing boundary conditions and parameters of the two-dimensional, depth-averaged hydrodynamic finite element surface water modeling system (FESWMS) model. The model was used to compare the hydraulic performances of four streambank countermeasures: riprap lining (referred to as S1); a series of barbs (S2); alternating barbs and spurs (S3); and the combination of barbs with lining (S4). A key feature of FESWMS was its ability to simulate the wetting/drying conditions of mesh elements, which allowed the simulations of unsubmerged or partially submerged structures for different hydraulic conditions. This research showed that the combination of alternating barbs and spurs (S3) was the only design which provided protection during overbank flows at a competitive cost compared to the other designs analysed. The uniqueness of this methodology is found in the coupling of field measurements and theoretical approaches for depth-averaged velocity profiles to calibrate and validate a hydrodynamic model; and in the proposed design to protect streambanks from severe erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Highlights: [•] Aquilegia exhibits several floral innovations, including petal spurs and a fifth organ type, the staminodium. [•] Petal identity is established by a subfunctionalized APETALA3 paralog. [•] Development of the nectar spur depends on anisotropic cell expansion. [•] Staminodium identity appears to depend on the evolution of one staminodium-specific paralog. [•] Applying our genomic resources to interfertile Aquilegia species will elucidate these features as well as many others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) comprises 24 behaviours; a RHpE score ≥8 reflects the presence of musculoskeletal pain. An association between the RHpE score and performance has been shown for 5* three-day event horses. The aim of the study was to apply the RHpE to horses performing a dressage test at British Eventing (BE) 90, 100 and Novice one-day events and to compare the scores with competition results. Data were collected for 1010 competition starts. Overall, the most frequent (median) RHpE score was 4/24. The median RHpE score was higher (5/24) for BE 90 competitors, compared with 100 (4/24) and Novice (3.5/24). Horses placed first, second or third had a lower median RHpE score (2/24) compared with other horses which completed. The proportion of horses with a RHpE score ≥8/24 was lowest (2%) in those placed first to third, followed by horses with lower finish placings (9.9%), and highest in those that were eliminated, retired or withdrawn (11.3%). The overall low median RHpE score supports the social licence to compete, but 9% of starters had a RHpE score ≥8/24, which merits concern. Veterinary investigation of these horses and appropriate treatment and management may improve both welfare and performance. The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) was applied to 1010 competition starts at British Eventing (BE) 90, 100 and Novice one-day events and compared with performance. The overall median RHpE score was 4/24 (IQR 2,6; range 0,12). There were moderate positive correlations between RHpE scores and dressage penalties (Spearman's rho = 0.508, 0.468, 0.491, all p < 0.001 for BE 90, 100 and Novice, respectively). There were weak positive correlations between RHpE scores and final placings (Spearman's rho = 0.157, p = 0.033, BE90; rho = 0.263, p < 0.001, BE 100; rho = 0.123, p = 0.035, Novice). In showjumping, 1.7% of starters were eliminated or retired, compared with 9.8% of cross-country starters. Horse or rider falls occurred in 2.6% of cross-country starts. Horses placed first, second or third had lower median RHpE scores (2/24, IQR 1,4; range 0,8) than other horses that finished (p < 0.001), those that were eliminated or retired (p < 0.001) or were withdrawn (p < 0.001). The RHpE score was ≥8/24 for 9.3% of starters; horses with a RHpE score ≥8/24 had higher total penalty scores (p < 0.001) than horses with a RHpE score <8/24. The overall low median RHpE score supports the social licence to compete, but 9% of starters had a RHpE score ≥8/24. Investigation and treatment of these horses may improve both welfare and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archaeologia Lituana is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An architectural solution for designing a low-reference-spur PLL is proposed. A spur-frequency boosting block is inserted between the phase-frequency detector and the charge pump to boost the charge pump input frequency. Hence, the spur at the reference frequency is eliminated and is frequency-boosted to a higher frequency, fB, at which the PLL gain is much less resulting in greater suppression. Quantitative analysis of the charge pump spurs is presented to clarify the different tradeoffs affecting the output spurs level. The proposed technique breaks the classical trade off between the different PLL