Geographical structure of the Y-chromosomal genetic landscape of the Levant: a coastal-inland contrast.

We have examined the male-specific phylogeography of the Levant and its surroundings by analyzing Y-chromosomal haplogroup distributions using 5874 samples (885 new) from 23 countries. The diversity within some of these haplogroups was also examined. The Levantine populations showed clustering in SNP and STR analyses when considered against a broad Middle-East and North African background. However, we also found a coastal-inland, east-west pattern of diversity and frequency distribution in several haplogroups within the small region of the Levant. Since estimates of effective population size are similar in the two regions, this strong pattern is likely to have arisen mainly from differential migrations, with different lineages introduced from the east and west.

An All-Digital Fast Tracking Switching Converter with a Programmable Order Loop Controller for Envelope Tracking RF Power Amplifiers.

This paper presents a step down, switched mode power converter for use in multi-standard envelope tracking radio frequency power amplifiers (RFPA). The converter is based on a programmable order sigma delta modulator that can be configured to operate with either 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th order loop filters, eliminating the need for a bulky passive output filter. Output ripple, sideband noise and spectral emission requirements of different wireless standards can be met by configuring the modulator's filter order and converter's sampling frequency. The proposed converter is entirely digital and is implemented in 14nm bulk CMOS process for post layout verification. For an input voltage of 3.3V, the converter's output can be regulated to any voltage level from 0.5V to 2.5V, at a nominal switching frequency of 150MHz. It achieves a maximum efficiency of 94% at 1.5 W output power.

A Single Switcher Combined Series Parallel Hybrid Envelope Tracking Amplifier for Wideband RF Power Amplifier Applications.

In this paper, an improved architecture for RF power amplifier envelope tracking supply modulator is presented. It consists of a single switched mode supply regulator and one linear regulator. The switched mode supply regulator has two outputs, one of which is used in conjunction with the linear regulator to provide a wideband, high efficiency power supply to the RF amplifier, whereas the second output provides a band limited high efficiency supply to the linear regulator. The design offers improved power efficiency, reduced system complexity and area savings since the dual output switched mode regulator requires one inductor and a simple control loop. The design was implemented in 14nm CMOS process and validated with simulations. The supply modulator achieves a peak efficiency of 74% with a 6 dB PAPR 20MHz LTE signal at 29dBm output power.

An Enhanced Light-Load Efficiency Step Down Regulator with Fine Step Frequency Scaling.

This paper presents a switching DC-DC Buck converter with enhanced light-load efficiency for use in noise-sensitive applications. Low noise, spur free operation is achieved by using a sigma-delta-modulator (ΣΔ) based controller, while light load efficiency is realized through the introduction of fine step frequency scaling (FSFS) which continuously adjusts the switching frequency of the converter with load conditions. Regulation efficiency is further improved by adoption of mode hopping (continuous conduction mode (CCM)/discontinuous conduction mode (DCM)) and utilization of a fully digital implementation. Furthermore, the presented converter maintains low output voltage ripple across its entire load range by reconfiguring the ΣΔ modulator's quantization step and introducing dither to the loop filter. The proposed modulator was implemented in 14nm bulk CMOS process and validated with post layout simulations. It attains a peak efficiency of 95% at heavy load conditions and 79% at light loads with a maximum voltage ripple of 15mV at light loads.