Self-adaptive biasing technique for microwave bipolar amplifier linearisation

A novel linearised bipolar amplifier topology, integrating both reduction of baseband distortion and self-adaptive biasing techniques, is presented. The linearising circuit suppresses more than 25 dB of the spectral regrowth for the first-order sidelobes and reduces up to 36% DC bias power of the amplifying transistor     

Feedback Quantization Strategies for Multiuser Diversity Systems

In a system utilizing multiuser diversity, regular feedback of channel-quality predictions to the base station is required for each user. Typically, the measure of channel quality must be quantized at each mobile station before it can be sent back. In this paper, we present two distributed scalar quantization schemes that optimize two different performance criteria: a) the minimization of the probability P _e of incorrectly identifying the user with the best channel quality and b) maximization of the resulting throughput R. For a typical Rayleigh-fading system with 30 users per sector, numerical optimization results show that the P_e and R realized by the uniform quantization strategy with 16 quantization levels for each user can be achieved by only three quantization levels using the two proposed strategies. A practical approximation of the proposed schemes is studied and is shown to provide near-optimal performance for both performance criteria as the number of quantization levels becomes large     

Metamorphic Heterostructure InP/GaAsSb/InP HBTs on GaAs Substrates by MOCVD

Good-quality metamorphic InP buffer layers have been successfully grown on GaAs substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Characterization by atomic force microscope, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution X-ray diffraction, and Hall measurements indicated that the layers are of high crystalline quality, good mobility, and excellent surface morphology. On this buffer, we demonstrated the first metamorphic InP/GaAsSb/InP double heterojunction bipolar transistors (DHBTs) with good material quality and device performance. Metamorphic DHBTs showed direct-current and radio-frequency characteristics that are comparable to those grown on lattice-matched InP substrates.     

A Generic Pigment Model for Digital Painting

We propose a generic pigment model suitable for digital painting in a wide range of genres including traditional Chinese painting and water-based painting. The model embodies a simulation of the pigment-water solution and its interaction with the brush and the paper at the level of pigment particles; such a level of detail is needed for achieving highly intricate effects by the artist. The simulation covers pigment diffusion and sorption processes at the paper surface, and aspects of pigment particle deposition on the paper. We follow rules and formulations from quantitative studies of adsorption and diffusion processes in surface chemistry and the textile industry. The result is a pigment model that spans a continuum from the very wet to the very dry brush stroke effects. We also propose a new pigment mixing method based on machine learning techniques to emulate pigment mixing in real life as well as to support the creation of new artificial pigments. To experiment with the proposed model, we embedded the model in a sophisticated digital brush system. The combined system exhibits interactive speed on a modest PC platform. http://www.cs.hku.hk/~songhua/pigment provides supplementary materials for this paper.     

Buckling of thin flat-walled structures by a spline finite strip method

A method of buckling analysis of thin flat-walled structures of finite length subjected to longitudinal compression and bending, transverse compression as well as shear is described. The analysis uses the spline finite strip method and allows for boundary conditions other than simply supported ends as required in the semi-analytical finite strip method of buckling analysis.Convergence studies with increasing numbers of section knots are described for plates in compression, bending and shear, and for long columns with different support conditions subjected to compression. A buckling analysis of a stiffened plate subjected to compression and shear is compared with results from a finite element analysis.     

Mastering Surface Reconstruction of Metastable Spinel Oxides for Better Water Oxidation

Developing highly active electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for the effectiveness of water splitting. Low‐cost spinel oxides have attracted increasing interest as alternatives to noble metal–based OER catalysts. A rational design of spinel catalysts can be guided by studying the structural/elemental properties that determine the reaction mechanism and activity. Here, using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, it is found that the relative position of O p‐band and M_Oh (Co and Ni in octahedron) d‐band center in ZnCo_2?xNi_xO₄ (x = 0–2) correlates with its stability as well as the possibility for lattice oxygen to participate in OER. Therefore, it is testified by synthesizing ZnCo_2?xNi_xO₄ spinel oxides, investigating their OER performance and surface evolution. Stable ZnCo_2?xNi_xO₄ (x = 0–0.4) follows adsorbate evolving mechanism under OER conditions. Lattice oxygen participates in the OER of metastable ZnCo_2?xNi_xO₄ (x = 0.6, 0.8) which gives rise to continuously formed oxyhydroxide as surface‐active species and consequently enhances activity. ZnCo_1.2Ni_0.8O₄ exhibits performance superior to the benchmarked IrO₂. This work illuminates the design of highly active metastable spinel electrocatalysts through the prediction of the reaction mechanism and OER activity by determining the relative positions of the O p‐band and the M_Oh d‐band center.     

Synthetic Controllable Turbulence Using Robust Second Vorticity Confinement

Capturing fine details of turbulence on a coarse grid is one of the main tasks in real‐time fluid simulation. Existing methods for doing this have various limitations. In this paper, we propose a new turbulence method that uses a refined second vorticity confinement method, referred to as robust second vorticity confinement, and a synthesis scheme to create highly turbulent effects from coarse grid. The new technique is sufficiently stable to efficiently produce highly turbulent flows, while allowing intuitive control of vortical structures. Second vorticity confinement captures and defines the vortical features of turbulence on a coarse grid. However, due to the stability problem, it cannot be used to produce highly turbulent flows. In this work, we propose a robust formulation to improve the stability problem by making the positive diffusion term to vary with helicity adaptively. In addition, we also employ our new method to procedurally synthesize the high‐resolution flow fields. As shown in our results, this approach produces stable high‐resolution turbulence very efficiently.     

The production of interleukin-1 alpha immunoreactivity by human oviductal cells in a coculture system

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of interleukin-1 alpha in human embryo culture medium with or without oviductal cell coculture and to correlate the interleukin-1 alpha levels with pregnancy. METHODS: Culture media from 32 in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer cycles were assayed for interleukin-1 alpha by immunoassay technique. Human embryos were cultured in Earles' balanced salt solution supplemented with 15% preovulatory serum (sEBSS) in 16 of these cycles, while embryos in the rest of the cycles were cocultured with human oviductal cells in sEBSS. RESULTS: Both sEBSS and spent sEBSS after embryo culture contained low or undetectable levels of interleukin-1 alpha in the pregnant and nonpregnant cycles. On the other hand, oviductal cells significantly increased the amount of interleukin-1 alpha immunoreactivity in the conventional culture medium or coculture medium (P < 0.001, Mann-Whitney rank sum test). The concentrations of interleukin-1 alpha in the spent sEBSS after oviductal cell culture and after coculture with human embryos were 1.5 +/- 1.0 and 1.3 +/- 0.9 pg/ml, respectively. There was no difference in the interleukin-1 alpha concentration between the pregnant and the nonpregnant coculture cycles. CONCLUSIONS: These data showed that human oviductal cells produced interleukin-1 alpha immunoreactivity in a coculture system. However, this production could not be used as a marker for successful embryo implantation.