A unified approach to superresolution and multichannel blind deconvolution.

This paper presents a new approach to the blind deconvolution and superresolution problem of multiple degraded low-resolution frames of the original scene. We do not assume any prior information about the shape of degradation blurs. The proposed approach consists of building a regularized energy function and minimizing it with respect to the original image and blurs, where regularization is carried out in both the image and blur domains. The image regularization based on variational principles maintains stable performance under severe noise corruption. The blur regularization guarantees consistency of the solution by exploiting differences among the acquired low-resolution images. Several experiments on synthetic and real data illustrate the robustness and utilization of the proposed technique in real applications.     

Standby supply voltage minimization for deep sub-micron SRAM

Suppressing the leakage current in memories is critical in low-power design. By reducing the standby supply voltage (V_DD) to its limit, which is the data retention voltage (DRV), leakage power can be substantially reduced. This paper models the DRV of a standard low leakage SRAM module as a function of process and design parameters, and analyzes the SRAM cell stability when V_DD approaches DRV. The DRV model is verified using simulations as well as measurements from a 4 KB SRAM chip in a 0.13 μm technology. Due to a large on-chip variation, DRV of the 4 KB SRAM module ranges between 60 and 390 mV. Measurements taken at 100 mV above the worst-case DRV show that reducing the SRAM standby V_DD to a safe level of 490 mV saves 85% leakage power. Further savings can be achieved by applying DRV-aware SRAM optimization techniques, which are discussed at the end of this paper.     

Fluoroscopy-based 3-D reconstruction of femoral bone cement: a new approach for revision total hip replacement

In revision total hip replacement the removal of the distal femoral bone cement can be a time consuming and risky operation due to the difficulty in determining the three-dimensional (3-D) boundary of the cement. We present a new approach to reconstruct the bone cement volume by using just a small number of calibrated multiplanar X-ray images. The modular system design allows the surgeon to react intraoperatively to problems arising during the individual situation. When encountering problems during conventional cement removal, the system can be used on demand to acquire a few calibrated X-ray images. After a semi-automatic segmentation and 3-D reconstruction of the cement with a deformable model, the system guides the surgeon through a free-hand navigated or robot-assisted cement removal. The experimental evaluation using plastic test implants cemented into anatomic specimen of human femoral bone has shown the potential of this method with a maximal error of 1.2 mm (0.5 mm RMS) for the distal cement based on just 4-5 multiplanar X-ray images. A first test of the complete system, comparing the 3-D-reconstruction with a computed tompgraphy data set, confirmed these results with a mean error about 1 mm.     

The Role of Test Protocols in Automated Test Generation for Embedded-Core-Based System ICs

Modular testing is an attractive approach to testing large system ICs, especially if they are built from pre-designed reusable embedded cores. This paper describes an automated modular test development approach. The basis of this approach is that a core or module test is dissected into a test protocol and a test pattern list. A test protocol describes in detail how to apply one test pattern to the core, while abstracting from the specific test pattern stimulus and response values. Subsequent automation tasks, such as the expansion from core-level tests to system-chip-level tests and test scheduling, all work on test protocols, thereby greatly reducing the amount of compute time and data involved. Finally, an SOC-level test is assembled from the expanded and scheduled test protocols and the (so far untouched) test patterns. This paper describes and formalizes the notion of test protocols and the algorithms for test protocol expansion and scheduling. A running example is featured throughout the paper. We also elaborate on the industrial usage of the concepts described.     

Determination of PCBs in fatty tissues by means of several detection techniques

Difficulties with harmonization of analytical procedures and consequently poor comparability of generated data represent in the Czech Republic the main reason for the delay in issuing of updated legislation for polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) in foodstuffs. This study draws attention to possible errors (overestimations) that can occur during routine determination of these residues in the fat portion of biotic matrices. We demonstrate the gas Chromatographic (GC) conditions under which interfering contaminants such as phthalates and/or chlorinated pesticides can be separated from analytes. Discussion is focused on the advantages and drawbacks of GC with an electron capture detector, GC mass spectrometry and GC with an atomic emission detector. Various approaches used for calculation of PCBs contents are compared.

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Bestimmung der PCB in Fettgeweben mittels verschiedener Detektionstechniken

Zusammenfassung Das Problem mit der Harmonisierung der analytischen Verfahren und der geringen Vergleichbarkeit der Angaben ist ein Hauptgrund der Verspätung in der neuen Legislative für PCB in Lebensmitteln in der Tschechischen Republik. Die Arbeit beschreibt die möglichen Fehler (Falsch-positive Fehler), die durch die routinierte Bestimmung von PCB-Rückständen in Fettanteilen der biologischen Materialien auftreten können. Es werden die gaschromatographischen Bedingungen beschrieben, unter denen die Interferenzen, wie z. B. Phthalaten und chlorierten Pesticiden, von Stoffen abgetrennt werden können. Die Vorteile und Nachteile der Methoden GC-ECD, GC-MS und GC-AED werden diskutiert. Die verschiedenen für die Kalkulation des PCB-Gehaltes angewendeten Annäherungen werden miteinander verglichen.

     

Grafting kinetics of poly(methyl methacrylate) on microparticulate silica

Grafting of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) on microparticulate silica was achieved by initiating the polymerization of MMA by 4,4′-azobis(4-cyanopentanoic acid) that was covalently bound to the silica surface. The initiator seems to be destabilized upon binding it to the silica surface. The kinetics of the graft polymerization are described and are largely affected by the Trommsdorff effect, which makes it possible to graft a high amount of PMMA on silica.     

Fabrication, Microstructural Characterization, and Mechanical Properties of Polycrystalline t'-Zirconia

Large-grained (100- to 200-μm), yttria-doped, polycrystalline t '-zirconia ceramics were fabricated by heat-treating presintered samples at temperatures 2100°C. Polarized light microscopy revealed the ferroelastic domain structure in the t ' samples. XRD showed that no monoclinic phase was detected on as-polished, ground and fracture surfaces, or on surfaces while under a tensile stress as high as 400 MPa. By contrast, relative changes occurred in the tetragonal peak intensities, which were attributed to ferroelasatic domain switching. The higher toughness of 3-mol%-Y₂O₃-doped t ' samples (7.7 MPa · m^1/2) compared to that of 8 mol% Y₂O₃ cubic samples (2.4 MPa · m^1/2) was explained in part by ferroelastic domain switching.     

Grinding-Induced Texture in Ferroelastic Tetragonal Zirconia

Ceria- and yttria-doped tetragonal polycrystalline zirconia ceramics were ground at temperatures as high as 1100°C. X-ray diffraction revealed that the intensity ratio I ₍₀₀₂₎/ I ₍₂₀₀₎ increased (to as high as ∼4.5) compared with that from the as-sintered surfaces (∼0.55). The enhancement in I ₍₀₀₂₎/ I ₍₂₀₀₎ at temperatures well above the m → t transition temperature shows that it is not related to transformation, reversible or otherwise, but can be explained by ferroelastic domain switching.