Novel level-identifying circuit for flash multilevel memories

This paper presents a high-speed, small-area circuit specifically designed to identify the levels in the read out operation of a flash multilevel memory. The circuit is based on the analog computation of the Euclidean distance between the current read out from a memory cell and the reference currents that represent the different logic levels. An experimental version of the circuit has been integrated in a standard double-metal 0.7-μm CMOS process with a die area of only 140×100 μm². Operating under a 5-V power supply, this circuit identifies the read-out current of a memory cell, and associates it with the appropriate logic level in 9 ns     

Non-pinched, minimum energy distillation designs

Non-pinched, minimum energy solutions are important class of distillation designs that offer the potential advantage of a better trade-off between capital investment and operating costs. In this paper, two important tasks associated with non-pinched distillation designs are studied. Thus the novel contributions of this work to the literature are

(1) A comprehensive methodology for finding non-pinched minimum energy designs.

(2) Understanding of the reasons for the existence of non-pinched distillation designs.

It is shown that the recent shortest stripping line distance approach of Lucia et al. [Lucia, A., Amale, A. and Taylor, R., 2007, Distillation pinch points and more. Comput Chem Eng, available on-line] is capable of systematically and reliably finding non-pinched, minimum energy distillation designs. In addition, we provide an understanding of the reasons behind the existence of non-pinched designs, which include trajectories that follow unstable branches of a pinch point curve in azeotropic systems, the inherent looping structure of trajectories in hydrocarbon separations, and the presence of ancillary constraints in multi-unit processes like extraction/distillation. Several distillation examples are studied and many numerical results and geometric illustrations are presented that show the shortest stripping line distance methodology is indeed a powerful and systematic tool for computing non-pinched, minimum energy designs and that support the underlying reason we provide for the existence of non-pinched designs.     

A Neural Network Model of Caenorhabditis Elegans: The Circuit of Touch Sensitivity

The paper presents a neural network model of the touch sensitivity circuit of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We describe a serie of simulations in which neural networks are trained, using a genetic algorithm, to reproduce the habituation of the nematode's touch sensitive behavior. A lesion study of the network allows to make a direct comparison between the fine functioning of the model and the data collected in real organisms. The model accords well with the known neurobiological data and it suggests some hypotheses about the functioning of the neural circuit and of single neurons.     

Effects of category prototypes on performance-rating accuracy.

Two studies examined whether the accessibility of performance prototypes influences performance appraisals. Pilot studies revealed students used performance prototypes when rating instructor performance. Study 1 manipulated the accessibility of these prototypes and the time delay of performance ratings. Results showed no effect of the prime on rating error and accuracy; however, discrimination accuracy decreased over time and recognition bias became more conservative. Study 2 manipulated prototype accessibility and type of rating stimuli (videotape vs. vignette). Rating accuracy and recall were higher for vignette than videotape stimuli, and only those participants exposed to the vignette exhibited priming effects. Results supported transfer-appropriate processing and implied that cognitive primes may have a stronger effect on performance ratings based on "paper-people" than videotaped stimuli. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Compensable power for electrical systems in nonsinusoidalconditions

Power definitions are extended to electrical circuits where both loads and supply are harmonic generators and where a series source impedance is considered to provide a realistic representation of electrical power systems. A method is proposed whereby distortion is compensated and power-factor corrected by means of reactance one-ports inserted in series and parallel into the electrical circuit. The approach is applied to single-phase circuits     

Recognition of Adulterated Oils by Direct Analysis of the Minor Components

Recognition of adulteration by other oils via direct analysis of the minor components (“sterol fraction”) is shown for olive oil. 10 % of various oils were admixed, the free alcohols silylated and the minor components analyzed by on-line coupled LC-GC-FID. For most oils, even smaller additions can be recognized. Admixed oils can no longer be determined, however, if their minor components have been removed by strong raffination. Bleaching of rapeseed oil with 7% of earth at 180 °C, in fact, completely removed free and esterified sterols.     

Simulation of Facial Muscle Actions Based on Rational Free Form Deformations

This paper describes interactive facilities for simulating abstract muscle actions using Rational Free Form Deformations (RFFD). The particular muscle action is simulated as the displacement of the control points of the control-unit for an RFFD defined on a region of interest. One or several simulated muscle actions constitute a Minimum Perceptible Action (MPA), which is defined as the atomic action unit, similar to Action Unit (AU) of the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), to build an expression.     

A method based on Graph Theory and Three Way Decisions to evaluate critical regions in epidemic diffusion:

Applied Intelligence - The paper reports the results of an analysis of COVID-19 diffusion in Italy. The analysis was carried out with a new method based on the combined use of a 3 Way Decisions...