A high-speed and low-offset dynamic latch comparator.

Circuit intricacy, speed, low-offset voltage, and resolution are essential factors for high-speed applications like analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). The comparator circuit with preamplifier increases the power dissipation, as it requires higher amount of currents than the latch circuitry. In this research, a novel topology of dynamic latch comparator is illustrated, which is able to provide high speed, low offset, and high resolution. Moreover, the circuit is able to reduce the power dissipation as the topology is based on latch circuitry. The cross-coupled circuit mechanism with the regenerative latch is employed for enhancing the dynamic latch comparator performance. In addition, input-tracking phase is used to reduce the offset voltage. The Monte-Carlo simulation results for the designed comparator in 0.18 µm CMOS process show that the equivalent input-referred offset voltage is 720 µV with 3.44 mV standard deviation. The simulated result shows that the designed comparator has 8-bit resolution and dissipates 158.5 µW of power under 1.8 V supply while operating with a clock frequency of 50 MHz. In addition, the proposed dynamic latch comparator has a layout size of 148.80 µm × 59.70 µm.

Enhanced Feature Extraction-based CNN Approach for Epileptic Seizure Detection from EEG Signals.

One of the most common neurological disorders is epilepsy, which disturbs the nerve cell activity in the brain, causing seizures. Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are used to detect epilepsy and are considered standard techniques to diagnose epilepsy conditions. EEG monitors and records the brain activity of epilepsy patients, and these recordings are used in the diagnosis of epilepsy. However, extracting the information from the EEG recordings manually for detecting epileptic seizures is a difficult cumbersome, error-prone, and labor-intensive task. These negative attributes of the manual process increase the demand for implementing an automated model for the seizure detection process, which can classify seizure and nonseizures from EEG signals to help in the timely identification of epilepsy. Recently, deep learning (DL) and machine learning (ML) techniques have been used in the automatic detection of epileptic seizures because of their superior classification abilities. ML and DL algorithms can accurately classify different seizure conditions from large-scale EEG data and provide appropriate results for neurologists. This work presents a feature extraction-based convolutional neural network (CNN) to sense and classify different types of epileptic seizures from EEG signals. Different features are analyzed to classify seizures via EEG signals. Simulation analysis was managed to investigate the classification performance of the hybrid CNN-RNN model in terms of different achievement metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, f1 score, and false-positive rate. The results validate the efficacy of the CNN-RNN model for seizure detection.

Cuticle formation in quail eggs.

The present study was conducted to determine both the site at which cuticle materials are produced and the critical period for their production in the oviductal uterus of the Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica. An antiserum was produced against the 32-kDa band in electrophoretic profiles of cuticle materials obtained from eggshells decalcified with EDTA. Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopic observations revealed that the 32-kDa protein was synthesized in luminal ciliated epithelial cells of the uterus until 21 h after the previous oviposition (the first phase) and then secreted during the 4 h before the next oviposition (the second phase). Scanning electron microscopic observations revealed that 10-microm-wide posts appear on the surface of the luminal epithella during the first phase, and that they disappear during the second phase. During the second phase, air canals are formed in the eggshell by the retreat of the posts, and a cuticle layer forms on the eggshell. Our results indicate that the cuticle may function as a lubricant that facilitates egg rotation in the uterus.

Impact of an Intensive Perinatal Handwashing Promotion Intervention on Maternal Handwashing Behavior in the Neonatal Period: Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural Bangladesh.

One-quarter of neonatal deaths are attributed to infections. Maternal handwashing with soap may prevent neonatal sepsis. We examined impact of intensive handwashing promotion on handwashing behavior of mothers of neonates. In Matlab, Bangladesh, we randomly allocated pregnant women at 28-32 weeks' gestation to intensive handwashing promotion or control. Behavior change communicators used a participatory approach to motivate maternal handwashing with soap and provided soap and handwashing stations. In the neonatal period, we observed soap and water at handwashing places and, at the end of the neonatal period, we estimated impact on maternal handwashing by structured observation. Among 253 women enrolled, intervention households were between 5.7 and 15.2 times as likely as control households to have soap and water present at the handwashing station in the baby's sleeping area. Intervention mothers washed hands with soap 4.1 times as frequently as controls (95% CI 2.55-6.59); handwashing with soap at recommended times was infrequent in both intervention (9%) and control (2%) groups. Intensively promoting handwashing with soap resulted in increased availability of soap and water at handwashing places, but only a modest increase in maternal handwashing with soap. Novel approaches to motivating handwashing behavior to protect newborns should be developed and evaluated.

Mechanism of chalaza formation in quail eggs.

The present study was conducted to determine the mechanism of chalaza formation in eggs of the Japanese quail Coturnix japonica and to determine the production site of chalaza materials in the oviduct. Electrophoretic profiles of the chalaza materials showed six bands of 480, 320, 210, 180, 96, and 58 kDa following Coomassie Blue staining and one band of 600 kDa after immunoblotting. An antiserum was produced against the 180-kDa band. This antiserum and an antiserum generated against the 600-kDa protein were used as probes to detect chalaza materials. Immunofluorescent and immunoelectron-microscopic observations revealed that chalazae and chalaziferous layers overlaid to approximately 40 microm upon the vitelline membrane of the ovum were composed of the same materials as those produced by both types of secretory cells in the luminal and glandular epithelia at the infundibulum. We propose that the mechanism of chalaza formation is as follows: (1) chalazae first appear as fine filaments at the presumptive sharp and blunt ends of the ovum at the infundibulum; (2) these filaments are twisted into a lead fiber while the ovum is rotating and descending in the magnum; (3) at the posterior end of the magnum, the lead fiber is anchored to the thick egg white and lifted outward with the chalaziferous sublayers when the inner egg white is liquefied by absorbing water; (4) the lead fiber and chalaziferous sublayers are twisted further into the chalaza in the uterus.