Linear Size Optimal $q$-ary Constant-Weight Codes and Constant-Composition Codes

An optimal constant-composition or constant-weight code of weight w has linear size if and only if its distance d is at least 2w-1. When d ? 2w, the determination of the exact size of such a constant-composition or constant-weight code is trivial, but the case of d=2w-1 has been solved previously only for binary and ternary constant-composition and constant-weight codes, and for some sporadic instances. This paper provides a construction for quasicyclic optimal constant-composition and constant-weight codes of weight w and distance 2w-1 based on a new generalization of difference triangle sets. As a result, the sizes of optimal constant-composition codes and optimal constant-weight codes of weight w and distance 2w-1 are determined for all such codes of sufficiently large lengths. This solves an open problem of Etzion. The sizes of optimal constant-composition codes of weight w and distance 2w-1 are also determined for all w ? 6, except in two cases.     

Moisture sorption isotherm of fresh lean beef and external beef fat

The moisture sorption isotherm (MSI) of lean beef and fat beef was experimentally determined. The experimental procedure used was that of the COST 90 project with some modifications to accelerate equilibration. The procedure was validated with the standard reference material microcrystalline cellulose. The MSI of the beef at the highest humidity range was obtained by accelerating equilibration with changes of salts, using a low water activity salt for some time. This procedure was reliable for beef samples but not for the fat samples. No significant changes were found for lean beef in the temperature range 5–40 °C. Three models, GAB, Peleg and Lewicki, were used to fit the experimental data. The best fit was obtained with the GAB equation. The fat MSI was determined at 5, 15 and 25 °C and it was best fitted with the Lewicki model.     

Effect of organic salt doping on the performance of single layer bulk heterojunction organic solar cell

The effect of organic salt, tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAPF₆) doping on the performance of single layer bulk heterojunction organic solar cell with ITO/MEHPPV:PCBM/Al structure was investigated where indium tin oxide (ITO) was used as anode, poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEHPPV) as donor, (6,6)-phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as acceptor and aluminium (Al) as cathode. In contrast to the undoped device, the electric field-treated device doped with TBAPF₆ exhibited better solar cell performance under illumination with a halogen projector lamp at 100 mW/cm². The short circuit current density and the open circuit voltage of the doped device increased from 0.54 μA/cm² to 6.41 μA/cm² and from 0.24 V to 0.50 V, respectively as compared to those of the undoped device. The significant improvement was attributed to the increase of built-in electric field caused by accumulation of ionic species at the active layer/electrode interfaces.     

A Universal Performance Chart for CPU Cooling Devices

This article deals with performance evaluation of the discrete ordinates method in terms of its capacity to provide accurate results in solving radiation mode problems with different complexities. The problem formulation is done keeping in view the heat transfer process in an evaporator used in a coal-based thermal power station. The hot gas mass in the evaporator is assumed to be a heat source with two different shapes, spherical and conical. The evaporator walls that are covered with a water cooling jacket are modeled with a convective boundary condition. The gas is assumed to be gray and absorbing–emitting. The solution of the radiative transport equation is carried out using the discrete ordinates method. Parametric studies are performed for a wide range of aspect ratio, extinction coefficient, and convective heat transfer coefficient. The code is validated by comparing the result of discrete ordinates method with the exact and the discrete transfer method for nonradiative as well as radiative equilibrium conditions.     

FIB与PEM联用在半导体器件失效分析中的应用

在半导体器件的失效分析中,缺陷定位是必不可少的重要环节.光发射显微镜(PEM)是IC失效定位中最有效的工具之一.PEM利用了IC器件缺陷在一定条件下的发光现象,迅速定位缺陷.而聚焦等离子束(FIB)的定点切割和沉积技术在亚微米级半导体工艺失效分析中扮演着越来越重要的作用.介绍了一种联合使用FIB和PEM进行亚微米级缺陷定位的新方法,使得一些单独使用PEM无法完成缺陷定位的案例得以成功解决.     

Mechanical transport of rotavirus by the legs and wings of Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae)

BACKGROUND: Whether or not tumor response to chemotherapy-sensitized radiation therapy (CTRT) for head and neck cancer leads to an improved outcome is unknown. METHODS: Forty patients who received preoperative cisplatin plus simultaneous radiotherapy for operable stage III and IV head and neck cancer were reviewed retrospectively regarding clinical demographics, staging, and survival status. RESULTS: Twenty-one (57%) patients had a histologic complete response (HCR) and 16 (43%) had a partial (PR) (9) or clinical complete (7) response (CCR). Tumor response of N1 versus N2-3 nodal disease showed 6 (75%) HCR and 4 (25%). Five-year disease-free survival overall was 82% for HCR versus 38% for PR/CCR (P <0.05). Disease-specific 5-year survival was 100% for HCR versus 27% for PR/CCR (P <0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Histologic complete response to CTRT for head and neck cancer is associated with increased survival and encouraging disease-free status. Response to CTRT is inversely proportional to lymphatic tumor load.     

Use of unidirectional data flow in bit-level systolic array chips

We show how the architecture of two recently reported bit-level systolic array circuits?a single-bit coefficient correlator and a multibit convolver?may be modified to incorporate unidirectional data flow. This feature has some important advantages in terms of chip cascadability, fault tolerance and possible wafer-scale integration.     

Impact of Statistical Multiplexing on Voice Quality in Cellular Networks

This paper examines the quality of transmission of voice over cellular, packet-switched networks. The medium access mechanism in the uplink is simulated under various statistical multiplexing scenarios in order to assess the effect of front-end clipping on voice quality. Moreover, the simulation is implemented in a real-time demonstration platform utilized to acquire subjective indicators of voice quality by performing Mean Opinion Score (MOS) tests. Results from the MOS tests are reported, and an analysis of the obtained speech samples is presented. Finally, the results are summarized and potential further directions for the simulation tool and the speech models are discussed.