A Generalized Technique for Register Counting and its Application to Cost-Optimal DSP Architecture Synthesis

In this paper we propose a generalized technique to count the required number of registers in a schedule which supports overlapped scheduling and can be applied to the case where a general digit-serial data format is used. This technique is integrated into an integer linear programming (ILP) model for time-constrained scheduling. In the ILP model, appropriate processors of certain data formats are chosen from a library of processors and data format converters are automatically inserted between processors of different data formats if necessary. Then the required number of registers for each data format is evaluated correctly by the proposed technique. Hence an optimal architecture for a given digital signal processing algorithm is synthesized where the cost of registers as well as the cost of processors and data format converters are minimized. It is shown that by including the cost of registers in the synthesis task as proposed in this paper leads to up to 12.8% savings in the total cost of the synthesized architecture when compared with synthesis performed without including the register cost in the total cost.     

Design of a photocatalyst for bromate decomposition: surface modification of TiO2 by pseudo-boehmite

The rate of BrO3- reduction by a commercial TiO2 photocatalyst under UV illumination in an aqueous solution was increased by lowering the pH from 7 to 5. The effect is attributable to an enhancement of the electrical interaction between BrO3- and the positively charged surfaces of the TiO2 photocatalyst. The surface charge can be controlled by a surface modification of the TiO2 photocatalyst without controlling the pH of the water. In fact, the isoelectric point of surface-modified TiO2 was higher than that of the unloaded TiO2 photocatalyst, resulting in an increase in the rate of the photocatalytic reduction of BrO3- at a neutral pH. This increase is explained by an increase in the amount of adsorbed BrO3- on the photocatalyst surface.     

Complex formation, thermal properties, and in-vitro digestibility of gelatinized potato starch-fatty acid mixtures

Effects of the type and amount of fatty acid (0-2.0 mmol/g-starch of lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids) on the complex formation, thermal properties, and in-vitro digestibility of gelatinized potato starch-fatty acid mixtures were investigated. Complex index (CI) evaluated by the reduction in the iodine binding capacity of starch increased with an increase in the amount of fatty acids, and reached a plateau depending on the type of fatty acid. The maximum CI value was higher in the order of lauric (49.9%), linoleic (47.6%), myristic (42.4%), oleic (36.7%), stearic (35.3%), and palmitic acid (30.9%). From the calorimetric study, it was demonstrated that melting temperature of the complexes was higher in the order of stearic (96.7 °C) > lauric, myristic, palmitic, and oleic (89.6-92.1 °C) > linoleic acid (78.3 °C). Melting enthalpy for complexes was roughly related to the CI value (R² = 0.667). From the in-vitro digestibility measurement, it was found that a certain amount of fatty acid reduced the starch content hydrolyzed at a given condition. Among them, 0.50 mmol/g-starch lauric and oleic acid samples showed the largest reduction in the hydrolyzed starch content. This result was related to the extent of complex formation characterized by CI value and its helical order characterized by melting temperature. In addition, there was a possibility of the complex formation between amylose and unsaturated fatty acid during the hydrolysis of gelatinized starch.     

An absolute requirement of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate for the Lactobacillus caseiL-lactate dehydrogenase activity induced by a single amino acid substitution

Lactobacillus casei allosteric L-lactate dehydrogenase (L-LDH)absolutely requires fructose 1,6-bisphosphate [Fru(1,6)P2] forits catalytic activity under neutral conditions, but exhibitsmarked catalytic activity in the absence of Fru(1,6)P₂ underacidic conditions through the homotropic activation effect ofsubstrate pyruvate. In this enzyme, a single amino acid replacement,i.e. that of His205 conserved in the Fru(1,6)P₂-binding siteof certain allosteric L-LDHs of lactic acid bacteria with Thr,did not induce a marked loss of the activation effect of Fru(1,6)P₂or divalent metal ions, which are potent activators that improvethe activation function of Fru(1,6)P₂ under neutral conditions.However, this replacement induced a great loss of the Fru(1,6)P₂-independentactivation effect of pyruvate or pyruvate analogs under acidicconditions, consequently indicating an absolute Fru(1,6)P₂ requirementfor the enzyme activity. The replacement also induced a significantreduction in the pH-dependent sensitivity of the enzyme to Fru(1,6)P₂,through a slight decrease and increase of the Fru(1,6)P₂ sensitivityunder acidic and neutral conditions, respectively, indicatingthat His205 is also largely involved in the pH-dependent sensitivityof L.casei L-LDH to Fru(1,6)P₂. The role of His205 in the allostericregulation of the enzyme is discussed on the basis of the knowncrystal structures of L-LDHs.     

