A 75-81 GHz, 14.3 dBm Peak Output Power, 21 dB Peak Gain, SiGe Power-Combining Amplifier Operating from a Single 3.3 V Supply

A compact differential 4-way power combiner with 2.3 dB loss and high common-mode rejection characteristic for use in mm-wave PAs is presented. A complete circuit comprised of a power splitter, two-stage cascode PA array, and a power combiner was implemented in SiGe technology. Measured small-signal gain of at least 17 dB was obtained from 74.5 GHz to 80.5 GHz with a peak 21 dB at 79 GHz. The prototype delivered 13.2 dBm P1dB and 14.3 dBm Psat when operated from a single 3.3 V supply at 75 GHz.

SiGe V Band Wide Tuning-Range VCO and Frequency Divider for Phase Locked Loop

A V-band wide tuning-range VCO and high frequency divide-by-8 frequency divider using Infineon 0.35 µm SiGe HBT process are presented in this paper. An LC impedance peaking technique is introduced in the Miller divider to increase the sensitivity and operation frequency range of the frequency divider. Two static frequency dividers implemented using current mode logic are used to realize dividing by 4 in the circuit. The wide tuning range VCO operates from 51.9 to 64.1 GHz i.e. 20.3% frequency tuning range. The measured phase noise at the frequency divider output stage is around -98.5 dBc at 1 MHz. The circuit consumes 200mW and operates from a 3.5Vdc supply, and occupies 0.6×0.8 mm2 die area.

A Compact V-band power detector

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A compact V-band active power detector using Infineon 0.35 µm SiGe HBT process (fT/fmax =170/250 GHz) is described. The total chip area is only 0.35×0.8 mm2 including all pads. This design exhibits a dynamic range larger than 20 dB over the frequency range from 55 GHz to 67 GHz. It also offers a simple and low-power application potential as an envelop detector in multi-Gbps high data rate demodulators for OOK/ASK etc.

p130Cas, a substrate associated with v-Src and v-Crk, localizes to focal adhesions and binds to focal adhesion kinase

p130(Cas) (crk associated substrate) has the structural characteristics of an adapter protein, containing multiple consensus SH2 binding sites, an SH3 domain, and a proline-rich domain. The structure of p130(Cas) suggests that it may act to provide a framework for protein-protein interactions; however, as yet, its functional role in cells is unknown. In this report we show that p130(Cas) is localized to focal adhesions. We demonstrate that p130(Cas) associates both in vitro and in vivo with pp125(FAK) (focal adhesion kinase), a kinase implicated in signaling by the integrin family of cell adhesion receptors. p130(Cas) also associates with pp41/43(FRNK) (pp125(FAK)-related, non-kinase), an autonomously expressed form of pp125(FAK) composed of only the C-terminal noncatalytic domain. We show that the association of p130(Cas) with pp125(Fak) and pp41/43(FRNK) is direct, and is mediated by the binding of the SH3 domain of p130(Cas) to a proline-rich sequence present in both the C terminus of pp125(FAK) and in pp41/43(FRNK). In agreement with recent studies we show that p130(Cas) is tyrosine-phosphorylated upon integrin mediated cell adhesion. The association of p130(Cas) with pp125(FAK), a kinase which is activated upon cell adhesion, is likely to be functionally important in integrin mediated signal transduction.

Implementation of phantom-less IMRT delivery verification using Varian DynaLog files and R/V output

