Sharif Digital Repository

The design, simulation and fabrication of a planar fragmented loop antenna with capacitive loads at 60 GHz frequency band is reported in this paper. The loop antenna has a nearly omni-directional radiation pattern required for many IEEE 802.11ad applications, a simulated bandwidth of 6 GHz, and a realized gain of 2 dBi. The measured input matching bandwidth without deembedding the connector effect is nearly 2 GHz. The HPBW in azimuth plane is 360°.s  

This article mainly focuses on the characteristic, technologies and applications of cloud computing in mobile and electronic learning, and analyzes the features of this concept. We firstly tried to clarify the meaning of cloud computing as well as its features, secondly, proposed different models of using cloud computing in different learning environments, including web-based learning, mobile video learning and observational learning  

Labyrinth side weirs provide a potentially effective way to shorten the length of a channel opening with the desired water height, but the discharge coefficient needs to be found experimentally. Experiments were carried out for triangular labyrinth side weirs with one and two cycles in order to obtain the discharge coefficient. The test variables included channel opening, head angle, number of cycles, weir height, upstream water depth and discharge in a subcritical situation. The resultsshow that the discharge coefficient ratio for a triangular labyrinth to a conventional side weir could rise to more than 2 with the same flow and geometric conditions. Relationships for the De Marchi... 

Supplying non-linear loads causes increased losses in transformers which eventually leads to their reduced life spans. Therefore, transformers are derated in order to protect them against premature loss of life. To do this, load losses including ohmic loss and winding eddy current (WEC) loss need to be estimated. This study suggests an improved analytical approach using finite element method (FEM) which includes all material characteristics and geometrical structures in order to calculate WEC loss under non-sinusoidal load current in each winding individually. By adopting this procedure, harmonic loss factor as a dominant parameter in transformers derating is estimated. By emphasising the... 

The interpretation of brain signals has consistently been a captivating subject for rehabilitation specialists. This interest prompts the development of interfaces that facilitate the interface between human cognition and an external device. These interfaces are commonly regarded as brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). However, a significant limitation of many existing BCI systems is their inadequate computational efficiency, which hinders their practical applicability in real-world scenarios. In this study, we present a channel-selection-based electroencephalogram (EEG) analyzing method, which enhances the BCIs to be used in real-time applications. To be specific, this method enables real-time... 

A wideband integrated delay chain chip with 5-bit main delay control, two error correction bits, maximum delay of 125-and 3.9-ps delay resolution, designed and fabricated in a 0.18-μ m CMOS technology is presented. This delay chain is a cascade of seven passive internal-switched delay blocks which the five main bits are based on novel delay structures. The proposed delay structures are similar to second-, fourth-, and sixth-order all-pass networks and are robust to mismatch effects of resistive parasitics of transistor switches. Measurement results of the fabricated delay chain show 15.2-23.3-dB insertion loss and less than 3.3-ps rms delay error over the intended frequency band from 8-18... 

A novel trombone topology has been introduced for achieving controllable true time delay. The prominent aspect of the proposed topology is the ability to provide discrete variable delay with minimum insertion loss variation with delay settings. Furthermore, the effects of source impedance, output load, and line-terminating loads' impedance mismatch on group delay variation are theoretically investigated for the proposed trombone topology. Moreover, based on this new topology, a prototype trombone delay circuit has been designed and fabricated in 0.18- mu ext{m} CMOS technology, operating over the frequency bandwidth of 8-18 GHz. This 3-bit delay integrated circuit provides a maximum delay... 

A high-precision delay chain circuit integrated in a 0.18- mu ext{m} CMOS technology working in the frequency bandwidth of 8-18 GHz has been designed and tested. The designed delay control integrated circuit with 5-bit delay control provides a maximum delay of 125 ps and has a delay resolution of 3.9 ps. Measured delay error of the fabricated chip is less than 9.3%, making it a considerably accurate delay control circuit. Low delay-error performance has resulted from incorporating a novel delay cell in this delay chain circuit. This newly proposed delay cell is a lumped-element coupled transmission line loaded with a second-order all-pass network (APN). The APN-loaded coupled line delay... 

A wideband integrated delay chain chip with 5-bit main delay control, two error correction bits, maximum delay of 125-and 3.9-ps delay resolution, designed and fabricated in a 0.18-μ m CMOS technology is presented. This delay chain is a cascade of seven passive internal-switched delay blocks which the five main bits are based on novel delay structures. The proposed delay structures are similar to second-, fourth-, and sixth-order all-pass networks and are robust to mismatch effects of resistive parasitics of transistor switches. Measurement results of the fabricated delay chain show 15.2-23.3-dB insertion loss and less than 3.3-ps rms delay error over the intended frequency band from 8-18... 

Memory and motor deficits are commonly identified in Parkinson's disease (PD). 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is transformed to MPP+ via monoamine oxidase B (MAOB), which causes oxidative stress and destroys dopaminergic (DA) neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and is widely used to create animal models of PD. However, to-date, a comprehensive analysis of the MPTP effects on various aspects of PD does not exist. Here, we provide a systematic review and meta-analysis on the MPTP effects on memory and motor functions by analyzing 51 studies on more than one thousand animals mainly including rats and mice. The results showed that in addition to motor functions... 