parameters. It adds a degree of freedom in PLL design to reduce the reference spur level without reducing neither the loop bandwidth nor the voltage-controlled oscillator's gain (KVCO). A 3.6 GHz PLL prototype is fabricated using UMC 90 nm digital CMOS technology. A −74 dBc reference-spur suppression is measured along with a (KVCO/ωref) ratio of 16.67 and a (ωGBW/ωref) ratio of 1/20. The proposed architecture provides additional spur suppression of 30 dB compared to a conventional PLL and, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this PLL provides the best normalized reference-spur rejection in literature. The prototype occupies 0.063 mm². [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Stratum Plus Journal is the property of P.P. Stratum plus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

NGC 4921 and 7049 are two spiral galaxies presenting narrow, distinct dust features. A detailed study of the morphology of those features has been carried out using Hubble Space Telescope archival images. NGC 4921 shows a few but well-defined dust arms midway to its centre while NGC 7049 displays many more dusty features, mainly collected within a ring-shaped formation. Numerous dark and filamentary structures, called outgrowths, are found to protrude from the dusty arms in both galaxies. The outgrowths point both outwards and inwards in the galaxies. Mostly they are found to be V-shaped or Y-shaped with the branches connected to dark arm filaments. Often the stem of the Y appears to consist of intertwined filaments. Remarkably, the outgrowths show considerable similarities to elephant trunks in H ii regions. A model of the outgrowths, based on magnetized filaments, is proposed. The model provides explanations of both the shapes and orientations of the outgrowths. Most important, it can also give an account for their intertwined structures. It is found that the longest outgrowths are confusingly similar to dusty spiral arms. This suggests that some of the outgrowths can develop into such arms. The time-scale of the development is estimated to be on the order of the rotation period of the arms or shorter. Similar processes may also take place in other spiral galaxies. If so, the model of the outgrowths can offer a new approach to the old winding problem of spiral arms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate patients' and parents' reactions to the orthodontic treatment of open bite patients with a mandibular lingual arch and spurs (MASP) and to compare any changes in anxiety and discomfort during treatment in different age groups and sexes. Methods: Seventy-two patients completed a baseline questionnaire to assess their levels of discomfort and reaction to this appliance. The patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 consisted of 33 patients up to 14 years of age, and group 2 comprised 39 patients 15 years of age and older. A random group of 72 parents composed a special group. Parents' reactions were assessed through analysis of data gathered from an additional questionnaire with specific questions on their children's reactions. Results: Ninety-eight percent of the patients accepted treatment with an MASP. The discomfort time was up to 10 days in the majority of patients. The younger group and the female group seemed to show higher tolerance to an MASP. Speech and chewing impairments were the most common functional problems associated with an MASP. Seventy-six percent of subjects did not feel a lack of confidence when wearing an MASP. Conclusion: This treatment was well accepted by patients and parents. This positive result seems to be closely related to how informed they were. Speech and chewing impairments, the most common functional problems, were temporary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

fully integrated Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) based transmitter and I/Q Local Oscillating (LO) signal generator used for half-duplex Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) transceivers is proposed. Instead of one 430-435 MHz PLL for frequency synthesizing, a 1.72-1.74 GHz PLL is designed together with a 1/4 frequency divider. Then the chip area of the inductors in the Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO) is decreased to about 1/16, and I/Q dual-path LO signals can be obtained without additional power consumption. A Gray-code controlled prescaler is proposed to avoid the glitches and uncertain states, and then the frequency dividing accuracy is improved by 17%. A Gauss Frequency Shift Keying (GFSK) transmitter with a pipeline modulator is proposed, the 1st and 2nd Adjacent Channel Power Ratio (ACPR) are −19.9 and −20.7 dBc, respectively. A mathematical spur model of 1/4 frequency dividers is built here, and then a low-spur 1/4 frequency divider composed of our proposed improved Current Mode Logic (CML) latches is designed. The testing results show that