Effects of fatty acid and emulsifier on the complex formation and in vitro digestibility of gelatinized potato starch

The effects of fatty acid, monoacylglycerol, and polyglycerol fatty acid ester with varying chain length in their acyl chains on the extent of complex formation (complex index) and in vitro enzymatic digestibility of gelatinized potato starch were investigated. The complex index increased with increase in the concentration of the ligands (fatty acid, monoacylglycerol, and polyglycerol fatty acid ester), with the plateau in the complex index value depending on the type of ligands. In comparison of complex index among fatty acid-samples, the complex index maximum increased as the chain length increased up to octanoic acid and then decreased. In comparison of complex index among fatty acid-, monoacylglycerol-, and polyglycerol fatty acid ester-samples at each acyl chain, the complex index maximum followed the order polyglycerol fatty acid ester > monoacylglycerol > fatty acid. Fatty acid, monoacylglycerol, and polyglycerol fatty acid ester with long acyl chains greatly reduced the enzymatic hydrolysis of starch. Polyglycerol fatty acid ester with palmitic acid chains was the strongest inhibitor of starch hydrolysis, suggesting that further complex formation may occur during the hydrolysis of gelatinized starch (enzyme-annealing).     

Reversible and Precisely Controllable p/n‐Type Doping of MoTe2 Transistors through Electrothermal Doping

Precisely controllable and reversible p/n‐type electronic doping of molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe₂) transistors is achieved by electrothermal doping (E‐doping) processes. E‐doping includes electrothermal annealing induced by an electric field in a vacuum chamber, which results in electron (n‐type) doping and exposure to air, which induces hole (p‐type) doping. The doping arises from the interaction between oxygen molecules or water vapor and defects of tellurium at the MoTe₂ surface, and allows the accurate manipulation of p/n‐type electrical doping of MoTe₂ transistors. Because no dopant or special gas is used in the E‐doping processes of MoTe₂, E‐doping is a simple and efficient method. Moreover, through exact manipulation of p/n‐type doping of MoTe₂ transistors, quasi‐complementary metal oxide semiconductor adaptive logic circuits, such as an inverter, not or gate, and not and gate, are successfully fabricated. The simple method, E‐doping, adopted in obtaining p/n‐type doping of MoTe₂ transistors undoubtedly has provided an approach to create the electronic devices with desired performance.     

Direct modulation characteristics of GaInAsP/InP d.h. lasers with various stripe widths measured by sharp-pulse method

The direct modulation characteristics of GaInAsP/InP d.h. lasers emitting at 1.3 ?m with various stripe widths were measured by the proposed sharp-pulse method. As a result, a flat modulation frequency response up to 1.9 GHz was observed in a laser diode with 5 ?m stripe width.     

Liquid phase growth of graphene on silicon carbide

We developed a novel method to produce graphene on silicon carbide (SiC) at a temperature as low as 1000 °C. The method is based on liquid phase growth (LPG) of graphene mediated by liquid gallium, which acts not only as a flux to store carbon dissolved from a surface of SiC when heated, but also as a catalyst to promote the formation of graphene on SiC when cooled. Our experimental results revealed that gallium-treated SiC substrates are coated with uniform and continuous graphene films. The LPG method is able to supply graphene films consisting of one to several hundreds of layers, depending on heating temperatures. Our approach can not only provide an alternative way to form graphene natively on SiC, but will also bring a technological breakthrough in industrial applications of graphene, e.g. the realization of graphene-on-insulator substrates.     

Cloning and characterization of a β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (BmFDL) from silkworm Bombyx mori

In insects, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (GlcNAcase) participates in critical physiological processes such as fertilization, metamorphosis, and glycoconjugate degradation. Insects produce glycoproteins carrying paucimannosidic-type N-glycans, the terminal GlcNAc residue of which is cleaved by a GlcNAc-linkage specific GlcNAcase, also known as the fused lobes (FDL) protein. To obtain information on the structure of GlcNAcases and insight into their contribution to physiological processes, we cloned Bombyx mori FDL (BmFDL) from silkworm larvae. The full-length cDNA (1.9 kb) encoded a protein of 633 amino acids with 42% amino acid sequence identity to Drosophila melanogaster FDL (DmFDL). Recombinant BmFDL cleaved only β-1,2-linked GlcNAc residues from the α-1,3 branch of biantennary N-glycan. This substrate specificity was similar to that of DmFDL. Microsomal FDL activity was inhibited by anti-BmFDL antibodies. Taken together, our results suggest that BmFDL is a N-glycan-processing GlcNAcase in B. mori.