This study aims to evaluate the use of Varian radiotherapy dynamic treatment log (DynaLog) files to verify IMRT plan delivery as part of a routine quality assurance procedure. Delivery accuracy in terms of machine performance was quantified by multileaf collimator (MLC) position errors and fluence delivery accuracy for patients receiving intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment. The relationship between machine performance and plan complexity, quantified by the modulation complexity score (MCS) was also investigated. Actual MLC positions and delivered fraction of monitor units (MU), recorded every 50 ms during IMRT delivery, were extracted from the DynaLog files. The planned MLC positions and fractional MU were taken from the record and verify system MLC control file. Planned and delivered beam data were compared to determine leaf position errors with and without the overshoot effect. Analysis was also performed on planned and actual fluence maps reconstructed from the MLC control file and delivered treatment log files respectively. This analysis was performed for all treatment fractions for 5 prostate, 5 prostate and pelvic node (PPN) and 5 head and neck (H&N) IMRT plans, totalling 82 IMRT fields in ∼5500 DynaLog files. The root mean square (RMS) leaf position errors without the overshoot effect were 0.09, 0.26, 0.19 mm for the prostate, PPN and H&N plans respectively, which increased to 0.30, 0.39 and 0.30 mm when the overshoot effect was considered. Average errors were not affected by the overshoot effect and were 0.05, 0.13 and 0.17 mm for prostate, PPN and H&N plans respectively. The percentage of pixels passing fluence map gamma analysis at 3%/3 mm was 99.94 ± 0.25%, which reduced to 91.62 ± 11.39% at 1%/1 mm criterion. Leaf position errors, but not gamma passing rate, were directly related to plan complexity as determined by the MCS. Site specific confidence intervals for average leaf position errors were set at -0.03-0.12 mm for prostate and -0.02-0.28 mm for more complex PPN and H&N plans. For all treatment sites confidence intervals for RMS errors with the overshoot was set at 0-0.50 mm and for the percentage of pixels passing a gamma analysis at 1%/1 mm a confidence interval of 68.83% was set also for all treatment sites. This work demonstrates the successful implementation of treatment log files to validate IMRT deliveries and how dynamic log files can diagnose delivery errors not possible with phantom based QC. Machine performance was found to be directly related to plan complexity but this is not the dominant determinant of delivery accuracy.

Güler and Öngel v Turkey: Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Strasbourg’s discourse on the justified use of force

This article discusses the discourse on the justified use of force in the Strasbourg Court’s analysis of Article 3. With particular focus on the judgment in Güler and Öngel v Turkey, a case concerning the use of force by State agents against demonstrators, it addresses the question of the implications of such discourse, found in this and other cases, on the absolute nature of Article 3. It offers a perspective which suggests that the discourse on the justified use of force can be reconciled with Article 3’s absolute nature.

Relatively Absolute? The Undermining of Article 3 ECHR in Ahmad v UK

The recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights in Ahmad v UK dangerously undermines the well-established case law of the Court on counter-terrorism and non-refoulement towards torture, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. Although ostensibly rejecting the ‘relativist’ approach to Article 3 ECHR adopted by the House of Lords in Wellington v Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Court appeared to accept that what is a breach of Article 3 in a domestic context may not be a breach in an extradition or expulsion context. This statement is difficult to reconcile with the jurisprudence constante of the Court in the last fifteen years, according to which Article 3 ECHR is an absolute right in all its applications, including non-refoulement, regardless of who the potential victim of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment is, what she may have done, or where the treatment at issue would occur.

Optical quantum memory for polarization qubits with V-type three-level atoms

We investigate an optical quantum memory scheme with V-type three-level atoms based on the controlled reversible inhomogeneous broadening (CRIB) technique. We theoretically show the possibility to store and retrieve a weak light pulse interacting with the two optical transitions of the system. This scheme implements a quantum memory for a polarization qubit - a single photon in an arbitrary polarization state - without the need of two spatially separated two-level media, thus offering the advantage of experimental compactness overcoming the limitations due to mismatching and unequal efficiencies that can arise in spatially separated memories. The effects of a relative phase change between the atomic levels, as well as of phase noise due to, for example, the presence of spurious electric and magnetic fields are analyzed.

Adsorption Study using Optimised 3D Organised Mesoporous Silica Coated with Fe and Al Oxides for Specific As(III) and As(V) Removal from Contaminated Synthetic Groundwater

This work presents the possibility of optimising 3D Organised Mesoporous Silica (OMS) coated with both iron and aluminium oxides for the optimal removal of As(III) and As(V) from synthetic contaminated water. The materials developed were fully characterised and were tested for removing arsenic in batch experiments. The effect of total Al to Fe oxides coating on the selective removal of As(III) and As(V) was studied. It was shown that 8% metal coating was the optimal configuration for the coated OMS materials in removing arsenic. The effect of arsenic initial concentration and pH, kinetics and diffusion mechanisms was studied, modelled and discussed. It was shown that the advantage of an organised material over an un-structured sorbent was very limited in terms of kinetic and diffusion under the experimental conditions. It was shown that physisorption was the main adsorption process involved in As removal by the coated OMS. Maximum adsorption capacity of 55 mg As(V).g-1 was noticed at pH 5 for material coated with 8% Al oxides while 35 mg As(V).g-1 was removed at pH 4 for equivalent material coated with Fe oxides.