the reference spurs are −61.2 dBc@20 MHz and −57.7 dBc@40 MHz at the output of the PLL, and −70.5 dBc@20 MHz and −66.6 dBc@40 MHz at the output of our 1/4 divider. With 2.6-mW power consumption, our proposed 1/4 frequency divider has a phase-noise contribution of only 0.5 dBc/Hz@500 kHz and 0.2 dBc/Hz@1 MHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Northeast Historical Archaeology is the property of Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Archeologické Rozhledy is the property of Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Archaeology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A new genus of Acrididae, Amplicubitoacris Zheng gen. nov. (type species Amplicubitoacris flavistriolata. Zheng sp. nov.), is described and illustrated from south-east Xizang, China. The new genus is similar to Pararcyptera Tarbinsky, 1930 and Xinjiangacris Zheng, 1993, but differs from the first by very broad cubital area of tegmina and by dark brown apical part of hind wings, and it is distinguished from the latter genus by fully developed lateral carinae of pronotum, and by inner spurs of hind tibiae being of equal length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Referring to the hypothesis about the appearance of three-beaded earrings in Croatia only in the late period of the Middle Ages, which Stjepan Gunjača based on the hoard find of three-beaded earrings and coins of the Angevin king Louis I (1342-1382) in a closed grave unit found during excavations of the cemetery surrounding the ruined church of St. Michael at Brnaze near Sinj, Ljubo Karaman in his article "Two chronological questions of Early Croatian archaeology" in the first section on "The period of appearance three-beaded earrings of the socalled Kiev type in Dalmatian Croatia" first questioned and then rejected Gunjača's claim. As the main argument for confirmation of his opinion about the appearance of the three-beaded earrings in the early medieval period, he presented a photograph from the archives of the Museum of Croatian Antiquities, where the grave unit included spurs of the Carolingian type that he dated to the 9th century, along with a three-beaded earring decorated with filigree. Faced with Karaman's argument, for which he had no proper answer, Gunjača did not further enter into discussions about the chronology of these earrings. Although more than fifty years have passed since then, in which the science of archaeology has greatly evolved through new findings, the fact remains that numerous art historians and archaeologists involved in the typology and chronology of the Middle Ages of Croatia ignore this opinion of Karaman. In fact, they avoid mentioning this article by Karaman and the arguments set forth in it as if it had never even been written. However, until the dilemma presented by Karaman is not solved, all conjectures about the chronology of this type of jewelry are scientifically defective and inconsistent. The author of this contribution, dedicated to the meritorious archaeologist and professor J. Belo&sacron;ević, solves the problem of Karaman's hypothesis, by discovering that the three-beaded earring should be removed from the grave unit on the archival photograph, as it was placed there by chance. In this manner a serious problem in archaeological science has been removed and a more justified dating of medieval three-beaded earrings is made possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bronze loop (a slot for running the spur strap through) of a spur set was found during the archaeological research of the cemetery near the church of St. George above Ka&sacron;tel Sućurac. When the results of the research were published, it was not identified correctly. Instead it was interpreted as a gothic buckle in the catalogue. Neverheless it is undoubtedly a loop of a strap set with a square frame and decorated front plate from the final 8th or the first half of the 9th century. A find that has been identified in this way can be easily interpreted in the context of the Putalj cemetery. Namely a layer of graves from the early 9th century was identified at Putalj. A find from Putalj is particularly important since such finds have not been previously known in the territory of the immediate hinterland of Split i.e. the Solin-Ka&sacron;tela region, so that this fact was considered as a proof that the remaining late Antique population was still present in the mentioned territory. Besides the Putalj spur loop, there are two more similar finds from the Solin region published recently for the first time which do not speak in favor of this thesis. These are bronze loops belonging to spur sets of early Carolingian provenance confirming once more that presence of one such item at Putalj is not a coincidence. All three early Carolingian finds from the Solin-Ka&sacron;tela region have direct analogies among the finds from princely graves from Crkvina in Biskupija. When