Cybercrime Convention Steams Ahead

Work is continuing in the 43-nation Council of Europe to speedily adopt the proposed Convention on Cybercrime.     

Reset-free integrated polarization controller using phase shifters

An endless, reset-free polarization controller implemented with planar lightwave circuits using phase shifters for tuning is proposed and demonstrated. By avoiding the need for tunable polarization mode converters, simple fabrication processes and a large range of material systems can be used, since neither the electrooptic effect nor a rotatable birefringence axis are necessary for device operation. The proof of concept is demonstrated by implementing the equivalent of a rotating waveplate using Ge-doped silica-on-silicon waveguides and thermooptic phase shifters. The polarization controller is shown to have excellent tolerance to fabrication variations. Fast thermooptic control (on the order of 10 kHz) is achieved using high-index-contrast (4%) waveguides.     

Computer security in the US — who’s who?

The US has a large variety of agencies and organizations that are involved in information security. Computer Fraud & Security has compiled a checklist of who is who?     

Neurosurgical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. A comparative study of alcohol block, neurectomy and electrocoagulation

The objective was to assess the present condition of patients previously treated with neurosurgical procedures for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Between 1976 and 1991, 383 patients were treated for TN at the Department of Neurosurgery, Hvidovre Hospital. The latest surgical intervention performed was radiofrequency coagulation (64%), neurectomy (18%), alcohol block (16%), trigeminal tractotomy (1%), and microvascular decompression (1%). Questionnaires were sent to 316 patients treated neurosurgically for trigeminal neuralgia during the 16 year period. After radiofrequency coagulation, neurectomy and alcohol block, 83, 51 and 42% respectively experienced a pain free postoperative period. At present 49, 17 and 18% were without pain and 33, 21 and 36% had less pain compared with the preoperative state. Sequelae were described in 65, 57 and 49% of the patients. The four most common sequelae were hypaesthesia, paraesthesia, eye complaints, and dysaesthesia. If relevant pharmacotherapy has been tried without benefit, radiofrequency coagulation may still be considered as a treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.     

Retrospective biochemical screening of fatty acid oxidation disorders in postmortem livers of 418 cases of sudden death in the first year of life

OBJECTIVE: Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) disorders are frequently reported as the cause of sudden and unexpected death, but their postmortem recognition remains difficult. We have devised a biochemical protocol in which informative findings in liver tissue are microvesicular steatosis, elevated concentrations of C8-C16 fatty acids, glucose depletion, and low carnitine concentration. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed 27 cases representing five FAO disorders and compared the results with those obtained in a retrospective blinded analysis of 418 cases of sudden infant death (313 SIDS, 45 infections, and 34 accidents and abuse). RESULTS: All cases of accidents and abuse correctly tested negative. Among the others, 25 (6%) showed at least two abnormal findings. Of these, 14 closely matched the biochemical profiles seen in specific FAO disorders. These included 2 cases with medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, 4 cases consistent with glutaric acidemia type 2, 4 cases with either very long-chain acylcoenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency or long-chain 3-hydroxy-acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency, and 4 cases predicted to be affected with carnitine uptake defect. CONCLUSION: The results of this study support the view that approximately 5% of all cases of sudden infant death are likely caused by an FAO disorder.     

An RF CMOS Q-Enhanced LC Resonator

This paper investigates a Q-enhanced LC resonator implemented with a Q-enhancement circuit based on both active and reactive components. An analytical expression is presented for the Q-enhancement circuit and simulations are compared with measurements on a differential Q-enhanced LC tank operating at 1779–1870 MHz. Sensitive circuits and inaccurate models leads to inaccurate simulations. To improve the accuracy of simulations, S-parameter measurements of components and sub-circuits are included in the simulations whereby an accuracy of 3 MHz in the estimate of the resonator center frequency results. Per Madsenreceived his M.Sc.E.E degree in 1997 from Aalborg University, Denmark. In 2005 he received his Industrial PhD degree, also from Aalborg University. He is currently working with development of reference designs for GSM and UMTS at Texas Instruments Denmark A/S. Jan Hvolgaard Mikkelsenreceived his M.Sc.E.E. degree in 1995 from Aalborg University, Denmark. In 2005 he received his PhD degree, also from Aalborg University. He is currently employed as an Assistant Professor at Aalborg University where he is working as an IC design manager for the large scale RF IC design efforts at Aalborg University. His research interests include both RF and LF CMOS design as well as transceiver architectures. Jens Christian Lindofreceived his M.Sc.E.E. degree in electrical engineering in 1991 from Aalborg University, Denmark, in 1991. He is currently R&D Director at Texas Instruments Denmark A/S, where he is responsible for all HW and SW developed for Texas Instrument's cellular reference designs for GSM, GPRS, EDGE and UMTS. Torben Larsenreceived his M.Sc.E.E. degree in electrical engineering from Aalborg University, Denmark, in 1988, and the Dr. Techn. degree from Aalborg University in 1998. He has been employed as full Professor at Aalborg University since 2001. Dr. Larsen serves as reviewer for IEE, IEEE and Wiley. Areas of specialized research interests include noise theory, nonlinear analysis techniques, RF techniques, RF CMOS technology, and digital modulation techniques.