Simultaneous recording of activity across brain regions can contain additional information compared to regional recordings done in isolation. In particular, multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) across voxels has been interpreted as evidence for distributed coding of cognitive or sensorimotor processes beyond what can be gleaned from a collection of univariate effects (UVE) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Here, we argue that regardless of patterns revealed, conventional MVPA is merely a decoding tool with increased sensitivity arising from considering a large number of ‘weak classifiers’ (i.e., single voxels) in higher dimensions. We propose instead that ‘real’ multivoxel... 

In this paper, the problem of sending n-bit of data from a client to a server using an asymmetric communication channel is discussed where the line bandwidth from server to client is much higher than that of client to server. The goal is to provide a protocol for this problem so that the average number of actual bits sent by client to server becomes as low as possible. Assuming that data is drawn from an arbitrary distribution D, the average number of bits sent by client to server cannot be less than H(D), where H(D) is the binary entropy of D. This problem was first considered by Adler and Maggs [1]. They assumed that the distribution of D is known only by the server and introduced a... 

This effort attempts to study the change point problem in the area of non-linear profiles. A method based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is proposed for estimating the real time of a single step change. The feature vector of the proposed Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) is based on Z and control chart statistics for nonlinear profiles. The merits of the proposed estimator are evaluated through simulation experiments. The results show that the estimator provides an accurate estimate of the single step change point in non-linear profiles in the selected case problem. © 2021, The Society for Reliability Engineering, Quality and Operations Management (SREQOM), India and The Division of... 

This effort attempts to study the change point problem in the area of non-linear profiles. A method based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is proposed for estimating the real time of a single step change. The feature vector of the proposed Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) is based on Z and control chart statistics for nonlinear profiles. The merits of the proposed estimator are evaluated through simulation experiments. The results show that the estimator provides an accurate estimate of the single step change point in non-linear profiles in the selected case problem. © 2021, The Society for Reliability Engineering, Quality and Operations Management (SREQOM), India and The Division of... 

In this study, the effect of surface modified silver nanoparticles on the corrosion protection of an epoxy coating on mild steel was studied. An organosilane (3-methoxy silyl propyl metacrylate) was used as a surface modifier to increase the dispersability of the inorganic nanoparticles in the organic epoxy coating matrix. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize the surface modified nanoparticles. Differential scanning colorimetry (DSC) was employed to study the effects of modified and unmodified nano-silver on the curing heat and glass transition temperature of the epoxy coatings. Salt spray and electrochemical impedance... 

It is known that brain can create a sparse representation of the environment in both sensory and mnemonic forms (Olshausen & Field, 2004). Such sparse representation can be combined in downstream areas to create rich multisensory responses to support various cognitive and motor functions. Determining the components present in neuronal responses in a given region is key to deciphering its functional role and connection with upstream areas. One approach for parsing out various sources of information in a single neuron is by using linear blind source separation (BSS) techniques. However, applying linear techniques to neuronal spiking activity is likely to be suboptimal due to inherent and... 

A wideband integrated delay chain chip with 5-bit delay control, maximum delay of 120 ps and 3.9 ps delay resolution, designed and fabricated in 0.18 μ m CMOS technology is presented. Second-order all pass networks (APN) are used as delay structures in this delay circuit. In the design of the two MSB bits of the fabricated chip, a new design approach is used which allows higher group delay to be achieved with fewer number of passive second-order APN circuits. This would in turn reduce insertion loss of the designed delay control chain. Measurement results of the fabricated delay chain show 12.6–20.5 dB insertion loss and less than 3.3 ps RMS delay error over the intended frequency band from... 

Stimulus presentation is believed to quench neural response variability as measured by fano-factor (FF). However, the relative contributions of within-trial spike irregularity and trial-to-trial rate variability to FF fluctuations have remained elusive. Here, we introduce a principled approach for accurate estimation of spiking irregularity and rate variability in time for doubly stochastic point processes. Consistent with previous evidence, analysis showed stimulus-induced reduction in rate variability across multiple cortical and subcortical areas. However, unlike what was previously thought, spiking irregularity, was not constant in time but could be enhanced due to factors such as... 

Being able to track objects that surround us is key for planning actions in dynamic environments. However, rigorous cognitive models for tracking of one or more objects are currently lacking. In this study, we asked human subjects to judge the time to contact (TTC) a finish line for one or two objects that became invisible shortly after moving. We showed that the pattern of subject responses had an error variance best explained by an inverse Gaussian distribution and consistent with the output of a biased drift-diffusion model. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the pattern of errors made when tracking two objects showed a level of dependence that was consistent with subjects using a single... 

Side weirs are widely used for level control and flow regulation in hydraulic engineering applications such as irrigation, land drainage, and sewer systems. These hydraulic structures allow a part of the flow to spill laterally when the surface of the flow in the main channel rises above the weir crest. The supercritical flow over a side-weir is a typical case of spatially varied flow with decreasing discharge. This study is aimed at investigating the variations of specific energy along the side-weir using experimental results. Some diagrams have been presented in terms of dimensionless ratio of diverted discharge to total discharge. These diagrams which can be used in the design of side...