Croatian territory entered Frankish sphere of interest by the end of the 8th century, Slavic population in the hinterland of the Dalmatian coast predominantly lived in a tribal-clan social system. Presence of rich graves testifies to a beginning of social stratification and commencements of feudalism. This process is evident in the entire territory in which the Croatian princedom was about to be formed during the 9th century. More significant concentration of the finds in question is noticable in the regions which were about to become important centers of the Croatian state (Nin, Ravni Kotari, Knin, Livno, and also the Solin-Ka&sacron;tela region). Early Carolingian finds from Putalj and Solin which are related to the original territory of the Trpimirović dynasty additionally confirm this thesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the nonce of high precision's spurs gearing, the classical design algorithm does not ensure the necessary precision. In these cases, the computer simulation of the spurs gearings behavior and its dependence on the design, technological and operating parameters depict a viable choice. The paper analyzes the influence of the speed on the tip relief parameters, based on computer simulation (original software builds on MatLab7 program), for an involute spurs gearing with imposed center with the goal of equal traction tensions at the level of the teeth base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The function of the large hind-tibial spurs of female eastern cicada killer wasps ( Sphecius speciosus), thought to be adaptations to digging, was examined by measuring the effect of spurs on digging rate. 2. Spurs were removed from one group of wasps and left intact in control specimens. 3. Wasps with intact spurs removed soil from the burrow at a rate of 0.98 ± 0.11 (16) g dry mass min−1 [mean ± SEM ( N)]. Removal of spurs results in an average digging rate just over one-half that, 0.54 ± 0.13 (9) g min−1. 4. The difference in digging rate was primarily because of a twofold greater mass of soil unloaded by intact wasps each time they exited the burrow, rather than the rate at which such loads were delivered. 5. Such inefficiency results in an estimated additional 8.2 h requirement to fully excavate an average burrow, or a 1–4% reduction in time available for foraging in spur-ablated wasps. 6. Calculations suggest that the time lost to digging would result in a 3.9–19.5% reduction in foraging success for spurless females. 7. These temporal and resulting foraging advantages of hind-tibial spurs presumably provided selection pressure for their evolution from smaller, pre-existing setae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mid-15th century saw a very interesting type of spurs appear in Europe. The shape and decoration of the preserved specimens place them among the most attractive Gothic designs in knight's equipment. The best-known example is a pair of spurs with matching stirrups exhibited in Waffensammlung in Vienna. In European museums there are at least 43 spurs or fragments of spurs of that type, differing in the shape of the heel band and in decoration. They come from old armories or were excavated in Central Europe, mostly in the territories of the former Kingdoms of Poland, Bohemia and Hungary. Unfortunately, none of those specimens, apart from the pair of spurs that probably belonged to King Casimir IV Jagiellon (1454) and the finds from Puck (2nd half of the 15th century) and Inowlodz (probably 2nd half of the 15th century), can be exactly dated. The shape of this particular type of spurs can be identified in several pictures painted between 1430 and the early 16th century, most of them dated to the 1450s-1470s. The most interesting example is the picture of St George fighting with the dragon from Slowita near Zloczow (Little Poland). It was painted by a local panel painter about 1453. The picture is considered a proof of Western models being swiftly adopted by Little Poland painters, since the scene is modeled on a copperplate by the Master of Playing Cards (from the Nuremberg circle), dated to 1440-1450. For our purposed, however, the most important aspect of the painting is the shape of spurs. Interestingly, the Little Poland painter did not copy the German original in this respect and depicted spurs shaped very similarly to the type discussed here. Spurs can be found in the depictions of saints, most commonly of St George, the patron of knights, of magnates and rich knights, but also, though less frequently, of less affluent knights and of squires (The Triptych of Holy Trinity-St Paul's Conversion) or even of a servant (The Triptych of the Sending of Angels). The figures wearing spurs are not always shown in full plate armor. In come cases the painters highlighted the spurs with the yellow or golden color, symbolizing their decorative character. The above-mentioned pictures were painted in the Kingdom of Poland (Little Poland, Great Poland, Wielun County), in the Kingdom of Bohemia (Silesia, Bohemia) and the Holy Roman Empire (Germany). Those are also the regions in which the original artifacts have been found. The back part of the spur yoke began to be enlarged at least since the mid-14th century. It seems that with the emergence and spread of the full-body plat armor spur manufacturers in various cultures tried to modify their products to meet the current needs of protective weaponry. The type of spurs discussed here had a wide heel band surrounding and protecting all of the rider's heel, with the upper edge of the bad mirroring the shape of the lower part of the greaves. Such an arrangement might have been the final development of armory, providing all the necessary protection. In everyday practice, however, this form of spurs was most frequently used to supplement reduced plate armor. An example of that is the picture from Wielun, in which St George is shown wearing chain-mail armor with poleyns and heel-band spurs as extra protection for the legs. It is possible that this type of spurs, used to protect the heels by less affluent knights, was also a symbolic substitute of full plate armor and the affluence that it signified. Some of the artifacts in question, which were richly decorated (e.g. the above-mentioned spurs ascribed to King Casimir Jagiellon), were probably primarily used on ceremonial occasions and as gifts, very special to both the recipient and the giver. Since they were worn by prominent personages on festive occasions, they must have had some influence on the knightly culture of the Middle Ages. Many researchers are of the opinion that all the richly decorated spurs of the discussed type were products of Prague artisans of the mid-15th century. It is reasonable to ask, however, if a single manufacturing center could have influenced the knightly fashion in one third of Europe to an extent that even found a reflection in art. This is not impossible, but it is more likely that it only initiated a certain interesting cultural phenomenon through exporting beautifully shaped ornate spurs. Considering all the aspects of the phenomenon in question (the appearance of this type of spurs in Europe in the mid 15th century, the dating of the above-mentioned iconographic sources to the years 1450-1470 and the area from which they come), one is tempted to hypothesize that the spurs ascribed to Casimir Jagiellon, which he probably wore at this wedding in Cracow in 1545, popularized this type of spurs in the territories connected with the King directly (the Kingdom of Poland) or indirectly (Pomerania and Warmia because of the war with the Teutonic Order, Bohemia and Hungary because of the dynastic policy of the Jagiellons). The popularity of this piece of armor could have resulted from the court and knightly circles trying to imitate and equal the person highest in the social hierarchy. This would be a very interesting example of a particular historical figure influencing the fashion of his times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work addresses the design of a 65 nm CMOS wide-band single-sideband mixer for UWB synthesiser. The circuit has been designed inductorless and with few capacitors, in order to save silicon area and, at the same time, to get a mixer independent of the adopted frequency plan and synthesiser architecture. Particular attention has been paid to reducing the spurs as much as possible. In order to address a realistic investigation, the design has accounted also for the corner cases and the possible impairments in the input signals. A comparison with the state-of-the-art of the SSB mixers shows the low power consumption of the present work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the Early Roman Iron Age graveyard of Hagenow, Mecklenburg, five or six generations of an elite manifest rank and status through the burial custom, among other things using weapons and components of military equipment. The wealth and quality of the grave goods obvious based on the participation in Germanic retinues and also in Roman services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide tuning range, low phase noise and spurs, multi-gigahertz frequency synthesizer was realized in 0.13 μm CMOS using a fully-sampled feed-forward loop filter. Both the integral and proportional loop filter paths use sample and hold switched-capacitor networks that completely isolate the oscillator from the charge-pump switching transients. The sampled nature of the filter, together with a digital domain implementation of the ripple-filtering pole spread the impulsive energy coming from the charge-pump current injection over several reference clock cycles, resulting in a dramatic reduction of the oscillator control signal ripple and thus a very low reference spur level. A multi-regulator PLL architecture reduces the supply injected noise and spurious tones, allowing the integration of the synthesizer on the same die with a large digital core, as required by modern single-chip receiver SoCs. PLL specifications include: < 1° rms double-sided integrated phase noise from 1 kHz to 10 MHz, -85 dBc reference spurs, < -80 dBc supply injected spurs, 300 x 750 μm2 die area and < 100 mW power dissipation from a single 2.5 V supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A direct conversion receiver for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications operates for 3.1 to 8.2 GHz and gives a noise figure of 3.3 to 4.1 dB and a conversion gain of 52 dB. The chip includes the RF receive chain and a 16-GHz quadrature VCO to generate seven carrier frequencies from 3.4 to 7.9 GHz. The circuit was fabricated in a 0.18-µm SiGe BiCMOS process and consumes 88 mA from a 2.7-V supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a mechanism that explains exactly the cause of spurs at the output of offset-PLL (OPLL) transmitters. By a rigorous analysis of the relationship between the signals and disturbances in OPLL, accurate formulas are obtained which elucidate systematically the intermodulation nature of the output spur spectrum. From the analysis, it is shown that in practical situations the OPLL spurs are due to the disturbances from the voltage-controlled oscillator leakage, the local oscillator leakage, and the image signal, rather than other spurious products of the offset mixer in the loop as previously explained. The formulas give insight into OPLL circuit design and frequencies accommodation and clearly depict the output spur distribution in the more realistic situation when the input is modulated. Finally, the formulas are verified by some elaborate experiments with extensive numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron beam crosslinking of polyethylene (PE) is a well-established technology, applied commercially for decades. After successes with PE, our efforts have been directed towards the crosslinking of elastomers. As the representative elastomer, hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubbers (HNBR) was chosen. It is the high technology material, rather expensive, and therefore excellent object of successful commercial radiation processing. Radiation chemistry of crosslinking of any polymer is governed by similar rules. Most important are steric effects that can prevent efficient crosslinking, second next are additives present in irradiated commercial material. Additive''s role is visible in the function of increasing doses, on radiation yield of hydrogen, and the yield of crosslinking. Basics of mechanisms, common to all condensed phases, and therefore to different polymers, are interpreted as phenomena of single ionization spurs (80% of energy deposited) and multi-ionization spurs. Small spurs generate crosslinks of the X type, formed between neighboring macromolecules, whereas multi-ionization spurs, energy rich, cause chain scission. Some fragments of the chains form crosslinks, this time of the Y type, by reacting with their active end with undamaged chains present in the neighborhood. Similarity of mechanisms in PE and HNBR is illustrated by the diagram in Charlesby—Pinner coordinates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

BACKGROUNDAnterior versus posterior surgical management of lateral and foraminal cervical disc disease remains controversial. The key hole foraminotomy or laminoforaminotomy allows dorsal resection without the instability encountered with anterior cervical approaches, with more limited morbidity. Unilateral radiculopathy can be addressed with the laminoforaminotomy, while bilateral or multifocal radiculopathy with myelopathy may additionally require a laminectomy or laminoplasty.METHODSSelection of patients for laminoforaminotomy should be based upon correlation of clinical findings and neurodiagnostic (MR, CT) studies to ensure that the dorsal approaches will sufficiently address the pathology.RESULTSThe technical completion of a laminoforaminotomy is reviewed.CONCLUSIONSPerforming adequate preoperative MR and CT examinations allows for the selection of patients who will benefit from the “key hole” or “laminoforaminotomy” approaches to lateral and foraminal disc disease and/or spur formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article describes several Medieval iron tools and metalwork excavated from Castle Acre Castle in Norfolk, England. Heckles, which comprised of two or more rows of iron teeth set in a wooden block with a handle, were used in preparing wool and flax fibres for spinning. Whittle tang knives had blades of known medieval type. Barrel padlocks had cylindrical cases with T-shaped keyholes along the underside, while padlock keys had bits set in line with the stem. Five identifiable spurs recovered from the upper ward included different kinds of iron prick spur and rowel spur.